With the hairdressing industry saturated, new college courses and training programmes ever more on offer, securing solid apprenticeships and learning from industry leaders is becoming more and more difficult. However as trends go, it seems more and more aspiring hair stylists are looking to various courses and internships as the answer meaning sporadic and varied training. Here at Michaeljohn, where we like to remain true to the value of very precise and intense training, we caught up with one of team members, CJ Vineall, who talks to us about her time at Michaeljohn working and learning all the way up from apprentice through level 3, junior and now full time stylist, and the benefits of 5 years of in salon time.

“I really believe you should study hair in a salon. I am still so pleased I learnt from grass roots within the Michaeljohn day to day experience. I have never had a single day not learning or picking up something new and gaining new input,” affirms CJ. “I heard about the Michaeljohn apprenticeship and did some thorough research into the brand – it is so steeped in history and heritage, all my family who live outside of London knew about the salon, and plenty of people recommended it. I spent 2 years on the apprenticeship working full time from 9-6 to get to Level 2 learning the basics of cut and colour. I am not going to hide how thorough the programme was; I had to stay for evenings twice a week on model nights rotating on both cut and colour, but I can never undo the amount I learnt from these initial years and I think that compared to people I have met, who were studying at college, I just got so much more hands on experience. Unusually also Michaeljohn can accommodate for you, so I didn’t have to choose to go on and specialise in cut or colour, as most salons do make you, which I am so grateful for as I really enjoy both.

By the time I got to Level 3 – a more in depth 1 year training – I also was adept at dealing with clients, listening to their requirements, and an individually oriented service, which I think those who come out of college are really behind on. I have learnt a precision of cut and colour and a standard, which is so ingrained in me, it’s now just second nature. I am a creative person, so looking back I really enjoyed Level 3 as you are expected to have your own vision, to create different looks and can be part of salon style photoshoots. Michaeljohn is a relatively big salon so I think at this stage you get more freedom than you would do elsewhere, but it is all integral experience and learning. From here, I most memorably won the Wella Junior Competition in salon two years in a row. We worked on 3 models using the Wella set trends and patterns by interpreting oneself to create looks – my theme was 1920’s being brought into the modern day. I recall colouring the hair deep red and creating flashes of purple and red beneath the parting – I love being that creative. It will always remain a memorable moment for me of my hairdressing career when I was awarded the prize by the Wella judges.

We get so many opportunities at Michaeljohn that I think a lot of other trainees don’t get. I have been on numerous colour courses and specifically remember one cutting at course at Wella, where I learnt a whole new uniform way of layering – these techniques stay with you throughout the years. At Michaeljohn, there is also a very precise matching of juniors with stylists for a 3 month period so you get to learn and see the variety of work of numerous stylists. I really remember my time working with our renowned creative director, Charlie Chan. He has this incredible way of precision cutting in so little time – the shape is so immediate from the sections, he could just rough dry the hair and it would look the way it is meant to be. He is also always one step ahead and taught me to be more forward thinking, which you especially need in a big, busy salon like Michaeljohn.

I’ve never had a day’s regret about the way I’ve trained all the way up here – I still am conscious to challenge myself. I especially like doing highlights because you have to be so precise and the number of different looks you can create from it – the new ombre trend at the moment is fun and creative. I purposely don’t keep cards to keep me active and forward thinking and to keep tweaking my technique. I think Michaeljohn really accommodates for technique because the salon is full of so many different personalities and stylists push each other to keep refining their eye and vision.

I have done some shoot and catwalk looks – it is interesting because you have to work so fast and under real pressure. As far as the future goes, I want to keep developing my eye for colour, attending a creative course maybe but I am just really happy at Michaeljohn and all the opportunities it has and continues to give me.”

Whilst we know you all want to look your best for the Christmas period, but time is short, and leaves little space for much personal pampering – Michaeljohn are always looking for ways to help you along a little.

So we have created an Ultimate Pamper package – fitting in 3 luxury treatments into express minutes. So come in for 30mins facial, 30mins wash and blowdry and finish off with 30mins makeup session. 

