Beauty, Hair Care, That girl in the red coat

Monday Motivator vs Monday Motivator – Battle of the oils

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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

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

Monday Motivator – SexyHair Blonde Sexy Hair

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It’s Monday. If you are anything like yours truly, you a nursing an Easter sugar hangover…those damn crème eggs get me every year. In my corner of the globe Mother Nature cannot seem to make up her mind what season it is…one minute it’s spring with birds chirping, the next it’s fall with bitter cold winds, then onto winter with flurries only to return back to spring a few minutes later. In the midst of these seasonal disorders, yours truly has come across a real gem for all blondes…natural and otherwise. Let me introduce you to Sexy Hair’s Blonde Sexy Hair

Sexy Hair Blonde Sexy Hair

Blonde Sexy Hair by the beauties at Sexy Hair Concepts has been formulated to meet all the needs of our blonde tresses. With their key ingredients of quinoa, chamomile, honey and vitamins, among others, this line provides moisture, strength, shine and keeps our blonde, blonde and bright. …also a lovely line for our silver haired beauties.

Blonde Sexy Hair Sulfate Free Bombshell Blonde Shampoo – A daily shampoo that eliminates product build up and keeps blondes hydrated and bright and protects against your color fading.

Blonde Sexy Hair Sulfate Free Bombshell Blonde Conditioner – A daily conditioner that strengthens and shields the hair’s surface to help prevent breakage and reduce split ends. Provides natural moisture and helps to protect against color fading while leaving the hair silky and shiny. Anti oxidants protect against environmental damage.

Blonde Sexy Sulfate Free Bright Blonde Shampoo – Blonde Sexy Hair’s answer to a purple/blue shampoo. This gem rids your hair of those annoying yellow/brassy tones we pick up from product and pollution build up. ….pssst….nicotine is a nasty culprit of adding brass to your tresses…if you a smoker and you are blonde or have silver/grey hair, once you quit, the yellowing will slow down….oh, and your health will improve too. (insert wink and a smile).

 

Being me, here is a little break down of the what and why of the ingredients that make this line such a gem for blondes;

Chamomile = enhances the vibrancy of the color, keeping blondes & silver bright

Honey = helps to restore moisture. Blonde hair can tend to be on the drier side …something all non-blondes know far too well.

Quinoa = a gluten free protein that repairs the hair by penetrating the hair’s cortex for a more deep conditioning effect and result.

Vitamin B5 = capable of penetrating deep into the hair to improve the condition of the hair and helps to reduce the formation of split ends.

Green Tea & Vitamin E (anti oxidants) = protects the hair from environmental damage (pollution, wind etc…) and U.V. rays

Kervais = provides strength and aids in reducing breakage. …again, all us non-blondes know how fragile our hair can become.

Sulfate free = no suds, plain and simple. When using the shampoo, if you prefer a little more sudsy action, add more water to your hair, not more shampoo. Using too much of a sulfate free shampoo will leave a residue on your hair leaving your hair feeling and looking lifeless.

So, the skies may be grey today, but my blonde is bright…and yours can be too.

 

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

Tales of Truth – 16th Edition

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

Tales of Truth – Part 6

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Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, gather round. Yes, it is that time again, tales of truth. The past week has been an unusual one, more so than normal. Maybe it’s the weather…a tad milder than normal, maybe it’s the holiday season approaching, maybe it is the pressure to have the turkey basted to perfection. I couldn’t put my finger on it until I was looking at my calender counting the days until the next available hour I would have to myself (December 3rd.) that I realized there is a full moon approaching. That explains everything.

Here is a glimpse into the daily life of that girl in the red coat, what I hear and what I see and sometimes wish I could un-see.

– “Your hair looks so nice, like fur, like….my cat. Oh, your hair reminds me of my cat.” – Thank god she said cat. (wait for it…there you go)

– “I want to get a Brazilian done. I heard it was easy enough. Do you think if I do the splits standing up and use the wall to hold my balance I could do it?”. I didn’t know what to say so I told her to You Tube the how to video on Brazilian Waxing. (You are gonna look it up now aren’t you? You know you are. You aren’t fooling anyone.).

– “If you can curl your hair with it, why do you call it a flat iron?” – how is it that these people make more money than I do?

– “Do you sell toe nail polish?” – had to explain that nail polish can be used on both finger nails and toe nails – I swear I did a shoulder check looking for a camera crew and Ashton Kutcher

– A customer asked the difference between root boost and mousse. I explained that “root boost is sprayed directly at the root, rub it in and then blow dry. A mousse is a foam that you disburse into your hand, emulsify it in both hands and rub it through out the hair, then blow dry.”. She stared at me and responded with “so..what’s the difference?” – Where is the principal’s office when you need it?

– A woman  called the shop asking me if I thought her hair color was too brassy. I told her it would be easier for me to tell if she was at the shop. She asked me why.

– I had a customer ask for a product line I did not carry. “I bought it here before! You don’t know what you are talking about.”. I apologized and explained that our shop has never carried that line. “Well , I know I bought it here! I shop here all the time! Give me your head office’s phone number!”. I told her we were locally owned and operated and not part of a chain. That’s when the light bulb switched on and she realized not only was she in the wrong store, she was on the wrong city. I offered her a complimentary mint.

– “My son loves computers. Can he come behind the counter while I shop?” – didn’t realize I had such a resemblance to Nanny McPhee

– A customer asked me if we sold Sebastian Shaper Plus. I said yes and took her over to the shelf. She just stood there saying “Really. You sell Sebastian Shaper Plus.”. She said it three times, then stared at me. I asked if she wanted me to get it down for her. She nodded as she stared and smiled and then walked up to the counter. I stood back for a minute- in case an alien sprang out of her chest or her head began to spin around.

There are five more days until the full moon. Although the thought of what may be said or seen does frighten me a little, it will make for some great tales to tell and maybe even bring a bit of laughter to an otherwise dull day.