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DIFFICULT SALON CLIENTS

Los Angeles Salons in Sherman Oaks

Got your attention, didn’t I! I bet you thought I would talk about difficult salon clients.  Well, what I really want to talk about is how grateful I am for my clients.

I’ve got the best clients in the world! I am so grateful for the customers that come in everyday and let me know they’re  loving the work I do. They spread the joy and love of the art I practice everyday, and for that I am grateful. It’s a wonder my head fits into the door in the morning. I am so grateful and humbled to have all of you. You are the reason I’ve been in the business now for over 30 years!

Oh, it’s not all peaches and cream, but the few challenges I do have are nothing compared to the love I get everyday.

Recently my client Schirin sent me a picture from her car, she was so happy to share with me. Her kind words were an incredible inspiration and help for me on a day I was ready to crash from exhaustion.

What a lot of people don’t know is that even though us stylists are lucky to make money practicing our art everyday, it can be taxing on the body and mind. When you get a kind word from a client and know you’re being appreciated, it makes up for it all.

Let me tell you, it’s been a good life sharing in real time the lives of my clients,  watching their kids grow up and still getting the chance to hear words of appreciation.

I have to say, I’ve had very few difficult salon clients. I can honestly say, my existing clients and new ones are truly a joy.

Thank you Schirin for your bright beautiful smile, your amazing energy and, the  kind words you use with me everytime I see you.

You’re the best!

MJ Hair Designs
14252 Ventura Boulevard
Sherman Oaks CA
(818) 783-0084

Keratin Treatments

Hair Coloring

Services

Salon

 

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CERTIFIED ORGANIC HAIR COLORIST

Organic Color Oway

As a certified organic hair colorist and educator, with confidence, I say go organic! Don’t be fooled into thinking you won’t get the right hair color.

As a colorist, I found a company I truly believe in. OWAY.

Not only do I enjoy the amazing cool color palette, but but the warm and rich reds tones light up a room. The blondes are forever and the browns are deep and glossy.

So many of us are unnecessarily putting our health to the test with harsh chemicals. The PPD’s, Resorcinol and Ammonia in hair coloring that color companies just love to use to meet their bottom lines are poisoning us. These companies are willing to do the most creative marketing to distract and never let their dirty secret out.

Companies are subjecting you to these carcinogenic poisons daily. As a certified organic hair colorist, I learned years ago that paying a little more, pays off for you and me.  I didn’t need to be subjected to those toxins either.

Organic Salon Products

Organic Way (Oway) is the world’s first professional organic hair color. It’s also a care and styling line with biodynamic, organic and fair trade ingredients.

Their green chemists hand select the highest quality formulations to achieve professional results without the use of common salon toxins.

Oway lets me immerse my clients in a multi-sensorial, non-toxic salon experience with active botanicals and pure essential oils.

From Farm to Chair

Oway’s organic salon products take root their family’s biodynamic farms in Bologna, Italy – where Italian quality meets nature.

Oway insiders call it OrtOfficina.

They grow, pick and distill pure organic extracts, essential oils and hydrolates with zero chemicals, in accordance with biodynamic farming standards.

OriginalWay-Organic-Ingredients
So the next time you color your hair, think twice about whether of not your colorist is certified in organic color. Think again about what they’re subjecting you to.
In a world where regulations have been lifted, an a free market dictates what you use, educate yourself and use OWAY.
MJ Hair Designs
14252 Ventura Boulevard
Sherman Oaks
(818) 783-0084
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MENS SHORT HAIRCUTS

Before and After Mens Short Haircuts

Are you a man who sports long hair and  wonder if you might look good in a short haircut? Mens short haircuts are some of my favorites. Using clippers are fun for me since I’m not only a cosmetologist, but barber trained.

Recently, I had the chance to make-over my client Jeffrey Janis.  Jeffrey came in and wasn’t sure about whether he might want short hair. You have to know, Jeffrey has been a good client and friend now for many years… a super loyal customer I cherish. So, I always aim to please him. Sometimes when you’re a hairstylist, you walk a fine line between telling someone your truth, or letting them have the reigns on how they’d like to wear their hair. Jeff is amazing and always asks my professional opinion. Today I had the chance to get Jeff into a beautiful short haircut.

Jeff is a very special guy and has worked in the non profit community as a professional fundraiser for 30+ years. He also works in a volunteer capacity on various boards. Currently on his synagogue Board,  and also serving as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Ukraine. There’s a very special place in my heart for all his great work and I’ve been admiring and following him now for many years.

Needless to say, I felt I could do him a service by getting him a cleaner look to follow his long reputation and philanthropic work. Don’t get me wrong, short hair isn’t always better for everyone. But, Jeff’s hair was starting to look a little draggy and needed a pick-me-up.

