Author: Team Play Academy

  • Importance of Communication Skills for a Makeup Artist

    Importance of Communication Skills for a Makeup Artist

    Effective Communication in the Salon – between the client and the Stylist is as important as the tools and the treatments used to make them feel good and raising their self-esteem. Communication is the key to a successful Salon, and a thriving, professional career domain. The Play Academy curriculum takes a comprehensive approach in improving and enhancing Communication Skills of the participants in all its offered courses.

    Most of a makeup artist’s day involves working closely with other people, like models, actors, photographers and clients or customers. Makeup artists should be able to communicate with a variety of people to understand client goals and provide necessary feedback. Artists need to be confident and tactful when suggesting changes that may benefit a customer’s appearance.

    Stressing the fact that communication is not just verbal but also involves good body language, display of confidence in skills & the capacity to listen carefully. It also includes non-invasive and yet effective ways to address customer complaints and service short-comings on the Salon floor. Internal and External customers are equally important. And great communication is the glue that hold them together.

  • Hair Care Course At Play Academy

    Hair Care Course At Play Academy

    Hair care is an overall term for hygiene and cosmetology involving the hair which grows from the human scalp. Hair care routines differ according to an individual’s culture and the physical characteristics of one’s hair.

    Play Academy’s ARTH Hair & Beauty Course, while providing an in-depth examination of the science of hair and hair care products, equally focuses on the core aspects of Hair Care products, scalp effects & reactions and different Hair types.

    Care of the hair and care of the scalp skin may appear separate, but are actually intertwined because hair grows from beneath the skin. The course module is structured in such a a way that it helps the participant gain knowledge and understanding of the principles of hair and hair products interactions; thereby enhancing their skills for future research.

    These are the core objectives :
    – Shampoos and Conditioners for different hair types
    – Hair care products, their compositions and reactions on hair
    – Dealing with dandruff and sensitive scalps
    – Treatments for dry, sensitised and colored hair

    Armed with this knowledge you are now on your way to becoming a successful hairdresser.

  • How to put together a Professional Makeup Kit

    How to put together a Professional Makeup Kit

    play-academy-makeup-kit-for-stylists

    Makeup can often become a cluttered and disorganized mess. If you find yourself spending more time digging than you do applying makeup, you should keep reading for great tips to organize a makeup kit for your daily use as well as one for those special events.

    Face

    You’ll want to have a nice range of colors for all your face products in order to match perfectly to your clients’ skin tones. Invest in at least 10 different shades so you can customize colors for any client’s unique tone. Also consider different formulas for dry, oily, or sensitive skin. Stocking your makeup kit with powder and cream blushes, bronzers, and contour and highlighting products will have you prepared to work on any skin type!

    Eyes

    Having a wide range of eye shadow colors in your makeup kit is essential. For your professional makeup kit, you should invest in a few different eye shadow palettes that include matte and shimmery neutral, dark, and light colors. Also consider powder and cream formulas for different skin types. To finish off your clients’ eye looks and to define their brows, you’ll also want to stock different types of eyeliners, mascara formulas (ie. waterproof, lengthening, thickening, etc.), and eyebrow pencils and powders.

    Lips

    In your professional makeup kit, you’ll want to include different shades of lipsticks, lip glosses, lip stains, and liquid lipsticks. Again, there are so many options available but having a solid range of colors will allow you mix and create customized lips for your clients! Invest in a wide range of lip liners to create the perfect base for your lipstick creations.

    Extras

    Other products you should stock in your kit include brushes, disposable applicators (i.e. mascara wands, sponges, etc.), primers, falsies, setting spray, makeup remover, glitter, gems and jewels, facial tissues, cotton swabs, and a portable makeup case to keep it all together! You should also evaluate your kit every so often to ensure you’re able to deliver any trendy looks or techniques your clients may request. For example, you might want to consider including a shimmery highlighting product for clients who want the strobing effect, which is a hot trend right now!

    With these cosmetic products your makeup kit is organized and you should be on your way to a less stressful and efficient make up routine.

  • 4 Tips for Getting Hired After Beauty School

    4 Tips for Getting Hired After Beauty School

    It’s graduation time for beauty school students! After having spent your time going through months of classes, hours practicing on the floor and countless services rendered, the day has finally arrived. Perhaps you’ve been proactive and even received your cosmetology license. Good Job! But now you need a job! So what do you need to do in order to get hired at your dream salon or spa? 4 tips for new grads to get hired fast by a beauty salon or spa!

