The Independent Chair

What Sally Lemmo Taught Me About Hair, Boundaries and Showing Up

What Sally Lemmo Reminded Me About This Industry Some conversations just have momentum from the first minute. That was this one. When I sat down with Sally Lemmo, it felt less like a formal interview and more like getting a front-row seat to the kind of industry conversation you wish you could overhear at a…

August 16, 2026

Before You Split Rent, Split the Rules

Sharing a salon room can lower overhead — but only if you agree on money, inventory, and the exit before you need to use it.

August 15, 2026

Charlie Price on Fashion Week, Hair Awards, iPhone Shoots and Why the Basics Still Matter

Every once in a while, an interview feels less like a formal conversation and more like getting pulled into the best corner of a hair show afterparty. My conversation with Charlie Price had that energy. Charlie is a hairdresser from Denver, Colorado, and saying he has “done a lot” in the industry feels almost rude.…

August 11, 2026

Enforcing your cancellation policy without starting a fight

Part 3 of 3 in our cancellation policy series. Catch up on Part 1: why a policy matters and Part 2: building your policy. You’ve defined the terms. You’ve written the policy. Now comes the part that actually tests you: carrying it out when the day is busy, the client is apologetic, and you’d honestly…

August 7, 2026

Building a salon cancellation policy you’ll actually enforce

Part 2 of 3 in our cancellation policy series. New here? Part 1 covers why a policy matters and the terms worth defining first. There is no universal “correct” cancellation window or fee for every beauty business. A barber with 30-minute appointments can sometimes refill an opening faster than a colourist who reserved half a…

August 3, 2026

The Appointment Is Finished. Your Payment Admin Should Be Too.

You finish a colour service, sweep the floor, walk your client to the counter, and take payment on a separate terminal. Then the payment admin begins. You type the sale into one system. You enter the card total into another. At the end of the day, you compare numbers and try to work out why…

August 1, 2026

Backstage with Sonya Dove: 45 Years, One Brand, and a Salsa Show

There are conversations you walk away from feeling like you’ve just had coffee with someone who’s lived three lifetimes in a single career. My chat with Sonya Dove was one of those. If somehow you don’t know the name: Sonya is the artistic director for Intercoiffure, a 42-year veteran of Wella, and a member of…

July 27, 2026

A cancellation policy is a boundary, not a punishment

Part 1 of 3 in our cancellation policy series. Your five-hour colour appointment does not cancel itself. It arrives as a text at 10:47 p.m.: “So sorry! Something came up. Can we do next week?” Now you are deciding whether to charge a fee, waive it, explain the rule you thought the client knew, and…

July 20, 2026

The Bold Idea Is the Point

There’s a specific moment most people don’t notice happening to them. An idea shows up: a weird one, a big one, the kind that doesn’t come with instructions. And before it’s even finished forming, a second voice jumps in: Would that actually work? That question feels like good judgment. It isn’t. It’s premature finishing. You’re…

July 12, 2026

The Antihero Has Entered the Chat (And They’ve Been Behind Your Chair the Whole Time)

There’s a character showing up everywhere right now, in the shows everyone’s watching, in the brands people are actually loyal to, in the conversations that stick with you after you’ve already left the room. They’re not the hero. They’re not trying to be. They don’t have a highlight reel. They’re not performing gratitude for the…

June 21, 2026

A Day Off Is Not an Empty Slot

It is Sunday morning. You planned coffee, pyjamas, and absolutely no salon decisions. Then a client books the one opening your calendar still thinks is available. You can honour the booking and lose the day. Or you can send an awkward message and move it. Either way, Admin Chaos has found your phone. Here is…

June 10, 2026

Haven’t Listed Your Salon With Google Yet? Do it now in 10 minutes or less!

Are you old enough to remember the days of the Yellow Pages? That massive brick of yellow paper didn’t just make a great doorstop, it was the main place people looked to find anything. Every business owner had to have an ad in the Yellow Pages. Today, the Yellow Pages are a thing of the…

May 29, 2026

Exposure Isn’t a Currency. Unless You Decide It Is.

There’s a conversation happening in the music industry right now that’s gotten loud enough for the general public to start paying attention. Artists being asked to play weddings for free. Producers being offered a shoutout in exchange for a track. Session musicians, the invisible hands behind some of the most recognized songs on the radio,…

May 23, 2026

Switching Salon Software Shouldn’t Mean Starting Over

A practical guide for independent beauty professionals You have years of client names, colour notes, appointment history, services, and tiny details that help a busy day run well. Then your salon software stops fitting the way you work. Changing it should feel like choosing a better tool. Instead, one thought takes over: What if I…

May 14, 2026

When the Ground Shifts Do You Have a Plan? (And No, We Don’t Mean a Financial One)

This one started with a broken leg. A few weeks ago one of our team members got hurt, nothing life threatening, just one of those unexpected things that shows up without asking. And almost immediately, without really talking about it, the rest of us started shifting. We started showing up a little differently. Checking in…

May 6, 2026

Stylist Horror Story Videos: What to Do When a Client Posts About You.

The rise of “stylist horror story” content and what hairdressers can actually do about it There’s a particular kind of gut punch that hairdressers know well. It usually arrives as a notification… a tagged post, a comment from a colleague, a client’s username in your DMs; and when you click through, you find yourself watching a video of someone you just spent four hours with, describing your work like you were the worst thing that ever happened to their hair. The caption says “stylist horror story.” The comments say “girl run.” And somewhere in the retelling, the consultation disappeared. The formula discussion disappeared. The three reference photos you both agreed on disappeared. What’s left is a narrative that’s clean, shareable and almost entirely fictional… and it has your salon’s name in it.

April 26, 2026

Kia Donovan on Hair, Care, and Doing Better Behind the Chair

When Kia Donovan Talks, the Industry Has to Listen Sitting down with Kia Donovan felt less like a formal interview and more like one of those conversations that keeps opening new doors every few minutes. We started with Bay Area stories, food talk, and a little swearing permission check, and somehow within minutes we were…

April 25, 2026

Razor Real Talk, Zero Shame, and a Salon Rebuilt in 10 Days: My Hang With Douglas McCoy

The last time I saw Douglas McCoy in person, we were in New Orleans—aka its own country (Douglas’ words, and honestly… accurate). This time, we linked up for an episode of The Digital Chair and immediately slipped back into that easy, “industry friend” rhythm—swapping travel stories, education hot takes, and the kind of behind-the-scenes salon…

April 23, 2026

From Bathroom Highlights to Building a Dream: My Chat with Nikii Beis of Elevated Studio

What happens when you mix raw talent, a fearless drive, and a vision for a better salon culture? You get Nikii Beis, owner and stylist at Elevated Studio in Squamish, BC—and my latest guest in our one-on-one salon sit-down. Nikii’s journey into the industry started in the most relatable way—highlighting a friend’s hair in a…

April 20, 2026

From the Shampoo Bowl to Systems That Scale: My Conversation with Hunter Donia

Some interviews feel like work. This one felt like sitting down with someone who has lived the same chaos, asked the same hard questions, and then decided to build better answers. When I sat down with Hunter Donia, I knew we were going to get into the real stuff: career starts, bad industry advice, business…

March 16, 2026

Backstage with “The Green-Haired Stylist”: My chat with Allison Webber

There are interviews where you hit record, ask a few questions, and everything stays nicely on the surface. And then there are the ones where you blink… and suddenly you’re talking about bleach chemistry, mental health, and the very real art of putting your “human suit” back on before you greet a client. That’s what…

March 5, 2026

How to Fill Last-Minute Salon Cancellations Without Living in Your DMs

A last-minute salon cancellation does not have to trigger a DM scramble. Build a useful wait list, fill openings fairly, and protect your calendar with salonMonster.

February 12, 2026

Balayage, Business & Being Brave: A Conversation with Sarah Cabral

When I sat down with balayage artist and educator Sarah Cabral, it felt less like an interview and more like catching up with a stylist friend who has quietly built a powerhouse career behind the chair — and behind the camera. From trade school teenager to BTC team educator with 100K+ Instagram followers, Sarah’s story…

January 26, 2026

Stage Lights, Salon Life: Rhino Gaudet on Craft, Clients, and Letting Go

When I sat down with Rhino Gaudet, I knew we were in for a good conversation—but I didn’t realize just how much ground we’d cover, from rock-star dreams and livestock show floors to closing a salon and falling back in love with the basics of our craft. Rhino’s story starts in Calgary and lands on…

January 19, 2026

Inside Douglas McCoy’s Creative Playbook: Film, Razor, and Building House of Pop

Stephen and I jumped on a call with the legendary Douglas McCoy — hairdresser, filmmaker, photographer, educator, razor nerd, House of Pop owner — and from the first few minutes it was clear we weren’t just talking technique, we were talking career DNA. Douglas has one of those stories that reminds you why you fell…

January 14, 2026

The Weighted Cape & The Bigger Mission Behind the Chair

When I sat down with Dallas-based barber and creator of The Weighted Cape, Henry Tribes, I thought we were going to talk about a cool new product. Instead, I got a front-row seat to a whole new way of thinking about barbering, inclusion, and what it really means to reinvent yourself in this industry. This…

January 5, 2026

Building a Calm, Profitable Chair: Liam’s Conversation with Kara Field

Liam here 👋 I got to sit down (virtually) with one of our longtime salonMonster stylists, Kara Field from Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, and it honestly felt less like an “interview” and more like catching up with a friend who quietly built the exact kind of independent hair business so many stylists dream about. Kara runs…

December 15, 2025

From $200 Studios to Salon Educator: Liam’s Candid Sit-Down with Erica Garza

You know those conversations where you hop on a call thinking it’ll be a quick chat…and an hour later you’re still talking because the stories are too good? That was my chat with Seattle-based stylist and educator, Erica Garza.

December 4, 2025

Beyond ‘Men’s’ and ‘Women’s’: Kristin Rankin on Building Truly Gender-Affirming Salons

The second we sat down with Kristin Rankin, I knew this wasn’t going to be “just another industry chat.” It felt more like catching up with someone who has been quietly (and sometimes loudly) reshaping what salon culture can be, and doing it with zero patience for gatekeeping and gendered nonsense. This one’s for every…

November 27, 2025

A Chair for Everyone: My Chat with Tara Abramowicz on Neurodiversity, Haircuts & Radical Kindness

What really struck me was how deeply she’s woven inclusivity into her work behind the chair. From the moment we started chatting, I knew this wasn’t going to be your average salon talk.

November 10, 2025

Balancing Compassion and Boundaries: Navigating Client Conversations in the Salon

In our world – where beauty meets emotional support – hairdressers play a unique role. They don’t just create stunning looks; they also lend a sympathetic ear to clients’ joys and struggles.

November 1, 2025

10 Ideas for Salon Marketing

Effective salon marketing is crucial for attracting and retaining clients – From social media strategies to in-salon experiences, here are the top 10 ideas for salon marketing to help your business thrive. Leverage the Power of Social Media: Embrace platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest to showcase your salon’s stunning hair transformations. Post high-quality photos…

October 25, 2025

Are You Being Fake or Just Really Good at Your Job?

Have you ever sat in another stylist’s chair, or even been at a coffee shop, and caught yourself wondering, “Are they really this nice, or is this all just an act?” It’s a totally valid thought—and one that gets thrown around a lot, especially in the beauty industry. The truth is, it’s not as black-and-white…

October 18, 2025

The Art of Allowing Yourself to Learn + Grow

Starting your career in Professional Beauty is one of the most exciting chapters of your life. You’ve earned your license, and the possibilities ahead of you feel endless. But here’s a little secret that every seasoned pro knows: beauty school was just the first step. The real work, the kind that shapes your career and…

October 14, 2025

“We opened our salon in ten days.”: My Hangout with Renee & Sadie of Shadow and Shear

I figured we’d trade a few origin stories, maybe swap some no-show horror tales, and call it a wrap. Instead, I got a front-row seat to a wild, 10-day sprint that turned an empty microsuite into one of the city’s most buzz-worthy hair havens.

September 22, 2025

Behind the Chair with Annilee: Flexibility, Boundaries & the Power of “The Chair”

When I sat down with Annilee in her sun-lit home studio, I felt like I’d stepped into the living room of a long-time friend—one who also happens to wield shears with Jedi precision that comes from 3 decades behind the chair.

July 11, 2025

From Kitchen Cuts to Booking Buzz: My Sit-Down with Brit Otto

Ever had one of those chats that leaves you equal parts inspired and itching to sharpen your shears? That was me after catching up with Brit Otto—the self-described “super-ultra” stylist who went from snipping roommates’ bangs in a tiny kitchen to running a dual-life behind the chair.

June 20, 2025

Why you need a squad like Amy Schumer

The last couple of weeks have been rough on my self-confidence. You know, those times when it feels like life wants to dump everything on you all at once. Thankfully, I have an amazing squad who’ve helped me stay positive and on track. Being part of an incredible group of trusted and supportive business friends…

June 20, 2025

Seeing Hair as Fabric: A Conversation with Alyssia Dotson

There are moments in this industry that reawaken your passion—and my chat with Alyssia Dotson was absolutely one of those. Alyssia is the founder of Main Seamstress Education, where she teaches hairstyling through the lens of fabric.

May 26, 2025

Inside the Mind of a Creative Hustler: A Candid Chat with Andy Judd

Are you looking for hairstyling inspiration from someone who has built a successful career in the industry? In this exclusive interview, we sit down with Andy Judd, a Nashville-based hairstylist known for his creativity, business acumen, and ability to stay ahead of the trends. This conversation is packed with insights into the world of hairstyling,…

May 5, 2025

11 Ways To Advertise Your Salon

There are some easy things you can do to get your business out there. We’ve put together 11 easy ways to advertise your salon.

Hate selling retail? You’re letting your clients — and yourself — down

I’ve had some bad hair days in my life. Really bad. Hair that would make you cringe. Hair that made me go out and find a new stylist. Looking back at the horrible photos, one thing stands out: the cut usually wasn’t bad, the color was OK and the hair was not neglected. So, what…

How to Set Up A Selfie Station

There’s no better way to turn your dreams of business success into reality than by setting up a selfie station. If you’ve already got a selfie station set up, read on for inspiration and tips. If you’re thinking, “a WHAT station?” we’ll fill you in.

Hairdressing Industry Podcasts: Round #4

because we’ve got another top-tiered list of hairdressing industry podcasts — this time, all women. Get ready to up your game with insider secrets for success and personal growth, tips for career moves, mindset motivation, and savvy industry info.

Styling Chair – An Essential

A good styling chair is essential for any hair stylist. Your chair is something you’ll use every day, so take the time to find that perfect match.

Top Hair Industry Podcasts: Round Three!

We’ve got resources, guides, and in-depth chats from leaders in the industry. The list may be short, but it packs a punch. There’s no way you won’t love these, so here you go, three beauty biz leaders bringing you their top industry podcasts.

Hair Ads That Make You Do a Double Take

We love a great ad, especially when it involves hair! Check out these hair ads that will make you stop in your tracks. Exposed & Elevated What a clever way to advertise hair replacements! Witty and subtle, this is such a brilliant promotion from Folliderm. Superior Hold Talk about graphic proof of holding power, this…

Hair Salon Designs – Goodbody Hair Salon

Discussing hair salon designs – this is Goodbody Hair Salon! We love their architecture, they really have made a beautiful space for themselves.

Beauty Biz Leaders Bringing You Top Podcasts: Round Two!

We’re back again with another top-tiered list of podcasts for those in the beauty biz. From conversations inside working locations to deep dives and success stories, these four have something for everyone.

Win The Self Employed Stylist Blueprint By Heather VanHuss

The self employed stylist blueprint was designed for stylists who are excited to become independent but just would like an exact step by step plan to get all the logistics of self employment in place.

Top Podcasts by Beauty Biz Leaders: Round One!

Look no further than these four MUST-listen podcasts for everyone in the beauty biz. Here are beauty biz leaders bringing you top podcasts, round one!

Salon carts and trolleys!

A good salon cart is a vital part of every stylist’s workspace. Not only is it a home base for all your tools, it can be a great way to show off your personality and style. Have fun with it! You’ll be using your cart day in and day out, so it’s worth taking some…

How to upgrade your skills as a hairstylist or salon owner

In Part 1 of this article, we talked about WHY you should upgrade your skills. Now let’s look at HOW. First we’ll offer tips for salon owners, then for independent stylists. Finally, we’ll toss out some thoughts on learning style and recommend resources. We hope there’s something here to inspire you. If you’re a…

3 big reasons WHY you should upgrade your knowledge and skills

You’ve completed your training and/or apprenticeship and set yourself up as a working hairstylist. Why bother with continuing education? Why not just hit cruise control and rely on the skills you already have? Well, we’re here to tell you about 3 big payoffs to upgrading your skills — payoffs that go way beyond learning new…

Prebook to make $15,000 more a year — with the clients you already have!

“You may not always have a lot of control over how busy you will be today, but you have total control over how busy you will be in the future!” —Antony Whitaker, Grow Prebooking – It’s not magic, it’s not even hard. The most effective way to increase your income (besides being an amazing stylist)…

Bold Colour in Salon Design

I was happily procrastinating the other morning digging through Dezeen hunting for some exciting salon design. What I saw was a lot of the same – neutral white on white colour schemes (or the bold beige on beige!) and I was getting a bit bored until I came across this eye catching salon. Located in…

Stop the madness! Bringing peace to your year-end accounting

I look towards April with mixed emotions. On one hand, spring is starting to show the first signs of life and the garden is beginning to sprout. On the other, it’s year-end accounting time, and I’m stuck inside doing my bookkeeping, yikes! Here’s the big lesson, and I’ve learned it the hard way: a little…

Does your online booking software tempt your clients to cheat on you?

You’ve made the leap to using online booking software. Makes life easier, doesn’t it? Your clients can now book appointments online anytime. Reminders get sent automatically and you spend less time on the phone. Awesome. But beware of the dark side! Some online booking software operates as an online directory, advertising all the competing salons…

When big goals get in the way: smaller goals to the rescue

You probably know that goal setting is a really powerful tool, right? But have you ever set a goal and then gotten scared away? I have. Take this blog as an example. Earlier this year I set myself the goal of writing and sharing more blog posts with our readers. At first, I had great…

Five great hair accessories found on Etsy

Whenever I’m looking for new hair accessories the first place I go is Etsy. Scrolling through pages of fun and unique hair trinkets created by crafty people always makes me feel good! Here are some of my current favourites. Arrow Bobby Pins – handmade, 3 inches long, made by CollectedEdition Bronze Minimalist Hair…

Gorgeous interior of Les Dada East Salon in Paris

I came across the gorgeous salon interior of Les Dada East Salon while perusing through Dezeen. Located near Bastille in Paris, the salon was designed by architect Joshua Florquin. Using sheets of hexagon birch plywood panels, the architects wanted to create a natural feeling environment within the city. The panels are backlit so the ceiling has a beautiful…

How to give constructive feedback that doesn’t suck.

