Stylist Spotlight: Kaitlin Candella

Salon Name & Location: Freelance (NY, DC, VA) and currently working with Avenue 42 Style Studio, Richmond, VA

Website: www.ave42.com

Avenue 42 Salon (interior)

How and why did you get into the industry? My best friend was going to an Aveda Institute and I decided to leave college and go with her!
What is your favorite part about being a stylist? Creating new things, recycling trends, perfecting the classics.
Who are your beauty idols? Any super model who looks beautiful without makeup!
Where do you get your hair & beauty inspiration from? The streets! People watching. Art. Magazines.
What is your Drug Store beauty secret? Bio Oil, love it!
What beauty product or service do you splurge on? Obsessed with eye lash extensions for a while, pedicures always.
How do you feel about the DIY revolution & how has it affected your business? It is great to see people trying to get creative, frustrating to hear that people who are not professionally trained think it is that easy to do it on their own!
What hair myth do you want to put to rest? If you pull a grey hair more will pop up in it's place. Grey hair will show up when it wants to!
Do you prefer your clients to bring in pictures of how they want their hair cut/dyed/styled? Pictures are always AMAZING. Visual references are best, because what you say and what your client say might mean two totally different things in each of your own minds. Pictures are ALSO a great way to show what your client is NOT looking for.

Who does YOUR hair? Myself!
What hair trends are popular right now? Ombre, ombre, ombre...and beachy waves are still hangin' in there.
What hair trend are you tired of? Badly done Ombre!
What do you think is the next big trend in hair? Fashion colors are making their way back...
How has advanced consumer knowledge affected your business? It is always a plus to meet a new client who has knowledge of the product lines you use or services you are about to do for them. Clients who already know how to use the tools or products are easier to educate on the advantages of using the whole range verses picking and choosing different products from different brands!
What is your favorite amika product or tool and why? The 3p is my original favorite tool! So genius! The Mask is my favorite product.

#ProTips: Use the mask for wild curly hair! Before getting out of the shower run a quarter size amount through soaking wet hair and blot dry with a towel. Reform curls with your hands and curl cream. Air dry!

amika Nourishing Hair Mask on Hello Dollface

Our Nourishing Hair Mask is featured on the Hello Dollface blog!

"They should call this The Miracle Worker." Not to toot our own horn, but they really should :) Our Nourishing Hair Mask is a real hair care multi-tasker. With an added boost from all of the nourishing components of the Sea Buckthorn Berry, we've been able to solve many of your most daunting hair dilemas with this one amazing mask. It softens, reduces frizz, detangles, and so much more!

amika Obliphica Nourishing Hair Mask on Dragonfly Sweetnest Blog

The amika Nourishing Hair Mask has been featured on the Dragonfly Sweetnest blog!

Typically the holidays are thought of as a time for "giving." Indeed it is, but who says you can't give yourself a little something every once in a while :) Dragonfly Sweetnest has featured our Nourishing Hair Mask as the perfect hair product for pampering yourself this holiday season. This super luxurious formula, enriched with the nourishing qualities of the Sea Buckthorn Berry, is exactly what your hair will be craving. Don't feel guilty, you deserve it with all that holiday shopping you've been doing. Avoid wearing yourself out before the actual holiday gets here by indulging in a little pre-present pampering!

Win Amika's Luxe Hair Care Kit!

We're certainly feeling the holiday spirit here at amika, but all that holiday shopping can really take a toll on you, and we want to remind not to forget to take some time to treat yourself and your hair during these cold winter months. Which is why we teamed up with FashionEct.com for an amazing amika Luxe Hair Care Kit Giveaway! Starting noon November 27th, until noon December 10th you can enter to win a set of luxury hair care products. Two lucky winners will each receive a collection of hi-tech and ultra-chic amika hair care products and tools, which will include the Obliphica Oil Treatment, Obliphica Nourishing Hair Mask, Triple Barrel Pro Curler Set, and the Power Cloud Repair + Smooth Dryer.

Fill out the submission form at the link below (and don't forget to confirm by email).

http://www.fashionetc.com/beauty/article/8139-giveaway-win-amika-luxe-hair-care#.ULYlUtPjk28

Good Luck! 

amika Obliphica Haircare Line in Modern Salon

The amika Obliphica haircare line is getting praise yet again! Thank you to Modern Salon for featuring the entire "Obliphica Line of Haircare" on their website. The line consists of a slew of styling products all of which are enhanced by more than 190 biologically active compounds found in the sea buckthorn berry, the star ingredient of the Obliphica line. We've harnessed the power of this Siberian native berry, if it can stand up to the harshest climate conditions in the world, then the daily wear-and-tear we put on our hair is certainly no match for this line of haircare products!  Shop the enitire Obliphica line at shop.loveamika.com 

"Give the Gift of Gorgeous Hair" Giveaway

Did you enter the "Give the Gift of Gorgeous Hair" Giveaway yet today?! Enter to win the ENTIRE Obliphica line + amika styling tools! A new winner every day until Dec. 14th thanks to amika and The   Style Network.


