Damage Control for Heat,
Humidity, Sun & Chlorine

Conditioning Tips and Treatments for Summer
From the Experts at Vartali

Sun, sand, salt and chlorine can wreak havoc on the healthiest head of hair.  They can rob hair of moisture and shine, fade color or turn it brassy.  Here are 6 tips from the experts at the Vartali Salon that will keep your locks looking luscious from June through August with a minimal amount of time and effort.

1. Hydrating Oil Moisture Bath Treatment
A unique combination of essential plant oils like sage, rosemary and juniper berries, applied to hair before a shampoo, smoothes split ends, restores moisture and adds overall shine to hair.  Have your first treatment at the salon, prior to your cut and styling service, and then continue using at home.  $26 vial, used once a week, will last all summer and protect hair from the elements.

2.  Heat It Up:  Slick hydrating oil on wet hair before a game of tennis or while tanning to add a protective barrier from the sun.

3. Deep Conditioning Hair Masque
All-natural French hair masque provides intense conditioning and keeps color bright and true for 4-6 weeks.  Applied with a cap for 30-40 minutes, this is the ultimate color enhancing conditioning treatment.  Try it before your next color application.  It leaves hair feeling like silk and looking radiant.  ($??)

4.  Use Masque at home  – under a hair dryer, in a sauna or while gardening – to repair sun-damaged strands or for extreme moisture care.

5.  Split-Enders:  Make sure to trim your ends more frequently during the summer to prevent splits from traveling up the hair shaft and causing hair to look dry or frizzy.

6.  Limit your use of blow-drying, hot rollers and styling irons during the summer months.  They can compound the damaging effects of sun and salt and result in further drying.

(photo: hairstyle by Rodney Groves)

Spring Into Summer With a Bold, New Look

Brighter Color;
Sexy Layering;
Fringe Bangs
Hair Fashion Trends From the Vartali Salon Spring/Summer 2013

Change is the watchword for hair this season.   So say the stylists and colorists at Vartali, the venerable Manhattan styling emporium located at The Galleria at 115 East 57 Street.

As the weather gets warmer and consumer confidence climbs along with the stock market, women are ready to take the plunge to shorter hair.   Inspired by movie stars like Anne Hathaway, Michelle Williams and Charlize Theron, this season’s short cuts run the gamut from wispy gamins to pretty pixies to boyish crops.

“Whether playful or polished, tapered or asymmetrical, short cuts should be shaped to flatter the face and work with the hair’s natural texture,” says salon owner and stylist Vartan Vartali.   “There are many options right now, but it’s important for the client to work closely with her stylist to achieve the look that’s right for her features, her mood and her lifestyle.”

“There’s a return to femininity and glamour this season, which we haven’t seen in quite some time, “ Vartan says,  “New designers at Dior, St. Laurent and Burberry are bringing a fresh vocabulary and joyful spirit to clothing with pastels, springtime florals, ruffles and sheer fabrics.”

“Women feel more optimistic and lighthearted this season and they want their hair to reflect their mood.  Our clients are more open to change and are ready to retire their long-standing style for a fashion-forward look, like a choppy bob or wispy shag.  Others are opting for subtle changes, which can be achieved by adding bangs or layers to a favorite style.


Haircolor Director Michael Stinchcomb Says:
Warmer Hues Are Making News

Haircolor Director Michael Stinchcomb reports that clients are more willing to experiment with color this season.  “It’s been a long, cold, dreary winter and nothing says summer like sunny highlights.   There’s more variety in tonal coloring right now.   Honey, caramel, bronze or deep copper highlights, used alone or in combination add dimension and depth to the overall haircolor.  Clients are more daring when it comes to a choosing an all-over color – like strawberry blonde or a tawny auburn. One shade from roots to ends can act like make-up for the hair –adding gloss, sheen and body.”

Make-up Artist Asao Mikawa Says
“Brighter Color Is Back”

Makeup, too, is becoming more colorful. Green, blue and purple eye shadows are popular this season, balanced by a pink, peach or neutral lip.  Asao Mikawa, veteran make-up artist, advises clients to “play up the features you want to draw attention to and aim for balance.  One area -- either the eyes or lips -- should pop, not both.”

“If a client wants to make a subtle change in her makeup look, we suggest she focus on the eyebrow, by going longer, wider or darker. Eyebrows, when properly shaped, lend definition ad strength to the face,” Mikawa advises.

Vartan sums it up by invoking David Bowie,  “Changes! That’s the key to hair fashion and makeup looks for Spring/Summer 2013.