Well another one bites the dust, 2016 started with a hiss and a roar and we’re already into the third quarter of the year. I sit here reflecting on my time in this salon and what an adventure its been. I started here in 2007 when it was known as Shadze Hair Design. We were part of the Hair Phenomena chain. I was just a young tyke back then, wasn't sure if hairdressing was for me. I was given an opportunity and kept at it; fell in love with the trade, got qualified and I've never looked back.

I’ve seen many changes within the village. Buildings being revamped such as the town hall and the recent demolition across the road. Many shops/businesses changing ownership or rebranded such as Salon Villair. With change comes different faces but many still remain. Kids grow up and leave the nest to take on the world, but despite the changes Khandallah still has a sense of community; family orientation and good will. You walk up the street and are greeted with a warm smile and a friendly wave from locals. I love that about Khandallah!

The past 2 years since Ann took ownership, Salon Villair has reached new heights and the business continues to grow. We’ve introduced new products and services to meet the needs of our clientele. We are big on education and up-skilling too. As a team we continue to embrace new and innovative hair techniques with Emma our colour technician and ‘hair guru’.

Individually we have our own personal endeavours, for instance Carmelita and I are both studying Business through Open Polytechnic to help achieve our goal of one day being a salon owner. We both have been training Alli who is near completing her third year of her apprenticeship and is on target to be qualified by the end of next year.  Studying is challenging at times, but we reassure ourselves it will all pay off in the end.

We have also participated in various events such as the Wedding Show, putting Salon Villair on the map. We’re absolutely ecstatic about an up and coming event we are hosting ‘Save A Life Fashion Show’. It's coming to the village in October to help raise funds for the ‘Life Flight Trust’. We’ve been amazed at the amount of support we’ve had for this cause, so be sure not to miss this because it’s going to be epic!

Throughout my time here I’ve met and worked with some amazing people. I’ve built relationships, learnt so much not only about hair or business but about myself too. But none of that could have been possible without the support of my family, friends, colleagues and especially my clientele. You’ve watched me grow and helped mould me into the person I am today, your loyalty helps me bring home the bacon and in return I will always try my utmost to provide you with the best service you deserve. 
I’d like to acknowledge Ann, John and the girls for all their efforts in supporting me.  Ann’s enthusiasm  keeps us all on our toes and she sets a high standard regarding customer service. Inspiring us to be the best we can, we work as a strong team supporting each other on the floor day by day. This obviously reflects on our clients as they often express how much they enjoy the  positive vibe we have going on in the salon.

Next year will be my 10th year here at Salon Villair, (just apart of the furniture these days hehe) pretty big milestone personally but all in all it really has been amazing 😄.

As I write this I have only one day of Tech left for the year. It has been a busy year for me and more so since I started here at Salon Villair. I'm excited to look back on my journey here and to see how far I have come in such a small time and how so worth it, it has been. I have passed every assessment this year and I am surprised how much confidence I have gained! Kat and I are presently discussing the next step towards my training. It would seem that I am on track to complete my finals next year of which you will see me working more independently on the floor regularly.

This months it's been a nice introductory to our body waxing services. We've had clients who have never had this service done before, and are ecstatic with the results. We've been receiving positive vibes from many. It's really great to have Carmelita a qualified Hairdresser & Beautician be able to offer these services to customers.

We just can't seem to get enough of the 'Intensity' range! The range has concentrated pigments designed to help create over-the-top vibrancy that lasts through 15 shampoos.

This months workshop we created a stunning mixture of colours using purple, blue and reds in Kats hair. Kats hair was already pre-lightened although we did put a few more highlights in so that the 'Intensity colours' would be more vibrant. As you can see from the pics below, the colour is quiet intensed and Kat is absolutely in love with it!!

The wintery weather so far has been kind to us this month. June was a very steady month for us in the salon. The school holidays were very busy, with many families opting not to go away these holidays. We ran our hair and makeup workshop which the ladies thoroughly enjoyed. We've also been very busy with organising a Clothing Fashion Show, which will be held late October. We are very close to advertising this event, so look out for more details on our facebook page.

This month I started back at Weltec, which in some ways is very exciting but also nerve racking. That's because what I am being taught in the salon has to measure up to Tech standards particularly when I am being tested on units. This month I passed two hair assessments; full head foils and solid form haircut.

Now that I have my Hairdressing and Beauty Certificate I can now concentrate a bit more on our Beauty services.
The month of August, I will be extending our services to body waxing for men and women. If you have never experienced this before, please feel free to pop in for a consultation. We have a private beauty room at the back of the salon and services can be done fairly quickly.  Or if you have any queries give me a call on 4797877.

A lot of activity happened across the road this month. The construction work was set for March of this year...but delays saw this project getting started this month. It's been a pretty smooth process so far, with little interruptions caused by the construction site to the day to day dealings within the village. On the very odd occasion they've had the orange cones outside the site, but parking is still very much available other times. 
With the building down, we're amazed at how little noise there is. However we've noticed how windy it is particularly on those cold windy days. How bright the sun shines through the window, where we have to pull our blinds down because the sun reflects into our mirrors. So far the work has had very little impact on our business.
Here are a few pics on the day they pulled the building down to what it looks like now. It's been said all going well, that this project will take 9 months to build. It will be exciting to watch its progress. I'll take more pics as the building progresses.

Workshops are a great way to 'learn how to'. This workshop, although straight hair is still fashionable; we focused on creative waves/curls using the ghd wand and tong series. These tools compliment the straightening irons and are so easy to use. Yes, straighteners can create curls but the wands and tongs create softer curls or waves. If you want to see them in action, pop in and see Kat, Carmelita or Alli and they will show you how easy it is.
Carmelita and Kat showed the different curls each apparatus created and then the ladies were given the opportunity to test on themselves with the guidance from the girls.
This workshop we included makeup - Dan walked the ladies through makeup and skin care. We streamed this live on the night, if you want to hear what he had to say or watch how he applied the products to our model Caroline go to Salon Villair facebook page. To see the below pics put the cursor over the below pic and push play.
Thanks to all the ladies that turned up on the night. We know you had a great time! We look forward to doing another workshop with you soon.

Last year I blogged about lightening hair. It is one of the most difficult services that is performed in a salon. This method is used to lift the natural colour out of the hair and it can be a very long process. So don't expect to be walking out quickly because it can take a long time to reach the desired result.
In our models case, getting her hair to a nice platinum required a bit of help from our Joico Technician. From the pics below Andrea's hair was throwing a bit of warmth at the roots. To counteract the warm tones, Vero Blue lightener was used to help lift the unwanted tones from the hair and Olaplex to help keep the hair in optimum condition. If not done correctly damage can be so intense, but your stylist will be able to recommend pre-conditioning treatments prior.

Emma also touched up Carmelita's dark roots. From the pics you can see how her hair has lifted to a yellow tone. Once it reached its maximum processing time, the hair had come down enough to then colour with the Colour Intensity blue & purple. When lightening hair it is highly recommended that when going from dark to lighter tones, that you don't go past 5 weeks from getting it touched up.