Category Archives: Philadelphia Salon Blog

Spring Forecasting: Hair Trends and Treatments

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Spring is the time for switching things up and starting fresh, from decluttering your home to donating old clothes to revamping your hair. This spring, things are heading in a new direction when it comes to hair trends, and we’ve got the skinny on three looks that are about to be huge—and the best treatments to salvage your locks from winter dryness and prep your hair for your new, fresh look.

 

  1. Straight hair with a center part

    If you thought the 90s trend was limited to fashion, think again. The middle part is back in a big way, with sleeker, straighter hair. Think straightened hair that’s a day or two old—not pin-straight, but a relaxed tousle that’s smooth and under control.

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  2. Flat waves with minimal layers

    Think heavy, blunt ends without sacrificing any texture. This look requires an intentional, relaxed, just-rolled-out-of-bed vibe. To achieve this, wrap small sections of hair around the curler barrel, but only curl the midshaft of the hair (not roots or tips).trendCtrendD


  3. Grown-out shags with curtain bangs

    This cut rolls with the 70s bohemian trend, but keeps things fresh with an intentional grown-in look. Keep things piecey and textured by blasting your hair with a good texturizing spray, channel your inner Brigitte Bardot, and slay.

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Here’s the kicker, though: In order to pull these looks off, your hair’s health needs to be on lock. Central heat can wreak havoc on hair, sucking out moisture and turning ends brittle. Be sure to restore moisture and shine to your hair or prep your tresses to receive spring color with any of the amazing treatments we offer at Architeqt, from L’Oreal’s Pro-fiber treatment for damaged tresses to the at-home extended Linkage Meu treatment for silky smooth hair. There’s also L’Oreal’s Mythic Oil treatment to tame unruly, coarse hair or the L’Oreal Power Dose add-on to prolong your hair color after your in-salon color process.

Now you’ve got the style forecast and hair health knowledge to go into this spring ahead of the curve!

 

By Lauren McGrath

Balayage Perfected Through Education

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In an ever changing industry, Education is the platform that separates Architeqt Salon from the rest. With weekly in-house learning to taking off-site classes on the weekends, Architeqt Stylists are always trying to stay ahead of the trends.

In the last few weeks, Sequoya, Brittiany and Jessica were involved with continuing education in some great ways. From Teaching in LA with the Balayage master, Nancy Braun, to attending an Instagram celebrity’s Balayage workshop and then coming back and sharing the skills with the rest of the stylists from Architeqt.

(Sequoya’s blog)

A couple weekends ago, Brittiany and I attended a balayage class taught by an Instagram celebrity, Lisa Hart-Walker (@Lisalovesbalayage). Brittiany is already certified through L’oreal professional for balayage, and I have taken several balayage classes in the past. So, while balayage isn’t new to us, it is always great to have more tips and tricks in our stylist arsenal!

This was more of a hair painting class than balayage, in which we’ve both taken an interest. We learned four different hair painting methods. I learned new ways to section the hair to achieve different results, and techniques for better saturation, in addition to catching mistakes before they happen. 

After attending this class, it sparked our creativity and got us further inspired. Providing us with new techniques to “break free” from traditional hair balayage, we are eager to integrate these new methods for our clients.

Overall, it was a great class – probably better for a beginner painter, but we always appreciate going over the basics for a refresher. Whether you’re looking for a multi-dimensional, brunette balayage like Jessica Alba, or a more distinct balayage like Chrissy Tegan, we’ve got you covered with the skills and techniques to achieve celebrity inspired looks.

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Lisa Loves Balayage Workshop

Lisa Loves Balayage Workshop

(Jessica’s blog)

This past weekend I had the privilege of teaching a balayage class to the land-of-blond-isn’t-ever-blond-enough (aka Los Angeles). L’Oreal had me working side by side with the balayage queen herself, Nancy Braun.

Nancy is a celebrity colorist as well as the leading Balayage Artist for L’Oreal Professionnel. It’s taken her many years of practice and dedication to get to where she is today. Talk about an inspiration!


The dedication and years of experience Nancy has reflected greatly in the class. Over the weekend, we had two full days of teaching hairdressers ‘out of the box’ and ‘break the rules’ balayage techniques. We also honed in on why we, as hairdressers, love what we do.

Yes, I love painting and coloring hair because that’s what inspires me. But, Nancy made me realize it’s not just about the hair. It’s about the people we touch every day – how they affect my life as well how I affect theirs.

I walked away from this experience a changed stylist. I learned some amazing techniques that I can’t wait to try on my clients. And, I also learned to take a step back sometimes and appreciate the love and dedication my clients have for me.

