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

Tales of truth – Part 9

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Yes ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, it is time for that girl in the red coat’s tales of truth. A few months back I decided to change my “tales of truth” series to “full moon monthly” but with the holiday retail season in full swing, I have decided to bring back my original title, since full moon daily, well, doesn’t make sense and may disappoint certain internet users…wait for it…there you go. On with my tales of truth.

“Do you work here?” – a question posed to me as I am pricing and setting up our Christmas display of nail polishes and hand creams, while wearing my shirt with the Salon’s logo. “Yes, I do. I am the manager. Can I help you?” to which she answers “How do I know you are the manager?”…..sigh

A woman comes in asking if I carry Nioxin. I let her know that I do and that I carry the complete line. ( *a GREAT hair care line for anyone suffering from hair loss – check out http://www.nioxin.com – Mario Lopez is the new spokesperson – he is nice to look at…) As I show her my Nioxin display she tells me she just saw it at a department store for $10 less. “That sounds like a great deal, be careful though. When you see professional salon products at the department store it is diverted stock, so you cannot be guaranteed you are getting the real deal. We don’t know what is in those bottles or where they came from.”, to which she said “Oh yeah! Well….how do I know where your product came from huh?!”. – still find it amazing that a 50 year old woman reverts back to school yard tactics. I took a breath and told her I deal directly with the company that supplies Nioxin and I have the invoices to prove it to which she said “Well, I’m going to call Nioxin to find out if you are telling the truth!”, so I gave her their number.

As I am sitting at the front desk merrily humming along to the Christmas tunes echoing from the radio and making up some festive display signs, I hear the chirp of the shop’s door and before I can raise my eyes a woman is leaning over the counter and is about 5 inches from my face “CALL ME A CAB WOULD YA?”. I roll back on my chair – my savior from the close talker. “Pardon me?” I ask. “I need a cab. I just got out of a cab and I need another one.”. Alrighty. So I ask if there is a cab company she prefers to which she says “any one but the one I just used.”. I ask which one she used and she said “the one with the white signs”. …in my town, all 3 companies have white signs. So, I flip through the yellow pages, say a prayer and hope I choose the right cab company. As we are waiting for her cab to arrive, as she darts from my counter to the front door every 10 seconds awaiting her new cab, I was fortunate enough to get to hear all her lovely views on humanity, from cab drivers being lazy to her landlord being an ass to not giving to the Salvation Army because it’s not her fault that people are homeless. I went to correct her, then I remembered, you can’t fix stupid.

The phone rings. I answer with my standard cheery greeting.”Umm,,,yeah…like do you have anything that with help my friend’s hair?”. So, I ask what seems to be the issue with her “friends” hair. “Well….I…I mean she dyed it and it kind of looks funny.”. So, I let her know that I can’t give out color advice, especially over the phone and that I can’t see her “friends” hair. She offers to explain the color to me. I let her know it is best to come into the shop and I can introduce her to one of my stylists and we can go from there, to which she replies “How about I text you a picture of my hair…I mean my friends hair, ‘cuz thats what I did last time and you guys told me what to do”. This is how I found out, and then she found out, she had called the wrong place. ***IMPORTANT TIP*** Never, I mean EVER, take color advice over the phone. Until a stylist is applying color onto your hair, there is no way possible to know what is going to happen to your hair or how that color is going to process. Sure , in theory someone can guess at what will happen, but until it is being applied, there is no sure way of knowing.

A woman, whom I have never met, came into the shop and actually said “I need to pop into the grocery store…can I leave my son here with you? It’ll only be a minute.” …there are no words.

I have a bowl of candies at the front desk for our customers and clients. It is usually filled with Jolly Ranchers and Starburst. One day I didn’t have time for my usual stop for my candy pick up so while I was getting supplies for the shop I grabbed some flavored Tootsie Rolls since the store I was at didn’t carry Starburst. Later that morning as I was ringing through a customer, she made sure I knew that she was quite disappointed in me and my service because I no longer had Starburst in my candy dish and she was looking forward to one. Note to self – always have Starburst.

