A hairtastrophe ensued when Ukraine native Helen Aris last attempted to go blonde four years ago in Beijing. The crown of her head was badly burned by the strong bleach, leaving her with brittle, downy hair around her hairline. Former owner of The Treehouse Family Cafe and Playground and mom to 6-year-old Lucas, Aris now teaches salsa and hosts events at the Latin American Cultural Center (LACC) owned by her Cuban husband, Giovanni. On a clear late November day, Aris arrived at Catherine de France in high spirits and ready to try going blonde again. She had a successful restyle at Catherine de France five years ago, so she was very happy with our choice of salon – especially since Founder Catherine Colin was on hand to perform every step of the makeover. “Being blonde is really exciting for me and I really trust them here,” said Aris with a smile.
Catherine de France 法式美容美发沙龙
Tue-Sat 10am-8pm, Sun-Mon 11am-6pm. 1/F, East Avenue Bldg, 10 Xindong Lu, Chaoyang District (8442 5120, 135 2147 3492) www.catherinedefrance.com 朝阳区新东路10号逸盛阁首层
Colin created a haircut with volume on top and a dramatic side-swept fringe Aris had never tried before. She maximized Aris’ natural curls by feathering the ends of each layer with thinning scissors. The cut was designed to look flattering with any kind of part and easy to maintain. Simply towel dry and add some mousse or wax, instructed Colin. “It’s best to let curly hair dry naturally,” she explained.
Colin took Aris’ hair color from a warm gold to a cooler ash blonde. She used a technique called balayage that involved a brush, comb and cotton wool pads instead of tin foil. “The advantages of balayage are that there are no obvious roots, the stylist can control the application, and it gives a sun-kissed effect,” said Colin. After the color was applied, she covered Aris’ head with cling wrap to heat up the dye and make it take effect faster.
For the makeup stage, Colin began by applying a cream concealer under Aris’ eyes, and around her nose and mouth. She mixed two liquid foundations to match her skin tone and applied the foundation with her fingertips, blotting with a tissue for a natural finish. Colin fixed the foundation with a dusting of loose translucent powder and shaded bronzer over the brow and temples, and under the cheek bones and jawline. Aris’ eyelids were covered in a pale bronze-green, with a tobacco-bronze shadow applied to the lash line and crease. Colin lined Aris’ eyes with a dark brown kohl pencil, and filled in her brows with a brown eyebrow pencil using soft feathery strokes. She then applied two coats of black MAC mascara and blended a coral pink blush from the apples of the cheeks to the temples. Finally, Colin used a dusky pink lipstick, blotting and re-applying several times to build up a denser tone. (All products from Sephora unless otherwise stated.)
photos by Little Ones Kids & Family Portrait Studio
This article originally appeared on p20-21 of the beijingkids December 2013 issue.
Check out the PDF version online at Issuu.com
