Color your life :-)

Color: By Chiala Marvici



There are some things that we generally know about color and it has been around as long as we can remember. Color has always been fascinating to me, not just it’s beautiful hues and extensive spectrum, but the affect it can have on us physically, emotionally and its place in social stigmas.

 Color can raise our heart rates and our body temperature, which is the very reason why we stop at red lights and stop signs. Red is a perfect example of the physical affect color has on us. It can increase our pulse, heart rate and increase our blood pressure. Red increases our appetite by increasing our metabolism, which is why red is a common color in restaurants. As well, it can also have a calming affect. Next time you visit a local hospital notice the color pallet they choose for the interior and the fabrics. The colors found in hospitals and mental treatment facilities are usually soft pastel colors such as, greens, purples, blues and pinks. This is important in places where it is necessary to keep people calm. Science has proven that cool colors such as, blues, greens and purples will lower blood pressure, heart rates and calm the human system overall.

 The social stigmas relevant to color are equally fascinating. As a hair colorist of 17 years, I have seen this first hand. Brunettes have often been viewed as having a stronger, more powerful personality as opposed to blondes or red heads. Time after time women visited my salon feeling down or out of sorts and request a drastic change to their hair color, as if this was the solution to their problems. Well, what I discovered was it was a major factor in how they felt about themselves and how they believed that people in society viewed them. I developed a system that would help me create customized color to create an emotion and literally brighten someone’s day. I studied the psychology of color to have a better understanding of how I could use this in my work. I was able to not only affect the client’s emotion with color, but was also able to manipulate the depth around their face to visually change the shape of their face. This practice came from the basics of painting a room, as explained in an interior design book. For example, if you want to visually change the depth of a room you can paint the room in a variety of ways to make it look larger or smaller. This is one example of the affect color can have on us.

So next time you go out to a restaurant or visit the doctor’s office notice the colors in your environment and become aware of how they make you feel. Do you feel anxious or calm? Use this to create a mood in your own environment. Take the time to look around and feel the many different moods of color.

 Chiala Marvici

I love my Job !!

I love my Job!!

It has been one month since I started my new job … and I am loving it!! Looking forward to creating new education for all the hairdressers of the world and I mean the world. I have taken on the role of Global Education Manager for Matrix and it is refreshing to be in a position to make a difference in the quality education that is fed throughout our industry. I have been in love with hair since I was around eleven years old!  A couple of months ago did an interview with Estectica Mexico here is the interview:

How did you start in this business and how did you become Redken’s Creative Consultant? Since I was a young girl, around the age of eleven, I was fascinated and curious about fashion. I would watch fashion segments on television and runway shows. I knew even then that I wanted to be involved in the fashion industry in some manner. At first I thought I wanted to be a fashion designer, I even did my sixth grade science paper on fashion designers. Your probably thinking what does fashion have to do with science... well I always found a way to relate everything to fashion. I wrote about how the influence of coco channel popularized being suntan... the influence of fashion on social stigmas. Then proceeded to talk about the scientific affects of the sun on our skin. Needless to say I received an A on that report. When I was in High school I decided that my contribution to fashion would be through hair and that someday I would make it to New York City and do hair for designers. I took a pretty traditional approach attending a local beauty school and then finding the best salon in my hometown to start out my career. I realized shortly after my first year working in the salon that I wanted more and started looking at different companies and what they had to offer as far as education.  After many professional trainings through various companies, I ended up becoming drawn to Redken as a company and the sense of family that they incorporated into their educational approach. I was inspired by the beautiful haircolor .I love hair even more today than I did 16years ago. 

What has been your favorite job/show/presentation as a Redken Artist? One of the best experiences I have had in my career, happened back in 2003 while I was teaching a Creative Color program at The Redken Exchange in New York City.

