HUEman Behavior

Lauren's Big Change: Red To Blonde!

2010-10-26T15:44:11Z

Lauren made one fierce redhead - she had been wearing a gorgeous red color for about a year. There was just one problem: she wasn't religious about getting her new growth colored every three to four weeks. She would leave the salon looking spectacular and then return seven or eight weeks later looking like a hot mess!

We decided to try to move towards a color that would be equally as flattering but would require less maintenance. I suggested a full head of medium blonde highlights running through a light brown/dark blonde base. Since every hair wouldn't be colored, the line of demarcation would be much softer, and she could extend the time between salon visits. By the way, this must have worked because I haven't seen her in the salon for ten weeks!

The result was gorgeous. Take a look at the video that shows the step-by-step process from beginning to end. What do you think? LMK - Jason

Ashley Greene Goes Back To Brunette

2010-10-12T14:34:17Z

Back in September, Ashley Greene sent me a text message letting me know she was going to be in New York for Fashion Week. Her text said "Blond was fun but darks SEXAY". Who am I to argue with one of People Magazine's 50 most beautiful people?

Back in the spring I had lightened Ashley's base color to a warm light brown and then highlighted it with some pretty light golden pieces, which meant I had to do her new fall color in a couple different steps. Once hair is lightened to a certain point, all the natural yellow and orange have been removed. In order for the color to come out looking natural, I had to replace (in the biz we say fill) that color. I warned her before we started that she would have stripes of Ronald McDonald red-orange running through her hair so she wouldn't freak out! After that processed we rinsed - not shampooed - and rough dried. Then her hair was ready to take the new color.

I chose INOA - the new ammonia-free permanent hair color from L'Oreal - mainly because I knew it would deliver incredible, shiny, natural looking results - but also because I am obsessed with it.I have to say, when we were finished: MAJOR!

I took the pic with my Blackberry that night at dinner so the quality isn't that great but you get the essence. I love it and, more important, SHE LOVES IT. What do you think? LMK - Jason

Try on Ashley Greene's hairstyles in the Makeover Studio!

Giving Christina Ricci Highlights

2010-09-22T21:32:10Z

Sometimes I have to pinch myself. Last night I had the most amazing experience - I got to go to Christina Ricci's Broadway debut in Time Stands Still. Honestly, I prefer a musical to a play (shocking, I know), but even without songs, dancing girls or cannons shooting glitter, I was captivated from the second the curtain went up. The cast is FANTASTIC -- Laura Linney and Brian d'Arcy James are beyond amazing, and Christina, seriously, seemed like she was born to be on stage.

About a week ago I met Christina at the Ted Gibson Salon. She came to see me for color and to have Jan Marie, one of our super talents, do her Great Lengths extensions. Immediate crush, loved her -- and her adorable dog Karen, a heartbreaker. I did a half head of highlights to soften her brunette base and make it a bit more golden for the season and followed that up with a frame highlight for extra sparkle. I loved it and more important (always) she loved it.

Anyway, back to the glamour. After the amazing performance, I got to accompany Ted to the backstage dressing room of Miss Ricci. What a moment of a lifetime! Backstage watching a Broadway star prepare for her debut party -- DYING! In her dressing room, which was filled with roses and candles, the magic was happening. While Ted pulled Christina's hair into a chic ponytail (very suitable for the Tiffany jewelry and the Alberta Ferretti dress -- MAJOR), Francelle Daly (Nars Makeup Artist) was doing her makeup, and Karen was jumping around so excited the entire time. What a New York Moment.

What do you think about Christina's look? LMK - Jason

The Alter Ego of a "Gibson Girl"

2010-09-09T15:56:54Z

In this month's issue of American Salon magazine, Ted Gibson and I got the chance to work with shapes and color to create "alter ego images." L'Oreal Professionel challenged me to come up with two unique INOA (the new ammonia free permanent haircolor from L'Oreal Professionel) that would emphasize the complexities of every woman - her soft feminine side and her edgy aggressive side.

When Ted and I started talking about the concept, we loved the process of taking soft, sexy, pretty "Gibson Girls" and turning them into their own nemeses! We wanted to transform them into the kind of women who reminded us of the villains from a comic book or super hero movie - stong, beautiful and gorgeous - but in an "I'm gonna kick your butt" kind of way!

It was easy to do the pretty hair color on the models - how could I mess those up? For the alter ego looks, we had to turn to wigs - not many real life girls want to look like super villains! It was a lot of fun and really inspiring to work with hair color looks using INOA in this unconventional way.

