Beauty, Hair Care, That girl in the red coat

Monday Motivator vs Monday Motivator – Battle of the oils

Here we are again. Monday has arrived and with it the endless questions…Where are my keys? Who is picking up the kids from day camp? Did someone feed the dog? Why do toddlers like to play hide and seek with my purse? What does hot coffee taste like? For most of us, our Monday morning questions list is endless. The most common question…what product is best for my hair – this question is posed not only on Monday, but everyday. Trust me, this I know. I am asked everyday via text, email or by a comment on my blog. With so many products out there, how are we to know what to use? Today I am hoping to shed a little light on two products for you all. Over the past week I created a “battle of the oils” if you will. Moroccanoil vs SarynaKey.

 

Both of these oils are formulated to hydrate and moisturize the hair and to help repair damage and restore luster and shine to the hair. *side note – Moroccanoil has a “light” formula for fine hair/blondes, this I know. I used the original formula for it was the closest to SarynaKey’s formula and I wanted an equal comparison.

Morocannoil Oil Treatment (original) is infused with antioxidant rich argan oil and shine boosting vitamins. It detangles, speeds up drying time and boosts shine. Can be used on wet or dry hair. Formulated for all hair types, chemically treated or natural and any length. *ingredient list to be found at http://www.moroccanoil.com

SarynaKey Pure African Shea Oil Treatment is infused with shea butter – a natural source of keratin which is used to repair hair, leaving the hair soft, shiny and well moisturized. Vitamins and amino acids penetrate the hair cuticle to help restore porosity from root to tip. Can be used on wet or dry hair. Lightweight, absorbs quickly and formulated for all hair types, chemically treated or natural and any length. *ingredient list to be found at http://www.sarynakey.com

Now, for my results.

I used Moroccanoil Oil Treatment for 3 days. I washed my hair the first day, for the other two, I just wet my hair in the shower before styling and blow drying. The first day I applied a dime size amount throughout my hair when it was damp, blew dry my hair and styled. My hair felt softer and had a little more shine, yet still had some tangles. For the other two days, I applied the same size amount of Moroccanoil to my hair when it was dry, after using my flat iron *it is not a thermal protectant*. My hair continued to feel soft but was becoming weighed down and I found it harder to achieve volume and style and unfortunately my blonde was starting to pick up brassy tones. (…I know, the Moroccanoil light formula was created to stop this. As I stated above, I wanted an equal comparison). All in all, a lovely oil, best suited for medium to thick hair, and darker tones and colors.

I used SarynaKey Pure African Shea Oil Treatment for the next 3 days. I washed my hair with a clarifying shampoo to give myself a blank canvas if you will. As with the Moroccanoil, I washed my hair the first day, then only wet my hair in the shower before styling and blow drying for the remaining two days. The first day I applied a dime size amount throughout my hair when it was damp, blew dry my hair and styled. My hair felt softer, had shine and no tangles at all. For the next two days, as with the Morocannoil, I applied the same amount of SarynaKey to my hair when it was dry… again, after I used my flat iron *this is not a thermal protectant*. My hair continued to feel soft, it was not weighed down, it was easy to achieve my desired volume and style….and no brassy tones. My blonde stayed true. As you know, I am  a “non blonde” blonde. My natural level is between a 2/3, so I pick up brassy tones easier then men and money. All and all, a lovely oil as well. Suited for all hair types, fine to thick, and any color, from light to dark.

I am not here to sway an opinion in any way, shape or form. My sole purpose, as always is to educate and enlighten. Both Morocannoil and SarynKey oils are Salon professional oils that deliver on their promise. The difference I found was this…Moroccanoil has 2 Oil Treatments, one for medium to thick hair & darker tones and one for fine hair & lighter tones. SarynaKey has 1 Oil Treatment, formulated for all hair types and tones. Sometimes, having one less decision in your day can make your day that much easier.

A little tidbit of information for your back pocket as you venture into your week. Wishing you a great hair day this Monday and everyday.

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

A Blonde’s best friend

As we all know, yours truly is a natural platinum blonde…well, I was until the age of 3. Fast forward 36 years and VOILA!, blonde once more. Over the years, my stylist, my reps. and my family have heard my moans of disappointment when the my true hair color of dark brown takes over my latest ‘do and the brassy tones begin to reveal themselves. I had given into the fact that although my hair would be platinum for a week or so and I could use a purple shampoo until I started to sound like Barney himself, the brassy gold tones were inevitable….until now!

Let me introduce you to Schwarzkopf BC Excellium Spray – Beautifying Silver Spray!

Schwarzkopf BC Excellium Spray

The powers that be and the gems at Schwarzkopf have created the ULTIMATE spray for us lighter blonde to platinum Blonde beauties.

Although BC Excellium is a line created for the ladies and gents with 70% – 100% silver/white mature hair, it’s hidden secret is it’s FAB! effect for lighter blonde to Platinum blonde…like me! It’s exclusive formula with silver pigments neutralizes yellow tones, adds shine and UV protection.

