Some of my favorite hairstyles of the past have been, Audrey Hepburn’s short bangs, Farrah Faucet’s hair from Charlie’s angels and Twiggy’s boy haircut…

1) What are some of your favorite hair trends (past or present)?  What looks do your clients frequently request?

Some of my favorite hairstyles of the past have been, Audrey Hepburn’s short bangs, Farrah Faucet’s hair from Charlie’s angels and Twiggy’s boy haircut. My favorite present hairstyles are Halle berry’s short hairstyle, anything that Gwen Stephani does with her hair and Mary J. Blige’s blond short look. My clients often ask for their hair to be styled like Penelope Cruz, Victoria Bekham, Michelle Obama and Oprah.

2) You came up with the concept of “Invisible Braids.”  Could you tell us a little about what that entails and how it can change the looks of the average woman all the way to the woman going through chemotherapy?

The concept of invisible braids came about when I decided that extensions should have a more natural look.  This method entails braiding the client’s hair with extensions in small sections. Then securing those sections and allowing the extension hair and the clients hair to flow freely together. This allowed women to enhance the thickness and length of their hair without anyone being the wiser. However, for those clients who have had chemotherapy treatments, this method is not recommended. A person who has had chemotherapy treatments usually finds that their hair is thinner and weaker than it used to be. I recommend the traditional method of cornrowing the hair that is remaining and attaching wefts to those cornrows. This allows the hair to regrow without the constant reminder of their treatments or illness. They are able to regain some normalcy back in their life and feel beautiful.

3) What are some of your tried-and-true hair care tips and tricks?

Some of my tried and true hair care tips and tricks are;

• Cover your pillow with a satin or rayon scarf, this will keep your hair from becoming dry and frizzy.
• Tie your hair up at night; this will help to keep your style fresh.
• Keep a sharpie in your purse for that single gray that got away.
• Use dark matte eye shadow to fill in thin areas of your hairline or crown of your head. The eye shadow will darken the scalp and absorb light, giving your hair a fuller look.
• For quick waves, take hair in sections and twist into chignons. Secure while you prepare for your night out. Loosen before you leave. The small the section the tighter the wave.

4) You also have a new line of natural hair care products, TexturesTM. Please give us some insight into how that evolved and what consumers can expect with the products.

Ellin LaVar TEXTURES, where developed after many years of clients asking when was I going to create my own line of hair care products. They complained that the products on the market made their hair sticky and heavy.  I wanted to create a line of hair care products that were affordable and usable by any person. I wanted them to leave your hair soft, shiny, bouncy and clean feeling after you used them.  I also wanted my products to do what they claimed on the package. I personally tested each product and approved every formula. I wanted consumers to get what they were paying for.

5) What are some of your hair “highlights?” Either looks you’ve styled for yourself, clients, or celebrity clients?

Hair highlights, Emmy nomination for Whitney Houston’s hair in Cinderella, all of my appearances on Oprah, weaving Oprah’s hair, flying all over the world doing Miles Davis hair, even for his funeral, doing Bono’s hair, Susan Taylor’s braids and Julia Roberts’ hair.

6) I know I would be terrified to style a celebrity’s hair (keep in mind, there are days I can’t style my own)…what was it like for you when you first started working with celebs?

I am nervous whenever I have a new client! I want to do my best on everyone and make them happy with my work. Most of the time the celebrity is calm and normal. I have more stress form the people around them. I treat everyone with respect and I treat my celebrities like the normal people they are.

7) Speaking of celebrities, is there anyone you’ve worked with whose mane is easier to manage?

Of all my celebrities, Whitney Houston’s hair is the easiest to manage. She was not overly fussy about her hair and allowed me to be creative.

8) Off the hair-talk, what are some of your favorite clothing trends this season?  Any products you don’t leave home without?

My favorite clothing trend this season is the platform shoe. I can be taller and comfortable at the same time. I don’t leave home without lip-gloss, mascara and dental floss.