With Candy-Colored locks being popular right now, I thought it would be a great time to write a bit about haircolor maintenance.
The following are some tips on keeping your color brighter, longer!
1) Shampoo using cool water. (The colder the better, as cold as you can be comfortable is best.) This will keep the color locked into your hair better and will help keep colors from bleeding into one another, if you have multiple shades.
2) Use a professional sulfate-free shampoo, specifically designed for color treated hair. (My Favorite is Goldwell DualSenses Green - True Color.)
3) When showering, don't keep your hair directly under the flow of the water. Only wet it when you are shampooing and conditioning
4) Try to avoid shampooing daily. Invest in a nice dry shampoo if you have oily hair. Shampooing daily is a sure-fire way for your color to fade very quickly. (I "wash" twice a week. Once with shampoo and conditioner, the other time with just conditioner. I have dry hair, so this works best for me as shampoo tends to dry me out more.)
I hope you have found these tips helpful! Happy coloring!
"Try to be rainbow in someone's cloud."
It's so great to see that fun, funky, and bright colors are becoming more accepted in the general population! I was always one of those kids in school, pushing the boundaries of "natural hair color". I'm so lucky to have a career in this field, as I can get away with coloring my hair anyway I choose. Others aren't so lucky and can only dream of luscious, pastel pink locks! I've compiled a few photos to drool over, for the adventurous folks, and dreamers alike.
Here's me a few years ago, dabbling in pink hues.
"Color, like features, follow the changes of the emotions." ~ Pablo Picasso
As I'm scrolling through my news feed on my stylist Facebook page this morning I can't help but be surprised at what I am seeing...........
Are we seeing the theme here? Could it be?! Is SHORT HAIR making a comeback? It appears that losing the length is the ticket this Fall. And I for one AM LOVING IT! (And not just because I chopped my hair off in the literal "heat of the moment" this summer.) It does leave me wondering if some are ready to shed their bleached out, summer ombre ends, for a fresh start.
From Undercut Pixies, to Mid-length Bobs, it does appear that many celebs and normal people alike are jumping on the short hair trend. Will you.......... join us!?
Many times over the years I've been asked "Is it safe to color my hair when I'm pregnant?" As some of you know I am currently expecting my 3rd child, due to arrive in April of next year. I had this same question during my first pregnancy. When I asked my doctor she told me that it's not known to be dangerous. (Don't you hate when they say stuff like that?) Here's what I have learned.
1. While it is not known to be a danger to the baby, it is also not known whether it is safe.
2. When you get an all-over color, a small amount is absorbed into the scalp. (It is a very small amount, but it is happening none-the-less.)
3. Some doctors suggest waiting until the second trimester to color your hair. During this time the baby is better formed and a little more durable.
4. If you can't wait until the second trimester to get your color done, you can get off-the-scalp services done such as foiled highlights/lowlights and some ombre techniques.
My best advice is that if you are nervous, don't do it! I have always colored my hair throughout my pregnancies, although I do try to use a semi-permanent type color, especially during the first trimester. This type of color has low or no peroxide or ammonia.
Whatever you choose to do, it is always wise to ask your doctor or midwife before having color done when you are expecting a child. Every pregnancy is different, just as every person, and some pregnancies may have more restrictions than others. Have a happy, beautiful pregnancy, my pregnant friends (and those who may be in the future!)
"Life is tough enough without having someone kick you from the inside."
It's that time of year again! Time for bonfires, pumpkins, corn-mazes, and hayrides! The leaves are changing to beautiful burnt oranges, and deep reds. The hot, sunny days of summer are behind us for the year, and your sunny summer haircolor could most likely be needing a bit of help with moving you into the cooler seasons. Lucky you! I have been doing my research and have compiled a list of color ideas that are trending this Fall 2013.
The usual rule for Fall is to go a bit deeper with your color. This doesn't HAVE to mean darker. It does mean using richer tones and adding more depth. Going a bit warmer with your tone is always a great way to freshen up for Autumn. Here are some ideas......
Dark Brown Hair - Add lowlights (just a shade or two darker than the base color) to enhance shine and add depth. Choosing a cool color for the lowlights can also be a good choice this time of year, to compliment your sun/chlorine lightened summer locks.
Brown Hair- The "ombre" fad is sticking around for Fall
this year! It's transitioning into a much softer, more refined look than
it's summer counterpart. For brown hair, choose a warmer chocolate brown for the base, and complete with balayage highlights a shade or two lighter. The name of the game here is subtlety.
Red Heads! - It's a fairly common trend to go red for fall, as we like to reflect the beautiful leaves. And with the sun shining less often, it's easy to shine with red hued hair! This year let's take those reds to the cool side. This is a beautiful "cola" red-brown color. Gorgeous!
(With this color as your base you have many options for adding some flare. You could put in some subtle copper highlights to compliment the cool red tone. OR you could go the other direction and cool it down more by adding some darker, also cool toned lowlights.)
