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

You don’t want ’em? I’ll take ’em.

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Again, my intention for today’s tale was to tell you all about the awesome mousses out there, alas, I am in need of telling another tale. On twitter (yeah, I’m on twitter too….I am everywhere), I saw that Tabatha Coffey had tweeted whatever happened to professionalism and integrity, which is what I found myself thinking yesterday. You see, I am working this weekend, Saturday and Sunday – not my usual schedule. Yeah, working the weekend  at 40 is a bummer but my PTG (part time girl) is awesome and deserved a weekend away. (oh, to be 21. ).

Anywho, I am finding myself quite thankful for working this weekend. Yes, it helps that it is raining, I will admit. The reason for my gratitude is not just because of Mother Nature but that I have been present to help women in desperate need of help and advice, be it with beauty advice or just having someone listen to them for one minute.

One woman is in the midst of chemo for the second time and is afraid of losing the hair she has left and her stylist told her to get a wig. So I introduced her to the Nioxin hair care line. Once her chemo is completed it may be the answer for her. Nioxin is formulated to help stop hair loss in its tracks and in many circumstances the hair that has been lost grows back. I have seen it with my own eyes on many occasions – no worries my lovelies, I will tell the tale of Nioxin soon.

I have seen 3 women in two days that have had improper removal of their gel/shellac/acrylic nails and they have come into the shop with their heads hanging low and hardly able to open the door because their fingers are so red and their nails are as white as fresh fallen snow. The culprits? Soaking in a bowl of acetone and the ever evil dremel tool. (Dremel tools are great…for DIY’s and crafts ladies…not your fingernails.). The one woman was on anti-fungal medication because the tools at the nail place she went to were not cleaned and disinfected properly – so not only does she have sore hands and fingers, she has to get her liver function checked every two weeks. ( The oral medication you must take for fungal infections can damage your liver). Please…read my tale “put my hand where?”. Tell your friends. Thank you…and NEVER be ashamed! It was not your fault. Keep your chin up…if only to reduce the look of a double chin in pictures.

I met a woman who’s hair was meant to be blonde, but that was not her outcome. A stylist told her to buy a purple shampoo to get rid of the brassy tone left on her hair. Ladies and Gents – to be clear – purple/blue shampoo’s will remove brassy tones on blondes and people with grey/silver hair – the brassy tones caused by product/pollution/nicotine build up. If you color turns out brassy – no amount of purple/blue shampoo is going to diminish that brass. You need to go back to the stylist and you need a toner. * DO NOT try to do this yourself.

A woman came in to buy a flat iron and had been told by her stylist that if the cost isn’t over $200.00 (like at her Salon I was to find out) that the flat iron was “crap” , classy move, I know. So I explained the differences between all the flat irons and their features. I asked her if she travels alot, and low and behold she travels to Europe. So I explained Universal Voltage and why she needed her flat iron to have it (short explanation – so it won’t set on fire or short out). I let her know I was familiar with the flat iron her stylist had told her about and that it was not universal voltage. She ended up informed, happy and with the right product- universal voltage, auto shut off, up to 450 degrees Fahrenheit and spent under $100.00.

As promised on my first entry, these tales will sometimes be product knowledge, tales from the customer’s perspective, tales from the stylist’s perspective and from my perspective…well… a lot from my perspective it seems. Today’s tale is to help wake up the stylists, nail techs, and Salon owners to educate yourselves, use the proper techniques and procedures, pay attention to your clients, listen to them. Also, inform yourselves about other products out there that you may not sell so that you can tell your clients about something comparable that you sell. Don’t get me wrong, I love selling products to your clients, I don’t understand why you don’t and your clients wonder the same thing, trust me, I hear it everyday.

 

 

Beauty, Business, communication, entertainment, Hair Care, Uncategorized

Out of the mouths of….babes?!

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Yes, I am forty years old and yes, I am working all weekend. My PTG (part time girl) is going away for a weekend of fun before school begins so here  I am. In honour of my weekend of retail bliss and salon escapades I thought I would share some of the life changing comments I receive on a daily basis and the questions I never tire of answering. Seriously, I wish I was making this stuff up.

