Well, if you read my last post Color 101 you are ready to hear about some of the more common techniques used in todays most current salons.

Some you've undoubtedly heard of, such as double process blonding, or highlighting/foiling; but there are some you may not have heard of such as balayage or ombre techniques. And even if you have heard of them, do you really know what they are, or what the up-keep, or pricing might be? Well, let me enlighten, and hopefully encourage you in regard to these wonderful, and seemingly arcane processes.

We'll start with one of the more common, and time tested techniques-foiling, or what is sometimes called weaving, slicing, or highlighting. 

I like the term foiling, because it describes it so perfectly. We are basically taking woven, or sliced out sections of hair, placing a color or lightener on the hair, and folding it into a nice little package for clean and even processing. This technique can be used to make a truly limitless result from stripy and avante garde, to very subtle and reserved. It can be used to blend grey, tone silver hair, subtly lighten, or darken, add warmth, or tone down brassy blondes. It is truly my favorite go-to procedure for at least 50% of my color clients.

Foiling is a process that can be a very low maintenance procedure, I have clients that have their hair foiled anywhere from monthly to twice a year. Most common is around 3 months. Average price starts at $130.00 for me, but the price is a bargain if you like subtle or easy to grow out color. Another benefit of foiling is that no matter how harsh the product you might be using, it is a small enough percentage being colored that the over all health of the hair is fairly easy to maintain. If the procedure is done by a knowledgeable stylist, the hair should be in extremely good health indefinitely. If your hair seems dry or brittle after a few applications, you might want to seek the advice of another stylist.

The next procedure probably comprises about 30% to 40% of my remaining color clients. That is the all-over color techniques. And before you start making assumptions, this is not what a friend of mine calls the dump and scrunch. We're not just taking a permanent color product and applying scalp to ends. There are many different techniques that fall within the category of all-over color. We could do a two process color where we are using a lightener to lift the color, and then a demi-permenant color to tone it to the proper finished color, or we could apply at the roots, and take throughout the ends in a baliage technique, or maybe never take color through the ends to leave it a more naturally faded tone (usually reserved for blondes and very light browns in my experience).

The all-over color techniques are used for going lighter and/or brighter, covering grey 100%, and sometimes just for adding depth or shine. If this techniques is done properly it should have a nice depth of tone, an even shiny finish, and should last at least 6 weeks. If the product isn't the correct type for the result wanted, the hair will most likely fade very quickly to an unflattering warm/brassy/orang-ish tone, and the hair will appear dry. The more times it's done improperly the dryer the hair appears, and the quicker the color fades. Beware of home color and inexperienced stylists if choosing something this radical. I charge between $105.00 and $130.00 depending on the difficulty of the application, and maintenance is generally somewhere between 3-8 weeks, depending on amount of grey, or how far one has moved from the natural depth or tone.


After this comes balayage techniques. I use this technique on a few clients to lighten their hair, but honestly, I use it most often when refreshing, or changing the tone subtly, on many of my all-over color clients.

This is a procedure in which we hand paint the color product onto the hair in what seems like random streaks, but is usually designed to lighten or darken the hair in a manner which helps to flatter the clients face shapes. In hair, like art, darker and drabber colors recede, and lighter and warmer colors come forward. This is how an experienced stylist will decide how to place you color. If a client has a rounder, or slightly fuller face shape, we want to used the darkest tones around the face, whereas if we have a particularly thin, or drawn facial structure, we want to lighten and warm up around the face to soften and add more interest.

Balayage is particularly difficult because the hair must be watched constantly to maintain an even moisture content, and even contact with the hair. The stylist may massage and work the color for most of the processing time. Like foils, balayage can create a seemingly endless array of finished looks. A baliage technique can cost anywhere from $110 to $150 or more depending on the time and difficulty of the procedure.

A look that's a bit more cutting edge in todays fashion scene is the ombre technique. This look is based on the fabric printing style by the same name. It is a more daring multi-dimensional color technique that started with the idea of "low maintenance" color, and usually consists of both lightening the hair (towards the ends), and darkening or richening the "regrowth", the hair nearer the scalp, which is naturally darker.

