Your annual list of can’t-miss holiday trends and opportunities.

This is the fifth year that CosmoProf and Armstrong McCall have sponsored this special MODERN SALON Holiday edition to help you plan and grow your business. In honor of the anniversary, here are five salon category and trend snapshots to help you maximize salon success and personal profit!

1 . TIME TO SHINE

Don’t let your client be outdone by winter’s sparkly accessories. The best gift she can give herself this holiday season is hair with great condition and vibrant shine.

Help her choose a shampoo, conditioner and styling regimen that polishes, protects and enhances hair without weighing it down. Prescribe and add custom treatments or reconstructing conditioners for weak or damaged hair.

Finally, don’t forget to introduce new innovations in styling products and other new volumizers that add extra oomph with touchable, soft hold. This is NOT your mother’s mousse! The only crunch is outside in the snow…

2 . TEXTURE TIDINGS

This season, hair styling is ALL about options! Be sure your clients know you have the products—and hottest new tools—to help celebrate the full range.

Awhirl with curls. One of the hottest trends for fall and into the New Year is curl, curl and more curl. From loose waves to tight spirals and bouncy loops, curl creation is in demand, in Hollywood and on the runways.

As usual, the biggest innovations start behind the chair, with professional thermal and styling tools created just for stylists. But now, you can offer your clients access to the latest salon-exclusive versions to purchase for herself or as a great gifting option for a beauty-focused daughter, mom or friend.

Once you’ve shown her how to use thermal tools and technology to create perfect curls, be sure to recommend the right curl-enhancing care products to maintain and support the style..

Sleek still appeals… As inviting as curls are, the real benefit of today’s beauty technology is the ability to mix up styling preferences. Breathtakingly fluffy curls by day, sophisticated and smooth by night. Celebs are making the transitions constantly, from talk show to red carpet and every photo op in between!

Whatever combination of looks your client wants to pursue, you can stock holiday promos of all the thermal styling tools she’ll need. Ask your sales consultant to check out the wide selection of colors, finishes, special features and gift packages—all at great value pricing or gift-with-purchase options. Put together your salon display and stock up for yourself, too!

3 . FINISHING TOUCH

Just like the ribbon on a perfectly wrapped package, the right make-up is critical to completing a holiday fashion statement. From suggesting the foundation that works with the client’s skin tone and hair color to experimenting with a new range of lip and eye shades that complement a new party dress, your professional recommendation on cosmetics helps seal your status as image consultant. Encourage your clients to:

Get in the glow. As every professional make-up artist knows, the secret to lighting up a face is to start with a good luminizer.

Expand her palette. If you carry cosmetics, offer your custom “collections” of new winter shades, for both every day and special occasions. She should explore new jewel tones and rich plums, and consider adding sparkle to her cosmetic kit or evening bag.

Look lash-tacular! Lush lashes and wider, brighter, younger-looking eyes are a MUST for holiday glamour, and smart salon pros are offering eyelash enhancements and options for every woman’s personal style. Is your client a daring double-lash girl or the sparkly-tip sort? Interested in just a few well-placed individual lashes or a full set of self-adhesive lashes? The more you can help her “lash out,” the more secure your role as true head-to-toe consultant.

4 . MERRY MINIS

Some of the best beauty fixes come in the smallest packages. For on-the-go touch-ups and holiday gifting, be sure to stock up on plenty of mini sizes of hair care faves. Here’s how to get the biggest results from little goodies:

Instant updos: Put together a “quickie” kit for your client to keep in her purse to transition from work or day styling to a glam night out. Include a mini holding spray, shine serum and a half-dozen bobby pins. Dress up this impulse purchase (or gift for loyal clients) with an embellished hair band or clip to add sparkle and drama.

Always ready: Don’t let your client get caught without her beauty bests. Remind her to buy multiple minis and stash them in all her touch-up stations—work drawer, day purse, evening bag, gym tote, cosmetics kit, even her carry-on “baggie” for the plane for any holiday trips.

Gifts galore: Minis make great stocking stuffers, but they’re also perfect to accompany a gift card (for your salon, ideally) or any season’s greeting to the special people your clients need to acknowledge at the holidays—teachers, colleagues, coaches, friends. The more minis, the merrier!

Tip for tips: Don’t forget the merry minis for nails! Petite polishes make great stocking stuffers or purse poppers for touch-ups.

5 . KNOCKOUT NAILS

Beautiful, festive nails in tip-top shape are on every “nice” list, especially lovely lacquers and two-week, chip-free manicures that can endure winter weather, gift wrapping, shopping bag schlepping and other holiday hazards. See more specific tips and how-to’s on page 32, but here are the hottest trends, hands-down:

Make It Last: Long-lasting, easy-off gel mani options remain the biggest nail salon trend by far.

SAVE THE DATES! GIVE YOURSELF THE GIFT OF EDUCATION

If you focus on the five opportunities spotlighted in this HOLIDAY STYLE WATCH section along with all the other tips and trends throughout this issue, you should earn enough extra holiday cash to save some to invest in your future success! Professional education is the fuel to spark creativity and prosperity. Pre-book your inspiration now. Here are the major shows that CosmoProf will participate in during the first half of 2014. For more education listings, visit the education and events sections on cosmoprofbeauty.com, armstrongmccall.com and modernsalon.com.

Mix It Up! Some women want a “one and done” look that lasts; others love to change up their nails for every holiday party or mood. Customization is easy, with embellishments that run the gamut from fun and bling-y to sophisticated and elegant.

Go Solo: The single accent finger is on trend and an easy way to add a touch of elegance or whimsy—and simpler to “swap out” to accessorize different outfits or activities.

Try Textures: Special effects polish, like the latest “sandy silvers and golds,” continues to be popular.

Think Red: Reds remain dominant and in fashion, say nail watchers. This winter classic flatters every skin tone and works well for most holiday occasions. Deeper reds and burgundies are also big.

Be Green: Summer’s sizzling shades of green and blue also go deeper, more dramatic and metallic and work well for accenting, especially in emerald or holly-green glitter.

Count Down: Midnight hues in blue and purple and smoky shades of gray are great for New Year’s Eve’s more formal looks.

Perk Up Your Pedi! When her boots come off, make sure her toes shine bright! Help fight winter blahs with an ultra bright or sun-inspired shade, whether she’s going on a warm-weather getaway or not!