Tag: Hair

It’s NOT TOO LATE For Valentine’s Day!

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It’s not too late to have really beautiful hair for your special date.

If you have waited this long to think about Valentine’s day, there is still hope!

I have openings next week, and if you come during the month of February you get $10 off a cut and $20 off any color.

Great hair is a gift that both of you will love.

Book online here for a hair appointment with April at the Dandelion Salon in the Sierra Vista Mall in Clovis, CA.

Hair Is Love FB App

Visiting a new stylist can cause anxiety.  But it doesn’t have to, check out what my clients say about me here, and on my Facebook page here.

It’s not too late, but time is running out!

 

Consistent Care: The Real Reason for Rebooking On Time

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Before. In this photo the client is still wearing the black drape.

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After. 

 

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After

I hate going to the dentist! It’s not that I hate dentists. I finally found one I really like. But there are so many that I don’t trust. I go in for a toothache, and they give me an estimate to reconstruct my mouth for $18,000 using new technology from NASA. It feels like they’re trying to sell me things I don’t need.

I’m sure some people feel this way about their hair stylist. “We just finished, why are you trying to rebook me?”

I had a beautiful client come in recently who reminded me why regular rebooking is important for the client. She had just moved into town, had a job change (she has the COOLEST job BTW), etc. Consequently, she couldn’t see her previous stylist, and hadn’t found a new one that she trusted. And she ended up waiting longer than normal to get her highlights touched up. I have done this myself so many times, I can’t even count!

The truth is that waiting too long not only affects the way your hair looks now, it makes it more difficult for your stylist to get the color you want and a perfect match. Here’s how it works: After a color treatment your hair continues to grow. Highlights are added to small groups of hair for best effect. If you wait too long, the hair grows out and can leave the appearance of lines, hazing, or other color inconsistencies in the overall canvas of your hair. When that happens your stylist is not just working on highlights. They are working to cover up the problem areas in your hair. This means you could be spending more time in the salon, and you may not even know why. In some cases, it may take a second visit to get a perfect color match. All of this means more time and money out of your life. Not good.

If you are in this situation, don’t worry. Most stylists can make these kinds of corrections. But once you finally get the look you want, your stylist will offer to rebook your next appointment before you leave so that you have greatest chance of keeping the look.

If you’ve waited too long between highlights, I’d love to help you! You can book here. And as I have written elsewhere, you are the boss. My number one priority is to listen to you. I will never use pressure tactics to sell you stuff you that don’t need from NASA.

Also, if you are a dentist, I love you! And I brush and floss everyday.

Follow me on Instagram @Grateful_head
Side by side highlights

“She Listens”

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What My Clients Say About Me

Choosing a new stylist can be scary.

Everyone says they are wonderful. But what are they really like?

You’ll have to decide for yourself, but here is what my clients are saying about me.

You can visit my testimonial page to see photos and screen shots of hair and comments from real clients.

You can also check out my Facebook page, April Troupe Hair & Lifestyle to see my reviews.

Here is what THEY say:

“April made me feel really comfortable and took into consideration everything I wanted in my haircut(I cut a lot off!) She asked good questions and made sure I was happy with everything before I left”- Grecia Enns

“April is great and truly spends time doing what YOU want done with your hair. She listens and keeps listening on subsequent visits. I brought my daughter to her and now my son as well and we all love her work and commitment to excellence. Thank you, April!”- Robyn Reilly

“April is amazing. She listens to what you ask for and her execution is flawless! I would highly recommend her to anybody looking for an excellent hair experience.” –Janine Fitzgerald

This makes me really happy! My clients love that I take time to listen to them. This is one of the most important things to me! What matters is that you get the look YOU WANT, NOT the look that I WANT.  So I spend a lot of time asking questions and listening.   I do this at the beginning, and I do this throughout the process of cutting and styling your hair. My goal is for you to leave feeling great about your hair. My greatest fear is that you will leave the salon feeling disappointed.  What matters most to me is that you are happy with your look.

