How to Prep your hair for your big day!

Your hair is a major accessory in your wedding and you want it to be healthy and shiny.

Here is some advise on how to prepare your hair 2 months before your big day.

• 2 months before~ Consult with your stylist about any kind of color change or glaze you might need to make your hair richer, brighter or shinier. Getting a little trim wouldn’t hurt either keeping ends clean. Starting early prevents any pressure if your not loving your new look. Make it gradual and subtly to accentuate your features.
• 1 month before~ Give your self a clarifying shampoo and a deep conditioner. Sometimes with daily use of products, our hair gets weighed down with build-up. You can add a 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda in a handful of shampoo and lather. This helps remove excess dirt and oils. Follow with a deep conditioning treatment  that you can leave on for 15-20 mins to replenish the healthy oils back into your hair. This makes your hair look and feel alive.
• 2 weeks before~ Last finishing touches to color glaze or hi-lites. Your stylist will recommend a clear glaze or toner that will give a shimmer to your hair for your pictures. It takes a few washes for color to look “lived in” and natural so the timing is perfect. The week before your wedding is so busy with family arriving and last minute touches….but you look fabulous and your hair is ready party!!!
• Night before the wedding…Wash and condition your hair before bed time. Blow dry with minimal or no products keeping your hair clean and smelling fresh. This ensures that all the moisture is out and your wedding hair style is guaranteed to last all night.

Is your hair dull, washed out and lifeless?

I have a few beauty tricks that can help you get shiny hair now!

• Do you have colored hair or is your natural color is dull and mousy? Ask ur stylist for a gloss or a glaze. These ammonia free, peroxide free colors give a hint of color and an amazing shine. They are also available in clear for just a shimmer effect. It will wash out in 6-8weeks.
• Take an Omega supplement before bed. These essential oils are great for your heart, bones, hair and skin. You will never have static or dry, scaly skin. Feed your hair from inside out.
• Give it a cool rinse. Cold water will help close the cuticle of the hair and will result in a shinier appearance. Especially if your are a red head, cold water will help make your color last longer.
• Use a frizz oil or creme before and after blowdrying. Rub a little dab in your hands and work it into your ends for extra moisture. Some will even act as a heat protectant.
• Use a nozzle on your blowdryer. All the newer dryers come with a nozzle that compresses the air into a strong stream. This helps smooth down the fly aways and gives you more power for volume and dryness.
• Back off the flat iron! Every time you use a flat iron, it is damaging your hair shaft. If you need to just smooth after drying, make one pass with iron…quick and only on ends.
• Hot oil or natural masks can bring life back to brittle hair. Pick up a Vo5 treatment or mash an avocado with a vitamin E capsule ( or mayonnaise ). Leave on for 15-30mins under a cap or tinfoil. Shampoo out and condition…your hair will thank you! =)

Spring is sprung!!! The warmer weather is here, bright colors are all around us and it’s time for a little change. My favorite way to get ready for the change of season is a new hair color.

Here are Spring Hair Color Trends for 2012

Red heads tend to wash out to a brassy orange if not maintained regularly. To make your auburn locks pop, add a few apricot or honey hi-lites just around your face. The multi tonal locks will be brighter and cheery.

Blondes have more fun when there are a few pastel streaks. This semi-permanent trend is a great way to show your personality with out being drastic or scary.

Rich Brunettes are deep but when you add a few peek-a-boo lites in a caramel or toffee, you will add dimension and tones. The ombre trend is fantastic for any color to make a subtle change.

Mousy brown locks are not the most flattering but sometimes hair color can be scary. Ask ur stylist for a semi-permanent glaze/gloss to add some undertones. A rich cherry cola gloss is a great way to make the plunge.

Dirty blondes tend to look greasy and blaahh. Brighten your complexion with some hues of platinum, gold and sand. Multi colors in blonde look more natural and grow out without a nasty root line.

Dark espresso or black hair can pull the color out of your face and make you feel white as a ghost. Lighten those locks to a shade of chocolate with hand painted lites of ginger. Warmer colors can compliment your skin and make you look sun-kissed.

I always recommend visiting a professional stylist when chemicals need to be used.

You work hard and deserve to treat yourself….you will feel like a million bucks! =)

All of us have had some days of gloom because we are not as young as we once were, but here are some tips to brighten you up and help you embrace your beauty no matter what age.

Look younger now in 5 steps!

1. Moisturize your skin inside and out. Slather on creams with Alpha Hydroxy Acids to smooth fines lines, wear your sunblock and drink lots of water. This combo can plump up the wrinkles and skin for a youthful glow.
2. As we age, we have more to conceal. Pick cream or liquid concealers to cover those shadows and blemishes. Lose the loose powders that sink into the creases. Skin will look more radiant and fresh.
3. Don’t over pluck those brows. After years of pruning, some brows get smaller and smaller and even penciled on. By keeping the brows thicker and fuller, keeps a great contour to your eye and an adolescent appeal. Use a powder that is a shade lighter (or for blondes a shade darker) and fill them in with a contoured brush.
4. Lashes tend to face down and droop in our later years. Grab that eyelash curler and give them a whirl. Curling your lashes give a bigger and brighter look even with out mascara.
5. Try a different color liner. For so many years we used a black liner to give a hard accent on the eyes, but as we age, softer is better. Grey, Plum and Brown liners give a rich hue to shallow eyes and help bring out the natural sparkle to your beautiful complexion.

