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The Messy Hairstylist
Whether you are a mess literally OR figuratively we are here to help you take imperfect action to find your success as a hairstylist. Each week we deep dive in to tough topics to address the struggles we face in our industry. We push the boundaries, break the stereotypes and go hard against the "norms" that make us feel inferior.
The Messy Hairstylist
Warmth Wins: Rethinking Hair Trends
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Follow Abby on Instagram and TikTok at @theabbywarther
Follow Kelsey on Instagram at @kelseymorrishair
Welcome to the Messy Hairstylist Podcast.
SPEAKER_02:I'm Kelsey Morris. And I'm Abby Warther. Whether you are a mess literally or figuratively, we are here to help you take imperfect action to find your success as a hairstylist.
SPEAKER_00:Hey Messy Besties.
SPEAKER_02:Hey. Hey, we're back. Hey, hey. We're back. We're doing it again. We are.
SPEAKER_00:All right.
SPEAKER_02:What are we talking about today?
SPEAKER_00:Oh, we're talking about a fun one. We're talking about a fun one. We are talking about the trends that we're over. Mm. Yes. There's so many trends that I'm over. So it's kind of hard to narrow these down. So we're gonna have to try to figure out how to not go on forever, but it's gonna be a good one. Yes.
SPEAKER_02:Okay. You're gonna start because it's gonna be it'll start getting my brain going to think about it over.
SPEAKER_00:Number one is easy. And we touched on this a little bit in our last episode, but the number one trend I'm so over and I'm so happy it's kind of going away is the overtoned ash blondes. Yes, the gray, the silver. I don't want to see any warmth. Yeah, absolutely.
SPEAKER_02:Or how about like when I'm in my bathroom, my hand is red, they call it red.
SPEAKER_00:It's like it's your lighting. It's the pictures, it's the pictures for me. The text must pictures for me. So, do you see right here where it's a little bit warm? Like, okay, where are you standing right now? I know. I'm standing in my bathroom. Uh, let me guess, you're standing in your bathroom under a yellow light. Now, what I want you to do is go outside. Now, send me a photo outside, and then you can compare the two.
SPEAKER_02:Like, I know, yeah. No, yeah, we talked about it with the last call or the last call, the last episode about warmth coming back in. And I love it. I love it because we know that having that warmth in the hair just gives that little bit of sparkle. It makes it look healthier and shinier, and it I think it's just leaning in more to enhancing people's like natural beauty rather than trying to force their hair into a trend that it doesn't want to be in.
SPEAKER_00:No, and let's be honest, most people, I would say a majority, do not look good with like the cool tones. It's very harsh. It's really harsh. It's a hard one to pull off. And I don't think it does anything for the complexion or, you know, like you said, enhancing natural features. Like it's actually hard for me to picture someone that I think looks really good with really cool hair.
SPEAKER_02:Like okay, so what I did um probably like a year ago, I did a deep dive into color analysis for you know how you know, have we talked about that? Where you find out what colors look good for you clothes wise. Yeah. But if you think of when you go deep dive down into that, there's a very, like you said, very few people who actually look good with cool tones. So there's like, think about somebody who has very pale skin, black hair, and can wear a red lip.
SPEAKER_00:Oh, right.
SPEAKER_02:That's a certain person, and that's someone that can have high contrast, cool tones. Exactly. And then the same thing with the blondes that are that can be super blonde, have those icy blue eyes, they can be very cool toned. Yep, but that's not that's not a lot of people. There's not very many people in that those two extremes, and so all in between is adding that little bit of warmth. So, yes, I love that that yes, I'm ready for ashy, ashy blondes overtoning to go away. Agree.
SPEAKER_00:And now that's not neutral. I love still love a neutral. I love neutral blonde, I love a beige, like totally down with that. I'm talking that silver, ashy, icy. It's over, it's gotta die, it's gotta go.
SPEAKER_02:Yes, it doesn't mean we're not toning people with cool tones, it means we're not having their end result be yes overtoned, cool gray. Yes, yeah, I agree.
