Julien: Curly James Dean Crop

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With arresting emerald eyes and inky, shoulder length hair loaded with curls—Julien was bubbling with boyish enthusiasm. “Last year, when we thought the world was going to end, my wife and I traveled the world,” Julien brought up, sipping wine at the salon. He launched into a colorful story punctuated with French and frequent laughter. “We started in the Bahamas,” he said, eyes sparkling, then named stops in South America, Europe and numerous countries in Asia—each with accompanying anecdotes. Mid trip, the duo found themselves “[…]on a slow river boat in Laos, towards Vientiane—the Ibiza of Asia—where we rode in rubber tubes and stopped often for drinks at bars lining the banks.”

Julien is an actor, and while he usually pulls the hair back into a ponytail, we wanted to emphasize his facial structure and modernize the look with a trendy twist on James Dean’s timeless cut. “For Julien, I wanted to shorten the sides but leave curls at top of his head a little longer, for a full bodied bouffant,” David said.

We began styling with a toast, “Cheers! To peace in the world,” Julien said, clinking glasses with a smile.

How To:

1. To begin sculpting this modern classic, I pulled his long hair into a ponytail and snipped at the nape of the neck.

2. I parted the remaining sections and began trimming Julien’s hair to under an inch in back and sides, using my index and ring finger as a guide. As his hair forms ringlets, I clipped from right to left for a consistent cut despite the curls.

3. Once the majority of the long hair was gone, I employed a comb for an even closer crop, focusing on even length from ear to ear and under. I trimmed the section by his ears the shortest—modern coifs tend towards clipped sides with more length on top for styling flexibility.

4. Julien’s hair was now at three different lengths, so I checked over once more to ensure all sections faded smoothly into one another. There should be no sharp edges in this crop! James Dean’s hair has a relaxed, tousled quality that should appear casual, not overworked.

5. Once Julien’s cut was complete, I quickly styled it. Using a hair dryer and round brush, I injected volume to the roots of the longer sections of his hair.

6. Finally, I tousled his hair with No. 6 Glossy Plasteline For Wizards wax by Davines and scrunched to bring back his curls.

Voila! Julien had a curly bouffant ala James Dean. “I don’t like it—I love it!” Julien enthused. “Like a glass out of the dishwasher, I was clean before, but now I’ve been polished!”

David’s Hair Tips:
“When I cut men’s hair, I don’t use a buzzer. I dislike them because a buzzer actually splits the hair, so it grows out into split ends. When occasionally I use a razor, I always trim over with sharp scissors.”

Elissa: Spring’s Very Best Braid

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Meet Elissa, a Brooklyn-based photographer with a quick laugh and a striking crop of thick, curly blonde hair. “My hair is really easy—I usually just wash it, use some cream then towel dry. I’ll even let it dry on the subway!” she mentioned with a smile. It’s hasn’t always been so bouncy, “When I was in 5th cut it really short, then it suddenly ‘boinged,’ and was curly!”

“I’ve always felt artistically inclined,” she explained, swirling white wine in a glass, “I wanted to be a photographer when I was younger. These days I’m a very hands-on photographer—I like working with film and black and white pictures.”

When she’s not working in the studio, “I explore!” Elissa exclaimed, “My area is really residential, so I explore [elsewhere in Brooklyn]. I really like Williamsburg—went to the Brooklyn Bazaar recently and it was amazing! I told my friend, ‘what is this magical place?’ ”

With a silver loop in her nose, a glittering watch and a blood-red manicure, for Elissa it’s all making standout art. “I love tattoos—it’s artwork on my body!” she said, indicating the cursive words on her wrist—Live, Love, Be. David felt a loose braid garnished with spring blossoms would complement Elissa’s curly look.

How:

1. To begin, I separated Elissa’s curls by hand, pulling the kinky spirals apart throughout her hair. It doubled in size!

2. To minimize frizz and bump up her shine, I spritzed with Kerastase Gloss Appeal shine serum.

3. Then, I drew two small sections just above the ears and rolled them under and towards the nape of the neck, pinning along the way.

4. Imagine a French braid, as I neared the nape, I added more hair to the two sections and created a thick ponytail.

5. I redefined some curls and made Elissa’s locks sleeker with a squeeze of Elixir Kultimate throughout.

6. Then, I braided the ponytail straight down while the remainder of her hair fell free.

7. To complete the look, I wove small pink blossoms into the rolled sections and in the braid—how romantic!

Voila! This free-spirited look is perfect for spring festivals, weddings, or Facebook profile pictures.

