A breakdown of all the hair, makeup, and nail trends you need to know about in your salon, plus how to sell them to clients.

Hair Styling Tips for the Holidays

Help your client stand out at that holiday party with expert insight from Sassoon Toronto creative director, Lorraine McAndrew, and colour director, John Beeson.

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What to push: A pop of temporary vibrant colour. Try Structure Pigment Pencils, available in purple velvet, fashion fuchsia and blue cheer. The pencils glide on easily for all hair types and washes out after one shampoo. Try them out with for three different effects:

1. Adjust the colour intensity by applying Pigment Pencils onto damp hair, followed by a blowdry, for a softer effect or directly on dry hair for bold looks.

2. Smudge Pigment Pencils onto hair before working in a gel, such as Structure Hard Hold Gel, for a cool and urbane style.

3. Set the vibrant colour by spraying Structure Finish Instant Hold Working Spray onto hair after applying Pigment Pencils.

Our Top Party Makeup Picks

Dive into these beauty picks to create the most glamorous party looks. Clients love bold colours and sparkle when it comes to the holidays.

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What to push: Since lash extensions are add an extra something for special occasion beauty, Linda Woods, Ardell eyelash expert, recommends ways that salons can capitalize on this easy revenue stream. “Salons should understand the financial gain by offering lash services, which help to retain their current customer base, as well as bring in new clients into the salon.”

Woods says that everyone looking for a special touch, from teens to mature women, can wear them. “The #110 or #109 lash [is good for] a very natural lash look; the Demi Wispie gives a fuller lash line; and [Ardell carries] runway lashes, such as Claudia, which give a more glamorous look,” says Woods. “What many professionals do not realize is that [the two lash styles] can be combined: if a customer is looking for everyday wear, they would apply DuraLash Natural Knot Free Flares on the lashes, and then either apply a strip lash on the lid with glitter such as FUN lashes, for that special holiday party. At the end of the night, the client peels off the strip lash and goes back to the natural looking style.” For customers with lashes that are naturally fair, Woods recommends Lash Magic, a blending mascara to give black colour to the natural lash and makes a seamless transition with the faux lash.

Keep lash service prices in line with regular salon services. “For example, if they do a colour and charge $60 and it takes one hour, they make one dollar per minute. If their eyelash application takes 10 minutes, they should then charge $10.”

The Big Nail Art Trends

1. Change Up the Gloss

One of the hottest nail trends in 2013 is texture—so why not send off the year with a twist on this look? “Simply alternating either a chunky glitter polish or a textured one with a shiny shade creates a new, dual luxe design,” says Melanie McCulley, owner of Well Manicured in Manhattan Beach, Calif., and Gelish educator. She adds that using a matte top coat over a glossy mani creates a varied texture design.

2. Colour Play

The holiday season comes with a recognizable palette of metallic, rose gold, black, and wine-stained hues. As a first step in creating a unique holiday collection that your salon can offer, “get your nail tech team together for a little wine or pizza party and play with these holiday colours,” suggests Alisha Rimando Botero, executive vice president and creative director at Artistic Nail Design. Display their creations on a tip wheel, mood board or photo album for clients to look through during their visit, which will give them added inspiration. And don’t forget to wear the designs yourself!

3. Statement Embellishments

“Three-dimension nail accents are popping up all over the fashion world,” says McCulley. “I use small gems, rhinestones, studs and tiny pearl to create custom nail jewelry. If using regular polish, paint your base colour first, [apply] a thin coat of clear [polish] and take a long pair of needle-nose tweezers and apply the embellishment one-by-one onto the nail bed.” According to Rimando Botero, embellished nail art can also be done on gel nails, by either sandwiching the curing of the embellishment between two glossing top gel coats or applying each piece on top of a gel mani with nail glue resin before air-drying.

What to push: The accent nail. “Charge nail art by the nail instead of a whole set. This helps clients feel comfortable asking for nail art,” says Alisha Rimando Botero. Not only is this a good way to introduce nail art with one or two accent nails to clients who are more conservative, but the holidays are also the perfect occasion to dial up their regular manicure.

Beauty Image: Maria Li, Photo: Babak;