men’s grooming — Samuel Cole Salon

Baxter of California Global Educator Josh Velazquez Leads Master Men’s Grooming Class

Baxter of California creates carefully curated products that allow men to express their individual signature statement. Creating a signature look is critical since “Men’s Grooming” is a growing trend, and men are asking for more custom styles to reflect their individuality. Baxter Global Educator Josh Velazquez shared several techniques to expand our stylists’ range of skills regarding men’s cutting and styling. Samuel Cole Salon’s education has kept stylists’ skills on the forefront of new trends for men.

Velazquez demonstrated a short, textured crop haircut that can be styled polished for a formal evening with Baxter’s Hard Water Pomade or textured for a casual day watching the game with their Clay Effect Style Spray. Velazquez also demonstrated a taper cut with a short, precise fade – perfect for gentlemen who like to maintain a clean, consistent look.

Josh’s instruction was extremely informative, especially in his demonstration of the close fade. He thoroughly walked us through his thought process from the first trim to the last finishing detail of the look. He also gave us alternative uses for some of Baxter’s most popular products, like using the Grooming Cream as a beard conditioner!” – Stylist Carmella Williamson

Now Carrying Award-Winning Baxter of California for Men

Baxter of California was created to Defy the Expected. It’s thoughtfully curated collection of superior hair, skin and shave essentials are designed to enhance what makes you, you.

Baxter values enhancing each individual’s personal story and signature statement. Their superior collection of hair, skin and shave essentials gets the job done in the most simple and powerful way possible.

Since 1965, Baxter’s top-notch products have proven that premium doesn’t have to be pretentious. Performance is everything so every formula is tried and tested at the award-winning Baxter Finley Barber + Shop in Los Angeles, whose clientele includes David Beckham, Adam Levine, Will Ferrell and Patrick Dempsey.

See a stylist for your custom consultation and recommendations.

Coby Alcantar + Gardner Edmunds Reveal Inner Layer Haircut

Oribe Educators Coby Alcantar + Gardner Edmunds, highly sought after stylists in the current world of hairdressing. Coby owns Little Axe Salon in Brooklyn, NY where she creates fun and effortless styles for her clients, and Gardner’s salon home is Ramirez Tran Salon in Beverly Hills, CA. His notable clients include Lea Michele, Olivia Palermo, Rebecca Minkoff and Kim Cattrall.

Their combined expertise brought incredible energy to this class, which focused cutting inner layers that don’t sacrifice overall length of the hair. This technique can be used on all lengths of hair. The final look was a light and airy style that allowed the hair to move freely. To style the haircut, they used a combination of Oribe Foundation Mist, Maximista and Featherbalm on damp hair, and twisted the hair damp and let it air dry.

Creating inner layers removed weight and made the haircut look softer. I love learning from Coby and Gardner together because they showed variations of the same techniques to get an amazing fresh haircut” – Stylist Michelle Larry

Samuel Cole Salon Attends First of It’s Kind LBP “Front Row”

Owner Jack Ray and Samuel Cole Salon stylists* attended the first ever Luxury Brand Partners Front Row in Miami. This four-day festival of inspiration featured industry leaders educating and sharing experiences with top salon owners, stylists and trendsetters from around the world. In addition to exposure to some of the most notable names in hairdressing, Front Row provided nonstop education in the form of hands-on hairstyling sessions and forums in which stylists learned from masters of the craft in a more intimate setting.

The epic kickoff show was introduced by hilarious comedian Natasha Leggero, and electrified the creative passions of the audience. Ronnie Stam and Joey George styled graffiti-inspired masterpieces side by side; James Pecis revealed that the most complicated looks can be simple to achieve if you think outside the box; Coby Alcantar paid homage to 80s artist Patrick Nagel by translating his iconic work into haircuts; Vivienne Mackinder deconstructed a classic french twist; Nicci Welsh used a flat iron to create beachy waves; color brand Goldwell illustrated a timeline of blonde on the runway – from Marilyn Monroe to Lady Gaga; and Kien Hoang landed the finale with a recreation of his backstage work in New York Fashion Week 2016 (for The Blonds). This star studded kickoff set the tone for the rest of the 4-day event: audiences honoring talent, and talent giving their all to inspire the industry.