Julia: Persian Ponytail

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“I’ve got the traveling bug, I love to travel!” Julia smiled brightly, gushing about her latest globetrotting adventures, “I recently visited India, Indonesia, then got to wander all over Europe.” Originally from Uzbekistan, this irrepressibly friendly nurse spent years in Brooklyn but travels at every opportunity. Where’s her favorite spot in New York? “I like the East and West Village, I like the neighborhood-y feel. On an ideal weekend, I would be barbecuing with family—I’m very close with my siblings and family.” We wanted to create and sleek and exotic look with modern art influences—a serious ponytail with plenty of shape. It nods to Julia’s Persian heritage—or at least the Disney film’s adaptation.

Hair How To With David:

1. This style must look perfectly sleek, with absolutely no flywayas. To begin, I lined up a perfectly straight side part, then brushed out her hair for a smooth base.
2. To flatten her roots, I sprayed K Kerastase sair spray then pulled her hair into a ponytail and smoothed the top of her head with my hands to eliminate frizz.
3. I secured this look with a tie, then pushed a medium sized foam ball (I got a pack from an art supply store) level with the tie, and spread Julia’s ponytail to completely cover the ball. I tied the remainder of the hair again just under the ball, sticking pins into the foam to keep Julia’s hair from sliding to expose it.
4. I repeated this process with two more foam balls, each smaller than the last.
5. Finally, I spritzed all over with K Kerastase Hair Spray and ran my hands across her hair to smooth one last time.

Voila! A modern Persian ponytail!

Beauty How To With Roberto:

Eyes:
Since her hair’s got a modern, almost architectural look to it, I want stark contrast with a strong cat eye. First, I filled in Julia’s brows with a stark, dark chocolate color. Before applying gel liner to her lids, I marked the lines with eye shadow for an even cat eye. Because of the shape of Julia’s eyes, I applied more thick gel liner to her lower lashes–I mixed with black cream since
my gel was a little dry. It created an ultra-black line, with a great flick at the end.

Skin:
For her skin, I blended and applied foundation—I purposefully used shades much lighter than her tone for a stark contrast with the brows and liner. Then I contoured with a darker, very thick concealer under the cheekbones. I blended a little concealer under the eyes, then completed the look with a pop of gold eye shadow on the lips for a sleek highlight.

Marine: Classic Curled Romance

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Marine speaks in a lilting British accent with a dab of European finesse, and dresses simply in dark wash jeans, a soft black blouse with a matching blazer and slick ballet flats—due to a recent sprained ankle. She wears her shoulder length mahogany hair loose, and her olive skin is awash with natural freckles. She accessorizes with a single strand of pearls and a silver bracelet, Celtic-style, with infinity knots. It’s a little difficult to peg Marine from a first impression—where is she from? Where does she work? “I speak French, German, English and Spanish” Marine clarified, conversing fluently with French hairdresser David and myself. “I’m French. I’ve done a lot of traveling in Europe, but am seriously considering moving [to New York],” she explains, “I’m interning at a law firm off Wall Street these days.” While French lawyers enjoy shorter hours and more opportunities, Marine has developed a soft spot for the renowned freedom in the Big Apple, “New York is so dynamic!” she exclaimed, “Here, you can have an idea and no one will say you can’t do it, or to think twice.” David felt a layered, romantic glamour look would give her business-casual look extra “oomph.”

Hair How To With David:

1. I began with a quick trim, creating bouncy layers all over but especially in the bangs, to frame Marine’s face.
2. Then, I quickly brushed her hair to smooth and created a neat side part.
3. Separating her hair into small sections, I sprayed lightly with K Kerastase hair spray before curling, then pinned to secure. I was careful to pin at the roots so they remained flat—for this look, we want all the volume below her jawline.
4. I applied the curling iron to the entire head hair, flicking away from her face, then alternating directions throughout for a more natural look.
5. Once complete, I removed Marine’s pins and brushed her curls out, squeezing here and there to reshape, especially around the face.
6. To finish the look, I spritzed with K Kerastase Hair Spray again for all-night hold, then hand shaped until I was happy with her look.

Voila! Curled glamour ala Downtown Abbey!

