Beauty

Oil and hair..they just don’t mix….

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At least once a week a mother and her teenage daughter come into the store. As the mother begins to tell me about the oily hair her daughter has and how horrible it looks, out of the corner of my eye I see the young girl slowly shuffling towards us. In every scenario, with every mother, the young girl is staring at her feet. Then shifts her eyes upwards as if to pray to the almighty to quiet her mother and transport her to anywhere but the place she is standing. Daily life for these young ladies has enough struggles, oily hair does not need to be one. I can help with the oily hair. With the mother…gotta leave that to Dr. Phil.

In my experience, many young girls between the ages of 10 – 14 have at one time or another suffered from oily hair or an oily scalp. ( Poor kids…couldn’t wait to be a teenager). There are many professional salon quality shampoo’s that can stop the oil in its tracks. Here are a few that have given hope and yes, even a smile to a teenage girl.

For extremely oily hair –

– Senscience Specialty Shampoo

– RUSK Sensories Purify Shampoo

– AG Peppermint Wash

For normal to  oily hair –

– Joico Daily Care Treatment Shampoo

– Matrix Biolage Cooling Mint Shampoo

– ISO Daily Cleanse Shampoo

One thing I can promise you is that although it seems oil companies have a hard time cleaning up excess oil, these products do not.

Beauty

So many shampoo’s…so little time….

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Shampoo. The makings of a great day or a terrible day. I have heard that starting your day off with a great breakfast makes for a great day. That slogan must have come from a bald man.

We have all been there. Thinking we were being ripped off at the Salon so we went to the drugstore for our shampoo. Two days later and $7.00 out of pocket, we return to the Salon wearing a hat to buy our shampoo. Professional products make a difference, not only with our hair but with the world! Bear with me….AG Hair products, Moroccanoil and countless other  products are not tested on animals, Soma hair care products are 100% vegan, Alterna Bamboo hair care is sulfate, paraben and gluten free. Paul Mitchell plants trees and doesn’t harm bunnies. These products are more concentrated than the drugstore brands so you do not need to use as much. Being low in sulfate or sulfate free means you won’t get a lot of suds – you don’t need to add more shampoo – just add more water.

Here are a few knock outs for you. The following products are products that customers have raved about…

For volume – Redken Body Full , Joico Body Luxe  (formulated for fine hair)

For dry stressed hair – Goldwell Rich Repair

For shine – Alterna Bamboo Luminous Shine

For blondes – SOMA Blonde/silver shampoo ( one of the only purple shampoos that adds moisture and strength while removing brassy tones)

For ethnic hair – MIXED CHICKS ( the name speaks for itself)

All of these shampoo’s are color safe which means you will retain your $200.00 color that much longer.  We protect our designer clothes, we read the labels and wash them accordingly. We wax and buff our cars to keep the paint looking shiny. We take our pets to the groomer’s for heavens sake, it is time to remember you. It is time to like your reflection once more.

 

Beauty

Step away from the color….

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We all have them, the “trust me” friends who can “make ANYONE blonde”. After meeting women with every hue of orange hair imaginable I am here to tell you, the friend lied.  Hair color is an  art and a science. The art comes down to the application and placement of the color. The science comes down to assessing the color level of your hair, the porosity and the over all health of the hair. If you are still stuck on the word porosity – my point has been proven. Go see a stylist. Sure the commercial’s lead you to believe that your perfect hair color is just a box away, not always the case….unless of course the hint of moss green or carrot orange is the look you are going for.

Are you a brunette longing to be a blonde? Do you long to be a red head? Tired of being pale and ashy and want some warmth to the tone of your blonde? Here is the answer. GO TO THE SALON. See a professional stylist. Would you perform your own root canal? Probably not. Perform your own yearly pap smear? Don’t see that happening.

The stylists are professionals (most of them at least). Color and color theory are constantly changing. How color processes on your hair depends on your health, if you are on medications, the level of your hair’s porosity, what products/color lines you have used in the past 12 months. Please, save yourself heart ache and potentially hundreds of dollars in color corrections and hats. You are worth it.  Go see a stylist.

Beauty

Hasta la vista bad hair

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My mission. To make bad hair a thing of the past. “How will she do it?” you ask. Educating the masses. Plain and simple. I am willing to bet that in the last week many of you have been in front of the mirror, staring in wonderment and disbelief at what you see looking back at you. “The product promised volume.”. “My stylist swears by this line.”. “My friend said it was great for her hair.”. All these statements are true, the thing to remember is……Everyone’s hair is different.

I received some great advice last night. I have decided to let you all dip your bucket into my well of knowledge about hair products. Professional hair products. I may not know much about physics – as you can see I can spell it. All I may remember about high school math is how I liked the smell of the tests fresh from the photo copier (come on…we all did). What I do know is product. How to use it, how to sell it, and how to make sure you will have good hair.

In my brainodex (rolodex in my brain) I have over 50 professional hair care lines waiting for their stories to be told. Got a question? I may have the answer.