I have been using it daily for over a month now and am quite pleased. No staining. No altering of my hair color…except the removal of brassy tones. The spray did not alter the tone of my magenta streaks, unlike other products I have tried. …and it smells wonderful. To use; apply to wet hair, everyday if you wish, before applying any styling products. Blow dry and style.

Yours truly and her platinum almost 3 weeks after my color appointment…

That Girl in the Red Coat BC Excellium Spray              That Girl in the Red Coat BC Excellium Spray

 

Safe to say, I am a happy girl!

 

 

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

Monday Motivator – Joico Kpak Color Therapy Dry Oil Spray

…and here we are once more. It’s Monday. I know, Monday’s in the summer seem to be more of a chore than the rest of the year. Your coffee doesn’t seem to have the same pick me up. Facebook status updates of your friends “living the cottage life” remind you that the only cottage you have on your agenda is your cottage cheese and toast breakfast…and it’s just not the same. The Humidex is always on the rise taking your frizz & flyaways along for the ride. Your hair doesn’t seem to want to cooperate. As always, yours truly is here to help ease the manic and mania of Monday. Today, I have a gem of a product that is for all hair types. Yep! Fine to thick, straight to curly – you are gonna love this product….drum roll please….

IJoico Kpak Color Therapy Dry Oil Spray

Meet Joico Kpak Color Therapy Dry Oil Spray!

This weightless finishing spray protects your color, creates silky tresses without leaving a greasy feel or wet look and fights those pesky flyaways. It is color safe,even for the most delicate of Blondes = no brassy residue or tones. It is a lovely shine spray that leaves your hair with a natural silky sheen and with it’s weightless formula it is perfect for those of us with fine hair.

The secret to this FAB! spray you ask? Natural oils (Sunflower, Jojoba & African Mankett) replenish lost lipids and Joico’s Bio Advanced Peptide Complex and QuadraBond technology seal the hair’s outer layer and works as a protective shield against color fade and moisture loss.

For best results, apply to dry hair, once your style has been achieved. Joico Kpak Color Therapy Dry Oil spray is a great finishing spray to keep your straight sleek strands frizz free with a lovely shine.

*That Girl in the Red Coat Styling Tip;

Tried, tested and true – while using your flat iron, be sure to use a flat iron spray to protect your hair, like Joico’s IronClad flat iron spray for instance. Once you have your tresses as sleek as desired, apply Joico’s Kpak Color Therapy Dry Oil spray to lock out frizz and flyaways.

 

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

Monday Motivator – Quantum Humidity Guard

Hello Beauties! Yes, it is Monday once again…have no fear! I have a gem of a product that will make every hair type – long or short, sleek or curly, frizz free! Monday and everyday!…yes! it’s true. …and with wedding season and BBQ season upon us, we can use all the help we can get.

 

Meet Humidity Guard by Quantum

Humidity Guard This gem of a product has become one of my “must have” products for the spring/summer months. As we all know, humidity isn’t always the bff of our new ‘do, until now.  Humidity Guard by Quantum is your guard against humidity. Offering humidity resistance for up to 24 hours, Humidity Guard will provide all day control, lock your style in place – even when humidity is at 100%. It helps to eliminate those little hairs along your part that are trying to flyaway with the seagulls.

* An added BONUS to this FAB! product – it offers thermal protection. Humidity Guard is safe to use with thermal styling tools (up to 450 degrees Fahrenheit).

** Another BONUS – for my blonde Beauties – natural or bottled like yours truly – Humidity Guard will not leave a brassy film/effect on our lovely tresses.

The scent is fresh yet not overpowering, so it is becoming a favorite for the Gents too. It is color safe so no need to worry about losing the vibrancy of your new found shade of blue, red or blonde. Humidity Guard is a fast drying spray so you never have to wait for the spray to dry before applying heat and no worries of crunchy, sticky hair.

For best results, apply Humidity Guard to dry hair. It can be used with your flat iron/curling iron or, once you have achieved the style desired for your day, after setting your look with your favorite hairspray, mist Humidity Guard by Quantum all over your hair. I promise you, your style will hold up all day and all night.

***Another BONUS! This gem retails for $13.25.

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

Tales of Truth – 16th Edition

I know that the full moon will not arrive for a few more days, but I cannot hold these tales in any longer. I don’t know if it was the February blahs or the polar vortex but let me tell ya…these past weeks have been quite, shall we say,  interesting. …and yes, these circumstances are quite real. I actually have witnesses.

 

– I have a blue streak through my hair (see picture below). I have many women comment on the color or that I shaved the side of my head. What I haven’t heard until a few weeks ago was “Your hair reminds me of my bird!” …all I could think was Sweet Jesus, please let her be talking about her pet.

IMG_20150211_143144     …a bird…who knew?

 

– It was a busy day in the Salon and a dear friend was getting her hair done, so I stepped back to the Salon to say hello. As I approached her chair, my stylist and the owner just stared at me, no words uttered, just eyes shifting to the left. I looked over to see a woman, who was waiting for her appointment, clipping her finger nails. Yes, clipping her finger nails. Not only clipping her finger nails but dropping the clippings on the floor. …left me to wonder, does she floss her teeth in the 1-8 aisle at the grocery store?