Of the 40 students in my class one young lady stood out to me. What I saw in her was a resemblance of my own passion and love for hair. After the program she approached me and asked if she could have a few moments of my time. She then told me that she had never been so inspired than she had been in my class... She then said that it wasn’t just the techniques I was teaching but that she was inspired by my love of hair and the way I taught. She then said “I want to do what you do, you make me love what I do” ….  At that time my affirmation with my experience in teaching was validated.  But it wasn’t until about three years later that it really hit home for me. I was attending an educational event and I ran into the same young lady and she said to me... I’m an educator and it is because of you that I have the opportunity to share my love of hair with others... Thank you so much for being that person for me” That is when I understood the effect that we can have on peoples life... Since that day I have embraced that gift!  And her Name was Julie.

Which famous celebrities have you styled and who has been your favorite? I have to say not as famous as others I have done but my favorite is Mick Jaggers daughter. Liz Jagger she was real and honest.

What techniques do you use to create a total look / style? I use a montage of techniques, some modern and some from the past that I like to reinvent and make my own. I focus a lot on the shape and place my color on what I see and feel.

When you style someone’s image, what elements are the most relevant to you? What is most relevant to me is the person’s life style. Who they are and how they live their lives, depends how I create their total image.

Suggestions for good hair coloration…

Here are some things I would suggest for successful hair coloration. Healthy hair will always respond better to haircolor. So if it is not healthy use a protein pre-treatment to help restore strength to the hair. Haircolor binds to protein... think of it as adhesive for haircolor. Next choosing the right color can be difficult, I would recommend doing a color analysis on your client to determine the best levels and tones to support their skin tone and eye color. When choosing a technique for a client, take into consideration the shape of their face and place the color to enhance their shape. Another important suggestion for choosing your technique would be their lifestyle, decide the right maintenance for the client, this will always benefit your business in the future. Give your client a look they can maintain. And last be sure to send them home with protection for their haircolor, sun, water, and heat can take a toll on the hair. Keep it healthy and shiny. And of course teach them how to style their hair to showcase the color.

Chiala Marvici

April showers bring May flowers!

April showers bring May flowers, that’s what they say!! It is April 21^st and today I spent the day walking around the city visiting various parks with my son Kai and Noah. It was a perfect day and I noticed how pretty everything was. The flowers are blooming and the trees are getting fuller by the day.  My last blog was about change and how we make the choice to change things everyday in our lives. Sometimes even though we make a decision to make a change, it can take some time to see the results. Learning to visualize the end result can take personal discipline and focus. One technique that has helped me in times like this is to try to achieve a quiet mind releasing all the distractions and negativity that can easily cloud our minds and thoughts. When your mind is clear of fear, negativity and distraction you can begin to visualize how you will approach challenges and expectations in your life. Learning to change our thought track can allow us to focus on solutions rather than being overwhelmed with uncertainty and doubt.

It is pretty stormy tonight in nyc and nothing pleasant outside to say the least. The wind is blowing and the rain is really starting to come down. One thing we can be sure of is that all those pretty flowers and buds are getting exactly what they need to flourish.  We must also realize that it might not always be a comfortable situation and life may feel like a storm from time to time but in the end it is exactly what we need to flourish.  Take some time to clear your mind today and think about how you can and will flourish and grow! You deserve it!

Change

Change can often be accompanied by discomfort and adversity, but one thing I have learned is change is not an option it is a necessity. 

It is Monday morning in New York and the sun is shining, you can feel the warmth radiate through your body, awe… warmth.  Funny, how the mere site of the sun can change your whole perspective and attitude on any given day.  With spring quickly approaching and all it’s glorious attributes of change, it gives me inspiration today to make the changes necessary to improve my life. 

  Change is hard because people overestimate the value of what they have – and underestimate the value of what they may gain by giving that up.  If there was one thing you could change today.. What would it be? And really how difficult would it be to change it? Sure, it might take a little bit of risk or determination but would it really be that difficult?  In fact, I am sure on this beautiful sunny day you have already made one simple change that will improve your life!

Chiala Marvici