April 2011 Pick up our current Newsletter in the salon!
Anti Aging
What are some of the best ways to stop the aging clock? Here are a few ideas and tips to keep you looking and feeling younger, happier, and healthier:
Fight Aging with Beauty Products
Yes, beauty products most certainly help with the anti-aging process. The first one, the most obvious, and yet the most overlooked product is sunscreen. Use this generously! Look for skin creams, lotions, even leave-in hair conditioners that offer SPF protection. The more you protect your skin from the sun, the younger you will look. Remember the days when women protected their milk-white complexion with umbrellas? They were certainly on to something!
You're doing all the right things in terms of taking care of your skin, keeping your hair well styled, conditioned, and colored. All these steps
Fight Aging with Good Hair Care:
More women dye their hair today than 30 years ago. The reason is clearly evident when you look at photos of people 30 and 50 years ago, and you look at the grandmas of today. Today's women look younger, healthier, more energetic, in fact they seem to glow. Why? Because they continue to get their hair professionally styled and colored. This does wonders for your self-esteem, and it takes years, sometimes even decades off your age. When you're looking to find ways to save, look elsewhere in your budget. Hair styling and coloring make a huge difference in how you look and feel as you age.
Does what I eat make a difference?
Yes, what you eat can have a very definite effect on how you age. Eat air-popped popcorn or other whole grains like brown rice and oatmeal. These cut your production of C-reactive protein that increases the aging process by 38%! These foods also help keep you trim and healthy. Eat artichoke hearts to reduce plaque buildup in your arteries, reversing aging of your liver, the main detoxifying organ of your body. Add berries to your diet, any kind…blueberries, blackberries, strawberries…these have 12 times more antioxidants than other fruits, age-defying compounds that love you!
February 2011
Have you noticed your hair isn't quite as shiny and full of body as it seems to be in the summer?
It's not really a surprise. During the winter our hair really suffers. We crush it with hats, and then we heat it, and sometimes even dampen it with perspiration, leaving a residue of salt on it. Or, we dispense with the hat and just head out into the cold and wind that batters our hair, causing it to rub strand against strand. This doesn't even begin to cover the temperature extremes of going from the bitter cold outside, to the dry and heated air inside.
And what's even worse, one of our favorite activities in the winter, that long, hot shower is about the worst thing we can do to our hair cuticles. It's not good for our skin, and it is not good for our hair. Hot water raises microscopic layers on each strand of hair, making our hair dull looking and frizzy.
How do we battle this? You could spend the winter in the Bahamas, but that brings with it other problems, both for our hair and our pocketbook. The best thing to do is to pamper your hair in the winter:
After you're shampooed, turn the water to as cool as setting as you can stand, and give your hair one final rinse with this cool water. This forces the layers of hair to lie back down, giving you a much shinier appearance.Use a boar bristle brush when you brush your hair. This distributes the natural oils of your hair from root to top, giving you a nicely polished look. Additionally, it is more difficult to build up static electricity with natural fibers, so you will have fewer fly-aways.As with your hot shower, when you are blow-drying your hair, finish each section with a burst of cool air. Again, this forces the cuticle layers of your hair to lie flatter, creating a larger reflective surface, which translates to shiny hair.One of my favorite tools is a shine spray. (Be careful! A little bit goes a very long way.) This provides an additional shine when you simply cannot seem to tame your hair. Deep conditioning and moisturizing. Our hair is constantly exposed to the elements, whether it is summer or winter, but dry winter air and temperature extremes are especially damaging to our hair. A once-a-week deep conditioning therapy or daily moisturizer will give your hair the pampering it really needs.
Ask your stylist for recommendations for any of the above suggestions. They have products that are especially formulated for your hair type, and your stylist knows your hair better than anyone!
March 2011 Does Cutting Hair Make it Grow Faster or Longer?
Yes, this myth has been around for a very long time and the answer is, "No, cutting your hair does not make it grow faster or longer."
However, what it does do is it cuts off the dry, damaged, and split ends that make your hair appear thin and lifeless. Freshly cut hair will give the appearance of thicker and healthier hair. For some people, this is the only way to get their hair to grow longer because their hair may be especially prone to splitting and breakage.
If you routinely wear hair clips or pull your hair back into pony tails, you are damaging your hair, and the only way to eliminate this damage is to cut off the damaged portions and treat your hair more gently in the future.
Does coloring destroy my hair?
Not necessarily. When your hair is colored properly by a trained stylist or colorist, your hair can give the appearance of greater health and shine than it did before you entered the salon. Coloring your hair can also give you an emotional and psychological boost that will help with your self-esteem and with how you are perceived in the workplace. However, many home coloring kits can do untold damage to your hair, especially if they are used incorrectly, used too frequently, or when trying to change the color of your hair by more than two shades. A skilled colorist can do a lot to rectify these mistakes, but even they have limits if you have over-dyed your hair with an at-home kit. When considering a color change, always seek the advice of a trained professional. They will help you to match color to your skin tone, making your color choice look very natural and no one the wiser that you are coloring your hair.