Try these quick tips and see the difference!

Let your inner beauty shine! =)

Spring has sprung and the flowers are blooming! It’s time for open toe shoes and flowing silhouettes….so what’s in style for

Spring Hair?

Thanks to fashion week here in NYC, I have the first look on the newest trends and styles for the season to come. This year one of the biggest trends for clothing is bold colors. Color blocking, Prints and Metallics are a must have for clothing and leads the way for hair to help compliment the look.

• Sun kissed lites are a soft way to ease into the warmer weather. By putting a few, thin, strands of golden apricot or beachy beige, can make you look brighter and add depth to any color. Think JLo…
• Ombre is still a smokin hot look this season. I have seen blondes do pastel ends, brunettes do hot vibrant reds and even red heads do auburn ends. The sky is the limit for this trend, but I don’t advise to do this at home. Have a pro do it and can last you till the fall.
• Shiny, rich solid colors look healthy and fresh. By getting a glaze or gloss in the salon, can help camouflage your dry ends and adds a deep metallic shimmer.
• Soft curls and volume bring a new feel to the same ole’ haircut. Pull out those rollers or curling iron and add some movement. Sweep it to the side for a romantic feel accompanied by a flowing floral maxi….that’s a great spring look!
• Throw it up in a braid, headband or up-do. Tis the season to show off that beautiful face of yours….even add a flower clip.

There you have it….a few cool ideas to help you feel fresh for a great season ahead…Enjoy =)

Want fuller, bigger, juicy lips?

Don’t we all love big, full, juicy lips like Angelina or Kim Kardashian?

Here are some great beauty tips from our friend Sara from Paint cosmetics.

First it starts with how you line your lips. Hold the pencil on an angle to prevent thick lines – and start with the center of your top lip (or the cupid’s bow) creating the shape of a heart to even out the lip shape and make them look pouty – then bring the line to the corners.

Start the bottom lip in the center of the lip to the corners as well. Apply lipstick……then for an extra fullness, apply a light gold or pink gloss just in the center near the cupid’s bow and pucker up! For more definition after lipstick and gloss is applied, go over the bow and center of bottom lip again with the liner. Enjoy!

Any makeup or beauty questions, contact Sarapaintcosmetics@gmail.com

In the winter months, the biggest question I get all week is…

Why do I have so much Static?

During the winter months, everything tends to get dry due to being in a heated environment. Dry heat dehydrates the air and everything lacks moisture. There are several remedies that answer the question of..

How to stop the Static?

• Start with taking a supplement. I always recommend moisturizing from the inside out and take a daily dose of Omega 3,6 and 9. Not only does it help your heart and bones, it helps keep away dry flakey legs and skin.
• Moisture shampoo is a great quick fix for brittle hair. It’s a great idea to switch shampoos every other time you wash and watch your volume shampoos. Sometimes they have a stripping agent to give you the most volume but it will steal your moisture thru out your hair.
• Dryer sheets can be used to calm the fuzz in a quick minute. Take a sheet and just run it over your head. Keep one handy to help with wardrobe static and in the summer it also keeps mosquitos away.
• Since we are lacking moisture, change your conditioner! I’m not a fan of over the counter products, (anything you can get at the grocery store) they are filled with chemicals that can create more dryness (which doesn’t make sense in a conditioner.) Use one that says “Ultra-hydrating, or Intensive”. It really does make a difference if you use a quality product and you can get so much more for your money by using a tip that I do at home. Take an extra bottle and dilute the thick, intensive conditioner with warm water to make a creamy consistency. It helps to moisturize but won’t weigh your hair down and you get double the amount for your dollar.
• Spray some static guard on your brush. If you use a plastic brush, you will probably have more static then a bristle brush.
• Dry hands usually come along with static so after using some hand creme, rub the excess on your locks. This will help bring the shine back and help control the fly aways.
• When dryness is thru out your home, set up a humidifier. This can really counter act the dryness and create balance with the atmosphere. Your plants will love you for it. =)

Last week I asked Sara from Paint cosmetics if she would give us some tips on how to do a Smokey Eye. Thanks girl! The feedback on that post was awesome so I asked her to give us some more.

It seems like a popular question this week was..

“How do I make my eyes Pop?”

No matter what color your eyes are, Sara from Paint cosmetics says …”Many people think you have to match the color of your eyeshadow to your eye color….but they’re wrong! You always want to go opposite to accentuate your eye color.”

Example: to make brown eyes look seductive use shades of plums, rich golds or forest greens in the crease. These colors are very versatile and remember they don’t have to match exactly with whatever you wear perfectly – which is what makes make-up so creative and fun!