Since the weather is getting warmer and humidity is in the air, lets begin with curls. (no worries, all hair types will be covered). The biggest misconception is that if your hair is curly it must be thick. Nope. Not always. If you are blessed with fine and curly hair, I suggest AG Recoil. AWESOME!!! It is a creme based product, can be used with or without a diffuser. If you air dry your hair, it may feel crunchy until you run your fingers or a pick through it and Viola! Bouncy, soft frizz free curls. If you prefer the diffuser, same results! AG Recoil has a humidity resistant formulation so it seals the hair cuticle = no frizz. It smells like the beach, the good beach, like Miami Beach or Hawaii. Not the campground beach.

 

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Hairspray is your friend

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Hairspray has been given a bad rep over the years. True, the eighties were hard on the bangs and the ozone, however hairspray can still be your friend. Not only can it help your hair withstand hurricane force winds, a horrible first date and Sunday dinner with your in laws – it can kill the spider. Yes ladies ( and a few gentlemen), it can kill the spider. Firm hold hairspray in the aerosol can is best. As this is an informative yet educational blog, I will walk you through the process.

You see a spider. Stop checking over your shoulder and looking at the floor – this is just an exercise. Once you have seen said spider, breath, keep calm and head to the nearest can of hairspray.  Once you have the hairspray, sneak up on the little bugger, I find speaking softly mesmerizes them. Once he is in your scope, slowly raise the can of hairspray and spray! You see – firm hold hair spray is sticky and dries quickly so the spider cannot scurry away. This is the hard part, now you have to pick it up. Get a tissue. You use the tissue to pick up the spider, or to dab your eyes if you believe in reincarnation and feel you may have injured a loved one.

Back to beauty. Hairspray comes in all kinds of hold factors, scents and sizes. Some are alcohol and paraben free for our land lovers, some are cruelty free for our animal lovers. There is soft hold for our soft spoken side and there are intense hard hold for our “where did I leave my clothes” rebel side. Some have a shine factor, for those moments when we have lost our halo and need a replacement for the day. The newest addition is humidity resistant hairsprays. My favorite. No more flyaways! No more fuzzy head when the temperature rises over 5 degrees! No more baby flies buzzing around my head because there is so much hairspray on my head they think it is a tree and my hair the sap of the bark.

So, next time you are on the fence about hairspray, don’t be. Hairspray alone did not cause the hole in the ozone. Grab that hairspray, all it will harm is possibly a spider or two.

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People who live in glass houses shouldn’t throw flat irons….

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I know there are daily dangers in every day life. I look both ways before I cross the street. I put my turn signal on and do my shoulder check when changing lanes. I keep the toaster away from the sink. Now, everyday I keep an eye out for a flat iron thrower. They sneak up on you. There are two kinds, the quiet unassuming thrower and the boisterous belligerent chucker. The upside to the latter of the two is at least you get a show out of it.

There is one thing I must make clear about manufacturer’s warranties, for myself and others in our field. Most warranties cover a manufacturer’s defect. A defect means that there is something wrong with the flat iron and how it is working – example – not heating up. If you do not like the flat iron or the way it looks on your bathroom counter or how it feels in your hand, that does not constitute a defect. If you think the color of the flat iron makes your hips look fat, sorry, not a defect.  If having to squeeze the flat iron together is too much work, sorry, not a defect. I have always wondered as I am watching a flat iron fly through the air and its cord following behind like a jet stream’s tail, does this person try to return toilet paper because it scratched their tushie?

If you have a problem with the warranty, all companies give a 1 800 number. If you feel like throwing something, they also give an address so feel free to drive there and throw the flat iron at them.

Beauty, Hair Care, health and wellness, Uncategorized, writing

Perm solution and Chiclets

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Whenever I see a box of Chiclets I smell perm solution. Especially if I am lucky enough to come across the fruit flavored kind (I LOVED the purple Chiclets). I know what you are thinking….perm solution? Yes. Perm solution.

When I was a young girl I would stay with my grandmother in the summer. Every Thursday she would go to the hairdresser and then the grocery store.  The salon had yellow leather chairs, hooded dryers as far as your eyes could see, Good Housekeeping magazines circa 1970 and the chatter of all the latest gossip and newest recipes. I was fascinated by all the pretty ladies who were doing everyone’s hair. Their nails were done, their hair just so, the coolest shoes (I was short so I tended to look at people’s feet, and am still obsessed with shoes). All the ladies getting their hair done were always getting perms. Hence the perm solution. The Chiclets…well, you see that was my treat. This was a big deal, my own pack of gum! I didn’t have to share if I didn’t want to. It was awesome. Especially because the boxes turned into musical instruments when emptied.

