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

Monday Motivator’s – Goldwell Sleek Perfection & Diamond Gloss Spray

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I swear, I blinked on Friday night and poof! it’s Monday morning. It was cold and gloomy this morning when I whined myself out of bed. Not even my cloud filled cup of morning coffee could shake my melancholy. As I was on my way to the shop, the sun broke through the clouds as if the universe was saying “Alright Sara. Chill out and smile.”. I do not enjoy admitting my shortcomings, but at that moment I realized that I was being a big old baby. I woke up in my own bed, in my own house, with electricity and hot coffee. My loved ones are healthy. I have my own car to get to work. I have a job. Yeah, safe to say my life is pretty damn good…oh, and thanks to these gems from Goldwell, so is my hair.

 

Goldwell Sllek Perfection & Diamond Gloss Goldwell Sleek Perfection & Goldwell Diamond Gloss Spray

 

Goldwell Sleek Perfection is a thermal protectant spray serum. It’s waterless formula insures less damage during heat styling and reduces breakage up to 50%. A humidity resistant formulation that locks out humidity for up to 24 hours all the while offering color protection = less fading so your new found color keeps it’s vibrancy. It is lightweight, so a great option for our fine hair beauties, yet potent enough for our thicker, more coarse tresses. It is a fast drying non aerosol spray with no hold factor, so there is never a worry for a sticky residue, or working against any other styling product you may be using. Oh….and by the way…it smells like candy….you know, the good candy from the penny candy counter.

 

Goldwell Diamond Gloss Spray is a fast drying, aerosol shine spray. This gem offers spectacular long lasting shine, reduces frizz and offers color protection. Since Diamond Gloss offers no hold it can also be applied to your hair when it has decided to get a mind of it’s own and becomes unruly or looking a little stressed or haggard – picture being caught in a gust of wind as your umbrella blows inside out – give your hair a spray of Diamond Gloss to get it back in line. I have found it to help with static as well. …and it smells great too.

…you gotta admit, when you are having a good hair day, it helps everything else seem a little less daunting and helps bring some light to your day.

 

 

Beauty, Business, communication, Hair Care, That girl in the red coat, Women, writing

Let it be

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” …And when the night is cloudy, there is still a light that shines on me. Shine on until tomorrow, let it be”

– The Beatles

(I have had this song in my head since last night, and after what happened today, I knew I had to write about it)

I met a woman this morning that is the inspiration for today’s tale. It’s been a gray couple of days in my neck of the woods and being 2 days into Daylight Savings, it is safe to say I have prepared myself for whatever may come at me, from a nasty glare because the Black blinc mascara is on back order or a flat iron being hurled across the front desk …yes, it has happened – I have witnesses.

A woman came into the shop looking to purchase hair color to “fix the mess” on top of her head (her words, not mine). I asked her what color she had been using and when she told me that she has been using box dye from the drugstore, I suggested that she see a stylist to help her with her color, that trying to correct a box dye mishap is not easy. I let her know our stylists were available later this week, or if she couldn’t wait, I could suggest some Salons in town. She huffed at me and then told me “You are no help. At all. What a waste of time!”. Being me, I couldn’t leave it at that, so I asked her “Are you alright?”. She stared at me. “It’s just you seem upset and not just over your hair color.”. She continued to stare for a few moments then said “I’m turning 45 this weekend and my life is nothing like I thought it would be.”. It was quiet for a minute, I looked at her and said “Preachin’ to the choir sister!” which made her laugh. We began to chat and she let me know about her friends and their marriages and their kids and she felt like a failure because she is now a single parent and had to take a job in retail – to which she caught my eye, realized what she had just said, looked petrified and said “No offense!” to which I laughed and said “None taken”. I then let her glimpse behind the curtain and told her a little about me.

