How do we select our Top Ten Articles each year? Well, usually, you pick them for us.

These are the articles that were most widely shared, celebrated, read, reviewed, and bookmarked, and they are a reflection of what mattered most to the industry and to you in 2025. 

Announcing the MODERN SALON 100 of 2025

The MODERN SALON 100 is our annual list of gamechangers in the professional beauty and barbering space who are consistently doing amazing things in the salon and on social, while aligning with our overall mission of uplifting the beauty industry.

This was our list from 2025 of 100 beauty and barbering pros who are consistently demonstrating a deep love for their profession and community, and who are leveraging social platforms to show how they do so. 

We are honored to recognize the talents and dedication of everyone from hairstylists, barbers and nail technicians to makeup artists and estheticians, as well as students and new professionals emerging in the industry. 

Perfect Celebrity: Ulta Beauty Artists on Treating Every Client Like a Star

Beauty professionals are cultural tastemakers. This photo shoot, led by Justin Toves-Vincilione and Mat Wulff, for Ulta Beauty, emphasized their belief that the goal of each service is to provide the client with star treatment, while also remembering that the beauty professional is a star in their own light.

Jump into our digital edition to go behind-the-scenes and see the final images from this beautiful shoot. 

Salon Owners Share Their Pride in Their Up-and-Coming Talent

At MODERN SALON, we are fortunate to collaborate with our sister title, SALON TODAY. Both brands live in the professional beauty world and serve the same community from different angles.

As we prepared this year’s MODERN SALON 100, our annual recognition of standout artists, we invited salon owners to nominate rising stars on their teams. The response was tremendous, filled with heartfelt praise for talented professionals.

Immaculate Lightening, Color & Styling: This Brand Does It All

Even though stylist and extension specialist Shonda Harvey-Gale (@shondasharee_) doesn’t identify as a colorist, she’s still got the chops for color, and she still likes to experiment with the best of the best color lines out there. It’s even better when her chosen brand offers world-class styling products as well.

This MODERN SALON 100 alum runs her own independent business from her salon suite, so she needs to be able to rely on the brands she uses to have everything she needs. See some of her results with Goldwell’s color and styling products below.

Craft, Connect, Create: Build Your Future with Moroccanoil

The world of beauty has changed over the past few years, leaving many salon professionals feeling disconnected from their peers, their craft and their passion. This experiential piece designed in collaboration with Moroccanoil Professionals celebrates the essential soul of your profession: to craft, to create, and to connect. 

Colorfest 2025: Hair Color Trends, Formulas, and Pro Techniques from Top Brands

Each year, we cue up the ultimate hair color showcase, what we call COLORFEST. This roundup is a dynamic lineup of hues, tones, and techniques from today’s leading brands and artists. This year’s setlist hit all the right notes: from soft-focus neutrals to vivid fashion shades, and from tried-and-true formulas to trend-forward innovations by brands new to the color scene. 

Stylist Life - Beto Sanchez: Salon Superhero

Beto Sanchez, also known as @BetoLovesHair, is the embodiment of an accomplished beauty professional. As a member of Ulta’s prestigious Design Team, he gets tapped to travel the country for special projects and to educate fellow stylists on the techniques, brands and products that have helped him get to where he is today. 

Sanchez works with industry-leading brands like Wella and GHD to deliver top-tier education. Not only that, but he recently crushed his goal of $100,000 in salon services—for the fourth straight year. A master of beautiful blowouts and stunning color, his love for his clients and team is palpable. 

How Top Color Experts Handle Formulation, Gray Coverage, and Client Expectations

 Professional hair color services continue to evolve, shaped by changing client expectations, product innovations, and a desire for customized services. This article was drawn from a panel discussion with three educators and colorists—Megan Winfield, Adrienne Dara, and Marco Pelusi—in which they discuss some top-line color questions.  From conducting valuable and instructive consultations to advanced gray coverage and client retention strategies, this Q&A offers up-to-date insights for salon pros fromsalon pros.

The Art of Gray Blending: One Stylist’s Approach to a Beautiful Transition

Natalie Fernandez is the founder and owner of Volt Salon, located in Scottsdale, Arizona. As a master stylist and salon owner, Nathalie has built a strong reputation for her work in customized color, blonding, and client-focused salon experiences. She is known for blending high-end technique with a welcoming, down-to-earth vibe that resonates with both clients and professionals.  And her grey blending game is especially strong.

At our MODERN SALON Boot Camp in Scottsdale, I had a short conversation with Fernandez that prompted this longer discussion around one of her specialties, gray blending.  

Pantone's 2026 Color of the Year is 11-4201 Cloud Dancer

At the end of 2025, Pantone revealed its pick for the 2026 Color of the Year: 11-4201 Cloud Dancer, "a billowy white imbued with a feeling of serenity" that "serves as a symbol of calming influence in a frenetic society rediscovering the value of measured consideration and quiet reflection."  

Cloud Dancer has been a little controversial, and elicited plenty of chatter online. But what we want to know...who did her hair? 

HAPPY NEW YEAR!