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

Stuart Smalley may have been on to something…

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I am sure after reading some of my blogs some of you are thinking “what’s up with that girl in the red coat? I thought this was supposed to be a blog about  beauty and salon tales.”. We my lovelies, it is. As I have stated before, there is more to beauty than flat irons and hairsprays…although they can be quite helpful. Everyday I see all sides of beauty, from a woman walking in with a bad hair cut which one of our talented stylists transforms into a great cut, to a woman stepping over our threshold in search of herself…someone she lost somewhere along the way and together we find her. I am also a witness to some of the greatest stories and achievements. I love hearing great news or exciting happenings in the lives of our customers and clients and in some circumstances, it seems I am the only one.

You see, as I learned the hard way, not everyone is happy for you when something good happens to you. I know how down right devastating it is to open up to someone and share something that is so exciting for you just to have them either put you down, laugh at you or (the worst of all) not respond at all. So I make it a point to be excited for any news – be it that you found $20.00 on your way in to my shop, that you lost 5 pounds or that you are going after your dream – even if that dream is clown college.

We all love attention. We all want recognition. We all deserve these things and we can have them. You wanna know how? Give them to yourself. If you wait for everyone to tell you how awesome you are or how terrific your new cut looks or how great you look in your new size 6’s…you are gonna be waiting a long time. Be happy with yourself, get excited for yourself, hell, throw a party for yourself. Not to get all Stuart Smalley “I’m good enough, I’m smart enough, and, doggonnit, people like me.” but seriously, once you celebrate yourself, people will be drawn into your life that want to raise you up and keep you there and those who didn’t care to notice you will fade into the shadows.

When someone shares their story, listen to them. When someone is excited, be excited for them. When someone is happy, be happy for them. Plain and simple.

 

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

No, I don’t want to tend the rabbits

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Ahhh, that all too familiar chirp of the door chime of my shop. A woman comes in and I ask her if I can give her a hand finding what she needs. She tells me “I am looking for a good conditioning treatment.”. So, I show her the Joico Kpak Revitaluxe. I admit that it is one of my favorites and tell her that everyone that has tried a sample has come back to buy it and I offer her a free sample. After explaining how it restores the porosity of the hair, she asks me “So, are you a stylist?”. “No, I am the manager and I have…” this is when I am spoken over with the all too familiar “Hmmppt…well if you are not a stylist, how can you know anything?” What I want to say is “well…hooked on phonics done worked for me and I done taught meself to read!”. Alas, that doesn’t happen. What happens is I smile, take a breath and explain that I have been in the beauty biz for over 10 years and in customer service for over 20 years. I explain that I have been to every product knowledge class and that I run the store, so I make sure I know everything about what I sell. She still looks at me like I am Forrest Gump or seems to wait for me to start talking about “tending the rabbits”.

Yes, it’s true. I am not a stylist. I am not an aesthetician. I am not a university graduate. What I am is intelligent, articulate, kind and one hell of a sales person and manager. Yeah, I said it. Muhammad Ali said it best “It ain’t braggin’ if you can back it up”, and I can back it up. Don’t get me wrong. I am  a firm believer of furthering one’s education. Some times life gets in the way and some of us aren’t able to go to college or university. That doesn’t mean that we are any less intelligent or capable as our post secondary peers. That being said, I also believe in educating yourself, about yourself. Finding out who you are and what you like, not what everyone expects you to be or what you “should” be and what you are supposed to like.

People tend to judge quickly. Yes, I am a girl standing in a shop, that does not mean I have always been a girl standing in a shop. Also, I have chosen to be where I am today. Yes, its true. Believe it or not…some of us actually enjoy what we do for  a living. Shocking, I know. I have had many experiences, corporately trained and such…a tale for another time.

You cannot teach passion, you either have it or you don’t. If you have passion for what you do as I do, you will become an expert because you will soak up all the knowledge and facts you can like a sponge. You will be excited and in turn make others excited. I have yet to hear of a course anywhere that can teach that.