Good constructive feedback is a powerful way to help others reach their best in the salon and in life. Sadly, most of us are really bad at it and end up offending each other and looking like jerks. It’s a shame because feedback from our peers is one of the best ways we can…

Learning how to be friends with criticism in the salon.

“People will tell you that you are wrong. Then they will tell you that you are right, but what you’re doing is really not important. Finally, they will admit that you are right and what you are doing is very important. But after all, they knew it all the time.” Jonas Salk (creator of the…

How clean is your washroom?

I love scoping out new places to eat. So, last week I was excited to meet some friends for dinner at a restaurant I’d really been wanting to try. It was a great night out with close friends and good food. The meal was delicious and I really enjoyed myself — until I went into…

7 surprising ways journaling can fuel your business and improve your life

Most people don’t think of journaling as a powerful business development tool. But it turns out that writing daily is well known and respected as a great way to improve our businesses and our lives. I read a lot of business and personal development books and take particular notice when common ideas start to reappear…

When staff leave who owns the client? Spoiler: the client does.

What’s the best way to handle things when a staff member leaves your salon? I’ve got a bird’s-eye view of the different approaches from working with so many salons through salonMonster. I’ve seen that some can lead to business success and others can be destructive and counter-productive. After talking with a lot of salon owners…

Mentoring your team for success

Being a small to medium sized business owner generally means there are always lots of plates to spin ….. just when you have one area of your business whizzing around another starts to wobble and so your focus moves to that plate before it topples. Your business is just like a dinner set, some plates…

8 Tips to Make Great Things Happen with an Accountability Buddy

I have a problem. Turns out I suck at prioritizing important tasks that don’t have a sense of urgency. It’s way too easy for me to get caught up with the urgent (and often unimportant) things in life. So I’m trying something new that I’m excited to share with you all! I’ve just started…

New clients…the lifeblood of your business!

Once upon a time in “the good ole days” we used to rock along to work, do some great hair and have fun with our clients, everything else just fell into place…we didn’t really need to think about profit, it was just always there! Sadly those days are gone, not that we can’t still do…

Inspired hair drawings by Lotte Maja Bjerre

Visual artist and illustrator Lotte Maja Bjerre has created these very cool hair drawings. Living and working in Copenhagen, Lotte uses simply pencil and pen on paper to create her artwork. They remind me of geometric or deconstructed updo’s. These would look fantastic in a salon or spa, something relevant and interesting…

Book Review: Leadership and Self Deception: Getting Out of the Box

I found that “Leadership and Self Deception: Getting Out of the Box” profoundly changed my perception of my interpersonal relationships not only in the salon but also in my personal life. I was truly shocked at what an impact the book had on my perspective. While billed as a business and leadership book it is really…

Rebook and rev up your Revenue

As smart salon owners, managers and stylists you always seek new ways to grow your business and attract new clients. But first you need to look and see if you’re maximizing the potential of the clients you already have stepping through your door! Rebooking your existing clientele can grow and stabilize your business dramatically…

28 Salon Business Gurus Share their Top 3 Salon Books!

As business owners we’re always looking for ways to improve our salon education and increase our bottom line. We’re avid readers but we only have so much time in the day so we reached out to 28 international salon gurus and asked them all one simple question: “If you could only choose 3 books…

Napoleon Perdis gets super glam with his latest retail store

In Melbourne’s swanky South Yarrow neighbourhood, Australian makeup artist Napoleon Perdis opens a super glamorous retail store that is sure to grab your attention. Designed by Studiobird, this cosmetic and lifestyle store is ramping up the drama starting with this stunning blonde hair chandelier! And who wouldn’t want to sit down and try out some…

3 Great Summer Albums For the Salon!

With summer in the air and beach time on your mind, here are three albums that will make working more bearable. This music will get you singing out loud and spontaneously dancing at work! I’ll start with the Tanlines latest album “Highlights”, a fun summer dance party for your ears. Their live shows are brilliant and they’re currently…

Introducing Waiting Lists

We’re excited to announce the addition of waiting lists to the salonMonster app. Easily keep track of client appointment requests by adding them to your waiting list. Then book them in a flash by using the simple built in booking tool. Make more money by filling your empty spots with happy clients. Access your waiting list by clicking on…

5 pieces of Etsy art that your salon needs now!

Looking for some fun affordable artwork to spruce up your salon? We’ve found five amazing art pieces on Etsy that are sure to have your clients talking! Cat Watercolour Print titled “Beauty Routine” $20.00 by WaterInMyPaint “Loose Bun” Illustration $20.00 by DrawDrawDraw Fashion Illustration Original Watercolor Portrait $150.00 by Kimberly Godfrey Illustration…

Ceramic Hair Sculptures from Copenhagen

How great would one of these look at the front desk!? These beautiful sculptures are created by Copenhagen artist Marianne Nielsen. Marianne is a Danish artist who specializes in ceramics. This collection from 2009 is entitled “Variations of Hair”. Her pieces are all hand made glazed stoneware. I love how unique these are – who…

Stylish and Affordable – A Match Made in Heaven!

Design company Blomus has created a stylish hair dryer holder that is simple, sleek and will discreetly blend into any salon decor. Made of stainless steel with an inner ring lined with rubber to grip your dryer and hold it in place. The best part is that it’s also affordable, around $30.00. Great design and functionality at a reasonable price – loving it!…

Are those shoes made of hair?

Designers Nicole Goymann and Christoph John have created decorative shoe pieces that may look like hair but are actually made from deconstructed silk worm cocoons! The two designers named this the Lei Zu Shoe Collection after the Chinese empress who invented the silk reel. The appearance of hair strands is created by using…

Colour Changing Nail Polish

With summer upon us it’s time to let your nails shine…and change colour! Del Sol Color Change has a nail polish line that changes colour depending on whether you are inside or outside. The sun activates the colour change in the polish so when you venture out on the patio your lovely nail polish will transform…

Moon Raven Designs

Moon Raven Designs has very cool hair accessories that bring a bit of attitude and fun to your hairstyling! Run by a husband and wife team from Victoria BC, Moon Raven uses metals and resin to create some cool accessory options for you and your hair. They run a wonderful shop on Etsy full…

Chicks and Bunnies – Fun Easter Nail Art!

I love all the soft pastel colours of Easter (and the chocolate bunnies) and what better way to welcome in springtime than with some fun Easter themed nail art! Here are some of my favourites: From SoNailicious.com Created by LittleMissNailPolish Designed by MakeItStickDesign.com Super cute bunny nails from pshiiit.com Little chick…

Kolmio+LIM Nail Salon in Osaka

Here is a gorgeous nail salon in Osaka Japan designed by Yusuke Seki that I found on Dezeen. Kolmio+LIM Salon is a modern, light filled space with soft colours and warm wooden furniture. The big drama of the space comes from the crimped wooden wall screen that divides the nail space from the…

3 Important Questions About Your Bottom Line

It’s time to stop procrastinating, face your fears, shape up that business, and “knock out” all of your worries. We’re gonna get down and dirty and talk about your bottom line. 1. Do you have a system for inventory control? If you answered no to this question, you must have thousands of dollars of inventory…

Time Traveling Hair with Doctor Who

I’ve been a fan of the BBC series Doctor Who since I was a kid and have been impressed over the years with the sometimes wonderful, sometimes fantastical hair styles of the different Doctors. With the departure of Matt Smith (who has the best hair) this last season, I thought it was time to share…

6 Tips to Make Change Happen In Your Salon

If you were to continue down the path you are on today and change absolutely nothing about your business tactics, strategies, or systems where would your business be a year from now? Would you still be struggling with un-motivated staff, unsuccessful marketing and promotions, minimal retail sales, and an empty bank account? Have you found yourself saying “something’s got to…

Favourite New Valentine’s Nail Art

Another year, another set of awesome Valentine’s Day nail art! I’ve combed through my favourites on Pinterest and have collected some super cute designs if you’re looking to sweeten up your nails for Valentine’s. Created by MaryamMaquillage.com From BeautyHigh.com BellaSugar.com was behind this cool design By Trashed and…

Aesop’s New Store in Chelsea New York

With a new year comes a beautiful new store from Australian beauty company Aesop, this time in Chelsea New York. Dezeen brought my attention to this gorgeous space adorned with over a thousand editions of The Paris Review. The ceiling is covered in colourful excerpts while the walls use black and white letters and photos from…

My Favourite Songs to Work to for 2013

With the year coming to an end I thought I’d look back and see what my most played (probably overplayed) songs at work were for 2013. These tracks were pivotal in keeping me motivated when I needed a boost, pumped up for a night out after work, or chilling me out when things got crazy!…

Inspiring Ideas on How to Use Bobby Pins

Growing up I was always trying to control and tame my curls so I lived with bobby pins in my hair – plain black bobby pins randomly stuck in my hair with no aesthetic value at all. I wish I had seen all the cool and creative ways people are using bobby pins these days…

Arcade Fire – Reflektor

Arriving just in time for the busy holiday season, Arcade Fire’s latest album Reflektor will help you get through the mad rush up to Christmas. Based out of Montreal, Quebec, this group continues to put out amazing music and their latest album does not disappoint! Produced by James Murphy (of LCD Soundsystem fame) Reflektor…

Grab Some Glitter for the Upcoming Holiday Season

This time of year when the beautiful colours of fall are starting to fade and the grey drab of winter is hiding around the corner why not glitz up your hair in defiance! Shiny metallic hair accessories are a sure fire way to add shimmer and glamour to your locks. Here are five glitzy accessories…

Get Ready For Movember!

It’s that time of year again, when our lovely clean shaven men forgo the razor for the month of November for a great cause – Movember. Movember is all about raising funds and awareness for Men’s Health Programs that combat prostate and testicular cancer as well as mental health challenges. Last year over 1 million…

12 Frightful and Delightful Halloween Nail Designs

Looking to spook up your nails this Halloween? Check out these 12 Halloween nail designs for some inspiration! These amazing designs can be found at: refinery29.c0m shootingfishproject.blogspot.ca rina-alcantara.com mybeautypage.com pimpmynailz.com smashleysparkles.com glitterobsession.com

Hair Typography

While looking through Dezeen I came across an amazing designer who has created hair typography! Monique Goossens is an Amsterdam designer who came up with this typeface using hundreds of strands of hair to shape the letters. “The shapes of the letters are created by forming the hairs into a legible character. The ends of the…

Fun Hair Treats

The changing of seasons brings a change in attire and fun new hair accessories! Here are the latest selection of hair treats I’ve been coveting: Lonnie Headband in Hot Tomato, merino wool, $40.00 from Club Monaco Deco-Burst Headband, $22.00 from Anthropologie Print and Shine Bobbi Set, $20.00 from ban.do Double-Up Strap Headband,…

Spruce Apothecary

During my daily peruse of Remodelista I came across the delightful design aesthetic of Spruce Apothecary. This new shop has been created by Craig Olson and Sean Igo, the design gurus behind my favourite Portand, Oregon store Canoe. Spruce Apothecary is also located in Portland next to the stylish Ace Hotel. Specializing in fragrances…

Marc Jacobs Enters the World of Cosmetics

Marc Jacobs Beauty is a new line of cosmetics from the fashion superstar himself. As with his fashion, there is a youthful vibrancy to the range of cosmetics with trendy colour combos that cater to a variety of styles. I’m loving the Enamored Hi-Shine Nail Lacquer which comes in some great colours for Fall.…

King Krule is bigger than his age

I have to admit, I am that annoying person at work who finds an album they love and then proceeds to play it to death until it drives everyone crazy! I can’t help it, I find listening to the right music while working can be very inspiring and motivating and I feed off of that.…

Spring FootSpa in Queenstown

Nominated in Travel and Leisure’s 2013 Design Awards, Spring FootSpa is having fun with their design! The spa is located in the heart of breathtaking Queenstown New Zealand. Derek Lockwood of Saatchi & Saatchi designed the colourful and whimsical aesthetic of the spa. With an open plan environment, clients are encouraged to interact with…

My Favourite Nail Decals on Etsy!

I love Etsy! Every time I’m on their site I find amazing and unique goodies. My latest obsession is nail decals. There are so many amazing and fun designs on the site to choose from, it’s endless! Here are my current favourites: Bunting Flag Nail Decals made by IHeartNailArt Black Chevron Nail Decal made by…

Elizabeth Mayville Art

Here’s a wonderful Etsy discovery I recently came across – Elizabeth Mayville and her beautiful art. Elizabeth is from Grand Rapids, MI and has these amazing prints for sale on Etsy for very affordable prices. My favourites are her hair portraits which would look awesome in a salon! Images: Elizabeth Mayville

Viktor Leske International

Viktor Leske International is the design creation of architect firm Karhard Architektur + Design. Located in Berlin, this salon embodies the minimalist qualities I love. Beautiful curved steel framed mirrors drop from the ceiling hanging above sleek concrete floors. These dramatic steel structures act as dividers between the two stations. Glass panels light up the…

Protect Your Luscious Locks This Summer

With the summer temperatures rising and another wonderful month of sun filled adventures ahead of us, don’t forgot to protect your hair from the harsh rays this summer. Hats are a fantastic way to hide your hair from the sun and protect your skin while looking fabulous. Here are some of my favourite sun hats…

Mogeen Salon in Amsterdam

Take a peek at the great design in Mogeen Salon and Hair School located in Amsterdam. Designed by Dirk Van Berkel, Mogeen has a really cool vibe to it while still feeling comfortable and approachable. What was once a fireplace shop, the space has been renovated into this beautiful salon. I love the exposed copper…

Summertime Fun with Hair Accessories

Now that summer is in full swing it’s time to start having some fun with your hair! Here are some of my favourite hair accessories for summer: Mirage Turband adorned with classic pinup beauties, $38 from Cult Gaia Crystalline Hair Ties, $24 from Anthropologie Shine Jumbo Bobbi, $15 from ban.do Big Shot Sparkle Headband, $20…

Molly Nilsson in Your Salon

Just released and ready to be played in your salon is Molly Nilsson’s fifth album “The Travels”. Molly was born in Sweden and currently resides in Berlin. I’ve been crushing on her music ever since I was introduced to her early albums a few years ago. Minimal electronic instrumentation, deep dark melodies, and swooning lyrics…

Gold and Youth – Beyond Wilderness

Gold and Youth have just released their much anticipated debut album “Beyond Wilderness”. The band hails from our home town of Vancouver and Toronto and this new album has been on continuous play since I got it! It’s a great mix of fantastic vocals and electronic beats with a complementary nod to the 1980’s. This…

Yuni Kim Lang – Visual Artist Extraordinaire

Yuni Kim Lang is an amazing visual artist from Michigan who is currently exploring the theme of hair through sculpture, photography and wearable art. Using rope and synthetic materials, Yuni creates beautiful and evocative pieces. I am especially smitten with her sculpture series entitled Comfort Hair. Yuni describes this series as “So powerful and beautiful yet so…

Cool Design at end…Link Salon

Yet another cool salon design found on dezeen – this time from Osaka, Japan. Created by Japanese designer Yasunari Tsukado, end…Link Salon is a masterpiece of timber. Lattice shelves line the seven cutting stations creating a practical place for products and tools. Simple pendant lights hang from the ceiling offering task lighting. A long plywood screen…

Sweet Art for the Salon

During my daily morning read of DesignSponge, I came across a great illustrator who has some fantastic whimsical pieces that would look great in the salon. Kaye Blegvad is a London, England based illustrator and jewellery designer. Her art is fun and cheeky and two of her pieces caught my eye as being artwork that…

Onico Hair and Beauty in Japan

Onico Hair and Beauty is a super cute salon in Osaka, Japan. Designed by Ryo Isobe, who worked alongside the client, they created a whimsical space filled with antiques and birch trees. I love the minimalist furnishings and the natural light that fills the salon makes the space feel really soothing. With a blend of…

Style Me Vintage

I recently came across this fabulous book Style Me Vintage-Hair: Easy Step-by-Step Techniques for Creating Classic Hairstyles. The mastermind behind this creative book is Belinda Hay who owns a vintage salon in London called The Painted Lady. Published in 2011, Style Me Vintage is full of step by step instructions on how to recreate styles from…

JINsoon New Spring Collection of Nail Polish

The Botanical Flowers Collection is this springs new polish line from renowned nail artist Jin Soon. As the go to manicurist and nail artist to top editors, photographers, designers and celebrities, Jin has her finger on the pulse. After launching her first line of polish last year, Jin continues to wow with her amazing colours,…

Fun Salon Carts and Trolleys

There are some really fun and unique options out there for salon and colour carts. Aside from some stylish purpose built trolleys, why not try thinking outside the box by using a kitchen, bar, or library cart and repurpose it to work at your salon or colour station. The furniture and accessories you choose to…

Comb Bottle Opener

These amazing comb bottle openers are created by the Old Familiar Comb Company. Laser cut from high quality stainless steel and designed by a barber, this product started life as a Kickstarter project. These are made in Columbus Ohio and you can choose from a polished or brushed finish. I can’t think of a better…

Rifle Paper Co. Prints for the Salon

Rifle Paper Co. is a boutique stationary company run by a creative husband and wife team out of Florida. I often purchase their super cute cards but had no idea how awesome their prints were until I found these hairbrush, comb, and bobby pin illustrations on their website. These prints are created from original paintings by…

Hair Dryer Envy

I want one of these Tomahawk Hair Dryers! These beauties have been created by Paris industrial designer Jean Baptiste Fastrez. Keeping with craftsman traditions, the Tomahawk Hair Dryers have beautifully made wooden handles that reference an actual tomahawk. The coloured stripes and dryer positioning make each one a unique design object. I love how Jean Baptiste…

Multi tasking at Wasbar

Wasbar is a combined laundrette, cafe and hair salon located in Ghent, Belgium. This collaborative design was created by Pinkeye. The concept for Wasbar is about making the most of your time. Here you can drink an espresso and get your hair cut all while doing your laundry in a fun stylish environment. There are two hair…

EmmaKissTina Beauty Illustrations

I am loving these beauty and fashion illustrations by EmmaKissTina! They would work really well as artwork for a spa or salon. EmmaKissTina was created by illustrator Kristina Hultkrantz. She has a fantastic etsy shop that showcases her lovely creations. The illustrations are available in 5 sizes and are very well priced. Here are a few…

New salonMonster Buttons!

