Whistling Pixie - Rodney Cutler How-to - Cut

BEFORE

1. Begin cut at the nape on damp hair. Pull out ¼-inch diagonal sections. Razor from mid point to the desired length. The angle of the fi ngers must be angled to the nape to prevent a shag. Continue cutting in this manner within the nape. Fingers are held diagonally to cut the hair tight.

2. In front at the corner of the temple, work diagonally back from the temple, cutting to blend. Project the hair to keep from going too round. Razor from the top to the peak of the ear. Finger position is slightly angled out to allow extra length over the ear.

3. Blend down the section in front of the ear to remove excess wispiness, but leaving weight and a chunky finish. The hair is squared off at the ear.

4. Blend back along the parietal, and repeat on the other side. Work back to the center of the head until all hair is cut. Make sure to maintain projection to avoid building heaviness and weight.

5. Direct the fringe forward. Cut to the desired length, cutting at an angle to leave slightly heavy and slightly angled.

6. Piece out the fringe as desired and blend down into the temple strands.

7. Pull the one-inch sections up from the crown. Cut from mid point to the ends, cutting to remove “some” weight and to create texture. Blend forward along the Mohawk.

8. Connect the top along the rounds of the head, angling to leave “roundish” but not round. The weight line should be near the top.

9. Finish the fringe by point cutting into the ends, creating movement.

10. Begin the color application at the root, below the rounds of the head. A natural warm brown (Chromatics 4NW with 10 volume developer) is applied in ½-inch sections. Apply throughout the head.

11. Now immediately go to below the rounds of the head and pull this same shade through to the ends.

12. Return to the strands above the rounds. Using a Level-5 gold (Chromatics 4G and 6G with 10), apply in a baliage technique, placing randomly. Some pieces are wide and some are narrow, following the longer and shorter lengths of the cut.

13. On a few pieces, apply the warm brown shade used at the base. Process according to manufacturer’s instructions.

AFTER

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BEFORE

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3. Blend down the section in front of the ear to remove excess wispiness, but leaving weight and a chunky finish. The hair is squared off at the ear.

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4. Blend back along the parietal, and repeat on the other side. Work back to the center of the head until all hair is cut. Make sure to maintain projection to avoid building heaviness and weight.

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5. Direct the fringe forward. Cut to the desired length, cutting at an angle to leave slightly heavy and slightly angled.

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6. Piece out the fringe as desired and blend down into the temple strands.

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7. Pull the one-inch sections up from the crown. Cut from mid point to the ends, cutting to remove “some” weight and to create texture. Blend forward along the Mohawk.

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8. Connect the top along the rounds of the head, angling to leave “roundish” but not round. The weight line should be near the top.

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9. Finish the fringe by point cutting into the ends, creating movement.

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10. Begin the color application at the root, below the rounds of the head. A natural warm brown (Chromatics 4NW with 10 volume developer) is applied in ½-inch sections. Apply throughout the head.

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11. Now immediately go to below the rounds of the head and pull this same shade through to the ends.

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13. On a few pieces, apply the warm brown shade used at the base. Process according to manufacturer’s instructions.

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AFTER

Whistling Pixie - Rodney Cutler How-to Cut and style: Rodney Cutler
Color: Tracy Guthrie
Assistant: Greg Cassese
Photography: Roberto Ligresti
Make-up: David Maderich
Fashion styling: David Widjaja

Hot, summer days don’t have to translate to ponytails and scrunching. In this MODERN exclusive how-to, salon owner Rodney Cutler creates a fierce crop full of the attitude, edge and style that summer clients crave. In a look easily transitioned from summer months to cooler autumn weather, this classic “bowl” shape blends seamlessly with a Pixie for a result “that’s heavy, but doesn’t look heavy.”

Cutler, who is also a spokesperson for Ulta and Redken, was so moved by the most recent Versace ad campaign he wanted to use the energy from those images to turn the focus from fashion to hair. “This version of the hair is so modern,” says Cutler as he pulled the fringe down onto the forehead. “It’s all about the angle of the fingers, which creates softness on the nape allowing the hair to hug the neck. It’s creating movement without allowing the hair to spray out.”

Colorist Tracy Guthrie, Manager of Salon Technical for Ulta, used the new Redken Chromatics color to create an iridescent, dimensional finish. “I wanted to create a holographic shine,” she says. “This color pattern is softly melded by using a baliage-meets-ombre technique. There is no line of demarcation and the color placement is randomly sized—not contrived.”

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