I can remember looking at my reflection in my bathroom mirror, tears streaming down my face, wondering what the fuck I had done with my life. – sorry for the “f” shot mom – it’s fitting. I, like many women and men, had fallen victim to the social media standard of life – as I like to call it. You know what I’m talking about – the perfect poses, the happy families, the awesome VACAY! photos. Seeing the lives of the people from your past and they seem to have it all – the great career, the cars, the house(s), you name it, they got it. What I came to realize, after wiping my face, having a vodka & tonic  and a hysterectomy (I don’t call it getting the stupid cut out for nothing) is that not everyone is what they “post” to be. ( not my quote – came across it and loved it). Stop measuring your worth on the lives of others. It ain’t worth it. I may not have a summer house in the Hamptons, I do have the love of a good man, and have had his love for over 23 years. I may not be jet setting to New York (yet), I do have a 19 year old daughter that can’t wait to tell me her exciting news. I may not be in the fortune 500, I am a blogger who has a worldwide following, I have been published and I own my own Retail Consulting business. Over the past years, if my life had been any different, I would not be who I am today. Plain and simple.

After chatting for a while longer, my customer asked who I would suggest to fix her hair. She wanted to come to our Salon, but didn’t want to wait. She wanted something today. So I gave her a few names and numbers. She thanked me for my time and for the chat. I told her “anytime.”. As she was leaving I told her to just “let it be” – to which she said “I love that song!” and she turned out our door with a little spring in her step.

 

 

Beauty, Business, Hair Care, health and wellness, That girl in the red coat, Women, writing

Monday Motivators – Quantum Ultra Shine & Quantum Ultra Fibre

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It’s Monday…again. It is also the Monday after daylight savings time and to be honest I feel a tad ripped off. I had one less hour of sleep, I have no idea what time it is and to top it off, it is dark and cloudy in my part of the world – so much for daylight. The only upside to this dull day? My hair looks fantastic. Thanks to these lovely gems from Quantum Micro V.

Quantum Ultra  Meet Ultra Shine and Ultra Fibre!

QUANTUM Ultra Shine is a lovely, lightweight, colorless, aerosol dry oil spray. Once applied, your tresses spring to life with a bright, natural shine and silky soft texture. Created for all hair types and all hair colors. Ultra Shine reduces frizz and flyaways and locks in color – perfect for a drizzly Spring morning. Ultra Shine can be applied to damp hair as a primer and to dry hair after your style has been achieved to lock out frizz and add that little extra head turning shine. *FYI – Ultra Shine never makes your hair look greasy and you can also apply it to your skin, leaving it silky soft.

 

QUANTUM Ultra Fibre is a texturizing taffy. A styling cream that acts like a wax. *PERFECT for your clients/customers that want the look of a wax but cannot stand the feel of wax in their hands and/or hair. Ultra Fibre offers a flexible medium hold with restylability = you can change your hairstyle from office to a night on the town, no muss, no fuss. Ultra Fibre contains little fibres that act as a styling companion (not to worry Beauties – the fibres do not leave any residue in your hair nor on your clothes). The fibres help to separate hair while creating definition and movement. For best results, apply Ultra Fibre to dry hair. A little goes a long way so I suggest using an amount the size of your pinky finger nail, spread into your hand, emulsify the product in both hands (rub hands together), then apply as desired *FYI – For some fun, before you apply the product, clap your hands together and you will see the fibres in action!

There are many things that could improve a Monday…Brad Pitt being your pool boy, winning the lotto, scientist’s discovering that they had it all wrong and that donuts are good for you. Until then, thanks to Quantum Micro V, at least I am having a good  hair day on a Monday. What more could a girl ask for?

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

You can look…but you can’t touch

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This past weekend, yours truly attended the ABA’s in Toronto. It is “the hair show” to go to. It is the place to be to find out about the latest techniques in color placement and cuts, this year courtesy of non other than Guy Tang. It is also the place to be to find and purchase products…or so I thought. For those of you familiar with my Salon Tales and my private Salon Consultations, you are well aware that I am a firm believer in the importance of retailing products in the Salon. This past weekend, I had an unusual experience, a recollection that I cannot seem to shake, and quite honestly baffles me. Today’s tale is for the distributor’s, managers and sales reps.

