Spring Cleaning!

Does your make-up drawer look like this?

While Mother Nature doesn't seem inclined to let us experience spring any time soon, at least we can make the best of the extended time spent indoors!  Here are some tips for "spring cleaning" your hair and beauty products.

To Toss Or Not To Toss?

If you're anything like us, you've likely got a collection of make-up that you can't remember the last time you wore it!  While it may not have an expiry date on the bottom, make-up has a shelf life.  It's a great idea to write the date you opened the product on the bottom of it, too.  These guidelines start from the day you open the package, and the product should be tossed if it's been open longer than the following list.

Powders & Eye Shadows - 2 years
Cream Eye Shadows - 12 to 18 months
Foundation & Concealer - 1 year*

*Water based foundation expires after a year, oil based can last up to 18 months.
Lipstick & Lip Liner - 1 year
Mascara & Eyeliners - 3 months 

Storage Solutions 

Make-up should be stored in a clean, dry space with little to no humidity (so the bathroom isn't the best idea) and out of direct sunlight.  Sunlight can break down the preservatives in products, causing them to expire more quickly, and warm, moist air or steam helps bacteria multiply.  Storing things like lipstick and perfume in the fridge can help them last longer.  An added bonus - if summer ever gets here, your chilled scent feels refreshing in the heat.

Switch It Up

Sure, the seasons haven't changed yet, but we can dream, can't we?  It's time to take stock of which products to switch out as the seasons change.  Creamy winter moisturizers should swap out for lighter lotions (with at least an SPF 30!) and moisturizing shampoos and conditioners can be replaced with lighter versions to enhance summery waves.  Keep in mind that skin tones change with the seasons too, and be sure your foundation doesn't look like a mask!  Try a tinted moisturizer instead.

Trends To Try

Spring make-up trends are showing up now on the runways.  Brows are back, with a fuller shape than in the past.  Remember, full doesn't mean bushy!  Brows frame your face, so keep them neat and groomed.  Lashes are full and flirty, and pastel shadows are taking over.  For more of an evening look, swap the cat-eye winged liner for smudged lines, or rock a red lip.  Both of these looks are best paired with a neutral face, so pick one or the other to avoid looking like you're playing dress-up.

My First Haircut

Of course, we all want sweet pictures like this one when baby visits the salon for the first time!  The truth is, it's not always that easy.  So, from our stylists, some tips to make that first snip easier on both of you!

DO...

DO bring your child into the salon before the first cut.  Ask one of the stylists to talk to them, maybe sit them in the chair with a cape.  This gets the child used to the sights and sounds of a salon before the big day.  

DO have realistic expectations.  Children are squirmy, and while your stylist will do the best she can, sometimes that neckline will be a bit crooked if it's a matter of safety.

DO bring another shirt for your child.  When they move around, little hairs sometimes sneak down under the cape (and some children just won't wear one!) and get itchy.

DO let the salon know that this will be the first cut.  They can place your child with a stylist who works well with them, and make sure to save you a snip of hair for the baby book.

DO book during a slower time of day.  Sometimes other staff can be there to help if needed.

DO bring a distraction for your child.  Bubbles, a favourite toy, or a small video player are great.  But...

DON'T...

DON'T bring food!  Hair sticks to everything (trust us, we know!) and you'll end up with a sticky, hair-covered, uncomfortable baby.

DON'T hover.  Stay for the first snip and a few pictures, but many children are more relaxed with Mommy and Daddy out of sight.

DON'T bring siblings.  They are often more of a distraction for your child, and salons are dangerous places if you can't give a child your full attention.

DON'T force it.  If your child is having a full-blown panic attack, reschedule the appointment.  Stylists would rather have the cancellation than the safety risk.  You want this to be a positive experience, not a negative one.

 

All "Charged" Up!

Remember when you were little, rubbing a balloon along your head to get this look?  Back then it was fun, but now - that winter static in your hair is driving you nuts!  However, a few simple changes to your beauty routine can free your hair of static cling.

Switch Your Suds

With dry air outside, and dry heat inside, winter can dry your hair even without the sun.  Changing to a moisturizing shampoo and conditioner helps to re-hydrate your strands and cut down on the drying effects of indoor heating.

Toss The Plastic

Plastic brushes can create more of an electrical charge through your hair, especially if you brush a lot during the day.  Wooden combs and brushes, or ones with natural bristles such as boar-bristles, won't conduct electricity, and are also gentler on your hair.

Style Smart

Adding a little shine serum before drying can create a barrier of protection for your hair.  If you can, allow your hair to air dry before styling.  If your style needs the blow-dryer, look for one with a ceramic core.  Heat produced by ceramic dryers has a negative charge that helps keep static at bay.

Glaze It Up

A clear shine glaze from your stylist not only creates a mirror finish, it also protects the hair, helping to keep the moisture inside the strands.  These can be applied right at the shampoo sink, and usually process within 20 minutes.  

Quick Fixes

If you're caught with a bad case of static cling, here are a couple of quick fixes!  1. After using hand lotion, run your fingers through your hair.  The residue of the lotion will temporarily calm the fuzzies.  

2. A light mist of hairspray or shine spray on your brush will help keep the static out of your ponytail.

3. If all else fails, an unscented dryer sheet is a great fix.  Hold the sheet near your hair, but not touching it.  Glide it over the top layer of your style, and kiss static good-bye. 

