Today you can pick and choose courses to embark on a new career or hone your theoretical and practical skills and knowledge of products and techniques. Consider making an investment in yourself and in your business!
Hair coloring is the area where creativity and science meet and meld. Innovations in color science, products, and techniques have reached such a brisk pace that formal education and training has become more necessary than ever if a colorist intends to maintain a competitive edge with color services in his or her salon. Luckily, today all the leading manufacturers of hair color products are also true partners, offering courses that target your specific needs, focusing on either the latest palettes, products, or techniques for the novice or the expert, or even advanced seminars to hone your editorial skills.
INVEST IN YOURSELF
In today’s economy, it may not seem like the right moment to take time away from behind the chair to attend a course or seminar, but it is important to change your mindset and, as Goldwell Artistic Director Rebecca Heile calls it, “invest in yourself to stay fresh, current, and inspired”. You will return with a renewed outlook, new skills, and the latest products to recharge your color business. Wella Professionals Top Stylist Michael Haase also reminds us that, “Color is perhaps the most dramatic of the elements and thus the most prone to missteps, requiring a synergy of disciplines to enhance the essence of the look.” So get with the program! Here are just some of your options.
THE 3 E’S OF Wella
Master Colorist and Wella Lead Victoria Thurmanhall explains that Wella four-day seminars are 3-tiered –Essential, Exceed, and Expert– although she warns, “Our foundation seminars are anything but basic, but rather the starting point to complete understanding.” At his Salon Platinum Black, Michael Haase holds classes regularly for his color team, but also expects and encourages courses at the Wella Studio (in NYC or LA), the ultimate being the Master Color Expert Certificate (MCE): a 10-day, game-changing intensive course. Master Educator Nick Berardi agrees, saying “It is the supreme color course that will turn anyone into a talent to watch out for.”
AN INSPIRATIONAL VENUE
Goldwell/KMS Academy in Santa Monica has a new sister-school in the Big Apple that promises to exploit all that NYC has to offer. Global Color Master John Simpson will take students to explore the city’s art and culture in the broadest sense to inspire breathtaking styles. Global Artistic Master Dimitrios Tsioumas will also be on hand for the fashion-forward “On Set” workshop on the latest top runway and editorial shoots. The Academy also offers an International series to showcase artists from around the world with a wide range of courses. Goldwell’s Rebecca Heile will also be focusing on trending blonde products at both venues as well as appearing in webcasts you can find at www.Goldwelllive.com
AT YOUR SERVICE
OYA Senior Curriculum Designer Lindsay Allen is just one of the brand’s educators heading up a committed team that travels where education is needed, although she admits, “As we continue to grow, we could envision an OYA school in our future.” Courses cover all the brand’s products and fundamentals of color theory through KISS –or Keep It Simple System– and the OYA Colorist App that can be used for supplementary videos and a step-by-step formula calculator. Students work on both mannequins and live models, but she shares, “There is nothing like seeing the look on a model’s face after they’ve been ‘OYA-fied’. That wow moment of a first glimpse of beautiful shine and the soft feel of hair that can’t be topped. We are diligent about setting up our students for success.” Find out more at www.oyabeauty.com
NEW PERSPECTIVES
Matrix AVP for Education Development Matthew Calabro considers education itself a learning experience. “We challenge ourselves to broaden our educational reach,” he explains, “tailoring training programs for every level –from self-guided learning to advanced– as well as trend and technique-driven classes to build colorist confi-dence.” And VP of Education Martin Dale is excited about deploying Google Glass applications. In fact, this technology will be pioneered by Matrix Artistic Director Chrystofer Benson to offer student’s an “instructor’s eye” view during his “A New Perspective” sessions. Award-winning artist Dan Csicsai will also be offering a “More than Balayage” session on the latest lightening techniques as part of the same “Programs of Passion” series. More at mymatrixfamily.com/passion
By Marie Scarano
At Wella’s MCE program, where students make game-changing advancements in their craft 
Michael Haase and Nick Berardi sometimes work and teach in tandem for Wella, highlighting the interplay between cutting and coloring, like in their Deep Cut Hard Blondes collection 
Inside the Goldwell Academy and a model from the Blonde Class