Hair by Kristin

I've learned ESPECIALLY recently that the feeling of connection has been completely essential to my well-being.⁠
⁠
SO, I've been doing a ton of video calls lately, and I want to share with you a couple of easy, not-so-obvious things that will completely change your video-chatting game.⁠
⁠
2 WAYS TO UPGRADE YOUR VIDEO CALLS!⁠
⁠
💫A TRIPOD⁠
⁠
A tripod to hold your phone while you're doing ANYTHING and want to video chat is seriously AMAZING.⁠
⁠
I can PROMISE you that there is literally not one person on the planet that looks good on a video chat while your phone is sitting on your lap. There is nothing cute about looking at the underside of your face - angles, amiright?⁠
⁠
I used to be completely averted towards FaceTime calls / video calls because it's honestly kind of a pain, but using a tripod? ⁠
⁠
Um, GAME CHANGER. It lets me be hands free, and I actually look like my normal, human self, just like I do in person!⁠
⁠
💫EARBUDS (or any cordless earpiece)⁠
⁠
I am obsessed with being hands-free and I HATE cords.⁠
⁠
Trust me, I use my corded earbuds at times but it's not my favorite. And no, I don't currently have AirPods (tempting, though)⁠
⁠
Instead, this is not something I am 'fancy' about - and shhhh... I just use a $30 bluetooth earpiece with a long battery life. SO worth it! ⁠
⁠
I've dropped my earpieces in the sink, have left it in my jeans and washed it... you get the picture.⁠
⁠
I always have at least one that is charged, and let me just tell you that now that I'm totally spoiled and it's SO annoying if I don't have it with me.⁠
⁠
What are your favorite video chatting 'accessories'?⁠
Did mine surprise you, or are you JUST as obsessed with being hands-free as I am?⁠

I am NOT what you would call an 'outgoing' person.

I attended this incredible event in January that changed my perception on... everything.

I walked into a room full of people that I had never met, but had connected with them for YEARS (thanks to things like facebook groups)

Going in, I had literally NO IDEA what to expect.
I was terrified, nervous, and *slightly* overwhelmed at the thought of walking up to 'strangers' and actually having a conversation with them.

Like, doing that on purpose? Not really my thing.

And you know what happened? That room that I walked into had about 500 of the most incredible people that I have ever had the pleasure of being in the presence of.

It felt like you were literally walking into a room full of old friends.

It was beyond welcoming with an overwhelming feeling of sincere connection amongst complete and total strangers. With people I've never seen in person before in my life. You can't BUY that feeling and that is not something you just "wind up with" from most industry events. This one for me, set the bar for industry connection that was simply par-none.

AND OF COURSE, this event was spearheaded by my girl Brit Seva. One of the most brilliant people that I've ever had the pleasure to meet. I've been with her for years now and meeting her in person was literally, just like reuniting with an old friend.

By the way-in person, she is exactly how you think she would be. Like I thought to myself, why am I even weirdly nervous right now because like duh I KNOW this girl. So, I got over myself, the walls came down, and it was an experience beyond anything else.

And today, I had the pleasure of being interviewed for Britt's podcast and let me just tell you... I could talk to her for literally HOURS!

I have SO much gratitude and love for this woman, the community she has built, and for her specific way that she is actively changing the beauty industry - it's beyond incredible. Her podcast is just amazing, and I am so grateful to have had a part in it.

So - head over to check out my featured episode on Thriving Stylist Podcast and tell me what you think! I want to hear ALL the things🖤

Told you guys I'm a sucker for a sweatshirt! And working in bed, sometimes.⁠
⁠
Lately, I have to tell you that I've been waking up thinking about things I can possibly do to make coming back to the salon as easy as possible, for all of us. ⁠
⁠
We all know that things are weird right now and my end goal at this moment is to do things that will help make everything feel a little less "weird"⁠
⁠
So - over the last several weeks, I've been doing a TON of work on my end to create resources for you and I gotta say, this is a good one, guys.⁠
⁠
Have you seen my website lately? Head over and check out my STAYCATION page and find out what to do with your hair right now.
⁠
If you're wondering....⁠
⁠
💫how salon scheduling is working right now⁠
💫where to order products ⁠
💫want to know how to get your next set of extensions⁠
💫how to make your very first appointment with me⁠
⁠
This is gonna be the new spot! I'm adding to this consistently and I really do think that this resource will help answer some of your most burning questions.⁠
⁠
Are you on my email list? If you aren't already, you can sign up while you're on my website, and I'll make sure that you stay in the loop with me.⁠
⁠
What are you struggling with right now? What can I do to help you find answers? What do you think about the staycation page? ⁠
⁠
Drop your questions and let's talk about it!