With that holiday season in full swing I am sure I will have many more festive tales coming your way.

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

Arrival

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“…and if I had to give you more, It’s only been a year, Now I got my foot through the door, And I ain’t goin nowhere, It took a while to get me here, And I’m gonna take my time, Don’t fight that bullshit in your ear, Now let me blow your mind.” – Let me blow ya mind – Eve featuring Gwen Stefani

Today’s tale is a personal one Beauties…more product reviews and tales of full moon adventures are on their way. Today, I feel this tale must be shared.

On November 10th, 2013, I attended the Contessa’s, the Academy Awards of hair if you will. As I described in my tale The Contessa and the castle,

The Contessa and the Castle

it was a night I will always remember, from the gorgeous hair creations and all the beautiful creativity that surrounded me to feeling like I belonged, that people “got me” and appreciated what I had to offer. It wasn’t until a few days later that I realized something else that magical evening had bestowed on yours truly. It was the first time that I can remember I wasn’t worried about what I looked like or how much I weighed. I was truly present in every experience, in every conversation, in every moment.  When I came to this realization, my eyes welled up a bit….thank goodness no one was in the shop. When I got home that night, I went through my photos of that night and I liked every picture of myself. I actually drove down to my parents house and when I was telling them about that evening, my mother told me that I looked like I did when I was a little girl, smiling, eyes shining and having fun without a care in the world. I can hear some of you now “Why is she going on about this?”. Good question. Here’s the answer/reason for the glimpse. There was a time when yours truly wouldn’t go out with her friends because I thought I was too fat. There were party’s I didn’t attend because I didn’t think I was pretty enough to attend. There was a time I thought I was too ugly to go see Phantom of the Opera. My hubby (then my boyfriend…proof it is love) had to drive me to my parents house to calm me down. I got in the car and full on freak out began – my hair was wrong, my dress was wrong, my face was wrong. (yeah, yeah, I know…the phantom was burned and covered with a mask and I thought my face was wrong.). So, not giving my looks and weight a second thought and liking my picture…it’s kind of a big deal.

At first I thought this new found self love was because I am now in my forties. Then I thought it was because I have had a hysterectomy – having the stupid cut out as the women in my clan like to call it. It was driving home from the grocery store, rockin’ along to the song mentioned above that I got it. My new found self love is because I am following my passion. I am being true to myself and in turn, true to everything I do and everyone I love. In less than 2 years, that girl that thought she was too fat and too ugly has a beauty blog following, has been and is being  featured on http://www.salonmagazine.com and is a contributing author to http://www.hairstyle-blog.com., so yeah “I got my foot through the door and I ain’t goin’ nowhere”. Yeah, it took me a while…about 30 years…but I got here. You can get here too.

As women , for some insane reason, we think we can’t be self fulfilled and be a good wife, mother or friend – take your pick. I am here to tell you that you can. Actually, not being fulfilled, not following your passion or your drive is exactly what will have a negative impact on your marriage, your family and your relationships. Now, before you go and pack your bags and tell your family “See ya! the towels are in the dryer!”, calm down. Treat others how you want to be treated – their time is just as important as yours, their dreams and hopes are  just as important as your own.

Find what make you happy. YOU happy – not your mother, your spouse, your partner, your nosey neighbor, YOU. From getting that pixie cut you have always wanted to buying  that flat iron so you can finally have calm to your curls. Becoming the blonde you always felt you were to tinting your eyebrows. Becoming the owner of a shop you have always envisioned in your head and have the sketches of the floor plans tucked away in a box in the attic to becoming more present in your life, in the conversations with your loved ones, in the moments of your day. When you are living the life you are meant to live, slowly but surely, things will fall into place, and it’s gonna blow ya mind.