The reason it is considered a "low maintenance" color techniques, is due to the fact that the lightened sections can be left to grow for many months at a time. If a darker and more dramatic color is used, the darker color will need occasional refresh appointments, but that can be avoided if the color is not too far from the clients natural base. Ombre can be quite a bargain, or very expensive, depends on the client. It can be as easy as a few lightened pieces for around $85, all the way up to a color correction procedure costing several hundred. That's a rather good indication of how versatile this technique is.

Keep in mind that these are just a few of the techniques we use in today's salon, but with just these three procedures a good stylist can craft hundreds, if not thousands of unique looks for todays more discerning clients. And as always, these are techniques that should ONLY be used by very experienced color specialists, please don't try any of these techniques at home.

Color is my very favorite part of hairstyling, aside from the clients that is! But really, it's what I like the best. And so, I thought it might be useful to give a concise lesson on color in today's salons, how it works, and why I really do think you should have a professional handle it.

The first thing I discuss with all of my new color clients are the different types of color.

Permanent color: It's sort of what it sounds like, but not. It's definitely a process that permanently changes your hair, but the color will fade. What!? Yes, you read it correctly. See, the key here is that the way permanent color works is by lifting the natural pigment from the hair, and depositing a "permanent" pigment in its place. When the color fades (come on, even your natural color fades as it grows) what's left is a faded version of the artificial tone. When you get the color touched up, we refresh the ends so they are bright and on tone again. This type of color is not nearly as widely used as it was even a few years ago. Today we have much better colors to work with such as semi and demi-permanent color products. Permanent color is really only necessary for lightening hair, or working with extremely resistant grey.

Demi-permanent color: Personally, this is my favorite type of color product. This type of product doesn't lift the natural pigments from the hair, so the natural color is still there. This means when the artificial pigments fade, it doesn't fade "off tone" (think orange/gold, what we think of as brassy). Demi-permanent color is much lower upkeep, since the regrowth is softer, and it leaves the hair in much better condition as well. The drawbacks are that the grey coverage is slightly less, and you can't go lighter with this type of color product.

Semi-permanent color: This product is very similar to demi, but even less "permanent". Semi-permanent color fades almost completely in a few weeks, and won't really cover grey very well at all. The advantage is, very little commitment.

In case you're not sure, bleach is permanent!

The second thing I like to discuss with my clients is upkeep. 

Permanent color has the most upkeep. This type of color really does require touch-ups of 3 to 5 weeks. The regrowth will be very obvious, and really, the color can't be kept up properly with too much time in between.

Demi-permanent color is the least upkeep! The line of demarcation (professional speak for regrowth) is very minimal unless a lot of grey is being covered. It leaves the hair in great shape, and so doesn't fade as quickly; and since it fades on tone, it looks good for quite some time. This type of color should be touched up in 4 to 6 weeks, but I have a few clients who go as long as twelve!

Semi is sort of in-between. It leaves the hair in good shape and fades on tone, but since it fades so quickly, it needs to be refreshed more often. Somewhere between 3-8 weeks depending on how picky the client is!

There are other types of color as well, mainly things like cellophanes, a somewhat old type of color that isn't really used much now. It doesn't really leave the hair fit for any other type of color service, similar to henna, a type of color I absolutely loath. First off, true henna is very rare, and really, think Lucille Ball. Henna is kind of like a torrid love affair. Hot and gorgeous for a while, but when you burn out on it, you'll wish it had never happened. It destroys the hair over time, and is generally not fixable when things go bad, and they most likely will. Then we have temporary colors. They wash out when shampooed, and don't do much for the modern woman. Think grandma's blue rinse. Having said that, however, there are a few products of this type that can be handy for a color client. Several companies now make temporary touch up products that are used to camouflage grey in between appointments. They paint on much like mascara, but don't have the stiff or sticky feel, and they wash out completely when the hair is shampooed. And anybody who knows me, knows how I love my blue hair. It's my trademark. I use Inkworks by Paul Mitchell, It's a temporary color, it will usually wash out with one or two washings, except if you pre-lighten the hair! One strange benefit of bleach/lighteners, is that they make the hair very porous, like a kitchen sponge. Once it's stained, it's almost impossible to get it back to plain bleached hair. You start to see how complex it is, right?