Find my staycation resources here👇🏻
hairbykristin.com/resources

I did some serious clean up this morning😜

✴︎ I deleted SO MANY emails (also started unsubscribing)
✴︎ Removed myself from a handful of facebook groups
✴︎ Unfollowed a handful of accounts
✴︎ ... And I even changed a bunch of notification settings on my phone

One of my things right now is just making the time to literally just ELIMINATE stuff that doesn’t add value to my life. Things, habits, etc - you name it and it's on my "do or die" list.

In any way, shape, or form, this can be applied.

We spend so much time on all the platforms and if you find any source of *yuck* in the following ways, IT'S TIME TO CLEAN HOUSE ON THAT!

💫You get that random *ding* on your phone and it's annoying or disruptive but you just continue to ignore the app / etc (btw bye postmates your notifications are intrusive)

💫 Phone calls - literally customizing alerts for your people is still a thing, do it!

💫 Do not disturb, anyone? Make your time and SET UP your settings. I promise this one is SO good

💫 If there's something you continuously scroll past, close out of your notifications, or just simply ignore or never open...

Take a second.

Go to your settings, go to the top of the page, whatever - and delete that sh*t.🤯

Just get rid of it, like, yesterday. App constantly annoying you? Bye. Added to a group you don't love? See ya 👋🏻

Why? Because a handful of these no longer serve me right now. And I feel so much more at peace with 'the scroll.' My phone (aka source of everything) is WAY more peaceful to look at now.

Have you "cleaned house" in your digital life lately?

(PS you're completely allowed to be where you are with any of this. plz don't let this be a source of "another task" to add to your never-ending list)

Where I like to go to when it comes to adding positive realms back in to my life is:

1. contact your PEOPLE. ones that celebrate your successes - all the way from the little ones, right up to the big ones
2. reading/writing - starting with the gratitude parts
3. choosing a tiny thing to celebrate for yourself

Call it what you want, just get rid of the clutter.

Just because it isn't hurting, doesn't mean that it's helping you either 😘

Anyone else a sucker for a great sweatshirt? Well, I TOTALLY am, and I’ve been living in this one honestly, for a few days now. 🤷🏼

This right here has basically been my ‘uniform’ - and believe it or not, I have literally been wearing jeans basically every day because LORD KNOWS WE HAVE ALL THE TIME TO JUST EAT and I’m refusing to come out of this needing new pants, tbh. 😅

For me right now, it’s been the littlest of things that have helped me maintain a sense of “normalcy.” I’m sure some of you want to strangle me when I say that getting dressed actually does help (I know, I know)

I’ll say that even if I don’t do my normal, full face of makeup, I have been wearing at least *something* on my face more often than not - which is for some reason almost comforting and in the weirdest way.

by the way, have you guys ever done a “baby foot” peel?! Like the foot mask?!

They're literally amazing and if you haven’t done one, go on Amazon and find one now - thank me later when your feet are baby soft!

I haven’t done one in forever and now is literally the best time to do it because um, we aren’t really seeing other people - at least not seeing people that get to stare at your feet - and if you have done one of these you know exactly why I say that!😂

I think the biggest thing that anyone can do for themselves right now is to lean into how whatever you are feeling, whether it seems "extra" or even out of your usual norm.

Take a nap at 3pm? Why not. Start your day with bailey's in your coffee? Go for it. Ice cream for breakfast? Yes.

Here's a fun one - go through your contacts and start "guerrilla" Facetiming people. Like, do it unexpectedly and without warning. I KNOW most people don't enjoy a surprise FT call but F** it! 😂Most won't answer honestly, but it's SO fun when you catch even just one or two, and it's seriously SO good to reconnect.

Trust me, it's hilarious, and it's really just nice to know that you're in someone's thoughts. Go order your "baby feet" and get your video calls on! and pls let me know once you do this 😉

if skin stuff, jeans, and surprise FaceTime calls can help right now, literally go for it. What's helping your "normal" right now?

