This week our Under the Dryer team has a special treat in store… all wrapped up in a glamorously adorned package, swathed in black with gorgeous tresses ‘flowing’ all around… oozing corporate chic. We’re talking about the elegantly coifed ladies of FLOW who were happy to share their haircare secrets with our team. Here’s what we learned.

(Photos: Marlon Reid)

Denise Williams – Public Relations Manager

Denise has been with FLOW for two years, and in that time she has undergone a drastic transformation, having yearned for a change. About a year into the job she decided to try a new stylist, and off she went to Roxanne’s. After being impressed with her new stylist’s expertise, she decided to shed her lengthy locks for something very different… something “short, chic and easy to maintain”. Of course, her hairstylist Roxanne created the ‘do she currently sports — a chic bob, which she adores because it suits her, and she doesn’t have to put in too much work. Here are a few of her secrets.

Her haircare regimen:

“Absolutely none! Which is a part of the reason why I love it so much. I don’t have to do anything before bed, and in the morning I can just comb it out because the shape of the cut complements my hair’s natural growth pattern, so it just falls into place. I get a shampoo and blow-style every week because of the nature of my job – I have many events to attend. Sometimes I use my blow-dryer and flat iron to straighten it out a bit. I also visit my hairstylists every six weeks for a trim, deep-conditioning and colour job.”

About her stylists:

“I actually have two great stylists, because I live in Montego Bay, but I work in Kingston. Roxanne Shields of Roxanne’s in Kingston is my main stylist, but when I’m at home in Montego Bay, Monique Webster of Norma Webster salon helps me with my maintenance.”

Her hair must-haves:

“My blow-dryer, my flat iron and Redken Heat Glide Frizz Ease Serum. I also must deep-condition every six weeks.”

Denise’s take:

“I love this look, it’s short, chic, easy to maintain and very different from the way I had it before.”

Nova Hamilton – Client Relations Manager

After being with FLOW for three years, Nova realised she was faced with a small problem, and contemplated a few solutions. She soon came up with perfect idea, however she refrained as she had not yet summoned up the courage to do it. Nova had long hair which she always wore in a ponytail, but since she is petite, her clients always mistook her for someone much younger. She decided to get a haircut in an effort to acquire a mature yet trendy look “to go with her job description”. Two months ago on the day before a friend’s wedding she finally took the plunge, and today she couldn’t be happier. Lisa Hutchinson of Lisa’s salon gave her the fabulous ‘Halle Berry cut’ she so craved and she’s been hooked ever since (prior to that, she was her own hairstylist). Nova shares her style notes.

Her haircare regimen:

“I have a sensitive scalp, so I use Affirm Fiber Guard Relaxer. I try to go to Lisa’s every two weeks to shampoo, treat, trim and style my hair, and I relax once monthly. I also wrap my hair at nights with a wrapping lotion and tie it with a hair mesh, then in the mornings I add Smooth & Shine Polishing Instant Hair Polisher before using a small curling iron to curl and my fingers to style it.”

About her stylist:

“Since going to Lisa’s I have found that she is very good at what she does, and she also has short hair, so she is excellent at styling hair like mine. What I love the most about her is that wow effect for everyone. When I’m there and I see the styles she creates for others, it makes me want to try it and when she does mine I always leave feeling extra pretty.”

Her hair must-haves:

“Affirm products for my sensitive scalp, hair polisher and my curling iron.”

Nova’s take:

“I love the shorter look, it highlights my cheekbones, which I never used to notice before and gives me a more mature look. It also makes me look more like Halle (Berry), and I’ve always loved her.”

Rowanne Reid – Learning & Development Officer

Women are always seeking change, and when that feeling hits, it is usually the hairdo that changes first. Like her coworkers, Rowanne (after five years with FLOW) was also hit by the ‘change bug’. She succumbed to the urge just a month ago, trading in the long, curly locks she had worn “all her life” for something quite the opposite. Here are her thoughts on the new look, and a few of her haircare secrets.

