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

Tales of Truth – The 20th…yes…the 20th Edition

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It’s July. It’s the week of the August long weekend.  A heat wave has hit my corner of the globe. The Humidex is on the rise. Combine all these events and you have the ingredients for a whole lot of crazy.  Oh…and there is a full moon upon us, it is to arrive on Friday. You see, the powers that be have bestowed not one, but two full moons this July. The second full moon is known as a Blue Moon. You know, I used to like that song. Now I feel the lyrics are mocking me… “Blue Moon, you saw me standing alone…”…I bet it did. Well Ladies and Gents, boys and girls, gather ‘ round for the 20th, yes, the 20th edition of That Girl in the Red Coat’s Tales of Truth.

– I hear the chirp of the shop’s door and the flip flop of the woman’s sandals. I look up from my invoice and greet her with my morning smile, wish her a good morning and ask if I can help her. “Yeah. I want my hair cut.”. I let her know that my stylists are booked for the day but we can make her an appointment for tomorrow. “Pfft. That’s not gonna do. Why the hell would you put this coupon in the paper for cheap haircuts if you can’t even take me now?!? I think that’s stupid and yous (her word…not mine) guys are liars! Whatcha think of that?!?!” to which I kindly let her know that our Salon didn’t put the coupon in the paper for “cheap haircuts” and that the Salon she was looking for was at the other end of the plaza. She looked at me for a minute, then flip flopped out the door.

– Every once in a while, yours truly is alone at the shop and every once in a while, nature calls. I put a sign on the door that states “Thank you for your patience. 🙂 Be back in 5 minutes”. Now, to be clear, I am usually back in 2 minutes. I lock the door because we are a retail shop too and if I am in the ‘loo with my knickers at my knees I can’t stop shoplifters. So, nature called. I went as fast as I possibly could for I could hear someone banging on the shop’s door. As I got closer to the door, the customer had no problem telling me how “F’in hot it is outside” and that it was unfair of me to make her wait 2 minutes. I apologized and let her know I was on my own and that I had to use the washroom. She told me I should work on my bladder skills. …is there a course for that?

– A woman asked me if there was anything she could do to make her hair more greasy. I told her if she didn’t wash her hair for a week it would probably get greasy. She told me she couldn’t go a week without washing her hair because that would be gross. ….wait for it…there you go.

– A woman told me I was making her lose her patience because I couldn’t remember the product she had bought  in the past from her stylist at another Salon. FYI – this was her description – “that stuff, that I like, you know, in the tube or a jar, I can’t remember, but it smells good and my husband liked it”. …even Dionne Warwick and her psychic friends are at a loss on this one.

– A gent complained that our debit machine was too slow. I apologized and let him know it would be a few more seconds. “I’m in a hurry you know!”. So I moved the candy dish over to him and offered him a candy to which he exclaimed “STARBURST! MY FAVORITE!” and then he began to tell me about his first time eating a Starburst, then his first job and then he told me why he was in town. …All I kept thinking was “I thought you were in a hurry…and please, please do not ask me about waxing your balls”.  – those of you who read my blog know of what I speak.

– This month we have litre duo’s on sale in the shop. A woman wanted to buy a duo for her whole family to use. She colors her hair so I showed her the Color Shampoo/Conditioner duo’s we have. “Oh, I can’t buy that. My kids don’t color their hair and if I buy that then I have to get them to start coloring their hair so they can use it too and I don’t want to have to do that.”.  *author’s note –  anyone and any hair type can use Color Shampoo and Conditioner, even if you don’t color your hair.

– I have been asked if I shave the side of my head and put a blue streak in my hair so people won’t look at the scar on my neck. By the way, the answer is NO.

– A customer came in looking for a new shampoo. She let me know she had decided to become a vegetarian and wanted to be sure that the products she uses are not tested on animals. A dog was barking as she was talking (we have a pet shop beside us, so we hear many barks, meows and chirps.). I introduced her to the SOMA line and the ONESTA line – certified Vegan and Cruelty Free. As I was ringing through her purchase, she was telling me how horrible it is that people mistreat animals, then she got in her car and I realized the barking stopped. Yep, Miss. Save the Animals had left her dog in the car while she shopped for her cruelty free products.

– A woman complained that the mousse I sold her was “crap and didn’t give her any volume or body” like I said it would. I asked her if she applied it to damp hair and used her blow dryer. “Yes. Just like you said.”. I asked her how she dried her hair and asked her to show me what she does with her brush and blow dryer (some people use a round brush but brush the hair down and end up guiding the hair straight instead of guiding it up and out from the root for volume). “How am I gonna do that? I don’t have my hair dryer here!” ….sigh

– A woman walked into the shop, saw me behind the counter helping a customer and asked me “Are you open?”