Those who know us understand that we have a bit of a button obsession. We know it’s unhealthy, but we can’t help ourselves. So we couldn’t resist creating the excuse to create a new set of buttons for ABS Chicago! If you’re at ABS keep your eyes open for them, rumour has it the monster…

Unique and Fun Hand Mirrors for Your Salon

A fun stylish hand mirror is a great way to express your personality and design aesthetic at your salon station. There are a lot of great choices out there in many different styles and price points. Here are some of my favourites: Above: Wooden hand mirror from Henderson Dry Goods (right here in Vancouver,…

New Aesop Signature Store in San Francisco

For those lucky enough to live in San Francisco, you’ve just been gifted a new signature Aesop store on Fillmore Street. Aesop is an Australian based company that creates glorious skin and haircare products and has a knack for cutting edge store design. This new shop was created by Boston architects NADAAA. The product shelving…

Atelier Stella Ceramics for Your Salon

I saw these on DesignSponge and couldn’t help but share these wonderful ceramics by London based Atelier Stella . I love how when planted, the vegetation becomes the hair for the ceramic faces, they make me smile. These pictures are from Atelier Stella’s tumblr site, here are my some of my favourites…. These whimsical…

Worn – The Hair Issue!

I came across this amazing magazine while getting my hair done by our lovely stylist Shelly. She had received it as a gift and passed it on to us to take a peek. Worn Fashion Journal is published twice a year and is based out of Toronto Canada. Their latest issue (15) is The Hair…

Fun Spring Accessories for Your Hair!

As the days are now getting longer and the sunshine is starting to stick around a bit more, my thoughts are moving towards springtime and all the gorgeous bright colours and patterns that awaken us from our winter hibernation. To help jumpstart a happy head I thought I’d share with you some of my favourite…

The Best Jimmy Fallon Hair!

After watching The Best of Jimmy Fallon last night, which was awesome by the way, one of my favourite parts of all his impersonations and sketches is the different hairstyles/wigs that he uses! These ones make me smile the most: AND MY ABSOLUTE FAVOURITE……….. I don’t know who’s style is the best here in The…

Valentine’s Nail Art from Pinterest

I find one of my favourite things to do when I’m looking to procrastinate is scrolling through Pinterest pages and looking at all the lovely design and eye candy! So, I thought that with Valentine’s Day approaching I’d share with you some amazing nail art for your inner cupid that I found on Pinterest. There…

Favourite Hairstyles from the 2013 SAG Awards

Sunday night was the Screen Actors Guild Awards and while I don’t usually hang in there for the actual awards, I enjoy checking out what everyone is wearing and how their hair is done. Here are some of my favourites hairstyles from the night:

20 Questions with Misty

This segment of 20 Questions is from Misty Spencer of Organic Hair by Misty. Who am I? Who am I? Well I’m Misty, a happily married lady with three young kids. I work double duty, caring for my kids during the day, and making people pretty in the evenings. I’ve been a hairstylist for 11…

How To Marry A Millionaire Vintage Hair Style

How To Marry A Millionaire was on TV the other night and the whole time I was watching it I was marvelling at the ladies gorgeous hairstyles. This movie gem from the early 1950’s starring Lauren Bacall, Marilyn Monroe and Betty Grable is full of fabulous hair and fashion! Here are some of my favourite…

Jete Hair Salon

This beautiful minimal space is Jete Hair Salon located in Kobe, Japan. Designed by Sides Core, this salon was created from a former cafe space on the ground level of an apartment block. See through curtains cover the large windows providing privacy while still letting in all the natural light. Exposed concrete floors and…

Lego Hairstyles

Who knew Lego offered such versatility in hair styles! When I was growing up there was one Lego hair style, the men’s short crop. It came in brown. Now there’s a variety of colours, cuts and styles! From braids, to choppy fringes and waves, the skies the limit with Lego hair. Finally!

Granny F Salon

Lets start the New Year off with a look inside a super stylish salon in Toyokawa, Japan. Granny F Salon was designed by architect Hiroyuki Miyake, who took an empty existing building and turned it into this beautiful space. The architect and his team used traditional British bricklaying patterns for the ceramic tiles that create…

My top five albums of 2012 to play in the salon

Since the year is coming to a close, I thought I’d throw my “best of” list into the ring! Music is a very big part of setting the tone of your business so here are my top five favourite albums of 2012 to play in the salon. I’m usually into happy music with good electronic…

Holiday Nail Art

After happily scouring Pinterest on the weekend, I’ve collected some of my favourite holiday nail art to share with you. These would be perfect for a holiday party or just a little something to put you in the festive mood! Lets start with the more subtle styles of the season: Time to kick things…

Morrison Hair – My favourite salon design of the year!

This has to be my favourite salon design I’ve come across this year, I love it! Meet Morrison Hair. This gem is located in Laguna Beach California in a 1920’s Spanish bungalow. The design of the salon was done by Laure Joliet and Morgan Satterfield who worked closely with the salon owners to create this gorgeous inviting space. Their…

Top Ten Pinterest Pics of 2012

Now that we’re in December and nearing the end of the year it’s time to look back and see what our most popular Pinterest pins of 2012 have been! So we’ll start with our number one most popular pin – this braided mohawk was re pinned over 300 times!! Now here are our top 2-10…

The xx – Coexist

The new album released by British band The xx called “Coexist” is a perfect fit for the moody, cloudy, greyness of the west coast winter that’s starting to set in here in Vancouver. Fronted by Romy Madley Croft, Oliver Sim, and Jamie Smith, The xx dabble in melancholy crooning backed up with their fantastic minimalist dark beats. Soulful songs about…

Dramatic Style at Chalachol Salon in Bangkok

Located in Bangkok, Thailand, this cool salon named Chalachol uses bamboo to add major drama to their space! Created by Thai designer Nattapon Klinsuwan of NKDW, the salon has installed strands of bamboo which are inspired by natural caves where stalagmites and stalactites come together and connect forming rooms. The use of bamboo carries throughtout the salon…

salonMonster Hosting Upgrade

We’re excited to announce that we’re updating salonMonster to a new, faster, even more reliable data hosting centre to ensure the best performance possible for our clients. We will be moving the salonMonster application from our current datacenter to its new home on Monday November 19th at 5:00 AM PST. While switching over to our…

Buzzcuts and Beehives for kids!

We’re often showcasing fancy, high end salons so I thought I’d spice things up a little and share with you this sweet hair salon located in New York City designed especially for the 10 years and under crowd. Beehives and Buzzcuts Hair Salon for Kids was designed by Andrea Mason/Architect. They’ve created a playful feeling that…

Luigi Murenu Geometric Styles

Italian hairstylist Luigi Murenu, who is part of the John Frieda team, has created fantastic geometric hairstyles for Rick Owens Spring ’13 collection. Taking inspiration from Gustav Klimt and Cleopatra, Luigi has produced these sharp structural styles that are beautiful statement pieces. Photos: CRFashionbook

Movember Moustache Styles from Pinterest

Now that we’re right into the month of the moustache I thought I’d go through our Pinterest page and highlight all the fantastic moustached men hiding in there. Movember is such a fantastic cause and it’s wonderful watching all the guys growing out their staches for charity. If you’re lost as to what moustache style…

Miss Fisher Style Envy!

My newest hair and style fascination/obsession is with the 13 episode Australian series Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries. The series is set in Melbourne, Australia in the late 1920’s. The lead character, Miss Phryne Fisher, is just bursting with exuberant style and energy. Played by Australian actress Essie Davis, Miss Fisher is a glamourous, independent, and…

Great Product Display Ideas from Aesop

Hailing from Australia, Aesop creates divine hair and body products. They market these products in individual stores which are all designed differently with impeccable taste and creativity. The design company Cigue has collaborated with Aesop on several occasions to create beautiful and unique stores all around Paris, France. They’ve come up with some wonderful ways…

Halloween Hair Ideas

If you’re still not sure what to dress up as for Halloween, I’ve collected some fun and easy hair tutorials from my favourite sites that might inspire you to get all spooked up! I’ll start with this amazing Bride of Frankenstein video tutorial from Reagan at Hairdresser On Fire. This is a wonderfully creepy video…

Every Kingdom by Ben Howard

Music to cut hair to! If you’re looking for new music to play in the salon, check out the debut album from Ben Howard entitled “Every Kingdom”. Ben Howard is a 25 year old super talented British singer-songwriter. His debut album consists of 10 gorgeously layered tracks with lyrics that will make you…

Ladies, Get Ready for Movember

The month of moustaches is fast approaching so it’s time to start prepping! Movember takes place for the month of November where guys will pledge to grow voluptuous moustaches for the entire month to raise awareness and funds for men’s health, specifically prostate cancer. So while all the guys around you start sprouting their Poirot’s,…

Sweet Shop Nail Polish

We’re loving Kester Black’s nail polish! Kester Black was created by New Zealand designer Anna Ross. Her site showcases her fabulous jewellery collection and she has now added her Sweet Shop of delightful nail polish colours! With delicious ice cream flavours like Peach Melba, Tutti Frutti, and Milky Way, the polish is 3 Free (non…

Barber Amsterdam

Here’s another fabulous barber shop located in Amsterdam. Simply called Barber Amsterdam, this space in a 19th century building was designed by Ard Hoksbergen. Exposed copper pipes act as conduits for the water and electricity while the concrete reception desk, reclaimed wood floors, and plywood shelving give this shop a fantastic industrial feel. Enjoy the eye candy!…

New album “Sun” from Cat Power

With the release of Cat Power’s ninth album entitled “Sun“, Chan Marshall has delivered a wonderful, dare I say cheerful, collection of songs. She produced this album herself and it really does evoke a lovely personal feel when you listen to it. It has been six years since Chan Marshall put out an album of…

Fourth Floor Salon in London makes me swoon!

The Fourth Floor Salon in Clerkenwell, London has been in business since 1990. Owned by Richard Stepney, this rooftop beauty is a true gem. Accessed via a freight elevator, this bright open space has views of the city skyline and a delightful modern atmosphere. Tom Dixon (the bees knees of British design) created the amazing…

Pop up salon from Zaha Hadid and Fudge

This fantastic pop up salon is a collaboration between Zaha Hadid and Fudge that has been created to celebrate London Fashion Week and the London Design Festival. Located in Zaha Hadid’s Design Gallery, customers have been able to view her work while getting their hair done. I am a Zaha Hadid fan through and through…

cutepolish on YouTube

Here’s a great find for manicure lovers – cutepolish has a channel on YouTube full of short instructional videos on how to create some fantastic nail art! The videos range from 1 to 3 minutes and provide easy to follow, step by step directions on how to recreate these designs on your own nails. As…

Favourite New Fall Hats

One of my favourite things about Autumn is that I get to start wearing cute cozy hats again! Whether they’re hiding a bad hair day or just enhancing an outfit, hats are always in style in my closet! Here are some new fall favourites that I’ve been coveting. Top Row: Felt Panama Hat from…

Play this in the Salon!

Our favourite crooner from Sweden has a new album that would sound great in the salon! The Tallest Man On Earth (29 year old Kristian Matsson) has a gorgeous new album out entitled “There’s No Leaving Now”. This album continues along the beautiful poetic lines of his previous efforts and is filled with a mellow,…

Creating a Facebook Page for your Salon

Like most stylists I know you probably have a Facebook account. You’ve probably friended some clients and once in a while post an update about your work, but get a bit weirded out by the lack of personal / work separation and don’t really know how to use Facebook to improve your business. Well, it’s…

New Zealand Fashion Week has Great Hair!

Although all eyes have been on New York Fashion Week, down in the antipodes there has been a fantastic New Zealand Fashion Week taking place showcasing not only great fashion but also fabulous hair styles! Here are some of my favourite hair styles from NZ Fashion Week. I really like the messy pulled back top…

Extreme Home Page Makeover

salonMonster.com has had a facelift! Our previous home page was getting a little long in the tooth and just wasn’t sexy or fun enough … so we’ve changed things up. We’ve added lots more colour and lots more monster. We hope you like it! Here’s a quick peek at the new look: Check out…

Oscar de la Renta Runway Polish

Oscar de la Renta has created a limited edition nail polish collection to go with their 2012 Ready to Wear Fall Collection. The ‘Runway Collection” of polish consists of three rich gorgeous colours – Aubergine, Red Carnation, and Larimar – and retail for $22.00 each. As well, the nail polish are all Toluene, Formaldehyde and DBP…

IRO Hair Salon – Cool Design

Here’s another beautiful minimal salon by Japanese Designer Reiichi Ikeda. Located in Osaka Japan, IRO Salon (IRO means colours in English) combines functionality with a sleek sparse aesthetic. The designer used exposed ceilings and concrete floors as well as a lot of diagonal lines to define the separate areas within the salon. I really love…

Hair Romance 30 Day Braid Challenge

Braid lovers get ready, Hair Romance is about to begin 30 braids in 30 days! Starting September 1st, every day of the month will feature a new braided hairstyle. After the success of Hair Romance’s last challenge (30 Days of Twists and Pins) which has been turned into a fantastic ebook, this next hair challenge…

Girls Faces by Jen Collins

Jen Collins is a fabulous illustrator living in Glasgow. She’s currently doing a project on tumblr working on her portrait skills and has named this exercise “Girls Faces”. While the portraits are delightful, I’m quite taken with the hair styles she’s illustrating and thought I’d share some of my favourites with you! To…

Fun Fall Hair Accessories

With summer starting to fade away, my mind is turning to fall and all the new goodies that come with a seasonal change. Here are some great new fall hair accessories to help ease your way into the cooler weather. From left to right: Anthropologie Multitude Hair Ties– $12.00 for set of five, Bluedame Hinged…

$250,000 All Bottled Up!

I know this is crazy but I had to share the story of this outrageously expensive (in fact the MOST expensive) nail polish called Black Diamond from Azature. Luxury jeweller Azature have created one exclusive bottle of nail polish consisting of 267-carats of black diamonds which carries the immense price tag of $250,000.00. The LA based…

Great Music to Work To

My summer musical needs have been satiated with the release of Twin Shadow’s new album “Confess“. Confess takes inspiration from the 80’s, melds it with George Lewis Jr’s smooth vocals, and bites you with his lyrics. It is a fantastic follow up to his debut album “Forget” . You could definitely…

Monster likes Mobile : salonMonster comes to iPhone and Android

We’re ridiculously excited to announce that we have released the first version of salonMonster’s new mobile app. We’ve released it as a web-app, and we’ve got simple instructions on how to add the app to your phone’s home screen. Once we get a bit of feedback from you, our awesome users, we’ll tweak things and…

Hairy Children Portraits

And now for something a little different……. American artist Erik Mark Sandberg is the creator behind these haunting yet somehow endearing Hairy Children Portraits. Made using acrylic, oil, and resin, these hairy beauties are definitely one of a kind! Erik studied at the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California and now lives and works in LA.…

Miss Ladyfinger – Inspired by Fashion

I’m absolutely loving the explosion of creative nail art I’ve been seeing over the past year! One of my favourite nail trends has been using runway fashion and translating that into nail art. A perfect example of this can be seen at Miss Ladyfinger. This site takes the hottest runway looks and turns them into…

The Monster Gets a Facelift

We are super excited to announce that we have updated salonMonster with several great new features and a few changes to the aesthetic of the application! First off is a change that many of you have requested and we heard you loud and clear. You will now be able to change the date of an…

Easy to Remove Price Stickers, Please!

One of my biggest peeves when purchasing a product is when the pricing label doesn’t easily peel off. I know this may sound finicky, but since I like to display my products (because I’m a sucker for great packaging), I always remove their price tags before placing them in the shower or on a…

Colour Your Nails with Crayola

How I wish these were available when I was a kid! Not that I won’t be wearing these polishes now, but how cool would that have been when you were in elementary school to pull out these mini nail polish goodies from your backpack. With old school names like Cotton Candy, Robin’s Egg Blue, and…

Hair Poufs

I found these furniture poufs quite intriguing when I came across them. Called the Bare Hair Project, these seats have been created for Studio Västra Sandgatan, a hair salon in Sweden. Designed by Ola Giertz, the exterior of the poufs are made of recycled bottles, while the interiors are stuffed with human hair collected off…

3 Simple Ways to Make Your Domain Name Easier to Read

Websites have become an important part of modern businesses communication and marketing, no big news flash there. However, an integral part of getting people to your Website, how you present your domain name, is often overlooked. Domain names are the gateway to your Website and it’s important to think about how you present your domain…

Giant Dwarf Makes You Sparkle!

If you’re looking for a fabulous hair accessory to make you shine and sparkle check out Giant Dwarf’s range of gorgeous pieces. Created by Sue Eggen who makes all of these beauties by hand in Pennsylvania using vintage ribbons, German glitter glass and a whole lot of style. To see more glittery goodness, check out…

Be Haunted by Exitmusic

Exitmusic’s debut album “Passage” is an album, in my opinion, that’s deserving of the hype. Hailing from Brooklyn (of course!) and fronted by actress Aleksa Palladino and her husband Devon Church, this duo pairs their moody dark vocals with old school electro pop beats. Reminiscent of Slowdive or My Bloody Valentine, this album is bursting…

Hairchitecture

Here’s a cool find from Dezeen – Hairchitecture! This photo exhibition was created by renowned hairdresser Gijo and Portuguese architects FAHR021.3. Gijo wanted to combine these two creative trades and FAHR, while working in Berlin, met the challenge. Playing with geometric shapes and angles and inspired by the 60’s and 70’s, these architectural masterpieces are…

Timeless Potions from Barber & Fritz

Looking to the past for tried and true beauty secrets, Barber & Fritz refreshes old recipes for a modern client. Four years in the making, these beauty potions are a labour of love for this independent Victoria BC company. It’s always great to see a local BC company putting out such stylish wares. Potions, lotions,…

Hairdryer redefined by Industrial Facility

When Wallpaper magazine posed the question “What could a hairdryer be if it was designed as a beauty product?”, design company Industrial Facility took up the challenge and created the Dryerhair. Created for the Wallpaper Handmade exhibition at the Milan Salone, this innovative dryer places itself centre stage reducing the need to hide it in…

Loving these fun summer bobby pins!

