Ombré Color

Ombré - a French word meaning "shaded" or "gradiate".

Ombré is the hottest haircolor trend of 2010. Fashion magazines and beauty blogs are writing about it, and more and more celebs are wearing it. Ombré color infuses dark, medium, and light colors throughout the hair creating a very dimensional, intentionally "rooty" effect. Sarah Jessica Parker, Drew Barrymore and Whitney Port are all sporting this fashion-forward hair color. Ombré color looks extremely cool, and to top it off, it's super low maintenance. No need for an every 6-week touchup - you can stretch your color appointments out to 8, 9, or 10 weeks, and if you schedule a gloss between touchups, you may get 10+ weeks out of your color.

Like the look of ombré, but not sure if you want to be super dark at the root? No problem, just ask your favorite R Squared Salon stylist to customize your color so that you end up with a few more highlights around your face and near your part.

Hot Summer Hair Trends - Ballerina Buns and Braids

Braids! Braids! Braids! Make them FAT not Skinny! Messy, textured, pulled to the side, intertwine ribbon or fabric, pull them apart and spray with dry shampoo or sea salt spray - Does your braid need a little length and bulk? Just clip in a few extensions at the nape of your neck and braid away! Hot summer hair that anyone can do!

The Ballerina Bun is one of Spring/Summer 2010's hottest hair trends. Runway models and celebs like Cameron D. and Kate B. have been spotted rocking this chic, easy 'do. Want to sport the classy Ballerina Bun yourself? Start with clean, dry hair and pull everything up into a HIGH ponytail - don't forget to slick your fringe back with it - and secure with a hair elastic. Next backcomb your entire ponytail by holding sections straight up and

backcombing with a rattail comb or teasing brush down towards the base. Finally, mold your teased ponytail into a nice, round shape and secure the edges with bobby pins. Don't forget to ruffle up a few fly-aways aroung your hairline to keep the look fresh and modern - spray with a little hairspray and voila! You are ready for any summer outing!

Art Show/ Flood Relief Benefit Thursday May 13

Thursday, May 13 5:30-8:30 R Squared Salon is hosting "Through the Looking Glass" A Garden Tea Party and Art Show featuring artwork by the R Squared Salon stylists. There will be plenty of food, libations, music, and even a spring themed photobooth! There will also be one-of-a-kind jewelry by Lalie Kavulich and hair adornments by Let Them Eat Cake available for purchase. Be sure to stop by the salon and check out your favorite R Squared stylist's artwork, enjoy snacks and beverages, have fun in the photobooth, and take home lovely accessories!



**Proceeds from all purchases made at "Through the Looking Glass" will be donated to relief efforts for families affected by the devasting flood our city has experienced

R Squared Salon
1219 17th Ave S #3
Nashville, TN 37212
615.327.3474

R Squared Salon goes to Chicago!

America's Beauty Show was held in Chicago March 27-29 and the entire R Squared Salon team attended this inspiring event for beauty industry professionals. There was so much to see, to do ,and to buy!

Here are our big highlights from our excursion to the Windy City....


Meeting Tabatha Coffey of "Tabatha's Salon Takeover". She is so nice in person!


The "Cirque de Tigi" runway show complete with creepy ringmaster, dancers, and hair models dressed as Cats, Horses, and Clowns - there was even an opera singer!


The KMS California cutting class with Edwin Johnston. We got an inside look at how the new Hotel California collection was created - new cutting, styling, and updo techniques!

Snagging Macadamia Oil hair products - which we AB LOVE - look for them soon at R Squared Salon.


Meeting celebrity stylist Kim Vo and taking photo booth pics with him!


Discovering hot new nail polish - Rose Among Thorns by China Glaze - a perfect neon red/pink



Seeing celebrity stylist and hair battle winner, Derek J, in action - complete with his signature high heels.


Scoring tons of new top of line tools, brushes, clips, cutting combs, flat irons, makeup, and educational DVD's and technical guides.

Oscars - Glam or ragic?

China Glaze For Audrey

After many seasons of only wearing black or deep amythest nail polish we have crossed over to the bright side. China Glaze's For Audrey shade has saved us from our former dark ways. Some might call this shade robin's egg blue, light turquoise, or perhaps even mint...but we say it is the closet thing to the color of a Tiffany gift box. What girl wouldn't want to adorn her nails with that shade? Not to mention, it is evoking feelings of spring at every glance. Hurry over to R Squared Salon girls and grab a little "pretty in a bottle"...it's only $6.50 and we sell out of it fast!

Betsey Johnson Fall 2010

We are absolutely drooling over Betsey Johnson's Fall 2010 collection that debuted in NYC on Valentine's Day. The show had a Wild West theme, and Kelly Osborne opened and closed the show (and looked A-Mazing!). Coats, boots, tutus and dresses layered over onesies, velvet bow necklaces, hats and feathers, western wear inspired dresses.....our heads are spinning!

