Archive

DONNA PASCOE

Owner • Stylist • Colorist

If some people were born to what they do, then Donna came storming into this world with a pair of sheers in one hand and an entrepreneur’s spyglass in the other. Her accomplishments have been featured internationally in fashion and beauty publications. Celebrities like actor Fran Drescher and Weight Watchers founder, Jean Nidetch rely on Donna’s beauty advice and cite her as an inspiration. When you are expected to look and be your best, you depend on the best. Donna is the best of the best.

Early on, it was clear that this sassy, classy blonde was a bona fide beauty talent. Donna’s coming out party was winning the Paul Mitchell Award for Best Haircutter at the age of seventeen (!). It was all up the hill from there. The cut Donna created became the style du jour for millions of young women across America. Donna’s second act proved her debut was no fluke, as she went on to become a Color Director at some of the beauty industry’s most prestigious companies, from New York’s Madison Avenue to Sydney, Australia. Given her experience and growing reputation in the beauty business, it wasn’t long before Donna opened her own hair salon. Donna also parlayed her years as a colorist into revolutionary hair products like MINE, an ingenious line of shampoos and conditioners specifically designed to preserve salon hair color, was featured at Sephora, QVC and Henri Bendel of Fifth Avenue in New York. Her latest hair care line venture is REVENGE, which her clients swear by. After all, Donna has proven the best REVENGE is living well and looking good.

Always on the leading cusp of beauty revolution, Donna has been a pioneer in the Green Salon movement as an outspoken advocate of earth-friendly coloring products. Donna chose “green” not because it is trendy, but because it is healthy. By eschewing noxious peroxides and ammonias in traditional solon coloring products and replacing them with harmless plant and fruit enzymes, Donna is not just helping the earth; she is promoting her client’s well-being and health. And women’s health is a cause celebre of Donna’s. Every year she sponsors Beauty and the Breast, a full-on spa day where women are pampered with salon service, from nails to hair and makeup. All proceeds from the event are donated to breast cancer research.

For DPS, Donna has wrangled the best beauty talent from all over the world and brought it to Boca Raton to create a truly full service salon with impeccable standards. So leave mediocre to the rest. Come in and get spoiled by the best.

Favorite Movie: Moulin Rouge
Favorite Travel Spot (so far): Paris
Favorite Hair Product: REVENGE gel and mousse
Best Part of My Job: Educating my staff and clients.

KATIE HUGGINS

Colorist • Extensions Specialist
Whether you’re looking for high-wattage platinum or a warm copper tone, Katie has you covered colored. Despite her youthful appearance, Katie is a salon veteran with 6 years expertise as an organic colorist and extensions specialist. She is a mix master of ammonia-free, earth-friendly hair color. Hailing from the style hub of Manhattan, Katie feels right at home with all the expatriates from the five boroughs here in Boca. After all, she honed her hues as an apprentice to celeb stylist, Nicholas DeFranco for 3 years at his upscale New York salon before snow-birding it down to the Sunshine State. Well, color me impressed.

DANNY BEST

Danny initially sharpened his scissor skills in West Palm Beach before migrating it south to DPS some 6 years ago. A genuine salon veteran with more than a decade of experience behind the chair, Danny prides himself for the ability to listen to his clients needs and perfect each and every cut, male or female. But it’s his proclivity for curls that makes Danny’s blow dryer run hot. He admires the natural beauty of curls, but understands that most women don’t know what to do with their characteristic kinks. Taking that as a challenge, Danny shows them exactly how to work their girl twirls. From a full volume mane to a razor-sleek cut, Danny is the consummate salon pro who knows how to pump up your personal style. And it shows with all his glowing reviews.

Give it to me STRAIGHT

Article by Danny Best

Maybe it’s Barbie’s fault. Or Sleeping Beauty. Or Rapunzel. It seems like storybook princesses from our childhood are always visualized with long, flowing hair as straight as a city grid.  Not a kink or curl in site.

Maybe this is where women have gotten the idea that if their hair isn’t perfectly straight, no frizz and low-maintenance, their life is over.  As a stylist, let me be the first to say, that’s just not true. But it has become something of an urban legend here in South Florida. For most women, this is troubling because the vast of majority of them are born with some degree of wave to their hair.  The beauty industry has enabled this myth by flooding the market with some incredibly useful products. Like, um, the flat iron  - not exactly sure how we ever survived without that one.  Then there’s the chemical (read, toxic) hair straightening systems from the Japanese, Brazilians, and the like.  Modern technology has finally made hyper-straight, frizz-free hair within our grasp.

