The Hairbrained Pro Blog

Naturally curly hair expert Leysa Carrillo teaches you how to safely lighten curls, create multidimensional blondes and how to care for textured hair.

Gerard Scarpaci, Hairbrained Co-Founder, and Julian Perlingiero, world-class educator, understand the importance of mastering a variety of tools. “It’s important to be diverse,” confirms Julian. “I think a lot of my tool selection is based not just on the results that I want, but on the texture that’s in front of me.” And though precision and fundamental shapes will always reign supreme, understanding that different tools yield different results is valuable. “I think that there’s tons of ways to do things, as long as you do it with knowledge and control,” confirms Gerard. This is particularly true when it comes to creating shapes with graduation, such as a graduated bob, or a bob with graduation. “The sectioning, the combing, the body positioning – it’s all very much the same,” says Gerard. “It’s about precision and accuracy. The difference is in the tool, and the way it removes the hair. The razor moving up and down, at varied strokes – it’s like sketching. What the scissor does is more like a blueprint; the lines are sharp. Though the shapes are similar, the approaches are different.” Here, Hb shares our quick-tip for creating graduation with a scissor, versus creating graduation with a razor.  Quick-tip: “When graduating with the scissor,” says Gerard, “it’s about consistently elevating as you work your way up the head, and managing finger position to maintain the desired angle and weight build-up. Whereas with the razor, the goal is to not elevate – but instead – use the size and depth of the razor stroke, which incrementally becomes larger and deeper as you work your way up the head.”  

    Warm-weather season is well under way – and as the barometer rises – loose, carefree styles are among the most requested. Shaggy – yet ultra-classic – ‘The Shake’ fits the bill, perfectly. Well suited to a variety of lengths and textures, this round-shaped style gives a nod to the seventies, without looking dated. Julian Perlingiero, Master Educator and Hb Live Host, shares the fundamentals of this light, ultra-movable cut. Step 1: Begin by dividing the hair at the natural parting on top. Step 2: Next, implement a diagonal section that’s parallel to the front hairline. Step 3: Working from the cheekbone down to the collarbone, cut a flattering, face framing angle. Step 4:  Continue working in parallel sections back to the ear, and as you move through the sections, elevate each one a little bit higher.      Step 5: Once you’ve reached the area behind the ear, move section by section towards the center of the head, cutting a curved line from the hairline to the crown of the head. Step 6: Once you’ve reached the centerline (of the back of the head), repeat the same process on the second side. Watch the complete series, Classic Cutting Foundations with Julian Perlingiero, at: https://www.facebook.com/pg/hairbrained.me/videos    

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The Hairbrained community is united by the widely accepted concept that education is the key to success – and over the last several years – we’ve seen the trend in education move towards the independent faction. “Independent education is amazingly popular right now,” says Traci Sakosits, North American Creative Director for Sassoon. “Internationally, things are being done independently.” Undoubtedly, this movement has created ample opportunity – but it’s also fostered a certain amount of unpredictability. To bridge the gap, Sassoon, in conjunction with Hairbrained, has created ‘The Educator Course,’ with Traci Sakosits (get your tickets, here).    As a vetted educator herself, Traci wants to help fellow educators to understand the fine art of teaching. “Common language, simplicity in language, and understanding how people learn (both physically and emotionally),” says Traci; these skills are essential to being an effective educator. “I think that there are important lessons that educators need to learn – and the consumer needs to understand the quality of the education that they’re receiving.” For example, she adds, it’s important to know your audience, and to be flexible regarding their needs. “Be flexible enough to adjust your curriculum to suit you audiences expectations.” Hairbrained members – the independent and education-minded among them – says Traci, are the target audience for this class. “This class was made specifically with Hairbrained in mind. It’s the perfect audience, because Hb is both a meeting place and a platform, which has helped to give everyone a voice (without having a brand behind you). That’s where creativity thrives, in an open forum.” Traci is hoping to attract students who are semi-experienced educators, whether that experience is related to brand-affiliated, platform or independent education. She’ll capitalize off of this shared experience, allowing for roundtable discussions and an open-forum like experience. “Above all,” Traci promises, “we’ll have a good time with it. The goal is for people to walk away, and feel inspired to do more and be more.”   For the first time ever, Hb Pro will be offering the ‘Educator Course, plus the bi-annual Sassoon Master Class, which takes a look into the latest Sassoon Collection as a source of inspiration. “We are honored to be the first online retailer to present Sassoon classes – and we feel proud to offer this selection of courses to our online family,” says Gerard Scarpaci. Buy tickets, here.  So, if you’re an educator and feel drawn to boosting your skillset, visit Hb Pro, today, and pick up tickets to this limited-availability course. The one of a kind experience is perfectly accessible, and will help to fill your ‘creative tank,’ making you the best possible educator that you can be.  “I feel really connected to teaching other educators,” finishes Traci. “We’ll be able to get together, share ideas – and come out better than we came in. And that’s really what it’s all about, isn’t it?”