I may not be a hair stylist,  but I can still teach you a thing or two.

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

What are you so scared of?

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Today’s tale is for all the stylists out there. Not a stylist? You may continue reading, you may even end up telling your stylist about this blog. It could help her be a better stylist and help you and her other clients like their hair for more than two days after the appointment.

You see, most Salon’s do not put any energy or focus into their retail. Retail meaning selling the products that they use during their services, be it a pomade or a flat iron. Everyday, and I mean everyday I have women coming into our shop saying the exact same thing… “I just had my hair done a few days ago and it looked great but now look at it!!! I don’t know what she (meaning the stylist) used and I can’t do my hair.”. So, this is wear my rendition of 20 questions begins. “What shape was the bottle she used?”. “What color was the bottle?”. “Did it foam up or did it look creamy?”. You get the point.

Something I cannot wrap my head around is this. A stylist has no problem telling their client that their service will cost $185.00 but they cannot muster up the courage to ask the client if she would like to purchase the mousse that was just put into her hair for $10.95. Seriously?!? It’s a win win. The client will be able to achieve the look you have just given them and the time in between each visit, your client will be happy with her hair and in turn with you, her stylist.

I have compiled a little list for all you stylists out there of what a client sitting in your chair should never hear. I mean NEVER.

– when your client asks “What’s that your using?” DO NOT answer “Oh, just some free stuff from my rep.”. Tell her what it is, tell her how to use it, offer to her that she can buy some on her way out.

– after finishing your color service and your client asks “What shampoo should I use?” DO NOT say “Oh, just pick something up at the drugstore”. – Are you crazy? Anything but professional shampoo could fade her color and make her hair look dull and lifeless – and guess what? When that happens she isn’t going to blame the shampoo – she’s gonna blame you.

– when your client asks about flat irons DO NOT answer her with “Oh…these are for professionals only” – come on…it’s not brain surgery…if you can iron a shirt, you can use a flat iron. Besides, it sounds a little rude and kind of belittles your client.

– if your client is currently using a professional hair care line that you do not carry, do not tell her “Oh, that line is crap!”. Now you have not only made yourself look stupid, you have insulted your client. Instead, compliment her choice and offer something similar that you carry. If you are not familiar with the line she uses, keep your mouth shut and after she leaves hop on Google and educate yourself.

If you decide to sell retail (which you should), sell the client the proper product, not the one with the highest commission or profit margin. Greedy will get you nowhere FAST. Think about it, would you like to be sold something that isn’t what you need just so the salesman gets a spiff? (Spiffs are when product has a higher commission put on it because the product needs to be sold).

All the manufacturer’s from A-G to Sebastian offer free product knowledge training for all salon employee’s. They offer awesome promo’s for your stylists and your customers. I have had many of the companies give me free product for a gift basket that my shop either puts in a monthly draw or offers as a donation for local charities.

In recent years the shampoos, conditioners and styling products at the drug stores and department stores have increased their prices and quite honestly, when they are not on sale, they are only $1.00 – $3.00 less than professional salon products. I believe our clients and customers deserve to have a good hair day everyday.

What about you?

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

The Replacements

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***Original post from September 2012 – Updated for your viewing and hair pleasure August 2016!

 

We have all been there. We have all been her. We have all been the consumer who waltzes into the Salon and heads over to our favorite shelf that holds our most precious product only to drop slowly to our knees while we wail “…They…discontinued…my…hairspray!!!”. For a moment, the Salon falls silent, not in shock but in respect of the loss.

Unfortunately most companies decide to revamp their lines and their products and don’t let the Salon owners, stylists or the public at large know that they are doing so and leave us all hanging, wondering “Does it still exist? Is it in a different bottle? Does it have another name?”.  KMS California is not such a company. In the last year they revamped their line and discontinued some products – put down the torches and pitchforks people, take a breath. KMS California thought of those of us who do not wear waterproof mascara and gave a detailed description of what products are no longer with us and which products would be a suitable replacement. So, since I have it, I thought you would like it too and being me, I have compiled a list for you.

