Passions ran high at Aveda Mid-America this year; passion for beauty, passion for growth and passion for using talents to make communities, the environment and the world a better place. The event, held in Cincinnati on October 2, was attended by more than ­­­­­­1,500 regional stylists, spa professionals and salon owners. Many stayed an additional day to participate in technical workshops being offered by Aveda artistic directors and guest artists.

This year’s show also included the adjacent Aveda Spa Show for estheticians looking to further hone their skills. The show highlighted Aveda’s new skin care launch Tulasara and featured presentations from Global Spa Directors Helga Hefner and Marc Zollicoffer, Global Artistic Director for Makeup Janell Geason, Aveda Pure-fumer Guy Vincent and more.

Stage presentations were kicked off by Aveda Global President Dominique Conseil, who shared the message that a career in beauty is a purposeful one because beauty builds self-esteem and makes people feel capable of doing things they never thought were possible before. Conseil presented the new #beautyheals campaign, inviting beauty professionals to share stories on social media of making the world a more beautiful place by improving lives, communities and the environment.

Presentations by Aveda artistic directors and guest artists covered a range of beauty categories, including:

Consultation

The Van Michael Salon Team discussed the most common question they hear: “What’s the best haircut for my face shape?” Danielle Gurley and ___ say that there’s not just one good cut for each client, there are many. A stylist should determine what will work best by having a consultation that covers face shape, body silhouette, hair texture and what the client wants.

Hair Color

Ian Michael Black, Aveda global artistic director for haircolor, then displayed Aveda’s new Eclipting color service, a blending-by-twisting technique revealed in the brand’s recent Folklôr Collection. Two models showcased the look, one with an on-trend brunette and moss green blend of color and the other with a commercial-friendly lived-in, beachy bronde. “It's about the technique,” says Black. “Sometimes stylists get hung up on a look, trying to match a picture. These two looks are so different to show that it's about knowing the technique to create amazing color on any client.”

Black finished with three models wearing boldly colored ponytails adorned in sequins. The looks showcased on-trend, vibrant fashion colors, spiced up with avant-garde styling.

Barbering

Then attendees got to see something new in barbering, with looks by Dusty Rhode, Aveda guest artist, cutting and styling, who deviated from the standard cut seen so often: close sides with blow-dried back length on top. “It’s a good cut, but there’s more,” says Rhode. “I've been liking shapes on top that are much squarer. They're strong and powerful and make more of a statement.”

Rhode also announced a new Invati Men product coming next spring called Thickening Paste. He described it as a universal men’s styling product that provides definition with hold and a finish that’s not too flat, not too shiny.

Hair Cutting

Ricardo Dinis, Aveda global artistic director, hair cutting, performed a cutting demo, creating a geometric short bob, inspired by cuts from ‘60s that featured strong, blunt lines. He provided useful tips, such as: “When cutting bangs, try point cutting to create tiny spaces in-between the strands. The eye fills those spaces in and the line looks straighter than it would when you cut straight across.”

Texture

Tips on texture and celebrity styling were presented by Tippi Shorter, Aveda global artistic director, textured hair. She calls her textured hair cutting curriculum Architexture. “It’s about foundational shapes,” says Shorter, “A balance between science—curl type, pattern and shrinkage—and art, or rather, the shape your client wants.”

Shorter advised cutting wavy hair wet, curly hair damp and kinky hair dry. She also talked wigs and extensions, which she commonly uses on her celebrity clients. Her tip for ensuring that wigs always look natural on the client’s head is to dab foundation at the root of the wig where a part should be. That ensures that it doesn’t look too dark where skin should be visible.

Complementary Cuts and Color

The next presentation from Aveda Guest Artists Lupe Voss and Geno Chapman highlighted the importance of color placement and cutting to bring out the best in hair color. Voss created multiple vibrant, fashion-colored looks, each featuring multiple tones that were seamlessly blended.

Chapman demonstrated a short cut on a blue-haired model colored by Voss. He brought out highlights and lowlights through the design of the cut.

Makeup

New makeup products and techniques were premiered by Janell Geason, Aveda global artistic director for makeup. First she presented three new deeper hued shades of Inner Light Mineral Dual Foundation, then provided a first look at the Spring/Summer 2017 collection Solstice Bloom. She provided tips on creating luminous skin using Tulasara Bright Concentrate and revealed that in addition to eclipting color, makeup artists can create an eclipting lip look in which color deepens on the outer edges.