Kristy works primarily in San Francisco, and 1 day in Berkeley. Book an appointment with her now!

Appointments with Jr. Stylists take a bit longer than the appointments with our full Stylists, but cost a fraction of regular prices. Book now!

Highlights…

• Festoon moved its headquarters from SF to Berkeley – two doors down from our salon on MLK Jr. Way.
• We launched a new color & retail line, Davines – a luxury, results-oriented, European line from Italy at a great price point for our clients.
• We promoted 2 amazing stylists – Congratulations Kristy and Carmen!
• We created BECCA makeup bars in both salons and added a whole new dimension of beauty to Festoon – now you can get your hair done AND leave completely made over.

Personally…
• I watched my kids in wonder – growing and becoming so uniquely themselves.
• I’ve started juicing every morning – a great start makes for a great day.
• I got an iPhone – finally.

And a few of my favorite things from 2011:
• Persimmon Pudding from Chez Panisse (luckily I have a tree of my own).
• A magnifier and light app on my iPhone, so I can read a menu.
• Zara kids went online. I love their clothing options for children. Great style, great price. Great quality too.
• Davines Authentic Replenishing Body Butter mixed with their Authentic Nourishing Oil, this combo is the only thing that keeps me moisturized…and it really does smell like heaven in a bottle. The oil can be added to your bath, and also put in your hair (brush through, then shampoo.) Hair will be glossy and beautiful. You can get both of these at Festoon salon the next time you stop by.

Something Special For Your BFF
If She Likes To Be Pampered: A Series of 3 (or heck, even 5) Blow Outs with our Stylists.  Our Gift Cards make great stocking stuffers!
If She’s a Volumista: Dry Texturizing Spray by Oribe.  Bigger, better, full-on glamorous hair. This invisible dry hair spray builds in incredible volume & sexy texture. Patented polymers absorb oil at the roots, leaving you with just-styled hair for days (and nights). $39

Treats For Your Boyfriend
Naughty: Oribe Rock Hard Gel. A modern cream gel for intense hold, architectural styling & shine. Hair does exactly what it’s told – whether spiked or slicked – and stays that way. Work through wet hair, comb if desired, style. Sets quickly; stays hard. $33
Nice: Oribe Gel Serum. Forget what you know about gel. This magical, gold-flecked potion with active moisturizing agents brings sophisticated hold with shine rather than stiffness. Gorgeous. Work through wet hair. Air dry, blow out—your call. $58

Gifts For the Jetsetter
Get the Green Light at Airport Security: GoToobs – The best travel bottle sized for airplane carry on! Squeeze every last bit.   Easy to use & very convenient!  Comes in three colors. $9.50
Ward Off Weather: Anti- humidity spray from Oribe for those blustery December evenings.   Helps keep moisture to a minimum and adds great texture.  Will keep that holiday blowout looking great! $38

For your Boss
To Get Them Out Of The Office For An Afternoon: Caretrico Custom Hair Treatments – Revitalize, restore & protect. These in-salon hair treatments are mixed by our stylists at the time of your service in order to meet your specific haircare needs. $30-$40

New Year’s Eve;  All Glam, All Night

Solid Gold: Oribe 24K Gold Pomade. Sleek back your hair with super-rich gold highlights for instant lustrous glamour. Excellent for use on pleasure craft, in convertibles or anywhere a little 24-karat seduction is needed. Smooth onto wet or dry hair and style sexily. Rock all night and into the day.  Add string bikini and dark glasses for your after party.  Warning: Might shine your clothes, too. Undress with care. Shampoo thoroughly (maybe even twice). $49
Pucker Up: BECCA’s Butter Balm, infused with a nourishing emulsion of natural Tahitian Vanilla, Cocoa Butter, Shea Butter, Honey, Vitamin E  and SPF 20 is the ultimate lip conditioner, protecting lips against aging and sun damage while delivering moisture and softness. Wear it alone for transparent shine or as a base under your favorite lip shade. You’ll get rave reviews after that midnight kiss. $20

New Year’s day; Recover in Style
For The Deeply Deprived: Oribe Signature Moisture Masque. A super-rich indulgence—for you and your hair. This crème de la crème deep-hydrating masque transforms even the driest, most over-it hair, leaving it supremely soft and irresistibly touchable. Thick hair may splurge daily; others will love as a weekly soak.  Massage, indulge (for as long as you want), rinse. $59

Here are some highlights of our trip and a few recommended musts:

STAY: We rented a chic apartment in the Marais – the fourth arrondissement – a very fine area of Paris. It was quintessentially Parisienne with bustling street life situated in the historic area (think medieval) of Paris which includes Notre Dame and the Ile St Louis.  You can see our apartment here. Mention “Festoon” when you call to make a reservation and save 50 Euros.