Her haircare regimen:

“My hair is now texturised, so I put it in a ponytail before bed at nights, but if it’s the night before a function, I’ll wrap it. If I’m going to wear it down, I’ll flat iron my hair in the mornings, if not then I will put it in a ponytail or a bun and I’m out the door. Once every three weeks I get a deep-conditioning treatment at the salon, besides that I just shampoo and flat iron or curl at home.”

About her stylists:

“I’ve been going to Yvette McPhail of Salon Dimensions at the Wyndham for five or six years and she really understands my hair. She knows how to get that dead-straight look that I want and she’s generally a good stylist. I also visit Vonessa’s in Milbrook Plaza from time to time and they are also pretty good, but Yvette is my main girl.”

Her hair must-haves:

“When I’m travelling, my go-to appliance is my flat iron and my must-haves are Olive Oil Serum if I’m wearing my hair straight, or Garnier Fructis leave-in conditioning cream if I’m wearing it curly.”

Rowanne’s take:

“I really like this new look, you know, but it’s not easy to maintain. It’s a lot more work, but I’m enjoying the change.”

Kishner Cowell – Business Solutions Manager

Kishner has been with FLOW for the past four-and-a-half years, and her coworkers are accustomed to seeing her with a short cropped ‘do. She recently decided to grow out that hairstyle because she finds that longer hair gives her a chic look and she “missed the long hair”, so her hair is currently in the transition stage. Kishner is excited to see how fast her hair is growing, and cannot wait for it to get to a length where she can have a little more fun with it. In the interim, she visits her trusty hairstylist Karen Adams of Beauty Quest Life Style salon for an elegantly coiffed look. She shares a few style notes with our Under the Dryer team.

Her hair-care regimen:

“I visit the salon every two weeks to shampoo and style. I relax every 6-8 weeks depending on the growth and I always treat when I relax. Besides that, everything is DIY for me, and I wrap my hair at nights, so it gives me a pretty good fall in the mornings. If I put it into a ponytail before bed, then that’s what works for the morning… a ponytail night brings a ponytail day (laughs).”

About her stylist:

“I have been going to Karen for 2-3 years now and I love her. My hair is naturally thin and the way she styles it gives it a little fluff; I don’t know how she does it. And she also knows just how to create the professional look I like.”

Her hair must-haves:

“Olive Oil Serum, my blow-dryer and flat iron for touch-ups. My haircare secret is wrapping, hair polisher and black rinse for a sharper look, and for special occasions I go to Karen for a shampoo, rinse, touch-up and style. She does it all nicely.”

Kishner’s take:

“I’m liking this look, I really missed having the long hair that I could play with and I find that it is a bit more versatile. I also like the look of an elegant bun, which I really missed.”

Sandi Taylor – Billing & Audit Manager

Sandi has been with FLOW for five years, and believe it or not, every strand of her hair is natural, much to the amazement of some of her peers. She is currently sporting a sleek look, though she sometimes opts for a curly ‘do depending on her mood. “Ninety-five per cent of the times” she does her hair by herself at home, she tells our team. “For complex things like cutting, colouring, or special occasions” however, she visits Yvette McPhail of Salon Dimensions at the Wyndham. Sandi takes excellent care of her body and her hair, and she was all too happy to share a few of her beauty tips with us. Here’s what we learned.

Her haircare regime:

“Everything depends on my mood, sometimes I feel like going for a sleek look, so I will shampoo and use my flat iron to straighten it, sometimes I will wear it curly. If I need a change, I go to Yvette for a cut or colour, but I usually keep it at a decent length for more flexibility. There isn’t really anything that I do very religiously, except for shampooing twice weekly, then air dry and moisturise.”

About her stylist:

“Yvette is a great hairdresser, I have been visiting her for five or six years now and I think she’s good at what she does.”

