Rhonda Heller of Newport Township wanted a fresh start.
“I have hung onto the same hairstyle for years, and I’ve started reducing anything that I did do to get ready in the morning, so I nominated myself to make a change,” she explained at the Mario Tricoci Hair Salon & Day Spa in Old Orchard Mall.
While she was hoping for a new look, she definitely wasn’t looking to add time to her already busy day as an environmental health specialist with the Lake County Health Department. From inspecting restaurants to detecting air quality, Heller’s job can take her all over the county—meaning a speedy morning routine is key. Her typical morning beauty regimen included drying her hair and putting on a bit of eye makeup and blush before she’s out the door.
The team of John Gialluisi, Jennifer Doljanin and Jill Heiberger all met with Heller upon her arrival the salon and discussed what they wanted to execute. Gialluisi immediately knew her hair needed more volume. “Since she has a light texture, we wanted to address her face shape by adding some width to her hair,” he described.
He started by cutting her hair from shoulder- to chin-length to give it a bit more lift. Then Doljanin stepped in and started twisting Heller’s hair around different sized soft curlers for the American Wave—the “modern day perm.”
“Old perms used to break the bond of the hair down to about 80 percent, whereas this one breaks it down to only about 20 percent,” explained Gialluisi. “The smell of the old perm also is not there. The neutralizer has eucalyptus so it has a nice aroma. The biggest difference is the texture; it’s a very loose curl, so it gives hair nice movement instead of a strong curl.”
Heller’s hair was also colored to add shine and depth. “Shiny, healthy looking hair is what’s modern,” said Gialluisi. Once the color was fully set and washed out, he quickly dried her new wavy locks and used a large barrel curling iron to further accentuate the new texture.
Makeup was the final step and Heiberger went for an easy daytime look. She started out by filling in Heller’s eyebrows and lining her eyes. She then sponged on a light foundation and applied powder with a large brush. Lips were last; she used a pink raspberry color to make them pop. “I wanted to highlight her already present assets,” Heiberger explained.
After a long day of primping and pampering, Heller was glowing. “I’ve got to go out someplace nice for dinner tonight. I can’t waste this!”
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Before | After |
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Tips for a Successful Salon Visit from |
1. Consultation Make sure you get a consultation with the chemical specialist, hairdresser, and makeup artist. To make a look strong and cohesive, all three components need to brainstorm together. |
2. Come with Inspiration When you go into a salon, the best thing is to know what you’re looking for. A photograph to a hairdresser is a million words. It tells us where your head is at, and we can decide if it’s going to suit you and how we can execute it. |
3. Listen The hairdresser knows texture and what your hair can and cannot do. Trust them. Products Products are vital. They are really what make hair look modern. |
| 4. Color Use color to emphasize what you’re doing to your hair—to make it shine. |
Meet the experts: |
| Mario Tricoci Hair Salons & Day Spas 14 area locations mario-tricoci.com |
 | John Gialluisi, Creative and Educational Director Gialluisi has been with Mario Tricoci for more than 30 years, working his way up the ranks from an assistant to a stylist to a partner. Gialluisi led the team with his concept for Rhonda Heller’s transformation and kicked off the morning by cutting and shaping her hair. |
 | Jennifer Doljanin, Regional Creative Color Manager She meticulously permed and colored Heller’s hair. She has more than two decades of experience at the Hawthorn Mall location in Vernon Hills. |
 | Jill Heiberger, Head of Makeup Department at Westfield Old Orchard Salon She added the finishing touches, accentuating Heller’s natural beauty with neutral tones and a soft pink lip. |
