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Thursday, September 19, 2013


Friday, July 1, 2011

Thursday, June 30, 2011

Summer haircare tips from celebrity hairdresser Alain Larivée

Summer months often remind us of times at the beach, or hanging outside on a patio with friends, while drinking a cosmo. For many people, however, summer is also the time for a constant battle to tame frizz, maintain bounce or repair damaged hair. Read on, as Alain Larivée, the Canadian Creative Consultant for the John Frieda Professional Haircare division of KAO Brands Company, gives Bohemia Magazine‘s readers some tips to maintain that fresh summer do.

Text by Katherine Ellis.Photos courtesy of Alain Larivée, KAO Brands Company and rock-it promotions.

Even though Alain Larivée is one of the go-to hairstylists in Canada, do not judge his haircutting abilities on his own personal coiffure. “I am the type of guy who is always in desperate need of a haircut,” says Larivée. “We just don’t have the time!”

In his 24 years in the industry, Larivée, who is from Northern Ontario, has traveled the world and created an international client base. Still, he states that even though he has “done the big salon thing, [with multiple] stylists,” he prefers the one-on-one approach in his Montreal-based salon CAJH (Cheveux Alain Justin Hair), which he runs with his husband Justin Voss.
Since he was recruited as the Canadian Creative Consultant for the John Frieda Professional Haircare division of KAO Brands Company in 2007, Larivée has been a hairstylist at the last two Gemini Awards and three Genie Awards, as well as many other Canadian events. He recently returned from a trip to Toronto where the John Frieda team styled Elaine Lui, host of Lainey Gossip on CTV’s etalk, as well as her crew, for her sixth annual S.M.U.T.  Soirée –  an event where the talk show host dishes on celebrity gossip.

Larivée has cut and styled the hair of many celebrities, including Nina Dobrev of Vampire Diaries fame, Sarah Polley, Shannon Tweed and Wendy Crewson, to name a few.

“As much as superstars are superstars, they are still human beings, they are still people. [...] they have basic hair care needs [too],” he says. And the number one hair-related problem that women have is not taking the time to analyze and determine their hair type: be it oily or dry, straight or curly, the list goes on. This can affect the cut and style you are trying to achieve.

“If we take, for example, the summer time, the number one problem people are dealing with is humidity,” says Larivée. “Curls are in this year, and we are seeing a lot of beach waves, easy styling care-free hair. But there is always the woman who really likes to blast out her [coiffure] and have that really straight shiny hairdo; the issue is: how do I solve this?”
Larivée explains that women often go to their existing tried-and-tested solutions that have achieved the desired look in the past, but are not necessarily working now. For those seeking that pin-straight look, Larivée suggests using a keratin protein-based product, including sprays.

Prepping  your hair prior to any styling with  proper shampoo and conditioner is important too. Make sure it’s something that will benefit your hair type and the style you are trying to achieve. “I don’t expect everyone to pick up the bottle and read the labels,” says Larivée. “But if you take the time to read the instructions on the back of the bottle, [...] that’s a good starting point.”

Larivée also stresses that women should find the right hairstylist, and not just someone who is following the trends. “My famous quotation is ‘Trends are meant to influence, not dictate.’ And that is what you need to be aware of as a consumer –  this is the trend, but does it work for my hair type?”
As for when he cuts his clients’ hair, Larivée’s reflex product is putting in a serum after a shampoo and conditioner.  “The serum will help seal up the cuticle of the hair, and comes out with the next shampoo,” he says. “When worked through wet hair, it will help you hold your style and will control the cuticle of the hair.”
A new favourite is the Touch-up Flyaway Tamer by John Frieda. Resembling a mascara brush, Larivée explains that the product (which contains Inca Inchi oil) helps strengthen hair and repair damage, including those flyaway baby hairs. “I won’t do a photo shoot without it, or a live television broadcast. [...] Every time I try it out on somebody new, it ends up in their purse,” he says.
Larivée believes that his greatest accomplishment to date is his appointment as the Canadian Creative Consultant for John Frieda. There, Larivée works with other big names in the hair industry, including Luigi Murenu and Harry Josh.
“It’s really cool to find myself in a position where I work for a company that has a strong basic philosophy that matches my personal philosophy –[providing] quality hair care, transformative hair care, listening to and analyzing, and identifying  people’s needs and solving them. I think that is what the big part of my success is.”