Beauty How To With Roberto:

Eyes:
I wanted to warm up Marina’s pale tones a bit, for a matching glamour look with a sweet flush.
As always, I began by treating her face to moisturizer. I brushed her lips with a rose tinted balmas a base, then curled her lashes and applied shimmering eye shadow across the lids. I createda straight, arrowlike streak of inky liner on her upper lashes, then used a brush to apply a more subtle line on her lower lashes. Next, I filled in her brows with light strokes of chocolate and taupe—darker in the arch, then taupe throughout. Finally I applied mascara—just one layer, but with lots and lots of strokes to avoid clumps or unnatural thickness.
Skin:
Next, I turned my attention to her skin by blending several shades of foundation and blush to warm the skin. I completed the look with deep purple lips, and one layer of gloss to make her look pop!

Mallary: The Fishtail & The Cat Eye

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“I spend a lot of time in the West Village,” Mallery smiled, sipping white wine at the salon. “It feels really cozy to me—it feels like home.” In a fast-paced, crowded city like New York, it’s important to be feel centered before joining the bustling crowd. Mallery? She’s up for it all. “I’m a very social person,” she continued with a grin, “I like to go out with friends.”

Dressed stylishly in a standout maroon peplum top plus sparkling accent necklace, it comes as no surprise this honey brunette works in the fashion industry. “I would describe my style as pretty feminine, but I like to mix it up!” She laughed. Referring to her ebony moto jacket, “I got this leather jacket post-break up and basically haven’t taken it off since. My style is inspired by coworkers and the industry!” With long, wavy hair, Mallery’s style options are plenty. We felt a kittenish tribute to
classic ‘60s glam—a cat eye—modernized with a teased side pony and loose fishtail ala Blake Lively would complement her look well.
Hair How To With David:
1. Mallery’s beachy-formal fishtail look is all about teased texture, so to begin this style, I spritzed all over with sea salt spray and finger teased for a grittier ‘do.
2. To amplify her volume, I used a blow drier for chunky body. Then, I separated strands of her hair and curled the tips for a softer, natural wave. For this look, only curl the tips!
4. Beginning the fishtail, I drew a section by the ear and braided, leaving the rest of her hair free.
5. Instead of securing with rubber tie, I backcombed to seal the braid. Then, I tugged along the fishtail to loosen Mallary’s braid for a wider, less tidy look.
6. Drawing the remainder of her hair to the same side, I pinned to secure by the base of the braid. At this point, all of her hair was braided or pinned in the same area, and appeared to be a side ponytail with a loose fishtail accent down the center.
7. Next, I teased the remaining hair and scrunched, rolled and pinned to hold by the base of the braid.
8. Finally, I neatened the look with Kerastase K Touch Finale by smoothing stray tendrils and sweeping across the top of her hair.
Voila! The loose fishtail was complete!
Hair Tips:
Now that spring is coming and we’re all dreaming of the sun, everyone’s looking for the soft waves you get from salty beach hair. Capture this look with sea salt spray and a curling iron. Simply spritz, curl then finger comb the spirals into loose waves and you’re ready to go!
Beauty How To With Roberto:
Skin:
As always, I began with a fresh, clean face. Removing all makeup, I began her look with a moisturizer base. I targeted blues or purples under the eye with a dab of concealer. I further evened her complexion with an allover layer of foundation—keep in mind that I’m blending tones to match Mallary’s natural shade. A single concealer shade all over the face can make you look flat! I contoured the cheeks with blush and bronzer— what I call “shadowing,” and blended to smooth.
Eyes:
Next, I filled in the brow (my darkest shade at the arch) and thickened Mallery’s lash line with a skinny streak of gray liner. For longer-lasting shadow, I applied primer to the lids then blended the shadow. To make her eyes pop, I smoothed a dot of highlighter above and below the brow, and also on the inside of the eye.
I brought the look together with a layer of mascara then lined the lashes with gel liner once more—it takes a few layers to get the pop we’re going for! For a strong cat eye, I marked the point of her liner with dots, and checked that the dots were equidistant and level. Then, I drew the gel liner downwards towards the eye for a statement cat eye. Finally, I completed the look with blended color on the lips. For a perkier pucker, I applied an extra layer of lipstick around the center of the lips. Voila!Mallary’s beauty look was complete, with a striking cat eye!