Posted by: gina
in Blog on Jul 21, 2010
Ever wake up and wonder what happened to the great hair you had yesterday? Me too!
This time of year can be more challenging because of the high humidity. Curly hair gets bigger and fine hair becomes limp.
We would never think of wearing a heavy wool sweater in the middle of summer. Or a breezy summer dress in the middle of winter. Our hair's needs change with each season too! Talk to your stylist about a home maintenance program that will get you through the dog days of summer with more great hair days!
One of my newest favorite products is from the Pureology Super Smooth line. The relaxing serum feels light in the hair but packs a big punch in keeping the frizzies away. It's beautiful for blow drying hair smooth but also great as a finishing serum for curls. The best feature is that when you step out into the humidity, your hair will maintain the shape you have created without getting frizzy! Pretty cool, huh?!
If your hair isn't performing for you, it may just be that you need a little extra help from a different product. Ask your stylist what is right for you!
Posted by: gina
in Blog on Mar 26, 2010
More about round brushes!
We understand about the size - now let's talk about the shape of your brush! Most of you are probably familiar with a round brush that is well....round!
Another great tool is an "oval" shaped brush. The oval shape is flatter on the sides and gives great control to hair that is thick or curly when you want to smooth or straighten hair and still maintain volume. When you have extreme curl that starts right from the root and want to get it straight try this hot tip:
Use the brush on top of the section instead of placing it under the section like we would normally do. This gives you great control over the root and you can really maintain a good deal of tension to get those curls going where you want them to go! Focus on drying the root area first and then move on to the mid-shaft. Once you are working with the ends you can switch the position of your brush and place it under your section to give final shine, control and movement to the ends.
Next time your hair is misbehaving reach for your oval brush and see how easy it is to get under control!
Posted by: gina
in Blog on Mar 15, 2010
Welcome back to our round brush discussion!
Here's a great way to see if your round brush is the right size for you!
Check out how many rotations your hair gets around the brush.
If you want volume choose a brush that rotates 1 - 2 times around the hair.
If you want volume with a bit of movement on the ends you'll want the brush to rotate 3-5 times around the hair.
Posted by: gina
in Blog on Mar 15, 2010
How many of us have a drawer full of round brushes at home and wonder...which one is "THE ONE"?
Round brushes come in so many different shapes and sizes that choosing the right one can be a challenge! But....it's worth finding the right one.
Things to consider when choosing a round brush are size, shape and type of bristle. Ask your stylist for help and even a lesson or two so you'll feel comfortable when styling at home. Many guests will say to us "I wish you could come do my hair at home everyday for me!". While this is a compliment, it's also a big "heads up" for us to spend a bit of time teaching how to style the hair beautifully at home!
OK, all of that to say - it really does matter which brush you choose. First let's talk about the right size. A couple of guidelines to follow are:
The shorter the hair, the smaller the diameter of the brush should be (makes sense right?!) A brush that's too small may get tangled or give too much curl at the root when really all we are looking for is volume. A brush that's too large won't get close enough to the root to really make a difference.
Posted by: gina
in Blog on Mar 12, 2010
Yesterday we began our discussion about different tools beginning with the brushes we use. Today let's move on to the "flat brush". This brush may come in different shapes (oval/square) and sizes but the common component is that there are no vents that allow the air to flow through the brush. Some flat brushes have boar hair bristles mixed with plastic and these are great for finishing the hair once it's dry. We'll talk more about those later but for today I want to focus on flat brushing when the hair is wet. When working wet to dry a flat brush with flexible plastic br
istles is what we will typically use.
This is a great tool when you really want to control the hair. For those of us with curly or wavy hair that love to wear it straight the flat brush is the perfect way to begin your blow dry with what is called "wrapping". When you wrap your hair basically you are using your head shape to help straighten the root and control the mid-shaft. Simply use the brush to wrap the hair around the head and follow this pattern throughout the sides, back, top and crown area. Use small sections and continue brushing and wrapping the hair in opposing directions to control the root. Another hot tip is make sure your blow dryer is truly following the movements of your brush and that the air is flowing down the cuticle - this creates a much shinier, smoother surface.
Once the root and mid-shaft are dry you can switch to your round brush to further control and give movement to the ends. The flat brush really helps to cut down on drying time and the pain in your shoulders from round brushing the entire head from wet to dry!
blessings
Posted by: gina
in Blog on Mar 11, 2010
As promised, I want to begin a discussion about the tools we use in the salon and share some hot tips on how you can get the most out of them at home when you do your own hair!
