Branford Academy - Our Blog

Prom 2012

Diana_Leonardi — Sun, 29 Apr 2012 02:19:37 +0000

On April 25th, students explored hair and makeup trends for the upcoming prom 2012 season! With prom season around the corner, teenagers around the country are buzzing about the newest and hottest trends. Hot hairstyles for this season include retro looks, hair knots, braided up-do’s, ponytails, and half up half down looks. The high bun is a hair style that has made a recent comeback, and can certainly be dressed up for prom. With high buns, the hair is taken off of the neck, and more focus can be paid to the prom-goer’s beautiful dress!

Also a hot new style is the hair knot, which can be done in a number of ways. This messy yet put together look is more fun and flirty, and is also perfect for prom!

Makeup styles can range from simple to super glam, however no matter what, celebrities are all rocking bright, springtime lips. A bright lip color can give any prom gown a pop of color, and can really transform a look!

Students at Branford Academy had a chance to dream up their own ideas for prom 2012, and came up with some new and innovative looks!

1920′s Up-Do Blog

Diana_Leonardi — Sun, 29 Apr 2012 02:16:00 +0000

On April 17th, students at Branford Academy had an Up-Do contest and boot camp. Students first chose their favorite 1920’s look, and then went to work on creating it on their models! On April 16th, students had a chance to practice their look, and perfect the process that they were to use the following day during the competition. There are many trademark hairstyles from the 20’s that are distinguished and unique. The finger wave was one of the most popular styles of the 20’s, and is created by sculpting with a setting lotion and some pins. This style can easily be turned into an Up-Do for a special occasion.

The chignon bun is another signature look, and is a bun that is loose around the ears instead of being pulled tight against the scalp.

Students explored these looks and many more during the boot camp and contest, and had lots of fun doing it! To see a cool video about top fashions and hairstyles of the 1920’s!

Click here for more information on 1920′s hairstyles and fashion.

Lash Extension Course

Diana_Leonardi — Sun, 29 Apr 2012 02:12:22 +0000

From April 16th through the 20th, Diana Leonardi-Disher, the owner of Branford Academy, and Sharon Crawley, the aesthetics director, went to the Texas headquarters of Novalash. At the academy headquarters, they became certified to teach the art of eyelash extensions. Novalash Eyelash Extensions are award winning, long-lasting, medical-grade extensions, making them soar to the top of their market. They are known as the healthiest professional eyelash extension system, which was an important feature for Diana. This eyelash system offers a wide range of colors, textures, and sizes, so they are sure to fit any client perfectly! The application process is special in that each lash is applied individually with award-winning medical grade adhesives. Once lashes are applied, they feel weightless, and they can really revolutionize a client’s entire look!

Branford Academy will be adding this course to their regular curriculum as an advance
class, and will also be offering it to certified estheticians. This new course is just one of the many ways that Branford Academy stays current and exciting!

Wells Fargo Bank

Diana_Leonardi — Sat, 21 Apr 2012 13:45:19 +0000

Wells Fargo Banking Seminar
On March 29th, Branford Academy hosted a banker from Wells Fargo Bank, who came to teach the students all that they needed to know about checking accounts and savings accounts, as well as debit cards. The banking seminar provided students with tips and tricks to keep track of their money, which is an essential skill for anyone in the working world. Students were given the opportunity to open bank accounts, which they were all very excited about! Especially for those students who are graduating in the spring, this seminar was a valuable introduction into how to manage their money. Whether they are working in a studio setting or independently, money management is an essential component of any successful business. Branford Academy would like to thank Wells Fargo Bank for taking the time to come and give such an informative presentation!

Cosmetology Continuing Education

Diana_Leonardi — Sat, 21 Apr 2012 13:42:36 +0000

Continuing Education Is A Must!

At Branford Academy, continuing education is a priority for all staff members. On April 1st, the teachers from Branford Academy went to a seminar in Upstate New York at Milady. Milady is a company that writes the cosmetology book which is used for both intermediate and senior students. Milady also offers courses for students, instructors, school owners, and technicians which are geared toward benefitting an individual as they further their careers in the field. The Branford Academy teachers were able to receive continuing education credits on both cosmetology and barbering methodology, two very important components to any hair and cosmetology education. Teachers received eight out of their fourteen required hours in order to maintain their professional licenses. In addition, they are now able to bring what they learned back to their students at Branford Academy.

The Press And Curl

Diana_Leonardi — Sat, 21 Apr 2012 13:39:14 +0000

On April 5th, Branford Academy students learned the old fashioned “press and curl” method, which is done on ethnic hair. The press and curl method for ethnic hair is mostly the same as pressing and curling other hair-types, however it differs in the amount of time it takes to smooth the hair out before beginning to curl. The process is simple and easy, and produces great results! To begin, students shampooed and conditioned the model’s hair in order to achieve the best results later on. Once the hair was dry, it was sectioned into six to eight sections. Beginning with a section in the back of the head, students detangled, and then flat ironed the entire head. With ethnic hair styling, this step may be time consuming, in order to achieve straight and smooth hair. Students then clipped the hair back up into six to eight sections. To begin curling, they removed the clip furthest to the back, and placed the hair into the curling iron. By pulling down from the scalp through to the ends of the hair, the hair will become straightened once more before rolling the iron up until it is close to the scalp. After holding it in this position for ten to fifteen seconds, the hair was released from the iron. Students repeated the process throughout the entire head of their model, and created a beautiful head of natural-looking curls.