I’m seriously crushing on these fun bright bobby pins from Anthropologie. These pins are sold in a set of 20 and are available in great summer colours like hot pink and vibrant yellow. To sweeten the deal even more, they come with a cute little sliding box to keep your pins safe and sound.…

Top 10 Pins

We mentioned a while back that we’re a bit addicted to Pinterest. So many pretty pictures, we can’t resist it! We love seeing which of our pins turn out to be the most popular, it is so fascinating to see what resonates with people. In this vein we thought people might be interested to see…

Super rad polish from uslu airlines

Berlin based luxury cosmetics brand uslu airlines has done it again with a fantastic range of nail polishes. This latest collaboration is with the formadible Paris based designer Bernhard Willhelm. I love the font and design of the bottles! The masterminds behind uslu airlines are Feride Uslu, a Turkish makeup artist, and entrepreneur Jan Mihm. This duo…

Bold and Unique Design at Nafi Salon in Switzerland

While perusing Dezeen on the weekend I came across this stylish salon located in Basel, Switzerland. Nafi Hairdressing Salon is located in the historic city centre and definitely packs a design punch! Created by Sudquai in collaboration with ZMIK Spacial Design, the salon space has been separated into two distinct areas. The reception area walls have been beautifully…

Le Cinq Salon in Japan

Here’s a wee peek inside Le Cinq Hair Salon located in Japan. This beautiful space was created by the architect team at Ninkipen! The mirrors at each cutting station are mounted on A-frames which are angled to provide privacy for each customer. My favourite part of this salon is the tree that’s planted in the…

Salon Business – What’s Happening To Our Industry?

Haven’t many of us worked so hard to make our industry more professional, higher status and a profession to be proud of? Listening to a salon owner this week talking of his experiences in a interviewing potential new team member, it makes you wonder where we are going wrong. With a great…

Sharing the love – Hair Blogs I Follow

Here at salonMonster we’re big fans of supporting our hardworking fellow hair bloggers so I thought I’d share with you some really cool hair blogs that I’ve been following lately. First up is Hairdresser on Fire (love the name!). This blog follows the life and adventures of a fun and stylish hair dresser. There are…

Chromatics Kill For Love

The Chromatics latest release “Kill For Love” is the perfect anecdote to pump up the energy in your salon! Hailing from Portland, Oregon, this band’s moody synth pop sound personifies the West Coast. Great vocals, punchy beats and they even throw in an amazing Neil Young cover. Check out their latest video below: http://youtu.be/tbx8qRg6tPE

I Love You Stockholm

I was really impressed when I came across the branding and design of You Stockholm. This wonderful hair salon in Stockholm, which happens to be the brainchild of famous stylist Steve Terry, has done a fantastic job of creating a fun modern identity through their branding. Their brand platform and interiors were created by Koncept Stockholm…

Salon Business – All Booked Up And Nowhere To Go

Yeah the bus is full! You have lots of clients in your chairs, your stylists are predominantly booked 80+% of their time, yet that bottom line is still not healthy, the average ticket price needs to grow and you have no more stations to add service providers. What do you do? Where do you go when…

New Hair Bling from Anthropologie

Anthropologie has some fantastic new hair accessories full of colour and springtime fun. Check out some of my favourite below! Floraswirl Hair Clip Sweet Merriment headband Twinkled Scallops Headband Printed Fabric Bobbies Vinaya Headband Photos: Antropologie

Historical Eye Candy

I know I’m a little late to the Downton Abbey party, but I finally bit the bullet and started watching Season 1 last week and have become immediately hooked. I can’t believe it took me so long! Aside from the riveting story lines of intrigue, romance, and betrayal, it’s the hair styles that I’m most…

Greetings and apologies from salonMonster

As you may be aware salonMonster experienced some downtime on Sunday evening and we have been working around the clock to resolve the issues related to this. We wanted to explain to you what occurred and what we are doing to improve salonMonster so that this won’t happen again and if it does that it…

Lodge Salon in Hiroshima Japan

Japanese architects seem to take great delight in creating wonderful, innovating hair salons! Lodge Salon is located in Hiroshima Japan and was designed by Suppose Design Office architects. The main focus of the salon is the band of mirrored glass which envelops the cutting area. It’s mounted at the clients’ head height and is…

ban.do – Fun and Flirty Treats for your Hair

I’ve been on a bit of an accessory kick lately, there’s just too much great stuff out there! My newest obsession is ban.do. Ban.do was created in 2008 by two friends living in Los Angeles. What started as a venture into creating handmade vintage headbands has turned into a full blown online accessory business. These…

Name that Beard!

When I came across this wicked poster I knew I had to share it! Created by Chris Thornley and entitled “Beard”, this compilation of awesome famous beards has it all. Can you name all the bearded beauties? My favourite is Bill Murrays! Poster Image: Chris Thornley

Troove Beauty Salon in Japan

Troove Beauty Salon, located in Gifu Japan, has a gorgeous minimilist style that evokes a calmness which I love. Designed by architect Hiroyuki Miyake, this space has Japanese oak floors, a stunning concrete reception desk, and extremely comfortable looking simple chairs. The real showpiece of the salon is their large 2mm thick steel screen which…

Hair pins on Etsy

I am an avid crafter and love supporting hand made goods as well as independent businesses, so today I thought I’d share with you some of the fabulous hair pins found on Etsy! First up and hailing from Australia is kookinuts Sleepy Bird wooden bobby pins which are priced around $15.00. Next is a…

Hairy Jam

Hairy Jam, an exciting new hair industry event premiers this weekend here in Vancouver. We’re super excited, it sound like it’s going to be great! We were able to catch up with the event’s organizer, Jim Dreichel, to ask him a few questions about the project. So, what is Hairy Jam? Hairy Jam is a…

I Love butter!

I was over the moon when I was recently given a butter London 3 Free Nail Lacquer in the shade Bossy Boots. This company has long been a favourite of mine and I can’t wait to paint my nails! Founded in 2005 in the UK, butter London creates nail polish products which contain no formaldehyde, no…

Marc Jacobs Creating Cosmetic Line with Sephora!

I did a little happy dance when I read that Marc Jacobs is teaming up with Sephora to launch a line of cosmetics! Things are still in the early stages of development but I can’t wait to see what trends emerge from Marc Jacobs makeup line.

salonMonster on Pinterest

salonMonster made the leap to Pinterest recently and we have all been going pin crazy – cool hair accessories, envious hair styles, inspirational makeup and art, we’re addicted! Take a peek at our collection of eye candy at www.pinterest.com/salonmonster

Barber USB Key

How cool is this barber USB key from imm living! You can carry it around in your pocket like a hipster, comb your swanky hair with it, and then go all tech and plug it into your computer. The comb stores 2 GB of data, has a 1 year warranty and is way cool!…

Sunny Garden Hair Pins on Etsy

When I came across these super cute hair pins made by Sunny Garden, they totally screamed Springtime for me! What’s not to love about fun bright colours and whimsical crocheted flowers. Sunny Garden has a wonderful shop on Etsy where they sell their unique handmade knitted and crocheted accessories. The pins can be ordered in…

Beautiful Bridal Headpieces At Ruche

With bridal season gearing up check out Ruche for fabulous headpieces to impress any bride! Ruche is a beautiful online store which is described as a”vintage inspired boutique with a modern touch” These amazing headpieces are very reasonably priced ranging from $25.00 – $70.00. There is something for any budget here! To see more go to…

Victory Barber and Brand

Victoria BC is home to the fantastic Victory Barber and Brand. Located in the city’s downtown, Victory brings old school greatness back to the barber shop. The shop was built using reclaimed materials from old Victoria homes while the classic barber chairs were restored by hand giving the whole place an authentic “Canadiana” feel, complete with…

Kate Spade Nail Polish!

I’m so excited about the collaboration between Kate Spade and Poppy King for this super cute limited edition set of 4 mini nail polishes! The colours are inspired by Australian artist Florence Broadhurst, who is an amazing icon in the world of pattern and fabric design. The nail polishes are even named after some of…

Beer Based Shampoo and Conditioner

For all the beer lovers, this might be one of the best sounding products ever! Duffy’s Brew beer-based shampoo and conditioner is 100% vegan, has no artificial ingredients, and is made with real beer from Seattles’ Elysian Brewing Company. Their Dragonstooth Stout contains all the great benefits of beer that help enrich your hair –…

6 Fun Spring Hair Accessories

Now that we’re starting to shed our wool toques, I thought I’d share with you some fun spring hair accessories to get you in the mood for warmer weather, blossoms and sunshine! I’ve narrowed my current favourites down to six and have listed them below. Gorgeous Sasha Turband from Cult Gaia in 100% cotton. Retails…

The Case for Less Toxic Products

I was recently sent a link to an awesome video on Dr. Frank Lipman’s website that is a spoof game show all about toxic beauty products. We in the beauty industry should keep this video in mind when selecting the products we will use on the general public. Here is the intro paragraph that Dr. Lipman wrote…

Stop the Water While Using Me!

As soon as I came across this fantastic product called Stop The Water While Using Me! I knew I had to spread the word! Created in Germany with packaging designed by Korefe, these products are 100 % biodegradable and made with organic ingredients. Everything is packaged in refillable bottles and much care was taken in the…

Creative Pantene Ads

I’m a fan of creative advertising and marketing. I’m a lot more likely to remember your message if you make me laugh. These ads from Pantene all made me chuckle: Dandruff prevention Dandruff salt shakers … brilliant! Although I don’t feel like salting my meal anymore. Door Handle A clever way to advertise the…

Cool Tutorials from The Beauty Department

I came across some fabulous hair and nail tutorials while browsing the TheBeautyDepartment.com. There are some well known contributers from the entertainment industry writing for this blog, yet it still manages to remain approachable and has some great looking tutorials that are well presented, easy to follow, and right on trend. Great step by step…

Start the weekend with Pikachunes

If you’re looking to get your weekend started with a party, try throwing on the new album from Pikachunes! It’s sure to get your salon rocking and excited about Friday! Hailing from Auckland New Zealand, Pikachunes (aka Miles McDougall) has just released his debut self titled album on Lil’ Chief Records. This album is bursting…

Twin Peaks Inspired Hair

I love the hair styles in this lookbook photo shoot done by describe the fauna photography. The Twin Peaks inspired hair was created by Katrina Gray and she totally nailed the 90’s cult favourite styles. For more fantastic lookbook photos go to describe the fauna!

Ron Swanson’s Woodwork!

So this is the coolest thing, I just found out that that Nick Offerman who plays TV’s Ron Swanson on Parks and Recreation is also a carpenter and a woodworker with his own shop. On Parks and Recreation Ron Swanson is a master woodworker who makes amazing things for people like canoes! It would seem that…

Hairy Portraits

We’re loving these amazing photographic works by Naia del Castillo entitled Portraits y Dialogues. They’re such effective pieces and really make a statement. It’s incredible how simple yet powerful they are. Naia was born in Bilbao in 1975. She graduated with a specialization in Sculpture at the University of Fine Arts of the Basque Country…

Cabello Salon in Belgrade Serbia

I recently came across this new salon while browsing Dezeen called Cabello located in Belgrade Serbia. It’s has quite a moody interior, very dark and mysterious. Designed by a2rhitektura, they painted the walls of the salon a dramatic black and used a single mirror with a red outline to add a pop of colour. The original…

Rodarte F/W 2012

For some New York Fashion Week ends in swollen feet and heavy suitcases, but for those who don’t work in fashion it means getting to spend an afternoon poring over show after show of runway and backstage pictures. Nothing impressed me more this year than Rodarte. Their collections are usually fantastical, organic, creative and…

Marc by Marc Jacobs Headbands

When I came across these super cute headbands from Marc by Marc Jacobs they put a smile on my face. They reminded me of “grown up” versions of the headbands I had when I was a kid, I love it! I think the heart design is my favourite but I do keep wavering back…

Joanne by Pip Jolley

“Joanne” is a line of jewellery and accessories made from vintage pieces or materials meant to look vintage created by Pip Jolley, an artist and a jewellery maker from the UK. Here is what her site says about the line: “In a time where money was limited, women of the 1940’s had to ‘make do…

L’oreal Professional Love for ever

Last year L’oreal Professional put together a beautiful new bridal collection called “Love for ever” created by top stylists from all over the world. Since we’re gearing up for bridal season again I thought I’d share with you these whimsical creations. Stylists from Japan, USA, Brazil, France, Italy, UK, India and China have designed gorgeous…

Michelle Violy Harper on her hair

“My hair is the easiest thing, because really—with a really good shampoo and conditioner and a box of bobby pins and some hair spray, I can do whatever I want. It’s more about the hairpieces, you know? So you saw me doing my hair—it was in a little ponytail, and then I knotted it and…

Aesop

We’ve been in Sydney Australia the last few days and have been having a blast. One of the highlights has to have been our visit to the Aesop store on Oxford street in the lovely neighbourhood of Paddington. It’s a shame that more cosmetics companies don’t have this much style, it’s so inspiring. Their product…

60’s Mod Inspired Hair

I came across this great tumblr site MiniMadMod60’s which showcases some fantastic hair styles from the 60’s as well as fashion shots. Here are some of my favourites and check out their site for more! Photos from minimadmod60s site.

Richard Kavanagh creates Rodney Wayne summer campaign

This is a fantastic ad campaign by Redken performing artist Richard Kavanagh for Rodney Wayne Salons. Richard produced a set of summer ads inspired by his work on the catwalks of New York, Milan, LA, London, and Paris. He’s brought his cheeky aesthetic and great skills to this campaign and I love the result! Don’t…

Curtain of Hair

I couldn’t resist posting about this unique shower curtain which has the appearance of long flowing hair. This art piece entitled Artificial Simplicity 2 was created by Andy Mauery. Andy is the Associate Professor of Art and Foundations Coordinator at The University of Maine The curtain is actually made of acrylic fibre and was included…

Saga Captures Amazing Hair in Photography

I’ve been enamoured with Saga’s fashion shoots ever since I came across her blog. She’s a London based photographer who shares her photos and behind the scene shots on her site. What always catches my eye is all the amazing hair styles in her shoots. So if you’re looking for some fashion forward inspiration, take…

Behind the scenes with Mara Roszak

Take a peek behind the scenes of L.A. based celebrity stylist Mara Roszak’s home. On the always amazing site Coveteur, we get the opportunity to take a look at some of Mara’s favourite items and a taste of what inspires her. Mara started styling hair at the age of seventeen working with Michelle Gellar on…

ISSE Long Beach 2012 on Hairbrained TV

So this past weekend was the International Salon and Spa Expo in Long Beach and it looks like it was a good one. I have been looking over several videos from it so far and my favourite one has to be the Vidal Sassoon Team being filmed by Hairbrained TV. I am always inspired to…

Are There Toxins In Your Cleaning Products?

Because we can’t all live in a world of titanium dioxide coated wonder-fabric that cleans itself, there comes the battle of the cleaning product aisle. Phthalates, Ammonia and Chlorine seem common and while harmful have become a large part of our lives. “Ninety-one percent of the population applies 300-million pounds of these poisons annually, often…

Hair Romance blog from Australia

I happen to be posting from Sydney Australia today (wahoo!) and thought this would be the perfect time to write about a wonderful Sydney hair blog called Hair Romance by Christina Butcher. I came across her blog late last year and was blown away by her awesome hair twisting and pinning abilities. After embarking on…

Printable Barbie Hair Extensions

Okay, how awesome is this – printable Barbie hair extensions!! I wish these existed when I was a kid, then maybe I wouldn’t have resorted to colouring my Barbie’s hair with felt pens. Released by Barbie, these extensions can be printed out at home on your computer. Consisting of everything from polka dots, leopard prints,…

Lightning Dust

Now that the greyness of January is fully upon us, maybe it’s time to pump up the music and mood in the salon with some Lightning Dust. Lightning Dust started in 2007 as a sort of side project for Amber Webber and Joshua Wells. You might recognize Ambers beautiful haunting voice from the band…

How Social Are You?

Everyone knows that social networking is the latest and greatest marketing tool, but do you realize how valuable it is and how to make the most of the networks? Our industry is the perfect industry for social marketing. Being on a social network gives you visibility, allows you to showcase your work and let’s face it,…

Mirrors on Trees

I absolutely love the use of tree trunks as mirror supports in the Ricort hair salon designed by the architect Teruhiro Yanagihara. Located in a clinical white Tokyo commercial building the space is designed to create the feeling of a fictional garden that leads you into a metaphorical cottage. I imagine the contrast with the…

No blog post today in support of the PIPA/SOPA protests

We have decided not to post a blog today in support of the protests agains the Protect-IP (PIPA) and SOPA protests. Instead, we ask that you watch this video about the risk that these acts pose to the internet. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oHj2djD1130

Fashion Inspired Nail Art

I came across this fantastic blog called moveSlightly the other day which puts a really fashion forward spin on nail art. Taking inspiration from current runway fashion shows and collections, Elizabeth creates gorgeously painted nails that reflect the designers aesthetic. Some of my favourites are her Yves Saint Laurent Resort 2012 nails: And her Versace Fall 2011…

The Retailing Dilemma

It seems like so many years that salon owners, manufacturers and educators have been trying to get stylists to sell retail product to their clients for home use, however, I have been following discussions on Linked In – the network for business to business people, and in many of the beauty groups there are always…

Waterproof your smartphone

While catching up on some of the great coverage of this years CES (Consumer Electronics Show) we stumbled across this really awesome looking new company called Liquipel. Their promise is simple, send them your smartphone (and about $60) and they’ll coat your phone with their liquipel product to completely waterproof it inside and out!…

Beautiful Hair Baubles

I’m always on the hunt for beautiful artisan crafted hair accessories and I found just that with the discovery of Saskia Diez. Saskia is a Munich based jewellery and accessory designer. She trained as a goldsmith before embarking on industrial design. This combination of talents have helped her in creating beautiful understated pieces. The wooden…

Beautiful Salon by Tetsuya Ito

I came across this unique beauty salon on Dezeen recently and thought I’d share it with you. Located in Omiya Japan, it was designed by Tetsuya Ito of the Tokyo firm Takara Space Design. This 3 story salon was converted from two existing buildings (a former gallery and an old shoe repair store) into one…

Mobile Card Reader Comes to Canada

Intuit, makers of the popular small business accounting software QuickBooks, has just announced that they will be rolling out there mobile payment system called GoPayment in Canada. They have been available in the US for the past two years but now feel it is time to enter the International market. And what better way to do…

How to Fire a Client

We all have clients who brighten our day. Then we have those clients who brighten our day when they leave or don’t show up at all. I know that in this day and age when most of us are trying to build our client base, to talk about actually firing clients seems counterproductive to say…

Cheeky branding for Crop Hair Boutique

I’m digging the cheeky copywriting and attitude of Crop Hair Boutique‘s branding by ReThink Communincations. With slogans like “From now on you’ll be mistaken for your hotter twin” and “Help us help your hair help you get laid” how can you not love it? I’m always a sucker for buttons and they have…

Chanel’s Paris-Bombay Bejewelled Dreads

Lagerfeld’s 2012 Métiers d’Art collection Paris-Bombay is an absolute visual masterpiece! His vision transformed the Galerie Courbe at the Grand Palais into an exotic excursion to an India of the past. What caught my eye (aside from the immaculate clothing) was the beautiful hair styles displayed on the models. Wrapped and bejewelled dread lock extensions were piled high on the head and…

Paper-Cut-Project

Amy Flurry and Nikki Salk are the creative geniuses behind Paper-Cut-Project. Based out of Atlanta, they founded this amazing company which in their words is “fueled by a love for fashion and the appreciation of the grace and nuance of this simple material”. Amy and Nikki create highly crafted paper installations for window displays,…

Beautiful Braids and Cornrows

I’m blown away by these beautiful painting of braids and cornrows by So Yoon Lym. The work is so detailed that it’s hard to believe they are painted. They really allow the viewer to focus on the art form of braiding in all its glorious detail. Created by So Yoon Lym as part…

Gareth Pugh Fashion Film for M.A.C.

