September | 2016 | That Girl in the Red Coat

When you think of Monday, you picture people trying to come up with an excuse to stay nestled under the covers, laying in their beds mourning the loss of their weekend, or trying to convince themselves their early morning sneeze is the beginning of the flu and they should call in sick to work. This past Monday, yours truly was up before the first chirp of the neighbourhood birds, raring to go. Why you ask? Well, I had somewhere to be. By 8 a.m. I was on the highway, headed to Niagara Falls to the Venus Beauty Supplies VIP Event, or #VENUSVIP16 for my social media peeps.

Held at the Sheraton On The Falls Avenue Resort ( a lovely venue for those looking for the right place for an event), Venus put on quite a show. The main stage was rockin’ with appearances from Schwarzkopf, Peter Coppola, COLORWOW, Revlon, Unite, Moroccanoil, Reuzel …just to name a few. New color applications and cutting techniques were showcased as well as new product launches. When you entered the adjoining room, you were met by brand managers from each line to answer any questions you may have or to point you in the right direction of which product was which, and which product would suit your client’s needs best. Everyone was very welcoming, enthusiastic and you could feel the pride that they had in their brands, and in themselves as representatives of their products. Here’s a little peek of what my Monday looked like;

The newest addition to the Schwarzkopf family – FIBREPLEX! Their FIRST Bond Enforcing System to protect the hair from breakage during lightening, high lifting or coloring process.

The FAB! stylists representing Peter Coppola. PSSST…The Infusion AntiFrizz Cream is outstanding and can be used on the finest of strands to the thickest of tresses!

The dapper Gents of FRAMAR. Some of the best hair coloring tools and accessories around….OH! I have to tell you, I can’t believe I haven’t already…KOLOR KILLER Wipes – you gotta get ’em. These babies remove any color that may have stained the skin in a flash! They smell great and are safe to use on sensitive skin. How do I know? Well, all other color removers leave me in a red, blotchy mess. The KOLOR KILLER Wipes do not have any effect on my skin, except the removal of a color stain. Get some for your Salon. Seriously, get them now.

REUZEL. A Fabulous line created for Barber’s and the Gents in their chair. Their story is a great one, that I cannot do justice. Check them out at http://www.reuzelpomade.com

Can you say SWAG!!!! Venus Beauty Supplies DELIVERED!

The FAB! Patricia, my Venus Rep. and I. Calling her a rep. doesn’t do her justice. She is awesome.

Yes, today’s tale was short and sweet, like yours truly. I gotta go. As you can see from my FAB! SWAG bag, I got a lot of products to test and try, to let you all know what’s what! Stay tuned Beauties and thanks for the love!

September. Although the calendar marks January as the beginning of a new year, many feel September is the beginning of all things new. The kids are back in school, commencements are commencing, the care free schedule of summer has come to an end and the more regimented schedules of work, home and life have returned. This September truly feels like a beginning for yours truly. For those of you familiar with my blog (thank you again for all your lovely support), you are well aware of the closure of the shop. Many were and are still worried about what will happen, about what I will do now. When asked “What will you do now?”, thanks to the above quote by the FAB! Tina Fey, my answer is now “I will say yes and will figure it out afterwards.”. …and I have begun to do just that, and I gotta tell you…it’s been pretty fabulous.

Many changes have occurred, my tag line being one of them. Since I am no longer at the Salon, I have decided to change my tag line from “Mane Tales from the Salon” to “Bringing Enlightenment to the world of Beauty”, for my primary focus has always been about beauty. I write about hair products, hair product reviews, retailing tips, tips on how to be kind, tips on how not to be an ass, or about life in general, all in the hopes of helping someone. Be it with their hair, their business or their self image and self worth. Sharing my experiences may help someone feels better about themselves, begin to like their reflection, feel capable of achieving the hair style they have always wanted, be able to improve their retail revenue and in turn their business, or simply remind someone that they are not alone. If that is not a thing of beauty, I do not know what is.

Over the past weeks, I have taken a break. A much needed rest for my mind. It was as if the universe, the powers that be, the smurfs – take your pick knew I needed a reset and gave me one. The closure of the shop was a gift, it really was. I had no excuse not to slow down for a moment or two and figure out what needed figuring. The guilt about leaving someone else at the helm, feeling selfish taking time off, that aching feeling that I was forgetting something, all those thoughts and feelings were no where to be found. For months I knew it was time to move forward, but I didn’t want to let anyone down, or leave anyone in the lurch. Thanks to the closure of the shop, I no longer had those feelings, those worries or those concerns. Well, quite honestly, those fears. … which got me thinking. How many of us, in our work life or home life, put these unneeded fears in our way? Worrying about what people will think? What will people say? What will happen? What will I do?

Don’t get me wrong. I still battle those shouts of fear, for I am embarking on the known yet unknown. I know my capabilities. I know I am good at what I do. I know I have much to offer. I know what the next step is to take and I know where that step is. What I don’t know is what comes next – that in itself is the fear talking. So when I hear the fear shouting “Uh Oh! Oh, I don’t know”, I listen for the faint whisper of “Say yes and figure it our afterwards”. It’s always there. Always.