 

At the ABA’s, every distributor and company has their own booth or booths, displaying their product lines, demonstrations of products, color placement and cuts are around every corner, and every booth has a cash register for the sole purpose of purchasing said products. One of my fellow attendee’s, who shall remain nameless, loves the Peter Coppola Infusion Anti Frizz Cream – a lovely lightweight, moisturizing cream that locks out frizz and keeps your hair smooth, sleek and shiny until your next shampoo. (…it is also a beautiful shade of pink and smells heavenly). So, I took her over to the display, picked up a bottle of it, noticed there was not a price displayed, so I took it over to the cash register and asked “Excuse me. We would like to purchase this product. Do you happen to have the price?” to which a Sales Rep. came up to the counter and asked me what I was doing. I let this gent know we wanted to buy the product and were wondering the cost. “Oh, that product is not for sale. It is display only.”.  “So, I can’t buy a bottle?” I asked. “No, it’s display only.”, he took the bottle and walked away. Yes, you read that correctly, I was at a trade show, that promotes products for Salons to use and purchase and I was not able to purchase said product. …also, not once did said Rep. offer me any information on the product, he just walked away. Poor soul, if he had asked, or tried to speak to me he would have realized that I manage a shop with over 25 retail lines and the women I was with had a lot of purchasing power and many, many Salon connections, all over the province. I started looking around at the other booths and seeing the same thing – all product lines were displayed, but not all the products displayed were available for purchase. This got me thinking… a lot.

In our industry, many times than not, Salon owners, managers and stylists are blamed for the lack of retail sales. While this may be true in some circumstances, I have a question – how do distributor’s expect Salons and Stylists to grasp the importance of retailing products when the distributor’s themselves aren’t retailing/selling the products? Yes, we were at a trade show, and yes, it was just one product. Take a moment and look at the bigger picture. One person purchases a product, loves it, tells her Salon about it, they bring it in and next thing you know, every client has tried it, had it in their hair and the potential of 5 – 10+ bottles a week are being bought from the distributor and purchased by clients at the Salon. Plain & simple. It also had me wondering, how many other people had the same experience as yours truly, and how many potential sales, present and future were lost, to never be recovered? This is not how retailing is supposed to work. Retailing starts with a conversation, that turns into an explanation of the product, which turns into the value of the product being understood, which ends with a purchase.  How do I know? This is how I have personally introduced new lines and new products to the owner of the shop, the Salon’s clients and the Salon  & shop’s customers. Everyday.

I didn’t like “look but don’t touch” when I was 5, I really don’t enjoy it now.

 

That Girl in the Red Coat

That Girl in the Red Coat

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

Taking a Quantum leap

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Yours Truly has some exciting news. I am officially a Retail Consultant! Thanks to the beauties at Piidea Canada and the powers that be, next week I will be conducting two retail consultations for a Salon group in Hamilton. To say I am excited is an understatement. To prepare for the upcoming evenings, I began to research the product lines that these Salons now carry. Their main focus is Quantum and after using this product line over the past weeks, I can understand why. So being me, I have a little review for you all.

QUANTUM

 

Located in Montreal, Quebec Canada, Quantum is a dynamic part of the global beauty group Shiseido (under the Zotos International Inc. division). Quantum’s products are cruelty free (not tested on animals) and Quantum products are eco-responsible = uses green technology to produce their products and uses recycled packaging whenever possible. *Quantum is now able to bottle it’s products in eco-friendly packaging containing up to 70% Post Consumer Recycled (PCR) Content.

