Rubi Jones's Blog

Teaching a workshop in Brooklyn's Mullein & Sparrow studio was a dream come true. They're one of my favorite local brands and the founder Anit is so talented and driven, spending even 10 minutes with her is inspiring. We had a great group of women attend, which is always super fun, and once again, the gift bags were to die for. I taught everyone a 5-braided fishtail situation that I think is great for summer. See below!

Our gift bags were the bomb. Check them out below:

1. WTRMLN WTR - available at Whole Foods! I grew up drinking watermelon water and have been a fan of this brand since I first heard of it. Not only is it delicious, it also only has watermelon and a little lemon in it. It's always fresh and I love it because they use "discarded" melons that farmers would toss out because they might have a "blemish" on the outside. I see it as watermelons fulfilling their watermelon destiny.

2. Aquis Towel - available at Sephora! I've raved about these in the past and my love for them has only grown since then. Their fabric wicks moisture away from your hair rather than absorbing it into the towel like normal terrycloth. This means, minimal frizz and most importantly no breakage since your hair is the most fragile when wet. It's also incredible for curls.

3. Little Box of Pretty - buy it on Amazon. They sell all the hair accessories you need for braids, buns, ponytails, you name it. They also come in great little tins so you won't have a million bobby pins and hair ties lying around the house anymore!

4. Mullein & Sparrow - full collection here. My favorite skincare products and dry shampoo for all hair colors. We included the dry shampoo in our totes that comes in dark color for anyone who isn't a blonde, as well as light for blondies. Their totes are great, and I am personally in love with their facial serum (heart eyes).

5. Isle of Roses - Rose Hair Oil. Attendees got a sneak peek at this incredible hair oil that is currently only available in the UK. It is made with essential oils and of course, roses. It's lightweight and can be used on your hair daily, without build up as well as on your body. I compare it to the oils I used to buy when living in France that could be used on hair and skin - a lot of those are yellow though and this is clear, which is makes it even better. We started the workshop by applying a few drops on our ends to seal them and add a bit of natural shine.

6. Hairstory - Undressed. I love products that give you "perfectly dirty hair" and Undressed does just that. Perfectly dirty hair is disheveled yet soft, can be worn down and pulled up in the most effortlessly glamorous way. The name says it all and couldn't be more in line with my style. We sprayed it on our roots for the workshop and it gave the best texture for the braided look we did.

7. The Art of Hair Book. Everyone got a copy of my book so they could learn more basics like blowouts, all the actual products and tools they need for great hair everyday, and 40+ more hairstyles.

8. Captain Blankenship - Golden Waves. I didn't think I could love this brand's Sea Salt Spray more than I did until I tried their Golden Waves Spray. It's gold! Salt sprays are great but you sometimes are left with dull looking hair if you overdo it. The Golden Waves spray adds shine with texture and while I love it on all hair types, it is truly magical on blondes. We sprayed this from mids to ends before braiding and then all over once the braids were all pinned up for a little final texture.

p.s. I also tried my hand at a little DIY via Oh Happy Day for all the decor!

Model: Olivia Anakwe @NYModels
Photographer: Yudi Etchasketch
Stylist: Jamie Ortega
Makeup: Eliven Q
Hair: Rubi Jones

You can now find my book The Art of Hair in Spain, France, and Norway. Woah.

Check out the piñatas Brittany and her team from The House that Lars Built made for my hair workshop at her studio! It was such a blast teaching in her incredible space with the mountains outside her windows. We had the most delicious treats from The Sweet Tooth Fairy (they won cupcake wars!), I heard they make a cupcake milkshake that is to die for too! They have locations in Utah and Arizona.

All of the ladies who attended were so much fun and they each got a two-in-one with the class because they learned a style from my book that includes how to fishtail braid and how to create long-lasting beach waves (along with plenty of extra tricks that I only share in person). We had really fun gift bags too! Check them out below.

1. ban.do heart tote. I'm a sucker for a good tote bag and this one is sturdy, the handle is long enough to go over your shoulders, it has the cutest design, and also includes a little inside pocket (for bobbi pins and a cell phone, duh!). It says "have fun, ok?".

2. Little Box of Pretty. This little beauty tool box was so perfect for my workshop because it included all the pins, rubber bands and clips we needed for the class. I have a mega sized version of this little box in my hair kit for work and I've always wished someone would make a mini version for me to recommend to clients. Lo and behold, here it is!

3. Aquis hair towel. I've tried a lot of different hair towels - you name it, I've tried it. I also love me a good hair turban. I will admit that what first drew me to Aquis was not the incredible technology behind it (trust me this thing is legit) but their branding! Good branding really stands out in the hair world and in my opinion, Aquis nailed it. But, their towels took it home for me. I have a LOT of hair (I know, woe is me) and my hair takes hours to dry, I'm not kidding, if I air dry it, it can take 3 hours. When I first tried it, my hair was dry about 30 minutes after towel drying it but the best part - no frizz (of course a bit of products helped that part but you can read about that here).

4. Mullein & Sparrow Dry Shampoo Powder. An all-time favorite, this dry shampoo is great for dirty hair and to add a little bit of texture to those favorite wispy bits of mine. It's organic, and it's made in my old neighborhood in Brooklyn. Oh and the lady behind the brand is the most bad ass girl boss. 

5. Hot Tools 1" Curling Iron. This is my all-time favorite curling iron. If you don't already own one, you should go buy one now. It's the best and this size is extremely versatile and it doesn't cost an arm and a leg. Definitely a staple in every beauty cabinet.