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

The Contessa and the Castle

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Today’s tale is one of a personal nature. Today’s tale is for all the Beauties who are chasing their dreams and feeling like they are on a treadmill. Today’s tale is to reassure you all that when you follow your passion and listen to your own voice, the path towards your dreams will reveal itself  to you. On November 10th. 2013, yours truly had a moment. Actually, more like 100 moments. The powers that be and my lovely rep. Melodie from Piidea Direct shone a light my way and invited me to attend the Contessa’s. – for those of you not blessed to be in the Beauty Biz – being invited to the Contessa’s, in my eyes, is like being invited to the Academy Awards.

gala-contessa

First of all…HELLO! I was invited to the Contessa’s! Second…I was to stay at the Westin Harbour Castle….Hair, Beauty, Contessa’s and a castle…oh my! It was also my chance to meet the online editor of  www.salonmagazine.com –  Jillian Wood – a woman for whom I will be forever grateful, for she noticed my blog and in turn asked if I would share my Salon tales on their website – a day I will always remember and cherish. (little did she know that I every time I read Salon magazine I would say to whomever would listen “one day maybe my blog will be a part of this magazine”.). Jillian – Thank you.

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We arrived mid afternoon to a warm welcome from our valet. (I highly recommend valet service – for $10.00 more your vehicle is taken care of and you don’t have to walk a Toronto city block in stilletto’s.). Check in was a breeze and all the hotel staff were very professional and helpful. Warm welcomes and smiling faces at every turn. Fast forward to 5:30 p.m.. As I rode the elevator down to the lobby I couldn’t help myself and contain my giggles. As the elevator doors opened, the smell of cologne, perfume and hairspray filled the air…I was in heaven. At every turn I could see great shoes, beautiful dresses and ensembles and the most awesome hair styles. It was living and moving art in motion. I had arrived. I was surrounded by men and women who got me, who loved hair, who got giddy over a new curl or styling technique. I was surrounded by men and women who saw the beauty in the abilities of their fellow stylists, managers and educator’s, and celebrated it. I was honored to be seated at the ISO table, right up front with a perfect view of the main stage. (moment number 55…but who’s counting).

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The award ceremony was filled with cheers, music and great stage shows, my words cannot do it justice. Check out http://www.salonmagazine.com to see the webcast brought to us by CND Vinylux. After the celebrations ended at “The Castle” as I like to call it, a new celebration began at Brassaii night club for the after party. As for the after party…well…what happens at the after party stays at the after party.

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

The gift that keeps on giving

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Today’s tale is for my Beloved Beauties of the industry, for the Stylists, the Salon Managers and the Salon Owners. As October draws to a close, the ever present Holiday season is peaking over the horizon. Myself, I have been thinking about and planning for the Holidays since August. Before you ask, no, I do not have a Christmas sweater on, nor do I have the Jingle Cats as my ring tone. I have been thinking about and planning for the Holidays for the shop and for the Salon, hopefully you have too. I cannot stress this point enough – Retail is a vital part to any Salon, not only for the profits – for client retention. Trust me, I know of what I speak. At least once a week one of our retail customers becomes a client of our Salon, because we offer an array of products and different product lines, we offer our time to explain the product they are purchasing and we take the time to show how to apply the product…the Salon they used to go to does not.

The Holiday Season is the best time of the year to introduce some retail items to your Salon or to add to your existing retail line up. All the companies offer great Holiday packs with HUGE savings to the customer/client and to the Salon. The perks of offering retail during the Holiday Season ;

– Many holiday packs come with a free sample size of a new product – A terrific way of introducing your clientele to a new product.

– All holiday packs offer a HUGE savings, some up to 40% – another great way to introduce your clientele to a new product line. * ( offering your clientele a savings can help alleviate their worry of spending too much)

– Holiday packs are a great introduction to your clientele to show them the difference between Professional Salon products and the products they find at the local department/drug store. It helps your clientele realize the worth of spending a few extra dollars year round for great hair.

– Offering retail to your clientele helps them to achieve Salon results at home. Their hair will be more nourished and in turn more appointments will be made, because your clientele will know that you care about how they feel about their hair, and that you care about how their hair looks in between appointments.

