When Joico Guest Artist Eric Mayes set about seeking inspiration for the gathering that he will be creating on behalf of jcpenney salons for the newly-created men’s category of the North American Hairstyling Awards, his first thought was the talented designer and director, Tom Ford. Not Ford’s work, however the man himself, whose personal style is the final word in masculinity, fashion and comfort.

“One of the foremost interesting trends in men’s hair at present is that many men’s shapes and methods are influencing women’s trends—think Miley Cyrus!”

click image to zoom LOOK #1: The 1940s meets punk couture due to classic undercutting and extreme disconnection.

The cut: The head is sectioned off with an asymmetric triangular parting from the temple to an offset point to 1 side of the crown. The edges and back were cropped with a scissor-over-comb technique, and the sides were refined with a clipper fade. To keep up maximum length within the disconnected top section, cut from shorter to long from the crown to front hairline.

The style: To texturize this model’s fine hair, Mayes created small subsections through the top, braided each with a 3-strand braid, misted each braid with finishing spray and pressed it between the plates of a flat iron. Once the hair cooled, he separated each braid with a tail comb, brushed through to release the feel, applied dry shampoo on the scalp for buoyancy and sprayed with more finishing spray.

click image to zoom LOOK #2: A classic masculine silhouette with elongated movement and texture.

The cut: The hair was sectioned from the recession along the parietal, just past the middle crown. Starting on the front hairline on the sides, he created subsections that mimicked the natural shape of the hairline, and created a square shape following the contour of the top. Once the silhouette was established, aggressive point cutting released weight and bulk and produced texture and movement.

The style: Eric applied medium hold styling gel to damp hair and directed all strands from back to front together with his fingers. Once hair was dry, he sprayed dry shampoo and used Joico Crème Wax Texure & Shine to supply separation within the hair.

click image to zoom LOOK #3: Full, lush and sexy!

The cut: This full-textured hair was cut with a slight taper at the sides and back that was incorporated into the natural hairline. Mayes lifted the tip sections straight up and point-cut to intensify the natural texture.

The style: A medium hold gel was applied to the perimeters and back sections and worked Joico Power Whip Whipped Foam throughout the top sections. He blew the hair dry with a cushion brush, wrapping it across the head for a smooth finish. Once strands were dry, he directed all the hair back, worked in a small amount of glossing polish and finished with a versatile hair spray.

Credits:

Hair: Eric Mayes

Photography: Roberto Ligresti

Make-up: David Maderich

Stylist: Beagy Zielinski