Left to Right: Joey George, Ronnie Stam, Coby Alcantar, Nicci Welsh (top), Vivienne Mackinder, Kien Hoang

On the heels of the amazing kickoff, best-selling author Jim Collins inspired attendees with a keynote address to provide tips on how to combine passion, talents, and economic drivers to build a career. James Pecis led a hands-on editorial styling session, taking away safety nets to show stylists how to explore beyond their comfort zone.

Samuel Cole Stylists’ Hands-On Models: Alley, Kelsey in James Pecis’ session and Cara, Carolyn in Garren’s workshop

Vaughn Accord, creator of men’s line V76, energized the crowd with a drum performance in tribute to the late David Bowie. Vaughn created “Seven Characters of Men” as a collective snapshot of what his brand is becoming. From a “Brooklyn Biker” to an “Urban Bohemian,” V76 is about bringing out a man’s confidence and energy in his look. Smith and Cult exploded with color on stage, which reflects their nail and lip lacquer palettes. Models stormed the runway dressed to represent unique color names, like “Kings and Thieves,” “Cut the Mullet,” and “Psycho Candy.” Videos of fast-paced tutorials and depictions of each color decorated the show’s backdrop. Founder Dineh Mohajer strut the runway in a wedding dress – to Nirvana – holding a wedding cake that she completely smashed on the song’s cue.

Vaughn Acord with his “Seven Characters of Men” and the colorful Smith and Cult cast

IGK, a modern salon made up of four trend setting stylists: Leo Izquierdo, Franck Izquierdo, Aaron Genia and Chase Kusero, finished the show. It has locations in New York, Los Angeles, Miami, and pop up salons around the world. The team of four simultaneously demonstrated various cuts, colors, and stylings with energetic passion.

R+CO creators Howard McLaren, Thom Priano and Garren hosted a “fireside chat” style interview in which they discussed their start in the beauty industry, what inspires them in their craft, and what they would be doing if they weren’t hair stylists. They each demonstrated cutting techniques inspired by artists – McLaren by the movie A Clockwork Orange and the late artist David Bowie, Priano by Classic Rock Icons, and Garren by a range from old Hollywood glamour to 80’s Rock. They also taught individual hands-on sessions in addition to the main stage shows to offer personal feedback. Samuel Cole Master Stylists Carolyn Nord and Cara Harrison learned from Garren first-hand how to balance the use of texture in an editorial look.

IGK Simultaneously Styling, and “The Collective:” R+Co founders Howard McLaren, Thom Priano, and Garren

“To experience Front Row was indescribable. Being surrounded by so many legends in the beauty industry was unforgettable. It puts things in perspective on how to really make something of yourself and provide the ultimate experience for our clients.” –Cara Dempsey.

*In attendance: Carolyn Nord, Sara Beard, Alley Biehl, Cara Harrison, Cara Dempsey, Tiffanie Spellenberg, Kristen Carson, Jenny Smith, Kelsey Easley,
Katie Hu, and Libby Bink

Building The Brand Called You – R + Co and V76 President, Reuben Carranza

Owner, Jack Ray and Reuben Carranza

Reuben Carranza, President of Luxury Brand Partners brands, R + Co and V76, recently visited Samuel Cole Salon. Reuben left his role as CEO of The Wella Professional Division of Proctor and Gamble to join the corporation LBP, which is revolutionizing the luxury beauty market.

Reuben’s talk focused on helping stylist identify their career “sweet spot”. He emphasized the need for each individual stylist to find what is important to them and identify what their ‘brand” means. It’s very important to be able to take a step back to evaluate their work and also to have a sponsor or mentor evaluate them as well. Someone on the outside can find the blind spots they might not be able to see from within. It’s about connecting with their clients on another level. A professional who is consistently giving a great performance will see it reflected in their work.

Samuel Cole Salon and Reuben

Reuben’s talk on branding yourself revolved around the importance of evaluating your career based on performance, image and exposure. Your performance, should be outstanding and consistent in terms of your technical skill. Image showcases the mental impression you make with others. Exposure focused on getting your name out there to fuel your career success with social media being a means to document your work then posting it for others to see your creativity.

Being a stylist we look to grow creatively but sometimes we need to look at it differently at a business perspective to grow in our careers.” Stylist Natalie Bowers