– A gent asked if the tweezers we sell can be used on any part of the body. I now know his wife doesn’t like hairy nipples. He didn’t specify whose were the issue…thank god.

This month I have been asked if I have been saved. I have been asked if I have found Jesus. I have been asked if I knew that I had a scar on my neck. I have been told that I was brave to think I could pull off having the side of my head shaved – think that one was meant as a compliment. I have been told about a nail fungus. I have been shown a nail fungus – took off their shoe and sock to show me. Oh! and a lovely lady let me know that Tea Tree Shampoo can makes things tingle “south of the border”.

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

Monday Motivator – Joico Color Balance Blue

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It’s Monday once again. Another weekend of fun in the sun has come to an end and back to the weekly grind we shuffle. This week’s Monday Motivator is aimed at the brunette beauties who have ventures into the ombre/sombre world. As all brunettes know, when dark tresses are highlighted, within a week the warm caramel highlights that  brought back memories of our favorite Halloween treat begin to take on the color of a jack o’lantern. …until now.

Let me introduce you to your new best friend – meet Joico Color Balance Blue

joico color balance blue

One of the newest additions to the FAB! line of Joico products, Color Balance was created with Joico’s Multi Spectrum Defense Complex, formulated to keep your color true and vibrant. With tone correcting pigments, Color Balance corrects on contact, instantly banishing those overly warm/brassy (orange) tones that turn up on dark hair that has been lightened. *Another perk – Color Balance preserves 89% of hair color nearly 8 weeks by bonding hair fibers. As always – another welcome addition to Color Balance Shampoo and Conditoner is Joico’s patented Bio Advanced Peptide Complex = root to tip repair, protection, frizz fighters and shine.

Joico Color Balance Shampoo – lather into hair, leave on for 1-3 minutes, rinse.

* may be used once to twice a week.

Joico Color Balance Conditioner – work through hair, leave in for 1 – 3 minutes, then rinse. This gem is gentle enough to use as a daily conditioner if so desired.

The Joico Color Balance family offers a shampoo/conditioner duo for blondes – Color Balance Purple, and for our red haired beauties – Color Infuse Red. From the feedback of my customers, the color-clientele of our Salon and personal use, Joico Color Balance products are a must for every vanity.

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

Tales of Truth – 19th Edition

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Well, ladies and gents, boys and girls, the full moon has arrived and with it some amazing and dare I say, gruesome tales of truth. I have been in the retail/customer service gig for over 25 years and thought I had heard and seen it all. …well, I stand corrected.

– The phone rings, I answer with my standard greeting. “Are you open?” is what I am asked. “Yes. We are open.”. “So, you are open?”. “Yes, we are open 9:30 – 9:00 today.”. “So, if I come over there, you’ll be open, right?”.  ….sigh

– A woman came in asking if I still sell the Wet Brush (the BEST brush EVER for tangles…just sayin’). I let her know we do and walked her over to the display. “I use the Wet Brush on my dog. He loves it so much I want one too…but it can’t be green, because his is green and I don’t want him mistaking my brush for his.”.

– A woman came in looking for hair chalk. I showed her the Color Bug by Kevin Murphy and the Pigment Pencils by Joico Structure. I let her know that they are a temporary color and will wash out in one to two shampoo’s. “If it lasts until I wash it out, that isn’t very temporary – I only wash my hair once a week.”

– I now know that there is at least one man who uses travel size hair dryers because they are the perfect size to use “south of the border” ….his pun…not mine…did not need the visual.

– A woman came in demanding I only show her products that are not tested on animals. She was wearing leather sandals & carrying a leather tote (I used to run the Ladies dept. at a shoe store and I can spot leather shoes at 100 paces).

– A boy and his mother came in looking for hair chalk. As I was showing them my selection and explaining how to use it, the boy was interrupting his mother, being rude, hitting the display and even our plant. When we got to the counter, as I was ringing through the hair chalk purchase,(a purchase he did not deserve, in my opinion), the boy saw our OPI nail swatches and shouted “Hey! Are these fake nails?” to which I answered “Oh no. Those are the nails from little boys who are rude to their Mother’s in my shop.”. ….Have to admit…that was fun.

– Box color is not for “your box” …enough said.

