Name: Kandi Kimberling

Position: Senior Barber

Barbershop: Weldon Barber on Broadway  509.456.8001

Experience: 7 years

What inspired you to cut hair and become a barber? A close friend of mine told me that I always had such cute hairstyles and should do hair.

What is your favorite part of your job? Having fun with my clients & the crew I work with.

What is your favorite product to work with right now? I love American Crew Defining Paste. I can use on almost any client and love the results!

What men’s hairstyle trends are we seeing right now? The guys we are seeing in the Broadway shop want cuts with more texture and natural finish. Younger dudes want longer styles that are trendy, but low maintenance.

What hair and skincare tips would you recommend to guys? Use a good shampoo and conditioner, none of that cheap stuff! And dude, get some SPF!!!

Congratulations to Kelsi Bates, a Weldon Barber in Downtown Spokane for winning 3rd place in the IECA Hair Competition. This year was Kelsi’s second time placing at the competition. Nice Job Kelsi! Enjoy this a quick interview with Kelsi and take home some of her hair tips.

Tell us about the competition. What style did you cut?

I had my model dressed up as Maverick from Top Gun. I cut a tight fade on the sides and left it long and piecey in the front. To achieve the style I used Aveda Pomade on his damp hair to create that messy look with high shine and medium hold.

What kind of guy does this style work for?

This style is really great for anyone, but looks best with masculine facial features. Use pomade to slick hair back for a more sophisticated, professional look or tousle your hair for a trendier look.

Any recommendations for Weldon guys that you’d like to share?

I would say that all guys should use the right shampoo and conditioner for their hair. The right shampoo and conditioner will vary depending on the guy, but it will keep hair manageable and keep scalps healthy (so guys can hold on to their hair as long as possible). I like Aveda’s Pure Formance Shampoo and Conditioner for most hair types because it targets itchy, flaky or even oily scalps resulting in fantastic, soft hair.

Alright guys, we know that grooming connotates something that should be done to your neighbor’s poodle. However, it’s something that both YOU and Frou Frou need to keep in mind. It’s important to keep those nails cleaned and clipped, keep nose hair at bay and take care of your physical appearance.

Unfortunately, most of the grooming tools you’d typically find aren’t fit for a man (FYI a man’s nails are much larger in size than a woman’s) and they certainly don’t look manly.

Meet ACE grooming tools. These tools are the grooming equivalent of your hammer and tool kit.

At Weldon, we’ve got your:

• ACE Dual Action Nose and Ear trimmer
• ACE Facial Grooming Kit
• ACT Nail and Toenail Clippers

Check out the tools and start using nail clippers built for the manly man (but remember, this manly man is not hidden by unclipped nails and unsightly nose hair; he’s lookin’ pretty good).

image from sunnews.es

Did you hear? Antonio Banderas stopped by Weldon Barber in Downtown Spokane the other day! He is in town to film “The Big Bang” and came to Weldon to pick up some products. Jennifer helped him out and he purchased Sharps Kid Glove Oil Free Pre-Shave Stick , an amazing product for use under your shave gel. It creates a clear protective barrier for a close shave without the nicks. So…next time you see Antonio on the big screen check out his face. We’re gonna bet that it’s nothing but smooth.

-Shampoo and condition your beard to make your hair soft and therefore much more likely to be kissed! A great option is the Paul Mitchell Tea Tree line.

-Use an anti-acne cleanser such as Aveda’s Outer Peace Foaming Cleanser to create less irritation and flaking.

-Use a clear shave gel and a good trimmer to keep your beard clean and minimize those little shaving mishaps! Weldon recommends Sharps Kid Glove Shave Gel for a detail oriented shave.

-Have your Weldon Barber shape your beard! An uneven beard is…well, unattractive. A professional shave can make you go from Grizzly Adams to Gerard Butler and trust the women guys…that’s a good thing!

Image courtesy of UC Davis School of Education

Happy Veteran’s Day! In celebration of the men and women who serve and have served this country, today’s post is dedicated to the flat top.

Now, we know that technically the military haircut is the high and tight with extremely short sides. The flat top is a similar style to the high and tight, but can be adapted to different lengths. It’s a classic, clean look that balances precision and strength, a great haircut for any guy.

The flat top is a great look, but it’s essential to ask around and find a barber who is well versed in cutting flat tops. We’ve got at least one barber at each Weldon Barber who has perfected their flat tops, so be sure to call ahead and ask so you can schedule with a specialist.

Tawney from the South Hill Weldon provides some insight on the benefits and downsides of the flat top (P.S. Feel free to schedule your flat top with Tawney!).

Benefits:

-The flat top is a low maintenance cut that always looks polished, even if you just jumped out of bed.

-In order to style your hair all you need is some American Crew Fiber or Defining Paste. If you’ve been wearing a flat top for  a while now, you may not have to use any styling products at all.

Downsides:

-In order to maintain your flat top a cut every 2-3 weeks is advised.

-Since the flat top is a difficult cut to achieve, you need to schedule your appointments with the right barber!

As a thank you to both former and current military we offer 20% off all Weldon services at every shop, every day.

Left to Right: Senior Barber and American Crew Educator, Elicia Leivia, Dana Ward, co-owner of Weldon Barber, David Raccuglia, founder  of American Crew and Steven Ward, co-owner of Weldon Barber.  

The above photo is from an American Crew event in Seattle. A few members of the Weldon team spent the evening with David Raccuglia, the founder of the world’s most popular men’s grooming line, American Crew. Raccuglia is not only the founder of American Crew, but he is also a phenomenal barber, hairdresser and photographer (he actually shoots all of American Crew’s photography!).

Four of our most popular products at Weldon are American Crew. It’s nearly impossible to find a guy who doesn’t like American Crew Fiber, Forming Crew or Defining Paste for styling his hair. We love that David and American Crew have considered guys in the world of hair…if every guy might still be stuck using the wife’s mousse. Thanks American Crew.

We also came across this interview with David Raccuglia from About.com and thought we would share a piece of advice from Raccuglia himself:

Dave Alexander (About.com): “David, like me, you’re moving into middle age. You always appear to be very stylish and somewhat cutting edge. What advice do you give clients looking to maintain an edge as they get older?”

David Raccuglia : “I’m going to be 50 this year and I’ve got a lot of guy friends who look at me as being this very stylish guy and the think of themselves as regular Joes and the advice I give them is always very simple. To me, style and trend are such a different thing. I think for a man to be stylish is very easy — a little bit of facial hair, growing your sideburns down a little bit longer, taking a good look at a trend and adapting it to your style as opposed to abandoning your style for a trend. Guys who are balding can get a great haircut with a clean taper in the back. Go to a stylist who understands head shape and male-specific design. Don’t fall into a category where you’re comfortable. Push it, you know. Every guy I know has the opportunity to be stylish and it’s really simple things. I think facial hair can be one of the most attractive things on a guy. It’s such a simple way for a guy to change his look. What length depends on the face of the guy.

If you look back to the 30s, 40s or 50s, a very stylish time, men tried a lot harder. Guys today get a little sloppy and comfortable. No disrespect, but leave your golf clothes for the golf course. And hair is so important. I don’t understand when somebody says to me, “oh it’s so expensive to go to a stylist,” but they go to Starbucks for a $3 latte six days a week. That’s $90 on a coffee habit! So, tell me what’s more imporant, your hair or your coffee habit? I go to 7-Eleven to get a $.50 cup of coffee for my caffeine and go get a $90 haircut. I just think it’s so important to be relevant and understand just what a statement your hair makes.”

Pretty good advice guys…so if you’d like to check out the rest of the interview, click here.