– Holiday packs are great for those last minute gift idea’s. *Husbands/Partners LOVE them – takes away all the guess work about what to buy. (…and the product is prepacked – no worries about a box or bag).

– Flat Irons and curling irons are always on sale in November and December, in turn you can retail them at a lower price than suggested retail. Explaining to your clientele the difference between Professional styling tools and those they will find at the local department store will make the sale – honestly – telling them that they can have the same curls at home or the same sleek straight hair at home with the tools you sell – they will buy them.

– Speak with your reps. Many times they are able to give you a holiday pack free of charge that in turn you can offer as a draw to all your clientele and customers. Every December our shop offers weekly draws every week until Christmas – Always a hit!

Now, before you get all “What about after the holidays? What do I do with all the leftover packs?”. Well, first of all, if you are promoting the products with every client and customer, you shouldn’t have many left. For those few packs that are left over, an alternative is to separate the product and put each separate bottle on sale of a few dollars less then regular retail. Your clientele and customers are still receiving a savings and your Salon is still making a profit.

A Salon that offers retail will; increase the retention of existing clientele, increase their walk-in traffic and become more profitable, plain and simple. How do I know? I see it happen every day. I do it everyday. Retail, when truly embraced by all in the Salon, can cover all the expenses of the Salon – rent, utilities etc… . Again, I know of what I speak. I do it everyday.

Retail at the Holiday season (and all year ’round…had to add that ) helps the Salon and helps the clientele, it truly can be the gift that keeps on giving.

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

Step away from the scissors and listen for a minute

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“This is not what we discussed. Look at my hair! What am I going to do? I can’t go to work looking like this!”. – you are picturing a woman right now, aren’t you? Yes, most people picture a woman uttering these phrases when she has received a bad hair cut…and that is the first problem. Women are not the only ones that suffer from bad hair days and bad hair cuts. Our lovely gents do as well. Actually, in my experience, men seem to be the victim of bad a hair cut/style more often than women. For some reason, many stylists seem to think for their male clientele. A gentleman comes in looking for a new style and ends up walking out with the same cut his father gave him sitting in the kitchen with the #1 guide…when he was 4 years old.

As you know, I manage a retail shop/salon. I have many men come into the shop for their hair products, from KMS HAIRPLAY Molding Paste to d:fi molding cream. Some of my lovely gents like to spike up their hair with Joico Ice Spiker and some like to slick it back with American Crew Firm Gel. Some gents like a bit of shine – SOMA Prism spray is a great choice -no hold, just lovely shine, and some like a matte finish – AG STUCCO is great and a big seller. What all my lovely gents have in common is they want to look good. They want to look professional and creditable in their profession – from Welder to Physician. What they don’t want is the “Charlie Brown” head, or as mentioned above, the cut they had from dear old Dad.

Many times, unfortunately, men come into the shop asking me “Do you sell clippers?” – they ask this because they feel their only option is to shave their head because they just cannot face another bad cut, or having another stylist not listen to them when they tell them what they don’t want their hair to look like. I know, believe me, I know that clients/customers do not always explain themselves very well. It is our job, as managers, owners and stylists to take the time to be sure we understand what it is our clients/customers want. When the gentleman in your chair says he wants it short – ask him how short. Place your fingers on his head as a point of reference if need be – every stylist has had a client that when they said take a few inches off, they really meant half an inch. What the client pictures as short may not be what you, as the stylist, pictures as short. You need to clarify. You need to be clear. You need to stop thinking for your client. If you are not sure of how to cut men’s hair, or you only know 3 cuts for our gents – pick up a copy of Canadian Hairdresser, or Salon magazine or hop on Google and go to http://www.behindthechair.com and check out the images and tutorials.

Think about this for a minute, I mean really think about it – what would happen if a woman sat in your chair with shoulder length hair and said she wanted something shorter and you gave her a pixie cut, because that’s what you thought she wanted and you thought that would be best…what would happen? A meltdown of Nuclear proportions, that’s what. When a woman is sitting in your chair looking for a change or something shorter, as a stylist, you may spend up to 20 minutes on a consultation, to be sure you know exactly what it is she wants, how she styles her hair at home, what products she likes to use on her hair and what she has done with her hair in the past. I believe our Gents are worth the time as well. Men are a key component to a successful Salon and retail business – they deserve our attention.

