Marcus Francis is a celebrity hair stylist and ambassador for Better Natured. We caught up with him to ask about the trends he's seeing for summer and beyond; he also provided a few stylist tips along the way!
Please tell us about your business and what a typical day looks like.
If I have a job that isn’t starting first thing in the morning, I usually take my dog out for a long walk before I do some work around my garden then get some sort of workout or hike in before the day really begins.
I like to keep my kit small and manageable so I cater what I have in it to what I know the client likes or best performs on their hair. So I get that finalized for the day whether the job is a short one or a full day.
After work, I like to decide on something new to cook for dinner. I love to use Pinterest or Instagram to brainstorm new ideas for recipes.
My partner and I recap the day and either read or watch a show we have been watching or a film we both haven’t seen (sometimes one we obsess over and is our own cult fave).
What do you see in terms of summer hairstyle trends?
The Bob is being really embraced by so many women now and the length is being even brought up to the chin, often dubbed the “Italian Bob.” It’s a blunt cut with some internal layering, but this makes the haircut’s style.
Imperfect undone waves take on summer and embody the cool, casual vibe of the season.
'0s bangs have a fullness to frame the face while having versatility to open up the face. They’re perfect for having the hair down, half up and pulled completely up.
Based on the red carpet and Met Gala looks recently seen, what do you feel is the current climate in terms of what clients are looking for?
The '90s blowout is hot and has become a timeless look because it embodies a natural sexy approach to having hair done.
Spirals are also a way of framing the face, keeping the hair polished but giving more detail to the hair and overall look. Using bangs or layers around the face to sculpt around the face is trending as well.
How do you suggest clients take care of their hair in the summertime in terms of going from beach/pool to everyday living to evening looks? What can be done to keep hair healthy?
It’s great to keep a sun protectant in your routine of hair care during the summer. It’s a lot like a heat protectant before you use a blow dryer or hot tools, but it’s intended for outdoor exposure like at the beach, pool or even hiking.
Because the summer months can be so drying on the hair, I would use a moisturizing hair mask at least every other week and let it sit for a half hour. The sun, salt and chlorine can zap all moisture from the hair on top of the blow drying or iron use on your hair, so it’s good to put the moisture back with a mask during the summer months.
What advice would you give someone just starting out? What do you wish you knew back then?
Sometimes a job is about an opportunity for personal or professional growth, and not about money. Of course we need to pay our bills, but not all great moments in our career are attached to a big rate. So thinking about how the client, the photographer or the event will inspire you and using that as the motivation.
Also, as best as you can, don’t look at how busy other people are or what they’re up to professionally. Looking too much will lead to comparing which can easily lead to what you’re not doing as opposed to what you ARE doing. Instagram can be a great tool, but if we let curiosity get the better of us, it can lead to us feeling badly about what we’re missing out on.
As an ambassador for Better Natured, Marcus shares his favorite brand products:
"The Liqui-Creme Hair Color because it’s an amazing way to keep your color rich and fresh at home since it delivers salon quality hair color; the Fresh Dry Shampoo Powder because it maximizes your style or blowout without it feeling heavy powdery, keeping your hair looking clean; the Color Care Deep Conditioning Balm because it keeps the hair looking and feeling hydrated really locking in your color without getting brassy and keeps your ends feeling sealed and moisturized and the Hydrating Leave-In Milk because it’s a fabulous product if you want to keep your styling prep to a minimum or even let your hair air dry. It gives a hydrated finish and adds a natural texture to the hair."