Fashion guru Gareth Pugh has teamed up with fashion film director Ruth Hogben to create an amazing film to launch his first makeup collection created with M.A.C. This exclusive, limited edition collection includes eye lash extensions, nail polish, lipsticks and more. These all encompass his dark shadowy vision which is clear to see from his…

Trinkits Made With Hair

I came across these wonderful “bun boxes” while perusing Dezeen and thought what a strange but awesome accessory to have in your salon or at your station. You could keep your bobby pins or business cards in them. These were created by Emilie Voirin who is a French product designer living in London. Her pieces…

Take a bite out of these headpieces

Japanese artist Takaya Hanayuishi uses very unique items to create these incredible headpieces. Using fruit, vegetables, and flowers, these creations are used in live performance pieces, photo shoots, and weddings. Originally studying culinary arts, Takaya started working with plants and food in 2004. He calls his work “unity of human and nature”. After arranging these…

Hair Storm by Luigi Murenu

I’m loving this photo shoot by Italian hair stylist Luigi Murenu and photographer Solve Sundsbo. Appropriately titled “Hair Storm”, it was featured in Pop magazine‘s Spring/Summer 08/09 issue. You can really see his love for the 70’s in these styles. Born into his mother’s Sardinian salon, Luigi moved to Paris in the 80s where he started…

Happy Holidays

Happy Holidays from the team at salonMonster. Wishing you and your families all our very best. We’re going to take a short blogging break while we focus on overeating for the next few days, but we’ll be back on the 28th.

Charlie Le Mindu

In case you don’t already know him, let me introduce you to the “master of Haute Coiffure” and celebrity stylist, Charlie Le Mindu. From his slightly controversial runway shows, to his extravagent wig designs and famous roster of clients, Charlie knows hair. Charlie was born in France, where he started cutting and styling…

Hair’em Scare’em

If you’re looking for some hair inspiration, you may want to check out the book Hair’em Scare’em by Robert Klanten. Published in 2010, this book is 219 pages of full on avant garde eye candy for hair. Covering great trends in hair outside the mainstream, there’s sure to be something in this book that catches your…

Interlaced Hair Necklaces

These extremely unique necklaces were created by 23 year old art student Kerry Howley who lives in London. Taking inspiration from damask wallpaper patterns, Kerry titled her hair art piece Attraction/Aversion. Inspired by peoples aversion to cut hair, Kerry used her mother’s friend’s cut hair and spent over 60 hours working on each of the five…

23 and 1/2 Hours

So this has been floating around for a bit and many of you may have seen this already but I thought that Cosmetologists could benefit from it. It’s called 23 and 1/2 Hours and it’s about trying to minimize how much time you spend sitting. The statistics are crazy and way beyond what I would…

Super stylist Peter Gray

If you haven’t come across the work of Peter Gray before then you’re in for a treat. Peter is an internationally renowned hairdresser who has worked with fashion greats such as Maison Martin Margiela, Vivienne Westwood, Junya Watanabe and Hermès and magazines including Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar and Numéro. Peter rose to fame in the nineties working…

Diamond Rings for the Holidays

Here’s a beautiful holiday music video from one of my favourite Canadian bands Diamond Rings. I’ve blogged about them before (and how awesome their album is to play in the salon) and thought I’d share this video of John O playing piano at home over the holidays singing Give It Up. I wish he’d come to…

AUT Rookie Show Has Serious Style

Some seriously awesome hair has been happening down in the antipedes at this years AUT Rookie Show in Auckland, New Zealand. Showcasing 24 fashion students and their runway collections, it was the amazing hair styles that caught my attention in this video. The hair styles are done by Danny Pato from D & M Salon located in…

Amazing Parisian Salon

I recently read a review of David Mallett’s salon in Paris on Into The Gloss. This one of the most beautiful spaces I have seen in a long while. I absolutely can’t wait to go here and try out his services. Read the whole article to find out more.…

The Transition from Assistant/Apprentice to Stylist

For those salon owners who have apprentices or assistants, it’s always a challenge to transition from that position to being a productive stylist on the floor. During a discussion with salon owners last week, the following tip came in from a savvy salon owner and how he makes the change. One of the first requirements, and…

Tumblin’

We’ve been a little obsessed with Tumblr.com recently, cruising it for visual inspiration. So, we thought it was time we joined the club and set up our own Tumblr. Meet salonMonster.Tumblr.com where we will be posting inspirational images as we stumble across them. We’re always hunting the web for visual treats and this is a…

New salonMonster Buttons!

We have two new salonMonster button designs! If you’d like some buttons just contact us at [email protected] and we’ll gladly post some off to you. If you have a design preference or a certain amount you’re interested in, please include that in your email. Send us a photo of how you wear your salonMonster buttons…

Charcoal Hair Drawings

These inspiring large scale drawings were created by Hong Chun Zhang. Hong was born and raised in China surrounded by a very artistic family. Searching for more creative freedom, she moved to America to expand her fine arts education. Hong created these drawings using charcoal and graphite. Her work has been exhibited internationally and she is…

Finding The Perfect Stylist For Your Salon

I recently consulted with a client who needed experienced stylists for a beautiful new salon. We had a long conversation about how to word help wanted ads and what is important to stylists in a salon. I told him that any message can take on different meanings depending on how it is delivered and how things…

salonMonster Updates

Monstrous Updates Season’s Greetings from your friends at salonMonster HQ! We are pleased to announce that we’ve updated the salonMonster application with some much-needed holiday functionality. Make Some Room Want to add some extra openings to your calendar this holiday season? You can now set “Additional Openings” to allow clients to book when you…

Flying hair

Check out this stunning slow-motion video of Lilly Donaldson’s flying hair that we found over at Nowness.com. It is totally incredible to see all the movement and beauty hidden away in what is just two seconds of video stretched out to just under two minutes. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L_Y_Q9zinss For those of you who don’t know Lilly, she is…

Etsy Hair Accessories

I’m always looking to promote handmade/handcrafted items so I thought I’d share with you some of my recent hair accessory finds on etsy. It’s a great place to source out unique original pieces for your salon, clients, or yourself! The beautiful crown bobby pin pictured above is made by Alpine Gypsy located right here in Vancouver…

Business Card Eye Candy

I recently came across a fabulous collection of salon/beauty related business cards while browsing the site pinterest.com. This lead me to another great site called uk.moo.com which has a fantastic variety of business card templates that you can choose from for your salon. You can easily pick from their options or work with them to create…

salonMonster Artist in Residence!

So we are lucky to have a local Vancouver artist by the name of Michael Honeyman drawing some salonMonster comic book style artwork for us. He is available for comic based commissions and advertising. You can contact him through his website or check out his profile on deviantART. So here it is and we hope…

Qualifications and Insurance

With many States and Provinces de-regulating the salon industry, a very scary scenario is emerging. There are many “self made” stylists out there trying to find jobs, and what is more scary is the fact that many salons are hiring them – with no license and no certificate of qualification from either their association…

Stephen and Lucy Marr’s fabulous glasshouse

The Selby has been doing some incredible photo shoots with hair stylists from around the globe recently. They give such a wonderful insight into the personal lives of some of the world’s hair superstars. This week they have posted a terrific peek into the garden and glasshouse of Stephen and Lucy Marr in Auckland, New…

Daphne Guinness For MAC

London born heiress of the Guinness family, Daphne Guinness has recently collaborated with MAC Cosmetics for a fabulous collection that will hit North American shelves December 26th. This new collection features beautiful shades of pale pink and sea foam blue. Then to pump up the drama you’ll find dark deep purples and rich black lipstick.…

Wocka Wocka Nail Polish

My holiday season has become complete with the discovery of OPI’s Muppet Nail Polish Collection! Not only am I a HUGE Muppets fan (favourite show as a child), but I love the fun festive holiday colours in this collection. Featuring dark pinks, gold, silver and a wonderful range of glitters and sparkles, there’s sure to…

Hair Fashion!

Thelma Madine, the seamstress and dressmaker from the UK’s hot show My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding has created another bizarre masterpiece. This time it is made out of 250 metres of human hair and is valued at over 50, 000 pounds or a little over 78, 000 US dollars. Thelma had a team of dress…

Salon Business Check-Up

The year is almost over, so it’s time to do a salon check up and see where you are at as far as your numbers are concerned. Theoretically, we should all be checking those each month, however, the reality is that many of us get busy and put those reports aside to look at later.…

Blown away

I was totally blown away by this cool bright yellow hair dryer chandelier that I came across on ReadyMade.com. They said it was from a salon but didn’t list which one, so I started doing a bit of digging on the inter webs. I tracked it down to The Dry Bar, originally from Brentwood California,…

White Wonderland

I absolutely love the beautiful use of all the different layers of white at Kilico hair salon Tokyo, Japan. It’s so crisp and refreshing. Designed by Makoto Yamaguchi, the salon is built in the basement of a building in the very trendy Daikanyama area. Rather than tearing everything out and starting from scratch Makato chose…

Tokyo Nail Expo 2011

If you thought we were passionate about nails here, check out what goes on at the 2011 Tokyo Nail Expo happening November 20 – 21 at the Makuhari Messe. This nail expo attracts more than 50,000 people and is a serious competition as well. The winners get crowned as “Nail Queens”. With the nail…

Other Lives – Tamer Animals

My latest music obsession Other Lives have been around for a few years so I’m a bit embarrassed that it’s taken me so long to discover them. Hailing from Stillwater Oklahoma, Other Lives offer up cinematic songs backed by a five piece band of extremely talented musicians. Their latest album “Tamer Animals” is beautifully crafted…

Peacocks Made From Beauty Supplies

Check out these amazing Peacocks made by Laurel Roth using different beauty supplies like fake fingernails, barrettes, nail polish, false eyelashes, and jewelry. It shows yet again that there is no end to the original things you can do with hair and beauty accessories.

New Business Blog Series!

We are excited to announce a new blog series all about the business of salons and spas featuring Marion Shaw! For those of you who don’t know Marion, she is a salon business coach and consultant as well as the owner of Busy Bus Publications. here is a little bio all about her. After many…

Manly hair ad

A really clever video ad by Mankind Grooming out of Toronto. I wish more salons made cool ads! Click through to watch the video.

Braided Bliss

I came across the most amazing collection of creative and elaborate braids while browsing the site BuzzFeed on the weekend. This level of braiding far exceeds my abilities and since I have fairly short hair I’m left with some serious braid envy! Those of you out there with lovely long locks of hair should…

Be One With The Wild

The new “Be one with the wild” ad campaign by Ogilvy for the Atlanta-area Boy Scouts is one of the more hilarious/genius advertising concepts I’ve seen in a while. What a great way to get kids’ attention and interest using humour and an ad campaign that really makes you stop and take a second look…

Formaldehyde In Baby Products

More than two years ago health and parents organizations asked Johnson and Johnson to discontinue the use of toxic ingredients in their line of baby products particularly quaternium-15 which is a chemical preservative that kills bacteria by releasing formaldehyde. Last week the…

Classic Braun Hairdryers

I’m a huge fan of classic Braun products and in particular the work of Dieter Rams who was their chief of design from 1961 to 1995. I find his “less but better” design approach very inspiring and would recommend everyone read his Ten principles of “good” design” (Vistoe has a good summary of them here).…

Cool Hair at Louise Grey Show

Check out the whimsical avant grade hair from Louise Grays‘ Spring 2012 fashion show. Known for her edgy British design, the hair at her show matched great with her clothing.

Creative Dip Dye

In keeping with the hot hair trend towards the colour blue, I thought I’d share with you a fantastic dip dye colour job done at the Arrojo Salon in New York. Tiffany, who runs the blog sixsixsick, jumped at the chance to go in to the salon and test out their new Goldwell colouring service.…

The Story Of Cosmetics

If you haven’t seen this video before then check it out. Everyone involved in the beauty industry should be aware of the ingredients they are working with. You can find out more at www.safecosmetics.org/.

Anything can happen on Hallowe’en

Nothing gets blood boiling faster than young Tim Curry -shown here as the Grand Wizard in 1986’s made-for tv movie The Worst Witch (other than his inimitable performance as Dr. Frank-N-Furter in The Rocky Horror Picture Show of course) Happy Hallowe’en from your favourite monsters!

We have buttons!

We’re excited to announce that our first batch of salonMonster buttons has arrived from Six Cent Press. We’ve been pinning them to everything we can get our hands on here at salonMonster headquarters. We’d like to share the button love. Would you like a salonMonster button? Just send me an email at stephen (at) salonmonster.com…

A Fresh New Look

We’re excited to announce a fresh new look for the salonMonster blog. We’ve updated it to a much more aesthetic and tasty-looking format. Instead of the page being consumed by a single long article it now sports a selection of posts from the last week in a more digestible layout. We hope you like the…

Diamond Rings for your ears

Hailing from the suburbs of Toronto Canada, the Diamond Rings debut album “Special Affections” has been on my playlist non stop since I first heard it! Written, recorded and produced by John O, this pop album has deep dance beats, dark moody lyrics, and great guitar riffs. John’s amazing androgynous looks and hair coifs are…

Very Hair is Very Cool

It’s been a while since our last architect/design post, so I was delighted to come across this beautiful salon located in Japan. Designed by Maker architects, Very Hair is the stylish new salon on the block. By using untreated wood on the walls and booths, the architects have created a minimal and calm environment. Draped…

Hairdressers as Diagnosticians

Recently a study was published in the Archives of Dermatology to found out how often Cosmetologists and Barbers check their clients for cancerous moles and lesions. The study discovered that out of the 203 people who answered the survey just over half of them have had alerted clients to some form of growth on their…

Hair Hats – Animal Style

These amazing Hair Hats created by Japanese artist Nagi Noda are from a few years ago, but hats made to look like animals made from hair are just to way too cool to be left in the past. Nagi Noda was a Tokyo director of music videos and commercials. Three years have now passed since her…

Cult Gaia – Turbands and Crowns

Cult Gaia creates simply gorgeous turbands and crowns made from beautiful vintage prints and fabrics. These hair accessories will turn any bad hair day into one of your best! By using heavy duty wire in the hairbands and crowns, you can custom mold them comfortably to your head. Create a variety of different looks…

The grey Areas of Merchant Accounts

As a chair renting stylist myself I understand the many pitfalls of being a business owner. At the top of the list for me is my merchant provider. I have had several run-ins with agreements I had apparently made without ever having signed a contract. As many of you may know, within your Terms…

JD’s Hairmet

“It’s a hairmet, it has extra room so you don’t mess up your hair do.” .

Fashion Forward Nail Art

I came across these beautifully painted nails on Refinery29 and was really impressed with how modern and fresh they looked. These nail art styles would take you through the day at work right into a dinner out in the evening. The colours are hot but could always be changed out to match your wardrobe. If…

Unique, Boutique, and Totally Chic

If you’re in the Vancouver area this Saturday, October 16th, check out the Love Struck Bridal Show at The Fairmont Waterfront in their newly renovated Ballroom. The theme for this year’s event is Pure Love. The exhibition features several local businesses including hair and makeup from the Vancouver area. The event also features a Cocktail…

Festival of Colour

Thakoon’s Spring/Summer 2012 collection runway for New York Fashion Week: “Don’t get too close!” warned an animated Odile Gilbert, holding up two blue hands. Anyone who did risked inhaling a cloud of clay powder she was peppering onto models’ heads. “Thakoon wanted color in the hair,” she explained. And color he got—blue, green, lilac, terra-cotta,…

YSL 2012: Cage barrette

Backstage at Yves St-Laurent 2012 Stefano Pilati-designed gold hair cages: Slicked-back wet-look hairstyles: from vogue.com: ” If last year’s must-have accessory was the YSL cage bootie, this season’s statement piece may be the cage barrette. Palau fastened the large metal hair ornaments, made of stiff concave gold bands anchored to an oblong base, over his…

Hair Gel Madness

I’ve always loved the antics of The Flight of the Conchords. Bret and Jemaine always make me chuckle. Maybe it’s my Kiwi roots, but I find these guys hilarious. Hope you do to. They’ve had some great hair escapades over the years and this video series is no exception. First the boys get introduced…

Mourning Objects Made from Hair

I couldn’t resist posting about this although it definitely has some morbid undertones! is a designer who has worked with such creative talents as Alexander McQueen and Vivienne Westwood. She has boldly created a jewelry line made from hair and cremated ashes of dead loved ones. She calls them wearable body pieces which include human material.…

Watercolour Beauty Trends

Accessories designer and painter Marion Bolognesi continues to amaze me with her gorgeous watercolour paintings. Based out of Brooklyn New York, Marion’s illustrations have been used in movie posters, magazines, and printed clothing brands. Her recent project was a collaboration with Antoine Neufmars of Art Trend and Direction at Rouge Magazine in China to illustrate beauty trends.…

Hair and Jewellery Installation

The other day while reading Style Bubble, we came across this amazing looking presentation by Delfina Delettrez called ‘Love is in the Hair’ that we thought you all needed to see. It combines jewellery and wigs made by opera wig maestros in Rome to create the most astonishing and thought provoking pieces of art. We…

Twin Shadow’s Clean Cuts Tour

Wednesday night we were lucky enough to have the musician/band Twin Shadow stop Vancouver to play a show at the Biltmore. We’re long time Twin Shadow fans and have posted about his albums before on this blog. George Lewis Jr (aka Twin Shadow), has fantastic style, is always rocking great hair and is a really…