For more information on other Hair and Cosmetology information go to Branford Academy

Ethnic Hair Wrapping at Branford Academy

Diana_Leonardi — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 19:29:36 +0000

Staff teacher Melissa Daley instructed Branford Academy students on how to do Ethnic Hair Wrapping. With the help from a student model, everyone was able to learn the process from start to finish!

Ethnic Hair Wrapping is an alternative way to style hair, and gives the hair a break from any harsh chemicals, irons, and daily styling that women may normally do. This style is low maintenance, and fairly easy to complete! Here is how students at Branford Academy accomplished their first Ethnic Hair Wrapping experience.

The process began by washing and conditioning the hair. Once done, a leave-in conditioner was applied. The model’s hair was combed with a wide-tooth comb, in order to get any tangles or kinks out. Next, students made a part in the middle third of the scalp, from left to right. Depending on what side the model wanted to wear her hair, students began to wrap the hair in front of the part in a circular motion. (clockwise to wear hair to the left, or counter clockwise to wear it to the right) The same technique was continued with a rat-toothed comb. Once done, the model sat underneath a blow dryer until her hair was completely dry. Then, once the hair was combed and parted, the hair wrap was done, leaving the student with straight, soft, and bouncy hair.

Find more courses on Hair and Cosmetology at Branford Academy

Group Perms at Branford Academy

Diana_Leonardi — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 19:23:39 +0000

Branford Academy’s group perm class was a big hit, and students had a great time learning about proper technique, while also getting a chance to collaborate with their fellow classmates. Students split up into teams of four, where one served as the model, and the other three had a chance to practice their perming skills. Students alternated every two minutes to see how many rods they could roll correctly. Rods (pictured below) are used to create perfect curls, and come in a variety of sizes depending on the look the client is going for. (for more information, visit: Hairfinder.com)

Diana, the owner of Branford Academy, checked and critiqued the students’ work and rolling techniques. None of the students actually received a perm in the end, however some chose to dry their rolled hair for an all-day curly look! See the photo below to get an idea about what a completed perm may look like!

School for Hair and Cosmetology.

Highlights and Lowlights

Diana_Leonardi — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 19:16:08 +0000

During the month of March, students attended a highlights and lowlights class, where they learned the differences between the two, as well as proper techniques. Both highlights and lowlights are considered spot hair color processes, and can be used together, or separately.Highlights are done by taking either thin or thick strands of hair, and lightening them at least two shades lighter than the rest of the hair. Highlights can come in any tone of dark or light hair, and they don’t just have to be blonde. What is the point of highlights? Highlights are used in order to give a client’s hair a sun-kissed look, and to bring light to their overall color.

Lowlights, on the other hand, are done by a hair dresser taking thin or thick strands of hair, and darkening them at least two shades darker than the rest of the clients’ hair.When a client gets both highlights and lowlights, this is sometimes referred to as a tri-color service. Getting the combination of the two gives the most natural-looking feel.

Branford Academy students are now ready for any highlight or lowlight request that comes their way!

Highlight Boot Camp at Branford Academy!

Diana_Leonardi — Tue, 27 Mar 2012 16:04:18 +0000

Branford Academy recently held a highlight boot camp, where students learned the proper techniques to get great results for their customers who want highlights! The teacher took the time to take students through an entire appointment, from consultation, to doing the actual highlights, right through to the end. The teacher explained that the beauty of highlights is that they can give customers a “kiss of color,” boosting their confidence, and making them feel as if they just returned from a tropical vacation. There are a variety of ways to do highlights, depending on what the client has in mind. (LINK found below) The first step in the process is sectioning the hair, where students were instructed to create a top section, and then work with the rest of the hair first, in smaller sub sections. The students were let in on many helpful tricks from their teacher, who provided them with the wisdom and knowledge that she had from all of her previous experience. Some of the tricks included making sure that the highlights were even, and pulling the hair tight to get as close to the root as possible. Also, they learned that pinching the sides of the foils to form air pockets around the highlighted hair will allow for better oxidation. Students were very excited and eager to learn about all of these helpful tips, and got in a lot of practice. The teacher explained to students how to avoid ‘drag,’ which can include unwanted bleed lines, or even missing spots of hair that were supposed to be highlighted. She provided individual attention to all students, so that everyone understood and mastered the art of doing fabulous highlights by the end of Highlight Boot Camp!

Check out this great video taken during Highlight Boot Camp at Branford Academy!