Photos by David Frasquillo

It’s that time of year. Everyone (including me!) is getting their hair beautified for the summer season.

Whether it’s a short cut to help keep the heat off, or bright highlights to get that golden-goddess effect, most of us like to freshen up our locks during the spring-summer transition (and hey, why not!?).

I decided to get a dramatic new look (dramatic for me anyway).

Yaniv, master hair stylist at Y Gallery Salon, and I agreed it was time to chop off my split ends, add moisture to my tresses and play with a different style. In this case, I went much shorter. I also paired my new cut with highlights and lowlights to add dimension and lighten my hair. Plus Yaniv even topped off the look with some fun, bouncy waves.

THE PROCESS

Color

Yaniv began by mixing two colors to create the highlight and one color for the lowlight. The tones were then applied to my hair based on the shape of my head.

Wash

My hair was washed with ECRU Luxe Treatment Shampoo and Protective Silk Conditioner. Lakme shine gloss was added after the highlights and shampoo, and rinsed with conditioner. A warm towel was then placed over my head for the conditioning treatment. Yaniv said the gloss brings moisture back to the hair, closes the cuticles and brings the pH level back to its natural state.

Cut

Yaniv began by cutting several inches of length off my hair to remove weight, and then snipped away to create subtle layers for a bouncy shoulder-length style.

Blow Dry

Yaniv began blow drying my hair, then sprayed ECRU Volumizing Silk Mist to the roots to give it body. He began lifting, pulling and scrunching as he continued to dry each section of hair – prepping it for the voluminous look that followed.

Style

Yaniv lightly snipped away pieces of hair to further shape the cut. He then curled my hair section by section with a one and a half inch curling iron. The strands were curled up midway to give the hair more of a natural wave. Once the whole head was curled, Yaniv combed through from root to tip to create tousled waves with tons of body (a look I rarely create myself!).

THE RESULT

“We created very natural highlights that complement your skin tone and eye color,” Yaniv said. “The cut has very natural movement to the hair that fits to the body structure and to the face shape. Every cut and color is different for each person – creating an individual look. Each look is a work of art.”

I definitely agree with Yaniv. My hair is now free of split ends and much healthier. Having shorter hair and natural-looking highlights is already a fun change for the summertime!

Haircut: $175
Highlights: $300

For a full list of prices, visit Y Gallery Salon’s website.

– Michelle Weiss

Note: This post is not sponsored. Service was provided complimentary for review.