Well OK, straight hair can be beautiful; but it’s not the end-all-be-all of beauty, IMHO.  Maybe you’re one of those women who fights their curly hair like a bad habit and have finally found a way to force it into straight-submission.  You might consider giving your wavy locks a break and let the “natural you” break free – with a little assistance, of course.

Curly, wavy hair can be stunning when treated properly and left to its own devices.  As John Lennon said, “Let it be”.  Following are a few “dos” and “don’ts” to help give you the option of letting your natural texture shine through.

1. DON’T shampoo every day.

The curlier the hair, the more naturally dry it is.  Along with cleaning your scalp (the actual role of shampoo), shampooing strips your hair of its natural oils and can dry it out.  On non-shampoo days that you want to style your hair, DO wet and condition it. Don’t be stingy with the conditioner and don’t rinse it all out.

2. DON’T rub your hair dry with a towel.  DO Blot it.

Rubbing your hair roughs up the cuticles of the hair shafts and promotes frizz.  Heaven knows we don’t need any more of that in this part of the country.

3. DO use products!

Every head of hair has a magic prescription of hair products that will get it looking fabulous.  Most often this is a combination of several things such as leave-in conditioners, mousses, curl creams, sprays, etc.  Unfortunately, this is a bit of a trial and error process, but it is worth the exploration.  What is going to work best in your hair is whatever you find that works best in your hair.  If you are unsure of what to use, ask your stylist for some recommendations.

4. DO use a diffuser.

This is a critical hairdryer accessory that a curly girl can’t live without.  For less than $20 you should be able to buy a universal diffuser that will fit your dryer.  Tip your head around to let the hair fall away from your scalp, pick the hair up with the diffuser using a high heat and low speed on your drier, and use it to press and scrunch the hair to your head.  The higher the speed of the air and the more you use your hands, the frizzier your hair will get.  Frizz is simply curls that have broken apart so try to leave them together as best you can.  Also, drying it only about 90% with the dryer and letting the last 10% dry naturally will help with the frizz factor.  And when you are facing a day that your hair really matters, don’t be afraid to use a curling iron to tweak the pieces that didn’t take with the diffuser.

So, that’s it.  Stand up against the straight propaganda.  A full head of luscious curls might be just what the doctor ordered. Your natural hair texture probably wants to let you know how just how beautiful it can be if you will give it the opportunity.  Take your time and be patient with yourself, there’s a bit of a learning curve.  After all, Rome wasn’t built in a day, but I think the investment will be worth it.  So get to it!  We are all waiting with baited breath to experience the real, natural you!

KAELYN PARTENZA

Apprenticing as Donna Pascoe’s right-hand gal isn’t easy. Just ask Kaelyn. She knows from personal experience. If you want to make the cut with Donna, you have to be dedicated, eager to learn, creative and most importantly, make clients feel at home. So for the past 2 years, Kaelyn worked alongside Donna, taking in the many layers of what it takes to be a pro. Just recently, Kaelyn earned her shears (compliments of Donna) as a certified stylist. She is the latest in a prestigious line
of Donna Pascoe proteges as wells as Boca’s freshest styling talent. Job well done, KP.

Little Known Fact: I’m third generation hairdresser
Favorite Travel Spot (so far): The Florida Keys
Best Thing About Job: Working with Donna – it’s different every day
Favorite Product: MoroccanOil Glimmer Shine Spray

NINO NIRCHIO

Stylist • Colorist

Nino, another frequent flyer on our staff, also happens to be a winner – taking home the top trophy twice from styling championships in Venezuela. Nino was invited to judge “Golden Shears” competitions in Curacao and Aruba and styled for the Miss Venezuela Pageant for many years. He also worked with models from Gisele Bundchen’s agency in Venezuela. But it wasn’t always first class champagne and Caribbean Islands for this star stylist. A native of Italy, Nino started his salon training at the tender age of 19 at the Arte e Technica school. He worked his way upward by doing stints in commercial TV and editorial magazines. Then Loreal of Paris hand-picked Nino to oversee the launching of their new color line in South America. This just in: Nino is running out of things to accomplish. Please come in and give him your best styling challenge.

Favorite part of my job: Making “the cut”.
Favorite hair product: Revenge (by Donna Pascoe)
Favorite travel spot (so far): Milano