In my 20 years of customer service and in my 10 plus years in our beloved biz of Beauty, I know one thing with absolute certainty. Women may give you a second chance. Men will not, and honestly, when they aren’t being listened to…who can blame them?

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

More options than the “comb over”

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Today’s tale is about hair loss. Women and hair loss. Yes, it’s true. Ladies suffer from the effects of hair loss just as much as the gents – we just don’t talk about it. It isn’t the kind of thing people like to talk about at parties. Today I am gonna get this conversation going  to shed some light on the reasons for hair loss and how we can control and even stop hair loss in it’s tracks and even help the weakened hair that you currently have become stronger. Now lets get this party started.

Before I begin, take a breath and remember, it’s gonna be alright. Don’t be frightened. Remember, knowledge is power. There are five known factors of hair loss;

Genetics – A family history of hair loss. Testosterone turns into DHT (Dihydrotestosterone) – a natural occuring age related hormone. Too much testosterone = the body turns it into DHT. Before you go and yell at your Dad – too much testosterone can come from Mommy too.

Nutrition and Diet – a diet that is higher in animal fats, rapid weight loss and liquid protein diets can result in a lack of amino acids such as biotin, zinc and iron – all of which are an essential component for healthy hair.

Stress/Trauma – stress and trauma can increase the production of testosterone which in turn can increase the production of DHT – this interrupts  the growth cycle of the hair.

Medication – certain medications can and will affect the growth cycle of hair. Many hormone therapies (even the Birth Control Pill), steroids, some forms of chemotherapy, heart medications and thyroid hormone replacement can be the culprits of more tresses being found in your hair brush. Always speak with your Doctor when you find any change in your skin, hair or overall well being. Sometimes altering the dosage can help stop or slow down hair loss.

Over all Health – changes in lifestyle, such as weight loss, illness, and pregnancy can affect your cycle of hair growth.

Now, before you go and Google the nearest wig shop, or run into your bathroom and count the hairs in your hair brush, take a breath. I have given you some of the reasons why you may be losing your hair or why your hair is thinning. Now I am going to give you a solution. I am giving you a tried and true answer – a product that can stop hair loss in it’s tracks and help your hair become more nourished and stronger, in turn, help it grow. The product is NIOXIN.

NIOXIN is a hair care line formulated for men and women who are suffering from thinning hair and hair loss. The key to NIOXIN is it is a 3 product system – using all 3 products is key and to achieve the best results. The Cleanser(shampoo), Scalp Therapy(conditioner) and The Scalp & Hair Treatment (a leave in). *The Scalp & Hair Treatment is key – it cleanses the scalp and follicle. NIOXIN offers systems for those of us that do not chemically treat their hair – System 1 (normal to thin looking) & System 2 (noticeably thinning), for those of us that chemically treat our hair (perm/color/chemically straighten) you would choose System 3 (normal to thin looking) & System 4 (noticeably thinning). *If your hair is more medium to coarse, System’s 5 & 6 are the systems formulated for your hair.

NIOXIN offers a beautiful array of conditioning treatments and styling products, from deep conditioners to mousse to hairspray. Many of the styling products are alcohol free. If volume is what you are looking for, let me introduce you to your new best friend… NIOXIN DIAMAX. This serum increases the thickness of each existing hair strand and makes the hair look and feel 3 times fuller. Dispense a pea size amount ( I kid you not – a little goes a long way!) It can be applied before blow drying or on dry hair to add the extra bit of height.

Check out their website http://www.nioxin.com for more information, great styling tips (that don’t include the comb over) and beautiful support.