DO: Ride bikes. Check out Velib bicycles. I recommend riding on a Sunday when many of the roads are closed specifically for cyclists.  Fewer cars and people on the road makes for a pleasant ride! Ride along the Seine and let yourself get lost.

On/Off boat on the Seine. I love taking tours. Yes, I am a tourist. How else would I learn that the Eiffel tower was only supposed to last 20 years? Or that the smallest bridge on the Seine has fallen 11 times? The On/Off boat is great because you can go from the boat to sight seeing on land and back on the boat to the next attraction.

Hammam and Massage. I am lucky to know people in the spa business who have turned me onto some great spa options. I highly recommend going to Themae spa. It is an intimate and beautiful spa with a great hammam. I have serious jetlag when going to Europe so I try to visit Themae as soon as I arrive (although they are booked usually a few days in advance!) I schedule a hammam – which is a beautiful sauna based on the rituals of a Turkish Bath – then an aromatherapy massage. It restores and prepares me for some avid sightseeing…and shopping!

Take the Metro. Save your feet. Paris has a great public transit system, easy to use and much more accessible than finding an elusive Parisian taxi.

Go for a run. When you’re waking up at 5 or 6 in the morning because you’re jet lagged, put on your running shoes and watch the sunrise. Paris is a late city. By starting early, you’ll have the Louvre to yourself. It really is magic.

SHOPPING: Whenever I travel and wherever I go, I always bring back something for my home.  This time I bought the most beautiful linen curtains at Le Monde Sauvage; a Parisian boutique known for amazing textiles. My friend even came home with her own set of linen sheets.  They are irresistible!

Zadig & Voltaire is everywhere in Paris. But even most Parisiennes don’t know there is an outlet in the middle of the city! Yes, the style is rock and roll fashion but if you like their stuff it’s worth checking out. I got a great leather jacket. Zadig & Voltaire Outlet: 4^th Arrondisemont on Rue de Bourg Tibourg (it’s a tiny street)

INSPIRATIONS: Girls piling their hair in knots all over the head – some on top, some on the side – very unstructured and undone in a messy, sexy way.

All different lengths of hair, never too done or overly polished.

Boys looking like they just woke up and men’s hair that was all grown out.

Every version of flat shoes.

Pants were full and soft or skinny, skinny, skinny.

Preppy blazers.

Denim everywhere.

Motorcycle jackets.

A general lack of labels, diamonds and Uggs!

What’s my takeaway?

Yes, Parisiennes care about how they look but not in a cookie-cutter way.  Each has their own special take on fashion and hair. It’s not perfect and it’s not manicured, it’s just theirs.  The French saying “Etre bien dans sa peau” comes to mind, or to be comfortable in one’s skin.  Being in Paris made me own that je ne sais quoi that makes me, me.  And it inspired me to come back and help my clients find, celebrate and own their own unique beauty too.

-Melissa

Festoon’s unique relationship with Oribe and his team put us front and center, starting with an intimate cocktail party for a handful of select salons who carry the Oribe product line. The following day we had an amazing hands-on opportunity with Oribe and 60 other talented stylists at Dogpatch Studios – a great event space! Oribe did three demos full of inspiration, drama and technique which our own Festoon stylists, Breegan and Daren, then recreated using their own interpretation and finesse during an afternoon training session as Oribe observed their work, making suggestions and offering advice.

On Wednesday morning, Festoon hosted a private media event at the San Francisco salon for local beauty and fashion editors to get up close & personal with Oribe. He charmed and delighted everyone not only with his amazing skill, but with a kind word to everyone he spoke with.

Oribe is a man in motion and as soon as the press walked in the door, he had them in his chair – explaining his philosophy, styling their hair, showcasing product and showing everyone a great time. Rarely have I gotten so close to someone as legendary in our industry – and in the fashion world as a whole – as Oribe. And I am continually amazed by his intelligence, curiosity, humility and passion for hair.

-Melissa

Do you or someone you know need a complete hair color makeover?  You know… that friend of yours who has been using an off-shade of box color from the grocery store for years.  Or maybe you have been dying your hair black, but would love to be a natural looking brunette or red head?  We are looking to make some complete transformations.  Send a recent photo to mail@festoonsalon.com of yourself or friend (preferably with their permission!) and let us know what your ideal dream color would be!  Winners will be picked next month & must be available to come in for their makeover with Jo and our team on October 30th or 31st.

