Marriët Gakes is Color Director at Salon B and B Academy and collaborates on fashion and beauty shoots for leading magazines both domestically and internationally. Additionally, she is responsible for the hair color of Ilse de Lange, Victoria Koblenko, and Krystl. Quite influential, indeed. It’s no surprise that she won the Color Technician of the Year Award for the fourth time last week during the Coiffure Awards. And fortunately, we were able to ask this beautiful woman a few questions.
Morning ritual
“Actually, it varies how long I stand in front of the mirror. But with two kids aged 2 and 4.5, you can imagine that waking up is generally not very relaxed. Sleep is very important to me, so what I do in the morning is mainly very practical. What I find important, and what you benefit from in the morning, is at least a good shampoo and conditioner. I wash my hair three times a week and I’m quite varied in which shampoo I use. The foundation of your look is related to how you prepare it. Do you want smooth hair? Then you use a weighting shampoo. Right now, I’m a bit in the beach phase, so I’m using the Walk on the beach seaweed shampoo and conditioner from Undone by The Insiders. When I wash my hair with that, it immediately looks a bit tougher and fluffier, creating that rougher look. By the way, I can also occasionally make a side step to polished hair, it just depends on my mood. The hair you have is part of your mood.”
Make-up Musts
“I always do my make-up in the car, and the Creamy Eyes by Ellis Faas is indispensable. Because it’s a click pen, you don’t have to struggle with brushes and can do it easily and quickly. I then use my fingers to fine-tune everything. Additionally, I always use mascara, but just like with my shampoos, I also enjoy switching it up here. I have the color Mild Chocolate from Ellis Faas, but also the black. I vary in make-up looks as well. Generally, I quickly choose classy make-up because I have a fairly classic face with a round head and blue eyes. But then I also find it fun to push the boundaries. So, variation is definitely my thing.”
Masker Mania
“Whenever I wash my hair, I use a shampoo, conditioner, and a mask. For me, it’s a three-in-one. I recommend everyone to use a mask at least once a week. One tip I have is to use a mask in the sauna. Wash your hair just before you go into the last sauna and apply the mask as well. Then enjoy the last twenty minutes of the sauna, and you have a personal steam cap for the mask. The heat from the sauna gives you a professional salon treatment.”
Million Dollar Summer Tip
“Many people have no idea what chlorine and salt do to your hair. It makes the hair crispy, which looks fun for a moment but isn’t good in the long term. The tip is to hold your hair under the tap before you go swimming in the sea or pool. The hair then absorbs water, allowing you to swim without worry because your hair will be less damaged. It becomes much less dry.”
Color Expert of the Celebrities
“I indeed color Ilse de Lange. What I find important when coloring is that we talk about the color that suits you best and makes you even more beautiful. That should always be the starting point, and sometimes it’s just nuance differences that you see in color. Ilse is a sparkling, beautiful person who is very soft. That softness should also be in her color without it becoming boring. The appearance is so important. Victoria Koblenko is another client of mine who chooses statements and contrasts. She needs a bit more tension, pushes the boundaries, and finds it cool when that is noticed. I sometimes have to rein her in. Not only on the color but also on the hair quality. You have to think long-term, and therefore it’s wiser to create a cut in multiple steps rather than applying it all at once.”
Basic Tools
“For your hair, the Mason Pearson is a must-have. That’s the Rolls Royce of brushes. You do pay a bit for it, but then you have a brush that you take great care of. It’s very nice for daily brushing, but it’s also perfect for teasing. Many people use a fine-tooth comb to tease, but with the Mason, you get more feel and softness in your updo, and the result is airier. Hairpins are also basic tools. Generally, I love loose hair, but I also enjoy seeing a surprising element in the hair by, for example, pinning one side up, making a messy bun, or seeing an updo. Oh, and the last absolute must-do is actually a healthy, shiny hair color.‘
What makes you happy in the Dutch street scene
“That more and more people are paying attention to their hair makes me happy. I always say: ‘Never too busy to be beautiful’. In the Netherlands, we are increasingly heading in the right direction because many people consider their hairstyle a really important part of their overall outfit. With Salon B, we opened the Blow Dry Bar a year and a half ago. In the past, people quickly grabbed the straightener, but now when friends have a party or a nice dinner on the agenda, they often visit the bar.”
Trend
“Undone hair is of course very nice. I have the feeling that this is not a trend but rather a timeless thing that will not disappear. What we see a lot this summer is the Lighten-up. Previously, we had soft highlights, but now everyone is going a bit lighter in color overall. Brunettes remain in the brown tones but go a bit lighter, and blondes are really daring to make a statement. We are heading towards a fresh look again.”
Myth
“That you shouldn’t color your hair just before going on vacation, I don’t believe in that. You should actually color your hair because when you see the vacation photos afterward and think ‘I wish I had colored my hair,’ you’ll be even unhappier. Do choose to take good care of it during the vacation because the sun does affect your hair. Wella has a Sun Protect Spray and Shampoo, and if you take that kit with you, your hair is protected against sun and chlorine. After the vacation, you only need a touch-up or shine treatment, making it completely healthy again.”
What should a person pay attention to when choosing the right hair color?
“A hair color is not something you can just pull out of a box. I sometimes get annoyed that a hair color is so flat, while something needs to happen with the hair color. With multiple colors in the hair, a cut comes to life and creates a 3D effect. Some people have very fine hair, and with the right color play in the cut, it comes to life again. That makes it exciting without it having to become a carnival attraction. Additionally, I find it important that color shines. A good tip for everyone is to do a shine treatment. Cellophanes from Sebastian is a salon treatment based on natural ingredients that makes your hair really healthier and shinier. That treatment is truly a well-kept beauty secret that even many hairdressers are unaware of. Once every six weeks is recommended because people with shiny hair have healthy hair.”
Favorite perfume
“I have one, and I’m really addicted to it. I received Gucci Première while judging a Trend Vision award from Wella. The bottle, which is very beautiful gold, is already nice, and the scent is very fresh. I love fresh, cheerful scents that are not too heavy and overpowering because with my profession, I am close to people. And not spraying too much is also important. You might not smell it yourself, but it can irritate other people.”
Never leave home without
“I actually don’t leave the house without my Mason Pearson because you can quickly touch up your cut in between. The make-up from Ellis Faas is also standard in my bag, and I have a tic that I always have a hair tie around my wrist. I have quite long hair, so it’s handy, but I also color in many different locations. Sometimes just at someone’s kitchen table, and then you don’t have everything around you that you actually want. A hair tie is really a must-have.”
