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SEARCHSalon Coccole gives MODERN's Alison Shipley dream hair using Hairdreams hair extensions.
Salon Coccole in Lake Zurich, Illinois.
While I was at New York's Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week, I met salon owner Donna Gentile of Salon Coccole in Lake Zurich, Illinois while she was working backstage with the talented team of Oribe stylists for the Patrik Ervell show. We got to talking about the industry and she mentioned she was taking on Hairdreams hair extensions at her salon, which is located just a few miles away from where I live.
In fact, she was hosting a "bonding party" at her salon in just a few weeks and invited me to be the hair model—to showcase to her clients the dramatic effects hair extensions can provide. And Donna and her team of talented stylists, Devin and Michelle, definitely delivered head-turning results.
The first step was to get a color match and a consultation. My goal of getting the service was to not only add length, but to also add body. As many of my blog readers probably have figured out, I have a wee bit of an addiction to the flatiron. I admit, it's wreaked havoc on my strands, especially in the very front section of my hair. I told Devin I would love if the extensions could help fill in what's been damaged in that section. Devin and Michelle wanted to showcase the dramatic effects achievable through Hairdreams, so they decided to give me the 22-inch lengths, and then point-cut into the lengths to customize.
Here, the first full row of bonds are applied.
After a few weeks of torture, my appointment had FINALLY arrived! Devin and Michelle reinforced the at-home care message, making sure I was willing to do my part to maintain the extensions (such as using the appropriate products, remembering to separate the bonds on each strand, brushing my hair at least three times per day and coming in for maintenance cuts), and we were ready to go.
The two of them tag-teamed the application and, before I knew it, we were practically halfway through the process.
As I mentioned, the hair was long, and I mean LONG! It was absolutely gorgeous... clients at the salon kept coming over to touch it and scope out exactly what was going on. The bonds take only a few moments of getting used to. I would compare it to a small grain of rice near the base of the hair. They feel fine to the touch, and completely comfortable to sleep on.
This is my hair now, curled to a beachy look.
Before: The dramatic effects achievable through extensions.
Here, you can see the difference between the two looks. In the first image, the 22-inch extensions are flatironed smooth.
The next step was the trim off some length from the extensions to help transition the look into one that was a little more Los Angeles, a little less Jersey Shore. Meaning, I didn't want people to stop me on the street to tell me they love my beautiful extensions... I wanted people to stop me on the street to tell me they love my beautiful hair, while wondering, "Are those extensions?" In the photo next to the one of them straight, the extensions have been trimmed and I curled them to make them look more beachy.
Everyone asks me about my hair now—they love the way it looks. The hair color is a perfect match, it looks and feels like mine—in fact, I think this is the hair I should have been born with! I love it!
Learn more about becoming a certified Hairdreams extensionist at hairdreams.com.
WATCH THE CUT!
Below, watch Salon Coccole stylist and extensionist Michelle explain how extensions have changed her business, and then, watch the video after to see Devin point cut the length to my prefered look.
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