Full article

Alain Larivée and the CAJH staff can be followed on Facebook at the following link: http://www.facebook.com/CAJHMC?v=wall
For more on John Frieda products, go to: http://www.johnfrieda.ca/en-CA/Home/

Monday, June 20, 2011

We are live in Toronto tonight for the SMUT event with THE SOCIETY and the fabulous Lainey Gossip and her team Sarah, Sasha and Duana who will be styled by us at the John Frieda lounge as well as hundreds of other amazing heads of hair. For more up to date info you can follow me on twitter.

Tuesday, June 14, 2011

Rebecca Anderson, qui aime d'amour son coiffeur Alain... (Photo: Marco Campanozzi, La Presse)
Rebecca Anderson, qui aime d'amour son coiffeur Alain Larivée.
Photo: Marco Campanozzi, La Presse



Il y a une personne qu'aucune femme ne tromperait pour tout l'or du monde. À qui nous avons dit, souvent dès notre première rencontre: à la vie, à la mort, chéri. Qui? Mais notre coiffeur, pardi! Pour les heureuses élues qui en ont un, bien sûr. Les autres, l'âme en peine, errent, éternellement insatisfaites. Portrait du rapport amour-haine que nous entretenons toutes avec notre coiffeur.
«Mon coiffeur? Mais je l'aime! D'amour!» Rebecca Anderson ne se fait pas prier pour louanger les multiples talents de son coiffeur chéri. Il faut dire qu'elle le suit, littéralement, depuis plus de 10 ans. De salon en salon, de quartier en quartier, malgré tous ses déplacements, elle lui a toujours été fidèle. Toujours.

À l'écouter parler, on dirait presque qu'elle parle d'un amant. «Je l'aime, parce qu'il comprend ce que je veux, dit-elle. Il n'essaye pas de me changer. Il respecte qui je suis! Et quand je le quitte, je n'ai pas l'impression d'être quelqu'un d'autre.»

Le tromperait-elle? «Non, jamais.»

Catégorique, vous dites? Il faut dire que Rebecca ne l'a pas toujours eu facile avec les coiffeurs. La dynamique trentenaire se souvient encore, quand, enfant, elle sortait du salon, en pleurant, systématiquement. «En Nouvelle-Écosse, tout le monde avait de gros cheveux, se souvient-elle en riant. Plein de spray net. Ça me traumatisait. Je détestais aller chez le coiffeur. Chaque fois, je rentrais chez moi en pleurs.» Depuis qu'elle a fait la rencontre d'Alain, de CAJH Maîtres Coiffeurs, c'est le bonheur. «Lui, je lui fais confiance. Il a toujours dépassé mes attentes...»

Même son de cloche de la part de Laurence Pasteels, une coquette brunette aux longs cheveux légèrement colorés. «Quand t'es control freak comme moi, tu cherches quelqu'un qui va t'écouter, te comprendre. Pas dire: «Oui, oui, mais n'en faire qu'à sa tête».» D'où son coup de foudre pour Roxanne, de chez Narcisse et Echo. «Quand je l'ai trouvée, ça a tout de suite cliqué. Non seulement on s'amuse, mais en plus elle ne va jamais me rater.»

Il faut dire que nous cherchons toutes des qualités différentes chez notre coiffeur. Pour Rebecca, c'est l'effet-surprise, dans la mesure où le résultat ne la dénature pas. Laurence aime sentir «qu'elle le vaut bien», dit-elle en parodiant la pub de L'Oréal. L'ex-publicitaire Anne Darche, spécialiste des comportements des consommateurs, avoue quant à elle: «Pour moi, la qualité des magazines est importante! C'est parce qu'il y a quelque chose «d'aspirationnel», chez le coiffeur», justifie-t-elle.