One other topic, color correction. There's a very good reason to discuss this. In my experience, if you do your own color at home, or bounce around from salon to salon trying out the newest "most fabulous" stylist in town, you're going to need this service. There are so very many things that can go wrong, believe me I've probably done them in my 25 years of "practicing" the art of hair color. The difference is, I don't charge you to fix the mistakes I might make, and I have tons of products to work with, and can usually fix my mistake in about a half hour without ruining your hair. It might take you days to get an appointment, and I guarantee you, it will be veeeeery expensive. Usually no less than $250.00, don't be shocked, I've spent over 10 hours working on a case of accidental black to medium blonde-goth halloween costume, trick or treat! And this was a "temporary" color. At least that's what the package said...

We had the great privilege to host an education event at Cobalt Salon & Gallery  last Monday.  We got our Ombre on! 

Ombre is a hair color technique that involves the very precise placement of color, usually getting progressively lighter, or brighter, toward the ends. The term is based on the name of the fabric with the same properties. In hair it can be tailored for many different effects, from darker roots (which covers grey better, btw) progressively lightening to a light brown/dark blonde (or lighter) on the ends. The process is fairly recent, big in Hollywood, and was originally developed to help celebrities look more frugal. The color can be maintained very easily over long periods of time, theoretically lowering the cost. Now I don't believe for an instant that a single celebrity of any sort actually visited the salon less frequently due to this style, but that doesn't mean that the general public shouldn't take advantage!

Anyway, I digress. I had the privilege of teaching the class, which was attended by Tenaya Freitas, Kristin Harris (both from Cobalt) Elizabeth Quesada, and the oh so lovely and perky Emily French (from Luci's). It was the first hands on class we've hosted at the salon, and it turned out great! The stylists who attended had a great attitude, and we really had fun with the class. 

We worked on the ombre technique, and a point cutting procedure to create soft, textured layers that reveal the contrasting colors in this extremely versatile look. 


We love our education...enjoy some proof below!

Well, a few months back I posted a blog about our products and their best usage.  This time I'm going to focus on my personal top 5 favorites. These are products that I, and all of the staff at Cobalt Salon & Gallery, use most days of the week. So here we go!

We'll start, of course, with my number 5 favorite (gotta preserve the suspense, after all) It's a 10 Miracle Daily Conditioner/TIGI Superstar Spray Detangler. I hate to start with a tie, (yes, read it again, that was two products) but honestly, these product are my go to detangler and styling prep sprays, but for completely opposite hair types.  It's a 10 is fabulous for smoothing and detangling course, thick, and frizzy/curly hair types. It adds a nice bit of softness, and helps smooth the cuticle to add shine. And as an added bonus, the same product is offered with Keratin added to help extend the life of your Keratin Smoothing Treatment! TIGI Superstar on the other hand, while a fabulous detangler as well, is designed for fine, thin, or limp hair, and it actually does add thickness without drying or damaging the hair in the process.

Number 4 on the list is Kenra Styling Creme.  This product is used by me and my associate Kristin, almost every day, for lightweight texture and hold with a matte finish.  It is great for detailing curly hair, adding texture to finer hair types, and is used on almost all of our male clients for simple, but long lasting style. As a matter of fact, I think it's our number one selling product in the salon. It's inevitably on our stations, however, because it seems to last forever! A little dab'll do ya for sure!

