Whitehorse is a town of natural beauty and diverse niches, and quite the opposite of global hub, New York City. Not everyone is caught up in high fashion comas, there are no large bright billboards in the centre of town, and financial institutions are housed in small banks instead of blocks of skyscrapers.
When it comes to hair, elite stylists often set popular trends. I am willing to bet that half of New Yorkers have a coif that is “with the times”. Whitehorse may not have all the hype NYC does, but it does have once slick stylist. Meet Contessa Brulé.
The Whitehorse native has a knack for all things hair, and keeps her styles up to date with hair colour for the ladies and barbering for men. In a constantly changing industry, extra training can overwhelm a stylist. Brulé says she welcomes and embraces the challenge. “My ultimate goal for the future is to continue advancing in my career,” she says.
Brulé is a Red Seal certified stylist who has a special relationship with the art of barbering. Historically, barbering was a man’s profession, but lately many female stylists have been drawn to it. “I fell in love with barbering the first time I was shown a straight razor,” she says. “I became infatuated with the art of shaving and wanted to learn more. I knew I would set out to work in a barbershop one day.” Since then Brulé has gained barbershop experience and is working out of Color Bar Hair Resort in Whitehorse.
With barbering talents under her belt, she is working on the art of colouring. Any female who gets her colour done at a salon will testify that much technical skill is needed from the colourist. With ombre and balayage gaining popularity, it’s important for a colourist to know exactly what she’s doing.
What are these two techniques? The ombre style has been popular for the past few years and still is. The colour at the bottom of the hair is signifi cantly lighter than the hair in the middle and top. Done correctly, the color has a nice smooth transition from dark to light.
Balayage is a technique which first surfaced in the 1970s. More recently it can be seen on the fashion catwalks and on celebrities. Unlike foil highlights, balayage is done free hand, without foil. The idea is to produce a naturally sunkissed look.
Brulé spent many hours and went through many hair models to perfect these techniques. Later this year she plans to participate in the American Crew workshop for men’s hair in Denver, Colorado. After, Brulé is hoping to get a spot to compete at the 2016 All Star Challenge being held in Toronto.
Aside from perfecting her craft, Brulé is also giving back. In October she will be visiting an orphanage in Argentina as part if the International Volunteer HQ program. “I wanted my big next trip to be one of service and time spent wisely giving back. Both of my parents were given up at a young age. So I guess you can say I have a soft spot for children in orphanages and hope to adopt a child of my own one day.”
For more information about Brulé’s services, drop by Color Bar in Whitehorse, located in the Waterfront Station building on 2nd avenue.
