How to Schedule “Fashion” colors

You are browsing the internet one day and see a beautiful, fun shade of purple on Pinterest and instantly decide you NEED it. Here are some things to keep in mind when scheduling that appointment. Pinterest does not show reality, and we run into many scheduling conflicts cause someone will call in asking for “color” and when they arrive, they show us a photo of purple or pink or some other fun fashion color and don’t realize what went into achieving that color compared to just a normal color application.

1st- When calling to schedule, make sure to give the receptionist or stylist as many details about what you want to achieve as possible. Again, “fashion” colors (anything bright, vivid, pastel, not normal hair color) are not achieved in the same process as regular hair color. Let them know what color you desire, if you have a photo, send it to them through one of our social media pages.

2nd- Make sure to let them know on the phone as well as letting your stylist know when you sit in the chair the history of what is on your hair and what is on it currently. This is VERY important in letting the correct amount of time be scheduled and enables the stylist to know what steps to take to get you to your desired photo- or as close as possible.

3rd- Keep in mind, sometimes these projects are journeys not sprints and may take multiple appointments to achieve.

• Examples- If you call or show up to your appointment with dark box color (or any box color really) on your hair, and desire anything pastel- you will require multiple appointments to reach your goal. Box color stains hair and to get anything pastel the hair must be lightened to almost white 1st before applying to desired shade.
• If you have naturally dark hair when you show up to your appointment, even if you are desiring a dark blue or purple, the natural hair still must be lifted 3 to 4 levels with lightner to achieve that.
• RARELY can you just come in and have fashion colors instantly applied to your hair in just 1 step. The exception to this is previously lightened hair and naturally very light blondes. Even then, depending what your end goal is, sometimes regrowth etc still needs lifted to match lighter ends.

Ok, here is a good example. This is not my photo and this wasn’t done in our salon, so i’m just guessing on her past hair history and the process they used to get her to the point of this photo. This girl looks to be a natural level 6 which is a light brown judging from her eyebrows. If she came into the salon with her natural hair, she would’ve had to be lifted with heavy highlights to a level 9/10 to get the lilac color on her ends. She also would have had to have a darker level 3 or 4 brunette applied to her root area for the contrasting root smudge in these photos. Pastel colors are recommended to be shampooed very sparingly (if at all, dry shampoo at roots and just conditioned is recommended) with very cool water. Pastels rarely last more than 2 to 3 weeks- So you can see the level of upkeep necessary for these shades.

Here is another example, and again this is not our photo. Let’s assume this girl came into the salon with that blonde hair (and I highly doubt that’s the case). She would be the exception to where she COULD just have purple fashion color put on her ends without having multiple processes done before hand.

Ok here’s a last example. This one isn’t even considered “fashion” color half of the time, but this STILL requires multiple steps to achieve. If your hair has previous color on it (even salon color) and if you come in with natural dark hair, you will 99% of the time require highlights or balayage 1st to lighten the hair before applying the red/ burgundy.

As you can see, Pinterest makes things look easy, but consulting with your stylist is KEY in making sure you get scheduled for the right service and amount of time to achieve your desired look.

Need to schedule an appointment?? Call the salon 724- 349-5444 or schedule online at www.cameronsalon.com. If you decide to do the online option and aren’t sure if you just need color or something more involved, choose the “Balayage with Root Extension Full” and in the notes section mention what you would like. Sometimes if we catch these notes ahead of time a stylist will call you to ask for inspiration photos and to confirm what you want.

Phones Out at the Salon

If you didn’t see earlier in the week on our facebook pace, the salon’s phones have been out all week and we do not expect them to be fixed until at least Tuesday. We cannot make or receive phone calls ( other than through our cell phones) and we cannot get the messages from our answering machine. On top of that, we cannot take credit cards as our cards are ran through our phone lines. Please be patient with us during this time.

How can I contact the salon??

You can message us on facebook, but keep in mind we are all busy during the day, do not have a receptionist alot of times, and do not have great service inside the salon so we may not reply until a later time.

Payments-

We are currently only able to accept cash or checks due to the card machine being down.

Our receptionist on Tuesday/Wednesday has tried to contact clients through the week to let them know and to make them aware we cannot run credit cards at this time. There are a few clients whose phone numbers on file were not correct or updated and we could not reach them. If you show up with no other form of payment, we will write down all your card info and run it through our machine as soon as it is up and running.

Again, thank you for bearing with us during this already crazy busy time of year.