– A woman asked me if there was any product that would help her daughter not “whine so much” when she was getting her brows plucked. I let her know that there are numbing creams available that may help with the discomfort. I also let her know that waxing may be a better option – it is quicker, and the pain is only for a moment or two every 4-6 weeks instead of every few days. She asked me “Is waxing safe for a 5 year old?” ….there are no words.

– Travel size hairspray can be hard to come by, so when some travel size hairspray arrived, I had a display at the front counter, so our customers and clients will see that we now have some in stock. A woman told me I should move the display, because “it will depress the people that never go anywhere. It’s not nice to remind people of such things!”. …sigh

– As we all know, products get discontinued. No one likes it. It’s frustrating. It happens. I had a woman tell me I was a liar. She came in looking for Joico Brilliantine. I let her know it was discontinued. I also told her I had many products similar to her beloved product and that I found Senscience ProFormance Polish the closest yet. “You’re a liar!” she told me. I get out my laptop, went to the Joico website to show her their product listings to show it has been discontinued. As I scrolled through the product listings, she asked me “How do I know you didn’t set this up?” …. double sigh

– A woman asked me if she can use Dry Shampoo in the shower

* for those not familiar with Dry Shampoo check out my article for http://www.hairstyle-blog.com

http://www.hairstyle-blog.com/dry-shampoo-new-best-friend.html

 

– A woman came in looking for the most natural, chemical free hair color that she could buy. I let her know I did not sell any and that most professional hair care color lines are not sold to the public, only licensed stylists. “Well, that’s not fair! The public cares about the environment too!”. As she left the shop, still standing in the doorway of the shop, she lit her cigarette. …triple sigh

Last, but never least…

– To let the public at large know – I do know that Blue/Purple shampoo will eliminate the brassy tones of your hair, on your head. As for other body regions…I will leave that up to you to find out.

 

Dad's laugh

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

A brand new key

For those of you familiar with my Salon Tales, you know that yours truly has fine hair. Lots of it, but fine. I am also bottle blonde who adores her flat iron, so my tresses are delicate and need tender loving care. For those of you with hair like mine, I feel your pain. You find a volumizing shampoo that gives you body and lift, but it leaves your hair looking and feeling like straw. You find a conditioning treatment to restore the life and softness to your tired tresses only to be left with lifeless and greasy strands. Well beauties, are you in for a treat! Let me introduce you to a hair care line that offers volume and repairs damaged hair and helps to prevent further damage. The following products have been tried and tested by yours truly over the past weeks. Meet sarynaKEY.

The main ingredient that sets sarynaKEY apart from the rest is Pure African Shea Butter. It is naturally made up of 70% natural keratin and 30% amino acid – so it replenishes the hair with the protein it is made of. The sarynaKEY line offers 8 different product lines for all hair types and hair and scalp conditions. Today’s tale is focusing on their volumizing line – Volume Lift. The Volume Lift line contains a protein found in wheat which builds upon fine and fragile hair. Unlike other volumizing products, sarynaKEY Volume Lift offers a low PH factor that in turn seals the hair cuticle and helps to repair the fragile strands. It offers volume and it repairs your hair. …and no, you aren’t dreaming…it really does. It is also color safe. I have a swoop of blue through my hair and the color did not fade and my blonde did not get brassy.

303 (2)304

Volume Lift Shampoo and Conditioner

– the shampoo lathers well, leaves the hair feeling clean without any feeling of product build up and less tangles than with other volumizing shampoo’s I have used in the past.

– the conditioner is a daily conditioner that is thick and creamy yet not heavy. It works through the hair with ease, without a greasy residue feeling afterward. It left my hair soft and tangle free. It contains vitamin E and UV filters to protect and nourish the hair. *the amino acids activate an internal repair process at the root and the low PH ensures the hair shaft stays sealed = prevents the loss of the active ingredients from the shampoo.

301Pure African Shea Butter Treatment

– a conditioning treatment that strengthens, nourishes and give the hair a thicker look and feel. It contains a combo of shea butter, wheat protein, natural keratins and vitamins that add an external layer of protection while softening the hair. This treatment is meant to be used once a week, focusing on the ends of the hair. Leave in for 2 -5 minutes then rinse with cool water. I used this treatment twice in one week just to see if it would weigh down my hair. It did not. It left my hair soft and full – not weighed down or lifeless.

302Pure African Shea Oil – Volume Lift

– a lightweight oil that offers shine without making the hair look or feel greasy, all the while adding volume and giving your hair a thicker look and feel. Apply to damp hair before blow drying, or can be applied to dry hair after thermal styling is completed – to eliminate frizz or flyaways. * a little styling tip  – I use this oil and cocktail it with my pomade for extra shine and pliability to my pomade.

314 Pure African Shea Gloss – Volume Lift

– a weightless shine spray. Adds brilliant shine without looking greasy and does not weigh down your achieved style or texture. It is color safe and color safe for blondes = no brassy tone or residue. * this shine gloss can also be used in a product cocktail with other products such as pastes and clay to make them more pliable and user friendly.

For all the fine hair, fine/damaged hair Beauties out there looking for an answer to their hair woes, look no further than the Volume Lift line from sarynaKEY.