Follow the link to see some behind the scenes images and the formulas for the color I did. I'm anxious to hear what you think! LMK -Jason

All photos courtesy of American Salon magazine.

Black And White And Red All Over

2010-08-24T14:41:08Z

We heard the evidence in a case about some dude selling crack cocaine - I had no idea people even did crack anymore - it seems so 90's. Wasn't anyone listening to Miss Whitney when she proclaimed "Crack is whack?" Apparently not. The Assistant District Attorney was listing the evidence, reading us the charges and I was doing my best to pay attention; however, it was incredibly difficult.

All I could see was this perfectly lovely woman's HORRIFIC HAIR COLOR! OMG - the worst! She had at least an inch of new gray growth and then bands and bands of various brunettes and auburns going through the mid section finished off with jet-black ends. I was beside myself.

I wanted to offer a visit to The Ted Gibson Salon - my compliments, of course - but unfortunately the jurors and attorneys are forbidden from communicating. What's a coloris to do? LMK - Jason

The Real Housewives of D.C.

2010-08-10T15:15:34Z

As many of you may know, the Ted Gibson Salon has two locations. The first is in New York City and has been open for almost seven years - I can't believe it, my baby is growing up! The second is in Washington D.C. (well, actually it is across the street - literally - from D.C., we are technically in Chevy Chase, Maryland), and it will have been open two years this coming January.

Photo: © Bravo

The day before the salon in D.C. officially opened, we had the entire staff get together for one last day of training. We wanted to make sure they all understood what we at Ted Gibson are all about, and that they could provide the level of service we expected of them. We recruited a bunch of D.C. ladies to come in as our models, and I immediately fell in love with Mary Amons.

As I was getting to know my newfound friend while doing her single process application - she received an email to her iPhone. The email was from Bravo expressing their interest in meeting Mary for a new show they were casting in D.C. Ultimately, Mary was cast on the Real Housewives of D.C. along with a few other women I had become friends with.

It has been so fun to experience the filming of the show and being able to watch it unfold on TV!!! Tune in Thursday's at 9 to see the action - and maybe a glimpse of yours truly.

I hope you like the show (and the hair color)! LMK - Jason

Coloring Wigs For A Dear Friend

2010-07-30T20:04:35Z

Recently, a very dear client of mine discovered she had breast cancer. It was devastating news. The doctors all told her without a doubt she would lose every hair on her body - eyelashes and all. As she was telling me her story, I understood for the first time in my life how profound the experience of losing your hair can be.

We immediately started an action plan. Her homework assignment was to find some human hair wigs that she thought were the right basic texture and shade for her. She ended up with two on the first go-around, and she has since purchased 3 or 4 more. When she brought them into the salon, she sat down with her stylist Eugene Smith - one of the Ted Gibson Salon Super Stars - and me for a consultation.

Eugene discussed two different hairstyles for the wigs, and I gave several different color options - keeping in mind we wanted the wigs to look like her natural hair.

Check out the Flip Video I made of the process of coloring the wigs. I think the results look FAB!

What do you think? LMK - Jason

How To Blend Away The Gray

2010-07-13T16:07:34Z

I have been coloring Elizabeth's hair for about 3 or 4 years. She loves being blonde but doesn't want to have the commitment of a single process. Instead, I do highlights with between two and four shades of blonde (depending on the season) to get a result that not only achieves her color goals but - in my opinion - looks amazing!

There are pros and cons to both kinds of gray coverage. With a single process, you are going to get up to 100% coverage of your gray hair. You will get a soft, natural-looking color, and you will love it! On the flip side, you will need to have your new growth touched up every 2-6 weeks depending on how far you stray from your natural. Yes, that's right - I have clients who come in every 2 weeks! If you wait longer than 4 to 6 weeks, not only will you look like a mess, you also run the risk of color banding and inconsistent coverage.

With highlighting, you can achieve beautiful gray blending. Because not every hair is colored (like it is in a single process) you don't get as much gray coverage - hence "gray blending." The great thing about gray blending is the minimal maintenance - you can extend your salon visits to every 8 to 10 weeks! If you don't mind some of your gray showing, this might be the perfect option for you.

Take a look at the video of the color I did on Elizabeth and let me know what you think! - Jason

"How Much Does It Cost?"

2010-07-01T21:30:13Z

Last night, I was at a very swanky West Village hot spot for dinner. We ordered our drinks, looked over the menu and made our decisions. When the waiter came back to take our order, he went over the special additions and highlights to the menu. After each one, he would state the price "...the porterhouse for two at $138," etc. I started feeling a little self conscious...did he think because I was in jeans and a t-shirt I couldn't afford the prices?

