L’Oréal Professionnel
L’Oréal Professionnel is back with this season’s It Looks, and–as usual–I’m really excited about this! Since last season’s looks enticed me with the edgy cuts and pink hues (which I personally tried, and believe me it was harder to maintain that it looked), I was pleasantly surprised to find out that this season’s looks are truly for almost anyone! From the color to the cut–specifically the shag–it’s much easier to maintain and looks a lot more natural! I talked to the brand’s ambassador, Olaf Van Den Wildenberg, who further highlighted the latest hair techniques and color trends for me. With more than 35 years of experience and his very own salon “All About Hair,” the Dutch born and bred stylist patiently answered all of my questions just for you!
By Hend Seif El Din
1. Tell me about this season’s IT Looks. What sets them apart from last season’s looks?
I think there’s a huge difference, especially with regards to layers. This gives you a lot more possibilities to change your look. You can go for a wild look or a sophisticated one, you can play with your hair more.
2. Where did the inspiration come from this time?
The inspiration came from the late 60s and 70s; the “flower-power” time. Very David Bowie, you know? He had the very short hair on the top and longer layers on the bottom. We really liked his layers so we brought them to the lower part of the hair; not so much on the top, more around the face. There we do a lot of layering.
3. When you do a lot of layering around the nape of the neck, doesn’t it make the look thinner? Do you need to have really thick hair for this cut?
No! The longer the hair is on the top, the less the volume.
4. What about the colors? I also see extreme shades? Strong darks and blazing blondes.
This is just to inspire. What we would like to show is that we work with shades. The shades can be minimal or more extreme. Depends on what the clients likes and can have. We would like to show that you can play with color.
5. The last time the IT Looks brought us colorful highlights…pastels were really in. This time around I see more natural hues.
We always try to create something that a lot of people can have. With pastels…they’re nice and all, but they’re not for everyone. This time, the colors are for people around the world.
6. Back to the shag. Do you believe it’s for everyone?
No. It depends on your hair, on its texture and its movement…but because it’s in the lower part of the hair, a lot of people can have it, it’s more accessible, but it’s still not for everyone. I would need to look at the person’s hair first.
7. Believe it or not, I find layers quite challenging to get, in Cairo! I’ve never walked out of a salon with a shaggy-feel; they’re always very structured layers. So how do I avoid that?
In hairdressing, you really need to play with disconnection to achieve a different look. Generally, hairdressers try to go symmetrical, to create the “perfect cut,” and so they need to step away from that, keep an open mind, to avoid the layers you’re talking about. They need to get out of the idea that layers have to be structured and symmetrical and just let loose. Not all layers have to start and end at the exact same point.
8.If someone does go for a shag, and then tries to grow it out…won’t it end up looking ridiculous? Won’t they have to go through one of this uncomfortable phases?
In Holland, I always tell my clients to come back every five to six weeks for a slight trim; in that case, they don’t go through that growing-out phase that you’re talking about.