Also, heads up for prebooking- Thanksgiving is just 13 weeks away, and Christmas is just 17. That is just 2 to 4 appointments for most clients. Look ahead, and schedule accordingly and PREBOOK;)

Back to School and Fall

It’s hard to believe, but summer is sadly very quickly coming to an end. Back to school season is in full swing and Fall will be here in a blink of an eye. Here are some things to keep in mind for the busy season ahead.

The salon has been VERY busy lately. Due to some area salons closing and stylists leaving others and recommending clients to us, as well as our regular clients, we have experienced higher than usual volumes of clients through the door and scheduling. On top of this, we are in need of a receptionist. Most days we are busy and without a receptionist and can’t get to the phone to answer calls. Please be patient with us during this transition. Our answering machine usually picks up and we do return calls as we are able, so please leave a message- we WILL get back to you. Messaging us on social media isn’t a great way to contact us as the service inside the salon isn’t great and alot of times we don’t get them until we leave the building.

All this to say- schedule ahead. Rebook your next appointment when ringing out at your current one. Consider booking a few appointments or even through the holidays to the end of the year to ensure you get a spot during our crazy busy upcoming holiday season. We have already had some clients start doing this.

If you or someone you know are interested in being our receptionist, please stop in and fill out an application. We would love to have you! We are mostly looking for Thursdays during the day, Fridays from 9 to 5 and Saturdays from 8 to 3.

Please keep our cancelation and no show policy in mind when scheduling any future appointments. We are starting to crack down on it to be fair to not only our stylists who are commission based paid- therefore they make no money when you don’t show up for your appointment, but also for our waiting list of clients who would’ve loved to have that spot you didn’t show up for.

CANCELATION AND NO SHOW POLICY-

If you need to cancel or reschedule, please give us a 24 hour notice for any changes made to a reserved appointment. Example: Just a cut instead of the color/highlight you scheduled. We need to know that the time you won’t be using is available for other customers.

*If we receive less than 24 hours notice to cancel or reschedule and appointment, it may result in a $25 cancellation fee. This fee will be added at the end of your next appointment.

• NO CALL/ NO SHOW/ FORGOTTEN APPOINTMENTS- A no call, no show or forgotten appointment will result in a fee of 50% of the missed service total. This fee WILL be added to your next appointment.
• 2 NO CALL/ NO SHOW/ FORGOTTEN APPOINTMENTS means we are not a good fit for each other. You will no longer be allowed to schedule appointments and will have to be a walkin only.

Text and Email reminders are sent out ahead as a courtesy. Please make sure that your current phone number / email address is attached to each appointment. Those reminders are computer generated. Please DO NOT reply to them. You MUST CALL THE SALON to change or cancel them. Also, writing them down is best, as we all know, technology cannot always be depended on.

Thank you! We look forward to having you in the salon during the busy season ahead helping you to look and feel your best!

No Show/ Cancellation Policy

I am sharing this cause these policies were new when we came back from Quarentine last June and they need reviewed. No Shows and Cancellations have been quite an issue as of late. We have been pretty lenient with it due to Covid and not wanting people to come in who have been sick or exposed, so we of course understood those cancellations and even no shows. However, there have been so, so many lately. There have also been clients with multiple appointments in the book, some made in person some made online. Sometimes multiple appointments scheduled for the same person in a week or 2 week period. Sometimes we catch these and can call to confirm the correct appointment. Sometimes we are too busy and without a receptionist and they don’t get caught resulting in yet another no show. Please cancel any appointments you do not plan to keep by calling the salon.

**Something to keep in mind**- We are not being mean or hateful enforcing these policies. Most places that run on appointments have policies (Dr. office). Our stylists are commission based paid, meaning if they don’t have clients in their chair, they don’t make money. If you were scheduled for a color and cut, that’s at least 2 hours of the stylist’s schedule that has been blocked out. When you cancel last min or don’t show up, that’s 2 hours she didn’t make any money. Do you want to go to work 2 hours for free?? I think many people just don’t realize the impact their actions and behaviors have on stylists. By changing your mind or deciding to just do something else last min impacts someones paycheck and livelihood.

Here are the Salon’s Cancellation and No Show Policies-

If you need to cancel or reschedule, please give us at least 24 hour notice for any changes made to the reserved appointment. Example: Just a cut instead of the color/Highlight you had scheduled. We need to know that the time you won’t be using is available for other customers.

• If we receive less than 24 hours’ notice to cancel or reschedule an appointment, it may result in a $25 cancellation fee. This fee will be added at the end of your next appointment.
• No Call/ No Show/ Forgotten Appointments- A no call, no show will result in a fee of 50% of the missed service total. This fee WILL be added to your next appointment.
• 2 No Call/ No Show appointments means WERE NOT A GOOD FIT FOR EACH OTHER. We understand that and wish you the best as a walk in appointment at your new salon.