6. Vanity Zine. I gave everyone at my class a copy of my zine. Go check it out here! It's all about beauty, has an essay on post break-up hair (we've all been there), and a beauty guide for products real women love as well as hairstylists real women go to.

Brittany has photos and tutorials on how to make the hair piñatas on her blog. We had a photo booth with the most fun props ever - it was a hairstylist's dream. Check out more photos here and here!

DIY BRAIDING WORKSHOP
Tuesday, Jan 19th - TICKETS HERE
HAIRCUTS
Wednesday, Jan 20th - TICKETS HERE
PROFESSIONAL STYLING WORKSHOP
Sunday, Jan 24th - TICKETS HERE
Details for each event below.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Last year was full of exciting, sometimes scary, and totally incredible experiences for me. I had a baby, settled down in Brooklyn with my family, made a beauty zine, and published my first book (which has now been translated into 4 languages!). I'm so grateful to be able to work with and meet such incredible individuals like you through hair styling and I hope you have a year full of beautiful experiences in 2016.

I'm happy to announce a group of events that I'll be having in the Salt Lake City area later this month. I plan on teaching in more cities this year, so email me if you'd like to attend a workshop near you!

Not in Utah? Please share this with someone who is!

I'm teaching a DIY hairstyling workshop and have put together an incredible gift bag for it (over $200 value!). Learn how to do a braided hairstyle from my book The Art of Hair, receive a free copy of my new zine, get one-on-one tips for your specific hair, and take home a gift bag filled with some of my favorite beauty products and tools including: Aquis, ban.do, Hot Tools, Little Box of Pretty, Mullein & Sparrow and Verb. Tuesday, Jan 19th 7:00 - 9:00pm.

Get your tickets here.

Can't make the workshop? Join us at 8:00pm for a book signing, mingling, and light food and drinks. No ticket required for 2nd hour, and books will be available for purchase.

*This workshop is geared towards non-hairstylists. For the hairstylist workshop, see below.

I'm cutting hair at Sugarhouse Parlour on Jan. 20th from 10am - 7pm.
Email popuphair@gmail.com for an appointment.
Haircut + blowout (or braid) = $115
Hurry up, space is limited!

I'm teaching a hairstylist-only styling workshop at Sugarhouse Parlour on Sunday, Jan. 24th. I'll be teaching two different braids and my essential blow drying, curling, backcombing, and finishing techniques for picture-worthy coifs.

Get your tickets here.

The class will include a demo in the morning and a hands-on styling session on models in the afternoon. Space is limited for the hands-on portion to ensure one-on-one training with every attendee.
Demo + Hands On: $200
Demo Only: $60

*This workshop is geared towards hairstylists and cosmetology students only. For the DIY workshop, see above.

A while ago I decided I kind of hated the internet. Does that ever happen to you? I feel like the internet exposes us to so much great content alongside so much bad content in a matter of seconds that it's hard to stop and actually take something in. Maybe it's just a thing my generation will feel like this about, the need to slow down a bit and experience something like we did pre-internet and social media. It's a total catch 22 though because I love the internet and social media, especially because I can find so many great artists and meet people I otherwise wouldn't have if we weren't all online. Anyway, when I had my moment of hating the internet I thought, what would my blog be and my Instagram, my footprint essentially if the internet didn't exist but I wanted to communicate with others in a creative way? For me, a 90s kid, that would be through a zine. So, I decided to make a zine, something that you need to flip through, and hold in your hands in order to really take it in.

Vanity is all about beauty and it doesn't take itself too seriously because it's not quite a magazine, but it's not just a zine. Designed by my friend Amanda Jane Jones (who just launched her own magazine Define, in fact each of our publications launched on the weeks we each gave birth to new babies - we're a little bit crazy). When I decided to create this zine, I thought about all the other individuals that are just like me, including all of my blog readers. I made this for us and I'd love for you to have one. You can buy Vanity at VANITYZINE.COM - order a copy and check out its vellum cover, IRL.

Just got this copy of my book The Art of Hair in the mail, in Italian! Crazy!

Photographer: Devin Doyle
Makeup: Lisa Campos
Hair: Rubi Jones
Model: Sabrina @ The Society NY
 

Using a hair pin can be kind of tricky and unfortunately most people are intimidated by them. I'm currently obsessed with this large handmade one that my friend Becky gave me by Ca Makes. It's pretty easy to use, which makes it a perfect gateway hair accessory to using classic small hair pins. I hate hiding this pretty thing when doing a bun, so I use it for a mini half-up 60s twist instead.

Sea salt spray has been a staple in my hair kit ever since I was introduced to the grandfather of all salt water sprays during my assisting days at Bumble and bumble in NYC. Lately, my absolute favorite and go-to salt water spray has been the organic and wildcrafted Mermaid Sea Salt Hairspray by Captain Blankenship. Summer is my favorite, so as soon as beach weather arrived, I brought together my friends Isabelle, Carrie, and Natalie, packed up a bag filled with fruit, and, wearing nothing but Captain Blankenship's Sea Salt Hairspray in our hair, let the sea breeze dry our locks.

In case you don't have the perfect sea breeze to dry your beach hair, you can get the same look by generously spraying Sea Salt Hairspray in damp hair from roots to ends and diffuse. If your hair naturally needs a little extra push to hold a wave, try out this 10-minute blow dry tutorial (no brush required).

Salt water hairspray is also a great base for braiding hair. Spray it into dry or damp hair and diffuse it until dry for the perfect braiding texture.

p.s. I used Captain Blankenship's for these braiding tutorial videos on Into the Gloss.

Photos by Isabelle Selby