It’s not quite as straightforward as that though – as when we say ‘express’, we are offering you time with our leading salon staff – globally renowned facialist, Nataliya Robinson, who will first hydrate, plump and radiate your skin, then your choice of hair stylist to wash and blowdry and celebrated makeup artist, Nariman, will finish off with a day or evening look of your choice, top tips and product guide. Each will offer you the chance to express your hair and beauty concerns and guide you in the right direction, whilst putting together your perfect ongoing look.

It’s a win win at only £135 for the whole package…

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It gets better and better!

 Michaeljohn likes to properly get into the Christmas spirit - our decorations and festivities are attracting street walkers by - so much so one client decided to send us his Iphone uploads! Thank you! We will keep posting some more throughout the day...

With winter months often creating problem hair, there are ways to get a quick fashion fix without a salon blowdry and still steal the style show. One of the most misconceived and can be chicest hair do’s easily pulled off is the bun. Whilst I can hear most of you thinking impossible-to-achieve-sleek-ballerina-perfection, this style is quietly one of the easiest to put together and take you from day to night back to day. Whether you want to look effortlessly chic, elegant, or sexy, most styles can be achieved in less than 5 minutes. Whilst there are also multiple options to work with from something super sleek, high fashion style or just a messy look.

To achieve a classic, super sleek, ballerina style bun – Michaeljohn stylists have put together some top tips:

2)Next, sick a pin into the edge of the coil toward your scalp, just before the tip of the pin hits your scalp, turn the pin in the opposite direction (180 degrees) and push it back down into the centre of the bun. Four pins (one in each quadrant of the bun) should keep your bun secure.

3)Finally apply hairspray. "This isn't a style you'll be running your fingers through, so use a strong formula.  "It flattens rogue pieces and flyaways.” We recommend Sebastian or Wella.

Other options include:

Fashion shoot ‘messy’ style - A bit of back-combing can add volume to your bun. The traditional twist and wrap-around method may require more bobby pins, but it is classically elegant.

High on the head contemporary-style to bun - A hair doughnut is great for thickening your bun and keeping strands neatly tucked away. Roll your strands up for a perfectly polished ballerina ’do.

Quick and Messy Bun - Looping large sections of hair around the base adds texture to your bun. Be sure to tease you locks (and reposition them, if needed) after pinning to fill in any gaps in the bun’s structure.

Month of December; revitalizing treatments to get you through Christmas and into 2013, from across Michaeljohn Hair, Beauty and Medispa.

With Christmas impending, talk surrounding endless party invites, instant party looks and present shopping, the team here at Michaeljohn like to think ahead and so we have come up with a few longer term fixes available at both Michaeljohn W1 and Medispa salons for this month, which will see you through party season, Christmas and well into the year ahead.

Intensive conditioning Treatment:

Essential for the long lasting condition of your hair, especially during seasonal change, central heating and lots of blowdrying. We have a range to choose from here in salon, so come in and a member of the team can pick something tailor made to your specific hair type and scalp condition.

Keratin Blow dry:

Whilst the wind and drizzle over these months, inevitably leaves hair frizzy and untamed, achieving everyday sleek hair is a tricky task. Say goodbye to all hair worries over this busy period, by coming in for a keratin blowdry, whereby hair is coated in the conditioning special solution before blow drying it smooth and if required sealing with hot tongs. Glamorous, smooth hair guaranteed. And what is more it lasts for 12 weeks so will get you through the winter trauma.

SkinCeuticals City Recovery Facial:
This treatment has been devised to address the skin health issues for people who are exposed to the environmental aggression of city living. Let’s face it, we walk around each day, not realising what we are in-taking. Incorporating deep pore cleansing, exfoliation, extraction, antioxidant therapy and anti-inflammatory procedures, to replace sluggish skin with a bright and luminous complexion. The use of a high frequency machine works to kill harmful bacteria, stimulate circulation and assist with skincare product absorption.

Spray Tan:

Nothing gives a better pep up to a tired complexion and sluggish mood than some quick fix colour. Sienna X Spray Tan is the market leader in sunless tanning, using different shades to suit a variety of skins. Sienna X gives a gorgeous, natural-looking tan without the inherent dangers of skin damage from over exposure to UVA/B rays.

Semi-permanent colour/tint:

Come in for a consultation with colourist Debbie Bhowmik, who can give you a taster of a different hair shade with a semi-permanent vegetable gloss. Silicon based and completely non-abrasive, the tint not only gives a glass like shine to hair for party perfection but allows you to try something new colour-wise without the worry of a permanent dye. Lasts for up to 10 washes.