Purple Ribbons

 October 12, 2011.  Seal Beach, California.  Salon Meritage. 

September 12, 2012.  Sioux Falls, South Dakota.  Cost Cutters Salon.
October 18, 2012.  Casselberry, Florida.  Las Dominicanas M & M Hair Salon.

October 21, 2012.  Brookfield, Wisconsin.  Azana Salon & Spa.

What do all these dates have in common?  All four are the dates of deadly shootings that took place in hair salons.  All four shootings were committed by estranged partners of salon employees.  All four shootings were senseless acts of violence that shattered the lives of families, friends, and communities.

A salon should be a place of community, of acceptance.  A place where we can go to feel at ease.  A place to escape our day to day lives, relax, and take care of ourselves.  

You may be asking, what does this have to do with us?  We're in Canada.  It's safer here.  Although domestic violence is on the decline, the statistics are still alarming.  

On average, a woman in Canada is killed by her intimate partner every six days.

On any given day, 3000 Canadian women, along with their 2500 children, are living in an emergency shelter to escape domestic violence.

What should I do if I think someone is being abused?

• If someone is in immediate danger, call 911 or the emergency number in your community.
• Put her safety first. Never talk to anyone about abuse in front of their suspected abuser. Unless she specifically asks for it, never give her materials about domestic abuse or leave information through voice messages or emails that might be discovered by her abuser. However, abuse thrives in secrecy, so speak up if you can do so safely.
• If she wants to talk, listen. If she doesn’t, simply tell her she does not deserve to be harmed and that you are concerned for her safety. Ask her if there is anything you can do to help, but don’t offer to do anything that makes you uncomfortable or feels unsafe.
• If she decides to stay in the relationship, try not to judge her. Remember, leaving an abuser can be extremely dangerous. Sometimes, the most valuable thing you can offer a woman who is being abused is your respect.

Let's all come together to end domestic violence. 

   

Top 5 Lists - Worst Styles Ever!

5. The Rat-Tail

Besides the fact that the word 'rat' should never be part of your style, this particular look allows people who don't like you to grab you by the back of your hair with relative ease.  Also keep in mind that a lot of people are afraid of vermin, and thinking that there is one hiding under your hat could lead to a great deal of screaming and swatting.

 

4. The Bowl Cut

Anything that can be duplicated by placing a piece of kitchenware over your head and snipping around the bottom is not a good look.  This style can also cause flashbacks to the awkwardness of the early years of grade school.  Best suited for those hanging around with a couple of guys named Larry and Curly.

 

 3. The Mullet

Business in the front, party in the back?  No.  While it's okay to like 80's hair bands, it's not okay to look like one.  Also included in this category is the skullet (bald on top and long in the back) and the reverse mullet (see Kate Gosselin, circa 2008).  When they start making a wig of your style for Halloween costumes, it's time to change it.

2. The Comb-Over

Four words - it's not fooling anyone.  Bald is beautiful, so show it off.  A close buzz looks way better than a comb-over, especially when you're facing the opposite direction of the wind.  Donald Trump may be a billionaire, but he's not on any lists for best hair.

 

 1. The Aquanet

Tease, spray, tease, spray, spray, spray!  If your hair can support the weight of a beach umbrella, you've nailed this one.  For extra points, add a platinum colour and a very tight perm.  How did the Aquanet beat out such worthy competitors?  The fashion that went along with it, and the fact that most of our staff wore it at one time in their lives.  We are frantically destroying all picture evidence of this right now.

Mythbusters - The Hair Edition

1. Cutting your hair makes it grow faster.

Sorry, but nothing will make your hair grow faster.  We really wish this one was true!  Hair grows about half an inch per month, slightly faster in the summer.  However, regular trims will help keep hair healthy, and prevent split ends from moving farther up the hair shaft.  Trimming off any scraggly ends will make your hair appear thicker, and will keep it more manageable for you as it grows.

2. You need to switch your shampoo regularly, because your hair will "get used to it."

The only time you really need to switch your shampoo is if the needs of your hair change.  For example, if you have always been a brunette, and decide to become a blonde, your volumizing shampoo might not give you enough moisture, meaning it's time for a switch.

3. If you pull out a grey hair, 3 will grow in its place.

We are born with a set number of hair follicles, and plucking out a single strand won't change that number.  It is, however, a bad idea for a number of reasons.  Most importantly, pulling hair can damage the follicle, making the strand less likely to grow back at all.  Sudden trauma to the root of the hair can also open the door to infections.

 

4. You can't colour your hair while pregnant.

Most doctors will agree that there is no danger to the developing child if the mother colours her hair while expecting.  This myth stems from the strong fumes associated with old school colours - and we've come a long way!  It is recommended to avoid exposure to products that contain formaldehyde, such as the Brazilian Blowout, a popular smoothing treatment.  You can always ask your doctor for permission to colour your hair during pregnancy if you have concerns, and ask your stylist if the products used in the salon release formaldehyde fumes.  As well, stylists are allowed to work throughout their pregnancies, offering their full service menu, including colour services!

5. Baldness is passed through the mothers side of the family.

Don't blame mom!  The gene for "androgenic alopecia", or male pattern baldness, can be passed through either side of the family.  There are other types of hair loss that can be caused by stress, trauma to the hair follicle, diet, and pregnancy, to name a few.  These types of hair loss can usually be reversed when the source is identified.