Guys. 2020 marks a whole nine years since I finished beauty school at Michigan College of Beauty 🤯 Time literally flies. I met some of my closest friends during my time in school - people that I'm still friends with to this day, I was turning 21 a few months later, summer was coming and life was good. ⁠
⁠
But WOW was my hair dark 😂⁠
⁠
You can't tell right here, (awkward side tuck anyone?) but I had a full, straight bang (which I had cut right before a trip to Florida... literally the worst idea ever) and although they were way cute, I vowed that I would never cut bangs before summer ever again! 😅⁠
⁠
I found my salon home in 2013 where I started as an assistant to the amazing Colleen and I've been at Red ever since!⁠
⁠
When I think about the various jobs I held since I was a kid, I stayed with most of them for 2-3 years at a time. Once I hit even like, 4 years of working at Red was when it started to fully settle in that I had found my salon home and career, it wasn't just a "job" like I had always had before. Funny to think about right?⁠
⁠
Fast forward to 2020, it's May, I've now held my cos license for 9 years now, I'm approaching 7 years of being at Red, I'm turning 30 in July, and... I haven't worked in over a month. ⁠
⁠
Our stories through this will be ones we'll tell for the rest of forever and my biggest peace right now is to simply allow myself to feel how I'm feeling, and to protect my headspace as much I can. (Confession: I've been in hiding and withdrawn lately, and I have to not be mad at myself for it right now)⁠
⁠
Everything is odd right now for all of us, and navigating here is beyond what any of us could have imagined. Every day is a different rollercoaster and I have had to learn that it is literally OK to just be. Or sleep all day, or eat *only* cupcakes for 2 days, or ignore the dishes (all speaking from all personal experience here)⁠
⁠
I miss the everyday stuff but mostly I miss the SH*T out of my clients and friends - LIKE A LOT. I'm thinking of you and I can't wait to give all the hugs and see your beautiful faces again!

Gotta love finishing your day at the salon with siblings!!
Tamara & I BOTH finished our weeks this past Saturday with a couple of our favorite people 😉

Red the Salon | Beauty By Tamara

As much as I love giving long hair.... sometimes you just need CUT IT OFF! 😍 I am fully obsessed with Rachel's new hair and so is she!!

My girl Rachel lives in Chicago, so we have to strategically plan her visits to make time for her hair. We hadn't touched it in months - which is beyond abnormal for both of us, but it made us all the more READY to do something new.

This time, Rachel came with plenty of ideas for a fresh look that we've been talking about for months. SO, we made a plan, did a big chop - and decided on a low maintenance blonding session for a natural tone, with just the perfect amount of dimensional interest.

There are so many things to consider when you're thinking about making a drastic change and EVERY conversation is going to be different.

Whether you're someone who's rocked the same haircut or color for years someone that changes their hair frequently, the conversation around changing your look will always be completely individual to you.

Have I ever had this look before? This could be as simple as wanting bangs. Can I commit to the daily styling? Is it possible for me to make time for my hair on a daily basis? Can I commit to the color or haircut maintenance? Sometimes a new look can mean committing to more frequent salon visits, can I commit? Will this work for my lifestyle, and are there tools or products I need to work into my routine to make it work?

If you're scared, wait. If you're hesitant, wait. If you're all over the place in terms of what you want... wait. Think you want a change and just looking for suggestions? Ask!

A lot of the time when we think we want a significant change, we really just need to come up with a solution for what you're experiencing. And other times, we just need to DO IT!

We all know that it's never "just" a haircut and changing your look has so many variables that simply touching on it here can't possible give the full answer.

Drastic changes can be shocking for some, but can totally be liberating if you're READY. I'll tell you that sometimes we talk about change for months before it happens, IF it happens, and it's SO normal.

The biggest and best thing you can do is gather tons of photos, consider your everyday styling goals and routine, and definitely talk with your stylist about it!

Are you thinking about a change to your look? Let's meet! You can always find me on my website at hairbykristin.com 😉

Red the Salon Kinesthesia

I am a HUGE FAN OF MINERALS.
As in removing minerals.
Specifically, I'm talking mineral deposits - and removing them from your hair.

One of the BIGGEST causes for:

- dull, tangly, damn-near-unbrushable hair
- discolored hair aka greenish or orangey
- hair that doesn't have bounce
- hair that feels waxy, wet or dry
- hair that feels...stiff and brittle (esp @ the ends)
- natural blondes that turn "dark" or "dishwater-y/muddy"
(whether you're highlighted or have never colored your hair before)
..is MINERAL DEPOSITS!

or the other culprit... *product build up.*

So...how do you know if you have product & buildup in your hair?

1. symptom check - if you're experiencing any of the things above, you’ve got buildup
2. you're using non-salon products - namely pantene, tresemme, or organix - there's a 100% chance you have crazy product buildup in your hair
3. your gray coverage is less opaque
4. you're in college (all college water SUCKS)
5. you're a swimmer (all ages that spends any occasional amount of time in a pool)

I can't tell you HOW MANY of these hair issues and more can be resolved with a SINGLE salon treatment.