– “If I use a Nail Strengthener, how strong will my nails get? Like could I use them to nail a picture on the wall?”

– “Why does the OPI Shatter nail Polish make your polish look like it is shattered?”

– “Do you work here?” (I am standing behind the counter ringing through a sale on the computer)

– “Are you wheelchair accessible? Your sign says Walk In’s welcome.” (give it a minute….we have a Salon….there you go).

– “I thought for sure the hair color would stop my regrowth coming in gray” ( Yep – grown women actually think that hair color seeps into the scalp so when their hair grows the new hair grows out the color the had applied…sigh…)

– “I have errands to run, will the hairspray can blow up in my trunk?”

– “I want more volume in my hair but I don’t like using products or a blow dryer.”

– “I only use vegan and environmentally friendly products, I care for our children’s future” – then gets into her Hummer wearing leather boots and a fur coat.

“Why can’t I return this shampoo? It was crap!” – the bottle is a 1/4 full. I guess it took weeks worth of use to realize this.

– the door chimes and before I can say hello the purse clunks down on the counter and the demand of “get me 1 Sebastian Shaper Plus and a KMS Molding Paste.” – hmmmm….I don’t see the golden arches and you are not in a car and I am not at a window, so guess what….

– “Can you watch him while I look around?” – child covered in snot and what I can only hope is chocolate ice cream.

– “Well….like …don’t you like know everything?” – after asking me the difference between mousse and root lift.

– “Oh…my…gawd! Like…can you like ….geet like ova youself? Like ….I seriously doubt…for sure …that I could actuaaallly go blonde!” – a conversation I hear between two girls at least once a week.

– “Are you open?!?!” The door is locked, the lights are off, the “open” sign is off…a woman is pulling on the door and banging on the window.

Enjoy your weekend everyone, I am damn sure I will have some doozies for you on Monday.

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

Goin’ back to Cali

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KMS California. A wonderful professional hair care line that I am constantly surprised that more Salon’s don’t carry. The packaging is updated with funky colors and bottles that fit nicely in your hand as well as on your shelves. The bottles are pretty enough for the ladies and cool enough for the gents.Yes…packaging is important! Many men want to use professional hair care products but will not even pick up the bottle if it looks the least bit girly. Yeah, I said it.

As per usual, not let you down, I have compiled a list of the KMS products that fly off my shelves and and have been known to reduce a grown man to a pout when his favorite KMS product is sold out.

HAIRPLAY Molding Paste – adds texture and definition with a pliable hold and low shine. AWESOME for shorter styles for the ladies and great for faux hawks and textured/messy styles for the gents. (this is the product that causes the pout when out of stock)

FREESHAPE Quick Blowdry – reduces drying time by up to 50%, conditions the hair and protects from the heat of the blow dryer, also adds a little shine.

FREESHAPE Hot Flex spray – a humidity resistant flat iron spray. Terrific to use to protect your hair from the heat of the flat iron. Offers a medium hold and shine. *FREESHAPE is the replacement to KMS FLATOUT.

HAIRSTAY Anti Humidity Seal – 24 hour weather proofing for your hair. A 24 hour humidity blocking formula that adds awesome shine and shields your hair from frizz. It also offers heat protection. Use once you have the style you want and VOILA! No frizz and beautiful shine. * Used to be FLATOUT Anti Humidity Seal

HAIRSTAY Maximum hold spray – an ultra-firm finishing spray that offers shine and 24 hour humidity resistance and hold.

ADDVOLUME  Styling Foam – Adds up to 70% more volume, adds a little shine, offers heat protection and is alcohol free.

SILKSHEEN Polishing Serum – Adds up to 75% more shine to your hair, adds softness and a silky texture. Offers all day frizz control and heat protection. * Put on dry hair at the ends to seal up split ends.

SILKSHEEN Leave In Conditioner – Instant detangler. Conditions and provides shine and manageability.

HEADREMEDY Sensitive Shampoo – a gentle and soothing shampoo for a sensitive scalp. Fragrance free and dye free.