Coming in at number 3 is Aquage Uplifting Foam.  If I could only have one styling product in the salon, it would most likely be this feather light mouse, with amazing lifting power. It's not stiff, and it's almost impossible to use too much!  It can be used on just about any hair type, and even comes with a nifty applicator nozzle to put the product exactly where you need it...your roots! 
Stylist's Tip: the roots are the only place a product can work to give you lift, think leverage.

Rounding out our list at number 2, is TIGI Afterparty.  I use it on any client I need to control frizz, fight static, add shine, or help fight off humidity .  It's almost never on my station unfortunately, because I use it up so amazingly fast! I use it to finish about %80 of my clients, and though you don't need much, and my clients' bottles last forever, I go through it like candy. It's a smooth, light, cream based shine product that absolutely disappears after a few minutes in your hair. I've never had it be greasy, but the added mica makes this product shine like a superstar.

And now, of course, your wondering about my favorite product, right? No question at all, my number 1personal favorite product is the product I use on my hair, my husband's hair, my son's hair, my mother's hair, and any of my dozens of clients who crave a strong, flexible hold that can be used for anything from a mohawk (that would be me), all the way to practically every bridal style I've ever done.  Aquage Transforming Paste can be heavy and greasy in the wrong hands, but with the right knowhow, this is my personal choice for an amazing variety of jobs.

I'd like to add that these are my top 5 favorites, at the moment, but not by any means the products I would recommend to every, or even most clients.  Products are so specialized these days that anybody who walks through the door may have the perfect product waiting for them that's not on this list, so don't be afraid to branch out, or come by and ask!

David Martin
Owner, and Master Stylist
Cobalt Salon & Gallery

Reposted from my personal blog Musings of a Hairslave from April of 2010

This year I actually got paid to work my dream job!  I didn’t see it at first, but during my second year working back stage at the West Coast Spring and Style Show (a rather big industry event for Northern California), in beautiful down town San Jose (some dreams are smaller than others), I realized that ever since I went to my first hair show, waaay back in 1987, I had dreamed of being a color educator and working a hair show!

It was such a long shot in my mind, that when I eased my way in, I didn’t see that I had arrived.  I mean, it doesn’t pay much.  Honestly, I don’t do it for the money, I do it for the ego boost.  I love teaching in salons, but doing the show is a whole nuther level.  I get to do things I couldn’t really do in the salon, and I get to show off my work to my peers in a way I never could without a company backing me.  It’s quite an honor in many ways.

This year I was handed quite the job.  During the morning triage backstage, I was asked to remove 6 inches of a blackish color from the last 6 inches of one of the model's hair, brassy dark blonde from about 4 inches in the middle, and balance these two decolorized sections with the 2 inches of natural regrowth, all of this on extremely thick (albeit fine) hair past the shoulder.  As soon as I sat her down I warned her that we had an 8 hour job ahead of us.  I wasn’t joking, I am extremely accurate at scheduling.  I was, however, wrong.  It was nine hours.  It was nine hours, and I had a partner.  It was nine hours, occasionally with a partner, and often an assistant!  It was a challenge I relished.  Relished, I tell you!  Too much?  Well I’m still a little euphoric. But honestly, have you ever actually used that word about your job?  Relished?  I hope so, otherwise most of your life is harder than it should be.  This was a chance to do something that I had only ever done in theory.  I’ve used doll heads, I’ve run it through in my head a million different ways, I’ve done 3-5 hour color corrections, but this is an opportunity that I may never get again.  As soon as they said what they wanted I thought, “oh shit, I can’t do that!  What if I totally f it up in front of some of the top talent in the hair industry?”  I’ve got one of the smallest egos in my field, but  I don’t like to feel foolish.  I had two whole seconds of scared sh&tless, and then I used a trick I learned a few years back.  I thought, “I don’t have a choice, I am really good at what I do, and this is simply a self destructive reaction of fear”.  And then I did my job.  It was awesome.  I learned more in those nine hours than I learned in the previous five years.

A very bad camera phone picture of a bad picture. :'-(

Sorry the picture sucks, my phone was the only camera I took! Smile Samantha!