SPEAKER_00:Exactly. Okay, yeah, that that's my number one, but I can give you my number two because my number two I stand firm on as well. Let's do it. This is the extreme bold money piece. Yeah, yes, the money skunk line. Yeah, I cannot it handle, I cannot. I okay, hear me out because I think a money piece will never die. And what a money piece is is that the the brightness around your face, I don't think it's necessarily those two strips right in front, it's all the energy around your face. That perfect way to put that never die. But if you are on that part line and you get up to the very front, the front hairline, and you are foiling three slices back to back, followed by like you know what I mean? Like, yeah, no, no, no, it's well, and here's why.
SPEAKER_02:This is why, like, I didn't even like it when it was in. I always did a softer version and made it heavier lower, not yes right at the part on the root. So there's there's ways to get around that. But um, the reason why I never liked that trend, and I'm so happy to see it go too, is that it caused more problems than not. Like, so when the person pulled their hair back, what's that gonna look like? Right? Little skunk. Then that's the skunk. When it grows out, what's that gonna look like? But then I always found the people who wanted it really thick money piece right up front there, they also didn't like the dark behind it. Exactly. But you have to have that dark behind there, otherwise it's not gonna look like a chunk. Exactly. You need that dark behind there. So they didn't like that. Then you put the foil right behind there, and now they don't see a money piece anymore. You just could never get it right.
SPEAKER_00:Never win. I never win. That was a hard one for me. Like you said, even when it was those three, four slices in a row, I still couldn't just let it ride like that. I would go in with like a little gloss or something right on that, just to soften it a tiny bit, just like something. Because I I could not handle it. I'm like, I did it, but no, I'm gonna, I'm just gonna soften it down a little bit. So I am so glad that those are nicely making their exit, those chunky money pieces, and we are living in a world of beautiful, soft, but energetic pieces around your face. I love that.
SPEAKER_02:Okay, I have one. I thought of one.
SPEAKER_00:Oh, let's hear it.
SPEAKER_02:Okay, and this is no offense to anybody because it's not if you have to start it with that.
SPEAKER_00:I cannot wait to hear what we're saying.
SPEAKER_02:And it's not as a whole, I want to see these go away, but I want to see this go away for certain people. Okay, okay, hair extensions. Okay, okay, let me explain. Your hair extensions are always beautiful, yours are always beautiful because your hair remember when I when they were. I thought they looked I thought they looked good the last time we were together. No, I didn't even think that. Um, so hair extensions attack.
SPEAKER_00:She's got she's what she's trying to give me a hint.
SPEAKER_02:I'm just kidding, go. All right, so hair extensions for those people whose hair is so thin and broken and brittle, and they just have to have this length, and there is no hiding. There, you cannot match the density, right? They're they're getting extensions. Maybe they're getting the wrong method. That could be it. So maybe they can have extensions, maybe they just need another method. I don't do extensions, so I don't know. But I am ready to see those go away where it's all these short broken pieces, blonde pieces on top, and then length, and it has to be curled in order to look good.
SPEAKER_00:Oh, I hate that. It's oh, it's so hard. And it it is really it's a hard as someone, even as stylists who does extensions, because I'm pretty sure a majority of stylists who do extensions know that doesn't look good. Yeah, and you are like trying so hard to educate your client, like this is probably not right. Like, yeah, it doesn't blend great. Like, why don't we go shorter with it? Like, if we went shorter, we could make your short top pieces, which are four inches long, blend a little bit better. And they're like, No, I just I need my long hair, and you're like, it looks so bad. Um, so yeah, I think that's a hard one for even seeing.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, I don't think it's a hairstylist problem. I think it's no, sometimes it is.
SPEAKER_00:No, sometimes it is.
SPEAKER_02:But definitely that it's that and it is starting to go away from that trend of just everyone needs to have long hair because we are seeing more nice, clean bobs um all over the place. Celebrities, everyday people are are are going with that that bob length, even a long bob, and realizing their hairs look so much healthier and thicker and natural, and and the maintenance is so much less. So, yes, that's a trend I want to see go away.
SPEAKER_00:Agree. Speaking of bobs, do you watch Dancing with the Stars? You see Juliana.
