3 months already?

hi guys! i have a lot to show you on this blog as it's been a while since i've posted. the last time we chatted, i told you that i was going to start learning color. well, i've learned it, and i love it! below is an example of the first highlight i did. i really love it because it's very subtle and natural—exactly what i was going for:

the next series of pictures show color correction, which is basically when you strip the hair of its color to replace it with a different color. please do not pay attention to the haircut, it's awful because we were doing 3 different types of cutting styles on different sides of deb's head. the first picture is an old picture of deb, just so you can remember what her hair color used to be. the second is after i stripped the color. now you'll notice that i didn't completely bleach her hair, and this is because i was only trying to lighten her hair 2 levels, so i didn't need strip the hair all the way to get that effect. and of course, the third picture is the final product.

the next few pictures are my attempts at updos. as you know, my plan is to eventually get really good at this so i can freelance for weddings, etc. unfortunately, the school doesn't spend much time on teaching updos, so i spent a little time on youtube trying to get some helpful hints. the first updo is a basic french twist with a kick. i scrunched it a bit before putting it up and left it a little messy to get that sort of frazzled feel (i have a little cameo in one of these pics!). the second is an updo that i learned from youtube (original pictured below). it's super complicated, and deb's hair isn't long enough for it, so it is just sort of mediocre but hey, it's my first try! :)

the messy twist:

and the youtube updo:

the amazing version:

and my attempt at it:

xoxo

andrea's new do

last week, my class was asked to bring in models to work on, and my good bud andrea volunteered. she's a beautiful girl with amazing hair and she had a great haircut to begin with, so i had a great palet to work on. it was such a fun experience for me to have her come in because it gave me the opportunity to show my instructors what i've got! they gave me a lot of praise for this haircut and it was incredibly encouraging. below are the before and after pictures. mind you, the pictures aren't the best quality but they'll do. enjoy!

before

after

carsten x2

so first of all, i just want to tell you all how appreciative i am that you are following my blog. your comments always put a huge smile on my face!! that said, more school updates:

carsten was in again last week! normally, most students take carsten's cutting class twice, and after taking his class again, i feel even more confident with my cutting technique. we haven't started color yet though because when he comes, we sort of put our normal curriculum on hold. this week, however, we're studying a bit of basic chemistry and we'll learn how to do perms. then next week, we'll go over color theory, and then we'll start to practice!!! but for now, let me leave you with my most recent hair cut. the first pictures are of the last haircut i did with carsten and i actually had a chance to style the hair. when he comes in, we basically start with our mannequin having long hair, and by the end of the week, we end up chopping it all off! i think i rocked the last haircut though--deb looks hot (not talking about you mom...although you always look hot... the mannequin's name is debra hahaha). the second picture is just a curly hair style that i did on deb last week. enjoy!

xoxo

1 week left of intro

hi all! i know it's been a while since i've written, sorry about that. that said, i'm almost done with my first unit already! each unit is 6 weeks long, and after next week i will have completed intro. can you believe it? time is flying by. so far things are going really well, and i feel like i'm definitely getting the hang of things. unfortunately though, i haven't had the best experience with my instructor. frankly, she's not very good. she's new to the school and doesn't quite understand the way they function, so we've all been having to learn together, which really isn't fun for us as new students. we'd like to have our instructor know not only the materials, but also the rules of the school and the way it functions. so that's been somewhat of a frustration. but after next week i'll be moving on!

after intro, i'll be in unit they call "alpha 1", which is all about chemical treatments (color, lightening, perms, perm straightening, etc). i'm SO excited to learn color!!! it'll also be nice for another wave of students to come in, and then we won't be the newbies anymore! So anyway, i'll keep you posted. And i'll take pictures of the first color i do and post them. stay tuned...

xoxo

bless you, nicci...

since i've been cutting hair for years, and now i'm learning how to do it right, i thought i'd get practicing! this weekend i cut my sister's hair. although it turned out quite a bit shorter than she wanted it to go, it looks great!! so thank you, nic, for letting me practice on you, and for having a beautiful canvas to work from!

xoxo

before
after

my second cut... it just keeps getting shorter!!

xoxo

my first official haircut

this week has been very educational for me. carsten, the owner of the school, came into our class to teach for the week. he's amazing. he cuts hair like his hands are made of scissors. i have learned so much. this week we learned the basic cutting technique, as well as one style of layers, and last night i did my first official haircut on my manequin! below are the pictures. we didn't blow-dry or style the hair, so this is just how it layed after i finished cutting it. i will continue to show you my work as i move along in this program. enjoy! xoxo

the end of my life for a year... the beginning of my life in the future!

my life is officially over for one whole year. every day (monday-friday) i will be going to school at carsten institute (for cosmetology) from 6-10pm.

for an entire year.

it's bitter sweet really. but i survived my first week and, although i didn't have much free time, i really enjoyed going to school! it also helps that alan has conceded to going to bed a half hour later than usual, just so that we can have a little more time together (he's crazy about his sleep, so this is a big deal!).

a quick note about my hubs. he's being so wonderful through all this. he's told me that he is going to try and keep the apartment picked-up and clean so that when i get home at the end of the day i will feel relaxed, instead of being stressed that the place is messy (also a very big deal...the man is not known for his willingness to clean house). how sweet right?! he's also taking on full sergeant-duty throughout the week, and then the pup is my responsibility on the weekends. we're definitely having to make changes and compromises, but in the end, it will be worth it! i cannot wait to get started in this business, to be doing something i actually care about. so even though my life is over for one year, it's really only getting started.

stay tuned for more adventures of a new york city beauty school girl...

xoxo