And in the final installment of Nariman’s 'How To' Christmas makeup guide; what would be a makeup look without the perfect rouge lips?

Whilst we have all long desired to have that dramatic final touch, picking the right tone for you can end up a hazardous affair, as wearing the wrong shade is well pretty obvious, and can see you look anything from gothic to just downright tacky.

So the Perfect Red Lipstick for YOU…as the party season is upon us but ultimately to take you through the coming year.

Nariman reveals: ‘I always get questions from my clients like “can I wear red lips’, ‘how do I choose the right tone to compliment my skin tone…’

Here are my tips:

Prep:

1)If your lips are chapped and dry especially at this time of the year, apply Homeoplasmine Pommade as your balm and lip base.

What I like about this product, extremely hydrating and promise to give you the best matte finish.

(Available at select pharmacies)

2)Also apply your everyday concealer/tinted moisturizer on top of your balm to neutralize your lip tone.

Tip: if your balm is too shiny, make sure to blot the lips before.

Lip liner gives you a fuller finish (for those of you with thinner lips)

Also liner prevents from bleeding out if you intend to use a lip gloss on top of your lipstick.

How to choose your perfect Red:

1)If your lips have a red undertone – lipsticks with hint of blue will give you a timeless look and your teeth will look whiter.

2)If your lips have a brown undertone – lipsticks with hint of orange will compliment your skin tone.

3)If your lips have a blue undertone – lipsticks with hint of pink will give you that instant sparkle to your eye colour and not much needed on the eyes.

4)If your lips have a pink undertone - lipsticks with hint of brown will give you much fuller lips and more flattering to the skin.

My favorite Red lipsticks at the moment for this Christmas include:

Shu uemura Rouge Unlimited matte Red 165

Nars Velvet matte lip pencil Red Square (can be used as all over lipstick)

Sisley Long lasting hydrating lipstick L33

Remember!

If using a strong lip colour, always lick your teeth before you smile J

So the clock has gone 6.30pm, you’ve had a long day in the office with no time even to grab a lunch break let alone think about adding a bit of blusher, and you’ve got to attend a close friend’s Christmas drinks full of a room of fashion savvy types, with no time to first go home, take off day makeup and reapply. Panic and disillusionment has set in but you can’t make excuses and avoid the event. Sound familiar? We’ve all been there so Michaeljohn in salon, celebrity makeup artist has come up with a ‘How To’ Guide to work your way through. Yesterday we looked at day makeup and here he explains how to convert it into glam and glittery for the evening. So you can confidently walk into the party looking like this:

Step 1: Refreshment – Splash your dry office skin with Bioderma H2O, great for sensitive face & eyes. Based on water, very hydrating and non messy!

Next, add radiance with a highlighter/instant glow or protective primer to set and reapply a light foundation. Follow with Sisley’s Radiant Immediate Lift on highest point of the cheeks to highlight and bridge of the nose.

TIP: Use fingertips for a finer touch and is much quicker when applying.

Update makeup into a ‘Party look’ - I think of shine & lots of Glitter!

Focus on Eyes: Check out Tom Ford’s amazing Eye colour Quad, comes in beautiful shimmer & glitter colours.

‘Crushed Amethyst’ great for green eyes and ‘Burnished Amber’ another fantastic palette for blue or brown eyes!

TIP: Start with highlighting on the eyes, shimmer as base all over & glitter to add drama! Darker shadow to define and under the eyes to give you the party effect!

Next add evening intensity: Curl with eyelash curlers, follow with a strong volume and waterproof mascara to ensure holding the curl all night and avoiding that oh so unattractive smudged look. Then change mascara for the application of bottom lashes – use ones with a ball shaped wand.

Eye pencils in Mahogny & Jet tones are great to smudge for the outer corner of the eyes and to apply all along the lash line for that sexy, strong look.

For something really dramatic try false eyelashes (better to have tried at home first!!)

Also Partial Flare & Partial Soft Cross lashes by Shu uemura are a MUST have!! Apply the false lashes on top of your own lashes and not on the eyelid. Once eyelash adhesive has gone clear, try a waterproof jet black liquid eyeliner pen for fantastic hold and to give you the best flick line!