Her hair must-haves:

“I am not brand loyal, but I must have my hair serum, I usually prefer one that contains coconut or olive oil. I like natural products as they are better for your hair. I would say my titanium flat iron is my must-have, but the secret is to really take care of my body. It’s all encompassing, it’s not just about hair. Eat well, drink lots of water and take vitamins. Use products with natural ingredients in your hair as they have more moisture and less sodium sulphate and chloride, those are very harsh chemicals that dry out your scalp and hair. Moisture is the key to soft hair.”

Sandi’s take:

“I like my hair like this because short hair is high maintenance, so I manage much better with longer hair.”

Nasha-Monique Douglas – Brand Marketing Manager

Nasha started working at FLOW in December of last year, but at the time she had a much shorter cut, a pixie to be exact. She has now decided to grow it out into a much longer style for more versatility and flexibility, so she can “play with it some more” and create the ponytails and chignons she misses. She often gets bored with her hairstyles so she experiments a lot and told our team that she has two hairstylists – Claudine Wolfe of Sultry, who caters to the edgy, playful, funky side of her personality; and Rose Thomas of Perfect Touch who caters to her softer side. Her two knowledgeable hairstylists help her to style and maintain her hair while it is in the transition process, and she is having fun working the new look. She now shares a few style notes with our Under the Dryer team.

Her haircare regimen:

“The curling iron is my best friend. I curl my hair every single day, so I use Biolage shampoo and conditioner to wash my hair weekly because in addition to the curling, I go to the gym daily. I also wrap my hair every night with Carol’s Daughter Hair Butter and drink lots and lots of water. Besides that, I treat and style every two weeks, I colour every six weeks and relax every ten weeks.”

About her stylists:

“I have been seeing Rose for about three years and she really knows my hair, she’s excellent at maintenance, but for the styling I visit Claudine, who I’ve been going to for about three months. They are both very good.”

Her hair must-haves:

“My curling iron! Also Clairol Natural Instincts hair colour in Midnight Black because it makes my hair look healthier, so I can’t live without it. My secret is treating my body right. I take vitamins and try to stay happy, because I know that stress is a big part of hair breakage. I think what you put into your body counts too, because if it matters to your body, it matters to your hair.”

Nasha’s take:

“I am excited to see how far my hair can grow so I can do a few things with it, and right now I’m just having fun with this look.”

Elaine Hylton – Retail Co-ordinator

Having been at FLOW for three years, we reckon Elaine was the one who introduced Nasha to Claudine Wolfe, as she too visits Sultry to get her fabulous tresses coifed and styled. And after just a moment of interaction, our team discovered that she knows a lot about hair care, and puts it all into practice for the healthy, shiny look you can see. She also has a secret product, which she enthusiastically told us about. Here’s what we learned.

Her haircare regimen:

“I get my hair relaxed every three months, and in the last six weeks of that three-month period I go to Sultry for a deep-conditioning treatment with a new local product that Claudine introduced to me called OX Organic. It gives my hair sheen, maintains the soft texture, improves my sensitive scalp and speeds up the drying time. It is simply amazing! For special occasions she uses a black rinse in my hair and a barrel-heated curling iron to style it for a clean, sharp look that’s light and fresh. I also work out a lot during the week, so I usually shampoo it myself on a Wednesday evening or Thursday morning, and I wrap it every night.”

About her stylist:

“I have been visiting Claudine for three years and she is brilliant! She knows my hair and understands its texture and quality. Plus ever since she introduced me to OX Organic I can see the difference in my hair. It works like a charm and eliminates the need for many other products.”

Her hair must-haves:

“OX Organic deep-conditioning treatment, Redken Smooth Down Butter and my flat iron which I only use once a week. My haircare secrets are of course, Claudine, OX Organic, and I use either Optimum or TREssemmé products to shampoo and condition my hair. Optimum for when I want a flatter look and TREssemmé for more bounce and life. I don’t use hair oil or moisturiser and besides flat ironing once a week, absolutely no heat styling.”

Elaine’s take:

“I love my hair, it looks and feels healthy and the products I use help to keep it that way.”

On the cover:

The gorgeous ladies of FLOW.