Quantum prides itself on it’s Micro V technology. With it’s blend of Keratin, amino acids, silk protein and vitamins, Quantum products can deliver lasting nourishment, moisture, strength and beauty to all hair types, all the while, offering UV protection and anti oxidants to protect your investment in your hair color. Quantum offers an array of shampoo’s & conditioner’s for every hair type/ hair issue and offers a great selection of styling product for any style. Many of their styling products are alcohol free. Here is a sampling of some of their FAB! products;

QUANTUM PROTECTIF Moisturizing Care – a moisturizing shampoo and conditioner. This gem packs a moisturizing punch! …most moisturizing shampoo’s make me nervous for they usually leave my hair a lifeless, greasy mess. What I loved about it? I have baby fine hair, just lots of it and this shampoo did not weigh down my hair or leave it lifeless. My hair felt silky and soft and I was still able to get volume and bounce with my styling products.

QUANTUM FIXATION Mousse – a volumizing mousse that offers a firm hold. An alcohol free formula that also adds some shine with the added benefit of thermal styling protection. Being a “non-blonde” blonde, I need all the help I can get from keeping my tresses looking fuzzy and dried out. This mousse offered great volume and didn’t get sticky.

QUANTUM FINALE FORTE – A maximum hold hairspray that offers humidity resistance. Although it is a maximum hold hairspray, I could still restyle my hair without a flaky mess being left behind throughout my hair. I also found it helped with static – the furnaces best friend.

QUANTUM HUMIDITY GUARD – a humidity resistant spray that offers thermal protection. Those familiar with my tales may remember my Monday Motivator on this gem

Monday Motivator – Quantum Humidity Guard

QUANTUM REFRESHER – an invisible dry shampoo. Yes, you read that correctly, an invisible dry shampoo. You see, most dry shampoo’s leave a powdery residue on the scalp after it has been applied. Quantum’s Refresher does not. Just spray where needed. No mess. No fuss.

Quantum has introduced a new line – Quantum Ultra that offers an array of products from mousse to hairspray. The following are the products that I have tried and gotta say, I am a fan!

Quantum Ultra

QUANTUM ULTRA SHINE – a dry oil spray for the hair and the body. It’s lightweight formula locks in color, adds shine and a silky texture. It helps to reduce frizz and flyaways …and it’s smells heavenly

QUANTUM ULTRA FIBRE – a fibrous texturizing taffy. A cream that acts like a wax! Offers a medium, flexible hold that can easily be restyled. *the fibres help to separate the hair to create movement. When working with the product, you will see the fibres in your hand, but not in your hair. (pssst…..if you like Schwarzkopf OSIS Thrill – you are gonna love this!).

 

Another perk of Quantum…their price point. All Shampoo’s and Conditioner’s come in a 500ml bottle that costs less than most 300ml bottles from other companies. All their styling products are between $2.00 – $5.00 less per bottle and preform just as well as their competitor’s. It’s a win win.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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

Monday Motivator – KMS Tame Frizz de-frizz oil

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Here we are again. It’s Monday. Sigh. As I pouted over my coffee this morning trying to wish Monday away like a toddler pouting over cookie, I remembered something that brought a smile to my face, and in turn, reminded me that I could bring a smile to your faces as well.

For those of us who love our KMS California products, we were all sad to see the last of Silk Sheen Polishing Serum…for those who had not heard the news, my sympathies. At least once a week, a woman would come into the shop, look at the Silk Sheen collection and sigh. Well my Beauties, it’s time to put down the tissues and to start breathing sighs of relief because yours truly has some FAB! news. Meet KMS California’s Tame Frizz de-frizz oil!

KMS Tame Frizz De-Frizz Oil I too was a fan of Silk Sheen Polishing Serum and let me tell you, this gem is a more than suitable replacement. Tame Frizz de-frizz oil offers;

  • Humidity resistance = No frizz *for up to 3 days!
  • Thermal protection
  • A non greasy, lightweight formula that absorbs instantly.
  • Lovely shine without a hold factor -no interference with your other styling products. I love to cocktail it with KMS Hair Play Molding Paste for a high hold, high shine look. …psst…it also makes the Molding Paste easier to work with.
  • Helps to control static…at least I found it to do so.
Just as with Silk Sheen Polishing Serum, Tame Frizz de-frizz oil can be applied to damp or dry hair. If applying to damp hair, I suggest applying it before any mousses, root boosts or styling creams. On dry hair, apply where needed or desired for a smoother, sleeker look and to help lock out any frizz that may try to arise throughout your day.
You’re Welcome.
Beauty, Business, Hair Care, health and wellness, That girl in the red coat, Women, writing

Yes…there is time for that.