Text and Email reminders are sent out ahead as a courtesy. As we all know, you cant always depend on technology. We’ve had many times our system has been down and not sent out reminders. This results in no show clients. So please write down your appointment as a reminder as well the text just in case. These reminders are computer generated. Please DO NOT reply to them, they will not be seen. You must call the salon to cancel or change appointments.

As a last side note, I know we live in a life of technology, and that’s good….most of the time. However, we do not have the best if any service inside the salon building most days, so if you message the salon or your stylist on social media, they very well may not get it, see it or be able to read it til they are already done for the night. It is always best to call the salon. If there is no one at the desk to answer the phone, please leave a message on our answering machine and someone will get back to you asap.

Thank you for your cooperation and patronage. We appreciate each and every one of our clients!

Deva Curl

New to the salon- Deva Curl products!!

What is Deva Curl??

-A product line consisting of shampoo, conditioners and stylers designed to enhance your natural curl or wave. We have their most popular products in to try and look to be adding more if they’re in demand!

ALL DEVA PRODUCTS AND SETS ARE CURRENTLY 25% OFF!!

Have some questions?? Our stylist Desirae is a certified Deva Curl product pro and curl coach.

She can select products best for your texture and curl type, guide you how to style your curls and keep those crazy curls balanced.

She said her favorite product from the line is the WAVE MAKER styling cream.

Want to check out these new products?? Stop in and shop our retail area and take advantage of the introductory sale prices while they last!! Need to schedule an appointment? Call the salon at 724 349 5444 or schedule online at www.cameronsalon.com

Welcome Alyssa!!

The salon would like to welcome our newest stylist Alyssa Ferguson to the team.

Education– Alyssa studied cosmetology at South Hills Beauty Academy in Pittsburgh, Pa. She has been a hairstylist for 12 years.

Expertise– Alyssa specializes in blondes, color and bridal hair. Her favorite part of the job is the relationships she establishes with her clients and helping people look and feel their best.

Alyssa has been a great addition to our team already and we look forward to what she will bring to the salon in the future. Here is a sampling of some of her work.

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She does a great job, doesn’t she?? Beautiful Colors!!

Need to schedule an appointment? Call the salon at 724 349 5444 or schedule online at www.cameronsalon.com

New to our salon and blog??Welcome! Feel free to look back and read posts from the past spotlighting our other talented stylists, techniques and trends in the industry and product reviews! Our Salon blogger is Abra Gardner and she would love to answer any questions you have or ideas you would love to see in the blog. Feel free to message her through our salon Facebook page!

OPI Spring Collection-HOLLYWOOD

The salon has the newest OPI polish collection called the Hollywood Collection. This collection has such a nice mix of pastel and bright colors.

My favorite is Destined to Be A Legend- I always gravitate toward blues and grays.

They have a remake of a favorite called Im Really An Actress that has some sparkle to it with a base shade similar to the classic Im Not Really a Waitress red.

We currently have the entire collection in stock in our retail area to purchase. We also have the collection to use in our manicure and pedicure areas. Interested in trying them out for yourself? Call the salon at 724 349 5444 or schedule online at www.cameronsalon.com

2021 Bridal Hair Trends

As we start into the new year we look forward to what we hope is a more normal wedding season this year. If you are a Bride planning an upcoming wedding or have a friend or family member getting married soon, feel free to share these inspiration photos with them. If you are looking for somewhere to get your wedding hair as well as your bridal party styles done, the salon is able to accommodate large wedding parties. Obviously with Covid, these days look slightly different than in the past, but we usually have 5 stylists available at a time to do styles on Saturdays, so we can still get you and your party in and out pretty quickly.

What do I need to do if I want to book appointments for my wedding? Please stop in the salon or call to ask for a Bridal Contract. This contract needs to be filled out and returned in order to schedule wedding parties. We also require a $55 deposit to hold your appointment spots. We usually schedule 45 min to an hour per style. We recommend scheduling our earliest available appointment to keep your day running smoothly, on time and without having to rush. You cannot book wedding parties or updo appointments online.

What can I expect that day? We ask every person in the wedding party arrives with dry, clean, non flat ironed hair. We ask that everyone shows up for their scheduled time at least 5 min early. Everyone that is scheduled must get the services they are scheduled for. Violation of any of these guidelines forfeits the deposit being used towards the appointments.

Due to Covid we no longer can have entire wedding parties or non scheduled people in the salon standing around and hanging out. We can’t have parties bringing in food or drinks anymore. Everyone in the party is required to wear a mask for the duration of their appointment. We ask that you call to let the salon know you are here for your appointment or check in at the front desk. You may be asked to wait in your car if your stylist is not quite ready for you as we no longer are able to have a waiting area due to Covid.