– The hair dryers are blowing, all of my stylists have a client in their chair. The woman at the front counter says “Oh…so you have a Salon.”. “Yes we do, would you like to make an appointment?” I ask. “Is it a real Salon?” she asked. Before I answered, I reminded myself not to show it on my face, “I’m sorry. What do you mean by a real Salon?”. “Oh, you know. A real Salon – you hear about these fake ones that open then close like a day later. You can never be to careful!”. She has been buying her hairspray from me for 4 years. …I left it at that…I had nothing.

….and the Piece de Resistance…drum roll please…a middle aged woman came in – hey, I can say middle aged, I am going to be 43. So, a middle aged woman, wearing a micro mini corduroy skirt, I mean micro mini skirt came in looking for her color. I walked over to the shelf and helped her find it. I asked her if she had enough peroxide at home to which she said, “I better get some.”. As I bent down to get it for her, she bent down as well. Well ladies and gents, yours truly was visually assaulted for Miss. MicroMini was not wearing any underwear. Going commando. Sans gitch. If that Took. It. Out. Seinfeld episode was about a woman, Elaine would have said “Put. It. Out.”….oh…and she needed a trip to her esthetician… enough said.

 

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

Monday Motivator – Quantum Humidity Guard

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

Monday Motivator – Schwarzkopf BC Moisture Kick Beauty Balm

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Hello Beauties! Yes, it’s Monday once again…no need to pout. I have a gem of a product to ensure a great hair day for you today and everyday this week. Meet Schwarzkopf’s BC Moisture Kick Beauty Balm.

Beauty Balm

 

BC Moisture Kick Beauty Balm is created for normal to dry hair, straight, wavy or curly. It balances the moisture content of your hair and ensures an even and supple hair surface, just as a BB cream works as a base for your makeup. With it’s weightless formula it can be used daily. This gem works as a moisturizer, styling balm and offers heat protection. I have baby fine hair (just lots of it) so many products can easily weigh down my hair, this is not one of those products. Schwarzkopf’s BC Moisture Kick Beauty Balm left my hair soft and added some body. I used it on it’s own and with mousse, and was pleased with both results. On it’s own, I had soft body. The Beauty Balm is a great primer for any styling products so when used along with my mousse, I achieved great volume and control for my styles.

For best results, BC Moisture Kick Beauty Balm is meant to be used on clean damp hair. Comb through your hair or spread through with your hands – which ever you prefer. * A little goes a long way – for medium length hair, use about the size of a quarter. Emulsify in your hands, put through your hair, then blow dry. If using with another styling product, always apply BC Moisture Kick Beauty Balm first.

The smell is clean and fresh and doesn’t overpower the scents of any other products you may be using. It helps to detangle and aids in drying time. With it’s heat protection it helped my bleached blonde locks look a little less fuzzy after blow drying. I have to say, this gem has been a welcome addition to my hair care routine, it will be for you as well.

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

Monday Motivator – Onesta Smooth + Shine

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It’s Monday…again. Many of us have a hard time to get up and go on Monday mornings. It seems that our get up and go just got up and went. I began the Monday Motivator series to help your Monday mornings a little brighter, to give you something to look forward to. Even though it may be Monday and your child decided to play hide and seek with your car keys and doesn’t know where they are “‘cuz they’re good hiders” and you spilled the entire bag of freshly ground coffee beans all over the kitchen floor…at least you will have a good hair day.

This Monday’s Motivator is from Onesta. Meet Onesta’s Smooth + Shine, a thermal straightening creme.

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This gem of a product offers a silky, frizz free finish. It is light enough not to weigh down the finest of strands yet potent enough to smooth the most unruly tresses. It is humidity resistant (locks your cuticle shut – perfect for humid weather. Closed cuticle = no frizz). With it’s blend of certified organic ingredients such as Milk Thistle, Green Tea and Rhatany Root, Onesta Smooth + Shine adds luster and helps to protect hair color and vitality. For those who are looking for a more natural professional hair care line, Onesta is for you! Their products meet EU Compliance and are paraben free, sulfate free, gluten free, cruelty free, vegan, free of dyes, DEA/TEA, Phthalates, Sodium Chloride and Propylene Glycol.

Remember, this is a thermal styling creme, so it must be used with a blow dryer for the best smoothing results. To use; distribute through towel dried hair. Blow dry while guiding your hair straight with your brush. Follow with a flat iron if so desired.

How much to use;

For fine hair – dispense the size of a pea and emulsify in your hands, then apply to hair

For medium hair – dispense the size of a dime and emulsify in your hands, then apply to hair

For thick hair – dispense a nickel size amount and emulsify in your hands, then apply to hair.