http://loveamika.promojam.com/amika-style

Enter to win on Twitter. We'll be tweeting the entry link via @love_amika and @StyleNetwork 

amika Obliphica Hair Care in the NYTimes

"The Beauty World Plucks the Sea Buckthorn Berry" - NYTimes 

The Sea Buckthorn Berry is revolutionizing the beauty world! The New York Times featured amika Obliphica Hair Care as one of the first to embrace the miracle beauty ingredient. The Obliphica collection is based on the sea buckthorn ingredient, which is rich in hair nourishing components like Vitamin A + C, antioxidants, and the rare Omega 7. The line consists of all the products you could possibly need to maintain healthy hair for a variety of hair types. Shop the entire Obliphica Hair Care line at shop.loveamika.com

New York Fashion Week SS13 with Amika

We certainly did have quite the time during Spring/Summer 2013 Fashion Week here in NYC. Amika was  out and about spreading "hair love" and of course indulging in our obsession with all things fashion. We partied and primped the night away at Sephora on Fashion Night Out, and collaborated with stylists and designers at the VPL and Zero+Maria Cornejo runway shows. The fashion bloggers at the Birchbox Blogger Lounge swooned over samples of our Nourishing Hair Mask and got styled by the best-of-the-best from the amika styling team. Honestly, words cannot even begin to do it all justice, so we're giving you a little visual taste of amika at NYFW. Enjoy!

Summer Hair Survival Tips

Parker Fitzgerald 

With all of the styling we subject our hair to on a daily basis, we should expect some dire consequences. There are many ways to protect your hair from damaging treatments and styling, so lets talk about them.

Offender:
Heat styling - It's true, tools like blow dryers, curling irons, and flat irons have the ability to damage our hair if used frequently or incorrectly. At amika, we use the best quality ceramic that makes stylers much gentler on hair than conventional flat irons, but we understand that excessive heat is not health for your hair.

Protector:
To avoid heat damage we recommend always using a heat protectant serum before doing any heat styling. We recommend the Obliphica Heat Defense Serum for protection.

Offender:
Summer - Not exactly. We're talking about all the things that come with the summer: sun damage, chlorine, and saltwater. Too much of these elements can dry your hair out. Trust us, fried hair doesn't look good on anyone.


Protector:
Well, it's pretty hard to avoid the sun but wearing a hat is really the best way to attempt it. You may even want to try using a good hair mask (Nourishing Hair Mask) with a hat if you plan to lay out on the beach all day.

As for chlorine and saltwater, you should wet hair with non-chlorinated water prior to swimming. This lessens the amount of chlorine and saltwater being absorbed by the hair. As always, follow up with a good mask after swimming.

Offender:
Chemical treatments - Permanent coloring, bleaching, relaxers, and perms can lead to really bad results.

Protector:
Since these chemical treatments work by altering the structure of the hair from within the hair shaft, it's best to leave this process to a professional.

Great Feedback on our Hair Mask from Harper's Bazaar

"Give your hair a little love with a nourishing hair mask to hydrate every kind of hair type without weighing it down." - Read the full list here.

Hitting The Beach or Pool This Weekend? Read These Tips First

If you are lucky, you will be frolicking in cool waters this weekend. There are tricks to keeping your hair at its beautiful, healthy best after a swim. Below find a collection of expert tips on how to protect your tresses while taking a dip.

From RealBeauty.com:

Hair soaks up chlorinated water like a sponge. The chlorine build up has a greenish cast which is visible on blondes and brunettes alike. To prevent his try "Saturating your hair with conditioner before hopping in the pool is your best defense against chlorine discoloration, but lazy girls who skip that step would fare well to rinse with a clarifying shampoo après swim to remove any hue-altering impurities."

From CBSnews.com:

"Make sure you carry a bottle of water with you so you can wet your hair throughout the day before jumping in for a swim — a big, water-filled spray bottle is a good option to throw in your beach tote."

From MarieClaire.com:

If you don't have a glamorous beach hat to protect your scalp, "prevent a sunburned scalp by combing a small palm full of white sunscreen (yellow formulas can tint pale hair) through your strands, starting at the roots."

From Afrospuffsandponytails.com

"Chlorine and salt water both dry, discolor, and damage hair. Chlorine binds to the hair, filling in gaps in the hair shaft. Mineral deposits in salt water make hair brassy and brittle. Both severely dehydrate hair. Imagine how these elements affect delicate, kinky/curly hair which tends to be much drier than straight hair... Follow up with a little club soda; it makes for a good post-pool rinse. I recommend wearing a swim cap as often as possible."

From the Birchbox Blog:

"After frolicking in the surf and sitting out in the sun, my hair can be left stripped and coarse. Also, given that the beach tends to be a pretty humid place, it’s important to tame frizz. I love the Amika Obliphica Hair Treatment because it restores shine and health and deals with frizz and fly-aways without being too heavy."

From RealBeauty.com

""When hair is very dry, the cuticle is open and strands feel rough—like a piece of Velcro," explains Michael Duenas, founder of Hair Room Service (a deluxe service that provides hairstyling house-calls to celebs). Use a deep conditioner with ingredients like Omega 7 and Vitamin C to hydrate hair."