Monday, June 18, 2012

Growing your hair out.


As I mentioned before, I am engaged and we will be getting married in 8 months. About 4 months ago I cut my hair shorter than I have ever had in my entire life! As much as I loved my short hair I always imagined myself as a long hair bride. I am now doing anything and everything in my power to grow my hair out. These are some of the things I am currently doing to help my hair grow as fast and healthy as possible.

There is no point in growing out unhealthy hair. The end result will be raggedy looking ends that are thin and do nothing for your over all look! So step one is making sure you take care of your strands.

-Brush your hair with a wide tooth comb when it is dry.

-Limit your hot styling (i.e. flat iron & blow drying). Since my hair is so short and very straight, the only time I ever need to use any heat on my hair is if I ever want to add curl to my hair. It ends up looking very flat without any heat styling, but I know this stage is temporary. I will need it more as my hair grows, so I am taking advantage of being able to limit my heat styling as much as possible.

-Always use protective products when you style your hair. My personal favorite is Marrakesh oil. This stuff is amazing! This lightweight oil smells great, is all natural, a smoother, and heat protector in one.

-Treat yourself to weekly deep conditioning masks. You can do one in salon or at home. If you choose to do it at home, make sure you choose one right for you. A lot of deep conditioning treatments contain protein, which is great for damaged hair, but you can easily over do it. If you do decide to choose one with protein, make sure to only go through one bottle of it, then switch to a moisturizing one so you don't develop brittle hair. 

-Take a multi vitamin loaded with B vitamins (especially biotin). I heard pre-natals work wonders on making your hair grow, so now I  am trying a pre-natal gummy multi vitamin. It tastes great and it is iron free. I find that too much iron upsets my stomach and the iron free doesn't. 

- Regularly massage your scalp, especially in the shower as you are applying conditioner.

-Get regular trims with a stylist that understands how important it is to you to grow your hair! As a stylist, I have heard horror stories from my clients who have gone to other places in the past asking for a trim and leaving with a full on much shorter do! There is nothing more frustrating! So know your stylist and don't be afraid to show them pictures of your goal so you are on the same page!

and most importantly....

BE PATIENT! Hair needs time to grow so don't be afraid to try new styles as your hair grows in. If you continue to try to style your hair as you once did at a different length, you will get frustrated and be tempted to cut it! So get on Pintrest, look as different ideas, and have fun! 




Tuesday, June 5, 2012

Hair Show 2013

This past weekend I went to Orlando for the annual Premiere hair show. As always, there is so much to see and so much to do! This year, I was determined to be productive, take classes, and try not to do so much shopping.

In order to do so, I pre registered for a color class and an up styling class with Kris Sorbe, a well known stylist who has won many awards including NAHA Master Hairstylist of the Year (North American Hairstyling Awards), she also received the 2004 and 2005 Canadian International Hairstylist of the Year, an ABBIES award for Best Salon Education Program and at HairColor USA Best Educator and Most Inspirational Educator of the Year. 

In her class, I learned a lot of really helpful hints and tricks that I plan on incorporating into my daily work. She showed me new techniques to create ombre looks like this one:

I also learned how to create the latest high fashion "buns" even on the finest and shortest of hair.


She was extremely motivational and so down to earth! She even gave me a pack of her own bobby pins so I know what to look for next time I go shopping for new ones in order to achieve the best look for certain up styles. 

On my agenda for the show, I also wanted to find an airbrush makeup kit. I have been dying to try one of these and at the show I found a really great company. The cool thing about this machine is you can use it for foundation, blush, eyeshadows, really colorful face painting and stenciling, as well as tanning! I am currently practicing trying to perfect my skills so I can one day incorporate airbrush makeup to me line up of services to offer to my lovely clients. 

I also wanted some new inspiration for my male clientele. My main focus is really women's styling but I do have many male clients who are looking for new and exciting looks as well. It's nice that fashion is bringing men back to a more classic look instead of the awful blowout! I got some new ideas from watching the show put on by American crew. It's all about the matte look rather than the wet gel look. Here are some of my favorite male looks I saw at the show:





All in all, I would have to say I accomplished all of this and managed to do a little shopping. It was a great experience and I look forward to seeing what next year has to offer!


Blessed

As we continue onto our fabulous wedding season, I have been blessed with the sweetest brides to work with. I am always so honored when a bride chooses me to be a part of their special day because in this competitive field, there are so many options. I think what sets me apart is me genuine love for hair and makeup and my ability to listen to my brides and try to incorporate as many details into the day as I can.
As a future bride myself, I know how stressful weddings can be so when a bride chooses me to do their hair, I try to respond promptly to any and all questions and be there as much as they need me because that is what I would want for myself.
Here are some photos of my most recent weddings:

Here is the lovely Brittani with her sister and maid of honor. I did both the hair and makeup for the ladies.
photography by images wedding photography


This next set is an updo I did for the maid of honor for my most recent wedding. She wanted a tousled style with lots of texture and class. Her hair is straight to I used a curling wand to add the texture before pinning it into a style.



 Here is the lovely bride Katy who opted out of a traditional veil but instead chose a beautiful hair piece she found at Alfred Angelo to frame the style I designed for her. Funny thing is, without knowing, I bought the exact same piece and will be wearing it on my wedding day!