Contessa 23 Finalists

The lucky Contessa 23 finalists have been announced. Join in the fun October 30th at the Gala Event in Toronto and see who wins. Canadian Hairstylist Véronique Beaupré, local B, Montreal John Jen Hoe Chong, Blunt Salon Inc., Edmonton Johnny Cupello, JC Salons, Toronto Alina Sulaiman Friesen, A Michael Levine Salon Group, Vancouver Edwin Johnston,…

The War On Drugs

Based out of Philadelphia, The War On Drugs offer up a momentous rock album full of surprises with their latest release “Slave Ambient”. This album will help get you and your clients pumped up in the salon. Lead vocalist Adam Granduciel combines a little bit of Springsteen and a little bit of Dylan with some…

Fantastic Salon Flickr Page

One of the best Flickr pages we have come across of late here at salonMonster is created by a Portuguese salon called WIP Hairport. They have some of the coolest haircuts we have seen in a long time not to mention that it is such a simple concept for a page that anyone with the…

TSA Hair Pat-downs

I’m about a month late on this one, but the New York Times has an interesting article about TSA hair pat downs in US airports. It sounds like there have been a couple of instances recently where TSA agents have singled out travellers with naturally large hair for special hair pat-downs even though they did…

Pump Up Your Retail

There are several things you can do when setting up the retail space in your salon to help entice clients to purchase more of your lovely hair products. Paco Underhill, owner of research and consulting firms and author of “Why We Buy“, has some great tips in his book on how you can increase your retail…

World’s Largest Afro

Aevin Dugas of New Orleans is the proud owner of the world’s largest natural afro. Her gorgeous coif has a circumference of over four feet! Although she wouldn’t change a thing about her hair, it can sometimes be a challenge fitting her afro through some tights spaces! Check out the video below for more on…

Top 10 Worst Dressed Cities

According to a study conducted by GQ magazine and MSN Travel, Vancouver, the city where salonMonster HQ is has been voted 3rd worst city in the world. Why is this? MSN Travel had this to say: “There is one reason, and one reason only, why we’ve decided to include Vancouver on this list of…

Monday mornings with Marion

Every Monday morning when I check my email there’s an email from Marion Shaw, the owner of Busy Bus Publications. I always look forward to seeing what business tip she has for me this week. They’re such a positive way to start the week and give me something that I can take action on starting…

Straight off the Runway

Refinery29 compiled some cool hair trends from the madness that is New York Fashion Week. The looks are straight off the runway and cover a variety of techniques and styles. The front gold tinted colour makes a bold statement in the Peter Som show. I really love the corn rolls that United Bamboo used on the models in…

Graham Clark and his Beard Paintings

Graham Clark has taken a very unique approach to painting – he paints pictures with his own beard, yes you read that correctly, he uses his beard as the paintbrush for his creative art. What started as a joke between friends, turned into a foray into art for Graham. He uses the sale of his…

Privé

Montreal based online retailer Privé has us excited for fall fashion. It’s not only the deeply discounted designer threads, but their pared down selections from only three or four designers at a time that wins our vote. Join up and for each friend that becomes a member and places an order with prive.com, you will…

Patti Smith: Outside Society

Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame inductee Patti Smith raises the curtain on OUTSIDE SOCIETY, a new collection of her signature songs on the Arista and Columbia labels. The landmark 18-song release marks the first single-CD collection to span Patti’s entire body of recorded work. The chronologically arranged tracks move from 1975 (her debut album,…

24 hour hair

I came across an article in Look Magazine recently about the first salon in the UK to open 24 hours. One of London’s top salons, Neil Cornelius’ 1st Floor Salon, started opening for 24hrs every Thursday after popular demand for after-hours appointments. I can really see the draw of this in larger cities where there is…

Here’s to the Hair Bands of the 80’s!

It seems crazy that a whole genre of music can be defined by hair but that pretty much sums up the hair/glam metal bands of the 80’s for me. Big, hair sprayed, backcombed, permed coifs atop spandex wearing men – and I loved them! The preteen walls in my bedroom were covered with posters of…

The Moustache Grower’s Guide

If you’ve been looking for some new creative ways to style your clients staches, look no further than this fantastic new book. The Moustache Grower’s Guide by Lucien Edwards is 144 pages of moustache madness! This illustrated guide covers everything from the history of different moustaches, how to maintain 30 magnificent stache styles and what you need…

Back to school envy

There’s something about Tavi Gevinson’s new online mag Rookie that makes us long for that first day of school. While we are definitely not her target audience, something says we’ll be glued to articles from the likes of Lesley Arfin, Cindy Gallop (from ifwerantheworld.com) and Tavi herself. Long-time followers of Tavi’s will be familiar with…

Nailphilia

Perusing the blogosphere this morning we came across London’s first ever nail art exhibit. Put together by DegreeArt.com and some of the best nail technician out there, Nailphilia as they are calling it looks to be one of the more interesting and bizarre art exhibits we have seen of late. Nailphilia will feature several artists…

John Maus’ Beautiful Darkness

For those times when you’re wanting to wallow a bit in melancholy but still yearn for some modern beats, this is the album for you. Although a recent discovery of mine, John Maus has taken the top spot on my playlist these days. His third full length album “We Must Become The Pitiless Censors…

We Must Increase Our Bust

When I’m getting my hair coloured, one of my favourite things to do is flip through piles of magazines, I love it! Thankfully my stylist has a fantastic collection of reading material to keep my busy. What a bummer it would be to sit down at a salon and be given a pile of outdated,…

American Salon Declares Their Choice Products

The results of the 2011 American Salon Professional’s Choice Awards are in! It is an . This is voted on by American Salon Magazine reader’s and these are the winner’s from each category. Tell us what you think about the choices in the comments. Anything you think they left out? Shampoo: Redken Color Extend Shampoo The…

Inside Katsuya Kamo’s house on The Selby is in your place

We profiled the work of the incredible Katsuya Kamo a little while back on salonMonster. His incredible styles just make our jaw drop, they are truly inspiring works. So, we were beyond excited when The Selby is in your place posted photos from their visit to his home in Tokyo. I’ve always been a fan…

Can hairstylists help identify older clients who need health services.

We came across this interesting article on Science Daily the other day. Published by Ohio State University, it discusses the unique position that hairstylists have with older clients and whether they can help identify clients who might benefit from health services. Because stylists are some of the few people that have the opportunity to see…

Peak inside the world of Carmindy

Carmindy, our favourite makeup artist from What Not To Wear, has a real knack for making women feel beautiful and confident after they leave her makeup chair. I recently discovered that she has her own beauty blog over at Daily Makeover where she shares some of her industry secrets on how to achieve today’s hottest…

More Hair Art

So here is yet again even more bizarre and wonderful hair art. This time it’s by Augustina Woodgate, an artist from Buenos Aires but working out of Miami. She spent four years collecting hair by setting up a mobile hairdressing station in numerous cities. Then she began creating all sorts of amazing things with it.…

Hair Art

So here is the latest bit of hair art that we think needs to be shared. This is all art created by Gregory Euclide who uses many different materials to create is installations. In the one above he uses acrylic, baby’s breath, eurocast, fern, hair, hosta, moss, paper, sedum, sagebrush and wood. I won’t talk to…

Amazing African Salon Signs

I’m just blown away by the style of these wonderful hand-painted West African salon signs. I came across them on Boing Boing and found them so refreshing and inspiring in our world of computers and digital imagery. They come from the French speaking Republic of Benin in West Africa. There is a great looking book called Ici…

Where No Hair Has Been Before

Since I’m a secret Star Trek fan, I thought I’d share some of the more outrageous Star Trek hair styles that have caught my eyes over the years. I always get a kick out of the flamboyant “futuristic” hair interpretations of the women of Star Trek, my favourite is the basket weave! And who could…

La Source Spa – Environmentally Minded

Created by Blouin Tardif Architecture, this massage therapy pavilion at La Source Spa is a fantastic example of how luxurious can still be environmentally sensitive. Located just outside Montreal in Rawdon, this spa uses geothermal heating to heat the interior concrete floors as well as the thermal pools outside. The main building has been built…

2011 British Hairdressing Awards Finalists Announced!

British Hairdressing Awards 2011 Finalists Announced Who will be The One? Hairdressers Journal International is delighted to announce the finalists for the nine regional and six specialist categories for the British Hairdressing Awards 2011. The British Hairdressing Awards, launched in 1984 by Hairdressers Journal International and sponsored by Schwarzkopf Professional, have celebrated and rewarded the…

DIY planter to spruce up your space

If you have any outdoor space at your salon or spa, wouldn’t a planter like this add some fun to your decor! This would work at your salons front entrance, in your parking lot, on a patio or even a courtyard. The best part is that you get to make it yourself. Kate from Centsational…

Bjork Realeases First iPad App Album

Bjork, the always intersting and experimental singer from Iceland has released what would seem to be the world’s first album that is an iPad app. The app album is called Biophilia and only has a couple songs available as of right now including the single Crystalline but will be releasing at least two songs a…

A peek inside the house of Frank Valvo from Fur Hairdressing

We love the Website The Selby is in Your Place and the beautiful homes that they show. It is always so interesting to get to take a peek into the homes of some of the worlds most creative people and the environment they like to surround themselves with. We were especially excited this week when they posted…

Greenworks Moving Hedge

When I came across this product I thought it would make a great “green” divider between stylists stations. Created by Greenworks out of Sweden, the Moving Hedge is a double sided plant wall on wheels with an automatic watering system and pockets for plants. One of the benefits of using these as station dividers is…

Aesop in Grand Central Station

Australian skincare brand Aesop launched a kiosk in Grand Central station in New York made from over 1000 old copies of New York Times newspapers. The kiosk was created by stacking, tearing, and binding the papers in a wooden frame that was then topped with sheets of powder-coated aluminum which the products sit on. Aesop,…

Our thoughts are with you, London.

As the UK digs in and prepares to batten down the hatches for another night of widespread violence, it lifts hope to see so many Londoners on the streets this morning raising their brooms in unison and cleaning up their city. “Riots are about power, and they are about catharsis. They are not about poor…

Alexander McQueen Extravaganza!

Yesterday at the Met in New York what looked as though it must have been the coolest show of all time ended. It was the Alexander McQueen Savage Beauty exhibition. It celebrated and catologued McQueens incredible life as a designer. The exhibit was put on by The Costume Institute and the bulk of the clothes come from…

2011 North American Hair Styling Awards (NAHA)

The North American Hair Styling Awards (NAHA) went down on July 31st at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas as part of the PBA Beauty week. We couldn’t make it down there this year, but we’re always excited to see the truly inspiring work that is being recognized. Congratulations to Dimitrios Tsioumas who came away with…

Nancy Boy – The Real Deal

One of my favourite discoveries while visiting San Francisco years ago was Nancy Boy, found in the Hayes Valley neighbourhood. Nancy Boy is a fantastic store that creates their own line of body products without any of the bull. Their no nonsense approach is refreshing and their products are mighty fine. They don’t use advertising…

Paper Eyelashes

Inspired by the art of Chinese paper cutting, these lashes by Paperself definitely make a statement. The paper eyelashes come in a variety of styles (butterfly, peacock, deer) and can be reused over and over again. They attach using regular eyelash glue. If you’re interested in trying out these mini works of paper art, check…

More Surface Collective!

When I was looking at the Surface Collectives site before my last post I managed to miss the fact that they have already decked out several salons in Vancouver where salonMonster is based out of. So I felt it would be a pity not to show a few of those salons and their use of…

Wall Tattoos

Have you always wanted to have some cool art in your salon but no idea how to find something cheap enough? Well wall stickers or tattoos are an affordable and creative way to liven up any space. Surface Collective is one of our favourite makers of wall tattoos here at salonMonster. They make a whole…

His and Her’s Bow Ties!

So we recently discovered this amazing line of bow ties made by a company called Forage. They make limited runs of spectacular bow ties for both men and women. Forage is made up of two artists, Stephen Loidolt and Shauna Alterio who met in school in Kansas City and now work together in Philadelphia. Check…

Julia Rothman – Pretty Patterns for Your Salon

Looking for something fresh, unique and brilliant to brighten up your salon image? If so, you should definitely check out Julia Rothman and her fantastic designs. Based out of her studio in Brooklyn, we’ve been a huge fan of Julia and her patterns for years. These innovative designs can be transformed into many custom applications for…

Haircut Icon

I stumbled across this great haircut icon and beauty salon icon the other day and thought I’d share them with you guys. I figured if they was useful for me it might be useful for others. Haircut, designed by Roger Cook and Don Shanosky in 1974. Public domain. Beauty Salon, designed by Roger Cook and…

Beautiful New Album by Bon Iver

Hailing from Wisconsin, Bon Iver is back with a self titled album that will make you swoon. Contrary to his beautiful “For Emma, Forever Ago” album, this new release is full of positivity and upbeat instrumentation. Songs have grand instrumental openings and Justin Vernons rustic angelic voice is breathtaking as usual. One of my favourite albums…

Hollow Ground Barber Shop

We’re digging the new Hollow Ground on Bloor Street West in Toronto. Beejay Diona, Dru Barrow and Pernell Patara have done a beautiful job of putting together this shop. It has great black and white floors, beautiful brickwork and nice classic chairs and sinks. We spotted it over at BarberStyle.com. They also have a good…

Celebrate Knoll Textiles with Cato Pink Polish

Knoll Textiles isn’t a company you’d ordinarily associate with nail polish but it’s time to rethink that! Knoll is celebrating their iconic “Cato” textiles’ 50th birthday by adding it to their archives and to help celebrate they’ve created a new Cato Hot Pink nail polish for all you design and textile junkies out there. This…

Who Needs A Haircut?

This is a great game from Toca Boca to get kids interested and excited about getting their hair cut! Choosing from four characters, you can then cut, comb, shave, colour, and blow dry their hair and then take snapshots to save your favourite styles. Toca Boca, the Swedish company who made this great app, is…

Hair Hat

I came across this video on Boing Boing (via Dangerous Minds) and I don’t really know what to say about it other than WOW! I have seen many different hair styles in my nearly fifteen years as a hairdresser but this is definitely one of the most original I have ever come across. Watch the…

Stylish Voyeurs

If you are like us here at salonMonster and have always wanted the opportunity to peer into the homes of some of the cooler people you know or have seen walking down the street, then your in luck! Elisa Goodkind and Lily Mandelbaum created just the thing to satisfy your voyeuristic needs, it’s called…

Amazing Hair and Hat Etchings by Albin Brunovsky

I was browsing Evo’s blog the other day and came across a great set of images by the Czechoslovakian artist Albin Brunovsky. I’d never seen his work before but was immediately taken by his intricate etchings. His fantastical hair and hat illustrations are so powerful and somewhat distressing. Brunovsky is apparently considered the greatest Slovakian…

Washed Out – Within and Without

Sit back and chill out to the great new album by Atlanta Georgia band Washed Out. Fronted by Ernest Greene, this is the bands first full length album and it doesn’t disappoint. This new album keeps things low-fi and dreamy and would be a great addition to your salon playlist. The band will begin its US…

Mirror Mirror on the wall

Looking for a great mirror for your salon station? Here are some unique styles that we like that range from affordable Ikea options to budget busting stainless steel creations. 1. Elise Floor Mirror from Pottery Barn, Venetian design with beveled glass, $450.00 2. Hemnes Mirror from Ikea, full length black/brown colour, $90.00 3. Levico Mirror from Restoration…

Pop Up Cinemas

Now that summer is in full swing we thought we would take a quick minute to mention that you should all get out and enjoy some of the great organized outdoor activities like movies! It seems that almost everywhere nowadays you can find fantastic community run movies in parks, parking lots and even on…

How many times?

Being an avid (daily, for years) reader of street fashion blogs like Hel-looks, facehunter, Jak + Jill and our oft mentioned favourite team of Scott and Garance, has turned us into real street-peepers (usually from behind v. dark sunglasses!)Our own city is small and Vancouver neighbourhoods can have an unsurprising amount of homogeneity. Yoga wear…

Using the iPad to improve stylist-client communcation

The New York Times posted a great article about the growing use of the iPad as a customer tool in salons. We liked the way it focuses on how the iPad can be used to improve stylist-client communication. Some of the great uses for the iPad they discuss are: – As a customizable “style-book”. By…

Tiny Japanese Hair Studio

Minimalist hair salon in Nagoya, Japan packs a lot of punch into a tiny space. This gorgeous 41 square metre space is squeezed amongst a busy residential neighbourhood. Large skylights combined with white walls and tile have created a tranquil and inspirational place to come work. The design for this unique salon was handled by Studio…

Love Your Hair

This fantastic video clip from Sesame Street has a great message for not only kids but anyone who struggles with their self image from time to time. So the next time you’re having a bad hair day just give this video a watch and it will put a smile on your face. And remember to…

Monstrous Rewards

We’re excited to announce that you can now earn a gift for introducing people to salonMonster. How does this new Rewards Program work? Glad you asked. It’s so easy. Just refer a person or business to one of salonMonster’s paid* plans and we’ll give you a gift card equal to the value of…

salonMonster Tips: Names and Numbers.

After having several conversations with my co-worker’s at the salon I work at about how to take advantage of all the features of salonMonster I thought perhaps a series of posts on my thoughts on this would be helpful to everyone using it. This week I want to talk about a couple of…

Paul Mitchell’s John Paul DeJoria: From Homeless to Billionaire

I came across an interesting Executive Street article this week about John Paul DeJoria one of the co-founders and CEO of John Paul Mitchell Systems. I never realized quite what a rags to riches story he had and thought it was such a great inspiration and a great example of how you don’t need a…

Hair Raising Art Installation

This very unique art installation done by Judith Fegerl from Austria takes static electricity to an all new level. Made of real human hair embedded in a ball, when charged with electricity the hair raises up and appears to come alive. One part science experiment, one part creepy and just plain cool.