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Jessica and Nancy Braun

Jessica and Nancy Braun

After teaching side by side with Nancy in California, I decided to bring my knowledge back to my Architeqt family. Stepping off the plane and returning directly to the salon, I showed them how to properly cut time when doing a balayage and a single process together…when time is of the essence.

We strongly believe in continued education at Architeqt. It’s just as rewarding to be able to teach the techniques I learned as to take a class myself. Not to mention, I enjoy watching them perfect their craft.

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Visit us this holiday season to experience the latest in balayage and hair painted looks. Which can range from subtle dimension to bright blondes to intense fashion shades.

Scumbags of Rotterdam, Reuzel and Men’s fall hair Trends

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        September will always be known as ‘Back to School’ month. The same holds true for the staff at Architeqt as September brings in our new cirriculum for our weekly educational sessions. This past week we visited Philadelphia’s brand new venue, The Fillmore, to check out a show that was put on by none other than the Scumbags of Rotterdam (Their words, not ours). Leen and Bertus are two of the world’s most popular and talented barbers. They spent the past 3 weeks touring the United States and educating the country on their *very specific way of hairstyling.

 

        Initially, when viewing the poster that has all of their different styles and cuts, one might be intimidated and think that there was some type of digital editing done to these men who have seemingly perfect hair. The truth is that none of the photos were edited. That would ruin the integrity and honor that Schorem has built with their 4 bare hands. A word that comes to mind after watching 4 unique haircuts being performed right before our eyes would be repetition. The attention to detail and the repetitious motions that each cut embodied was what allowed for their finished looks to appear to be perfect. They themselves will tell you that nothing is perfect and that there’s no such thing as an absolutely perfect haircut. Viewing their work would make you think that you could argue with them about that topic for eternity.

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           The hair show was not only a stage to demonstrate their hair cutting techniques, but was also designed to be a product education class for their hair care line named ‘Reuzel’. Reuzel is a pomade that comes in 4 different finishes/holds. Based on the specific styles that the duo had cut into their models, this product did an amazing job in keeping the structure and the integrity of the cut true.

 

            We at Architeqt have been using this product for about 8-12 weeks and have had some great results. One client sent us a message saying that he had been complimented not only on his haircut, but also the scent of his hair, shortly after leaving Architeqt.

 

            Although the styles that the Schorem barbers were cutting seemed slightly severe for the look that we like to achieve at Architeqt, there are still numerous learning points that can be adapted to our style of cutting. They repeated themselves many times saying that they like to cut out the boring parts of the hair and leave the cool parts alone. They blend the newly cut pieces to the cool pieces and that simply leaves the client looking ‘more cool’. The tightrope between boring and cool is the line that the Schorem barbers seemingly stomp on, daily. The looks are a blend of classic and new-age. The styles are for men who are interested in styling their hair every day although their product will stay in the hair until it’s washed out.

 

            Looking forward to autumn and the changing of the seasons makes us feel like we need to change as well. Some of the men’s fall hair trends will be leaning towards longer looks that will focus on accenting the natural texture of the hair. Sophisticated styles, like what the Schorem barbers displayed, will be in as well except we will be seeing a lot less product in the hair to allow for the natural texture to shine. An example of a sophisticated cut with natural texture would be Matthew Healy (Singer-The 1975). Brendon Urie (Singer- Panic At The Disco) has a style that we will be recreating often this fall and winter at Architeqt. It’s a classic look that can be achieved though repetition, clean sectioning, and a keen attention to detail. We hope to see you, your brother, nephew, uncle, father, boyfriend and even the boyfriend that we aren’t too sure about yet in the salon shortly!

 

 

By Nicholas DeMaio

An American in Paris

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Having spent the last week wined and dined by the Parisians, I have returned inspired to incorporate the effortlessly polished style modeled by the lovely woman making their way through the streets of “The City of Light.” Never before have I enjoyed a good rose and baguette accompanied by a free runway show of casual cool, sun-kissed color, natural makeup and enviable accessories. The cobblestone sidewalks and streets provide a fairytale backdrop, bustling with businessmen riding to work on fancy scooters and fashionable women in designer shades making their way to their respective workplaces.

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And yet…I never felt more beautiful myself. This was not a “brand war,” or a case of caste economic superiority…These people, these women, embodied the confidence and sophistication that appeared as though they had “more important things to do” than be concerned with their appearances… A certain je ne sais quoi, convincing me that I too, could achieve this Parisian street style.