That Girl in the Red Coat KMS

 

– If you were using Hairstay Sculpting lotion – try Curl Up perfecting lotion

– If you were using Hairstay Quick finishspray – try Hair Stay medium hold or Hair Stay maximum hold spray

– If you were using Hairplay Soft wax or Hairplay Hard wax – try Hair Play Design wax

– If you were using Hairplay Texture blast – try Add Volume Root and body lift

– If you were using Silksheen Shaping creme – try Tame Frizz smoothing lotion or taming creme

– If you were using SilkSheen Silk treatment – try Moist Repair Therapy treatment

– If you were using Silksheen Therapy plus – try Tame Frizz de-frizz oil

– If you were using Silksheen Gloss Spray – try Hairstay Anti-Humidity seal **AWESOME

– If you were using AddVolume Gel conditioner – try Add Volume Body build detangler

– If you were using AddVolume Blow dry lotion – try Add Volume volumizing spray or Hair Play messing creme

The complete FlatOut line was discontinued and replaced with the FreeShape line – it does everything the FlatOut line did and more! Here are the big movers from FreeShape at our shop.

FlatOutHot pressed spray – now FreeShape Hot flex spray

FlatOut Anti-Humidity seal – now FreeShape Anti-Humidity seal

FlatOut Straightening creme – now FreeShape Hot flex creme

Some products have not changed….the bottle is just another color and their name has changed…

So there you are. You can wipe away the tears. You can calm down. KMS California has thought of you, the Salon owner, the stylist, the consumer.

 

–

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

Purge the Vanity

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So, there I was, going through my closet seeing what still fits, what I still like and what I am ready to part with. Fall is upon us and as with any season change I find myself scouring the bible for fashion ideas…the bible being the September issue of Vogue. I don’t know if turning forty has anything to do with this but I have no need to hold onto anything that does not bring me happiness. Maybe it was my husband and my father having a heart attack 8 days apart last October. Maybe it’s both. Anyways, I found myself looking at sweaters that I have had for over 4 years and wondering “what the hell was I thinking?” and then realizing it wasn’t me thinking, it was whomever I was shopping with that particular day and listening to what they thought was right for me instead of what I thought was right for me. Which got me to thinking about my vanity and all the products that I bought because of the same reason I own a sweater that makes by breasts look so big that Dolly Parton would blush. (trust me…it’s not pretty…even my husband looked on in horror and my daughter ran out of the room screaming).

I know you have all read about or heard of cleaning out your closet. I think it is time for a new tradition…clean out your vanity and rid yourself of any product that doesn’t bring you happiness. You know the products I am talking about…

– that facial cream that your mother gave you – the one that every time you unscrew the lid you hear your mother saying “hopefully this will make you look less tired.”

– that organic deodorant that promised all day odorless freshness and you ended up smelling like the onion ring guy at the county fair.

– that eye cream that promised to eliminate the dark circles under your eyes and it did…and it also puffed them up so much you looked like you went a few rounds with Apollo Creed.

– that waterproof mascara that took 20 make up remover wipes, 30 baby wipes, baby oil, soap and 25 minutes each eye to remove.

– those “all day freshness” panty liners  – the only thing they kept fresh was your anger each time they stuck to your pants or your butt…yeah, I said it. We all know it happens.

– the lipstick that your best friend told you to buy so you would look “hot” for the guy you wanted to impress at the party…the same guy she took home.

– the mousse that your so called “friend” told you would be good to use so your hair would be so big that no one would notice your butt. (personal experience with that one…I heard she now lives in a trailer with 10 kids…that’s what I heard).

– the baby blue eye shadow. Enough said.

– the banana clip from 9th. grade. I know it’s painful…it is time to let it go.