SPEAKER_02:Well, that's what I'm talking about. It's adorable. That's what's so good. Of course, I watch Dancing with the Stars. And and um, and uh Chris McMillan is the one that cuts her hair, I believe. He's a celebrity hairstylist that does Jennifer Anderson's hair, and he has been on the Today Show cutting the anchors hair on there, and they're just the best bobs. I love it. It's simple. Simple, yes, it's a good bob, simple, looks great.
SPEAKER_00:Yep. Okay, I have another one. Okay, okay. I guess no, I don't even have to preface this because I can say it like this the one size fits all curtain bang.
SPEAKER_01:Okay, okay, hear me out. Let me let me let me know. I'm still liking a curtain bang. Okay.
SPEAKER_00:Nope, I love a curtain bang, but I'm talking the one size fits all, where you look at you get someone they're like, I want a curtain bang. You're like, great, and you just cut exactly like what you you know, what you cut on everybody else. So I actually have a great story with this one. Yesterday, yesterday, I had a client come in and she has fine hair, and she's so beautiful. Like she is beautiful, but her face is very, very round. And we I she was talking about wanting these bangs, and she's like, I don't know if where I should start them or where I should go with them. Um, she showed me like around her cheek, and it was just like I I told her, I said, if you go here, your face is gonna look more round. So I think I still love a bait curtain bang. Um, I think that you have to customize it to your guest and really, and and the best way to do that, if you don't even know, for me, okay, I'm a very visual person. So if someone were to give me a diagram and say, like, with a round face, you need to cut angles at this direction, and that that's never gonna stick in my head. So, what I have to do is physically take the hair around their face and almost bend it to the different positions and understand and show them and show myself, like, okay, and then figure out how to nicely say, if we put this here, your face is going to look wider. If we if we start it here, it's gonna draw attention to your eyes. This will draw attention to so I still love a curtain bang. I cut two yesterday, you know, but I just customize it a little bit more. I get that. You're right, you're right.
SPEAKER_02:I love that, and you're right. Putting the hair and showing it the visual, and there is an easy way to say, instead of just like, oh, this is gonna make your face look still round, and nobody wants that, saying, Look at when I do this, and it makes your eyes pop. I I love how you said that exactly, and and then they feel part of the part of it and more comfortable.
SPEAKER_00:They're like, you know, because everybody gets a little nervous, everybody gets a little nervous about cutting a thing, and then they're excited to show bangs.
SPEAKER_02:Yes, they especially get nervous about cutting bangs. So if you're gonna like show them that visual, then they're gonna be more confident, and also not a lot of stylists do that, they'll just be like, yeah, sure. And they cut it, and then they're then those people are on TikTok crying about their terrible hair experience they just had. Yeah, so I agree. I love that. Also, um, people who should not have curtain bangs are those that have really, really, really strong colics through the part line. Yep. And or really fine hair. You have to have that density that wants to lay forward a bit on your face in order to support that curtain bang.
SPEAKER_00:Yep. Or it or it's not gonna necessarily be a curtain bang like the girl I cut yesterday. Hers were very wispy, they were soft. They they still had some bend to them. I could still make them look good, but I didn't try to like cut farther back into her hair to like make them thicker.
SPEAKER_02:That'd be disaster.
SPEAKER_00:Disaster. So yeah, it's I think it's understanding you know what you're actually going for and not just try to cut what you cut on everybody. Yes, I love that. Okay, okay. Any you got anything else?
SPEAKER_02:No, I don't.
SPEAKER_00:Next, okay, great, perfect. Next, next for me, because I took notes, so um prepared. I'm prepared. Okay, this is a good one. Okay, overdone root shadows. Yes, I like that. Hear me out. This kind of ties in with our toning from last from last week. So back in the day when we were when you know, everything was we got a tone, tone, tone, tone, tone. This has everything has to be tone. We have to tone this, we have to tone that. Like, I think we got a little bit out of control with the root shadowing and as far as a gloss goes, because I think if your application of your lightener is done well, um, and you, you know, know where you're placing things for a reason, and you're not just in there just highlighting or painting for the heck of it because you have no idea what you're doing with your life, you shouldn't have to go back through and try to correct something with an overdone root shadow. Um because then again, that's just adding more time to your ticket, to your service, and now you're behind, or you're not making the, you know what I mean? It's like work smarter, not harder. So yeah, I think the era of everything needs a root shadow and it has to be this big ordeal is kind of out for me.