At hour four I had decided I was going home at the end of the day.  The models were all tiny, we stand on concrete all day, and my back was killing me.  I was as close to exhaustion as I’ve ever been.  But somewhere around hour 6, I realized I was having a ball.  By 5:45 that evening (they turn the lights off in the windowless convention hall at 6, on the dot), we had her shampooed and heading home, soaking wet.  That means, that after nine hours of work, we had no idea what the color would actually be when she showed the next morning.

At this point I wasn’t planning to leave, my pride is much stronger than that, and I couldn’t leave without seeing the results, but I wasn’t coming back next year.

When the model showed up at 7 the next morning, with the most amazingly perfect “boosted” natural red that I have ever had the pleasure to produce, I realized I would be back next year, and as many more as my poor body could take.  The rest of the show consists of producing the runway shows.  That’s easy.

You have no idea how hard it is to be a model. Who would sit in a hard plastic chair for 6-9 hours having their scalp tortured for $250.00?

For the color geeks out there, I reveal the formula. I have to state right off the bat, that Betty Mayes is the most talented colorist I’ve ever come across, and she did all of the actual formulation decisions (with my consulting).  I did the first 4 hours of bleaching; Betty relieved me for a short time while I did a blow-dry. She did a little more bleaching, and then she and I both filled, and applied the final glaze.  It was a four person application at the end!

Step one, bleach:  decolorizing the ends, which were a faded level 2/3, very ashy and muddy colored, was our priority!  I applied ISO Active Lift, and 40 volume developer to the ends, twice.  While the second application on the ends processed, I applied Active Lift with 30 volume developer to the mid-shaft.  When the two were at a level 8, we applied to the scalp.  This was applied in stages.  It lifted quickly at the re-growth, and we were shooting for a 7 level red, so we didn’t want it too light or cool, ideally not past a level 8.

Step two, fill:  after shampooing and conditioning with strengthening conditioner (in our case it was ISO Color Care Shampoo and Conditioner) we applied a filler consisting of Zero Lift developer, 7cc, and less than a ribbon inch of ING.  The ING was added for a little more gold.  Yellow (gold) is a larger molecule, so it gives red (a much smaller molecule) something larger to “hold” to.  A very useful tip from Betty.

This processed for 20 minutes, and was then shampooed, and again conditioned.

Step three, glaze:  after a rough dry, we applied a level 7cr, with 20 volume developer (I might have used 10, or possibly a demi on my own, but Betty thought 20 plus ammonia would give it more of a boost), again applied scalp to ends, and processed for 35 minutes.  We wanted to do 45 minutes, but literally ran out of time.

Step four, pray:  since she left wet, we really had no idea what we’d see in the morning.  We hit the jackpot.  It was absolutely, precisely, what we/I had hoped for.  Evenly colored throughout the bulk and length of the hair, which meant they could cut it any way they wanted on stage without fear of hitting a dark or muddy spot!  The stage artists have reputations to uphold, after all.

Actually Step four might have been:  if it was “streaky”, “splotchy”, or “muddy”, all very technical terms, we would have added a glaze, probably slightly darker to even any rough patches, or a brighter red if it was to dull or muddy. This would almost surely have been done with a demi, in our case ISO illuminate.

Is there any wonder I always tell anyone who will listen how much I love my job?


David Martin
Owner, Cobalt Salon & Gallery

So, I'm fixing my clients hair tomorrow.  It's normally my day off, but for this situation, it was worth the sacrifice of a few hours to make it right.  As a professional stylist, a person who literally touches my clients, and their lives to some extent, every day, I am more than willing to fix my mistakes as quickly as possible.  There's an enormous responsibility, and a terrific amount of trust, in the client/stylist relationship.

As stylists, we are expected to take a certain amount of risk to further our clients goals.  We coach them on where to go, and they trust us not to lead them down the wrong path.  In exchange for this trust, is the honesty on the clients part to tell me about, and let me fix, any problems.  Even if that reason is simply, "it's just not me".  Please trust me when I confirm how valid such an opinion truly is.  And so I find myself driving to Davis on Wednesday afternoon. 

