New Trends

Its almost summertime! Summer always reminds me of hi-lights, pedicures and tank tops. But this summer there is something new out there.

Feathers!! In your hair!
Take a look!

OK now that is a little dramatic, if you ask me. But for reals. This is the new hot thing! Have you not seen Steven Tyler on American Idol?

This past weekend, my salon and I had a booth at a pretty big event in town. We ended up renting 2 booths, one for the boutique items our salon sells, and another so we could sell and install the feather extensions. 

We were all pumped to do it, but  a bit skeptical at first. But funny enough, the first handful of clients were the 'moms' that walked up! The daughters were the ones questioning it! 

We had a GREAT turn out, and sold waaayy more then we thought we would. 

We still currently are doing it at our salon, as supplies last. Pricing is as follows:

Single feather: $10

Strand of 4 feathers: $25

Strand of 6 feathers: $30

We also have the option of, after buying a strand, buy a take home kit for $10 which includes one feather, 2 micro beads, looping tool and instructions so you can remove the feather we installed and/or add the single one wherever and whenever you may like. 

The coolest thing about them, I think, is you can curl them, straighten them, wash them, blow dry them, as if they are your real hair! I had one in my hair for almost 5 months, and decided to take it out because it had grown so much. So they do last a long time, as long as you take care of it as you should! 

Come check out all the colors we have! You will fall in love too!

XoX

Photo Shoots and lashes

I have had the privilege to work at a couple hair shows, runway shows, and most recently a couple photo shoots. One such shoot was for a good friend of mine. Amber asked me if I would do the hair and makeup for her model (her sister) and I was flattered. I love stretching my creativity in different directions, and to see it on print is even more fun.

                                       Take a look at some of the finished photographs.

This is why I say eyelashes are a MUST!

Check out her page and see how she works it behind the lens! Amazing! 

XoX

Bat your lashes darlin'

When we were younger, my sister and I would go through 'beauty phases.' I remember one phase in particular stuck for a while with us. False eyelashes. I think I was in beauty school at the time, and I was learning how to apply the individual lashes, and she was (gladly) my model. A few times. For weeks, actually. We would put them on her lids, and sort of make a game out of seeing how long she could wear them until they would start falling off. She did a good job of sleeping in such a way as not to disrupt them. I would wear them too, but I would use the strip ones on myself. It was easier that way. 

Fast forward to today. I still love to wear me some false lashes from time to time. So glamorous. Plus, they make your eyes just POP in a photograph. What could be better then fake eyelashes, right?  Wrong. I found the 'new thing.' 

Eyelash extensions! 

Crazy? Unheard of? Amazing!! Take a look:

My eyes before:

(don't mind the no makeup circles. Yikes!) 

And then, keep in mind, I did not add any makeup, and this was the same day as the previous picture:

Can you believe it? I still cannot. 

The process is absolutely painless. The initial visit takes about 2 hours for the installation. The esthetician carefully adheres each artificial lash to your own lash, using a glue adhesive. You have the choice of different size lashes, depending on how dramatic or natural you are wanting to go. 

About every 3 weeks you need to stop in for an hour appointment (or less) to get 'fills' on the lashes that need it. 

I do not need to wear mascara, nor do I ever curl them. They come pre-curled! I don't think it gets easier then this! 

Call my esthetician where I work, because right now she is running a special for $100 for initial visit, (50% off!!) until April 30th. 

You will LOVE them. I promise!! 

XoX

Sticker me up

I am a nail polish freak. You should honestly see the millions of colors I like to collect. Every time I go to the beauty supply house (which is quite frequently) I end up picking up at least one color I don't seem to have in my supply at home. I  have an overwhelming amount of pinks, so my new rule to myself is anything BUT pink for a while.

I have been following this new trend that all the stars are seeming to do. Minx nails. Its simply a custom sticker that is applied to your fingernail. Celebrities do anything from metallics, to their names, to their faces, to the president's face! 

Now, to go to a salon and get this done, can be quite pricey. So why doesn't someone come up with a DIY? Wait, they have! 

Sally Hansen to the rescue!! 

These are so easy to use. They come precut to fit a 'normal' nail, but are easy to trim down to fit specifically. They come 16 stickers per package, but when I did my full fingers, I only used 5 stickers. I cut each in half and used each side. 

You simply stick them on your nails, cover them with clear polish, and done! I have a UV lamp that I use for my Shellac nail system. When I use the stickers, I apply the Shellac top coat and bake it under the lamp. That way my stickers last about 2 weeks, just like the Shellac. Its awesome! I have seen people do some pretty creative things with these stickers. This is my first attempt. 