Today, I had a guest in the salon that had a very specific request : she wanted to cover her gray and neutralize some of the red that had been exposed since her last color. I was more than happy to oblige. She mentioned her hair felt dry during our consultation, and I recommended a treatment. I also said that many times after a gloss, the hair looks shinier and feels softer. I suggested we decide about the treatment after we dried a bit of her hair to check the color and texture.

After the color was finished and the front panel was dry (and looking spectacular, I might add) I asked her if she was still interested in a treatment. She asked me how much it would cost. I told her. She then asked how much the rest of the service was going to cost. I told her. She decided not to get the treatment.

When she was checking out at the front desk I went to say good bye and tell her how pretty she looked and she LET ME HAVE IT!!!! She was so offended that I didn't tell her before we started how much her color was going to cost. She also added (condescendingly) that she had "been to the best colorists in the world that didn't charge as much," and that she didn't think it should cost what I was charging.

As a general rule, I never talk about money unless someone asks. I don't walk into an expensive boutique, pick up a pair of shoes and then yell at the guy at the counter because the price surprises me. If the price matters, I have always looked or asked first.

I put the question up on Facebook and Twitter and asked my friends and followers what they thought. "Whose responsibility do you think it is to bring up the cost of a service - the person getting it or giving it?" The results were overwhelmingly....equal. Half thought it was the provider's responsibility and half thought it was the receiver's responsibility.

What do you think? LMK - Jason

I'm L'Oreal Professional's New Celebrity Colorist!

2010-06-16T22:12:35Z

I am a lucky guy - I get to work in a place I love, in a city I love, doing what I love to do. I get work with the most amazing every-day women and some amazing celebrities and personalities. I am surrounded by motivated, passionate people and get to participate in training some of tomorrow's beauty superstars. Life is good!

Last week I received a gigantic honor. I signed a contract with L'Oreal to be their Celebrity Colorist for L'Oreal Professionnel! Out of all the work I have been lucky enough to do, having the opportunity to work with L'Oreal is almost surreal.

The first commercial I worked on as a colorist was for L'Oreal. It was for one of their consumer brands, and we were shooting for the Latin markets in Mexico City. We were working with Lupita Jones, the first Mexican woman to win Miss Universe - and a well known personality who was spokesperson for the brand, who told me a great story. Lupita told me about watching L'Oreal commercials on TV as a little girl and seeing the most beautiful women in the world say "I'm worth it" at the end of each one. She talked about how that phrase was so inspirational to her as a young girl, and what an honor it was to now be the woman who gets to say it to inspire other women.

Of course I am working on the professional side of L'Oreal now, but I still feel exactly the same way. My entire professional life, I have always thought of L'Oreal as the premier hair color company. I am thrilled beyond belief and honored one million times over to have this opportunity.

I am so excited to be living my dream!

"I Could Never be a Blonde..."

2010-06-08T19:10:58Z

I hear it all the time: "Oh, I could never be a blonde." Ladies, I have to tell you that I don't believe it is true. I am the kind of colorist who believes any woman can have any color she wants. The important part is making sure you choose the right shade.

Shade selection is a really complicated part of hair color. It doesn't matter how beautiful the color is - if it is the wrong shade, it ruins the entire look. When women come into the salon for a big change, we will have a long discussion about their expectations. I think it is very important talk about time, money, maintenance and the steps required.

I like to use Lindsay Lohan as an example. When she first went blonde, I less than loved it I thought it was too yellow and hard looking. By the time she did the cover of Vanity Fair, it looked amazing. Women need to know that sometimes a color change can be a journey. You may need to wear it for a few days - to see it in your light at home, at the office, in the ladies room of your fave hangout. You will get feedback from girl/boy friends and family, etc. By getting all of this feedback in addition to what you personally like and don't like about it, you can collect all the factors needed to lead you to the right shade.

With the three women pictured here, you can see they all have very different textures, styles and complexions - but every single one of them looks amazing as a blonde. Do you think you would, too? Is there a part of you who wants to see if blondes really do have more fun???

Are you tempted? LMK - Jason

A Twitter-iffic Spring Makeover

2010-05-17T14:00:00Z

My friend Victoria Stiles and I had a great idea--we wanted to do a contest where people could enter to win a makeover with INOA (my latest obsession), Platinum Seamless Hair Extensions, Face Atelier Cosmetics with Victoria doing the makeup application (she is MAJOR BTW) and me doing the color and extensions. The cool part about entering was we wanted to do the entire contest via Twitter! People who follow us on twitter (I'm @JasonHueMan and Victoria is @VictoriaStiles) or saw a re-tweet about the contest could post a picture through one of the Twitter applications so we could choose the winner. If you aren't familiar with Twitter, this might sound complicated but it really is simple... AND we had a blast!!!