Finish off with the cheeks: a classic blusher adds a chic colour and effect. And is best applied with fingertips.

For the final denouement, see Nariman talking lips on the blog next week.

Michaeljohn have previously brought you stories on how to achieve your perfect hair – and in a variety of styles from trussed, tousled and poker straight – however with an endless round of parties coming up pre-Christmas, there are also some all-important quick fixes to both maintain coiffed hair and to top up looks the day after the night before!

Party Hair handbag essentials:

Volumiser:

Key to putting together and holding any look (even poker straight styles) is a good volumiser. It’s an instant way to glam up any look and provides an instant party season boost. And this isn’t just restricted to the shampooing stage – where Philip Kingsley’s products work a treat. You can put in powder both pre-party and the morning after to create lift for an updo or glamorous ponytail look. Otherwise being bold with a volume spray for hair down, which may have lost some of its immediate post blow-dry finesse is effective but only if used with the correct spray – one light enough it doesn’t outweigh the hair. Again Philip Kingsley does a great Maximizer Spray and even a weatherproof version if you are contending with harsh climate conditions.

Smoothing serum:

With seasonal changing temperatures and central heating an inescapable issue for hair condition, dry ends and frizz can be overcome. Tame wild ends which immediately ruin the appearance of blowdried hair with a smoothing serum – they come in sample size bottles, which will take up no space even in a tiny clutch bag – but can have an overriding effect. It’s imperative to choose something light otherwise hair can look cloggy – we recommend the Kerastase range.

Shine Spray:

Again these now come in bottles fit to carry with you on a day to evening basis. Are a great way to restore perfect post blow-dry shine and finesse even days later, when you are on the run from the office and need that party shimmer. Make sure you use something light and airy and hold it well away from the air - Use Sebastian’s Zero Gravity Shaper spray for instant, glistening effect.

Something decorative:

And if you don’t want to play with products, there is always and easy fallback for attracting good attention to your hair and putting you in the party spirit. Hair accessories have come back into favour – in all their pop, colourful glory - and can be found both by designers and on the high street. Play with flowery or jewelled pins and hairbands for fun – we recommend the range by Olympia Le Tan for the right side of kitsch fun.

Want to create this look straight from a day's work at the office? Celebrated Michaeljohn makeup artist, Nariman, can actually make it into a reality.

It’s the age old Christmas party season beauty dilemma, you have a big event to go to, needing to impress and turn heads, yet not enough time to go home and prepare first. How can you possibly create a striking look straight from the office? Nariman explains

Daytime look:

Prep skin with an initial radiant highlighter to freshen and also hold makeup in place – Sisley’s Radiant Immediate Lift, a pearly gel highlighter, is a good starter.

Next apply a Primer, my all-time favourite is Tom Ford’s Illuminating Protective Primer with SPF 12, which gives you a luminous and flawless canvas.

TIP: Best to apply primers with fingertips for perfect control – the above primers are ideal for dry skin to achieve that ‘glowy’ look.

Then pick foundations carefully – light oil free gel foundations are great to give cover and small amount goes long way or a good tinted moisturizer is ideal for daily and lightweight finish.

Apply with a big foundation brush for a light and polished finish – pick carefully – I recommend the Tom Ford range.

Next focus on the eye area – initially using eyelash curlers for definition – She Uemura’s are world renowned.

Comb through your eyebrows with a brow fixer and for definition try a Brow Sculptor. Then take a drawing Pencil in mid Brown to your upper lash line to define the eyes,

TIP: just follow the lash line from outer corner towards the middle or all the way in for stronger finish.

Apply your eye shadow primer - best with finger tips - choose matte pressed eye shadows as base colour.

TIP: Soft brown shadows are feminine and on-trend.

Choice of shadow should compliment your skin tone.

Finally finish off with Tom Ford’s Shade and Illuminate is the perfect product to bring balance and symmetry to your features. This duet of highlighting and shading creams is designed to make sculpting and contouring the face remarkably simple. The super sheer, light shade can be used to draw light onto the skin to brighten and lift the face. The dark shade defines and contours the bones.

Perfect for any occasion!

So this has kept you going through your day to day, but now hit 630pm and you’ve got to turn it into cocktail party glamour:

Keep following the blog for the next stage and how you can end up with looks as fantastic as below.