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Need to schedule appointments? Call the salon at 724 349 5444. Happy wedding planning!

Welcome Carla!!

The salon would like to welcome our newest team member, Carla Whitesell.

Carla is not new to the industry. She has 20 years of salon experience both working as a stylist and at times also managing salons.

Education– Carla received her education from the Jeff. Tech Vocational School and then went on further by completing the teachers programs through PBS. She is Certified in Olaplex, Barbicide, Keratin Complex, Chi Blow out, and L’oreal Professional Color. She has had continuing education on waxing, technique color and mentoring stylists.

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Specialties– Carla specializes in Color Correction, Razor Cutting, Dimensional Color, Men’s cuts and Perming. Check out some of her work below!!

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Doesn’t she do a great job?? After just a week in the salon she had already been a great asset to our team. We look forward to having her with us at Cameron Salon! Need an appointment? Call the salon at 724-349-5444 or schedule online at www.cameronsalon.com

More than just a hairdresser…..

Does this chart make any sense to you?? If not, this is one of the many reasons why your hairdresser is “more than just a hairdressser”. We as stylists have to have everything in this chart constantly in the back of our minds every time we are coloring, highlighting, toning or color mixing. THIS knowledge is one of the many reasons professional haircolor services turn out so much better than at home color.

I am not typically someone who comments on random posts online, It’s just not my personality type. However, I stumbled across a post on a Mom’s group I am in from college and saw a girl asking about going darker with her hair for fall and if using color from Sally’s was going to be a better choice than box color. After seeing a few comments from non hairdresser moms, I decided to jump in and try to help best I could. A little background on the girl- She said she was trying to save money by not going to the salon and color her hair at home. She said she was currently blonde and wanting to go dark but anytime she has done it in the past it fades out in the 1st few shampoos. She said she wondered if buying color from Sally’s would help with that fading.

Here are some things I told her that are important to keep in mind and to take into consideration when choosing to color your hair at home as opposed to going to the salon……and how in the long run it may not actually be saving you money at all.

1. Throwing dark color on blonde hair will fade. Always. Depending how often you shampoo it and how light the hair was to start will determine how quickly it fades.
2. To help combat fading, sometimes the hair needs “filled”. ( More on that in a min.)
3. Depending how light or processed the hair is to start, the porosity needs to be taken into consideration. Hair that is overly processed will act differently than healthy, virgin hair. It will either suck color in making it appear darker, or it will not take the color fully or evenly, making it appear hollow.
4. You have to take into consideration what the underlying pigment is of the color you currently have and what it is missing for the target shade you are after. Not taking this into consideration when choosing a color shade is how people end up with hair that has gross undertones to it like green or blue or a “muddy look”. THIS is when filling comes into effect.
5. The chart above shows all of these things. This chart is permanently engrained in every stylists mind and this information helps us formulate the best possible color for your desired result.
6. Did you know most box colors come with 20vlm developer? Did you know very few people going darker need 20vlm developer. 20vlm is used to lift base color and deposit. If you are already light, you do not need to lift, this is how people get hot roots where it looks like your root area is glowing and brighter than the rest.
7. You have to take gray coverage into consideration when formulating color. Different percentages of gray require different color formulas and developer.

So, still think you’re ready to color your own hair? Say you did try to go to Sallys and pick out color for yourself. Do you feel you could confidently look at this chart and know what you need to get your desired result? Did you know Sally’s is NOT professional color? That anyone can walk in off the street and buy color there, so it is no different than color from Walmart. The people who work there most of the time do not have an extensive knowledge of color to be able to help you get what you need. If you were going to understand this chart and try to fill your hair yourself- you are going to need AT LEAST 2 bottles of color, if not more. So say you got the supplies and color you needed from Sallys and it came to $50 once you got the tubes of color, developer, brush, gloves, etc. You bring it home and use it and the result is NOT AT ALL what you hoped for. We charge $65 for color in the salon. So by you saving $15 by coloring your hair at home- you are now left with the choice of dealing with a color you hate, or getting it fixed in the salon. Except now, it is most likely a color correction in the salon resulting in a higher bill at checkout. Wouldnt it have just made more sense to just get in done in the salon where they know exactly what you need and what to mix in the 1st place? Just some food for thought:) Still think we are “just hairdressers”? We are chemists, artists and magicians as well;)

Want your hair to look it’s best for the holiday season ahead? Call to schedule your appointment at 724-349-5444 or schedule online at www.cameronsalon.com