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

No, I don’t want to tend the rabbits

October 9, 2012 That Girl in the Red Coat Leave a comment

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, Hair Care, health and wellness, Uncategorized

Bringing Joico to the masses

September 13, 2012 That Girl in the Red Coat 4 Comments

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, communication, Hair Care, health and wellness, Uncategorized

Getting the stupid cut out

August 16, 2012 That Girl in the Red Coat Leave a comment

I found myself thinking about the moment I knew I wanted to do a blog. I was at home recovering from my hysterectomy (or as I like to refer to it as “getting the stupid cut out”) and my hubby had rented Julie and Julia for me. I love this movie. When Julie said (forgive my paraphrasing) “I could do a blog. I can write.” I thought, “Hey! So can I.”. Then the ever present fear reared it’s ugly head. What will people say? What will people think? Will anyone read it? People will laugh and think it’s stupid. (Hey, I said I got the stupid cut out…it took a few years for the remnants of it to leave my brain.). Fast forward 2.5 years later, with trembling fingers, I typed out WordPress into the Google search engine and with butterflies in my stomach I began my adventure in blogging.

You see, I, like many of us, was letting fear decide my fate. Fear is ugly and this blog is about beauty, not just about the newest and most awesome conditioning treatment on the market (Joico Kpak Revitaluxe…had to say it) but about everything that makes us beautiful, our inner and outer beauty, our idiosyncrasies.

This week, I don’t know if it is because the universe has blessed us with two full moons in August, I have heard so many women saying I can’t, or what if, or I hate and fill in the blank. I think I have given out more hugs and words of encouragement this week than hair products. No judgement here ladies, I have been that girl, and she is a sad and lonely girl. I am here to tell you that you can do whatever you want. You can. Be it blogging or running a marathon or going back to school. You can do it. You must be patient – that is the toughest part – trust me – when I want something, I want it now…had to learn patience and trust me, I would have rather been back in grade 8 woodworking class with the teacher that was missing two fingers and teaching me to use a jigsaw than learn patience. Once you embrace patience and let go of the fear…wow…the life of your daydreams slowly becomes your reality.

Like I have said before, people are gonna talk no matter what you do, so why not really give ’em something to talk about. It’s time to be who you are meant to be, it is time to stop trying to be like someone else – that job is already taken. It is time to let go of the fear of what could be and time to anticipate what can be. (and if you use Kpak Revitaluxe your hair will look and feel fabulous).

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

Save the alcohol for your martini

July 14, 2012 That Girl in the Red Coat 1 Comment

Ahhh, the sounds of summer. Children playing in the streets squealing with delight as they hear the ice cream truck, the roll of the waves at the seaside, the chime of a bicycle passing you on the sidewalk, the whimper of a woman fighting the battle with frizz and losing. Yep, we have all been there. We have all been her…you know who…the woman who turns into a five year old little girl yanking the brush through her hair and stomping her foot exclaiming “I hate my hair!!” sending every man within a 10 mile radius to make a run for the hills. (who could blame them, honestly.).

Today’s tale is about alcohol free products. Alcohol free products are less drying and some have found that using alcohol free products helps eliminate frizz and said products have been known to save a marriage or two. (of course a glass of alcohol has been known to do the same but that is another tale for another day). The best way to eliminate frizz is finding the magical combination of alcohol free AND humidity resistant…don’t be so doubtful…such products to exist…read on. Since all these products are Salon professional, they are all color safe.

I have compiled a list of some of the favorite products sold at my shop that are alcohol free;

JOICO JoiWhip Mousse – adds great volume and hold (a little goes a long way…too much and can tend to be sticky…dispense so foam is about the size of a small egg)

GOLDWELL Glamour Whip Mousse – adds volume and hold

RUSK Jelle Gloss – Works great as a setting lotion or for that slicked back look

AG – Liquid Varnish – A serum to add shine, can be used on wet or dry hair (a little goes a long way…use too much and you will look like Danny Zuko from Grease)

AG – Spray Varish – A shine spray, to be added to hair after you have the look you want, just with a little more shine. (lightly mist it over your hair)

MOROCCANOIL oil treatment – use on wet hair to reduce drying time and to control fly-aways

MOROCCANOIL Glimmer Spray – A shine spray, apply to add shine to your lovely locks.

SOMA Hot Body – A volumizing gel, great hold and no flaking.