What I am getting at is this…be happy. Set up your life so you can smile, not wince. When putting on face cream you should hear nothing but your own inner voice saying how beautiful you are. When putting on lipstick the only thought going through your head is “I like this color”. Take a look at what is residing in your vanity cupboards and drawers. When you hold the product in your hand – if it makes you anything but happy – throw it away, or give it to a friend who may want it.

Make it a point of your bedtime ritual to put the negative to rest as well.

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

Tales of Truth…Part 6

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Ladies and gents, it’s that time again…tales of truth. To be clear, yes all the following events have happened to me personally, and no I don’t make these things up…sometimes, more than you know, I wish I did. I checked the calender and the full moon will not be upon us until the 29th. this month so I can only imagine what may be in store in the coming weeks. (By the way…most of the following events happened in one day. Yep. One day…yesterday. It was raining all day so if this is what rainy day people are like guess who will never live in Seattle.)

– Arrived at work by 8:45 a.m.. First phone call of the morning – A customer had shopped at the pet store next to our shop on the weekend  and bought a light bulb there. Then she came into our shop  and my ptg (part time girl) offered to put the light bulb in her bag. I guess once she get home the light bulb was missing. She called to ask if we had it. I told her we did not. I checked our lost and found and it was not there. She proceeded to tell me “well, it’s not in my car. It’s not in my bag. It’s not anywhere to be found.”. I told her that I didn’t have it either. She had a hard time accepting this…again with the Dr. Suess rendition of where is my light bulb. To be clear…we offer many services at our shop/salon…holding light bulbs hostage is not one of them.

– I live in Canada and the Ontario government makes me charge HST on products. I had a customer yell at me about the HST. Not about the government making me charge the tax, that I personally charge the tax and that I am not being fair to the consumer. Did I mention that is now only 9:45 a.m.?

– A woman got quite angry with me, her hands were shaking like she had just found her savior, because Goldwell had changed their packaging and reformulated the mousse she liked. It is now 10:15 a.m..

– At my shop, some of my distributor’s are kind enough to offer us a discount, and we like to pass the savings along to our clients/customers, so our prices tend to be about 10 -15 % lower than at other Salons. I had a woman get mad at me because our prices were lower than at her Salon and I couldn’t tell her why they don’t offer a discount. Time – 11:30 a.m..

– A woman wanted a new hairspray and I asked her what kind of hold does she like, to which she responded “What does that have to do with anything? I am looking for hairspray!”. Give it a minute….there you go. (She was thinking I meant another kind of holding I guess…that stuff is sold across the street).

So, to be clear…I will not hold a light bulb hostage, I did not make the decision to charge HST tax, I didn’t tell Goldwell to change their products or packaging, I do not know why other Salons do not help their clients/customers save money and  the only hold I am interested in is the hold of hairspray.

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

Bringing Joico to the masses

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Joico. A name I am sure you have heard before. If you are a child of the 80’s you definitely know Joico’s product  Ice Mist…the reason for all the mile high bangs in every school year book from ’85 – ’89. Fast forward twenty years and Joico is still going strong and JoiFix Firm (Ice Mist’s new name for the new century) is still holding up hair everywhere.

Joico is an awesome product line, plain and simple. It offers something for everyone and for every hair type. You have thick/coarse hair? Joico Silk Result for thick hair is your answer. Is your hair limp and lifeless? Joico BodyLuxe is your new best friend. Dry/damaged hair? Meet Joico KPAK. You are a vegan and only use vegan products? Joico Structure is right up your alley. Joico color codes their lines so it is easy to find your favorite…great for those who tend to be a tad OCD.

I could go on and on raving about Joico and all it’s products. Instead, I have compiled a list of the Joico favorites that fly off my shelves. I must admit, some of them are my favorites as well. What can I say? I was a child of the 80’s.

Joico JoiWhip mousse – an alcohol free mousse that offers awesome volume and great hold. A little goes a long way. Dispense an amount about the size of a small kitchen egg – seriously that’s all you need…a personal favorite of mine for over twenty years. Yes, I said twenty.

