But if you’ve never chopped your locks so dramatically before, there are some things you’ll need to know.

1. It’s not actually cooler. Lots of people think less hair = less hot, but that’s not the case. People with long hair are accustomed to putting it up whenever they get too warm — and that’s not an option when it comes to bobs.

2. It’s not as easy-care as you might think. Similar to the above, on days when you don’t feel like styling it, you can’t just twist it into an updo. You’re committed to styling it every single day. And speaking of styling…

3. Your hair will behave differently when it’s shorter. Whatever curl or wave you’ve got now, at your longer length, expect it to be magnified as soon as the weight of those extra inches are off.

4. You might find you’re more tied to your hair than you think. For every woman who loves her cropped curls, there’s another woman who desperately misses her flowing tresses. If you’ve been traumatized by shorter cuts before, you might consider skipping this trend. Loving your hair goes a long way towards your confidence.

But, if you’ve read all that and you’re ready to take the leap, book your appointment at Salon Antoine today!

Blended Ombre

This year, the ombre is a little less edgy and a little more blended. It’s not the statement look it was last year. Now it leans more toward subtle and elegant.

Red Menace

Red bombshells are rocking the box office and prime time. And everyone wants to be a knockout. This year the reds are moving away from deep burgundies to the orangey-red of a true firetop. Believe it or not, this is a good look for blonds, because it requires the icy skin to pull it off.

Golden Goddess

And what of the olive and caramel toned ladies out there? This years hair color of the moment is a golden, buttery blond. And unlike champagne blonds, the treatments used to get this shade are a little easier on the hair.

Bold Streaks

Pastel shades have had their day, but bold color is still popping up everywhere. Enjoy them thick and sassy and feel yourself strut.

Dark Underlay

The way romantic updos are staying in style, the dark underlay sticks too. That’s because whenever you pin up your hair — voila! Instant drama and contrast. What a delightful surprise!

Our stylists at Salon Antoine would love to help you choose your new hair color this year. Book an appointment today!

Here’s a roundup of our nine favorite 2013 summer hairstyle trends. With a list like this, you’re sure to find something to excite you.

Hollywood Wave: Soft round curls brushed out into waves. There are endless variations of this retro style going around.

Side Part: The deep side part continues its reign of glory. It’s amazing how such a little touch can transform an entire look.

Slick and Wet: This polished, chic look is an edgy contrast to the soft romantic styles in evidence elsewhere. Combine it with a low ponytail or a high braid if you have long locks.

Ballerina Bun: Always pretty, always tidy, the ballerina bun is all over the runways. A 5-minute style — what’s not to love?

Halo Braids: There’s something about this style that says “I pay attention to the little things.” It’s a style that can be combine with many others to stay fresh and interesting

Pop of Color: It’s summer! Why not match your hair with your mani-pedi? Color just a swatch, or your whole head.

Rope Braid: If winter saw the rise of the fishtail braid, summer is seeing the rise of the rope braid. 2, 3, or 4 strands; your choice!

Hairnets, wraps, and veils: Now here’s something we haven’t seen in awhile. Old fashion glamour abounds when you pin a veil or a bit of gauze over your updo or low bun. A classy evening look.

Objet d’art: If retro isn’t your thing, how about modern art? We’re seeing pins and pearls, feathers and ribbons, and all sorts of darling and delightful things festooning the heads of runway models this year.

Fairfax VA Hair Salon & Spa, Salon Antoine, has just launched a 2013 Mother’s Day special that runs now through May15th, honoring our Moms and all of the special women in our lives.

The Salon Antoine team has selected seven services to pamper you or your Mom for this special occasion. Every Mother’s Day package sold will also receive a free gift. Salon Antoine owner, Tony Chahine, said “we want to make sure Mom feels like a queen on her special day, the flowers are nice and pretty but we want to treat her to something very personal and memorable that she will remember for a long time”.

Tony goes on to state “Moms are the backbone of every family, they take care of everyone throughout the year and we want to recognize that at Salon Antoine by offering them a pampering and indulging day”. Salon Antoine’s Mother Day special promotion allows clients to choose from seven of Salon Antoine’s services, which include:

•     Haircut
•     Color
•     Highlight
•     Manicure & Pedicure
•     LED Light Treatment
•     Facial
•     Make up

Each hair salon client will be able to select three services and receive 20% off their final bill. Select four services and receive 25% off or five or more services and receive 30% off. This special Mother’s day promotion also includes retail products and hot tools. Please contact a Salon Antoine associate for the promotional details,
703-691-8878.

*All special offers only apply on regular prices for services as well as products and hot tools.
Special offers not combinable with any other promotions. Expiration May 15, 2013.

If a hairdresser could be said to work miracles, hair smoothing treatments would definitely qualify.

After all, there’s only so much even the most talented hairdresser can do — they can’t change the natural way your hair curls, its coarseness or fineness, or keep it sleek and undamaged.

But a quality hair smoothing treatments can mitigate many of the most common hair complaints. It prevents the frizzies, it smooths damaged hair, it relaxes hard-to-manage curls and it’s an absolute dream to style.