SPEAKER_02:Well, yeah, because you're right. I think I think that's where it came from is the sloppy application of foils that need it. So it's like that um I tone to finish, not to fix, I shadow root to finish, not to fix. You can say the same thing for that, and then think about that. Those times where you do have to shadow root because you have insanely hard lines that don't work at all. You have to tone that for a while. You probably do have to do that 20-minute toner, exactly to really make that work. You are in a bad spot, and then how is that gonna grow out? That won't grow out well, and that's what we teach in blonde catalyst.
SPEAKER_00:So I know I was just thinking that I'm like, oh my gosh, this sounds like a promo for blonde catalyst, even though it wasn't supposed to be, but it is because yes, you gotta understand the mapping and the placement and why you're doing it. So that's right. Shout out to Blonde Catalyst. Okay, so the last one I want to talk about, you had a really good perspective on this one, and I thought it was really cool. So I'm gonna let you talk about it, but I'll I'll bring it up so you remember because I'm sure you forgot. Yes, you're very you're very focused on your one eye. Um the overfilter hair photos and the fake shine. Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. Okay, and how that ties in with the marketing trend. Go for it, Abby. Yes, close those out.
SPEAKER_02:So so when she brought that up to me, I was like, ooh, yes, that's interesting. Like, what's going out in marketing trends for hairstylists? And so we know that I think with the rise of um the competitions, like the certain awards by a certain company that everybody submits to um that is so either professionally done for top um photographs and then heavily, heavily edited. Um, that then became a trend because people were competing in this competition, right? So then now everyone is overly editing everything, and it really was a detriment to us. So that's something that I want to see grow up, but I actually do think it's already starting to go out. I agree. Do you think so? I feel like I'm seeing less of that and more real hair, and also showing hair not so perfect, like you mentioned, you had mentioned this when we were chatting earlier, like perfectly smooth, editing out every little flyaway. I don't think we need to do that. And I'm starting to see people post more like lived-in hair and a little like undone. I don't want to say messy, but that undone. Yes, yes, yes.
SPEAKER_00:We did that then undone texture, like the natural texture of the hair coming through.
SPEAKER_02:And I think that's, I mean, that I don't think I know that's gonna attract more clients to your work than someone who looks like a fake model because I'm never gonna look at that and be like, oh, I want to go to her so I can look like that. We're not idiots. We know we're not gonna look like that.
SPEAKER_00:That's where I was going with this. It's funny because I think clients are now catching on. Yeah, they're catching on to it. So, how many have you seen or have you had recently clients come in and they show you a picture of like, yeah, but this one might be filtered or this one might be edited? It's like they're finally catching on. We used to have to like educate them and be like, no, that is a filter, that's not real. You can see blah, blah, blah. And now they're bringing it to my attention. I'm like, you're right. Good job. So it's not working anymore. That marketing is not working.
SPEAKER_02:Yes. And that now we are having to. I know that there is a certain age group of my clients who are coming in and showing me AI photos that they see on Facebook. So it's a certain age range of clients that they don't recognize that that's AI. So that's our next thing is AI going away. So I there's one. I want to see AI inspiration pictures go away. Okay, well, you started with I want to see AI to go away. And I'm like, Abby, no, God, no.
SPEAKER_00:Do you know that ChatGPT would be gone then?
SPEAKER_02:It's just, it's, it's just interwoven in my life. No, the the inspiration photos from clients.
SPEAKER_00:No, I absolutely agree. Absolutely agree. Any well, I mean, is it wait? Let me one final thing before before we close out. Are there any trends that you don't want to see die?
SPEAKER_02:Hmm. Interesting. Any trends that I don't want to see. I love a bob. I love a bob. I think that there's a version of a bob every single season that can be in. When I first started doing hair, it was the stacked angled A-line bob, and now it's a very clean bob with like hidden inside texture. Yes. Um, so a bob, and I don't think it ever will go out. You just have to make sure when you are cutting hair, you know those slight details that take it from a dated bob to a trendy bob.
SPEAKER_00:Oh, that is beautiful. I love that. All right. Well, this has been a great episode, but I want to say one more thing before we um let it go. Please never let high rise jeans go out.