Joico KPAK – the entire KPAK collection is terrific and is formulated to strengthen the weakest of strands. Imagine your hair as a puzzle with pieces missing. The KPAK products are those missing pieces. It actually helps to rebuild your hair…and it smells terrific. (gold bottles)

Joico KPAK Revitaluxe – I cannot stress this enough…MIRACULOUS!!!! The newest addition to the KPAK family. This conditioning treatment restores the hair’s porosity, adds moisture, strengthens in between each use and makes your hair feel like it did in your youth. Every customer/client I have given a sample to comes back to buy it. It is that good.

Joico BodyLuxe – a line for fine hair to add volume. I have had women come back and hug me after buying this shampoo. Enough said. (green bottles)

Joico Moisture Recovery – a line for dry hair and is light enough for fine hair and strong enough for thicker hair. (blue bottles)

Joico Daily Care Treatment Shampoo – this baby helps maintain a healthy scalp. Quite nice if you tend to be oily and some clients have found it helped with dandruff. (grey bottles)

Joico Silk Result Iron Smoother – Joico’s answer to a flat iron spray. Lightweight and not at all sticky. Adds shine and protects your hair from the heat of the flat iron. (copper bottles)

Joico Joimist Medium Hairspray – a workable hairspray that doesn’t get sticky and won’t weigh down your hair and is Humidity Resistant!

Joico ICE Spiker – a styling glue – awesome for faux hawks and mohawks. Pair this with JoiFix Firm and your hair will withstand a hurricane.

I could go on and on, however I am a mother and a wife and Glee starts tonight. One more thing I will add is this little known fact about Joico…Joico is committed to the environment. Check out their website Joico.com and you will see the Wind Project, the Carbon Offset Program and their Eco Packaging Plan. An awesome company with awesome products, plain and simple.

 

 

 

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

Forget me not

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I hear the familiar chirp of the shop’s door chime and before I can greet my customer all I hear is “I need shampoo for gray hair and Vitae Hairspray.”. So, I take a breath and ask if there is a particular purple shampoo she prefers to which she snaps “I need a shampoo for gray hair! Didn’t you hear me?”. So I apologize and explain that purple shampoo is for gray hair to eliminate the brassy build up. That is when her lip started to quiver. I asked her if she was alright and if I could get her something to which she responded “I am sorry for snapping. I just put my mom in a rest home. She has Alzheimer’s.”. Before I knew it I was holding her hand. You see, I have personal experience with this horrible diagnosis. I have lost two grandfathers to this ailment and it is heartbreaking to watch. Heartbreaking.

She explained to me that she wanted the products her mom liked because her mom always liked having her hair just so and her makeup done everyday.  Her mother thought she was her hairdresser, she forgets she is her daughter. (this is how I know there is a higher power because I didn’t break down, I was able to keep it together for this woman.). You see, when one suffers from Alzheimer’s they regress to their youth, sometimes even a child like state, as it was with my grandfathers. This woman’s mother thought she was in her 20’s and kept wondering why someone put a wig on her.

The reason for today’s blog is this…be kind. Be kind to everyone. We never know what is happening to one another. If I had taken this woman’s attitude personally I never would have heard her story and given her a hand to hold. We never know when we may be able to offer someone comfort and shelter from what is waiting for them in their daily life.

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

Forgive me Gloria…

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To be clear, I am all for “girl power” and am a firm believer in equality. I am grateful to all the women who burned their bras and for their swollen feet and blisters for the marches they marched in so I can vote and have a library card without my daddy’s signature on it. (yes, up until the 1950’s in Canada a woman could not have a library card unless it had a man’s signature on it…my mother remembers my great grandmother taking her to the library the day women were allowed to have their own library card).This being said, as of late I am not seeing much equality out there. The lack of equality is not for the ladies…but for the gents. That’s right. I said it, for the gents.