Golden Globes 2010 Red Carpet

The 67th annual Golden Globes were held last night in Beverly Hills, and while we were excited to see "Glee", "Avatar", and Drew Barrymore win awards, what we really tuned in for was, of course, the Red Carpet! Hair, Makeup, Gowns, oh my! Purple reigned supreme as the gown color of choice, and simple, classic elegance seemed to be the theme for hair and makeup. We loved the "faux bob" look that lots of ladies were wearing, but the "pale lip" look that dominated the makeup scene was not a fave. Here are our top picks...

Sandra Bullock, Christina Hendricks, and Drew Barrymore are the top 3 for Total Look. Sandra nailed it with her fabulous violet gown, and low gathered waves. Christina Hendricks of Mad Men was Hot!Hot!Hot! Love the Red Hair, Red Lips and Curves! And Drew Barrymore absolutely shined in her sparkly gown, swept back hair, and elegant makeup.







Ginnifer Goodwin's short "almost pixie" crop is super cute! One of the hottest new looks on the scene now is short hair....if you are ready for a change and want to be on the cutting edge, then be bold and chop it off!

January Jones accented her chic updo with a simple black ribbon headband...LOVE IT! Hair accessories are a great way to add impact to simple styles, and they are so versatile that you can wear them to black tie events or just to grab coffee with your girlfriends. Make sure you choose hair accessories in colors that contrast with your haircolor so they really pop.

We absolutely loved Felicity Huffman's hair. She rocked the "faux bob" look and it looked amazing on her. It had just the right amount of texture and waves to be fresh and modern, yet still elegant. This style is an excelent choice for anyone with shoulder-length hair who wants to look chic and fashionable for an event, but doesn't want a typical updo.

Halle Berry and Chloe Sevigny were our favorites for makeup . Halle's smoky eyes and glowing skin looked stunning, and Chloe's dramatic makeup looked perfect with her sleek hair.

Gossip Girl's Chace Crawford was our favorite guy of the evening. The hair and tux were great, and the 5 o' clock shadow definitely works for him!

New for 2010!

Celebrity favorite haircare line, Klorane, is here! Klorane is based in France and all the shampoos, conditioners, masques, and leave-in treatments are plant-based. There are specific formulas for all types of hair and scalp issues. The Dry Shampoo with Oat Milk is one of our absolute faves....use this spray to clean your hair without water and remove odor! Great for the morning after a raging night out, or just in between shampoos so you don't have to wash your hair as often. Allure magazine agrees with us, too. They gave Klorane Dry Shampoo their Editor's Choice Award. We also love the Mango Butter Shampoo for dry, coarse hair...it's super nourishing, smells amazing, and is free of silicone. And if you have color-treated hair, the Pomegranate Leave-in Fluid is a must have! It has a UV filter to protect your tresses from the sun, and it detangles and neutralizes static electricity. Come by R Squared Salon to see the entire Klorane line.

With A Little Luck

Friday, November 13th R Squared Salon presents "With a Little Luck" art by Josh Rhodes from 5pm to 7pm. Swing by and partake in wine, snacks, and great art!

Josh Rhodes is a Nevada native, who now lives in Nashville with his photographer wife Sarah. He has done graphic design work for multiple indie bands, magazines, and illustrations for many published authors. His latest collection "With a Little Luck" features mixed-media on wood and canvas, and pieces range from $75-$500. You can view Josh's previous works on his website, www.twobirdsonestonedesign.com or his flickr at www.flickr.com/photos/joshuarhodes

We are so excited to have Josh showing his work in R Squared Salon. Please stop by Friday to meet the artist and check out these amazing pieces at great prices!

DIY Styling Tip: Volume that lasts all night!

Ever wondered how to full, bouncy hair that lasts long after the party's over? Follow these easy steps and your 'do will outlast your night out!



Step 1. Prepwork



Start by shampooing your hair with a volumizing shampoo - go ahead and lather up twice if its been more than 24hrs since your last shampoo. This will give you a clean canvas to work with - free of dirt, oils, and any heavy styling product build up. We recommend Serie Expert Volume Expand Shampoo, it has calcium and silica minerals to help add extra bounce to your hair.



Follow with a light application of a volumizing conditioner to the midshaft and ends of your hair ONLY! Do not skip this step...full, bouncy hair does not mean dry, frizzy split ends! Using the proper conditioner applied to the ends of your hair will not weigh it down...we like Serie Expert Volume Expand Conditioner for this step.

Be sure to rinse, rinse, and rinse again to ensure there is no conditioner lingering in your hair.