Now, the list of alcohol free and humidity resistant products…told you they existed;

SOMA Curly Cue – an awesome gel formulated for curls, keeps them soft and bouncy, and free of frizz

SOMA Prism Shine Spray – a lightweight shine spray that never leaves a build up or greasy look.

SOMA Rage out – a styling cream that can be used for straight or curly styles.

SOMA Solace – A cuticle sealer. Meant to lock that cuticle shut so no matter what the weather, the humidity cannot open up that cuticle and create frizz.

I hope this helps silence the tantrums and whimpers from behind the bathroom door, if not… I can give you a great apple-tini recipe, you will still hear the whimpers, they will just become more bearable.

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

It’s not my opinion…it’s a fact.

June 25, 2012 That Girl in the Red Coat Leave a comment

I am very fortunate. I love my job. I love the beauty biz and I love to learn. That is the great thing about my beloved industry – it is always evolving and there is always a new product or a new technique or an improved technology to learn about and embrace. I deal with over 10 reps from various distributors and am given all the FREE information and FREE product knowledge education a girl could ask for. What I find surprising is this – every stylist and Salon owner has all this free education and product knowledge at their fingertips and they aren’t taking advantage of it. Forget about increasing your salon sales which is a major perk, what I can’t understand is why they wouldn’t want to be able to serve the clientele/customer base more efficiently – give the client the product they need, show them how to use it, tell them why it is better than what they have at home, tell them what makes it stand out above the rest. I have to remind myself on a daily basis that, like my father has always told me, I am not like everyone else. I have to remind myself not to be offended when my customer’s repeatedly ask me “Are you sure you know what you are talking about?”. To be clear…when it comes to professional hair care products, I do know what I am talking about, it is not my opinion, it’s a fact. (Physics…still workin’ on that).

So, I have decided to take it upon myself to enlighten you all a tad. Every now and then I am going to give you the low down on certain products and why they are different (not better) than their competitors. Here is a little list of some of the newest additions that are flying off the shelves (well…at least at my shop);

JOICO KPak Revitaluxe – A weekly treatment that instantly corrects years of damage and protects the hair against further damage. With each use your hair feels softer, gets stronger and is more moisturized. Want your hair to feel like a 5 year old’s? Use this.

Schwarzkopf OSIS Dust It powder – A powder that you sprinkle at the roots of dry hair, rub it in and VOILA! Height and volume that will hold all day and well into night, because it is a powder it is great for all hair types and won’t look greasy or shiny.

QUANTUM Refresher – a dry shampoo. What makes this stand out over all other dry shampoo’s is it does not leave a powdery residue. Awesome for brunette’s or darker shades.

SOMA Solace – a cuticle sealer. Wonderful for all hair types. No hold factor – just seals that cuticle so no more frizz. In a word…Miraculous.

NIOXIN Diamax – you want volume and dimension? This is your new best friend. This little gem increases the diameter of each existing hair strand and makes it look fuller and makes the hair more manageable and protects against breakage.

Keep checkin’ back for more information, tidbits and tips my lovelies. You won’t be disappointed and you may even begin to like your hair.

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

Tales of truth…part 3

June 6, 2012 That Girl in the Red Coat Leave a comment

I am sure you have heard of the “zombie apocalypse” ….well, I believe it has begun. There I was, talking with a customer, explaining to her how she was going to LOVE the Kpak Revitaluxe (you all know how much I love it) and I hear the door chime behind me. I excuse myself for a moment to greet the newest arrival, smile and say “good morning” to which I hear “ughk”. I kid you not. The woman I was helping gasped and looked at me with the “what the hell?!?” look in her eyes. I leaned over and whispered “it’s okay, welcome to my world.” to which she giggled and relaxed. I walked her up to the counter, looking over at the woman (zombie) and told her I would be right with her, to which I got the blank stare and a mumbled statement which I hoped didn’t translate to “I’m gonna eat your face”. My lovely lady paid for her purchase and looked a little worried, I told her I was fine and to enjoy her day, she left the store walking the long way around to the door. (you see, thanks to my glorious hubby, I have seen Zombieland, I am prepared, I know what to do.). Back to the tale at hand. I walked ever so cautiously to the woman and asked what she needed help with….she just looked at me. About 30 seconds went by and she finally said “I need peroxide”. Whew….speech… No need for shovels today.