I thought of this recently when I saw this commercial for Progressive Insurance. It is very funny, but reflects something that is rather telling about this industry. I’m always reluctant to believe criticism about another stylist. No one is perfect. But too many times clients have come to me after they were unhappy with their previous stylist. And the truth is they didn’t even know why. When we talk and begin the styling process, something clicks. They say, “my last stylist didn’t listen to me. They didn’t even ask what I wanted.” Let’s change that!

Click here to book an appointment in the month of February 2016 for $10 off for new clients.

What’s THAT For? Definitely Do NOT Throw It Away!

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Dryer Nozzle

An mature client with beautiful hair came in the other day. She has been getting her hair done by a professional for a long time.  She admitted something embarrassing. Toward the end of her blowout, she said (a little sheepishly) that  she just realized what the nozzle on the end of the blow dryer was for!  She said that for years at home, every time she bought a blow dryer she would just  throw it in the trash.

Its embarrassing to admit you don’t know something. But that is the surest way to grow.

Here is a brief explanation of what that ‘nozzle’ is and how to use it.

dryer with nozzle

Most blowdryers (even the store-bought ones) will come with at least ONE attachment called a concentrator. Some will include several different attachments. Basically, a concentrator focuses the stream of hot air leaving your blowdryer onto a very small section, instead of letting it spread out. When you want a good salon-style blowout (WHO DOESN’T?!), you definitely NEED this simple tool.

After you’ve mostly dried your hair (about 75-80% dry), you need the air to be more focused to avoid frizz. As you learn to use a round brush, you need that air stream focused on only the hair in your brush. Using tension to gently stretch the hair, the concentrator eases your hair into the right position as you dry the  base and mid-shaft of your hair, instead of blowing air EVERYWHERE. As you work your way to the ends of your hair, the concentrator aids in keeping the ends firmly in your round brush, for a polished, smooth finish. My client will never throw out her concentrator again…neither should YOU 🙂

 

How To a Get The Hair You Want: Communicating With Your Stylist

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Communication

I have recently had a number of clients come to me after having a bad experience with another stylist. Here are a few things that stand out to me as important steps toward getting the hair you want. And it all starts with communication.

1) Schedule an appointment with a stylist someone has recommended; preferably someone  with GREAT HAIR. New to the area? Visit  Yelp or other reviews so you aren’t going in blind.
2) Every stylist should begin your appointment with dialog about your hair. Even if you’re shy…please ENGAGE! Share with them any concerns you may have about your hair, its overall condition, and especially, talk about how you want your hair cut, colored, and styled.
3) Whip out the PHOTOS. Stylists are visual artists so pictures speak a thousand words to us. Try hard to find pictures of celebs or random people who have hair similar to yours in fullness and texture or desired color (if it’s a color service). Be open to reality or a change-up if need be. Trust us.
4) SPEAK UP in the middle of a service if things are taking an ‘unusual turn’. You wanted a lot more off the overall length, you wanted more face-framing, shorter bangs? Say it. Nicely, of course. You are making an investment.  When we hand you a mirror to see our finished work, you need to communicate with us.  We’re not afraid of you asking for another snip here or there. And nothing beats our client saying “Yes! This is just what I wanted!”. We kinda love that.
5) Re-book and share your positive experiences. There is just no greater compliment to a stylist. Blab to your friends about why you like this stylist. Who doesn’t talk about a good hair day?

Got ‘Jacked-up’ Layers?

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Layers

I have a few friends in this position (as well as a couple of desperate new clients) and was so happy to run across this post. If your over-zealous Mom or stylist leaves you with CRAZY AMOUNTS OF layers, what do you do? Here is a good article from the beauty editor.

“Read it and weep: “Last (ever) visit to a trendy, high priced salon: I found that their “let’s choppy it up a bit shall we!” handiwork was actually NOT the easy-care, sleek, jolly little shoulder-length bob my fine-to-medium (lots of it), dark brown (and actually very healthy and shiny!), straight hair required.” 

If your over-zealous Mom or stylist leaves you with CRAZY AMOUNTS OF layers, what do you do?

Source: Q: How Do I Grow Out My Layered Haircut? – Beauty Editor