Is Conditioner really necessary?
Perhaps a deep conditioner is not necessary for everyone, but conditioner will help your hair by eliminating static electricity, strengthen it when styling, and keep it healthy and shiny. If you color your hair, or spend a lot of time in harsh environments (sun, wind, chlorine, etc.) you will want to condition your hair regularly.
OLDER NEWSLETTERS
OCTOBER 2010
What Your Salon Does for You
When we are all watching our money, we sometimes wonder if we could get by with cutting back on a few things. And the answer is, a qualified yes. I say qualified, because you have to make sure that what you’re cutting back on will result in true savings in every way.
There certainly are shops that will give you a haircut for a pretty inexpensive price. They will even do color, highlights, and relaxers.
The question you have to ask yourself, however, is whether that discount shop has the best qualified people for the job. My son thought he’d save a few dollars and went to a discount shop for a haircut. He was not only disappointed, he was infuriated. He absolutely hated his haircut, and he ended up going to another salon to have them fix the cut. It ended up shorter than he had originally wanted, but by then, he was out of choices.
Fortunately, hair grows out, and a bad haircut doesn’t always take forever to recover from. A bad job dying your hair, a bad Fortunately, hair grows out, and a bad haircut doesn’t always take forever to recover from. A bad job dying your hair, a bad perm, or highlights left on too long can damage your hair and can take months to recover. Sometimes the only solution is to cut off the seriously damaged portions.
Your salon charges appropriate rates because the people they hire to style your hair, and color or highlight your hair are highly trained and fully understand what they are doing. You will be happy with the results.
Additionally, the products your salon sells are far superior to those you find in discount stores. Most of the products in those stores are knock-offs, and are not made with the ingredients you are expecting. The products you most need to purchase from your salon are shampoo and conditioner. The third product will either be a leave-in conditioner, or a styling wax or mousse…because they make your hair “out of the ordinary”.
It gives you a “salon-quality” result and you can see the difference. This difference will be evident each day, every day.
My favorite reason for visiting a salon, however, is being treated like a special person. I’m greeted by name. It is flattering that they remember that I like cream in my coffee (always complimentary) and it is the one time I’ll give in to a tasty treat that is always available. My stylist is always happy to see me, eager to hear what’s new in my life. My shampoo is never complete without the short but invigorating massage all the way down my neck. This treatment is the biggest reason I return to my salon, Elegant Entourage.
What’s My Perfect Hair Style?
This is a very common problem for most people. At one time or another we doubt that we are truly wearing our hair in a style that is most flattering to us. Then we begin to wonder what our “look” really should be. Let me put your mind at ease. No matter what you do to your hair, it will eventually grow out and you can start again. Nothing is actually permanent. Once we reassure ourselves with this knowledge, we can be a little more bold and brave when it comes to trying new ideas.
As time passes, our hair and our face changes. By changing your style and length, you can make the very best of those changes. What used to work for you when you were sixteen may not be your very best look at 36. The real secret to hair-style success, however, is recognizing that some of the classic hairstyles we see over and over again are the result of what hair does naturally.
You may have a desire to have a particular hair style, but unless it reflects the naturally beauty of your hair, it may not actually suit you. Everyone has a natural hair type, and getting a cut that is shaped and styled specifically for them is what will bring out the natural beauty of your hair. Take time to evaluate your hair. Ask your hairstylist to help you identify the good qualities and characteristics of your hair. Then together, you can design your style that best suits your face and your hair.
By taking time to get a really good style, you’ll be able to wash, comb, and go OR you can primp and prep to your heart’s delight. A good hairstyle will allow you to do either, saving you time when you most need it, but ensuring that you will still look fantastic.
You can do a few things to change the characteristics of your hair including coloring, curling, or getting a relaxer. Remember, none of these are permanent. If you find that it does not work as well as you’d hoped, then a little time, and you have a new opportunity. Work with your hair, rather than trying to fight it. Finding what your hair does best at each phase of your life will augment your lifestyle and bring out the true you.NEWSLETTER October 2009
Newsletter October 2009
Old Wives’ Tales about Hair
What you don’t know, can work against you.
Myths and legends regarding how you should treat your hair abound, both in the home and in some hair salons. They might seem harmless, but they can prevent you from achieving the very best look you can. Let’s evaluate them:
1.In order to make your hair grow faster, trim it often. This myth has its origin in some truth…that when you’re trying to grow out your hair, getting a trim will get rid of the split and broken ends, making your hair appear healthier. And that is the reason for cutting it. Hair grows at the same rate regardless of how often you cut it. Here’s a tip: If you’re trying to grow your hair out, let it grow about three inches, then get one inch trimmed off. This gives your hair stylist the opportunity to give you some shape and style to your cut while you’re growing your hair out. Periodic trims do help prevent breakage up the hair shaft.