Wooden Comb Bike Rack

I came across this amazing 400 pound wooden bike rack while browsing the blog at The Fox is Black. This piece was made by a co-op fabrication shop in Los Angeles called the Knowhow Shop and then shipped to its destination in Virginia. The bike rack was lovingly handcrafted out of Mangaris and the hair in the…

Turn up the heat

Perhaps it’s one too many cool “summer” days, but this evening we’re taking a cinematic escape to heatwave stricken 1950’s New York in Hitchcock’s Rear Window while the rain falls outside in present-day Vancouver Call Grace Kelly’s style inimitable, but set hair can be your friend if you happen to…

Hair Glasses

These amazing glasses are made by Studio Swine which is a design studio comprised of Alexander Groves and Azusa Murakami who both met at the Royal College of Arts. This is the press release from their website: “Studio Swine presents ‘Hair Glasses’ – a collection of sustainable fashion eyewear exploring the potential of Human hair. The…

Baxter Finley, Barber & Shop

We’re absolutely loving the design of Baxter Finley, Barber & Shop of Los Angeles California. Created by Baxter of California, they’ve done an incredible job of creating a modern take on the traditional barber shop. I just love the white brick walls, the reclaimed douglas fir flooring and the exposed beam ceilings. They have sourced…

Julien d’Y Art Exhibition

I wish I was in Paris right now to see the opening day of hair stylist Julien d’Ys art exhibition. It will be showing at the Comme des Garcons store in Paris from June 23rd – July 13th. Julien will be showcasing his paintings as well as his other multi platform artwork including the gold…

Amazing Abstract Tattoos

Amanda Wachob has to be one of the most talented artists I’ve come across in a long time. Her tattoo work is so impressive, it looks more like fine art. Her tattoos look so much like paintings, the brush stroke details are blowing my mind! Amanda is a trained artist who has had her work…

Is It Organic?

Recently the Center for Environmental Health (CEH) filed a class action lawsuit in California against 26 cosmetics companies that they say have made “dozens of products that are labeled on the front as “organic” yet contain few or, in some cases, no organic ingredients, based on the ingredient lists on the items. Items included products…

Jazz Party!

The 6th bi-annual Jazz Age Lawn Party is once again set to take place on Governor’s Island in New York this weekend and I for one am jealous of those who get to attend. It has been a long time goal to make it to New York especially for this party. This is quite…

Scissor Rolex by Dr Romanelli for Bamford Watch Department.

If you’ve got a bit of change to spare and would like a unique way to show off your profession then check out this amazing customized Rolex by Dr Romanelli for Bamford Watch Department. They’ve taken a classsic Rolex Milgauss and updated it with scissors for hands a great lightning bolt second hand. So simple,…

Vintage inspiration at Lulu’s by Travis Parker

Lulu’s Beauty Salon is a well known nail boutique located in San Diego California and is part of Travis Parkers beauty empire. What I was really impressed with was the design aesthetic of their Website. I love their use of vintage imagery and find it’s a perfect match for the services they offer.

Junior Boys – It’s All True

The Junior Boys are back with their awesome beats. The Canadian band’s latest album “It’s All True” is full of great tracks for your salon. Stylists will be grooving along to these great songs and clients will be leaving your salon feeling upbeat and happy. Check out their new song below: [soundcloud url=”http://soundcloud.com/dominorecordco/junior-boys-banana-ripple”]

Vidal Sassoon Battling Cancer

A few months back we wrote about our excitement over the soon to be released Vidal Sassoon documentary. Now we have some less exciting news about the legendary creator of the “bob”. It would seem that for the last couple of years he has been battling leukemia, a form of blood cancer. Word is that…

Customer interaction lessons from the Apple store

I stopped by the local Apple store recently to pick up a new laptop and was blown away by the way they manage client handoffs between their customer service representatives. It reminded me how poorly this is handled at so many salons and made me think we could learn some lessons from them. Whenever it…

Protect your hair from the sun

With all the effort we put into our luscious locks, we need to remember to protect it from sun damage. Prolonged exposure to the sun can cause your hair colour to fade, cause dry brittle hair, split ends and frizz. Here are some quick and simple tips to protect your hair when you’re out playing…

Summer Style

With the warm weather finally appearing, it’s time to start thinking about summer hair! Here are some great styles to help your clients cool down while still looking hot. Scarves, braids and ponytails all help by pulling the hair off your clients face and neck on those hot summer days. These are also styles you…

Captains of Industry

One of our favorite businesses of late here at salonMonster is a shop based out of Melbourne, Australia called Captains of Industry, Gentleman’s Outfitter and Cafe. According to their Website, this super cool shop offers “Breakfast, Lunch, Snacks, Beverages and Comestibles, Bespoke Footwear and Leather Accessories, Traditional Haircuts, Made to Measure Menswear & Mens…

The Cloud

This afternoon we watched Apple’s Keynote Address at the WWDC 2011 like the nerds that we are! It was culty as always but still quite exciting. The most exciting part of all was the announcement of iCloud, Apple’s answer to Cloud computing. It’s not the features of iCloud that excite us but rather the…

Hockey pride through a manicure

What a great way for nail salons and their clients to show their hockey pride! Being able to design custom nail treatments for the Canucks fans here in Vancouver has been a very smart business move for GlamStar Beauty and Nails. This concept could work for many different events in any city –…

Newsprint Nails

Looking to make a statement with your nails? This newsprint manicure may be the answer! Originally found on Passion Nail Arts site in French, this is a cool manicure you can give yourself as well as customize any way you’d like. For the english instructions on how to do this, go to If It’s Hip…

KennaLand – Amazing Salon Interior and Genius Session Stylist

So one of the coolest looking salons we have noticed recently is called KennaLand, and it is run by one of the more talented session stylist we have been watching over the last few years also named Kenna. We just can’t get enough of this perfectly put together salon space with all the retro…

Not “Just a Stylist”

I recently saw Tabatha Coffey talk at the ABA conference in Vancouver and found her talk to be very inspiring. One of my favourite comments of hers was that we have to stop saying that we are “just a stylist”. As hair stylists we seem to have some sort of inferiority complex. We are so…

Salon Carts – So many choices

Since there are many styles of salon and colour carts out there to choose from, I thought I’d share with you some of the carts that have caught my eye lately. A few of my favourites are really expensive but their designs are modern and unique and one can always dream! 1. Aluminum cart from…

Suite Salon in Fukuoka City, Japan

This wonderfully tiled salon is located in Fukuoka City, Japan and was designed by Koicki Futatsumata of the Case Real design group. They redesigned an old office building turning the first three floors into the Suite Salon, with the top floor being residential. The challenge for the designers was how to incorporate the existing exterior white…

salonMonster gets an upgrade

We’re excited to announce our latest upgrades to salonMonster. As of today your salonMonster account will include these nifty new features: – Support for book-backs / split appointments. This includes a switch to duration from start and end times (meaning choosing the length of an appointment instead of selecting a start time and end time…

Session Stylist Katsuya Kamo

Here at salonMonster HQ One of our favourite session stylists in the hair and make-up industry has to be Katsuyo Kamo. With nearly 20 years experience Katsuyo has created some of the more gravity defying looks for more magazines than we can count including Harper’s Bazaar, Dazed and Confused and Vogue Japan! Check out these photos that…

The Sea and Cake

The Sea and Cake are a prolific band that make music perfect to chill out to. They’ve just released a new album entitled “The Moonlight Butterfly” and it doesn’t disappoint! Although only 6 songs long, this album is filled with laid back beats that work great as a backdrop to any salon chatter. And to…

Reuse your old Barbicide jars

If your salon has old Barbicide jars taking up room in their broom closet, why not reuse them? We have a few kicking around the house that I get out all the time. Since I love the idea of repurposing objects, I thought I’d share a few of our uses for this nostalgic Barbicide jar.…

Moroccan Oil

Recently there has been a renewed interest in the use of oils as hair products. Everything from Olive oil to Jojoba oil to Neem oil are being used by stylists and consumers alike. However, the most popular by far has to be Argan oil. Argan oil is extracted from the kernels of the Argan tree…

Creative Salon Aprons

Looking to spice up your salon apron with some colour and expression? Check out these creative patterned aprons found on etsy. Christie Thomas from Mississippi makes laminated/waterproof aprons that are easy to clean, have useable pockets and would work great for stylists. Check out more apron designs at her etsy shop Christies. Another etsy shop…

What the Hella? – Sustainable Hair Removal Product

NYC design firm The Way We See The World developed an effective and sustainable home-epilation system made out of chicle. This natural product can be found in the Yucatan Penninsula and comes from a tropical evergreen tree native to the area. One of the main goals for this product is to provide jobs in the…

Will Ferrell vs Conan O’Brien’s Beard!

Last week Will Ferrell made a guest appearance on Conan in which he followed through on his promise to shave Conan O’Brien’s beard which he has been referring to as a “huge mistake”. It is one of the funniest Hair removal sequences I have ever seen on late night television second only to Tom Selleck…

Hairbrained

A few months ago we wrote about Hairbrained, the social networking site for hairdressers and a couple weeks ago we made mention of it in our post about Arrojo Education. Well it turns out we made a small error about who the creator of Hairbrained is. We had said that is was Nick Arrojo…

Hair Blogs We Like: Part 1

There are a lot of great blogs and sites out there covering the hair and beauty industry. We thought we’d round up some of our favourites to share with you. These sites offer a unique view of the industry, highlight up and coming beauty trends around the world, and are a great source of inspiration.…

20 Questions: Lauren Baril

I am a stylist with 10 years of (professional) experience. I have opened a salon in my home after having 2 kids. My salon is cozy, artsy and modern, and my clientele is rapidly growing. What is the name of your salon? Voodoo Hair Studio Best food joint near your salon? My kitchen Wedding hair,…

Attention, We Have a Beastie Boys sighting!

How excited were we today when we went to Pitchforks Website and discovered that there is a new Beastie Boys album. Now we know this news is not hair related but there was no way we were going to keep such monumental news to ourselves. There are very few bands that have been such a…

Great British Hairdresser

I was checking out Glamour magazines YouTube channel recently and came across a trailer for a hair reality competition on the UK’s Channel 4 called Great British Hairdresser. Now we have had a couple of Canadian and American hair reality TV shows one or two of which have been quite entertaining but none of them…

Awards: 2011 NAHA Finalists

Behind the Chair and Modern Salon have posted the finalists for the Professional Beauty Associations 2011 North American Hairstyling Awards (NAHA). It’s wonderful to see some of the great work that is being done in the salon community and I’m always excited to learn about new salons and artists. So inspiring! The list of finalists…

Superb scissor pattern rug and chair

We are totally loving this wonderful scissor pattern by Dutch designer Kiki Van Eijk for the Italian furniture company Skitsch. They’ve done a great punchy wool rug in purple and violet that would look incredible in a salon foyer: And for those who want a slightly more neutral look they also make it in grey:…

20 Questions – Jill Karpinski

I have been styling hair for 10 years and I run my own home based hair salon. I love giving people the opportunity to have a full salon experience in a more intimate one on one environment. I plan on continuing my education in the next few months through the Vidal Sassoon Academy. I am…

Online Education

As more and more salons continue to harness the power of the Internet to promote their business’, schedule appointments and even announce upcoming events via Facebook and Twitter, it seems only fitting that education become available online as well. This idea is definitely not brand new to the beauty industry but the remarkable improvements in…

Spring Colors!

At last it is starting to feel like spring now that all the new lines of nail colors are starting to arrive. We were cruising through all of the fashion blogs that we read here at salonMonster and saw this great photo on Garance Dore’s site which got us all excited! Click on the image…

The Tallest Man on Earth

For those times in the salon when you’re feeling a bit contemplative and mellow (like Tuesday mornings), put on The Tallest Man On Earth. Originally hailing from Sweden, this crooner has one of the most amazing voices I’ve ever heard. So far he’s put out two albums, both of them are fantastic. Beautiful guitar work,…

Friday Inspiration

For Friday we’ve got a couple of great trailers for some inspiring fashion movies. First up it’s Bill Cunningham New York by Richard Press. It’s an incredible look into the world of the man many credit as the pioneer of street style photography. (7.4 IMDB) Bill Cunningham New York Trailer from Gavin McWait on Vimeo.…

20 Questions: Charlene from Luxe Hair Salon

Charlene Wilson is a co owner of the lovely Luxe Hair Salon located in Victoria BC. This talented lady lives in the city with her husband and two cats. Charlene is a sought after stylist , a wizard with colour, and keeps her skills fresh and up to date by continuing her hair education through…

Innovative Free Standing Hair Stations

Located in Japan, Luce Hair is a bright inviting salon with great free standing wooden hair stations. These wooden structures divide the salon into smaller spaces for each stylist. Some are inset with mirrors and some remain empty, framing the entire space. Designed by Three.Ball.Cascade, they’ve transformed a rather large floor plan into smaller intimate…

Hair Art

Check out these unusual and intricate pieces of art. They are created by a woman named Liyen Chong who lives and works in Auckland, New Zealand. All the works of art you see here are made using human hair embroidered onto cotton. I was blown away by the detailing she is capable of and by…

Brazilian Hair Smoothing Treatment Have Advisories Issued Again in Both Canada and the U.S.

Last week both the US Department of Labor and Health Canada issued new warnings regarding the formaldehyde levels in Brazilian Hair Smoothing systems. This is added to the already negative view of the Brazilian-style products in both countries and abroad. In Canada the Health department has added eleven more products to their…

Book: Waiting for the busy bus

I’d highly recommend Waiting for the Busy Bus by Marion Shaw. The book is a collection of lessons learned over years of consulting in the salon industry. Marion does a great job of taking you through the simple changes you can implement into your salon to help you make money and keep your clients happy.…

Be Something New – Bridal Hair Accessories

If you have any bridal clients looking for something unique for their wedding hair, look no further. Be Something New, designed by Jill Prettyman, creates beautiful handmade headbands, veils and combs for all special occasions. Themes run from classic and vintage to unique modern creations. She uses a variety of fabrics, lace, and ribbon and…

Bringing The Outside In

Garden by Be Area in Saitama Japan has brought a breath of fresh air into their unique salon. Designed by Kazutoyo Yamamoto of Dessence architects, this refreshing space has installed real suspended vines to act as dividers between stylists work stations. Who wouldn’t enjoy a shampoo looking up at this gorgeous growing vine ceiling. It’s…

Setting hair in the 1950s

While searching for interesting hair advertisements I came across this amazing YouTube video of a commercial from the 1950s. In it they advertise Richard Hudnut’s Pin Quick with Silicone, a product for setting your hair in pin curls that is weatherproof and apparently lasts forever! They even say in the add that “weather can’t…

Tabatha at the Vancouver ABA!

So this weekend is the annual Allied Beauty Association hair show in Vancouver B.C. This year they have a very exciting special guest speaker, Tabatha Coffey. Tabatha is most well known for being a contestant on the Bravo TV hair reality show Shear Genius and her subsequent role as the host of Tabatha’s…

Accessories: Eyes on the back of your head

Have you ever wanted eyes on the back of your head? Now you can with this brilliant and kind of creepy hair clip by Humans Since 1982. Called “Hair Clip on Hair”, the piece is made from a photograph of a woman’s eyes on a metal hair clip. I’m amazed that I haven’t seen…

New Room Salon in Braga Portugal

Fresh, sleek, contemporary – this Portuguese salon makes quite the statement. Pedro Remy’s New Room salon is a stunning example of minimalist design. Nuno Capa architects have created a modern space for Pedro with their use of exposed concrete features, corrugated metal, and a lot of crisp white details . Double height translucent curtains run…

The Architecture of Beauty

Salons and Spas: The Architecture of Beauty by Julie Sinclair Eakin is a great hardcover book bursting with ideas and inspiration for your space. It showcases innovative salons and spas from around the world (London, Tokyo, New York etc.) created by some of the worlds hottest designers and architects complete with floor plans, blueprints, interviews…

Spring has sprung a new Cut Copy album

Just in time to chase away the rain of spring is the latest Cut Copy album from the boys down in Melbourne Australia. Their new album Zonoscope is great to play in the salon. It’s danceable, refreshing, and puts a smile on your face. Wonderful music to have on while you’re working and to inspire you.…

Evo Hair Products Keeping It Real

Evo, from Australia, has a refreshing approach to their hair products. Their marketing campaign, created by Mash, plays up the unrealistic claims some hair companies make about their products. Mash also created amazing product packaging for Evo’s sales reps. They used vintage cases and screenprinted on the Evo design and pimped out the inside of…

Robert Jaso Knows Hair

If these photos don’t inspire you, I’m not sure what could! Robert Jaso is a model turned photographer who knows how to capture avant garde hair styles in his highly sought after fashion photos. Robert has worked with clients such as Wella, Schwarzkopf, and L’oreal just to name a few. He’s able to capture the…

Esra Roise Illustrations- Great Hair

Once again I’ve stumbled across an artist that manages to capture the beauty and texture of hair in pencil illustrations. Esra Roise resides in Oslo Norway and draws these fantastic fashion/hair pictures that would look AMAZING in any salon. Her work expresses the movement of hair and how it appears as we participate in real…

Behind the Chair’s 2011 stylist’s choice award winners announced

Behind the Chair announce the 2011 stylist’s choice award winners at the American Beauty Show the other night. Here’s the winners, what do you think? Favorite Shampoo/Conditioner Duo Pureology Hydrate Favorite Permanent Wave ISO Options Favorite Straightening System Keratin Complex Smoothing System by Coppola Favorite Demi-Permanent Color Line Redken Shades EQ Favorite Professional Makeup Line…

Eco friendly stylist station in Kansas

What a great idea. These stylist stations at Skyline Salon in Kansas City are made from reclaimed wood and look fantastic. The fact that some of the stations are on wheels is super convenient too, you’re not stuck with a specific floorplan if you ever want to change things up. Hopefully we’ll be seeing an…

Sassoon House

Now this is a house I wish I lived in! Check out these photos of the amazing classic Singleton house designed by Richard Neutra in 1959. It is now home to the ever stylish Vidal Sassoon, his wife Ronnie and their two Shih Tzus. It hasn’t been an easy road though as the house was…

Kogi Naturals

A few years ago a started suffering from dandruff, so I started using various chemical based dandruff control shampoos. They helped a bit, but never really completely eliminated the problem. Then my wife suggested that maybe it was all the chemicals they put in many shampoos these days that are causing my problem. I first tried a popular…

Hair Illustrations

In keeping with my current fascination with hair illustrations, check out Maria Gil Ulldemolins fantastic drawings. She lives in Madrid and has done some wonderful detailed illustrations of hair styles. I love the texture she’s been able to convey in these up do’s and that the drawings are done in black and white. For more…

Fantastic window graphics for salon in Denmark

I was immediately drawn to these whimsical window graphics designed by Museum Studio and Paper for the Kaiserschnitt Hair Salon in Denmark. What a refreshing departure from those 80’s stock decals that you see plastered on the windows of so many salons. With all the creative options available today, it’s a shame more people don’t…

Creative Ad for Koleston Hair Colour Product

I came across this billboard advertisement and was quite impressed with how creatively it expressed the product. Koleston is a hair colour product and this ad shows the models hair change colour as the sky and time of day changes. A simple yet very effective result.