* A great feature of this creme – you can scrunch, diffuse or air dry  Smooth + Shine for a more natural look on wavy hair. Smooth + Shine can be applied to dry hair to help tame frizz.

Beauty, Business, Fashion, Hair Care, That girl in the red coat

Monday Motivator – Joico Hair Shake

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It’s Monday. In my part of the world, it’s raining. It’s damp, it’s dreary, it’s Monday. As I was opening the shop this morning, I caught my reflection and noticed that although my feet were soaked, the hem of my pants now resembled a Jackson Pollock canvas and my coffee was cold, my hair looked fabulous. This got me thinking – there are many things we cannot control; the weather, our child deciding that underwear and nothing else is appropriate school attire 10 minutes before the bell rings, the driver in front of us that doesn’t understand his left blinker from his right blinker, a man asking if it’s possible to wax his own balls…you get the picture. What we can control is our hair. We can. Really. We can.

Today is the beginning of yet another theme to help ease the pain and strain of Monday mornings. (well, every morning for that matter). Let me introduce you to That Girl in the Red Coat’s Monday Motivator! Each Monday yours truly will introduce you to a FAB! product to ensure a good hair day every Monday and everyday.

Let me introduce you to the newest member of the Joico Styling family – meet HairShake!

PhotoGrid_1430752272489Only two sprays of HairShake added this volume & texture!…if you love volume and texture…you are gonna LOVE this!

Hair Shake is a liquid to powder finishing texturizer. Yep! Liquid to powder! If you like the results of volumizing powders from OSIS Dust It or SexyHair Powder Play but not a fan of the powdery mess, Joico’s HairShake is for you. HairShake offers;

– texture and lift

– touchable and moldable layering styling grip = easy to create and recreate styles.

– lift and fullness at the root

– fast drying residue free and grit free finish = no powdery residue

– created for all hair types and lengths

– the BEST scent ever – fresh and clean

HairShake is to be applied to dry hair. To apply, give the bottle a good a shake then apply as desired. This has become one of my favorite styling products and every client we use it on in the Salon buys one for themselves. Many of my customers who love their volumizing powders are now fans of HairShake. It offers hold, texture and volume. The one feature that made me a fan – if I wanted to change my style, I could brush through my hair with ease and begin again. My hair was not weighed down and there wasn’t a sticky residue.

Head on over to Joico’s Instagram @joico and their website http://www.joico.com for great styling tips and fun tutorials.

 

 

 

 

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

Probiotic hair care…who knew?!

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A few weeks ago I heard one of my favorite phrases, “Sara, I have a new product. Give this a try and let me know what you think.”.  The product was the new Probiotic Color Care line by Onesta. If you are dealing with dry, damaged tresses and prefer to use  natural, environmentally friendly hair care products – this line is for you!

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Onesta is a lovely hair care line that has the best interest of you, your hair and the environment in mind. Onesta products contain natural fragrances, blended of plant extracts and botanical oils. Onesta products meet EU Compliance, are vegan, cruelty free and free of parabens and sulfates. For more information about Onesta here is a link to my tale Honestly Onesta;

Honestly Onesta

Onesta’s Proboitic Color Care Line has three products – Shampoo, Conditoner and a leave in Probiotic Treatment.

Probiotic Color Care Shampoo – contains color enhancing extracts of certified organic Chai & Fennel. *Fennel is known to help hair’s color to look more vibrant and keeps the color looking fresh. The exclusive formula of Lactobacillus Probiotics helps to promote a healthy scalp and the combination of quinoa and vegetable proteins protects, defends and strengthens damaged hair.

Probiotic Color Care Conditioner – Contains anti color fade extracts of certified organic Amla and Shea butter. The conditioner also contains the exclusive Lactobacillus Probiotic formula.

Probiotic Protein Treatment – a liquid leave in spray treatment that detangles and strengthens hair. *when applied to hair before a color application the Probiotic Protein Treatment helps to protect the hair and evens out the hair’s porosity for optimal color results.

First and foremost, I was pleasantly surprised by the Onesta’s Probiotic Color Care line. The shampoo is sulfate free yet had a nice lather – most sulfate free shampoo’s have little to no lather so many times we end up using too much. The conditioner slid through my hair with ease and left my hair feeling silky soft even though it was still wet. The leave in treatment…let me tell you – it smells wonderful, my tangles were worked out with ease and my hair felt soft and manageable. As you all know I am a bottled blonde – the Probiotic Color Care products did not leave my blonde brassy. I also have a blue streak and my color wasn’t diminished. My color, blonde and blue alike, actually seemed brighter and more vibrant. I used the Probiotic Color Care line for a few days before my latest color appointment and I have found my color to be a little brighter than usual…and we all know, when a woman is having a good hair day, everyone has a good day.