Blondes - Blondes can also benefit from the color transition to Fall. They tend to go very light during the warmer months. Add in the lightening effects of the sunshine and chlorine from swimming, that can end up being very light and nearly one solid color on the ends. Change this lack of depth by adding in lowlights one-two shades daker. This will break up some of the ultra-light blonde and add both shine and dimension. In this photo the root would be taken 1-2 levels darker and blended down in a sort of reverse ombre, with some subtle balayage highlights added in to the top to blend. BEAUTIFUL!
For Those More Bold- I have been seeing a lot of talk of Plums/Violets this Fall. I'm a huge fan of stepping outside of the box, and this is a fun way for those who have been rocking the summer brights and pastels to transition into the cool seasons with the rest of us, (without looking like the rest of us!)
So we can see that the Ombre and Balayage trends aren't going anywhere, but have been softened a bit for the season. Warm tones are also the way to go this autumn. And subtle highlights/lowlights are in, hard lines are out. If you have any questions feel free to leave them in the comments section.
“No spring nor summer beauty hath such grace as I have seen in one autumnal face.”
With Halloween fast approaching, I thought I would compile some fun costume ideas! And of course, I couldn't choose ones with BORING hair, now could I?! Scroll and enjoy!
<------ Geisha type costume. Look at that hair! How fun is that?!
Everyone loves that Classic Flapper Girl with her finger waves! -------------->
1960's Pop-star. Volume abound!
Tribal head wear? YES PLEASE!
Yet another interesting tribal get-up. I love everything about this.
Hindu Goddess, with hair (and arms) a-plenty!
Marie Antoinette.
The forever lovely Bride of Frankenstein.
I'm not sure WHAT this is, but I like it!! Some kind of bird maybe?
Not a huge Gaga fan, but her bow-hair rocks!
I think using this hairstyle for a Lioness costume would be an amazing idea, if done right. (Her makeup could use some help too.) But you get the idea, right?
I thought this would work well for a Post-Apocalyptic, Mad Max type costume........
Nothing fantastic about her hair here, but the whole costume concept is awesome! There are so many options for mermaid hair, I wish they would have done it up a bit more. Still, it's an amazing idea!
We can't forget the ever popular Vintage Pin-up Costumes! Probably the sexiest, most classy costumes around. These costumes cannot be pulled off unless you have the hair to match!
As weird as this is, I thought the hair would be a fun addition to any Unicorn Costume!
May you all have a safe and enjoyable Halloween this year!!!
I have mentioned before that often I have to remind myself that many of the things I know are not always common knowledge to those who aren't licensed Cosmetologists. This is absolutely due to the fact that I hardly remember a time when this information wasn't relevant to my life. Because you see, I was born a hairdresser! (Not really but it sounds good. ;) )
In the beginning......
My interest in becoming a hairstylist stems from a visit the Columbiana County JVS Cosmetology Students paid my kindergarten glass. They all looked so pretty! They came in and braided some of the girls hair, all smiles! At that point I hadn't realized there were people who were designated as the ones who cut hair! Up until then, my only hairstylist was my mother, and she wasn't very skilled. (Quite the opposite! SORRY MOM!) The Cosmetology students came back every year of my time in elementary school, and every year my interest grew! I knew what I would be when I grew up, and I knew how I was going to achieve this goal. I was going to get licensed right out of high school by going to the JVS!
By the fourth grade I decided I did not want any more of my mother's haircuts. I cut my hair short, MYSELF. I was 10 years old. I'm sure it looked horrid, but to me it was far superior to my mother's cuts. My mom didn't seem upset so I must not have done too bad of a job. (Please never try that at home!) Around this time I also realized the power that hair had! You could change who you are if you changed your hair. And hair product was there to help!
In the middle.....
At age 12 I started messing around with that ever-awful, Sun-in. I have very dark hair naturally (nearly black.) Using Sun-in just made me orange, but I was happy. I was doing what I longed to do, and that was anything that involved changing my hair! Soon after that my mother became more comfortable with me using permanent color on my hair, and I have been changing my hair color ever since.
To make a long story short, I started to practice my cutting skills on my kid sister, 9 years younger than myself so luckily she is too young to remember the horrors of some of my very first haircuts. I continued cutting my hair myself, on occasion having to go to a salon to fix the mess I had made when I got myself in too deep. Then the time had finally come! I was 16, and finally a junior in high school. This is when I became a student of Cosmetology!
Since 2003 I have been immersed in all things hair. I passed my State Board of Cosmetology Exam on my first try in 2005. I was 18 years old....... I have been a Licensed Cosmetologist my entire adult life. I'm now 26 years old. People often look at me and think that I must not have much experience for how young I look. 10 years experience is quite an accomplishment in my opinion. :) It's all I've ever known, and it's what I am driven to do every day!
To be continued.....