Let's start with brushes. It can be a bit daunting when you see such a wide array of brushes. How do you know which is the right one for you?? Every brush will give a different end result and if we understand what we want to achieve it becomes much simpler to choose the right one.
Many guests have a "vented" brush at home. 
This is a brush that has holes through the flat or round "core" of the brush. The vents allow the air from the dryer to flow through the hair and the end result is that the hair dries very quickly. The drawback in using this type of brush is that you have little control over the end result of the hair because it does dry so quickly. So when would you use a vented brush? When you want to quickly remove water from the hair and at the beginning of the blow dry process. Try to keep the focus at the root and mid-shaft and you will be able to control the end finish with a round or flat brush that is not vented. It's also a great tool for men who want to blowdry their hair and don't need a lot of control over since the hair is already shorter.
Tomorrow we will continue our discussion by exploring another type of brush!
blessings
Posted by: gina
in Blog on Mar 2, 2010
It's our final day exploring how to control cowlicks!
Let's recap our hot tips so far:
1) Dry the cowlick first
2) Use low air and high heat setting of your blow dryer and use a flat brush or comb to control the root area.
Here's our final tip:
Begin by drying at the root area only. The ends will always naturally follow where the root leads them. Start by placing the comb or brush on top of the root and pull it in the direction you want the hair to move. Once the root is completely dried you can move to the mid-shaft and ends of the hair using a round brush to provide more body and movement.
Happy Styling!
blessings
Posted by: gina
in Blog on Mar 2, 2010
Let's pick up where we left off yesterday. Cowlicks can be tough! Yesterday we talked about one thing we can do to stay in control of them - dry the pesky area first...
Today, let's take it a step further and talk about the tools we use at home. It can be confusing when choosing the right styling tools to use at home and that will be an entire different subject that we can talk about in the future. For now, let's just focus on the tools that help control the hair at the root, which is where the problem begins.
When blow drying the hair be sure to have the dryer on a controllable setting. Meaning, low air with a higher heat so that the air will be focused on the area you are trying to control. The tools that give you the most control are ones that have a "flat" back. In other words, there is no venting for the air to flow through. The air is trapped between the hair and brush and will flatten out much more easily. Another great tool is a comb with the teeth placed close together. This helps to grip and control the root very easily.
Tomorrow, we'll wrap it up with some final tips! Feel free to post any questions you may have and we will be happy to answer them for you.
Blessings
Posted by: gina
in Blog on Feb 28, 2010
OK raise your hand....how many of us fight every morning with that pesky area of our fringe that just wants to "do its own thing?"
One of the most common challenges our guests have is styling a cowlick that simply wants to take over. It truly discourages them from trying to wear a fringe at all or even from trying a new style because it seems like there is just no controlling which way the hair will move.
So today I will begin to share some tips for taking back control of your style!
What I find most guests do is leave the hardest to control area for last in the styling simply because it is so frustrating. By the time they get to it, it has almost completely dried making it even harder to restyle.
So, here's the first HOT TIP! Tackle the cowlick FIRST!
At some point heat must be introduced in order to change the formation of your hair. So...by introducing heat and styling the uncontrollable areas of your hair first, YOU are in control! You will have more time to maneuver the hair into a new position before it begins drying on its own.
Tomorrow we will continue with more hot tips and tools for winning the battle against the cowlick!
Blessings
Posted by: gina
in Blog on Feb 16, 2010
It's a common complaint this time of year. My hair is full of static, has no volume and won't perform the way it used to.
Check out this HOT TIP to maintain your look through the dry winter months. A misconception is that conditioner ways the hair down and therefore many people eliminate this important step.
A helpful tool is a leave in conditioner that is lightweight enough that it won't weigh the hair down but will give your hair the moisture it needs.
A couple of my favorites are Redken's Clear Moisture Polish Prep and Color Extend Total Recharge. Both are lightweight sprays that can be left in the hair without adding weight. The benefit is that your hair will have the extra moisture needed right now and your styling products can be applied directly on top of these treatments. Think of it as spackling before you paint - the porous areas of the hair shaft are filled in and you have a smooth surface to apply your styling product to.
Give it a try and see how great your hair performs even in the middle of the gray days of winter!
Blessings
