Build Your Foundation
by Danielle Keasling
I'm not sure why hairstyling wisdom has changed over the past few years; all I know is that it's wrong. Asking a bride to show up for her big day with secondday hair compromises the finished look and does nothing to make her hair look fabulous on one of the most important-and photographed-days of her life.
While a good foundation is needed for any formal style, it’s especially important when crafting softer, strategically tossed editorial looks. If you style these softer ’dos for the moment and not the entire day, they’ll look bedraggled in no time.
I take my lead on foundational styling from Michael Albor, Matrix educator and owner of The Loft Salon in Boston, who’s so good at sharing information about upstyles.
Because of him, I now layer, rather than cocktail products onto the hair, starting with the right shampoo and conditioner and, if needed, a volumizing or smoothing treatment or primer.
During the blow-dry service, I lightly layer specifi c products to encourage natural volume, density or smoothness.
At the end of the blow-dry, I typically apply a light dry shampoo (aerosol) and brush through the hair to create a cotton-y texture. It’s only then that I curl and style the hair.
While creating a proper style foundation requires a lot of time and effort, it also speeds up the actual styling process.
Even so, you’ll need to book a longer appointment time. This is where winning over wedding planners can prove invaluable to your bridal business.
Because our bridal services are more expensive than those offered by salons that ask brides to come in with second-day hair, I invite wedding planners to have their hair done for a special occasion. I always walk them through the process as I style their hair. By allowing them to experience high-quality, long-lasting results firsthand, we ensure ourselves a spot on their list of most recommended salons for brides and bridal parties.
BRIDAL COLLECTION: La Maison Blanche
Art Director: Danielle Keasling; Photographer: Candace Perry; Hairstylists: Danielle Keasling and Kelli Hoff ; Hair Assistant: Bryan Wayne; MUA: Whitney Miller