SO MEET YOUR NEW BFF, MALIBU CRYSTAL GEL💫

Like, give me just 15 min (up to 45 if you have crazy buildup) and I can make your hair shiny, bouncy, and brushable again - without a big chop.

I've saved inches on inches of length with this baby and that is NO LIE!

Crystal Gel removes everything from minerals to medications to j***y product buildup from your hair.

It's vegan, mixes with straight h2o, has like 4 ingredients, and is so stupid-simple that it sounds like snake oil.

There is NOTHING available to the consumer that will do what this little packet of MAGIC will do!

Need a little malibu in your life? Yes, you do! Shoot me a message for your next appt and we will MAKE IT HAPPEN!

CONFESSION: I wasn't always that person who understood great hair care.

I'd look for substitutes, and for some reason was always surprised that I wasn't getting the results that I was looking for.

I thought, "Like really what is the actual difference here" and it wasn't until I DECIDED to make my hair and hair care a priority, and taking recommendations - that it started doing what I wanted it to do.

My biggest thing for you today is this: When you ask for a professional's recommendation.... take it!

As hairdressers, what we're really good at is solving problems, and providing solutions.

Whether it's something with your color or with the tools and products you use at home, we really do give recommendations for resolution!

I want you to meet my new favorite thermique from Kerastase - extensioniste!

I am fully obsessed with this whole line, like please don't ever discontinue this - the shine that you get from the shampoo and conditioner alone are reasons enough to try it.

To be a blonde and have shiny hair is a combination we don't often see. (outside of a superficial shine spray or in kids, lol!)

the extensioniste thermique is a blow-dry primer that:

-smells AMAZING
-light consistency
-acts as a "seal" for your hair to strengthen and protect from roots to ends
-prevents splitting to give hair that healthy strength and shine
-up to 450 degree heat protection
-has taurine and creatine
-have hair that you want to hang on to and help GROW?!

You need this in your life!

MEET ANTI TAP!⁠
⁠
Anti-Tap is a leave-in, pH balancing treatment from Great Lengths that works to restore balance in the hair.⁠
⁠
High pH - more alkaline, opens the hair cuticle⁠
Low pH - more acidic, compacts the hair cuticle⁠
⁠
Hair has a natural pH of 4.5-5.5! Neutral substances like water, sit right in the middle of the pH scale at 7.

Anything 7+ is an alkaline and too much alkalinity blows out the hair.

On the pH scale we definitely want to remain balanced, and slightly acidic, or else the hair is just fu**ed 😂.

So - we want strong, shiny hair as opposed to a mess of hair, we’ve gotta drop that pH back to a slightly acidic state for balance, right!? Right!

So what is Anti Tap, and why does it matter for your extensions?.

💫Anti tap was made for your Great Lengths hair extensions, specifically to maintain balance in your extension attachments.

💫Anti tap has a pH balance of 3.2, stabilizing the attachments - compacting the cuticle and strengthening your hair directly at the bond.

💫 Anti tap contains ingredients like panthenol to promote flexibility & strength, biotin to balance the hair and scalp, plus a superblend of antioxidants to reduce environmental stress on the hair.

💫All GL care products are dual active -designed to benefit both your natural and second hair.

💫This requires dilution! you just mix 1 oz of concentrate to 8oz of h2o - creating the blue bottled mixture you see pictured. directions for mixing & use are right on the bottle, too.

💫 I recommend using the solution after every wet treatment. It’s a must for anyone with hard water! mist this through your attachments after you shower, after your hair is wet from saltwater or chlorine, after working out... etc.

Think of it like the final seal to your extension care.

💫 Will Anti tap make or break your extension wear? Probably not. But it can’t hurt and Id rather that you have the option for use, than not. I personally love it!

Ok, so I am no scientist! but I care about the chemistry behind your hair. It makes all of the difference.❤️

My girl Hannah is giving us alllll the blonde hair ENVY! We keep her color nice and bright and this was her second round wearing Great Lengths hair extensions. ⁠⠀
⁠⠀
She loves wearing them just as much as I love DOING them! We used all fine -sized attachments in 3 colors for this beauty.⁠⠀
⁠⠀
For this application, we opted for lengthening placement as her first treatment was for volume.

I'm always blown away by just how incredible hair can look and even grow out with a great set of extensions.

You'll get used to hearing, "I love your hair!" and not "I love your extensions!" This is the real deal baby, nothing that "looks like extensions" here!