MOISTREPAIR Leave In Conditioner – A weightless moisturizing leave in conditioner. Great for fine hair.

CURLUP Control Creme – a curl creme that offers a frizz free finish, lasting curl separation, medium hold and some shine.

Give’em a try, you won’t be disappointed. The worst thing that can happen is you will love the products and when you find the shelf empty, you may begin to pout. Don’t fret, another order is on the way.

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

The Emily Post of retail.

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Call me old fashioned, but I still believe in manners. Don’t get me wrong, I love a rude limerick and have been known to curse like a drunken sailor (when I am stone cold sober). I am talking about good ol’ please and thank you, keeping your composure in public – not throwing a temper tantrum because the store is out of strawberry flavoured lipgloss, your favorite hairspray has been discontinued or the debit machine is down and GASP.. you have to use… cash. I have compiled a little list of what not to do in public. If you do any of the following in public, you will look like an ass, plain and simple. Feel free to share with your friends and co workers, I don’t mind. In fact, I urge you to share. Please and Thank you.

– when you enter a store and the sales person  says “Hello”, say “Hello” back. Do not respond with “just looking”…how would you like it if when you said “Hello” we responded with “why are you talking to me?”.

– when the debit machine is down, please do not yell at the sales person or swear at us. We did not see you coming and made a call to our carrier and demanded they cut our service just so you can’t purchase the nail file you are in so desperate need of.

– when you ask a salesperson a question, please let us answer you. Please do not speak over us. We cannot help you if you do not listen. Remember in kindergarten…you listen…I listen…we take turns talking.

– when we ask if you need help, please respond with words…not with the wave of your hands like we are a fly trying to land on your lunch. In my industry, many products revamp their lines every year or so and change the packaging. So when I ask if you need help after you have wandered aimlessly for 10 minutes after waving your hand at me, 9 out of 10 times you need my help.

– not all salespeople are on commission. You can get back up now – a shocker, I know. Yes, there are actually salespeople that are willing to help you, no strings attached.

– unless there is a major emergency, stay off your phone. Also, when I am answering your questions, please don’t start texting your friend about the hot guy that just walked by. Yes, he was hot, but I am the one helping you have great hair so you can actually catch his attention.

– my shop along with many others do not have a playland. We are not paid to be the babysitter/nanny/ au pere, take your pick. Please watch your children. Thinking it’s cute that they open all the nail polishes and try the colors on their toes is about as cute as bringing a muddy puppy over to someone’s house to see their new white carpet.

– never, ever throw a flat iron. I know it’s upsetting that it wasn’t comfortable to hold or that you are frustrated that the manufacturer changed their return policy or that it doesn’t match your new bathroom decor…still no reason to throw an appliance at someone. Ever.

– yelling in public is a no no. Don’t do it. I mean honestly, think about what you look like when you are yelling over a can of hairspray. Yelling over injustice and over human trafficking = good. Yelling over hairspray and the funny smell it has = bad.

– when you are late for an appointment, do not yell at the stylist that now you are running late and the appointment is taking too long. Remember – you were the one who was late.

– if you don’t feel like talking, just pleasantly return our greeting and try saying “I am just going to look around, if I need you can I get you?”. See…how lovely is that, you get what you want and not a rude word was uttered.

Really, it is so simple. Smile when someone smiles at you, say “hello” when someone says “hello”, say please and thank you, say “you’re welcome” when someone offers you a “thank you”. Do not yell in public. Unless you are under the age of 5, do not throw a temper tantrum. Do not throw the flat iron.

biz card pic

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

Self Help and bad hair

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You all know I LOVE hair products and everything that has to do with beauty. I am also a sucker for books, book stores actually. The shiny covers, the smell of freshly pressed prose, the staff picks of fiction, the tunes that echo throughout the store that you can’t help but hum along with, ahhh…the book store. Yes, I admit, I do find myself wondering if I will run into Kathleen Kelly or Joe Fox. ( You’ve got mail…enough said). Anyway, back to the tale at hand. As I was wandering through the store humming along to Adele and daydreaming as I often do that we meet and become life long friends, I ended up in front of the Self Help section. I just stood there, captivated by what I saw. Every single person in that section had bad hair. Yeah, I said it. I couldn’t look away, and as I stood there I had what Miss. Oprah would call a light bulb moment. They may have been looking for an answer for a happy marriage or how to come out of the closet, but they were also wishing their hair looked better. (You know they were…we all have those days.) The right color, cut and product may not solve all your issues, but good hair is a good start.