I looked at CVS and Wal-mart. Wal-mart is the cheapest, by quite a bit. $8.00

Stick on! 

XoX

Wordless Wednesday:

I figure everyone does it. I might as well too.

Although these here are words, so its not technically a 'wordless' Wednesday anymore. O well....

Makeup Mission:

So I have been on a mission to find a GREAT under eye cream. One that especially helps remove dark circles (or hide them well). Do any of you out there have a one you like...or don't like?

In the meantime, I have found this article interesting and helpful!

Natural Cures for dark circles under the eyes

XoX

Paul Mitchell in the magazines

What are magazines saying about Paul Mitchell products? Check it out!

Or here...

Curly Susan

So this week I got a bit bored with my hairs and decided to switch it up a bit.

I went out to Sallys beauty supply and stocked up on some sponge rollers. This is what I purchased:

3 sizes

I started out with 1 day dirty hair. I spritzed it damp with water, added some more products and rolled up my hairs:

I slept all night on this oh so comfortable sponge sticks! When I woke up, I sprayed them with lots of hairspray and came out with this:

Wierd, right? I then sprayed some more, then carefully fingered through the curls to make something like this:

Kinda big, kinda fluffy, kinda cool. As the day wore on I liked it more and the next day was my favorite!! 

You can play with the different sizes of rollers and how wet your hair is when you initially roll it. It will produce all different results. So fun!! 

XoX

   

Quick Tip

Want to change up your hair style?
Tired and bored of what you are wearing on your head these days?

The fastest and least-committed step is to change up your part.

If you normally part your hair on the right, change it to the left. If its normally in the middle, choose a side, or slap it down the middle if you don't normally.

By simply changing your part you are in essence, changing your whole look. Try it out! Its true!

XoX

Crimpy crimperson

This is one of my most fun tools. The waver:

One of my clients told me about this, they had purchased one at Target. The ones I usually buy, and the ones most commonly found are similar, but not quite the same as this. This one has deeper grooves and that produces a much looser wave.

Take a look:

(Yes, I was in my car. Yes, I was at a stoplight!) 

(My professional Mac photo)

I use lots of products in my hair when it is wet.

Sea Spray

Paul mitchell

Thicken up

Root Boost

(All Paul Mitchell products, and sold at my salon) Just to name a few. I then wave my hair with hairspray. I more so love the style after I have slept on it, so I can usually go 2 or 3 days with this style. Its so much fun. 

Let me know if you would like one of these amazing wavers. I cannot find them in any store these days, I order them in bulk from the nifty internet and sell them. They are lots of fun, and take a little getting used to, when using them. 

Let me know if you would like one and perhaps, if you are lucky I might put a how-to video up here. 

XoX

Quick Tip

When washing your hair, always use warm (not hot) water. The hot water will cause your follicle to 'open' and thereby making your color wash out faster.

When conditioning, rinse it out with cool water. This closes the follicle trapping in moisture, and making your strands shiner.

XoX

Break it down, breakage!

I have a good friend of mine who has thin hair. Well, a lot of people have thin hair. There's nothing wrong with that at all. But she has thin hair, and its blonde. So you do the math=could end up in breakage...and hers does. It doesn't help that she lives about 121.48 miles away from me (approximately) and so doesn't get as good of hair attention as she may need. But were working on that. Baby steps.

So when she comes to me and complains (yes she is a complainer, a BIG one) about her breakage situation I have to go through an evaluation of questions. We have to figure out what is causing this said breakage.

Does she wear her hair up? Yes. Check. But she has to for school.

 So next question: are her ponytails too tight, and what kind of hair tie is she using. Always use one without a metal clamp on it. Those always seem to pull on the hair in the wrong sort of way. If you have fine hair, then think of using a thinner hair tie, and no need to wear it headache tight. I know its old school, but the scrunchie is the safest!

My mom used to make me these to match all

of my outfits. I was cool then. 

OK next question: Are you wearing a hat or sunglasses on your head? No. Some people pull their sunglasses on their heads, and those little nose protectors get stuck in their fine hairs and they yank with no thought. Ouch. 

Also, it doesn't hurt to sleep on a silk pillowcase. As high maintenance as it may sound, it does do wonders, especially if you are like me and toss and turn a lot in your sleep. 

Leave in conditioner is also a nice trick for breakage. After you dry off from the shower and your hair is a bit damp, add it to your strands. It still is working for you after you dry your hair. It holds moisture in and repairs throughout the day. This is one I use and recommend. 

