Blog
Morphic is an exclusive San Francisco hair salon founded by badass hairdresser Mishi Nova and home to the talented Morphic team. We'll keep you updated on culture, style, and of course, hair!
Sourced from the designer Rita Vinieris
Morphic was once again backstage for a NY runway doing what we love most...the hair. This time it was all about bridal and Mishi picked up a couple of lessons from the backstage that we urge you try out.
Enjoy the look.
Welcome to our second Style Spotlight! Lauren is rad as hell, and we just love her grey hair. She's so cool, let's just meet her already!
Want this look? Book the Chroma Hair service.
What inspired your hair look?
My hair inspirtation came from my favorite color grey. I wanted grey hair for years and extensively searched for a stylist who could help me achieve it. I went through one failed attempt a while back that faded to a horrible bleached blonde. A couple years ago I found Mishi and she agreed to embark on this hair adventure with me, the rest is history!
What is your hair regimen?
Because my hair is so heavily processed, I try to take really good care of it. I rarely wash my hair—only once every couple weeks to preserve the color as much as I can between salon visits. When I do wash it I leave Olaplex 3 ($28) in my wet hair for 15 minutes, then use Rene Furterer's Okara Mild Silver Shampoo ($29), and leave it in for about an hour. Then I wash that out and do the Absolu Keratine Mask ($52 )for about 15 minutes. For in between washes I usedry shampoo. I try to use very minimal heat styling, but I've enjoyed practicing with my Caruso steam rollers. I'm so busy my day-to-day routine consists of brushing my hair and running out the door.
Blow Dry or Air Dry?
Air dry! With everything I do to get my hair color perfect, I try to use as little heat styling as possible! I usually blow dry just a bit so it's not soaking wet, then let it finish air drying.
Top 5 favorite hair products?
What’s your best tip for someone with your hair on a budget?
Grey hair is probably not a great choice for someone on a budget. It takes a lot of upkeep and maintenance. I would say just be realistic about what you want to spend, but definitely only go with someone you trust and take really good care of it.
Lauren is wearing Harputs' Own
What is the coolest thing you own?
I have a WWII-looking rusted out bomb sitting in my living room. It's pretty awesome.
What current fashion trend you're over?
I was hoping that trends were over! Really, though, I hope that the world's appetite for low-quality, cheaply made, trend-driven clothing decreases. It's bad for the environment, more often than not is made by extremely underpaid workers, and contributes to a culture of wasteful consumption.
What do you do for a living?
I'm the Director of Product Marketing a startup called Pantheon. I specialize in the developer tools space.
Coolest thing about your job?
I'm always learning. I have to be constantly learning new things and improving to stay engaged, and there's never a dull moment when it comes to my job. I also really love working with developers, who I tend to get along with well.
What are you passionate about?
I'm passionate about being the voice of the user, data, and always staying curious!
Describe SF in three words...
"It's so expensive"
Would you ever leave?
I'd like to live in Japan. And if our gentrification problem doesn't improve, I'm not sure I'll want to live here forever.
How long have you lived here?
I was born and raised in The Bay! I stayed for college in The Bay and have lived in San Francisco since.
What is the best way to decompress?
I love to play records, watch movies or Rick and Morty (the best show on television right now) with my boyfriend, go on hikes, and gardening.
Who is your favorite musical artist?
Four Tet
If you could have a superpower, what would it be?
I've always wanted to be able to use the Force.
Favorite word?
Galaxy
Favorite curse word?
Putain—a habit I picked up living in Paris and never shook!
What's the wildest thing you've ever eaten?
Hmm...I ate crickets and grasshoppers recently—that's pretty out there. They were really tasty. I've also eaten ox penis.
If you could have one last meal, what would it be?
There's a Vietnamese dish that consists of a whole roasted fish that you cook and then roll spring rolls with at the table that is simple but just so good, and reminds me of my childhood.
Name your favorite restaurants in San Francisco?
We're lucky to have such awesome food here.
I love Bar Tartine.
I was out in the desert shooting guns with my friends. We were trap shooting and I'd never shot a shotgun before. The guys weren't having much luck. When it was my turn, the guys were all about to make fun of me because the shotgun was about as big as I am and I was standing there in this billowing white desert getup with feathers sticking out of my hair. I did not look like I could do this. My friend started pulling and I started blasting those clay pigeons out of the sky, one after another. When I was done shooting, all my friends shut right up! I was pretty satisfied with myself.
Initially, when I did Lauren's hair I bleached it three times starting with the mid lengths and ends. Later, I do the roots since it has to sit for a shorter time then the rest of the hair. Her toner is the ashiest toner possible, which is 911 and 802. We always use the Olaplex and Powerdose treatment to keep her hair healthy.
Sourced: Beauty Launch Pad
Two weeks ago Morphic received news that I was awarded to chance to assist in New York Fashion week. This has been a career dream of mine and the chance to cross this off of my bucket list is an amazing feeling. I want to share my New York Fashion week with you lovely people because this is where we can all get together and realize dreams do come true. Plus, enjoy some fashion and hair fun.
Harper's BAZAAR Executive Fashion & Beauty Editor, Avril Graham, Rene furterer's VP, Francois Viargues and, the incredibly talented designer, Rita Vinieris
Want to know what makes a Morphic maven tick? Welcome to the new Style Spotlight! We'll highlight the amazing people we've met in the salon, and get the low-down on their careers, their routines, and their absolute must-haves. Then, we'll tell you how we styled them! Ready? Let's get started!
San Francisco native Zara is one bad ass chick. In her job as a brand builder and product designer, she loves creating things she knows others will enjoy. Mishi was the first to meet Zara, while out to lunch at E&O Kitchen and Bar and just had to talk her into letting her cut her curly tresses! Luckily, Zara happily accepted. She walked through our doors with such confidence that we just had to share her secrets with you. This is the quick, down & dirty on her favorite things and some advice for your soul.
