T’is wedding season and we all know what that means…. Updos!!!

T’is wedding season and we all know what that means…. Updos!!! Now I know a lot of you hate updos, but in my opinion we all just need to relax and let that show in the styles we choose. Updos aren’t how they used to be. They used to be very detailed, really curly, poofy, slick and yes… Sparkly. Now, I find they are a bit more casual, not so polished looking and the curls aren’t as tight as before! (thank god)
So in lieu of the season I thought I would lend a few tips to those of you either getting married or in a bridal party or special event.FYI – when I say updo that also means half down do or all down curls/waves etc!

The best place to find ideas for updos is definitely on-line. Personally I think those $15 magazines are a rip! When looking for ideas you will need to consider what exactly your hair can and will do. If you have
straight thin hair you have to realize that your hair might not look as full in an updo as those in the picture.  Also when deciding on curls, you need to realize that the length of your hair is going to
shorten once curled. Finally for those of you with virgin (never colored) hair, this definitely makes it more difficult to style hair depending on your original texture. When hair is colored it has more “grit”
because it has been damaged and this will help get better results for curls and volume! So my suggestion is: if you do color your hair please have a fresh color done in time for your updo! If you don’t color your hair I’m not suggesting you do, just remember that virgin hair is slippery! Choosing a style for that special day really is all on you. It all depends on what you want.

Lately, the most recent styles have been the long loose flowing curls (which will require extensions a lot of times), messy buns (my suggestion for thin hair),  curly side pony tails ( which is cute and also
requires long hair) and of course the messy side bun! As said above these are more casual styles that will work for most of us! Now on the day of your updo please be sure your hair is clean. Washing your hair the night before is the best option, but forthose of you who must wash your hair in the morning; you better make sure it is dry when you go to the salon. As a hairstylist I can’t tell you how annoying it is when someone sits in my chair ready for their updo, with long thick damp hair!! Also, if you have a frizzier hair texture try to smooth out the crown with a round brush if possible. This will help make the style look smoother and save your hairstylist time! If you have a cowlick, especially in the bang area, try to smooth this down as well!

Remember, it is important that you communicate with your hairstylist so all is clear! It is also important that you have a good time and dance until your updo falls out!

Cheers and Happy Wedding Season!

"Best Friends Never Have Bad Hairdays!"

Tips to help you choose the right shampoo.

Choosing the right shampoo is one of the best things you can do to take care of your hair! There are so many different factors you need to consider when choosing your shampoo. Below I have listed a few:

– how oily is your scalp
– is your hair damaged
– do you want paraben/sulfate free shampoos? (I am personally allergic to parabens )
– is your hair colored
– is your hair curly, thick, thin, dry….

If your hair is oily you will want to choose a lighter clarifying shampoo to remove the build up of oils from your scalp. You are going to want to choose a lighter conditioner that won’t weigh your hair down and only apply to the ends of your hair avoiding the scalp.

If your hair is damaged you are going to want to use a shampoo high in protein because the protein will repair your hair. You will want to follow with a moisturizing conditioner to help smooth the hair and give
it shine.

If you have curly and/or courser hair you are going to want to find a heavier shampoo and conditioner to tame your locks and give them moisture as curly hair can be more dry and frizzy than straight hair ( this is not always the case so you need to be conscious of your hair texture when choosing a shampoos).

If your hair is colored most color lines have a line of hair products that will work with the color and prevent fading. Also, I always suggest using a purple toned shampoo for blond hair once or twice a week to keep the blond from going brassy from the sun/central heat/minerals in the water etc.

Finally if you are looking for something paraben/sulfate free there are more options available on
retail shelves now more than ever! Two of my favorites are the Moroccan Oil Shampoo and Conditioner (although depending on your hair it could be too heavy for you) and the second is Nature’s Rescue by Redken (a lighter option).

We know there is an endless amount of options when it comes to choosing shampoos and conditioners
so if you are unsure seek the advice of your stylist. They can at least help point you in the right direction and sometimes it will be a process of trial and error!

Happy scrubbing! (Remember don’t use your nails just the tips of your fingers!)

Glamour Girl
-“Best friends never have bad hair days!”

To Shellac Your Nails or Not to Shellac

Single girls if you don’t get mani’s and pedi’s please book an appointment now and treat yourself. Like your hair, your make-up, your grooming, your skin care routine, you need to take care of your nails. The big thing for nails is Shellac. What is Shellac you may ask? Well according to my brother in law it’s a car polish for your nails, instead of polish and dry, the process is polish and UV onto your nails.