Vasken Demirjian’s Modern Salon

I’m a big fan of modern clean lines so I was thrilled to come across this salon design done by MSK Design Group for Vasken Demirjian’s Westchester New York salon. This salon specializes in colour services so the crisp white decor lends a fantastic backdrop for all those hair colours! I love the way they…

Vintage Inspired Wedding Hair Accessories

Needing some hair inspiration for the upcoming wedding season, why not indulge in some vintage hair styles and accessories for your brides to be. Classic hair pieces will make any bride glow and look super hot in photos. When working with your bride and bridal parties, remember to check out etsy.com for some fabulous unique…

Black Beauty

I’m loving the beautiful black aesthetic of Gum Salon located in Milan’s stylish Ticanese area. They’ve used quite a few traditional elements but have created a really modern feel through the monochromatic colour scheme. The black tile, painted brick and Hollywood dressing room style lighting are all very simple but come together beautifully. Their logo…

Western Revolver Hair Dryer

This would definitely be a conversation piece! It’s the first western revolver hair dryer I have ever seen. I can’t confirm how well it works, but it certainly looks awesome and could add some attitude to your salon! Seems like this dryer in only available in Asia right now, here’s hoping it makes its’ way…

Garance Doré

So we told you about Scott Schuman The Sartorialist. Now it’s time to introduce you to his better half Garance Doré. Garance is an illustrator and fashion blogger with an enormous following. She receives close to 50 000 hits per day on her blog and when I checked it just a short while before writing…

Caleas Cases for your cutting tools

If you’re looking for a fabulously stylish way to carry and store all your cutting tools, look no further. Austrian company Caleas Cases has created the ultimate leather holster. These handmade cases come equipped with padded interior pockets for scissors, razors and combs, and an adjustable band for keeping them all conveniently within reach at…

New staff selector makes it easy to change calendar views.

We’ve added a new staff-selector to the salonMonster calendar. This tool should make changing between stylists and to and from multi-stylist/single stylist view so much easier. You’ll notice a discreet new down-arrow beside your name. Simply click on the name or arrow to display a list of all staff within the salon. Click on a…

The Sartorialist

Many of you may already know who Scott Schuman is but for those of you who don’t let me introduce The Sartorialist. Scott used to own a showroom in New York for young designers but became tired of what he said was a disconnect between the fashion industry and real fashionable people. He decided to…

Big Hair Ball 2011

Get ready for some big hair at the Des Moines Art Center in Iowa. On Saturday April 23rd, Iowa based stylists and salons hit the runway with modeled hair of all shapes, colours and sizes. There are dj’s, visual effects and more to enhance this wild hair experience. For more information on this event go…

The Beehive!

Reading through many of the blogs and hair articles from the past week I noticed a common theme, the Beehive. It would seem that we have just passed the 5oth anniversary of the creation and unveiling of this iconic hair style made famous by the likes of Audrey Hepburn, Marge Simpson and more recently Amy…

Vote for us on KillerStartups.com

As the new monster on the block we’re trying to get our name out there, and we need your help. If you feel like clicking a button or two to help us out please vote for us on KillerStartups.com We appreciate your support!

Listio

We’ve got a new profile at Listio.com, a community directory of Web 2.0 applications. If you’re feeling like clicking a button or two please vote for the monster.

Big Hair by Grant McCracken

Although this book originally came out in the mid nineties, it’s full of relevant facts and fantastic hair styles. It covers hair trends through the years, has bios on some of the original big players in the industry and a good dose of humour. This book is also a great resource for retro inspired hair…

Why We Buy – Retail advice

“Why We Buy” by Paco Underhill is a great book for anyone looking to improve their retail sales. This book has some great advice on how to display your product, where to place it in your shop, using colours that grab our attention etc. It is essentially a study on human behavior and our habits…

iCal feeds of your appointments

We’re happy to announce that you can now subscribe to a feed of all your appointments through iCal on your Mac or iPhone. We’ve been testing this feature for a couple of months, and are excited to release it to everyone. To set this up, simply click on the “subscribe to iCal” link to the…

Congratulations to the 2011 Contessa Winners

Our Congratulations to the 2011 Contessa 22 Winners! If you haven’t checked out salon 52’s Canadian hair stylist of the year awards, aka the Contessas, we’d highly recommend you check them out. The 2011 Winners have been up for a couple of months now. In our home province of B.C. Chris Deagle from Moods Hair…

salonMonster Press Release

We at salonMonster are very pleased to announce that our official press release is being sent out all this week and here it is! FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Easy online booking and scheduling for your salon from salonMonster VANCOUVER, BC (January 19, 2011) — Today salonMonster announced the public release of its easy online booking solution…

Behind The Chair Stylist Choice Awards

BehindTheChair.com’s 11th annual stylist choice awards are now underway and currently accepting your votes. Vote for your favourite products, haircolour, platform artist, company and even salon software… Cast your vote here. For voting they’re giving you a $10 off gift certificate to the BTC Bookstore.

More men “reducing grey”

The New York Times published an interesting article this week about the growth of colour treatments for men. More men are finding themselves back in the job market after years of stable employment and are turning to a little colour to keep them looking youthful and help them feel competitive. The trend is not to…

Sassoon the movie!

I was just perusing the apple movie trailer page and came across this preview for a documentary about the great Vidal Sassoon. It was produced by Michael Gordon, founder of Bumble and Bumble who originally meant to put together a book about Sassoon and then it somehow turned into a film project. If you don’t…

Pricing options

salonMonster now supports both fixed pricing and prices “starting at” a dollar amount. Previously all prices were listed as “starting at”, but now you can set them to be a specific price. You can change this setting under the your services tab. Here you will see services listed with their prices: In this example we…

Great tunes for your salon

One of my favourite music discoveries of 2010 was the album Black Noise by Pantha du Prince. It’s an electronic album full of great beats but nothing too noisy or overwhelming. Great to play at the salon while you work to keep you motivated and upbeat. Your clients will love it too! Check out their…

Yee Haw – Modern Country

Looking to add a little modern country to your salon, check out this fabulous mirror by fluxglass. It might be a bit difficult to use at your station for cutting, but as salon decor I think it rules! Check out more at www.etsy.com/shop/fluxglass

salonMonster application upgrade

We’re happy to announce that a new version of the salonMonster application went live this weekend. We’ve made big changes to the system to support global timezones. We’ve had a lot of requests for this and are excited to welcome more of you to the salonMonster family. Other great new features include a monthly datepicker…

Angel Hairs for Kids and Cuts for Cancer

Angel Hairs for Kids and Cuts for Cancer are two fantastic charitable programs focused on providing natural hair pieces to cancer patients at no cost to the family. Angel Hair for Kids™ is part of A Child’s Voice Foundation™ run out of Toronto. Their goal is to help improve the self esteem and self image…

Tools we use A LOT: Google Alerts

Most people I speak to have never heard of Google’s alert service, but it’s a really fantastic tool to help stay on top on the news, business activity in your markets and more. This simple but powerful free service sends you updates directly to your email whenever google finds new content or news items that…

Health Canada issues Recalls of Brazilian Blowout

So it would seem that Health Canada has finally recalled several products that fall under the hair straightening category due to dangerously high levels of formaldehyde. Many of you have followed the Brazilian Blowout discussion for the last few months and now several other companies, ten in all, have been added to the list of…

Winter White Salon

I’ve come across sets of photos of this crisp winter white salon from Poland twice this year and thought it was about time I posted it to the blog. (First seen as a 3d model at Dezeen and then in real life at ArchDaily) Designed for Bartosz Janusz by moomoo architects, the space was inspired…

French salons go quiet to protest music rate hikes

Hair salons in France were eerily quiet today as salons shut off their sound systems in protest against the doubling of the licensing fees required to play music in their establishments. Salons, shops, cafes and even car parks have to pay a levy to play music on their premises. The tax is in the range…

Tabatha returns to Bravo tonight

Love her or hate her, Tabatha Coffey is back on your tvs tonight with the season 3 premiere of Tabatha’s Salon Takeover. With her no holds barred style of salon makeovers she certainly doesn’t mince her words, this woman means business. Any merits aside the show has been a huge success for Bravo and makes…

Regis sale in the works?

After a few false starts it seems like the sale of Regis might finally go through to buyer Apollo private equity. Last month Regis shares soared on rumors of a sale but then dropped after it was revealed the auction was going slower than expected. Regis is the largest hair salon chain in the world…

The resurgence of barbershops

The New York times had a good article this week on the renaissance of the barbershop as a hip place to get your hair cut. I’ve definitely noted the increase in stylish, upmarket barbershops opening across the country. More and more hip young men seem to be turning to barbershops for a classic Mad Men…

Thanks to you all for over $1,000.00 in Movember donations

We’d like to give a huge thanks to all the great donors out there who have supported our Movember campaign in this month formally known as November. We’re totally blown away by everyone’s support and are stoked to announce we have received over $1,000.00 from generous donors in support of prostate cancer. Thank you all…

L’Oreal Professional Division To Grow Ahead Of Market

Strong sales of both consumer and luxury products resulted in better than expected earnings for L’Oreal Professional Division. http://www.loreal-finance.com/eng/news-release/october-21-2010-724.htm

Salon Sucre in Berlin

This has to be one of the best combinations I can think of, eating delicious fresh pastries while getting your hair done! Salon Sucre in Kreuzberg, Berlin has done just that. Husband and wife Eric Muller and Katia Barcello decided to join forces, so he runs the wonderful pâtisserie shop and she has a section…

20 Questions

So we had been wanting to do a 20 questions series for a while but had been busy with writing code. So here we go! Our first participant is Jen Vanderleij one of the owners of Clover Earthkind Hair Salon, an Eco-friendly salon in Vancouver B.C. When we sent her the questionnaire it had 43…

Salon music both you and your clients can enjoy

If you’re looking for something new to play at work, check out the new Twin Shadow album “Forget”. It’s the perfect album to get you and your clients psyched to head out after work for some drinks and a hot dance! This Brooklyn artist knows how to talk to the ladies and has fantastic music…

Brazilian Blowout fights back

Brazilian Blowout has initiated legal proceedings against the Oregon department of consumer and business services in regard to their inaccurate testing of formaldehyde levels. Apparently the tests used by the occupational safety and health division failed to distinguish between formaldehyde and methylene glycol, bundling both chemicals together. http://www.marketwire.com/press-release/Brazilian-Blowout-Formally-Initiates-Legal-Proceedings-Against-Oregon-OSHA-1349816.htm Additional testing by OSHA has also shown…

Lovely dark and sexy hair spa in Indonesia

Chrystalline Architects have designed a lovely dark and sexy hair spa in Indonesia called Hairu. They offer massage and treatment for hair loss. I love their use of wooden slatting as a screening device. On the inside the white curtains keeps things nice, light and airy. Found via ArchDaily. I can’t find Hairu’s Website if…

Great haircuts are your best advertising

A recent poll of more than 1,00 American women shows why people choose salons. It may be surprising to hear the majority of people still choose their hair salon based on a friend or family recommendation. This type of recommendation accounts for 50% of new customers at salons. So great haircuts really are your best…

Gas masks come to a salon near you?

In a strange and unusual twist following the revelation about formaldehyde in the Brazilian blowout some salons are resorting to gas masks to keep their stylists safe. The Neal George Salon in Beverly hills California has added a Cabana with open sides to separate the process from the Salon, while the Mark Garrison Salon in…

No music for you

The copyright battle is moving its from the computer to the salon in London as government agencies start to crack down on salons who don’t have music licenses to play copyrighted music in their salons. A London high court justice has barred Doreen Ellis, owner of Studio 44 salon, in Church Road, Northolt from playing…

Mobile Payment Processing!

I have been reading a lot of articles and forum posts lately discussing mobile payment processing or the lack thereof. As a self-employed hairdresser I have always been frustrated by the lack of options for my business to accept credit card payments. Thankfully in the last year, three companies of note have released products to…

salonMonster updates

We’ve been working hard adding new features to salonMonster. We put a new version live today, here are some of the highlights: Manual appointment confirmations (which is optional). This gives you the option of checking the appointments your clients’ book before approving or denying them. The appointments menu shows a badge with the number of…

Beautiful brand identity for a new salon

Check out this amazing brand identity by Studio MPLS for a new salon in Minnesota called Salon Modern (Website not up yet). They’ve done such an incredible job with their graphic design and colour combos. The wallpaper and product packaging is awesome. It really is a whole image, very effective. I’d go there just based…

Health Canada issues warning about Brazilian Blowout

Health Canada has issued a warning that the Brazilian Blowout hair treatment possibly exposes people to unsafe levels of formaldehyde. Read more at the Globe and Mail: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/the-hot-button/health-canada-issues-warning-about-brazilian-blowout-hair-treatment/article1748267/

Follow our blog on twitter

We’re excited to say you can now keep up with our latest blog posts on our twitter account @salonmonster . Whenever we make a new post it should show up with a bit.ly url so you can easily view the full post. All of this thanks to the twitter tools plugin. We hope you find…

Preserving Production Capability aka Holidays

If you’ve ever read the hugely popular book 7 Habits of Highly effective people by Stephen Covey you might remember his comments on preserving production capacity. Covey cites the old fable of the goose and the golden egg where the farmer kills his gold egg laying bird to get all the eggs at once only to find there are none and his bird is dead. This concept of balancing your productivity level with working to preserve/increase your production capacity is so crucial yet is often forgotten in our workaholic society. You just can’t work the machine so hard and delay maintenance or the engine will burn out.

Pingdom

One of the really great tools we use here at salonMonster is pingdom. It’s a remotely hosted web-service which monitors your website or web applications. They notify by email, SMS text-message almost instantly in case of any issues, incredibly helpful in maintaining a high availability web service. They even have an iPhone app, which shows…

We’re out of stealth mode

We’re very happy to announce that as of this weekend we are out of “stealth mode”. Our pre-release clients are up and running and our information site is now live with a great overview of what salonMonster can do for your salon. We’re going to be working hard to keep improving things every week so…

Super cool Multitool Keyring

Check out this great KeyTool from ThinkGeek that fits over one of the existing keys in your keychain so it doesn’t take up any more space. It includes: * Large screwdriver * Medium screwdriver * Small screwdriver * Nail file * Finger nail cleaner * Bottle cap opener * Wire cutter * Tweezers Sadly it’s…

Where is the buy button?

I was trying to purchase a new Canon S90 digital camera and found this great deal on the Dell Website. I was all ready to purchase the camera but couldn’t for the life of me find the buy button. Turns out you have to click on the Customize it button to purchase the camera even…

Multiple stylist calendar sent to our beta testers

Progress is going well on the application and we’ve sent out our new multiple stylist calendar view to our beta testers for some quality control. It’s really exciting for us as we’ve just been testing a single stylist version of the application so far. Here’s a sneak-peek at it:

Simple things that programming should handle

From Telus’ online phone purchase form comes a great example of something that a simple bit of programming would solve. Just using one line of programming to strip any whitespaces before or after the text once the user submits it would remove the need to harass every user with unnecessary extra steps.

Social Networking for Hair Stylists!

This is really cool, it’s like Facebook for Hair Stylists! I have been on here for a few months and have found it extremely informative, particularly the forums. Hope you find it helpful as well. www.hairbrained.me

Avant Garde Inspiration

One of my all time favourite movies also happens to have some of the best outrageous avant garde hair styles! Edward Scissorhands still stands out today as an exceptional film filled with exceptional hair. The topiary inspired hair styles are fantastic as is Edward’s own hair style, my personal favourite.

Great customer service idea from Griffin

My brother forwarded me this great support email he received from Griffin when he was having problems with some headphones from them. It’s not often that a defective product issue ends in a positive customer experience that the customer shares with their friends. Thumbs up to Griffin for thinking creatively when it comes to product…

Naturally ventilated salon

The Kaze Hair Studio in the Kaze Moóca Building in Sao Paulo Brazil is pretty neat. Its facade is designed as part of a controlled ventilation and passive temperature control system. It also has a great central atrium with a beautiful wall of ceramic panels by the artist Fábio Flaks. Seen at: http://www.noticiasarquitectura.info/noticiasEn/news4967.aspx And :…

Great ceiling: Boa hairdresser’s salon

Check out this amazing ceiling at Boa hairdresser’s salon in Zurich Switzerland by Claudia Meier. It does an incredible job of evoking the feeling of hair and apparently moves with the air from the hair dryers. I love that the concept behind the renovation was to give the salon a hair cut. Check out more…

Tools we use A LOT: GoogleDocs

We thought it would be kind of fun to profile some of the tools that we find ourselves using on a regular basis here at SalonMonster. We work in a distributed office with people based in various cities and thus rely a lot on our software. So, with this in mind we’ll probably mostly be…

Taking our vision for granted.

I’ve been reading a great travel book called “To Timbuktu for a Haircut” by Rick Antonson, the CEO of Tourism Vancouver. It’s fascinating to read about his travels in Mali, it’s such a different world to here in Vancouver. Last night I was reading a section talking about the ravages of river blindness (Onchocerciasis) on…

The Benefits of Cloud Computing

Cloud computing has become incredibly popular of late and here are just a few reasons why it should interest you. To start, with web based applications like SalonMonster, you no longer have to back-up your important information because it is saved for you on a secure server online automatically. Next, you don’t have to have…

Binder Clips as Cable Holders

How simple and useful is this idea courtesy of boing boing. I’ve set this up in my office and can’t believe I never thought of it before.

The tradition of the stretched numbers in appointment books

I’ve often wondered why salon appointment books always use such bad stretched numbers for the hours column. For someone interested in typography and graphic design it drives me crazy. I guess it must have started as a way to keep the columns narrow to fit as much on the page as possible, but it must…

Good Hair

If you haven’t seen it yet, I’d highly recommend watching Chris Rock’s “documentary” Good Hair. It’s a truly fascinating look into the World of black hair, relaxants and the infamous extensions. Here’s the IMDB link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1213585/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1m-4qxz08So

Good To Great

The third book by Jim Collins, Good to Great, is a good read for anyone involved in developing and/or running a business. This book aims to answer some of the questions he ended up with after writing his well known first book, Built to Last. In it, Jim and his amazing research team look into…

the iPad in salons

Unless you’ve been living under a rock you’ve probably heard about Apple’s announcement of their new iPad tablet device. As a long time Mac user I’m usually really excited about Apple’s new offerings, but this time I’m especially hyped. the iPad seems like such an ideal fit for the salon environment. Can’t you just see…