Step 2. Styling Product Application



You will need 2-3 styling products to do this step the right way...a body-building foam/mousse, a weightless creme, and an optional aerosol texture spray.

Start by gently towel drying excess water from your hair. After gently detangling, apply a golf ball-size dollop of mousse to your roots - make sure to target all areas of your head-top, sides, and underneath-flip your hair over to make the application easier. Now you are ready to apply a dime size amount of the weightless creme (our fave is Texture Expert Smooth Essence) to the ends of your hair and comb through for even coverage of both products.

Keep the aerosol texture spray handy for the next step.



Step 3. The Blowout



For the best DIY blowout possible, you will need an ionic blowdryer with a NOZZLE on the end, a boar bristle round brush, and clips for sectioning. The nozzle is very important to direct the airflow of your dryer - without it the air blows out like a tornado, whipping your hair every which way, and it is virtually impossible to get a smooth finish.



Start by flipping your hair over and drying 80-90% of the moisture out of it. Once your hair is almost dry, turn your dryer off and section your hair into 3 sections - Top Section: a "mohawk" section about the width of your brush from front hairline to crown. Mid Section: All the hair from top of ear to top of ear....basically what you would put up, if you were going to wear your hair 1/2 up 1/2 down. Bottom Section: This is everything under the mid section, behind your ear.

Begin in the Bottom Section, and spray the aerosol texture spray from root to tip. Use moderate tension with your round brush and follow the brush with your dryer's nozzle pointed down the hair shaft. Finish by blasting each section with the cool shot on your dryer.
Move on to the Mid Section. Again start by applying the texture spray from root to tip covering the entire section. Use the same technique with the brush and dryer, but be sure to lift your hair at the root area with your brush for maximum volume. Begin drying at the hairline on one side, move to center back, and then start the process on the other side. Use your cool shot to lock in volume on each section.
Now, for the Top Section. Start at the back of the section, in the crown area. Pull your first piece straight up and spray your texture spray from root to tip. Your brush should be behind the section, and your dryer is in front. Pull the piece straight up with your brush and follow with your dryer. Keep the brush moving by rolling it down once you reach the ends - you should be constantly brushing up and winding down while following with your dryer. A few passes should be all you need to completely dry the section then blast with your cool shot. Use this same technique as you move forward in the section. Even the very last piece on your hairline will be blown straight up and back UNLESS you have a short fringe. If you have a short fringe, just blast them down or to either side.

Step 4. Finishing

Now your hair should be completely dry and full of mega body and bounce. Complete your look by setting the Top Section with Velcro rollers for 10 -15 mins (optional), backcombing in the crown area for added height, and spraying a little aerosol finishing spray at the roots and over the surface.

Tips: To keep your style looking hot, hot, hot all night - Keep your hands out of it, the natural oils on your fingers will weigh it down. Carry a small backcombing brush and a travel size texture spray for quick touch ups.

D.I.Y.

3 Nashville magazines - 1 month

September was a busy, busy month for the R Squared Salon team! We had editorial work published in 3 Nashville magazines - all of them featuring new fall fashion. Our 1st project was with Nashville Lifestyles and Maximum Artists Creative Services...David Bean was the photographer, and we shot at Grimey's record store and at hotspots on Lower Broad - like Layla's Bluegrass Inn. Next we worked with NFocus Magazine for a 10 page spread featuring the hottest fashions from local boutiques like The Cotton Mill and Haven. Chuck Arlund shot this editorial at a FABULOUS home in Forrest Hills. Next we reconvened with Chuck Arlund and Connie Cathcart-Richardson's top notch creative team for a very fashion-forward shoot in Germantown with model Salome of Bravo's "Make Me A Supermodel". These images were published The Nashville Scene's fall fashion issue, and looked awesome in the new, glossy look of the magazine.

John Galliano/Spring 2010/Paris

Galliano is always such a source of inspiration. His collections are always exquiste, and his concepts always push the envelope. I always find myself anticipating seeing his latest creations, but honestly it's more about the hair, makeup, and how it all works together to tell a story. This latest show at Paris Fashion Week may be my all time fave. Galliano's glorious clothes, 1930's makeup with a touch of hysteria, over the top spray-painted hair pieces, and extravagant hair accessories spun a tale of film starlets who were staring head on at the ruin of their sparkling careers as silent movie ingenues. John Galliano's portrayal of Sunset Boulevard was directly influenced by silent film stars such as Tallulah Bankhead, and a research trip to L.A. where he toured old Hollywood homes to envision the lifestyle of starlets of that era. Let's all take a cue from this latest masterpiece, and wear our eyemakeup a little deeper, paint our lips a bit more defined and Clara Bow-esque, throw some feathers in our hair, or wear platform pumps with ankle socks!