Liner and Glitter and Gloss, Oh My!

Nina Farrauto with VJ Search winner Chloe

A couple of weeks ago, Much declared the winner of their VJ Search – the gorge Chloe took home the win and will be joining Much as their newest VJ!  Of course, she couldn’t have done it without some hair help from Nina Farrauto, Garnier Styling and Colour Expert, and all of the amazing Garnier products she had her hands on.  I got to go behind the scenes of the finale to get the scoop from Nina and to see her in action, prepping the finalists for the big announcement.  Read on to learn about her fave products right now, the big trends she loves for summer, and how she styled the finalists!

Getting to work on Ryan’s ‘do

Each of the finalists got a makeover – what were some of your favourites?

Nina: Kyle Whitehead had this shaggy, long hair which he had his own fan page for – apparently there was a Facebook following called “The Flop.” He had a lot of hair to work with which was great.  We gave him a sailor boy, 1950s combover.  We actually shaved his hair one level and then styled it really slick, so now he’s got a lot of options.  That was a really fun one.  We did Chloe’s hair as well – we gave her bangs which I think just made her so much more polished.  She was sort of blending in before and by giving her a really strong bang and giving her hair a lot of volume it framed her face and really made her stand out.  There was a lot of anxiety that day but by the end everyone was really happy with the outcome.

You’ve been with them for a few weeks.  How different are they from before the makeovers?

Nina:  They’re just showing off their full potential.  I can see it in the social media photos, I can see it in the episodes. They just look polished and camera ready.  It’s that difference of having a professional eye help you out, teach you how to use volume, equip you with the right products, the right tools.

Working on Drama’s fauxhawk

Which products have you used on them?

Nina: Everything! I love the new men’s gel line, they’re called the Power Gels, and they come in different finishes.  It feels like a gel, but some are matter, some are slick and wet – they have different finishes and holds.  I used all those on the boys.  As well, the Argan Oil line, it’s called Sleek and Shine.  There’s the Argan Oil spray, the actual oil – I use that for the girls to get a really nice, slick texture. I love the big bottle hair sprays.  The Crystal Resist Finishing Spray and the Crystal Resist Volume Spray are some of my favourites.  They give you really good weightless hold.  All the boys get finished with hairspray as well.

What are some easy ways to make a change to your hairstyle?

Nina: I find that when people want to change their hair it either means bangs or it means a colour – blondes want to go dark, brunettes want to go blonde – or they want to chop it.  I find that you can make such a difference by using a new tool.  I’ll tell my clients to try a new curling iron and all of a sudden they’re having a great time with all these different looks just by curling their hair.  I love hair so much that my instinct isn’t to damage it or cut it.  My instinct is more “let’s figure out a way to style it.”

Lots of hairspray for Chloe’s big, voluminous curls!

What products would you use to help get a great curl?

Nina: Blow dry your hair with mousse if you want great curl and volume.  This is going to give it stiffness and a gritty texture that’s going to hold. And don’t be afraid to use your hairspray before and after you curl it.  Get used to your products because there’s so much a product can give you. And look up how-to videos.  Garnier has how-to videos on their website, We’ve Got Your Style.  We styled the VJs hair, that’s up on the MuchMusic site.

You mentioned the gritty style – afterwards I still want it to look sleek.  What do I use?

Nina: The whole Sleek & Shine line – they’ve got a leave-in conditioner, a smoothing milk, the oil, a spray oil – they’ve got a whole line of products that contains the Argan Oil ingredient.  It’s going to leave your hair really silky and smooth, give you a really nice finish.  You can use the mousse to blow dry first, and once you’ve got the curl in you can smooth it out with the Argan Oil products.

Some of the amazing Garnier products on hand

What’s a really quick hairstyle for someone on the go?

Nina: I love a high pony.  It’s easy to do and you can add volume to your ponytail to easily.  You can add hairspray into small sections and back comb it at the roots, break it apart and you’ll have an awesome high ponytail.  I also like to take a bobby pin from the top of the elastic and tuck it in and it give the ponytail this lift and it can be a really sleek, stylish look without having to try too hard.