We know the struggle all too well you leave the salon with an updated do and a bag of products, only to find you can t recreate your stylist s handiwork on your own. Luckily, pro hairstylists Garren, Thom Priano, and Howard McLaren have joined forces to bridge that gap with R+ Co, their line of salon-quality products that make getting that red carpet effect much easier through proper education. We start with the hairdresser so they ll be able to give better consultations and master product control, McLaren tells InStyle.com exclusively. Imagine getting a prescription from your doctor, and when you go to fill it, it s blank. Just like you need that information, you need information on how to use your products from the salon so you can replicate the look, or play with different ones.The right products can take your style to another level you just have to know how to use them. The R+ Co team will educate salon stylists on how to use the products and consult their clients, and in addition to the impressive 21-piece catalog, the range also boasts an innovative app to make the process even easier. During the appointment, your hairdresser will enter all of your information into the app, will help you select a cut, and can show you different examples of how to style it. Each product used will be entered into your profile, and once finished, your stylist will email over a step-by-step breakdown so you can recreate your final look, as well as images of additional options. Your profile will also be saved for a future visits, and you ll have access to styling tutorials via the brand s website for when you feel like changing things up. If we can show you what to use, and exactly how to do the same thing yourself, then we ve done our job, adds Garren. If I use a product on your hair, you should be able to do the same thing, but you need to know how much to apply, and how to apply it.
With decades of experience working with celebrities, backstage at fashion shows, and at editorial shoots between the three pros, the collaboration was a perfect fit. None of this could have happened with just one of us, says Priano. Whether it was designing the bottles, or picking out pumps, not one of us said that there was a certain way things had to be, and it was a collective effort. The gorgeous packaging is the perfect complement to the beautiful styles each paraben and sulfate-free product is capable of, but men shouldn t be put off by the pretty labels. Priano, who has worked with Zac Efron and Channing Tatum, brings his knowledge of men s grooming to the table, and frequently works with the Conformist Hair Paste and Continental Glossing Wax to create sleek and roughed-up guys styles alike. I work on a lot of sets that don t have easy access to electricity, so products are key in creating a lot of looks where you d typically need a blow-dryer, he says. I ve even used the Death Valley Dry Shampoo on men, because we ve been stuck in an environment of really glossy products, and a lot of guys prefer a more matte finish.
And on the longer end of the men s hair spectrum, the Mannequin Styling Paste is perfect for imparting a tousled texture, or forming the perfect man bun (Jared Leto, take note!). I actually wore a man bun last week! adds, McLaren. With my beard, I looked pretty cool. And as a guy, why are guys limited to not styling their hair? I don t know if I d do a roller set, but I d definitely have a go at the man bun. Find a participating salon near you, and shop the products, priced from $20 to $29, at randco.com now!
While we admittedly think Lauren Conrad can do no wrong (see her super chic apartment and dreamy wedding ceremony) she still manages to surprise us with her great style on a regular basis. Just last night, on Instagram, Conrad debuted a new crop—a fresh, layered lob—which she described as her first haircut in years. Kristin Ess, L.C. s longtime hairstylist and co-founder of The Beauty Department, provided the newlywed with the new look.