La psychologue Annette Richard n'est pas surprise d'entendre que les femmes ont de grandes attentes quand on parle de coiffeur. «C'est relié à notre apparence, notre image corporelle. Bien sûr, on peut se raisonner et se dire que ce n'est qu'une coupe, mais quand ça touche à notre image, ce n'est jamais à prendre à la légère. Cela touche qui l'on est, intimement.»

En prime, nos coiffeurs traversent souvent avec nous des moments charnières de nos vies. «Un mariage, un début de grossesse, des funérailles. Nous vivons beaucoup d'émotions avec nos clients, c'est sûr qu'on établit un rapport spécial», fait valoir le coiffeur Alain Larivée. D'où la fidélité, donc, comme suite à cette intimité tissée au fil des ans.

Des hommes aussi fidèles?

Vrai, les hommes seraient aussi fidèles à leurs coiffeurs que les femmes. Chez Dru, certains suivent les propriétaires depuis 30 ans. Hommes comme femmes. À la blague, on dit même que les hommes seraient plus fidèles à leur coiffeur qu'à leur femme... Mais est-ce si vrai? Les observateurs en doutent. «On ne peut pas négliger que, culturellement, il existe davantage d'exigences, en terme de normes et d'apparence, pour les femmes. Pas une femme ne peut être insensible à ça», reprend la psychologue Annette Richard.

La psychanalyste Marie Claire Lanctôt Bélanger, attrapée par pur hasard à la sortie de son fidèle coiffeur (pour qui elle traverse la ville depuis 30 ans), abonde dans le même sens. «Le coiffeur travaille à nous rendre désirables, analyse-t-elle à froid. C'est assez bizarre quand on y pense: il travaille pour que les autres hommes nous désirent.» En allant chez le coiffeur, poursuit-elle, les femmes envoient aussi un message à qui veut bien le voir. «Faire attention à ses cheveux, c'est dire que je fais attention à moi. Il y a quelque chose de la non-négligence et de la désirabilité.» Et puis, ultime paradoxe, signale-t-elle: «Le coiffeur, c'est finalement quelqu'un qui m'aide à être moi-même».

«Celui qui me donne une version améliorée de moi-même, renchérit Anne Darche. Ou de ce que je souhaite projeter de moi-même.»

Compliquées, les femmes, croyez-vous? Demandez-le à leur coiffeur ...


Silvia Galipeau
La Presse


http://www.cyberpresse.ca/vivre/mode/beaute/201106/14/01-4408949-mon-coiffeur-a-la-vie-a-la-mort.php

Wednesday, June 8, 2011

How To Fight Frizzy Hair



Frizz. Just whispering the word we swear makes our hair start to curl, if not our toes. Humid, hot, summer weather not only makes our hair expand, but the thought of blow drying and running tools through our hair becomes an idea too hot to bare. If you do go to the trouble, by the time you've completed your AC-free commute, what was in your bathroom sleek has morphed to eek. We spoke to Alain Larivée, John Frieda Canadian creative consultant and owner of Montreal salon CAJH Maîtres Coiffeurs about how to keep hair smooth and frizz-free through summer's humid assault.

First of all, what causes hair to frizz? The cuticle of the hair wants to draw moisture in to the hair shaft, so if hair is at all dry or the cuticle is not sealed it will draw in moisture from the air. While you may think that dry, winter weather is the time when you should be doing most of your deep conditioning, summer is just as important as healthy, moisture rich hair won't be as frizz-prone as damaged where cuticles are rough and left open in the hopes of catching a drink.

"If you don't prep the hair shaft properly then you'll get frizzy results," says Larivée. He says that's why it's so important to use frizz-fighting products every step of your routine, from shampoos and conditioners to serums and stylers. These have been formulated to seal moisture into the shaft and keep the cuticle sealed and flat, so it doesn't open up and draw in moisture from the air.

