Rocking the Braid Bar @ Femme Fair

This year there have been no shortage of inquiries about our braid bar. Blame it on Coachella or Burning Man all you want, but braids are so beautiful and functional that they have catapulted to popularity. 

Overall, I did 21 unique hairstyles in 6 hours! Talk about a lot of work! I had a great time braiding up these mavens. 

I was so excited to work my magic at Femme Fair this year, a local blogger event rocking all things female empowerment. Check out some of my favorite looks!

Are you looking for braids for an event? Wondering about our next braid bar? Get in touch and we'll hook you up! 

Dexter Thomas talks hair

Dexter Thomas

We love talking with cool people from all different backgrounds and when we spotted that Vice journalist Dexter Thomas was in the Bay Area last month (thank's Twitter) we invited him over to Morphic for some a conversation on his uncompromising hairstyle choices, and how it affects his work. 

Interview by MISHI NOVA     
Photos by CHRISTINA E. CAMPBELL

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Mishi: Hair says a lot about a person. You’re a serious journalist, and you're expressing yourself with your hair, do you feel like your hairstyle says something about the changing climate of journalism?

Dexter: It's something that I think about more than I probably should, and not my specific hairstyle per se. People say you should never read comments [on yourself], but I do because it tells you a lot about what people are thinking. And on YouTube comments, I’ll see people say, “you can’t be a serious journalist with that hairstyle.” Sometimes I do some fairly heavy stuff like the heroin epidemic or the [Oakland] fire, so people will say I’m ruining [the piece] because of my hair. Of all the things to be upset with in the piece, my hair is what ruined it for you? Of course, it’s not really about my hair, it’s about me being black and the fact that I’m expressing myself in a small way. It’s easier for them to attack my hair because it represents something else that they're not comfortable with saying. When you look at comment sections, women and LGBTQ journalists get attacked on an appearance basis. So, I can tell that it has nothing to do with my hair, it’s just easier to talk about than talking about my race.

 

“It’s easier for them to attack my hair because it represents something else that
they’re not comfortable with saying. ”

M: It must be hard because, at the same time, your hair makes you lovable too. I’m a fan because your hair says to me you’re being true to yourself. Did you ever think about that?

D: There have always been times where I've been made aware that my hairstyle is “not appropriate” for whatever I'm supposed to be doing. I would go abroad representing someone, and people would say “you need to cut your hair for this,” and I would say no. I was teaching on a high school campus, and I was banned from campus for wearing a [hair] pick in my hair. They said I couldn't wear a pick in my hair because it was “gang related” which obviously is not true. I did it anyway, and I was straight up told I couldn't come to the campus anymore. I say all that to say; I never set out to say, “I'm gonna ruffle feathers”, it was more kind of thrust on me. I like this hairstyle, and then people would tell me “you can’t do that, that’s not appropriate”. It would be very easy for me to say, “Oh okay, that’s not appropriate, so I’ll cut my hair” but see, I’m not gonna do that. I don’t want to say it’s resisting, but the idea that someone can come in and make me change something that I liked – I wouldn’t feel right about myself. I’m not willing to bend on that. So in my small way that’s how I say this is who I am.

M: You're talking to high profile people for VICE all the time, how does that work when you get someone who doesn't take you seriously?

D: The funny thing is, most of the people I work with, you wouldn't find us in front of the camera reporting the news. You could say it's “just window dressing” or that there’s nothing revolutionary about it. It shouldn't be revolutionary, but it is. The fact that someone says, “Hey Dexter we don’t want you to just talk to the rappers, musicians or athletes but politicians, congress people or scientists" [is important] because I'm capable of that. It’s not just me; it’s everyone on the show, you wouldn’t see them [other places] because the standard journalist is a straight white dude. We have this broad range of people, and for a lot of people, it takes a second to accept, this is who you’re gonna get to tell you the news, and you're going to take it and accept it. Eventually, you have to go "yea this is my source of information, " and I think that’s powerful. In 2017 it shouldn't be, but it is.

M: Last question, who does your hair?

D: This dude Larry at Good Barbers in LA does my hair. When I’m abroad or in upstate NY, and I’m not sure who can do my hair then I’ll do my own hair. I do okay on the shape, but the fade isn’t that good. 

Dexter Thomas

 

Dexter Thomas is a culture correspondent for VICE News, covering the intersection of identity and art. He previously wrote for the Los Angeles Times, where in 2015 he contributed to Pulitzer Prize-winning coverage of the shootings in his hometown of San Bernardino, Calif. Dexter is a PhD candidate in East Asian studies at Cornell University, and is writing a book about Japanese hip-hop.