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

Make the call

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Today’s tale is for the Stylist’s and Salon owners. Today’s tale is about the ever present “no show” and how it disrupts the day, if not the week at the Salon. Now, before I get a “PREACH IT SISTA!” from all the stylists out there, you may want to hold back your enthusiasm a wee bit, for today’s tale is about the responsibility of the no show – the Stylist’s responsibility.

No one likes being stood up. No one likes standing around, waiting and wondering if their client is going to show up, wondering if their client is just running late, kicking themselves for not taking the walk in that just arrived because they weren’t sure if their client was coming or not. From time to time a stylist will have a “no show” – a client that doesn’t come in for their scheduled appointment. No call. No text. No show. Not only is this a disregard for the Stylist’s time, it also is taking income out of their pocket and potentially interfering with the rest of their scheduled appointments. This is one Salon problem that has the easiest of solutions. Call your client’s the night before their appointment to confirm the appointment. It really is that simple. The Dentist does it. The Doctor does it. You can do it too.

Think about it. It’s a win/win situation. You have helped your client remember his/her appointment and saved them the ever dreaded embarrassed phone call two days later, and you now know what your following day looks like and you can plan accordingly. I know you can’t control everyone and what they do, trust me, I know. Sure, there is the chance you call and confirm the appointment and the next day you have a no show. The upside to this is that now you know that this client is not reliable and next time they want to book with you, (if you choose to let them) you know not to schedule their appointment at a peak time.

On many occasions, be it at classes, hair shows or discussions with Stylists and Reps., I have heard the same phrases, over and over;

– “I don’t have time to call my clients”.

– “I’m too busy to call my clients”

– “I don’t want to bother my clients at home.”.

– “I hate those kind of calls, so I won’t do them.”.

Guess what? Since you didn’t confirm your appointments for this week, there is a good chance that you will have time to call your clients, because without proper confirmation, the chance of a no show increases. As Stylists, you know how much your time is worth, you charge for it everyday. If you are able to ask $150.00 for a cut and color without blinking, you are able to call your client to confirm their appointment. The client is worth it, and so are you. As for the “hate those calls” – you may not like them, but many people appreciate them. No woman alive wants to forget her root touch up appointment.

I have been in the Beauty Biz for many years. I know first hand how busy Salon’s and Stylist’s can be, some days there isn’t time for a sandwich, let alone a bathroom break. I also know that we do have down time, to place orders, to eat, to have that much needed bathroom break and to make a phone call or two. Honestly, if you have time to search new up do ideas on Pinterest, you have time to confirm an appointment or two. Being me, I made up a little list, for those of you who do not know where to begin;

– Make confirming appointments part of the receptionist’s job description.

– when you are re-booking your clients, let them know to expect a courtesy call, a reminder the day before their appointment. * think about it, our clients book 4 -6 weeks ahead. Life gets in the way and people tend to forget things. More often than not, your client will be grateful for your consideration.

– If your Salon doesn’t have a receptionist, have each stylist call their own clients at the end of the day. Make it part of the nightly routine – sweep floors, clean station, confirm tomorrow’s appointments. – it really is that easy.

– Sit down as  a team and decide upon a no show rule. Many Stylists and Salons now charge a fee for a no show. *IMPORTANT* – you can only charge a fee for a no show if you have a policy in place that you confirm all appointments. Lets be fair here.

A real plus of confirming your appointments…if your client has to cancel, now you can call the clients that need to come in earlier, or that are on a cancellation list and you have over 12 hours to do it, instead of 20 minutes. Confirming appointments takes 5 – 10 minutes and can save you hours of headache. Make the call.

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

All StyleSign’s point to Goldwell

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Today’s tale is about Goldwell – a beautiful hair care line that offers something for every hair type and every styling issue or demand. Goldwell offers a beautiful array of shampoo’s and conditioner’s for all hair types and hair woes. Today’s focus is on their styling products. Many of Goldwell’s styling products offer shine, color protection and thermal protection. Some  of Goldwell’s styling products are Humidity Resistant (fights frizz) as well, such as;

– Big Finish Volume Hairspray

– Diamond Gloss Micro Fine Shine Spray

– Hot Form Heat Styling Lotion

– Flat Marvel Straightening Balm

– Sleek Perfection Thermal Spray Serum

– Crystal Turn Curl Gel Wax

Over the past couple of  years, Goldwell has also revamped their styling line…before you start to hyperventilate that your favorite product is no longer, calm down and take a breath. Again. Now, as you know my aim is always to educate and enlighten. Below you will find a list of Goldwell products that have  been discontinued and replaced by another. You’re welcome.