Raelinn Schmidt (@raelinn_wine) turned out to be the lucky lady. I did a single process with INOA to richen her base color and added a few highlights for some springtime magic. Then, I added a full head of Platinum Seamless extensions. Rit Lon--one of the super stars at the Ted Gibson Salon in Washington DC did a spectacular layered cut and finish à la Ted Gibson sexy style and Victoria finished the look off with a Face Atelier Cosmetics make-up look.

Wow! What a transformation!!! Check out the video I made with my Flip camera--what do you think? LMK!

You CAN Highlight Relaxed Hair--Here's How!

2010-05-06T15:04:07Z

There are a few things I always consider the best complements:

When a guest tells me everyone loves her hair color and she gets complements wherever she goes

When a new client comes in that was referred to me by a girlfriend who's hair I color

When a guest comes to me for color, then tries someone else and comes back to me.

The third is the story with Alexis. I colored Alexis's hair about 3 years ago. When she came in, honestly I didn't remember her - come on, three years??? That's a LONG TIME!!! I will not forget her again though because she gave me such a great complement - She said she had been all over the city having her color done but always compared it to what I did for her in the past! Welcome back sunshine!!

Alexis has a relaxer in her hair and wants her hair lighter with highlights. A lot of people believe you can't highlight relaxed hair - NOT TRUE!!! You absolutely can lighten relaxed hair - you just have to be cautious. Lightening relaxed hair you need to follow the rules and pay attention.

Take a look at the video I made of Alexis's color with my Flip. What do you think??? LMK

A Mile-High Makeover!

2010-04-26T14:21:12Z

Ted Gibson was waiting for his flight home from Los Angeles a couple of weeks ago and started talking with Kathy, a flight attendant for American Airlines. After chit-chatting for a bit, she walked over to the podium and arranged for Ted to be moved to first class - JACKPOT! She ended up serving Ted for the whole flight and the chat continued. Ted mentioned he would love to cut her hair and have me make her a red-head. The next thing you know she and her son flew to NYC for a weekend in the city and a stop by the Ted Gibson Salon for a makeover!

Kathy had been wearing her hair in basically the same style since high school - super blonde and nearly to her waist. Because it was so blonde and very porous, I had to do the color in several steps. First I filled her hair. Filling is what we call it when we replace the gold and orange tones previously removed in the lightening process. Hair color is manufactured assuming it is going to be placed on virgin hair, which has gold and orange in it. Because of that, if I didn't fill her hair with the missing tones first the color would look pastel or muddy.

Now Kathy's hair was ready for the next step, the single process. I used my new obsession INOA--the revolutionary ammonia free hair color from L'Oreal. Both Ted and Kathy wanted to see some variation so I added a partial highlight for movement and dimension. Kathy still wasn't quite feeling it however. She thought it was beautiful but it felt too red and too bold for her. That's when I added the final touch - a few more highlights to soften the base color and give her the strawberry blonde she had envisioned for herself. She looked amazing and, even better, she felt amazing! I love my job!!!

We always say "Beauty Changes Lives"--how has it changed yours? LMK!

America's Beauty Show

2010-04-05T15:54:34Z

Last weekend I was in The Windy City of Chicago for America's Beauty Show! I have to say two things. 1) I LOVE a hair show 2) I love hairdressers!!! To me, hairdressers are a combination of rock stars and bartenders--tons of fun mixed with unlimited creativity. Imagine a venue filled with thousands of them for three days in a row. MAJOR!

I attended as a guest of L'Oreal to talk about INOA. In case you haven't heard--INOA (innovation no ammonia) is the revolutionary new ammonia free hair color from L'Oreal. I am obsessed with it to say the least. I have been using it in our DC salon since November and in our NYC salon since January. Honestly, I can't imagine going back to the old school, ammonia based hair colors--INOA has raised the bar and set the new standard for professionals and consumers. Ok,I know--this is supposed to be about the show! Clearly, INOA was the biggest innovation there, in my opinion.

As I was having my love affair with the show and obsessing about the energy coming from the hairdressers, I decided to pull out my Flip camera to capture some of the sights. I was coming across so many amazing things (spray tans offered by shirtless hunks for example) but I decided to focus on my favorite thing - hair color. I stopped people in their tracks (oddly enough everyone I interviewed had short hair...) to ask them to tell me what they love about their color and why.

Take a peek at the video to see.... What do you love about YOUR color? LMK!