 

 

 

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

Product placement

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Every day I meet a woman who hates her hair. Everyday. The feel of it, the look of it, the texture of it, the length of it, you name it, there is something about their hair they just do not like. The commonality all these women have – they loved their hair when they were in their stylist’s chair. As every woman knows and few will admit – when you are having a good hair day, you love  your reflection and you feel like anything is possible. These women loved their hair the rest of the day. They received compliments in the express check out at the grocery store and from the clerk at the drive thru window. They received compliments from their loved ones at the dinner table and couldn’t help but to try to catch their reflection where ever possible. They woke up the next day, excited to do their hair and take on the day…and that is when it all fell apart. The compliments from the previous day became a distant memory and their belief that anything was possible all but vanished because after 30 minutes, they couldn’t style their new ‘do and they began to feel like a failure, they began to feel stupid that they couldn’t even accomplish the most simple of tasks, like styling their hair. All because they never received a proper product consultation from their stylist. That’s right, I said it. As a stylist, when you teach your client about what products to use and how to use them, 90% of your clients will be able to achieve the same style at home and will continue to have the same confidence in themselves that they had in your chair.

Everyday, and I mean everyday, you will find me teaching a woman how to use the product she already has. As you know, I manage a retail shop/Salon. I carry over 25 professional hair care lines and I love to sell. That being said, when a customer, lady or gent, comes into the shop with a concern over their hair, I always ask what they are using and how they are using it. Many times they are using the proper product, just using too much or too little of it. Sometimes the product they are using is not the proper product for the style they are trying to achieve. When I explain this to them, the first thing they always say is “why didn’t my stylist tell me?” – a question I often ask myself.

For all the stylists, Salon managers and Salon owners, our beloved industry is based on service, customer and client service. Educating our customers and clientele about their hair – not only cutting, coloring and styling. A key component to the consultation is being overlooked, the product and styling consultation and the retail sale. For those familiar with my Salon tales, you know I am a firm believer that retailing in the Salon is a must. It adds to the Salon revenue, it adds to the credibility of your stylists and it helps your clientele keep the look, feel and style of their hair after they leave the Salon. When they love their hair, they love you. When they hate their hair, well…you may be off their Christmas card list.

I have heard from many stylists that they don’t have time to retail products. I am here to tell you that you do. You have your client in your chair for a minimum of 45 minutes. You are chatting with them the whole time they are in your chair. You are reaching in front of them or around them for the products you are using in their hair. Many times they actually say “Wow! That smells great! What is that?” – if that isn’t an introduction to sell them the product they need for their new style, I don’t know what is. If you can talk about the Real Housewives and their escapades, you can take a moment to chat about their hair and how to take care of it. Being me, here is a little list to follow;

– while their color is processing, explain to them why using your Salon professional shampoo and conditioner are vital to keeping their color vibrant and their hair manageable.

– when your client is going for a fun and funky look with vibrant colors like red or blue, explain the importance of using the proper products to keep the colors vibrant for as long as possible. Explain to them how to wash their hair so the colors will not bleed together.

– while you flat iron their hair, use a flat iron spray and explain that it helps to protect their hair from the contact heat of the flat iron. Explain why you are using it and how much use.

– when curling your client’s hair, explain to them the difference between your Salon professional curling iron and the curling iron’s you can find at the department stores. Let your client know that the heat and quality of your Salon professional curling iron is the reason why their curl lasts.

– explain what the product is that you are using and how to use it. For example, if you are using a root boost, explain to your client it is to be applied at the root on damp hair before you blow dry.

– be sure to let your clients know that all your products are unisex – that anyone, man, woman or child can use them. I have met many men who loved a certain product but thought they couldn’t use it because their wife used it, and vice versa.

– when applying a conditioning treatment, explain the importance of it and the importance of using one at home on a weekly basis – especially for your high lift blondes.

– for your girls with curls – explain how they can embrace their curls with the proper products – that humidity resistant products will combat their frizz, there are gels and creams for curl definition and retention. That there are lines out there specifically designed for curly hair.

Take the time that you already have to educate your clients about their hair, plain and simple.