How is this miracle done? The important ingredient is keratin, which is the protein that makes up hair molecules. When the molecules are arranged like a ladder, you get straight hair. When they are arranged more like a spiral staircase, you get curly hair.

But instead of the traditional keratin treatment which contains formaldehyde, Salon Antoine uses a more gentle skin-conditioning agent to alter the chemical composition within hair thus drastically reducing frizz. Our treatment, called Olio Di Morocco also contains keratin, as well as collagen, to give the hair greater elasticity, and Argan oil to condition and add shine.

An Olio di Morocco smoothing treatment begins by weakening the bonds that hold the proteins together. Then, the stylist uses a flat-iron to heat flatten the hair, and the heat makes the hair proteins arrange themselves more neatly, while the smooth ceramic glide seals the hair cuticles closed. It’s that sealing that makes smoothed hair so manageable — it doesn’t get frizzy because it can’t absorb moisture from the air.

Best of all, unlike some other treatments (like the Japanese straightening technique), smoothed hair can still be easily styled into curls with a round brush or iron. You will never be held hostage by your hair again!

Smoothing treatments last from 3-6 months, and the effect wear off over time, so there won’t be a clear demarcation as your hair grows in. Everyone can benefit from a hair smoothing treatment — it’s safe for colored hair, and even healthy, straight hair will enjoy more manageability and less susceptibility to damage.

To book your hair smoothing appointment, call today!

People around the world remove the hair from their body for a variety of reasons. There are many ways to remove this hair: depilatory creams, shaving, tweezing and waxing are the most common.

While each method has its benefits, for many areas, including legs, underarms, upper lip, chin, eyebrows, back, chest, and bikini area, waxing might be considered the best overall hair removal solution.

Although there are many at-home waxing kits available, getting waxing professionally done has many things going for it.

In the first place, you will have an expert aesthetician performing the waxing on you. He or she will be able to apply the waxing effectively, always pull the hair out in the right direction, and will be able to reach all the areas you can not.

A trained aesthetician will properly prepare the area, apply the wax and cloth strips, and pull it off firmly and decisively. One of the main reasons at-home waxes are so disappointing is that people are reluctant to inflict pain on themselves, and therefore don’t pull the strips off properly. This results in more pain, as well as a very poor wax job.

In addition, your aesthetician will be trained in aftercare — after pulling off a wax strip, she will put firm pressure over the skin to numb the area, clean up and stray hairs, and apply a cooling ointment when you are finished, as well as give you any instructions for your personal situation.

While hair removal is often viewed as an unpleasant necessity, waxing at a salon can transform it into a pleasurable ritual. You need only do it every six to eight weeks, and when you arrive at the salon you will be pampered and cared for every step of the way– at home you would have to do all the work yourself! You can also be confident that the job will be well done.

For more information on our waxing services click here.

Of course, we now use bleach to lighten dark hair, allowing anyone to have any color they like, but people used to only be able to enhance their natural color. These dyes are more akin to rinses, and generally fade within a few weeks. Here are some traditional coloring methods.

Chamomile

Chamomile tinctures were used by blonds to brighten the honey shades of their hair. You needed to brew chamomile blossoms like tea, then rinse or soak the hair in the tincture 20 or so minutes. Lemon juice was sometimes used for this purpose as well. The key is to let hair dry in the sun.

Henna

Henna is still popular to this day, for giving dark hair a reddish tinge. Henna is a very potent dye, and can be used to stain skin and cloth as well. The darker the hair, the more luscious the russet tones become, while lighter hair can tend to become brassy or even plummy.

Sage

Sage rinses were used to cover gray hair in dark brunette or black hair. Similar to the chamomile, the dye was obtained by boiling a handful of herbs, straining to obtain the liquid, and then soaking the hair for a short while. However, sage was a “progressive” dye, which means it had to be applied several times to until the correct shade was achieved, and had to be refreshed monthly after that.

Walnut

Walnut is the most potent of all the natural dyes, staining nearly anything it comes into contact with. Only five or six walnut hulls are necessary to dye hair coal black. The dye takes more than a week to prepare, though, with several rounds of boiling and steeping required.

Just like today, coloring one’s hair with natural dyes was an investment of time and energy. But at least now we can lay back and be pampered instead of doing all this work ourselves!

Bold Hair Coloring

Want to vamp it up? You can’t go wrong with a decadent dark chocolate like Elizabeth Taylor. Already dark (or far too pale to pull it off)? Give red a try. Sultry, rich reds like auburn and russet draw every eye in the room to you.

Wild Hair Coloring

All kinds of people are rocking My Little Pony colors now. Did you see Helen Mirren in bubblegum pink? It’s not just for Rhianna and Katy Perry anymore. Try lime green, cobalt blue, orange, purple, and yes — pink.

Classic Twist Hair Coloring

Sometimes, you just don’t want everyone staring at you all the time. (A woman’s got to get some work done sometime!) If that’s the case, why not take your existing color and push the limits– just a little bit.

Why not try an auburn ombre? Or turn blond tresses adorably strawberry? Or go as dark as you dare — you might just find that you get a lot more respect (and that your eyes just pop!)

Whatever you choose, rest assured that Salon Antoine will help you get the look you want. There’s nothing like stepping out in the spring with a new look and the confidence boost that goes with it.