Jo Blackwell-Preston is more than just an Emmy Award winning Colorist; She is an artist, a visionary and innovator. Jo is a lead portfolio color artist and educator for L’Oreal Professional and owns the DopDop Salon in New York City.

When you are out on the street, what hair color mistake makes you want to drag that person right to the Dop-Dop Salon so you can fix it? Bad box color.  Bad ‘kitchen beautician’ color.  The recession is bringing it out more now too.  I’ve actually been known to approach people on the street and say, “Would you like to be a hair model for a corrective color class?  Your hair color is nice, but I think I can do better.  I can serve you better.”  And usually they say, ‘Served?  I’m not being served at all.  I do my hair myself!’”  And I get great responses.  They are excited and thrilled.  Everybody wants to look good.  And when your hair looks good, you look more pulled together all around. People take you more seriously.

What is the most common hair color mistake you see? Too many highlights.  ‘Suicide Blonde’ I call it.  This problem is a vicious circle.  You get too light so you add low-lights but low-lights don’t always look good.  They can go grey or green or flat.  So then people lighten more next time.  If it gets too blonde, especially on the ends, they try to tone it down. Eventually the ends are ‘fried, dyed and laid by the wayside.’

If you could warn people to avoid one hair color disaster, what would it be? Feria and Henna.  Feria’s pigments are too heavy and Henna might be natural, but once it’s in, it isn’t coming out!  These home hair color treatments are hard to fix!

What is the easiest hair color mistake to correct?  The hardest? The easiest is toner that goes on too dark or flat.  The quicker color goes in, the quicker it comes it.  So there are lots of things to do to correct that problem quite easily.  The hardest color to correct is getting box-dyed black hair to light brown hair with no warmth.  That’s a wild ride!  It takes me about 2 hours to fix it but it can take someone as long as 8 hours.  And like I said – henna, it doesn’t come out.  You might as well cut your hair off if you don’t like it.

Early in your training, what was the worst hair-coloring mistake you ever made?  How did you fix it? One of the defining moments in my career happened when I was 21, doing hair in Texas.  I didn’t make a mistake, but a client did.  I got a call one day from the maid of honor at a wedding happening that night, and she had tried to dye her hair at home with store-bought color.  Her color was “Audacious Red” and it was a bottle color.  At the store, she grabbed - or thought she grabbed – “Audacious Red.”  She went home, threw color on her hair and jumped in the shower.  But when she rinsed, blue dye was pouring down her body.  She looked at the bottle and realized she grabbed “Bodacious Blue” instead.  I told her to put a towel on her hair and come straight to the salon.  She showed up in a baseball cap and I put her right in the shampoo bowl.  It was one of my first experiences in a stressful color situation.  I mixed up a bleach bath and slowly brought her from blue to purple to red violet to red orange and then I stopped.  I didn’t want to damage her hair.  So I put on a semi-permanent red rinse and styled her hair for the wedding.  She was a loyal customer for as long as I was at that salon.  What I learned from that situation was it is more important how you respond to a crisis than the crisis itself.  How do you react when things go wrong?  Who are you?  How do you handle it?  I’m Sicilian and very animated and this was the first time I remember being calm, compassionate and composed…the first time I showed decorum and grace.  It was only hair, but I learned a lot about my character in that moment and the type of person I wanted to be.

When someone comes to you for a very drastic color change, what do you recommend? I recommend an honest, forthright and compassionate consultation and a 6-month game plan.  Bad color usually doesn’t happen overnight and it isn’t going to get fixed overnight either.  The consultation and honesty is the most important part.  Corrective color is a delicate process to begin with.  I think it is important to be respectful but truthful.  When people come in with bad hair color, they know it and they are usually embarrassed.  It’s very upsetting to look in the mirror and see a hair disaster on yourself.  So I tread lightly and honor their feelings.  But lying isn’t going to help.  So I tell the truth. I under promise, over deliver and build trust.  And when you save a client from a hair disaster, they usually become a client for life.  But I tell them, “I’ll fix it for you once.  If you mess it up a second time, it’s on you.  And if you come back to me with bad hair again, I’ll charge you double to fix it.”  I’m as loyal to my clients as they are to me. And sometimes it’s my job to save them from themselves.  Especially ‘hair hoppers’ who like to make bad hair color decisions!  My tough talk can often discourage them from bad calls.

What is the hardest color change to make? Bright red to platinum blonde…there’s a lot of shades of salmon pink in between.