It was a beautiful summer day in 2011, a day I will remember for as long as I live, or until dementia sets in (family trait). A women in her late 40’s or early 50’s came into the shop, dressed in a beautiful designer summer dress with the cutest sandals to match, clutching her Coach summer tote. I asked if she needed a hand finding anything, “just looking for the nail polish” she innocently responded. I showed her our collections and went to answer the phone. After my phone call I turn around to see this women sitting on the floor, tongue sticking out the corner of her mouth and putting nail polish on her toes. The first thing that sprang to mind was the childhood rhyme “I see London…I see France…I can see your underpants”. I kindly walked up to her and said “Oh honey, first, you can’t try on the polishes, second, we can see up your dress”. I still can’t bring myself to buy pink underwear…enough said.

Last but certainly not least… I know people are lonely and in this age of technology many people email or text, so there isn’t much human interaction. I love to help all the ladies and gents that come into the store to look beautiful and feel good about themselves. That being said, I don’t really need to know everything about them. I don’t need to know about your latest gynecological finding, don’t really need to see your fungal infection on your toe nail, don’t need to see the oozing bumps on your body, don’t need to be shown your body hair on places I didn’t know hair could grow. I will gladly look at your baby pictures, not their dirty diaper. I will be a shoulder if you have lost a loved one, don’t need to hear about the embalming process. Oh, and please…don’t flash me your bikini line asking me “what is this?” and don’t throw a flat iron.

Hair Care

Damage control

May 14, 2012 That Girl in the Red Coat Leave a comment

We have all been there. Looking at our reflection in the mirror, wondering “Is my hair dry or damaged?”. Today’s tale is about damage control. There are three major levels of damage when it comes to our lovely locks.

Mechanical Damage – your hair looks and feels dull, little pieces of hair fall onto your clothes. In some cases the hair looks singed. (kinked and fuzzy)

The Cause – brushing/teasing the hair (in excess – picture Priscilla Presley’s wedding photo), and using thermal styling tools without the proper products.

The Solution – A good conditioning treatment once a week and using a thermal protection spray each time you use a flat iron or curling iron

Environmental Damage – your color fades and it feels like product build up is on your hair.

The Cause – Sun exposure and pollution.

The Solution – Most professional hair care lines have U.V. protectants in their products, and there are many spray leave in conditioners that have U.V. protectants as well. A good clarifying shampoo once or twice a month (depending on how much product you use) will help as well.

Chemical Damage – your hair looks and feels fuzzy, it will not hold a style, looks like frayed cloth. It breaks off , inches at a time.

The Cause – over use of chemical services such as hair color, lightening, perming or chemical straightening.

The Solution – Stop whatever chemical process you are doing right now. Give your hair a break for a while – buy a hat if need be. You need to get a good deep conditioning treatment done with your stylist ASAP. If you can’t get to the salon – I highly recommend JOICO Kpak Revitaluxe. The newest addition to the Kpak family – this treatment is restorative and strengthens the hair with each use.

I highly recommend that you use Professional Salon products. Too many knock offs and drug store brands have too many sulfates, detergents, silicone’s and alcohol which defeats the purpose – your hair may feel good but those products don’t always penetrate the hair – they just coat the hair, which will lead to further damage.

Beauty, Hair Care, health and wellness, Uncategorized

Save your shoulder checks for changing lanes…

April 30, 2012 That Girl in the Red Coat Leave a comment

Dandruff. The enemy of the little black dress and the tuxedo jacket. The bully to our self esteem. No longer will you have to check your shoulders each time a greek god or goddess approaches you, no longer will you be referred to as a human snow globe or asked if it is snowing outside. Sad but true – these nasty phrases are uttered by children masking themselves as adults.

There are many reasons for dandruff. Sometimes it is hormonal changes, sometimes seasonal changes. It can be a cruel genetic joke that runs in your family. There is hope, I promise you. The products of which I speak are professional Salon quality products and they only cost about $2 more than the department/drug store brands. The active ingredient in the following products is Zinc Pyrithione, which helps reduce itching and flaking. It has antibacterial properties which can help reduce dandruff and scalp conditions that cause dandruff.

KMS Head Remedy – Dandruff Shampoo – gentle cleansing and color safe.

AG Control Dandruff Shampoo – Gentle cleansing, Canadian made & cruelty free, color safe.