My verdict on Shellac is that it is a must for your hands. If you have ever experienced the feeling of walking out of the nail bar and a minute later ruining your nails, then you will find Shellac a God send. The colour lasts for approx. 10 – 14 days and if you don’t mind nail re-growth (which I do) you could probably have it on for a lot longer. Another option to eliminate the re-growth bother is to get a French manicure, again not my thing but if it works for you this is another great option.

There is a downside to Shellac in that you can’t use regular polish to get it off and the removal process is a lot longer (approx. 10 minutes a hand). Most nail bars will remove the polish for you, but my inner Martha Stewart and laziness of going back to the nail bar has resulted in me removing my own polish. The removal process does take time and I won’t bore you with the details except to let you know that you will need to get 100% acetone polish remover. There are many “How to remove Shellac Polish” videos on Youtube so please refer to  one  of them for the step-by-step process.

I don’t feel the need to Shellac my toenails, as I don’t have any issues with the regular polish and dry system. As with any polish Shellac should only be done sporadically. Your nails need to breath and be free but for holidays and special occasions where nails need to last it’s a great option.

Have you Shellac-ed your nails?  How long did it last for you?  Would you recommend this, let us know your thoughts.

Things to consider when picking a new hairstyle

One of the most annoying things as a hairstylist is when someone comes in with a picture of a haircut, and the hair in the picture is nothing like the hair on the person. Hairstylists are not magicians, we cannot make you look like the person in the picture  and we can’t magically change the texture of your hair without chemicals!

So I want to share with you a few tips when picking out your next big hair cut!

1) If your hair is straight don’t pick out a picture/style of someone with curly or wavy hair unless you plan on perming it. Now perms have actually come a long way and you can pretty much get any texture of hair you want, but not without damage being done.  The curls in the picture don’t accurately represent how the hair cut will look on you  so it doesn’t make sense to show that to your hairstylist if you want a specific change.

2) This brings me to my next point, which is to look at the actual hair cut closely instead of the styling  of the hair. Questions you should be asking are, Where does the shortest piece fall? Is there lots of layers  and do you want that many? Where is the part placed and is yours the same, if not are you going to try and change it?  Can you style it so it looks like the picture and how much time in the mornings do you have to work on your hair?? The answers to these types of questions will determine whether that is the right cut for you.

3) Bangs! Everyone usually tries bangs at least once and they do really change a hairstyle. So if you do not have or want bangs I would stay away from picking out a picture that has bangs. If there are certain components of the cut you like, by all means bring it into the salon, but just know that the cut won’t look the same if the picture has bangs and you don’t. Also if you have a cowlick and decide to try bangs, you better know that specific styling is required on your part after you leave the salon. Hairstylists can make cowlicks disappear, but can you??

4) Color! When you’ve picked out a picture to bring in make sure it is not actually the color you like rather than the haircut. Color can also change the look of a haircut, with highlights placed in certain spots or the way it makes your skin tone look, so be sure you are looking at cut and color separately if you are not planning on coloring.

There are so many different ways to determine what hair cut is right for you that I can’t even cover them all here. But, I think this is a good starting point!

Happy cutting!

Glamour girl

 

 

 

 

 

“Best Friends Never Have Bad Hair Days!”

So you’re thinking about coloring your own hair? Here are some tips from a pro…

Listen ladies, as a beauty professional I understand that salons aren’t cheap! Actually, as a beauty professional I personally think that you can be seriously ripped off and taken advantage of at the salon. So I completely understand why one would consider coloring their own hair at home using…. Box Dye!! Ugh I even hate the sound of the words!

Unfortunately for us box dyes have not really come a long way.

It is my understanding that box dyes have a higher peroxide level in their product (which you probably don’t need to color your hair), hence your hair being dry damaged and fuzzy after multiple box dye usages. Also, never believe that you can lighten your own hair with a box dye and it will come out a nice sunny blonde. We’ve all had that friend who applied “Golden Honeycomb” to their brown hair and it really came out “Vitamin Pee Yellow.”  Box Dyes do not have the capacity to lighten and tone your darker hair! I have only met few who have had success with this and that is only because their hair  was already light, never been colored or 75% gray!