If someone is afraid of color, how should they ease into a transition? One of three things:  A really fast and easy base-break to lighten the overall color.  Face-framing highlights.  Or a peek-a-boo color that changes with the part.  You can either hide the color or show it off depending on where you part your hair.  I call it the husband part and the boyfriend part.

If a blonde wants to go dark, should they?  And then, what if they want to go back to blonde? Yes, they can.   But once it’s dark, it’s hard to go back – especially for previously lightened hair.  So I take a cautious route.  Blondes usually think they want to go darker but even one or two shades darker really freaks them out.  I usually recommend they go one or two shades darker and live with that for a couple months.  If they still want to go darker after that, then I’ll do it.

What about Asian, Latino or African-American hair…if they want to go blonde, how do you get there? Blonde highlights on Asian hair usually works well.  There is no medulla in their hair so it lifts nicely.  I work a lot in Japan and have great luck with blonde highlights.  With black women who have a relaxer, I use a non-ammonia lightener and that usually works very well.  For Latina hair, it can easily go orange so I break the base to a teddy-bear brown and add highlights.  I lift the highlights much lighter then they want, and then tone them back down.  If you don’t lighten the highlights enough, they’ll only look orange and never blonde.

And what about people with grey or silver hair, what is the best option for coloring? To prevent the obvious regrowth of silver hair colored darker, I take diamond-shaped sections along the part, leaving them grey, and I put color underneath only.  The silver on the part always hides regrowth.  And if someone wants to stop coloring their hair and go silver, I keep a 1 inch section around the part and continue to color just that section month after month while the grey grows underneath. Once the grey has grown out enough, I switch the part so that only the grey shows and that small section of colored hair disappears among the grey.

Once someone’s hair is significantly altered by color or other chemical processes, what care regime do you recommend?  How do you keep hair looking vital and healthy? I use a lot of L’Oreal Power Dose treatments.  I call it ‘hair crack’ it’s so good.  And if my clients really want healthy hair, I offer them a 6-month treatment plan.  They have to sign a contract with me and do everything I say.  If their hair has not improved after 6 months, I’ll give them all their money back.  It might cost a little to get your hair healthy, but it is possible.

Is there one color profile or color recommendation that suits the broadest spectrum of people? Yes, good hair color should compliment skin tone, eye color…and personality.  Especially red hair.  That is not a hair color, it is an attitude.  Everyone can be a red head, but not everybody should.  And hair color should be seen before you are.

Do you have a signature color yourself? What might your next color change be? I’ve been every color in the rainbow.  I’ve even rocked a shaved head, punk rock style.  Right now I’m chestnut brown but my natural color is dark brown, almost black.

What do you love most about working with hair color? I think corrective color is about common sense.  But common sense isn’t common or there would be more people with it!  Many colorists like you to think it’s a big mystery, but it isn’t rocket science.  So I like to use common sense to solve color problems.  But mostly I love treating people with the dignity and respect that I expect from others.  I’ve been doing hair for 27 years and I’ve only worked in three places.  I build trust and develop loyalty.  That’s what its all about.  Oh, and I never do color that I’m not proud of or wouldn’t wear myself.  I love making hair drop dead gorgeous, especially a fun color like blue or green because it can be surprisingly breathtaking and pretty.

John and Melissa Ryan, the husband and wife duo behind Festoon Salon, have created a friendly haven for luxury and beauty in a welcoming, modern environment.  A Bay Area beauty institution for 23 years, Festoon Salon has earned a reputation for creating distinctive looks and delivering impeccable service.  Festoon selects its product lines based on technology and performance, offering an extensive compliment of specialty and boutique brands.  Catering to client needs is what Festoon does best.

It’s 5:50 p.m., and you’ve just left the office, though you still have to do battle with the evening fog while running to Muni. You’ve looked better. Now your latest crush is on a layover at Heathrow, and just emailed that he has 10 minutes for a Skype session. Fortunately, Melissa Ong Ryan—founder of Festoon Salon— and her husband, John Ryan, are ready with quick tips on how to have Skype- ready, work-ready, and gala-ready hair in five minutes. Working out of two locations, the original in Berkeley and another in San Francisco, they have honed their speedy techniques on tech-obsessed clients, and stay current on the latest clickable time-savers (you can request appointments with Festoon’s iPhone app). And now that both salons have just opened new cosmetic counters carrying the cult Australian line Becca, the Ryans have become go-to gurus on hair and makeup for the video-chat set. You’ll never fear the HD webcam again.

Download article / Link to the full article