Transformation Tuesday: Shapeless Length to Layered Lob

In our first Transformation Tuesday column, we’re showcasing Nikki Friedhoffer’s work from Colorboxx Salon (colorboxx.com) in Savannah, GA. Friedhoffer, a Scruples Ambassador and Colorboxx Salon owner, transformed a local police officer and new mom, boosting her color to a soft, buttery blonde and creating a glamorous lob by cutting off eight inches of hair.

The Client: Meg, a local police officer was a regular at Colorboxx Salon, but was a new mom who hadn’t touched her hair in over a year. 

The Goal: Meg was returning to work that week. She wanted a new look that wouldn’t take long to do in the morning, brightened her face, gave her more body and felt pretty yet professional. 

The Cut: Friedhoffer began by cutting off eight inches of hair. “I wanted to create a new shape, so I could design the color around the desired texture. I was aiming for a loose but sophisticated, easy-to-manage style,” says Friedhoffer. After cutting off a ponytail—the hair was donated to a charity for children with hair loss—she cut into the lob with random long layers and a soft graduation around her face. 

The Color: To achieve the soft, buttery blond of Meg’s dreams, Friedhoffer used foil highlights with Scruples Illusionist, 9av Scruples, Illusionist 8an, base break Illusionist 8an10 volume around the hairline, Scruples Clay Lightener and Scruples Powder Blonde Toner Ice and Cream. “I placed the foils in a diamond shape to create a halo around the hairline—prime real estate for color exposure,” says Friedhoffer. “Once the foils were placed in, I used Scruples Power Blonde Clay Lighter to heavily balayage the hair in back, alternating between a heavy-saturation traditional balayage technique and a teasing balayage technique. As the foils and the balayage met, I made sure to create a seamless blend. Once processed I used my base break formula to gently shift the natural color to create a sun-kissed blend around hairline.”

The Style: Friedhoffer styled Meg’s hair with Scruples’ Blow Dry Spray, Quick Recovery Leave-in Conditioner and Enforce Sculpting Glaze. She finished off the beach-wave look using Scruples Heat Up Protectant, High Definition Hairspray and Hypershine.

The Reaction: Looking in the mirror, Meg said, “I feel so glamorous and beautiful. I didn't realize how wonderful it is to get pampered and feel like me again.” After she got her makeup done, Meg’s fiancé Tim showed up with baby Chloe in hand. The new, glammed-up Meg went out to dinner feeling positively radiant and ready to take on the world.

Photography: Kirchin Weston
Hair: Nikki Friedhoffer
Makeup: Courtney Womble

Have an amazing salon makeover that you’d like to be considered for our online Transformation Tuesday column? Please email our Executive Editor, Andrea Dawn Clark, at: [email protected]. Tell us about each element of the makeover—the client, the goal, the cut, the color, the style and the reaction—and send a Wetransfer, Dropbox or Google Drive link with your high-res before and after photos. Use "Transformation Tuesday" as your email subject. We’d love to hear from you and share your makeover magic!