Paul Mitchell The Conditioner

Watch how you are blow drying your hair.  If you are using a brush, make sure that brush isn't old and the bristles are all intact. Maybe, your hair is too fragile to use a brush while blow drying. 

Using these tips helped my friend with her breakage situation, and may help you! 

XoX

Progress

Being sick means no bueno for me, but very good for all of you! More posts!

I am constantly thinking of new topics to write about. If any of you have any ideas for me, or if you have a question, or want to know something, write me. You never know, I could have some answers!

A friend of mine at the salon and I are going to hopefully be working on some video how-to's here shortly. So hopefully we can have those up and running for you. It is always easier to learn something when shown, I think.

Hair tips

Curly hair:

This seems to be a top complaint with clients. Curly hair. Let me tell you, it takes some people their whole lives to figure out their curls. When some don't even realize they have curly hair. (True story, client of mine)

All it takes is some good products, patience and a good imagination. Lets start with products.

These have proved to be my favorites with most every curl pattern:
                               Round trip

This is a nice, light cream styling gel. 

 Use lots! It doesn't produce 'crunch' 

      so the more the better!                                                                                               

                                                                        Xtra Body Sculpting Foam

This is in the 'Extra body' line. So it does just that. 

With just enough 'crunch' to help the curl stay and 

not get frizzy. 

      Awapuhi Wild Ginger Sea Spray

   This adds that 'salty' feel to your hair. Giving it

          some texture, but not a lot of shine. 

Now, when drying your hair you MUST have patience!!! From the second you step out of the shower, you must NOT rub-dry your hair!!! Blot it only. Rubbing it roughs up the cuticle, giving your hair more chance of frizzing. 

Use a pick, not a comb or brush. The less you pick through it the better. 

Add your product and touch your hair the least amount as possible. Your hands contains oils, and when you run your fingers through your curls you are risking making it frizzy. 

When you blow dry, hold your head upside down and diffuse the curls. But do not use your hands! I repeat: DO NOT use your hands to scrunch your hair. My favorite tool:

The chopstick! A hair one. 

I got mine in china town in LA and San Francisco. But I'm sure google will help you find some. 

Use the chopstick to pick your hair up from your scalp and lift it while diffusing it. This will create volume and dry your strands quicker. 

Be creative!! Use a different mix of products, in different orders. If the curl doesn't come out one day, use a curling iron to mix in different styles of curls. 

Have fun! 

XoX

Rapunzel, Rapunzel. Let down your hair

Question: I thought I wanted short hair, and hacked all of my long hair off! Now I'm freaking out and want it long again!! Help!

Answer: Haven't we all done this at one time or another? Funny how familiar this sounds.

Heres the first tip: Keep it healthy! Get regular trims because dry ends will keep breaking, and your hair length will keep getting shorter! You do not know how many clients tell me "I'm trying to grow it out. Lets not cut this time (or next time, or next..)"  Well If you continue doing that, your hair WILL get shorter and shorter! Guarantee.

Also: Do deep conditioning treatments. I have spoke of this one in the past, and it still proves to be my favorite. In and out of the salon.

Stimulate hair growth: Seriously? Yes, I'm serious. Brushing it 100 times a day seems a bit extreme, but the more the hair follicle is stimulated, the greater your chance of your hair growing quicker.

Eat well: You are what you eat. You have no idea how true that statement is! I have had people who do drugs and smoke, sit in my chair. And I can tell. Those are extreme cases where its a obvious vitamin problem, but if you feel like you are doing EVERYTHING and your hair still is not growing, look at what you are eating. Look at the (lack of) multivitamins you are ingesting. Try looking up Biotin. It is a popular supplement for the growth of hair and nails.

Love your hair: Embrace the length it is at now. Don't be so negative about it, and look for new ways to style it. Your stylist should be willing to help you out with this.

Try all of these things and hopefully your hair will be as long as you wanted it to be. If not, then just come to me and we can put extensions in! :)

XoX

Always lovely hair

I have a 'hair crush' Well I may have a couple (or few)... 


Every time I see one of the Kardashian sisters in a magazine, or on tv or in an interview, their hair is AMAZING. It doesn't help that they are of Armenian decent. That dark thick hair is always so healthy and shiny.

Heres Kim with her hair smooth with curls just

at the ends. 

Khloe with her hair teased up and pulled 

half back. 

Heres Kourtney with a deep side part one side

behind her ear and curled around a one inch

curling iron. 

These girls are just some on my list I look to for inspiration. Who's hair do you look at for inspiration?

XoX