– Brilliance Radiant Star. Goldwell suggests to use DIAMOND GLOSS. Same shine as Radiant Star (use sparingly on fine hair)

– Natural Hot Darling Styling Lotion. Goldwell suggests HOT FORM (*NEW) – provides easier shaping, improved heat protection and more hold than Hot Darling.

– Wild Profiler Mousse Wax. Goldwell suggests UNLIMITOR – easier to distribute and more hold than Profiler

– Wild Supervisor. Goldwell suggests SUPEREGO – easier to apply and slightly more hold than Supervisor

– Brilliance Luxury Affair. Goldwell suggests JUST SMOOTH Moisturizing Styling Milk (*NEW) – slightly smoother and softer than Luxury Affair

– Natural Nice Balance Calming Milk. Goldwell suggests JUST SMOOTH Moisturizing Styling Milk (*NEW) – Slightly smoother and softer than Nice Balance.

– Curl Move Control Curl Putty. Goldwell suggests CURL LOVE (*NEW) – More smooth than Move Control and offers a natural shine.

– Wild Composer Styling Gel. Goldwell suggests LAGOOM GEL – Improved heat protection and more hold than Composer

– Wild Hardliner Acrylic Gel. Goldwell suggests LAGOOM GEL – Softer and less hold than Hardliner

– Wild Modeler Shaping Spray. Goldwell suggests BIG FINISH –  Quicker drying speed and more hold than Modeler.

– Natural Lite Kiss Flexible Spray. Goldwell suggests MAGIC FINISH – More hold and gloss than Lite Kiss.

– Natural Flexi Whip Flexible Mousse. Goldwell suggests GLAMOUR WHIP – More hold and gloss than Flexi Whip.

– Brilliance Jewel Shimmer. Goldwell suggests SPUN SHINE -Softer and less hold than Jewel Shimmer.

Goldwell’s Styling line is color coded and displays the hold factor right on the packaging – the higher the number = more hold.

VOLUME line = Silver/Blue packaging

GLOSS line = Silver/Pink packaging

STRAIGHT line = Silver/Purple packaging

TEXTURE line = Silver/Orange packaging

NATURAL line = Silver/Yellow packaging

CURL line = Silver/Green packaging

Check out their website at http://www.goldwell-northamerica.com for great tips and info. on the newest additions to their line.

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

Let’s clarify the situation

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Everyday at the shop I am asked if I carry a “clarifying shampoo”. The answer is always yes. Almost every professional Salon line has a clarifying shampoo available in a retail size. Before I hand it over to my customer’s, I always ask them why they are looking for a clarifying shampoo. The reason I ask is this – many people have been given the incorrect information about clarifying shampoo’s, and you know me, I gotta educate, I gotta enlighten.

Clarifying shampoo’s are exactly that. They clarify the hair – they remove product build up, mineral deposit/build up (from well water for example), and chlorine buildup. Professional clarifying shampoo’s will not lift color, will not make you more blonde or remove your perm. It isn’t recommended to use a clarifying shampoo if you have just had your hair colored – it could affect the vibrancy of the color – try to wait at least a week or two. Some people have been told a clarifying shampoo will help with dandruff, not always the case. Some people may get a build up of product on their scalp, so yes, a clarifying shampoo would work and stop the flakes. If you suffer from psoriasis or chronic dandruff all a clarifying shampoo is going to do is dry you out more and cause more flakes. – check out my blog “Save your shoulder checks for changing lanes” archived April 2012 for awesome products custom made for those issues. Also, some people have been told clarifying shampoo’s will help with an oily scalp. Again, not always the case. Drying out the scalp may cause the scalp to produce more oil. Suffering from oily scalp? – RUSK Purity, Senscience Specialty Shampoo and JOICO Daily Care treatment shampoo are gems!

