Pravana Perfection Smoothing Treatment AKA Praise the Lord and Pass the Ammunition

Soooo much hoopla these days about which smoother to use. So many people up in arms, reports and stories abound and the Internet is just about blowing up with information about how we are all going to die if we don't wear a gas mask in the salon.

photo courtsey www.wallpaper4me.com

Really.

Whatever the real truth may be with all of these things - I, for one, am so tired of the whole deal I was about to give up on any smoothing service on my menu. Then I get a new industry hair magazine. I see the pretty ad and I call the 800 number. I like what I hear which is this:

Perfection SmoothOut is a new patent-pending innovation to instantly(well 2 hours)and safely transform coarse, frizzy, hair to smooth, straighter, and superbly shiny with results lasting 8-12 weeks. Perfection SmoothOut employs a proprietary nano-amino acid complex that virtually alters the internal memory of the hair fiber to transform it to a smoother, straighter, frizz-free state. Why stop at great, when you can have Perfection?
Perfection SmoothOut is a demi-permanent service that reduces curl and eliminates frizz. By using our nano-amino acid complex we temporarily suspend the textural memory of the hair so that in 8-12 weeks...the hair gradually goes back to it's original curl. No worries of lines of demarcation or roots! It is safe for all hair types and conditions, including bleached and previously relaxed hair.

And here are a few words from the founder of Pravana:

And now ( long drum roll please) what I have to say about Pravana Perfection:

   1. No Gloves! That would be the first rather gigantic clue that Matt Lauer will not be attacking this on any of his shows. Chemical free - wheeeeeeeeee!!!!
    2. Lower heat. Rather than the 400 -450 degree flat iron - the temperature is a cool and breezy 360  F
    3. We are not required to blow the hair as straight as possible on higher heat. We merely need to blow dry the majority of the hair dry with a paddle brush and then flat iron it.
   4. Your hair is silky and you can do many things with it, rather than just one thing and you have body.
   5. I am able to do the service for less.
   6. Color can be done the same day!!

 The only draw back is that depending on how much hair you have it can be a little time consuming. It does have to process for 15 to 30 minutes depending on how smooth we are trying to get it.

So - basically - as a hairstylist - I LOVE this product. My clients who were doing the BB - are happier with their hair. Now I just have to get it together so I can start posting many lovely before and afters for your viewing pleasure.

 My girl Kelli is awesome and lets me take 8 million pictures whenever I get something new in to try.

  I happen to have a picture of her hair from the back just about a week before we did the Pravana. She was at a party and it was pretty humid outside. Her hair is neither curly nor straight and the strands are fine, but she has a lot of hair- before we met she was doing red box dye, roots to ends. It has been a long road to hair recovery.The smoothers help her be kind to her hair.

Here are some shots of her 3 weeks after her first Pravana treatment. I think these show the product best. The first shot is of her the day after a swim party - she came home washed her hair and went to bed with damp hair

Pretty good I think.

Here it is after we colored and I just combed it out to show you how smooth it actually is.

You can see the small amount of wave towards the ends. These final shots show the blow dry - I used only my fingers and The Pravana Leave In Spray Conditioner,  which happens to smell a lot like Vacation. The last shot is her front hairline and part where it typically is very frizzy. No high heat - no ceramic brushes - no flat iron.
We LOVE the product!!

A fabulous Floridian hairstylist named Tony did a brilliant YouTube Video detailing all of the steps and if you have an extra 8 minutes and are that curious about how it works please watch his clever video  (which happens to be better than the actual training video, sorry Pravana) :

Have a Happy Hair Day!!

   

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.........

Ok - old school reference - but if you know me - that's funny stuff......

Photo courtesy : people.zap2it.com

The Reese. Hands down - THE most requested "bang" in my hairstyling history - surpassing the Bettie Page

photo courtesy www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bettie_Page

Other styles making the most requested list you ask?

 The long side swept bang - in various shades...............................

Shorter in the center curving longer around the ends of the eyebrows

And of course the thicker straight across :

My most favorite bang - which of course my face is far too square to wear is this :

Photo courtesy :www.blog.smarter.com

I'm such a sucker for Vintage inspired styles. The Heart shaped face girls are so lucky!!

So there you have it - the most requested bang styles. There are a few more - but they are very artistic and Bohemian. I love the Scene hair bang(www.scene-hairstyles.coms), and I'm a huge fan of the Suicide Girls(www.suicidegirls.com) - all of them - current, new and future.

How does one decide about bangs? Bangs are an amazing way to change your entire look without really committing to a life altering snip(see my last post). As you can see from the minimal examples I have provided above - bangs can change everything.

True story: I just recently cut my long layers into a thick straight across bang just under the eyebrow- I added some black extensions to the sides and into the middle of the bang. I go to a party where I know everyone and I am mistaken for the bartender - you know I went with it - Crazy right? Completely TRUE.

Sometimes all you want are just a few pieces in the middle of your forehead. Other times its more of a swept over look you are going for. And then -usually right smack in the middle of a life altering event - you decide Bettie Page is the way to go. No matter what you decide - you can rock it any way you want to. You can even learn how to work your hair and fake some bangs like this vintage kitten:

photo courtesy : www.fuckyeahvintagehair.tumblr.com

Remember  though, the more precise the bang the shorter the interval will be between salon visits and the less likely you will be able to maintain them your own self. Once you ruin an above the brow bang, there is nothing but bobby pins or extensions in the next four week future. The longer the bang the easier it will be to do an in betweener yourself.