Check out his before and after and judge for yourself.

Thank you for your loyalty Jeff! I am so grateful for all the years. You’re a good man!

MJ Hair Designs
14252 Ventura Boulevard
Sherman Oaks CA

(818) 783-0084

The Salon

Keratin Treatments

Hair Color

 

 

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BANGS OR NO BANGS

Bangs, keratin treatment, hair salon near me, hair salon sherman oaks

One of the questions I get a lot of  is, bangs or no bangs. Whether or not someone decides on bangs can depend on how much time they have, but more importantly, it’s going to be work.

I myself usually warn against getting bangs. It’s a choice they’ll most likely regret in the long run. I guess I’m one of those people who’s not a big fan.

When I’m creating a look, I’m usually seeing a continuous line or silhouette on a person. Bangs are usually a disruption to that. When considering the look, I’m usually looking at features, the shape of the face and hair density. Unless, you’re ready to wear your hair short, they usually don’t work.

I’m not saying bangs don’t work for all, but it’s certainly the focal point of a haircut and should be used as that. Bangs are a real fashion statement and meant to be used as such. When I put bangs or fringe on a person, they’re usually there as a statement and meant to be seen. Bangs are not a way to hide your forehead or your age. They do the opposite.

Bangs very rarely look good on people, and never ever look as good when they’re growing out.

Others might argue that 2019 is the perfect year for bangs and an easy way to transform a look without a complete aesthetic overhaul. That’s great if you’re 16.

It’s a decision that most people with hair will eventually consider as a low-risk option for changing up a look that might be unremarkable, but it can be complicated. Bangs usually have to be blown out, ironed and trimmed frequently. They can get dirty quickly and can cause acne, they don’t work for all hair types, and as mentioned before, they’re a pain to grow out. Even very well styled bangs don’t look good on everyone, which some former bang-wearers unfortunately learn the hard way.

My advice is to be sure your ready for bangs before you take the leap.

 

MJ Hair Designs
14252 Ventura Boulevard
Sherman Oaks CA

(818) 783-0084

Keratin

Color

Blog

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BEAUTY QUEEN IRENA

Keratin Treatment and a blonde on blonde

What does it feel like to work on the beauty queen Irena?

As a hair stylist, I’ve worked on many beautiful women in my career. But never have I worked on a beauty queen so incredibly humble.

Irena came to me about 5 months ago asking if I could bring her hair back to life. She’d been feeling down, abandoned, and looking for just the right thing to pick her up.

After learning about her career and the education under her belt, I personally became very humbled by this mild mannered woman who just wanted to feel good again.

We began by talking about her Ukrainian background and the adversities associated with her coming to the states. Her life was not an easy one, but one that would remind any of us to live in gratitude.

When you work on a mature beauty queen, you see the knocks and immediately see the beauty. Once a beauty queen, always a beauty queen.

Happy to say, after a keratin treatment and coloring her a blonde on blonde, Irena was feeling good again. The gratitude she showed was something I’m so lucky to experience in this business.

Irena has not only warmed my heart, but my soul.

Irena reminded me once again, how lucky I am to be serving the beautiful people I see, and my art.

MJ Hair Designs
14252 Ventura Boulevard
Sherman Oaks CA

(818) 783-0084

Keratin

Blonde on Blonde

PPD Free Hair Color

CØR Hair Color

 

 

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À LA MODE HAIR COLORING

à la mode hair color

Do you consider yourself a hipster trending the latest in fashion but just can’t find the right hairstylist for some à la mode hair coloring? Is your color a bit dull and  just needs the right touch of coloring to compliment your individual style?

Well, when visiting the salon for the fist time, make sure you dress the part. Dressing the part will send the clear message of what your hair colorist or stylist needs to cue off.

Here’s a perfect example of some à la modeI hair coloring.  Using the balayage technique, I threw some shimmering lights into Clark Kent’s hair to create the Superman à la mode look in hair coloring.

À LA MODE HAIR can change the way you see yourself or, at the least, bring out the hipster in you once again.

MJ Hair Designs
14252 Ventura Boulevard
Sherman Oaks CA

(818) 783-0084

Hair Color

Ammonia Free

LONG HAIR COLOR BALAYAGE

COLOR CORRECTION SPECIALIST

 

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DRY KERATIN TREATMENTS

Dry Keratin Treatment

Do you have seriously curly hair and just want to soften the curl a bit? A keratin treatment without the hot iron is one way to achieve that. Recently I had a young lady who wanted to maintain her curl but just loosen it a bit. She had the most beautiful curl on her head, but the curl was just too close to the scalp and was giving her too much volume from the root. A dry keratin was what I gave her.