To make Green or hazel eyes look look like the Mediterranean ocean, use shades of bright yellow golds, burnt browns, corals or with mauve in the crease. These are great colors to accentuate any eye – but especially bring out the different tones in green eyes. (For more of a night look, sweep the mauve color all over the lid but make sure not to go too high above the crease)

To make blue eyes look brighter than the sky, you can use light pinks, dusty browns, and silvers. Try a blue grey tone in the crease for a twist on a traditional smokey eye or sweep the whole lid for night time drama.

Of coarse every eye looks good with smokey grey and black however the base color that you use will accentuate the eye more, and gives you more of a night look.

If you would like a complimentary make-up lesson- you can come visit us at Bangz hair color and lounge in Bellmore, NY or email Sara with questions at sarapaintcosmetics@gmail.com.

This week I asked our top makeup artist Sara at Paint cosmetics, what is her tips on making that perfect smokey eye makeup that I love sooo much.

Here is her advise:

When you want to do a smokey eye, start with your eyes so the eye shadow doesn’t leave a dark circle around your eye. Always use a primer or concealer on the top of your lid so the eye shadow stays longer, doesn’t crease, and it’s easier to blend.

Start with the eyeliner first this way you can correct or “erase” with a qtip if line is shakey, you will want to get that line straight. Make the line a little thicker on the outer corner so your eye looks more open, and try to go as close to the lash line as you can for a thinner line in the inner corner.

When applying eye shadow, start with a cream beige, light gold, yellow or white tone as a base from the inner corner to the center of your lid above your pupil. This will make your eye look brighter, and more open no matter what color your eyes are. (For older skin, don’t use too much shine in the inner corner of your eye but it is ok to use on the outer corner.)

Then start applying the darker color in the crease (can either be black, brown or plum) in a “V” shape (with the V pointing away from your face like a “greater than” mathematic symbol). To blend the darker color, use a shade lighter like a cinnamon, if you used dark brown, and round off the shadow by making a by making a a reverse “C” shape so the shadow isn’t so defined. You can also use that same color near the pupil for a more dramatic night time look instead of leaving the light base color.

For more smokey drama, re-apply liner and trace the line you started with, (so you can’t mess up) curl your lashes and apply 2-3 coats of mascara…shaking the brush upward to separate the lashes….Enjoy!

Stay tuned for next post by Sara where she will tell us all about what shadow colors to use to accentuate your eye and make it POP!   Contact Sara ~ Sarapaintcosmetics@gmail.com

Thanks Sara for your eye opening post =)

The biggest question I get in the salon is “Am I going bald? My bathroom is filled with hair, or I feel like I’m shedding.”

Why would this be happening?

Well there are many reasons that could make this happen but lets go over a few things first. On average, we shed 80-100 hairs per day and sometimes more when you are shampooing. If you don’t wash everyday, the number of hairs will double when you do finally wash so don’t be surprised. Hair goes thru growth cycles, and not every hair is growing at the same time. But most women start to notice the thinning on the top of head in their 50s and 60s, why?

1. The most overlooked illness in women is thyroid disfunction. Thyroid glands control how the body makes energy and drives our metabolism. The thyroid hormones are like a carburetor…. low thyroid hormone levels make the body burn less energy, whereas high levels make the body burn more energy. When an imbalance occurs, you may shed extra hair than normal. I can tell a client has this problem when I see thinness and fuzzy hairs on the crown of the head. When treated properly, the hair will grow back but it may be a little finer than usual.
2. Hormones cause havoc on your body and hair. Not only can a hormone imbalance cause PCOS (polycystic ovary syndrome) which can hinder your ability to get pregnant and irritate your skin, I’ve also seen many women after child birth, go thru a period of massive hair loss. This is natural and will last up to a year! Never fear! In a few months, you will start to see little monkey like hairs starting to come back, especially around your hairline. It took 10 months for your body to create a baby but it will take another 12-16 months to get the hormones back to level. (Those kids take everything out of ya, literally! lol)
3. Severe weight loss can also throw your glands and hormones in a spin. You must remember that our hair, nails and skin are being fed by your blood and need protein to stay healthy. When people go on a drastic diet or have an eating disorder, some hair loss will occur. Its like the saying, “we are what we eat”….so eat healthy and it will show.
4. Something that I have seen but is never talked about at the doctors office is medications. Whether it is an antibiotic because you were sick or an anesthesia from a surgery, there will be a shedding period 6 months after. Many prescription medications also have this adverse effect so read the labels very carefully or google them to find more info.
5. There are some diseases that will make hair fall out in spots or fall out all over. Alopecia or Alopecia areata is sometimes considered an auto immune disease or can be inherited. The causes are really unknown but sometimes can be treated with steroids or a medication called Minoxidil.
6. There are some skin conditions that can aid hair loss such as psoriasis or seborrheic dermatitis. Also linked back to auto immune disorders and inheritance, these can also be treated with certain medications. Stress can bring on some other skin problems like shingles, and eczema. Remember, skin is our largest organ and needs the proper nutrition.

So, as your stylist I recommend speaking to a dermatologist and a nutritionist about foods that you should eat and what you should avoid. I take a vitamin supplement to help my body fight off disease and keep up my immune system.

Living a healthy lifestyle is key to keeping your body healthy and vibrant!  =)