Glossed and Found

5 Minutes with Maxine Hair whisperer

The Gold Coast’s hair haven? Maxine, of course. The outpost of cool since the mid-80’s, housed in that shimmering white brick building on coveted Rush Street, constantly pushes the envelope by providing the most trend-driven do’s that translate from runway to realway with an ease that only a seasoned pro knows how to achieve. And how is this done? At the in-the-know helm is creative director Amy Abramite. Her press hits read like a rolodex of today’s most sought after glossies: Allure, W, Glamour and Marie Claire, to name a few of the heavy hitters.

Amy’s newest weapon in the fight for good hair? A brand new line of L’Oreal Professionnel which launched at Maxine earlier this month (and it goes without saying that it’s the first and only Chicago salon to carry the coveted line). Test driven on the Fashion Week runways and Hollywood sets, Tecni.ART is a range of 16 products aimed at delivering the most wearable, malleable and immensely chic coifs around.

“I love Tecni.ART because it immediately builds full-bodied textured looks on freshly clean hair,” Amy says. “Whereas most of my clients have to work their hair a few days with multiple hair products to achieve their desired texture, Tecni.ART gives me perfect results on day one.” Amy waxes supreme about one of her favorite trends of the moments: the 1970’s style.

Dish it: who is your 70’s inspired hair muse?
Stevie Nicks is my absolute favorite 70’s icon with her feminine, gypsy-inspired, psychedelic style. Her multi-layered cut gave her massive movement and a softness around her face that looked casually effortless no matter which way her hair fell. 

How do you get that Gold Dust Woman Do?
To get Stevie’s look, I recommend spraying and scrunching Tecni.ART Beach Waves ($25.50) on towel dried hair to encourage natural movement. After the hair is air dried, mist Next Day Hair ($25.50)  all over for additional matte volume texture. To amp up the fullness factor, shake True Grip ($25.50) on the hair for maximum volume and separation.

Is there a miracle, work-all product that everyone should have in their kit?
Tecni.ART Next Day Hair is the styling product everyone can benefit from. It creates instant volume and plumps up body on any style. It will enhance fullness and give a tousled look on short styles, and add grit for styling ease with braiding, ponytails, or upstyles on longer hair. An added bonus, it comes in a travel size to take along in your handbag for refreshing throughout the day.

Other Summer styles you’re loving?
For summer hair, I’m really digging a light feathery inspired fringe bang. I achieve this by cutting soft, wispy pieces that open the eyes with a center part. The bangs get longer as they flick down towards the cheekbones shifting the flow of hair away from the face.

All products available at Maxine Salon, 712 N. Rush Street. Make an appointment by calling 312.751.1511 or visiting MaxineSalon.com.