A keratin treatment blow-dry without the iron.

Not all keratin treatments require a flat iron or a keratin press. If you just want to dampen the frizz or curl, you can achieve it with a dry keratin treatment.

Keratin treatments can be very versatile for many different occasions. A hot iron can press it into the hair for a flat sleek look. Sometimes I’ll use a warm to mild temperature to restore the life and protein missing from bleached frizzy dry hair.

Today Samantha received a Dry Keratin Treatment. A treatment without the hot press, or flat iron. I treated her hair with the Uberliss Fiber Expander and then set the dryer to medium heat for 20 minutes with the Uberliss Reconstructor. We then lightly rinsed and blew her dry.

The final result will be after 72 hours when Samantha goes home and washes her hair. She will then have her curl again, but this time loose and smooth.

MJ Hair Designs
14252 Ventura Boulevard
Sherman Oaks CA

(818) 783-0084

Keratin Before and Afters

What’s First Keratin or Color

The Revolution

Uberliss Keratin Treatment

 

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WHAT IS AN UNDERCUT

thick curly hair with an undercut

Do you have really coarse thick curly hair you just don’t know what to do with? Have you ever wondered what to do with your big bushy sides. What about a short trendy undercut? What is an undercut?

From cutting the under parts of the sides of your thick hair and the underside of the back of your hair, leaving the hair in the crown long to hang over.

Recently a client asked what she could wear to achieve a look that might give her a trendier edge with all her thick hair. So, I explained that an undercut leaving the top floppy to hangover and letting go of her thick sides would give her many different looks and less grief with her thick unruly hair. She agreed, and so we moved forward.

First I started by changing her base color a few shades lighter than her natural  before highlighting so the two shades would blend.

Next we cut all of that thick unmanageable hair underneath. We then decided to leave her with the wet look with a BodyWealth Frap for a more sleek edge.

NO MORE THICK UNSATISFYING HAIR! Next we’ll do a keratin treatment to loosen up that curl and bring smooth hair back into her life.

 

Needless to say, Nadia’s thick unmanageable hair looked absolutely beautiful when we were through. I can’t wait to hear about all the other looks she’ll be able to sport with this new short haircut.

Check it out!

MJ Hair Designs
14252 Ventura Boulevard
Sherman Oaks
(818) 783-0084

More Blondes

Balayage

Color

 

 

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TOWHEAD CHILD

Salons in Sherman Oaks does a blonde on blond

Recently a very kind but sheepish lady called me in a panic about her mousy gray hair. Looking for a hair colorist in Sherman Oaks, she happened to come across me on the web.

Very anxious, Heather needed someone to comfort her through her big hair move and have me explain to her what color and style would compliment her age, skin and hair.  She began by saying “This was for her only daughters wedding in Malibu and was very nervous.” I loved it when the stakes are high!

I began by talking to Heather about the options for the color and style. Based on her skin tone and what her hair color was like in her youth, she and I agreed that she needed a base that wasn’t too dark. Heather was a towhead as a child, and that’s always a good indication what the base color we start with should be.

I felt, she also needed to break up her new base with some shimmering highlights. A Blonde on on lighter base shade of blonde.

Heather and I  were very pleased with the final result of her hair.

I just wanted to say thank you Heather, for googling hair color salon in Sherman Oaks and coming across me.

After many years of coloring and styling hair, it still brings me joy to make the ladies feel young and sexy all over again.

Very grateful!

 

MJ Hair Designs
14252 Ventura Boulevard
Sherman Oaks CA

(818) 783-0084

Hair Color Expert

Red Colorist

Color Correction

 

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RED HAIR COLOR

red hair color

Red hair color is the trickiest of all color, but I LOVE IT!

In the 70’s and 80’s red dyes became the BIG SCARE.  The red dye industry scrambled very quickly to find out how to reorganize their compounds since the rumor red dye might be causing cancer.

Remember when they pulled out the red m&ms, or the red cool aide? Well, the same went for red hair dyes.

Since then, reds have never been the same. Red hair color has  improved considerably in the last 10 years. Red heads and blondes are my most favorite to work with in the salon. Reds and blondes have so many nuances colors, their are hundreds of shades in the spectrum. Red Hair coloring is my most lovable challenge,  next to blonde hair which can vary widely as well.

Red hair color can be a blue base, and orange base or even a pink base and in density levels.

I like matching red hair next  to a persons skin undertone, color of eyes and even what their racial heritage may be.

Check out this redhead client who started out with about 70% gray hair and 30% of her mousy brown.

MJ Hair Designs
14252 Ventura Boulevard
Sherman Oaks CA
(818) 783-0084

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