September Educator Spotlight: Leland Joel Olson

With over 15 years of being in the industry, I’ve worked with some of the top rated colorists across Canada in cities including Calgary, Vancouver, Victoria, and Toronto. From the very beginning of my career, I had a strong passion for education and the art of mentoring. In 2008, I joined the Canadian AVEDA Education Team, where I mastered my craft for being a colorist as well as an educator.

My artistic talent has landed me in some very rewarding experiences and I’ve been featured in publications such as ELLE CANADA, INSTYLE Magazine, Toronto International Film Festival, and I’ve also worked as a regular backstage stylist at World MasterCard Toronto Fashion Week and Much Music Video Awards and have worked on celebrity clients such as Kate Hudson, Nina Dobrev, and Coco Rocha…just to name a few.

In 2015, I began my journey with KEVIN.MURPHY, where I was able to share my passion and love with our North American Network. My love for high-performance products and fusion of fashion with hair color allows me to share my knowledge and skill, whether it’s doing in-salon education, developing our regional KEYS, or showcasing the endless possibilities of COLOR.ME at a KEVIN.MURPHY show.

I am so excited to be working closely with Salon Services!


What inspires you to work with KEVIN.MURPHY?

My biggest inspiration working for KEVIN.MURPHY comes from my team. We have such a talented and amazing team of artists that whenever we are around each other, you can feel the creativity and innovation following from one to another. We may be spread all over the globe, but I love seeing what my teammates like Wade are doing over in Australia or what Iggy is doing over in Europe. There’s never a moment where one of us isn’t inspiring each other to some extent. The FASHION.FORWARD approach to our range of products and color really create endless possibilities and give us the tools to create pieces of art.

What new color trends are you excited to see this year?

For 2018, we’re seeing some really fashionable and interesting SHADES coming into trend. Reds are taking a turn over into more CORAL tones. CORALS take a brilliant mixture of REDS and COPPERS/ORANGES, creating some really interesting and vibrant SHADES that could easily be translated into pastels or even a wearable, fashionable red tone.

Another color trend we’re seeing is the usage of GREEN. Pearlescent SHADES of GREEN, AQUA.MARINE, TEAL, EVER.GREEN, and PASTEL.MINT are starting to appear in fashion spreads, providing a unique, playful approach to such an EARTHY color.

Favorite Color Formulation?

I have two. One of my tried-and-trues is equal parts of BEIGE + NATURAL + ICE for creating an effortless ICY.BLONDE. Mixed with 3.5 vol. CREAM.ACTIVATOR, this formula has become a staple when TONING to create gorgeously smooth and clear NEUTRAL blondes with a touch of COOLNESS.

The other is for a beautiful BEIGE.CHOCOLATE with an iced edge to it: 30g 10.2 PLATINUM.BEIGE + 15g 7.7 MEDIUM.BLONDE.CHOCOLATE + 5g 8.1 LIGHT.BLONDE.ASH + 8g SOFT.VIOLET BOOSTER.

What are your favorite KEVIN.MURPHY products you can’t live without?

STAYING.ALIVE - The multi-beneifts this product provides, makes it a staple for my everyday at home HAIR.REGIMEN.

BEDROOM.HAIR - Our newest hairspray has quickly become my go-to FINISHING product. Not only does it smell amazing, but it gives me the hold and flexibility I need for all-day style.

MAXI.WASH - I love giving my hair and scalp that weekly detox to help remove buildup of unwanted products and environmental aggressors. Think of it almost like a facial for your hair.

Where can we find your work?

The best place you can find my work is on my Instagram (@mycoloristleland). This is where I love to post my work with formulas (I love sharing what I create to help inspire other stylists.), my love for KEVIN.MURPHY, as well as things that inspire me as an artist.


What advice do you have for stylists and aspiring educators?

My advice to stylists and aspiring educators would be: Never doubt the potential you have as an artist. We are in an industry with so many possibilities and such rewarding experiences. The biggest highlights of my career have been the result of taking risks and seizing every opportunity I’ve been given. Pushing yourself out of your comfort zone can be the biggest reward to learning you have the ability to do things you may not have thought you could before.