You may have heard that clarifying shampoo’s dry out the hair. Yes, in some circumstances they can, usually when they are over used, or not a professional salon brand. Being me, I have compiled a little go to list to clarify the situation…couldn’t help myself.

JOICO Kpak Chelating Shampoo – contains a triple action formula that removes mineral deposits, chlorine and styling product buildup while moisturizing the hair.

KMS HAIR STAY Clarifying Shampoo – leaves your hair feeling clean and healthy, not dry or feeling stripped. Gentle enough for daily use *Great for swimmers!

AG Renew – Mild yet massively effective. Cruelty free – they love bunnies

REDKEN Hair Cleanse – formulated with fruit acids to add shine while removing buildup.

SOMA Clarifying Shampoo – Awesome at removing the green chlorine stains on blondes. Vegan, Biodegradable, Alcohol free, Paraben free and Formaldehyde free.

So there you have it. Clarifying shampoo’s may be used once a week or once a month, depending on how many styling products you use, your hair type and how often you wash your hair. It is an awesome idea to clarify your hair before a color service – think of it as a blank canvas for an artist to work upon. Situation – clarified.

Beauty, Business, lifestyle, That girl in the red coat, Women

The Heart of the matter

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For those of you who follow my blog, you are well aware that my hubby had a heart attack. The last thing any couple expects, especially at 39. I wanted to revisit my personal tale with you all one more time. We received some terrific news, from three separate M.D.’s, that my beloved is well on his way back to a normal life. The past 9 months have been the greatest of struggles for my beloved, for my family and for me. I won’t get too deep into the details because, not to get all Rhonda Byrne on you, I no longer wish to give the negative any more power.

Over the past months, I have had to cancel plans at the last minute. I have had to say “no” a lot, to a lot of people and occasions and I didn’t always give the real reason, the reason being that my husband didn’t feel well and was in pain. I didn’t always disclose the severity of it all to everyone because it was what was happening to him, I was not going to let it start to define him. There is more to my beloved than his health/heart issues and I was going to do all I could to protect that. I also stayed home because of my lovely daughter. It was bad enough she had to see the initial heart attack. I wasn’t about to leave her home alone with her Dad not feeling well and all that entailed.

The purpose of today’s tale you ask? The point is this – you never know what someone else is going through, so try not to take their actions or their behavior so personally. As I have had to realize in my 41 years, it’s not always about you. A lesson all of us in the beauty biz and retail biz should learn. Sure, there are those who are nasty for the sake of being nasty – those Nellie Oleson’s need our pity, not our anger. I am talking about;

– the woman who comes in looking for Sebastian Shaper Plus and when you tell her it is on order, she looks through you and scowls “what a waste of my time”. Instead of getting upset, I ask her if I can have her number so I can call her when it comes in and I can hold a can for her. In this case, she just looked at me, put her hands down on the counter and said “thank you, that would be so helpful.”. – you see, she was on her way to the funeral home. Her mother had just passed away, and she had buried her brother the month before.

– a woman complaining that all the mousses and root boosts are crap and don’t work in her hair. When I ask her what other products she uses and who colors her hair, I come to find out that she is on chemo and she didn’t like her hair color so she used a box dye and didn’t like that, so used another box dye the next day. I gave her some conditioning treatment samples and explained why it isn’t a good idea to color your hair twice in two days. After 15 minutes, she calmed down and thanked me, and apologized…and purchased some product.

So, the next time someone is being nasty, or plans get cancelled with a reason you feel is an excuse, or your client starts to lose it because her favorite hairspray is on back order, take a minute and try getting down to the heart of the matter. You never know, you may be the only glimpse of kindness that person has seen all day….if they come into the shop with a faulty flat iron in their hand – still be kind. Just be sure to duck.