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Yesterday I was part of a focus group. My first one ever. Joico invited me to be a part of the discussion that was closed to licensed stylists, so being invited was quite a big deal, if I do say so myself. It was quite an honor for yours truly. …and yes, I will tell my tale of my adventures in Toronto, another time. Today’s tale is for all my fellow Beauty Biz beauties, stylists, managers, receptionists and owners.

Being a focus group, everyone was giving their opinions and thoughts about the products being discussed. What I found interesting was when we were asked about the client/customer perspective, many of those around the table couldn’t answer, or added their own personal opinion of the products. All the products were seen as a tool for a stylist to use and apply or a back bar product, not a potential retail product and in turn, profit for the Salon. The major complaint was that there were too many products and that no one has time for that, so why suggest it to the clients. …umm…have you met a woman? Trust me, if it means her hair will look as great as it does at the Salon, a woman will set her alarm 2 hours earlier and will make the time. Everyday. Think about it…how many steps is the average woman’s daily facial care regime? At least 3. Time will be made and saved for that matter when the explanations are made and the proper products are in place.

I have spoken to many stylists and Salon owners and I hear the following phrases far too often;

  • our client’s can’t afford it – first of all, how can you know this? Unless you are privy to their finances, this is one of the worst assumptions to be made, and quite honestly, it’s insulting. Plain and simple.
  • our client’s won’t pay that – in my experience, clients and customers will pay for a product once it’s value is explained to them. Take a moment or two to explain the value of using professional Salon products. Explain the differences between Salon professional products and what can be found at the local drug store. Explain that they have just invested in themselves, and using the proper products will protect that investment, and in turn, they can achieve their new found style at home, everyday. …and before you tell me it sounds like I am feeding you a line, I am not. You & I both know that to keep the vibrancy of hair color, the proper products MUST be used.
  • our client’s don’t have the time to learn about products and how to use them – Yes they do. Your client has just given you at least one hour of his/her time, they are sitting in your chair. Your client wants to look good and wants to like their hair everyday. Your client wants you to teach them. Your client wants you to explain what products to use and how to use them. How do I know? Your client tells me when they have come to see me, asking me what products they should be buying, after leaving your Salon. Let’s be honest here…I fear stylist’s say their client’s don’t have the time because the stylist doesn’t want to take the time.
  • our client’s don’t care what they use on their hair – There are no words to explain the utter idiocy of this statement. Yeah, I said it. First of all, yes they do care. Second of all, if you think they do not care what they use on their hair, as their stylist, you should be explaining to them why it matters what products they use on their hair. Your clients are your advertising. To paraphrase the great Vidal…if they don’t look good, you don’t look good.
Explain what products you are using and how to use them, make this a part of EVERY consultation and/or discussion when your client is in your chair. You must STOP thinking for your clients. Stop assuming anything about them, be it their at home hair care routine or their finances. Making assumptions not only affects your bottom line, it is also a tad insulting to your client. If you have time to keep up with the Kardashian’s, you’ve got time for this. …and so do your clients.

That Girl in the Red Coat

 

 

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

Tales of Truth – The Holiday Editions

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The past few hours have been quite strange. I usually don’t post from the shop but today has been weird and all our staff is off today and I gotta tell somebody. I have checked my calendar and I know that the full moon is set to arrive on the 25th., so my question is this… are the stars misaligned? Is the universe in retrograde? Did I miss the Facebook status that this year we are to share our Christmas crazy along with our cookies? Was there a tweet daring people to get their crazy on? Is the owner attempting her own version of “Smile! You are on candid camera!”. I am hoping that these people have heard of my Salon Tales and their Tales of Truth and are trying to get me to write about them. If this is the case, guess what buttercup!?! Today is your lucky day. You are getting your 15 minutes of fame.

