Shear Genius Recap: Everyone's Safe

Before

After: The higher the hair the closer to God

Happy Monday! I hope you had a good weekend and are well rested, because it's going to be a busy week here on my site. Be sure to come back tomorrow for more. Until then, let's get this week rolling with a Shear Genius recap!

Recap of Show
For this week’s shortcut challenge, the stylists walked into the salon to discover a mysterious large object shrouded by a black tarp. After Camila introduced guest judge and celebrity stylist Mark Townsend, she threw back the tarp to reveal a bookcase divided into three categories – styling tools, a technique, and an inspiration – with subcategories ranging from flat irons and sponge rollers to pin curls and braids.

Each of the stylists selected a numbered scissor box and then was instructed to pick a combination of the categories for the competitor standing to their left. Brig was able to choose for Janine—and choose she did, leaving Janine to create a rainbow-inspired mullet using a crimping iron. After all of the stylists were left with their respective tools and directions, Camila introduced them to their second guest judge Allure Editor-In-Chief Linda Wells.

Brig, as always, took on too much, attempting a cut, a color and a hairstyle that had to incorporate pin curls, sponge rollers and a Parisian theme. Unfortunately, her finished look under-whelmed the judges and left her at the bottom of the bunch. While Brig was being critiqued for her brassy color, Janine couldn’t help but comment about Brig’s lack of respect for the judges. She then went on to admonish Brig for her unprofessional attitude--all while spouting out profanities (because Janine's a professional and Brig, obviously, is not).

See what I said about Janine last week? She's a mean girl. I swear in her little "Brig sucks and shouldn't be here with the likes of PROFESSIONALS like me" you could have swapped out the work "professional" and replaced it with "mature" to make it a full-on high school hissy fit. Remember 10th grade? "Oh I hate Kara so much. She's just not MATURE like me!" Good times.

Anyhoo....Neither competitor seemed to win the battle, but both managed to stun the judges with their loathing of one another. In the end, it was the gorgeous shape and striking texture of Jon’s curly disco ball-inspired bob with bangs that won the challenge and an advantage at elimination.

The next day, everyone headed to the elimination challenge, which was also their first editorial shoot. Under the watchful eye of Linda Wells and Orlando Pita, Camila announced that the stylists would be given the opportunity to update some of the most memorable hairstyles in American cinema in a “Modernize Hollywood Icons” challenge. The looks were: Gwyneth Paltrow's romantic curls from “Shakespeare In Love,” Dolly Parton's buxom bouffant in “The Best Little Whorehouse In Texas,” Audrey Hepburn's classic updo from “Charade” and Bo Derek's braids from the movie “10.”

After seeing the stylists work on set and reviewing their final photographs, the judges seemed to really struggle to find someone to send home, since each one managed deliver in the challenge. In the end, Matthew and Janine went to the winner’s circle, with Matthew taking top honors for his Dolly Parton-inspired look. Not only was he able to seamlessly update Dolly’s classic style with soft and natural looking curls, but he was also able to work well with the photographer on set. The judges ramped up the tension even more by asking Brig and Jon to defend themselves from the chopping block. Jon reluctantly admitted that he believed his work was superior to Brig’s, and, in a shocking twist, Brig agreed that her head of hair wasn’t her proudest work and that she should go home. Taking everything into consideration, the judges then delivered a stunning reprieve to both Jon and Brig: no one would be going home this week – it was just too close to call, though I'd send Janine home for being an awful human being. Sadly, though, I think Mean Girl might just win the whole shebang.

This week’s “how to get the look” from Kevin
Try modernizing a classic siren’s style to create your own film-worthy look.

• Apply a heat protecting styler, such as Nexxus Thermal Volume, to damp hair, and then blow-dry using a large round brush.
• While hair is still warm, wrap two inch sections around extra-large Velcro rollers to help build volume.
• Once hair is cool to the touch, remove rollers and use a boar bristle brush to loosen curls and shape the style.
• Spray hair with a strong-hold hairspray, like Nexxus Maxximum, to hold the structure of the style in place.