My client Elaine (of course the name is changed, and many of the events probably are too!) came in last week for a touch up of the red she really liked.  Unfortunately, believe it or not, both the distributors that carry my preferred color, RIchesse by L'oreal, were out of stock on their copper tones. They were also out of the copper tones in my backup brand, Vero Chrome by Joico! Richesse is the best no ammonia color I've ever worked with, and Joico's is second only because I haven't worked with it as long.  But I digress, when she arrived for her appointment with my associate Kristin, I did my best to mimic the shade.  I keep very detailed notes, and I studied the formula to see what I had on hand to match the color. Now, I don't mind bragging, I have at least an above average ability to match tones, so I was pretty sure I had it right, and when she was finished, I thought it looked nice. In the salon the tones seemed perfect, and the baliage highlights gave it a nice depth.  Seemed like I was lucky.  But then I got the text.  She didn't like my color, or Krisitn's cut!  The color is too blue red, instead of orange red.  And knowing what I used, I believe she's probably right.  

So on my day off, I will gladly sacrifice my time for the privilege of making her hair perfect.  I'm not worried about the color, I'm sure I can correct the tone (they're no longer out of stock), it will actually give her color better staying power to add one or more glazes, so It's no hardship for her hair, and from the picture she sent, I'm pretty sure the cut is an easy layer tweak.  Kristin's style of cutting is a little different than mine, every stylist cuts a little differently, so a nice dry cut to finish the style should take care of any layer issues.  

I'm thinking of switching color brands, though.  I mean come on, all the copper tones in both brands!  I need better support than that, I would do no less for my clients!



David Martin
Owner, Cobalt Salon & Gallery

The following post is always a work in progress, you never know in any given season what wondrous new product will come out to solve somebody's particular hair challenge, but below are listed, and explained, some of my personal favorites!

Product Guide

Recommended and Guaranteed by

David Martin,
and Cobalt Salon & Gallery

First, let’s break down the hair categories a little. This will be very helpful for determining which types of product will work best for your particular hair needs.

For this guide we will talk about fine, medium, or course hair.  This refers to how thick each strand of the hair is, not how much hair one has.

How much hair is on the head is referred to as thick or thin hair.  This may, or may not refer to the body in the hair.  Fine straight hair may be very limp, and fine curly hair may have a lot of body, while still appearing spars.

Finally, we discuss the texture of the hair, for example straight, wavy, curly, or even kinky, hair.

Straight, fine or limp hair:

If you feel your hair needs more body or thickness try the Superstar Shampoo, and for dryer types you can add Superstar Conditioner.  If conditioners tend to weigh your hair down, but your hair tangles, try Superstar Leave-in Detangling Spray!  It’s one of the best detanglers on the market, and it won’t lay heavily on your hair.

For styling, we recommend either the Superstar Blow-dry Lotion, or Superstar Queen for a Day.  Both are heat activated, so some drying is necessary.

Curly, but fine hair:

Same as above, but instead of the Superstar lotion or spray, use ISO Bouncy Crème,  Aquage curl creme, or for a slightly stronger hold, ISO Bouncy Spray.  If your hair tends to be on the frizzier side, use ISO Bouncy Cleans and ISO Bouncy Conditioner.

Straight, thick or course hair:

If your hair is on the straighter side, but thick, we recommend you try the Paul Mitchell Super Skinny shampoo and conditioner.  It’s designed to decrease drying time, and smooth and soften frizzy or course hair.  For styling we would add ISO Daily Foam, or for a smoother, humidity resistant hold ISO Tamer Foam.  For extra smoothing and shine finish with the Paul Mitchell Super Skinny Serum.