9:20 a.m. – the phone rings. My standard greeting is interrupted by a woman telling me “Yeah. I left my debit card there yesterday.”. I let her know that no debit cards were left behind at our shop. All I hear is silence, then “Are you sure? ‘cuz yours was the last place I was yesterday.”. I let her know I check the till and our lost & found every day and there wasn’t anything left behind all weekend. “So, you’re telling me you don’t have my card.”. I let her know that is correct, I do not have your card. “You’re sure you don’t have it”. I told her I was sure to which she muffled “uh huh” and hung up on me. …by the way, the shop opens at 9;30 a.m..

9:35 a.m. – I am in the back room when I hear the chirp of the shop’s door. As I walk through our Salon to get the front of the shop a woman says “Oh good! You’re here! Cut my hair would ya?”. I let her know that I am the manager and the Salon was closed this morning. “How can it be closed? You just walked through it!”.

9:42 a.m. – A woman called to let me know the curling iron she bought is no longer heating up. I asked her if she still had the box and the receipt, she told me yes. I let her know to bring in the box, the receipt and the curling iron and I can exchange her defective curling iron for a new one. The phone fell silent. I said “Hello?”. “Yeah, I’m still here. I have to say, I am disappointed that I have to pack this up just to bring it to you. You know what? I will bring it all and you can pack it up!”. So I told her I would gladly help her out to which she said “Well, aren’t you a smart ass!”…..fa la la la la, la la la la.

10:15 a.m. …almost 35 minutes have passed, a little reprieve for your truly. A woman came in looking for hair clippers for her husband. I showed her our selection and their differences. She asked me which one would fit comfortably in her husband’s hand. I let her know that I didn’t know to which she got upset asking me “Why won’t anyone tell me what will feel comfortable in my husband’s hands!!!”. I looked at her for a minute, thought to myself, what the hell and told her “We don’t have his hands.”. She looked at me and said “I know that! He has his hands. You have yours! What’s that got to do with anything?!?”. …sigh

10:35 a.m. – A woman couldn’t understand why she couldn’t “try out” our tweezers. All I could think and hope wasn’t showing on my face was first of all, they are sealed in their packaging and second, uh…yuck.

10:50 a.m. – We sell hair & nose hair trimmers. Some models come with a detachable blade so the trimmer can be used on your bikini line. I was asked if it could be used to trim “you know…the hair on your buttocks.”. … I wanted the thank the customer for not referring to it as “ass crack hair”, as some have eloquently put it in the past.

12:36 p.m. – a few hours have passed and all my customers have been pleasant. I start to let my guard down. The phone rings. My greeting is once again interrupted by “Yeah. I called earlier. You’re sure you don’t have my debit card?!?!”. I let the woman know I am the manager and that yes, I am sure that I don’t have her card. I haven’t seen it. I don’t know where it is. “I came into your shop right after I bought vitamins in the health food shop beside yours! You were the last shop I was in! I think you have it and won’t give it back!”. It was then I let her know that we do not have a health food store beside us. All I heard was CLICK.

1:35 p.m. – a man came in asking if we had any shampoo for men. I let him know that all the shampoo I sell is for men and women and that most men tend to like KMS or American Crew. He asked to see the American Crew so I showed him our selection. I let him know he was welcome to open the lids and smell the products. He asked me which ones would help him “catch the ladies”.

….I need more coffee.