Finally, even though you buy the same box dye color over and over again please don’t assume it’s going to be the same color. Because of the low price of the product, the fact that they can possibly be on those retail shelves for years and the quality of the chemicals used, proves high risk the color will not be that “hazelnut brown” every time.

For tips on coloring your own hair at home see below:

1 – MOST  important! Do not try to lighten your own hair more than one or two shades with a box dye. You will only end up paying extra to get it fixed in the salon. You will also cause serious damage as to fix it more chemicals will have to be used on your hair.

2- If you only need your roots done, try to only apply the color to your roots. If you apply all over your head all the time the ends of your hair will only get darker and darker (think of layering coats of  paint).

3- If you want to refresh the ends of your hair due to fading, only comb the color down in the last 5-10 mins. This means taking a medium tooth comb, and spreading the color from your roots down using the comb.

4- If you are going from light to dark, choose a color that has a warm tone to it like caramel brown, or auburn. Chocolate browns and blacks will turn your lighter hair a soupy grey color because they have cool tones to them ( think of putting blue/purple on yellow)

5 – If your hair is already damaged skip the box dye and go to a professional. A bad hair dresser probably can’t damaged your hair anymore then the box dye and at least your odds are better with a professional.

6- If you screw up don’t try to fix it yourself!

7- Black is never a good idea when it comes to box dye, unless your natural hair color is actually black and u want to cover up some grays!

Obviously when it comes to coloring hair, it is my advice to save up and consult a professional, however not all of us can afford this luxury. So if you’re going to use a box dye try to follow the simple rules above or do your own research! There is  tones of information on the net these days to satisfy your home coloring cravings!

“Best Friends Never Have Bad Hair Days”

 

– Glamour Girl

You’re Glowing…

Today I was told that my skin looks great, my face is glowing…What are you doing differently? Is it a new cream? Fess up tell me your secret…I was flattered and a bit flabbergasted for I’ve done nothing different, and said so. I’m not sure that I was believed so I got to thinking what would prompt this glowing change. Was is the fact that I was wearing my BIG puffy jacket that’s fit for -30 degrees when it was only 0 degrees outside therefore causing me to be overheated and flushed? Was it the copious amount of chocolate blueberries that I have been eating; giving me a double dose of antioxidants?

Then it dawns on me, it water! As I go fill up my water jug for the fourth time, I realize this is what I am doing differently. In the summer getting 3 -4 litres of water a day is easy. My water consumption was drastically decreased due to the holidays which consisted of beers; red wine and the occasional shooter (don’t judge me). Now that we have entered the New Year and the festivities have come to a halt I am back to my old routine of gym and healthier habits. Therefore in the last couple of days I’ve been eating more fruits and veggies rather than chocolates, street meat and booze (once again don’t judge me). The biggest change is my water consumption, after three days of 3-4 litres a day my skin is glowing. Ladies I know that drinking 3 litres of water is harder to do in winter, but you can also get water from your fruits, veggies, and herbal teas (try to stick with caffeine free since caffeine is a diuretic).

I’ve said it before but I do believe that water is the fountain of youth, so drink up! Save yourself the money on expensive skin creams, just drink 3-4 litres of water a day and I guarantee someone will ask you what your secret is.

Cheers!

The seriousness of proper summer TOE maintenance

Girls, if you can’t afford to get a pedicure, which is totally understandable in these tough economic times, then you can always do it yourself. I am by no means a professional, but I tend to do my toes quite often and have gotten compliments on them.

Step 1 – remove all traces of old polish, Sally Hansen nail polish removers work pretty good and they are cheap.

Step 2 – take nail clippers (not scissors) and remove all dead skin in and around all toes.

Step 3 – take the other part of the nail clippers (not sure what it’s called) and remove all grossness from under the toes.

Step 4 – cut/file the nails to your liking.

Step 5 – apply a moisturizer of some sort to the toes. Sally Hansen makes this cuticle and nail oil that I love. It say’s to remove it after letting it sit for a while, but I never do.

Step 6 – VERY IMPORTANT – apply a base coat before the polish. This will stop the nail from going yellow. Revlon has a two in one base/top coat which is really good.

Step 7 – apply polish – three coats for your big toes and two coats for all other toes. Then apply the top coat.

I know it seems like a lot, but if you’re just sitting around watching TV, you might as well get prepped for open toed shoes. Besides, I hear there are a lot of men out there with foot fetishes…and we can’t discount anyone for their weirdness’, cause everybody is weird.

Cheers!
Single Gals