
Wella Announces the Finalists of Wella Trend Vision Awards
This year’s awards centered around the Monochromatic trend, which is rooted in minimalism and intentional by design.
The technology is designed to give small businesses the same scalable customer service options that typically only large corporations had.



Earlier this month, CallJoy announced early access of its easy-to-use cloud-based phone agent that enables small business owners to delight customers.
In 2018, a team within Area 120, Google’s internal incubator for experimental ideas, estimated that American small businesses receive 400 million calls every day from customers to place to-go orders, book appointments, check open hours or to inquire about inventory. More importantly, the team found that nearly half of these calls go unanswered because owners are just too busy or assume the caller is a spammer.
With SMB call volume on the rise, CallJoy’s phone technology was developed to give small businesses the same scalable customer service options that typically only large corporations have previously enjoyed.
“The telephone continues to be a small business’ lifeline," says Bob Summers, founder of CallJoy. "But, this volume can easily overwhelm any small business when coupled with other factors such as peak call times and the ever-increasing monsoon of spam callers. We created CallJoy to help business owners turn the burden of calls into an efficient, delightful experience for their customers that can also give them actionable insights to improve their business.”
How CallJoy Works
With CallJoy, SMB owners receive the following for a monthly flat fee:
a phone number with a local area code
an intelligent virtual voice agent and custom greetings
unlimited call recording and conversation transcripts
textback functionality
spam blocking technology
Google My Business integration
In addition, CallJoy’s virtual phone agent gives small business owners visibility into metrics, such as what their customers are calling about, the frequency at which they're calling and popular call times. Each day, CallJoy categorizes the company’s calls and then compiles the data into an online dashboard and daily insights email.
Before its official debut, CallJoy was tested by small businesses coast-to-coast, specifically local restaurants, retail shops, beauty salons, service providers and automotive services. As a result of these insights, many of the owners updated their training programs, optimized their phone greetings and implemented automated SMS textbacks to improve their customer service.
“Our phone line used to ring off the hook with customers wanting to schedule or change their appointments, which overwhelmed our receptionists and made it difficult for them to provide quality customer service both over the phone and in person," says Danielle Hunt, salon and spa manager at Panache Spa in Whitehouse Station, NJ. “We love CallJoy's transcripts and insights because they’ve enabled us to improve receptionist training and adequately staff the front desk to manage bookings during peak call times. Now, no receptionist is ever too busy to say 'have a great day' to a customer before they leave the salon."

This year’s awards centered around the Monochromatic trend, which is rooted in minimalism and intentional by design.
Haircare brand The Doux has launched “My Salon Empire,” a free-to-play salon management game on Roblox, helping the next generation celebrate the diversity of textured hair and explore salon entrepreneurship.

The show reported 30% attendance growth. It felt that way. This event for the southwest professional beauty community had heart, spice, and something for everyone.

Wella artists presented the Monochromatic trend movement, introduced new Pure Perfection color and Sebastian styling innovations, while the Wella team created interactive fun throughout Wella Studio in Los Angeles.

Dominique LyVar, an influential educator and artist, is remembered by those who loved him for his significant impact on the industry and contributions to the community.

Known for his buttery blondes and a technique for highlighting hair with more precision that he called chunking, Brad Johns died on August 27. His friend and fellow colorist, David Stanko, shares thoughts on his talented colleague and close friend.

As technology evolves at an accelerated rate, you want to make sure you have the best in your business toolkit to help you grow sales, motivate your team, communicate with your current and future clientele, and streamline your managerial tasks. The 2026 SALON TODAY Technology Solutions Guide is designed to help you navigate today's growing landscape of salon and spa technology. In this guide, you'll find a curated look at more than 50 of the latest software platforms, digital solutions, and innovative features to help you compare options and identify the best fit for your business.

The Davines Edit reflects the brand’s passion for people and planet.

RÜTE Wash introduces a shower cap designed specifically for crown washing, helping clients with hair extensions cleanse the scalp while protecting the lengths from water.

Premiere San Antonio Presented by SalonCentric returns for its fourth edition August 30-31 at the Henry B. González Convention Center, delivering its biggest and boldest event to date.

One-Day Personal and Professional Development Education Event for Beauty Professionals Set for October 25, 2026, at the Hilton Philadelphia City Avenue.

According to the report, people are moving away from copy-paste trends and toward community, using real experiences to develop a sense of taste and beauty that reflects who they are.

Hairstylists and barbers can showcase their creative and technical vision in two global categories with cash prizes and a chance to represent in Portugal.

The BBR Beauty Show featured a prominent speaker lineup including Lacy Redway, Karrueche Tran, Danessa Myricks, Chelley B., Sabrina Elba, Jessica Harris-Dupart, and more.

The Professional Beauty Association and Pivot Point team up to develop an ongoing study that measures the confidence of salon owners, stylists, school owners, and students.

This shared recognition celebrates the strength of industry collaboration in advancing professional mobility.

In Dubai, a salon visit isn’t an appointment. It’s a weekly routine, and clients can spend $800 to $1,400 a month on it, according to Gaurav Tripathi of MADI International. On October 6-8, 2026, the market behind those numbers opens its doors as Beautyworld Dubai marks its 30th edition at the Dubai World Trade Centre, bringing together distributors, brands, stylists and salon owners from all over the world.
Sponsored by BeautyWorld Dubai