A Prince and Bowie Halloween

Finally, 2016 is on its way out, and I couldn’t be happier to kick it to the curb. It stole David Bowie and Prince, two artists that have inspired me and the rest of the Morphic team from our tender, pre-teen years. While we listened to them and recounted our stories of discovery, it became clear we must honor them in the only way we know how through HAIR AND MAKEUP! 

Get your hair and makeup done at our annual Halloween pop up on October 28 and 29th. This year you can book your Bowie and Prince themed makeup looks for $20 for 20 minutes. Book it here and ask us any questions right here. We'll see you at future parties, dance floors and sidewalks sporting our Halloween best. 

FIND YOUR BOWIE AND PRINCE INSPIRATION

 

You'll See us in the salon like...

Take a Dip into Chroma Hair

Your hair is your crown and sometimes that crown needs to take a deep dive into a pool of color. Will it come out silver, pastel pink, lavender, blue, sea foam green or a blend? Whatever color you choose, you should be prepared before you head into the salon. Fashion colors are notoriously hard to upkeep but new technologies are coming out everyday to improve that. We've listed multiple options for you below.

How many sessions will I need?

It will typically take 1-2 sessions. The lightening process can cause the most damage to your hair so we never want to rush it. If your hair needs to be further TONED (depositing color)  we will have you come in for a complimentary 2nd session within the first week of service. If your hair needs to be further LIGHTENED (lifting color)  we will need to charge you for a 2nd session at full price. Pricing is based on each round of services, not the total look, and while we try out best, it's not always predictable how many sessions it will take to achieve a look. Your stylist will discuss the process with you and if a second service is needed, what the price will be. 

Cost:
Emi and Tee start at $550
Mishi starts at $650
All Services include Royale (Toner and 2 powerful conditioning treatments)

Disclaimer: It might sound like a lot of money to spend a nearly or over thousand dollars to achieve a look however it takes a lot of time, energy, and expertise that goes into doing a chroma color, and the pricing is actually lower that the amount a stylist will make doing a regular highlight. Our goal is to make chroma color pricing attainable for our clients, while making sense for us as a business. Thank you for understanding.

How long does a Chroma Service take?
A Chroma Service can run anywhere from 5- 8 hours, occasionally takes 9 hours. Bring snacks, dinner, a book, your computer, or whatever you feel you need. Also, expect to be switching chairs, so be mobile. There is both iPhone and Samsung recharging plugs available at the salon.

How long does a color last?
Color longevity depends on several factors: 

  • How often you wash your hair
  • How active your lifestyle is
  • The products you use
  • Your hairs porosity


After Service Upkeep:
We recommend using great products that will help keep your color fresh. You will need a color safe shampoo, conditioner or mask. (We carry several options here and a color wash that is amazing at depositing color in between appointments.)

The more you shampoo your hair the faster the color will fall out, and keep that hair moisturized! We highly recommend a great leave-in conditioner. We carry diamond serum, kendi oil, okara leave in and solarie leave in.

Use Olaplex once a week. It is a game changer when it comes to having healthy strands.
We also recommend a toner every 6-8 weeks. However, you can choose to skip the toner and stay blond or choose a completely different color.

Products we Recommend:

Viral Shampoo ($35) Maintain your color at home at an affordable price.

Purple toning shampoo for platinum blond, gray, or white hair ($29)

Okara radiance enhanancing spray ($26) Maintain your color while protecting it from UV rays

Karinga ultimate hydrating mask ($35) Masks are essential and we love how healthy and hydrated this makes us feel.

 

MORPHIC'S CHROMA Before Photos

MORPHIC'S CHROMA after COLOR 

Early bird Dreamforce blowout Pop-up

Dreamforce is around the corner, and for Morphic that means business blowouts for our corporate ladies. As in years past we always honor a business woman who inspires us and this year it is Ms. Jessica Alba.

Jessica Alba is not only a consistent hair inspiration for our clients but one of the tech's savviest business women. Her company is valued at over 1.7 billion, making it a start-up unicorn, and it is poised to reach over 200+ sales in 2016. So it's a no-brainer that she is our Dreamforce blowout inspiration. We want every woman at Dreamforce to walk into every session, meeting, and power lunch looking and feeling confident - like a boss!

 

Book your Early Bird Blowout NOW!