Every time, I mean every time a gent comes in for product, the second he leaves some woman makes a snide remark, or pokes fun at him. “Isn’t that cute? He wants to do his hair.”. “Hmmppt…who is he trying to impress?”. “He must be gay.”. Yes, although it is 2012, people still have their head so far up their ass they cannot see daylight.

At least a couple of times a week gentlemen come into the shop for hair product. Sometimes they know exactly what they want…so many gents out there love KMS HairPlay Molding Paste and American Crew Fibre. Sometimes they come in looking for advice. Yes ladies, believe it or not, the gents like to look good too…and not just for us ladies…for themselves as well. Sometimes my male clients are feeling a little insecure because they are going through a divorce and haven’t changed their style in 10 years and just don’t know what to do. Some men come in because some jerk at the office made fun of their gray hair and now they think they have to dye it. On one occasion, a young man had just come out of closet and was celebrating his new cut and wanted the right product for his new style.

As women, we want equality. We want to be treated the same as men. So, if this is the case why is it that we as women can have anxiety but men cannot? Why is it that we as women can show fear but men cannot? Why is it as women we can take time and effort in our appearance for our own pleasure but when a man brushes his hair and teeth it is assumed he is “after something?”.

What astonishes me about this back woods mentality is this…if a man said a woman must be a slut if she does her hair and makeup…well, no one would stand for that. So why is it acceptable for a woman to call a man “vain and a womanizer” because he likes his hair to look good? Equality goes both ways ladies.

Want to be seen as an equal? Treat people as you want to be treated. You want respect? You gotta give it.

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

Beware of yoga pants & ponytails

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The school year has begun and with it the drama has begun as well. “Why are you wearing that?”. “What did you do to your hair?”. “So…you didn’t go anywhere this summer?!?!”. By the way…these lovely phrases are not coming from the tots on the playground…they are coming from the mothers.

My daughter is now in high school, thankfully, so I am spared from the treachery of the playground. I am spared the monologues from women about how much they love their child and how their child is the center of their universe, all the while I am watching said king/queen playing chicken with the approaching school bus but she is too busy to notice because she must talk about her new yoga pants while she swings her ponytail and point out how horrible so and so’s dye job is.

You see, since the school year began, I am having the moms coming into the shop, either for an appointment in the salon or just to shop for a new hairspray without a child or ten clinging to her leg. Many of them have been coming in feeling horrible about themselves. Why you ask? Well, I asked them the same question and their answers were all the same…some “mom” on the playground said something to them about their hair…and it wasn’t complimentary. One woman was told her pixie cut made her look like a man…I told her she looked cute because she did. One woman was asked “why did you color your hair? Now you look awful!”. I told her she looked great because she did, a beautiful rich caramel blonde. Then I asked her how big the other woman’s ass was, to which she smirked and I said “there you go…you have a smaller ass than her so she had to pick on something” and then we laughed. Yeah, I said it…sure I always say to be nice…but come on…that was funny.

I have had a few women get a little mad at me because I asked them questions.I apologized if my questions bothered them and explained I was asking the questions so I could pin point exactly what they would need and what product they may like. After a while they warmed up to me and I found out the reason for their initial cold shoulder and shortness with me. Moms in the school yard. Enough said. I can’t stress this enough…ladies…be nice to each other. Just because you are in a school yard doesn’t mean you have to act like a child. Behave yourself, not just because it is the right thing to do, because there are lots of little ears listening to you and little eyes watching your every movement.

Oh…and while we are on the subject…if a woman has one child or twenty, she is a mother and has the same struggles that all mothers have and the same worries and concerns…BE NICE. If you are mad because your ass doesn’t look as nice in your yoga pants as Johnny’s mom’s looks in hers, get off her back and back on the treadmill. Envious of someone’s hair color? Ask what Salon she goes to and tell her how great she looks…maybe her husband didn’t notice and your compliment may save her a day held up in the bathroom with a box of tissue.

Seriously, life puts up enough road blocks…why add to the congestion?