Your style in three words?
How about three phrases... 1. I never have time to shop, 2. I'm not forever 21, and 3. This is more grown up
What is a current trend you're over?
The "authenticity" trend. Men with beards who look just as good without them. Women with overpriced, raw leather handbags—a true vehicle for pretentiousness.
Favorite restaurants?
Foreign Cinema (old favorite), Bouche (new favorite),
and Cafe Europa (odd, old school).
Favorite person?
The tamale lady.
Would you ever leave San Francisco?
Yes. But I would wander back eventually.
Top 5 favorite hair products?
5!?! Does a healthy diet count? My pillow & 7 hrs sleep (the best styling product around!), my own homemade curl conditioning pomade.
What’s your best tip for someone with your hair on a budget?
Pay for a great cut. Let it grow out, keep it wild and sexy until you can't stand the length anymore (8 months), rinse and repeat.
What inspired your hair look?
A sea change. I find I can think clearer with shorter hair.
What is your hair regimen?
Wake up in the morning, loving my bed-head look, shower, ruin the precious bed-head, re-style w/curl creme.
Blow Dry or Air Dry?
Always air dry! Its my right, as a short hair.
Who is your hair inspiration?
My mood.
What is the coolest thing you own?
A knitting machine.
Favorite pick up line?
"You need some help with that?" *New York accent*
Last trip you took?
Las Vegas
Favorite place to visit in the world?
My friends' houses.
Last music show you attended?
Delta Spirit.
If you taught a class, what would it be?
How to silence your inner critic. -or- Handmade Homelife 101
Best thing about this year?
The life liberation I've experienced as of late.
Proudest moment of your life?
Teaching my 8yo nephew how to ride a horse, and seeing him take to it right away.
Best way to decompress?
Laughing it off with friends & fam.
If you could have a superpower, what would it be?
I know it's generic, but FLYING.
Favorite word?
Yes.
Favorite curse word?
FAAAAHU$&@K!
What is a booked that shaped you?
The Tailor of Gloucester by Beatrix Potter.
The first thing to know about black hair is that it doesn't produce much of its own oil. This is why black hair and the scalp needs and loves moisturizing oils. Naturally, the first thing I did was do a scalp and oil treatment. Over here at Morphic were are addicted to the Complex 5 and the Karite Intense Nourishing Oil Spray. First, I applied the Complex 5 by taking parting down the middle and continuing with long sections like a canoe. This is called basing the scalp. The product has orange and lavender oil that keeps the scalp clean and purified, like a Clarisonic for the scalp. Then, I layered Karite oil over by spraying all over hair and scalp. On Zara, I would say I use 8 pumps all over. Massage and leave on for ideally 20 mins. I was able to let it marinate while I cut her hair.
After letting the oil sit, I washed and conditioned the hair with Seven Lustre Shampoo and Conditioner. I like to condition twice and scrunch and squeeze the conditioner out of the hair during the second conditioning. With my palms, I mixed equal parts of Gel Defrisant and the Gel Vegetal in my hand. With open palms, I "glaze" the hair with my hands distributing product to the outside of the hair. Scrunch one more time and let it air dry. Afterwards loosen it up with fingertips. Lightly spray with shine spray.
We know that it can be hard out there for our curly haired ladies. Likely you've gone from the phase of trying to hide those wondrous curls to accepting your wild mane. But how do you tame it and give it all it needs? Morphic is here to the rescue with tips on shampooing, conditioner and style.
Tip #1:
Use sulfate free shampoo. And don’t over shampoo as it can dry your hair out. Once or twice a week is perfect.
Tip #2:
Condition your hair twice. The first time your hair absorbs the conditioner, and the second time the conditioner becomes a primer for your styling product.
Tip #3:
Add hair oil to your second round of conditioning. It will add shine and control the frizz.
Tip #4:
Noodle that hair! On your second conditioner application, apply throughout, lightly drizzle water, and use your fingers to comb your hair and create the perfect curl separation (aka noodling). Drizzle water again, but don't rinse the conditioner completely out.
Tip #5:
Find your part before you start to style and then flip your hair. This will help keep your hair patterns in place after styling.
Tip #6:
Glaze that hair! Flip your hair over and apply your styling product in the shower. The hair needs to be super wet so the product can get distributed evenly with an open face palm (aka glazing). This leads to more volume, better curl separation, and less frizz. And don't use a towel to dry your hair - just scrunch and squeeze the water out.
Tip #7:
Get little hair clips (pictured below) to lift up each curl vertically to give it volume. You only need to apply them to your part and crown.
Tip #8:
Dry your hair with your diffuser using the high air flow and high heat setting. A good way to do it is to tilt your hair to the side until you get to 50% dry. Then you let it air dry the rest of the way.
Tip #9:
When you visit the salon, don't come in a ponytail. Come with your hair styled the way you want, so that when Mishi uses the dry cut method, she can follow your curl pattern. This really helps stylists give you the cut you want.
Tip #10:
Embrace your curls and treat them with LOVE!
We recommend using the Karite Intense Nourishing Oil for your second round of conditioning. It has intense nourishing capabilities, and we love it - go for the Seven Conditioners lustre or color product, depending on your hair type. Remember that conditioner usually runs out 3 times as fast as shampoo, so it's more economical to buy the bigger version. Currently the Seven line of products is only available in salons, including ours. We'd be happy to ship some right to your door. Just select the "STORE" tab.
Clippys
Morphic is an exclusive San Francisco hair salon. Renowned for its unique artistry, atmosphere and client service.
Morphic | 660 Market St Suite 226, , San Francisco, CA 94104 , USA