That Girl in the Red Coat

 

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

Monday Motivator – The invisibobble

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Ladies, I know it’s Monday and it can be difficult to get excited over anything except the thought of the end of the day. Well, that is about to change! This Monday Motivator is gonna change your life. Seriously, it’s gonna change your life. Do you dream of a day that after wearing your hair up all day and you let your hair down, there is no kink, no snags, no battles with that last hair entangled in the elastic? The gem I am about to introduce you to makes this dream a reality. Let me introduce you to ….

Monday Motivator - The invisibobble - That Girl in the Red Coat   The invisibobble!

The invisibobble was created for all hair types, from fine to thick, curly to straight. You can wear your hair up all day in a ponytail and when you let your hair down after a long day at work or with the kiddies, no one would ever know you sported your pony all day since there are no elastic kink marks or “hair dents” as I like to call them. The invisibobble places uneven pressure around your ponytail = no kink. The uneven pressure also delivers a strong hold without being too tight. The smooth surface of the invisibobble is a frictionless surface that doesn’t entangle your hair as easily as regular hair ties. Smooth surface = allows for less chances of snags, snaps or split ends.

Another perk to the invisibobble – no headaches! Yup! The uneven surface grabs hold of your hair without pulling at your hair…no more tears or winces when those fine hairs at the nape of your neck are pulled. No more whispers around the water cooler or playground wondering if you had an eyelift because your hair elastic is too tight.

The invisibobble is perfect for the gym – the artificial resin that makes up the surface of the invisibobble prevents bacteria from entering the bobble – a perfect hair tie solution for those with allergies or neuro dermatitis. The invisibobble is perfect for the beach or the kiddies swim lesson because it doesn’t absorb water, won’t wear out and can be taken out of wet hair with ease.

For great tutorials on styling your hair with invisibobble, for everyday and those special occasions check out their FAB! website http://www.invisibobble.com

Beauty, Business, communication, Hair Care, health and wellness, That girl in the red coat, Women, writing

Listen for what you cannot hear

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Beauty – a combination of qualities, such as shape, color or form, that pleases the aesthetic senses, especially the sight.

I hear the familiar chirp of the Salon’s door chime and as I look up from my purchase order, I see two sparkling eyes staring at me from just above the counter. Standing on her tippy toes, a young girl reaches out her hand and with a squeal, shakes her hand, giving me a prompt to shake her hand. Her mother, standing behind her lets me know that the young girl is deaf, so she likes to shake hands since she cannot say the word hello. I smiled at the little girl, and gave her a wave hello. I came out from behind the counter and gave a “come with us” wave to the girl as I went to help her Mother find the product she was after. As I was explaining how to use the product, I felt a little hand grab mine and little fingers intertwine with mine. I looked down to those sparkling eyes and smile. The young girl pointed to my hair and let out another squeal. It seems her favorite color is purple and yours truly has a swipe of purple throughout my hair. So, I bent down and let her play with my hair. She smiled and squealed and ended up rubbing my head where it is shaved. I showed her Mother the testers of purple hair chalk so her daughter could have purple hair too. Her Mother applied it and once it was done, I motioned to the girl to follow me. I took her over to our biggest mirror, bent down to her level, smiled and pointed to her reflection that she too had purple hair. Her Mother signed it was time to go and as I walked to the counter, my new found purple haired twin kept holding my hand, smiling and squealing. As they were leaving, the Mother thanked me for my help and my kindness and told me that I had made her daughter’s day. Funny thing is, it was her daughter who made mine, and I was sure to let her know it.

After the Mother/Daughter duo left, it got me to thinking. How many other Salon’s had they been to? How many other shop’s had they been in? How many other people did the young girl reach out her hand, only to have it ignored? How many people forgot about just being kind? For a successful Salon, you need more than a great colorist, good coffee and fully stocked shelves. You need to be attentive, sympathetic and empathetic. You need to pay attention to the sights and sounds of your Salon and your clientele and customers. You need to take those extra minutes to explain how to style your client’s new ‘do, or to bend down and let a child touch your purple hair.

Taking a moment to be kind to another human being, especially a child, adds beauty to the world. Plain and simple.