Take hair for instance…I doubt these women rise early (no one really seems to, at least not before a hot café au lait and croissant) to break out their flat irons and blow dryers; In fact, they seem to embrace their natural hair texture from wavy to unruly to bone-straight and wear it proudly, unapologetically. From the windblown blunt bangs from the depths of the metro and long layers reminiscent of another hippie era, no one was trying. And yet they made me want to try…Or at least figure out their magic. Textured bobs and beautifully grown out balayage, with the occasional platinum pixie, ruled the streets and taught me that maybe, if I stopped trying so hard…

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I stopped in a local drugstore for some nail clippers, a forgotten necessity on an overseas adventure. And what did I find? Oh sure, shampoo and conditioner, toiletry items, OTC pain relievers…as well as organic rose lip balms, floral body sprays and antiaging sunscreens from Caudalie, Le Prairie and even the coveted L’oreal. There was no makeup display, no endless aisle of hair styling products. I suppose looking around I may have understood that minus the occasional bold red lip, clean skin and subtle eye makeup allowed these women to easily transition from day to evening, always keeping that glorious rose lip balm in their back pocket(or uh, Chanel bag). No harsh lines, never

overdone-simply fresh and beautiful, allowing their natural beauty to actually be seen and not hidden (what a thought!).

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On my last full day in Paris, I hit the boutiques-hard. Having already spent the week observing various styles, I found myself gravitating towards dresses…A-line, flouncy skirts, bold prints…Feminine and soft, yet clean and sophisticated. Coincidence? I think not. My inner Parisian wanted desperately to surface and shout “Bonjour!” to the world (all while sporting a top knot and dahlia patterned sundress, of course…why don’t I wear more dresses again???).

My take away from this marvelous city? Keep it simple. Not a fan of long morning rituals? Work with what your mother blessed you with. Ditch your heat styling tools for this sticky, muggy weather and grab some humidity spray and shine drops to keeps your ends frizz-free. Work WITH your hair and not against it. Economy not really working in your favor? Invest in some balayage (maybe only once or twice a YEAR) and high quality hair products to keep your color fresh and tresses healthy in between visits. Don’t be afraid to rock your roots and spray some dry shampoo for added texture. Biking or commuting via public transportation (or good old fashioned walking)? Let comfort be your guide and explore mid-priced brands with natural fibers (think breezy cotton tops and well-fitted jeans, easy dresses and tailored slacks and blazers ) to look effortlessly chic, and invest in buttery leather (or vegan!) pumps and flats, never minimizing the power of a great sneaker(or sandal!) to get you from one side of Philly to the other(But PLEASE keep those heels and toes 💯 ).

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And finally, be YOU. Sure, I love a dramatic lash and magenta lip as much as the next girl, but don’t be afraid to let some freckles out and be seen. Do not underestimate the polish of a groomed brow and natural lip to do more for you than that MAC concealer ever will.

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Gentleman, I did not forget you. While my eyes naturally gravitated towards the mysterious and arguably “cool” women gracefully moving about town around me, I did take notice of those gents sporting blazers, designer jeans and of course, a great haircut ✌ (so keep that standing appointment every 2 weeks is all I’m saying because that fade is everything). It comes down to TAILORING, and making each article of clothing fit YOU-Not the other way around. (Might I suggest investing in socks and sunglasses…PRECISION boys 😎😎😎)

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If you make it over to France, take a look around. Breathe it all in and appreciate the differences, the history, the culture, the people…And then go back to your room, throw out your ugly wardrobe and make an appointment with your hair stylist and brow guru STAT!

.RG

#relationshipgoals

 

 

By Anya Kats collage6

 

Architeqt Just Got a Whole Lot Bigger and Better

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Have you heard the big news? We recently just increased our footprint at our 10th Street location by 1,000 square feet, outfitted in our signature rustic industrial style — 100-year-old brick walls and all! Here’s what that much more Architeqt goodness means for you:

 

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  • There’s a brand new color room in the back, where clients can sit around a communal table and gossip, have a drink, and catch up on the latest celebrity news.

  • The color room doubles as our style library, lined with books ranging from art history and design to the classics, for your skimming pleasure.

  • A souped-up makeup station for Viviana to work her magic, carrying Becca Cosmetics , a line exclusive to Ulta, Sephora and Lord and Taylor.

  • Two blow-dry stations for after a color service or a quick mid-week pick-me-up.

  • A gorgeous patio lined with twinkling lights and lush greenery, to transport you from Philadelphia to a peaceful oasis while you wait for your appointment to begin.

  • A re-designed treatment room and shampoo area featuring the treatments you already know and love.

  • Last but never least, plenty of WINE — because we believe your trip to the salon should be an absolute treat.

     

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We are super excited to debut our newly imagined space and continue in our commitment to making your hair maintenance something extraordinary. Be sure to consider us when hosting your next get-together — thanks to our new space, we offer even better event and workshop hosting, cookouts on the patio, and even movie nights complete with our big-screen projector. Here’s to the best summer yet at Architeqt!