    1. Professional Attire

    We are in an extremely visual industry, so it is very important to always look the part. How you dress, style your hair and do your makeup is your business card. When you show up to an interview, the first impression you make will be summed up in the first five seconds. Dress in a manner that is professionally appropriate to the position for which you are applying for. What you wear to an interview creates an image or perception of the type of person you are, so choosing your attire is critical to presenting yourself as the right candidate to hire.

    2. Explore

    It is important to do some exploring and research in finding an environment that will nurture where you see yourself in the future. By doing research on a beauty salon, it will tell you if they are passionate about their craft, which is critical to career staying power. Choose a salon that will help you grow and nurture your skills.

    3. Retail

    You are a salesperson whether you are selling an add-on service, recommending a treatment or prescribing a take home regiment for your client. These are all factors that make you a professional and highly valuable to anyone who is hiring.

    4. Self-Marketing

    You are your own brand. Social media is such a powerful tool to promote yourself and build client relations, but remember to be mindful of what you post, employers will look at your Facebook page before they hire you.

  • Hair Texture fundamentals at Play Academy

    Hair Texture fundamentals at Play Academy


    Hair exists in a variety of textures. The 3 main aspects of hair texture are its consistency, curl pattern & volume. Decoding one’s Hair texture requires sound knowledge & skill sets that comes with rigorous training and practice.

    Nothing is more important than hair texture when it comes to choosing your best hairstyle, not even your face shape. Your hair’s density and texture may dictate your hairstyle, your hair length and how your stylist cuts your hair.

    Here are a range of theories pertaining to the curl patterns of hair, presence and variation in the levels of disulfide

    1. A very round shaft allows for less disulfide bonds to be present in the hair strands. This means the bonds present are directly in line with one another, resulting in straight hair.

    2. The common consistencies of hair – fine, medium, and coarse, are determined by the hair follicle volume and the condition of the strand.

    These, and more form a part of Hair Texture module at the Play Academy Courses. Come and join Play Academy today to gain an enriching experience and knowledge in Hair and Beauty.

  • Enroll to Get a Glamorous Career in Hair dressing!

    Enroll to Get a Glamorous Career in Hair dressing!

    Learn everything you need to know about hair-dressing from leading stylists and the biggest names in the hair styling industry at Play Academy.

    The hair-dressing course provides an opportunity to interact with and learn from very successful, highly qualified and experienced professionals. Here are a few topics that will be covered during your course:

    Hair Texture

    Hair exists in a variety of textures. The 3 main aspects of hair texture are its consistency, curl pattern & volume. Decoding one’s Hair texture requires sound knowledge & skill sets that comes with rigorous training and practice. This module takes one through a range of theories pertaining to the curl patterns of hair, presence and variation in the levels of disulfide – a very round shaft allows for less disulfide bonds to be present in the hair strands.

    Hair Care

    Play Academy’s ARTH Hair & Beauty Course, while providing an in-depth examination of the science of hair and hair care products, equally focuses on the core aspects of Hair Care products, scalp effects & reactions and different Hair types. The course module is structured in such a a way that it helps the participant gain knowledge and understanding of the principles of hair and hair products interactions; thereby enhancing their skills for future research.

    Hair Science

    We may think we know everything about hair. It seems to be very much alive, sensitive to our moods or the vagaries of the weather. And yet the part of it we see – the fibre, is a material which is biologically dead. The ARTH Course familiarises the participant on the following fundamental aspects in Hair Science.

    Hair Cut

    At the heart of our beginner’s program is the ‘cut & styling’ curriculum, developed by one of the world’s greatest hair-dressing gurus, and exclusive to L’Oréal Professionel. The totally unique, cutting-edge techniques have been created based on the philosophy that great hair-dressing needs to be simple and fast, yet creative and ingenious.

    Hair Color

    Who doesn’t love change? And when it comes to altering or enhancing the natural color of one’s Hair – the key aspect of a human being’s physical persona, the after-effects are far-reaching! A fabulous change of color can be a self-esteem booster if done the right way to get the right effect, and a depressive memory, if not done right.

  • 10 Fun Facts about Hairdressers

    10 Fun Facts about Hairdressers

    You know you are a hairdresser when,

    1. You find hair in your food and don’t send it back.

    2. You don’t have to separate your laundry because all your clothes are black.

    3. When you go to the bank and realize you’re still wearing your smock and all your clips are attached.

    4. When you are standing in a checkout line at a grocery store and all you can think about is how much hair that lady in front of you needs to cut off or what color you would change it to.

    5. When you remember someone by their color formula.

    6. When you go to a drugstore and want to tell people in the shampoo aisle to stop buying that box color.

    7. When you leave a trail of bobby pins every where you go.

    8. When your client calls that they are running 10 minutes late, and you THANK GOD because now you have 10 minutes to put food in your stomach!