JOICO – Daily Care Treatment Shampoo – * this baby is created for any scalp problem – not truly a dandruff shampoo, many clients have had luck if their dandruff was due to hormone/seasonal changes. Color Safe.

If you suffer from severe dandruff, psoriasis or seborrhea try the following (you can hug me later)

SMART SOLUTIONS Problem Hair & Scalp Shampoo – ***AWESOME RESULTS*** This little gem is paraben free, sulfate free, sodium chloride free and color safe. It also helps reduce frizz. This product relieves dryness, controls the oil on the scalp and hair and eliminates flaking.

Steer clear of the cheaper brands – they mask the problem. Sure, no flakes as you use it but once you stop flakes come back. The products I have listed for you are formulated to treat the dandruff/scalp condition and in many circumstances, the dandruff becomes a thing of the past.

Beauty

Seeking treatment

April 13, 2012 That Girl in the Red Coat Leave a comment

In need of psycho analysis? This isn’t your kind of blog. Your hair is brittle and resembles that of the friendly scare crow in the Wizard of Oz? Read on my friends, read on. Treatments are important, for the health of your hair and the vibrancy of your hair color. Also, to keep silent the screams of the neighbourhood children every time you leave your house.

Treatments. You have your conditioning treatments, your oil treatments, your protein treatments, weekly treatments and so on. Before you go and start rocking back and forth wailing, get a hold of yourself. It is not that complicated. The purpose for each treatment is written on the packaging. No description? Put it down and walk away. All conditioning treatments are not the same, nor are they for all hair types. Just because the word “treatment” appears on the bottle doesn’t mean it is one. (come on…we have all heard of and been victim to “one size fits all”).

The following are treatments that are cream based treatments that can be used once to twice a week. (* all hair types = fine,thick, curly etc..)

JOICO – Kpak RevitaLuxe – the newest addition to the Kpak family. This award winning treatment is in a word, miraculous. It corrects damage that has been done and prevents further damage. Each time you use it your hair becomes stronger, softer and more moisturized. This gem can be used on all hair types. * Awesome for blondes

UANS Crema – great for dry hair and split ends – all hair types * great detangler and for maintaining wigs & extensions

REDKEN All Soft Heavy Cream – for dry brittle hair – rebuilds surface protection – all hair types

MIXED CHICKS Deep Conditioner – reconstructs damaged areas, makes curls manageable and a great detangler – for curly,unruly hair, thick or fine

GOLDWELL Rich Repair 60 Second Treatment – adds softness and moisture to dried out hair – for all hair types * can be a bit heavy for fine hair

SOMA Reconstruct – Rebuilds your hair cuticle back to a healthy state – for all hair types *Vegan and Cruelty free (loves bunnies)

A treatment takes 2 – 15 minutes. If you have time to sing in the shower or ponder how to remove the ring around your tub while you lather your tushie – do it with a treatment on your hair – you are there anyway.

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

You should hear sizzle at the stove….not at the vanity

April 9, 2012 That Girl in the Red Coat 2 Comments

STOP!!!!! Back away from the oil and the flat iron. Put them down. Think about what you are about to do. Does it make sense to add oil to dry hair then proceed to place a 400 degree flat iron on top of it? Picture a frying pan, picture it heating up to 400 degrees, picture oil being placed in the pan – what happens? What sound would you hear? EXACTLY – it would sizzle. Someone, somewhere started an ugly rumor that you can use oil and flat irons together. If you are trying to get your hair to the texture of wet cotton, you are well on your way.

All professional product lines have a product meant to be used with a flat iron. Thermal Protection Spray. They come in an aerosol format or your old school enviro friendly pump bottle. Whenever you use a flat iron it is highly recommended to use a Thermal Spray. It creates a barrier between the heat of the flat iron and your hair. It also helps to prevent breakage and damage that can be caused by flat irons (or curling irons for that matter). Here are a few gems;

SOMA – Prism Shine Spray – adds shine and thermal protection *Almost all SOMA products aide in thermal protection

JOICO – Ironclad – a humidity resistant fast drying , non sticky formula that offers protection up to 450 degrees Fahrenheit (Aerosol)

JOICO – SmoothCure Thermal Styling Protectant – a humidity resistant formula that offers up to 3 days of frizz free performance. Formulated for curly, coarse hair. *also protects that hair against the heat of a blow dryer.