2.Cutting your hair short makes it thicker. Nope. But it does give the illusion of thickness. Longer hair weighs itself down. Shorter hair with shaped layers allows hair to lie on top of one another, providing height and an illusion of thicker hair.
3.Coloring your hair makes it thicker. Again, this is not correct. Coloring can alter the texture of your hair, and for many women this seems to make their hair thicker. Coloring can add a dimension of fullness that gives you more texture, more volume. But you cannot count on coloring making your hair thicker. Some women color their hair because they want thicker hair. They’re usually disappointed. But if you color your hair, and the additional texture makes it easier for you to style your hair, then coloring your hair gives you this bonus. Color also adds depth and richness to the color of your hair, helping it to reflect light more, and this can also give an illusion that your hair is thicker and healthier.
4.Product doesn’t make any difference in your hair. If you believe this one, then you haven’t been reading the series on hair styling that we just completed last month. Unless you’re bald, product makes a huge difference in how your hair behaves. The key is that you don’t need a full arsenal of products to make your hair behave…you just need the ones that work for you. This is where you work with your stylist to find the products that make the difference you need in order to look and feel more beautiful.
The top 100 things every stylish woman should own. Follow along with us each month as we check off these items.
Only the real Diva's will have all 100 items already.
For the rest of us keep working on it!
1. A-Lined Dress 2. Animal Print
3. Ankle Bootie 4. Aviators (sunglasses)
5. Ballet Flats
6. Bangles 7. Belts 8. Bikini
9. BlackBerry (or PDA)
10. Black Opaque Stockings
11. Blazer
12. Boyfriend Cardigan
13. Brooch/Pin
14. Cable-knit Sweater (wear slim pants to balance the proportions)
15. Caftan (dress it up or wear it over a bikini)
16. Camel coat (a golden tan-coloured coat to give your black winter coat a break)
17. Cape (keep everything underneath tailored)
18. Cashmere sweater (invest in good quality)
19. Charm bracelet (document your life's milestones)
20. Clutch (perfect purse for a night out)
21. Cocktail ring (the louder, the better)
22. Converse (classic cool sneakers)
23. Cosmetics bag (keeps everything organized)
24. Cowboy boots (always wear jeans over the boots)
25. Cuff (a hefty bracelet)
26. Denim jacket (go super dark or super faded)
27. Diamond studs (fake or real, doesn't matter)
28. Driving shoe (a loafer with rubber grips on the soles)
29. Espadrilles (stacked shoes with twisted cord soles)
30. Evening gown (dark and neutral colours will never go out of style)
31. Exotic-skin bag (crocodile, snakeskin and ostrich are the staples)
32. Fishnets (the smaller the mesh, the better)
33. Frye harness boot (a classic boot from a solid company)
34. Fur (real or fake will do)
35. Gentleman's hat (try a fedora)
36. Gloves (leather driving gloves are edgy)
37. Havaianas (flip-flops from Brazil)
38. Hobo bag (a slouchy, hold-everything bag)
39. Hoop earrings (the bigger the hoop, the thinner it should be)
40. Investment bag (very pricey bags, ie. The Birkin)
41. iPod/mp3 player (fill it with fashion tunes, ie. Sunglasses at Night by Corey Hart or Upgrade You by Beyonce or Danity Kane Rocking Stilettos)
42. Jeans (stretch is key)
43. Jewelry pouches (essential for the traveler)
44. Khakis (dress these pants up or down)
45. Knee boots (should hit just below the knee)
46. Leather pants (buy tight -- they'll stretch)
47. Lingerie (a silk slip is essential)
48. Little black dress (accessorize to mix it up)
49. Little white dress (spice it up with bold jewelry)
50. L.L. Bean tote (sturdy bags to tote anything)
51. Luggage (have it monogrammed)
52. Mad money (an emergency $50 stashed deep in your purse)
53. Man's white shirt (must be a crisp button-down)
54. Mary Janes (a pointy toe and high heel add glamour)
55. Minnetonka moccasin (both ankle and boot versions work)
56. Missoni knit (invest in a wild knit dress from this designer)
57. Monogrammed stationery (denotes style and effort)
58. Motorcycle jacket (this beat-up staple is always in style)
59. Nail polish (go to extremes -- no midway colours)
60. Old concert T-shirt (authentic is best)
61. One-piece swimsuit (all-black is flattering)
62. Pyjamas (no old college T-shirts allowed)
63. Peacoat (buy authentic Army-Navy
64. Pearl necklace (be creative and mix with other necklaces)
65. Pencil skirt (wear it snug, not too tight)
66. Perfume (find your signature scent)
67. Plain white tee (Hanes is the author's pick)
68. Polo shirt (layer them for a different look)
69. Pucci (evoke the '60s with a bright print)
70. Push-up bra (wear with caution)
71. Quality Champagne (always have a bottle in waiting)