I realized today that my love affair with the hair industry began back then, watching my grandma relax and be pampered. It was probably the only time that happened for her. She was an amazing woman who always had time for everyone, be it a helping hand, a listening ear or her gentle smile. She always had a spring in her step after the hairdresser as we made our way to the grocery store. On the ride home, I would be in the back seat of her Cadillac, listening to her sing along to the radio, smiling down at my box of Chiclets and catching the lingering scent of perm solution.

Beauty, Hair Care, health and wellness, That girl in the red coat, Uncategorized

South of the border shopping?

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Whenever the lovely warmer weather is upon us, I meet women wanting to make a change. A new style, something that says I like me, this is who I am. Maybe add a new angle or color.  Sometimes it is just a new product they are in need of, usually to tame frizz.

It was a lovely sunny morning, the sunshine poured through the store window, the smell of peroxide and hairspray lingered in the air. In walks in a lady with the all to known “help me” face. She looked a little frazzled. “What can I help you find?” I ask. “I need something to tame frizz – my husband says it’s outta control”. I look at her hair, it’s a little frizzy, not out of control. So I begin to show her some products that may help. The first few I let her know to put in before she blow dry’s her hair….and a look of complete horror spreads across her face….ok then – no blow drying. We proceed to the other products to use after the hair is dry or to use if you air dry your hair. “How do I know when it is totally dry?” she asks. This is when the light bulb moment happened for me. I collected my thoughts, silently reminded myself not to smirk, giggle or shake my head, and asked as politely as I could “What hair are we speaking of exactly?”. Then I winced awaiting the response.

Yes, that hair. For those who don’t see a bouncing ball to follow, the hair south of the border. I explained that the products I had shown her were for the hair on our heads. They would probably be too perfumed for her needs. Then I hear a sigh of relief. “I was wondering why I was so itchy” is the next lovely phrase I got to hear. Again, remind myself to keep composure and try to remember where I put the hand sanitizer. I went on to explain her options of hair removal that may help her in taming the beast and that if the itchiness doesn’t subside, she probably should see the doctor. Yes, this is my daily life.

Beauty, Business, communication, Hair Care, health and wellness, Uncategorized

Goldilocks had a hard time finding the perfect chair too

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On this beautiful Sunday, I have been recalling many a tale. Tales of hair woes, mine and yours. Everyday I am immersed into a complete strangers pool of uncertainty. Uncertain if I am trustworthy to speak of their hair. “Does she know of what she speaks? She isn’t a hairdresser, she looks normal and her hair is nice but I have seen this before….hmm.”.  I know that is what these strangers are thinking and I am okay with that. I have broad shoulders (thank you Dad for the genetics). I am here to say, in most circumstances I do know what I am talking about, and when I don’t I find out.

On a daily basis I remind women that they have a voice and they are allowed to use it. I hear their tales of discontent, of fury at their stylist for their new found pixie cut when all they wanted was a trim. The first thing I ask is “did you explain you were not happy?”. The answer is always “No, I didn’t want to hurt my stylist’s feelings”. Lets stop right there. First- not fair to the stylist – he/she doesn’t know there is a problem. They will continue to do what you do not like because they think everything is great! Second- really? You said nothing? If we are able to tell our physician’s when we are not happy, tell our dentists we fear them worse then the plague, why are we unable to tell a stylist we are not happy with the service. The good ones won’t be offended, if anything they will be upset that they may have offended you.

That said, next time you sit in a chair, awaiting the new you, listen for the consultation. You should hear from the stylist;

– What are we doing today?

– How have you been?

– Any changes since I have seen you last? (An important question – stress/medication/illness can sometimes affect your hair during chemical services)

– How do you do your hair at home? What products do you prefer?

All of these are important, as are you and your hair. If you aren’t hearing these things, you may want to look for another chair.

Beauty, Hair Care, That girl in the red coat, Uncategorized

Roots….not the mini series

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This is an educational tale…..part chemistry, part biology. I was asked a question about hair color and root regrowth. I should have guessed it was gonna be a whopper based on the pajama pants, tank top and flip flop attire that was in front of me.  It is not the first time I have had this question posed to me, I am hoping this will be sure to make it the last.

The question via pajama pants “why do I have regrowth? I colored my hair 5 weeks ago.”.   My response “Your hair has grown”.  Pajama pants “But I still don’t know why there is so much regrowth?”.  So, I took a breath, looked for a hidden camera and asked what she meant. I apologized that I didn’t understand the question. Then I was shown the light.  This misguided soul thought that when you colored your hair the dye went into the scalp and colored the hair that has not yet grown so it grows out of your head that color so you don’t have to color as often. ( Kind of like the play doh barber shop).

The chemistry segment of the tale is…hair color (dye) colors the hair on top of your scalp, it does not penetrate into your scalp or skull. The biology segment…..well….I am sure you can draw your own conclusions.

In conclusion, when wanting to color your hair, go to the Salon. Go see a stylist. They have been educated in these matters, many continue their education to keep on top of the ongoing changes in color and its chemistry.

Oh, and pajama pants are meant for pajama parties.