Know your hair type, too. "A very common problem with fine hair is that a lot of the straightening products are really heavy and can weigh down the hair," says Larivée. "I work with [John Frieda] 3-Days Straight, which is a very light spray, and it's really, really not heavy whatsoever." For those with course strands, he recommends a three step approach: a weather proofing shampoo and conditioner in the shower and then working through the hair with a comb a style sealant cream. "The action of the comb from root to end, and spreading the hair product evenly throughout the hair shaft, the hair will behave the same all over the head," he says, "not just in the areas where your hand has touched it with the styling product."

You shouldn't be afraid to embrace your natural hair texture and miss a few straight days. "Start with a curl-inducing shampoo—working with a shampoo that will encourage the natural curl formation of the hair," says Larivée. "My number one trick is I do a mixture: 'How do I use the products I have and blend them into a product I want?' Use a styling foam, like a curl boosting foam, and into your foam put the size of a dime of a straightening lotion in order to get frizz control. Your giving your curl the anti-frizz properties you want to have in your styling products. Comb it throughout your hair and let your hair dry naturally and your hair will stay beautiful until you wash it." And while you've likely heard this before, he can't emphasize enough the importance of leaving hair alone. "When you are letting your hair dry naturally, as it dries, don't play with it," he says. "Once it's fully dry the curl formation will hold into the hair shaft."

Technique is also important and Larivée says to take special care with how you form wet hair when letting it dry naturally. Start with adding your serum or styling product to sopping wet hair. Hair will feel smoother because the moisture has been locked into the shaft. "Preserve that feeling by sculpting the hair into its formation, if you come in and start scrunching the hair as you're drying you're going to look like Bon Jovi did in the '80s," laughs Larivée. "If you want to add motion and volume to the hair, what I usually try and tell people is squish the hair and leave it in clumps, leave the hair in its beautiful formation, don't rub fingers through it and scrunch it. Scrunch equals 1980s, and squeeze equals more where we're at as far as style goes."

If you are going to go the heat styling route, don't try and take shortcuts by flat ironing large sections of hair. "With thick sections, you cook the two outer layers, and the middle part never gets smooth because it never gets enough heat," says Larivée. "Be methodical—work section by section. Take the time, do it right and just touch it up as you need." And don't ignore the cool button on your dryer, it closes the hair shaft sealing in shine and helping the cuticle lie flat.

Lastly, Larivée has a reminder: "If you're going to the beach, if you're going to be playing out in the sun, hanging out in backyard, make sure your hair is protected from the elements. The nastier you are to your hair, the more often you're going to have to go to the salon is the bottom line."


John Frieda's new styling tool collaboration with Conair will be available exclusively at Walmart this July and features ionic technology and ceramic coating, important for smoothing hair and sealing the cuticle.
1. John Frieda Volume Curls 1 1/4" Curling Iron (C$49.99)
2. John Frieda Full Volume Dryer ($69.99)
3. John Frieda Flat Finish 1" Straightener ($89.99)


From shampoo and conditioner to creams, sprays, foams and serums make sure you're buying the right product for your hair type, and like Larivée says, don't be afraid to mix two to get the combination you want.
1. John Frieda Frizz-Ease Weather Works Shampoo (C$10.75)
2. John Frieda Frizz-Ease Weather Works Conditioner (C$10.75)
3. John Frieda Frizz-Ease Take Charge Curl-Boosting Mousse (C$10.75)
4. Fekkai Marine Summer Hair Smooth Sailing Anti-Frizz Cream (US$24.00)
5. Living Proof Wave Shaping, Curl Defining, No Frizz Styling Treatment (from US$15.00)
6. John Frieda Frizz-Ease 3-Day Straight Styling Spray (C$14.99)
7. Oscar Blandi Jasmine Oil Serum (from US$16.00)

Do you have a frizz-fighting technique? Do you let your hair air-dry in the summer or are you loyal to your blow dryer?

Sunday, May 1, 2011