Curly, thick and/or frizzy:

If you want to keep your curly locks curly, use the Paul Mitchell Super Skinny shampoo and conditioner, but style with the Kenra Curl Crème.  Its stronger strength will insure a smoother and bouncier curl on heavier or courser hair types. For a very similar hold, but with a bit more shine try Kenra Curl Glaze Mousse. If you want to straighten your curly locks, style with either the ISO Tamer Foam, or Aquage's Straightening Ultragel.

Men, textured, or other short styles:

The best shampoo I've found for shorter hair types, that may experience itchy scalp or flaking, is Paul Mitchell Tea Tree Special Shampoo.  Not only will you love the slight tingle in the morning, the lavender/mint scent will help get your morning off on the right foot!


For shorter styles we recommend Kenra Styling Creme.  It's a great light weight creme that we often recommend for light texture, and it works especially well for men's styling needs.  For more texture or a stronger, versatile hold, try Aquage Transforming Paste.  

For longer hair types refer to the guidelines above, in the end Men and Women's hair is pretty similar...

Color treated:

For color treated, or low-lighted hair, we recommend ISO Color Preserve Cleanse and Color Preserve Conditioner (leave off the conditioner if hair is too fine or limp).  For highlighted hair try the ISO Color Preserve Cool Tone Cleanse!  The lavender hue will help neutralize golden or brassy tones.

Stressed, bleached, or sun-damaged:

For all types of heavily damaged hair, we recommend the TIGI Dumb Blonde shampoo and conditioner, or Joico K-pak Reconstructing shampoo and conditioner.  Both are designed to re-moisturize, smooth, and protect overly stressed hair.  If you have a finer hair type try the ISO Hydra Cleanse and conditioner. For detangling excessively damaged thin or fine hair, the Superstar Leave-in Detangler works wonders. For a slightly more conditioning spray detangler, for all hair types, It's A 10 is aptly named.

All hair types:

A few of our best selling products for almost all hair types are:

The Conditioner by Paul Mitchell, this creamy leave-in conditioner is great for anyone who wants a barely there hold, with shine and protection.  Also works well for light detangling.

Catwalk, and Auquage root-boost sprays are both designed for easy application at the roots, where volume is created!

Paul Mitchell Spray Wax is Tenaya's go to product for thicker, fuller texture.

Sharon is in love with most of the LOMA products, natural plant derived ingredients, with a high end spa feel, at a down to earth price.

Hello, and welcome to Cobalt Salon & Gallery's first blog post!  This blog is purposefully anonymous; our goal is to bring you hair, makeup, fashion, and health tips, provided by any or all of the wonderful stylists at Cobalt Salon & Gallery.

In coming weeks look for blogs centering on our salon, the products we carry, spotlighting certain procedures, how to use the online scheduling system more efficiently, and focusing on some of our stylists specialties.  

In that spirit, today's blog post is going to focus on one of our stylists, a very new one, Kristin Harris!

Kristin joined us just recently, and will be working for now as an assistant and junior stylist.  Don't let that fool you though!  She's got some excellent experience, as well as some pretty great talent.  Kristin will be assisting David around the salon for the next few months while she builds clientele (which I don't believe will take long!), meaning that she will be "hovering" around, and listening and watching carefully to see how David, Sharon, and Tenaya do things.  We all want her to bring the same high end customer service to her work as the rest of the staff at Cobalt Salon & Gallery does!

Kristin has worked in several other salons in both northern and southern California, and taken numerous advanced training classes, which allows her to bring some of her own expert advice and flare to Cobalt Salon & Gallery!  In fact, you should check out her styling chops some time!  If you're planning a special night out, or just want a little extra pampering, I suggest making an appointment for a blow out, or go for something more relaxing yet, how about a deep conditioning/gloss treatment, scalp massage, and blow out?  That's all included with a treatment with Kristin.  Or maybe you have that fabulous fundraiser, and this year you want heads to turn.  It's pretty simple to click over to her page now to make an appointment through our wonderful online scheduling tool.

Well, whatever your goals, keep in mind that Kristin, and the entire Cobalt Salon & Gallery staff is behind you %100, and that's a guarantee!