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

Tales of Truth – 17th edition

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Ladies and Gentlemen, boys and girls, gather ’round for the 17th edition of That Girl in the Red Coat’s tales of truth. I know that these tales are quite popular and are a fan favorite. I am beginning to wonder if you, my followers are sending people into my shop to see if their escapades and demands will make their way into my latest edition…sweet baby Jesus, I hope so.

A woman came into the shop asking if I sold hair clippers. I walked her over to our selection of clippers, explained their differences and their prices. Once I was finished she asked me “What kind of hair can I trim with these?”. I took a deep breath and asked “What hair do you want to trim?” as I silently told myself not to show it on my face as I wondered where I put the hand sanitizer. “Oh, the usual hair. My boyfriend’s hair, my hair, my pussycat’s hair. I like to give him a new spring hairdo every year.”. …thank god, she added cat to that sentence.

The phone rings and I answer with my standard greeting. “Yeah, Hi. Do you sell eyelashes?”. I let her know that we do retail false eyelashes and that the price ranges depending on if she wants acrylic or human hair eyelashes. “Oh my god! How do you get human eyelashes?!? Are they pulled out of people’s eyes and sold to the public?”. – I actually stood there, at the counter, took the phone away from my ear and stared at it.

We offer a great selection of flatirons. A woman came in because she needed to replace her flatiron. I showed her our selection and explained the differences in plate widths, which models had universal voltage and which were ceramic or titanium plates. She asked me “Why are there different widths to the plates?”. I let her know that it usually comes down to personal preference and that the 1 inch plate is the most popular because you can achieve a curl with it. “Why call it a flat iron if you can curl with it? It should be called a curling iron if you ask me!”.

A woman came in wanting to return her hairspray, slamming the bottle onto the counter, complaining that her hairspray wasn’t holding her style at all and that we had sold her crap. “Look at how wet and flat my hair is!”. Before I could look at the bottle she complained that her “leave in conditioner was a disappointment too!”. I took the bottle off the counter, turned it around to look at the label, gave it back to her and let her know that the bottle she wanted to return was her leave in conditioner and that she may have gotten the products mixed up. “Hmmpt….maybe that’s why my hair felt sticky when I was blowdrying.”.

A woman asked me what nail polish color was a good color. I let her know that the Spring collections were offering pastels and brights this year. So then she says “What color will I like?” I ask her “What is your favorite color?”. I guess that was the wrong question. “Look, I asked you what color would I like! Why won’t you tell me what color I would like?!?!”. I picked up the most popular pink shade and showed it to her, to which she told me “I don’t like pink.”.

The phone rings and before I can finish my greeting I hear “Yeah, I like colored my hair and it is kind of like red and gold, but more orange and kind of like yellow. Do you sell toner to fix it?”. I let her know that it would be best to go to a Salon and have them fix it for her, especially because I can’t see her hair to which she replied “I just told you the color it was.”.

With the temperatures rising and the days getting longer, those who have not ventured out in many months have decided to come out of their winter’s slumber and come into the shop with certain inquiries and questions. Once again, I cannot stress this enough…these are based on real events. I couldn’t make this shit up.

– Can nail polish remover be used on finger nails and toe nails?

– I used my foot cream on my hands. Do I need to see my doctor?

– Do I need to comb my husband’s back hair before I trim it?

– Can I use the glue from the dollar store on my false eyelashes?

– If my son uses my color shampoo will it color his hair?

– Will the scent of this hairspray bother my husband’s allergies?

– My car is in direct sunlight. Will my hairspray blow up while I am driving home?

– Do you color your hair so people won’t look at the scar on your neck? – this gem happened today

Last but never least, the piece de resistance…. A gentleman came into the shop inquiring about our hair removal products. He told me he had been going to someone for his “removal needs” but thought he could save some time and money having his own supplies at home. I showed him our selection of waxes and explained the difference between hard wax and cream waxes, which needed strips and which ones didn’t. “I have my girlfriend to help me with my back. I do have a question for you though. Is it possible for me to wax my own balls?”. Yep. His exact words. I looked him straight in the eye and told him that I wouldn’t suggest it, that it was possible and that there will be blood. “Maybe my girlfriend would do it for me” he said with  a wink and a smile and a nudge. I shit you not, a nudge. I just walked back  to the counter, rang through his purchase and wished him luck. …..a week later he came back to pick up a product his girlfriend had on hold. I knew who he was and what he had done. I rang through his purchase, wished him  a pleasant evening and that is when he quite proudly shared that “It worked and hardly any blood!”.

 

Dad's laugh