    9. You make hair contact before making eye contact.

    10. You marry a bald man because it’s one less family member you have to cut.

    That was a little bit of Hairdresser humor. Hope it made you laugh as much as it made us!

  • ARTH from L’Oréal Academy

    ARTH from L’Oréal Academy

    The Absolute Route to Hairdressing (ARTH) course, the ultimate introduction to hairdressing from L’Oréal Academy is now offered at Play Academy. This course has been created by L’Oreal Professional in collaboration with some of the world’s best hairdressers and teaches you the latest cutting, coloring and styling techniques and includes in salon experience. The course also puts equal emphasis on Hair Science, Communication and Retail skills to make you a well-rounded professional

    Who can join : Anyone who has a flair and passion for hairdressing.

    *Giveaways for Participants : Students Tool Kit

    Food expenses have to be borne by the participants though hot beverages (tea) will be offered on the house during scheduled session breaks.

  • Top 10 Must-have Makeup Brushes

    Top 10 Must-have Makeup Brushes

    Makeup brushes are essential to your collection and the correct ones can greatly improve your makeup application, but which ones do you need? Read on for what Play Academy recommends each stylist should have in their kits to make the cut!

    Face Brushes

    1. Foundation Brush: Use it to smooth liquid or cream foundation for streak-free application.

    2. Kabuki Brush: This big brush is perfect for softly applying bronzers and powders, and for evenly distributing product across your face or body.

    3. Powder Brush: The long, fluffy bristles evenly diffuse loose powders.

    4. Angled Blush Brush: The slanted bristles make it easier to apply products perfectly to your cheekbones.

    5. Concealer Brush: Use a small, synthetic brush to pinpoint specific areas that need extra coverage.

    Eye Brushes

    1. Eye Shader Brush: An eye shader brush is a flat, stiff brush that’s used for packing color on the lid. You can also use the tip of the brush to smudge color under the lower lash line or to create a defined line in the crease.

    2. Stiff Dome Brush: This brush is great for feathering out color to create a smokey eye, or blending out the crease. The bristles are stiff, making it easy to move the eye shadow where you want it.

    3. Pencil Brush: This pencil-like brush is perfect for precision shading on the lid, in the crease of the eye, or along the lash line. This brush can also be used for smudging liner along the lash line, or darkening the outer-v for a dramatic look.

    4. Soft Dome Brush: This dome shaped brush has very soft bristles that make it ideal for blending out any harsh lines below the brow bone. This brush can also be used for blending out concealer under the eye to help hide dark circles and bags.

    5. Bent Liner Brush: Designed specifically for applying gel eyeliner, this brush has a bent head that lays perfectly on the top of the lashes, and glides with ease. The pointed tip helps create a fool proof line that will have even the beginners pulling off a stunning cat eye.

    With these makeup brushes in your kit any stylist should be able to up their makeup game!

  • The Ultimate Makeup kit Checklist

    The Ultimate Makeup kit Checklist

    We don’t wear makeup to look pretty, we wear it because we enjoy the process of putting it on! Play Academy brings to you a makeup kit checklist which every makeup artist needs to have whether you are a beginner, intermediate or professional.

    A Beginner’s makeup kit

    To start your career as a makeup artist the first thing you need to do is organize your kit. Here are a list of things that you should have in your kit – makeup remover wipes, foundation sponge, tweezers, eyebrow pencil and brow gel, Mascara, eye liner, eye shadow duet, BB cream, a cheek and lip stain and lip balm.

    An Intermediate’s makeup kit

    As an intermediate makeup artist you need to load your kit with a more robust performance based products. Some face products that you should have are bronzer, highlighter, concealer, primer, liquid foundation, a cream and powder blush, hydrating mist, foundation brush, double sided contour and blush brush, pressed powder compact, pointed Q-tips, for the lips you would need a bold lipstick, lip liner, and for the eyes an eyelash curler, liquid eyeliner (with felt tip), an eye-shadow palette, eyes shadow brush, eye makeup remover.

    A Professional’s makeup kit

    Here’s what you will need to build your professional makeup kit, some must have products like Loose pigments, loose finishing powder, makeup setting spray, a fan brush, contouring cheek palette, concealer brush, fake lashes, lash glue, lash primer, metal lash comb, eye-shadow primer, lip scrub, palette of lip colors, gel filler for brows, gel eyeliner, angled eyeliner and brow brush, kabuki brush, smudge brush, stippling brush, mini scissors.

    Now that we have listed out the contents of a makeup kit, ask yourself one crucial question – what kind of makeup will you be focusing on? Will it be fashion, bridal, movies or basic. Based on this, organize your kit and as you start working you will be able to build on it and create your own unique methods!