I know, it’s what is inside that counts. How dare I say such things out loud or put in print for that matter. Yes, I do agree wholehearted that it is what is inside that counts. I also believe that if you like the way you look, it can make for a better day. I stress what you see and what you like. It  took everything in me not to rope the crowd in Self Help together and take them back to my shop and teach them how do to their hair. I mean seriously, even Dr. Phil would look at the hair that hadn’t been brushed in a week and say “how’s that workin’ for ya?”. It isn’t just about  looking good, it’s about taking time for you. Think about it, if you take the time to do your hair and/or makeup, you have just set aside 10 – 30 minutes just for you and you alone. I am a firm believer that healing begins when you make yourself a priority, even if only for a few minutes a day. If you don’t like the reflection in the mirror, no Self Help book is going to help. Trust me, I know of what I speak, that is another tale for another time.

Brush your hair, wash your face. Grab that flat iron and iron out that frizz. Put on some lip gloss. Take a minute for yourself. Think of it this way, if you like your hair it is one less thing that you need help with, and one less thing is always a good thing.

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

Visually impaired

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I really did mean to write about Dry Shampoo’s today, that tale will have to wait until another day. I had an experience this week that I felt needed to be shared. I know, “where are the beauty tips oh guru of products?” is what you are thinking. Bear with me my lovelies, those tales will be told, today I have another tale to tell.

I hear the familiar chirp of the door chime and look up to see a Mom and her daughter. The daughter looked lost and the Mom looked exhausted and distraught, and they were standing in front of the hair color. I wandered over and asked if they needed a hand. The daughter, a pretty girl of 15 who didn’t realize how pretty she was told me she wanted to change her hair color. She had been coloring it black and thought she should lighten it up. I told her it would be best not to attempt to do it herself and told her the potential outcomes of doing so. The poor thing, her eyes welled up and her lip started to quiver. I asked her if she was okay and if she had anything else to ask. She just stared at me. I said “Oh honey, you look like you need to say something. Ask me anything, there are no stupid questions.”, to which she began to tell me that she liked her hair but felt like it was wrong and didn’t know what to think or what to do or what to like. Memories of 15 year old anguish flooded my mind. We have all been that girl and it is not fun. I told her that if she liked her hair, that was okay. That she looked great with that hair color and not to worry about what others think or say. I told her that I couldn’t imagine how difficult it must be for young women today because I remember how much being 15 sucked.(Yes, I said sucked – I am hip to today’s jive.). She began to smile. Then I said “Honey, people are gonna talk no matter what. There are people that no matter what you do it won’t be good enough. I am sure that back in Jesus’s day people thought he didn’t turn water into wine fast enough” to which she laughed out loud. After talking a little longer, she left with a smile and a spring in her step and our card if she felt like making an appointment because she wanted one. As they walked out the door the Mom mouthed thank you.

It’s been a few days since I met her yet I can’t stop thinking of her. We have all been that girl. Hell, I have been that girl. Unsure of myself, wondering what is wrong with me – why can’t I be like everyone else? So many women and a few gents have become visually impaired – we cannot see the beauty that is within us or the beauty in our reflection because we decided to listen to everyone else’s opinions, not our own. I am here to tell you, like I told that girl – you are awesome just as you are. Be what you want, dye your hair whatever color you want, paint your nails electric neon yellow (like yours truly). Listen to yourself, the answers are there waiting to be uncovered. You know what you want. It is okay to know what you want and refuse to settle for anything less.

We have all been that girl, now it is time to help that girl. See her. Raise her up. Celebrate her.