If that is the case - please invest in a somewhat decent pair of haircutting shears - about 4.5 to 5 inch blades. Sallys Beauty Supply(www.sallybeauty.com) or Ulta(www.Ulta.com) is good and Nationwide. If you are in Los Angeles : Nigels Beauty Emporium(www.nigelbeauty.com) on Magnolia Ave is First, Naimies (www.naimies.com)on Riverside Drive is Second, Lee's Beauty Supply on San Fernando is Third and Cinema Secrets (www.cinemasecrets.com)on Riverside Drive or Wilshire Beauty Supply(www.wilshirebeauty.com) on  Wilshire Blvd tie for Fourth. They don't need to be like mine - just designed for hair - not paper or chicken.

That means - NO pinking shears, cuticle scissors, poultry scissors, scrap booking shears, or junk drawer scissors.

Please DO NOT cut straight across - DO NOT pull them all forward into a little bunch in the middle and cut off the uneven ends. DO NOT - no matter how much wine you have had - think it is a good idea to clean up your fringe in the middle of the night.

Please DO - cut little tiny triangles out of them by angling the shears vertically, and start in the middle and work out from side to side. Then come see me within the next 3 weeks.

This is all good advice unless your hairstyle revolves around your bangs. If that is the case - stay out of your hair and come see me every 2 to 3 weeks. It is painless and usually very amusing, plus you can go get lunch at the Counter(www.thecounterburger.com) or Sharkys(www.sharkys.com).

That is all I got for now !
Have a Happy Hair Day!

Bangs! Better than Botox or a late night mistake ?

Our assistant Dima, serves as a daily inspiration to me. She is 22, super cute and can work her hair like RuPaul.

This week she decided that the very cute bang she cut into her hair, just was not going to work anymore.

Enter the hair extensions. If you have the right kind of hair and a thick enough bang, this is a great solution for when you have maybe acted a bit too hastily and grabbed the closest sharp object and applied it to the front of your hair. You know who you are........

13 strands later - this is the result. She will be able to wear these for about 8 weeks before we have to maintain them and by then, she should have at least an inch of new growth. These are individual Italian Standard strands attached with copper cylinders.

In my next post - more on great bangs and how to maintain them.

      Have a Happy Hair Day!

What the H E double hockey sticks is in your water ?

Blonde that has dulled out, gotten brassy and the highllights look almost green

 My last post inspired me to talk about how to keep your hair looking salon fresh.

 If you are in Los Angeles, there is a whole lotta nasty in the water. First the ever evil "they" add Chlorine(http://www.buzzle.com/articles/facts-about-chlorine.html) in enormous amounts. Then to combat the Chlorine "they" add Lime(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calcium_oxide) ! WTH? This in turn leaves Calcium deposits all over your shower - you know - that nasty white stuff that reduces you to cleaning your shower every day. Guess what? That stuff is all over you too.
Have you noticed perhaps that your skin appears dryer? Your hair duller? Is your color holding up?

Dull and lifeless

As your hairstylist, I am seeing a big difference in how color is "taking" - meaning how it is lifting or depositing. I am having to clarify the hair prior to a color service. The amazing thing for a lot of clients is that once the hair is clarified they notice an immediate brightening. Their color goes back to normal.

I have been telling my clients for awhile now to get a filter for their shower. Up until now I had been sending everyone to one of the big box stores.

A while back I had a not so fantastic experience where I actually had an asthma attack in the shower. This happened because there was an excess of Chlorine in the water and I had the water super hot as well. Chorine Vapor ( my not so scientific way of describing the experience). This never would have happened if I had just not procrastinated in getting a filter.There is a pretty scary story about Chlorine poisoning at a water park that just happened http://www.foxnews.com/health/2011/08/17/chlorine-surge-at-california-water-park-leaves-20-people-sick/

Aquasana (www.aquasana.com)happened to be having a special on their units so I bought one. I'm never looking back or recommending another brand ever again. Instant relief. Super cost effective. Now I need one for the whole house. I can't even wash my face in the sink. The difference is that dramatic.

There is so much I could pontificate on regarding water hardness, chemicals, acidity and alkalinity - but if you just go to the Aquasana site you can then be armed with all the same knowledge I have and as a big ol' bonus - they are having another special for the month of August that I just found out about yesterday - 30% off all filter systems and free shipping. For the sake of your (my)beautiful hair - check it out.
 If you just want to use products - then go to www.malibu2000.com and stock up. My clients have told me that www.amazon.com has the best prices on that product. I'm a big fan of the Crystal Gel , Un Doo Goo Shampoo, Well Hair, and the Swimmers Wellness.We have a couple of kits in my salon  of the Malibu 2000 products.  The filter will make the most overall difference though.

Here is another example of Faded Brassy Color and Dullness that was caused by mineral deposits and coating products: 

brassy roots, faded ends


Have a Happy Hair Day!!!

Welcome to my Hair Blog!!

What should we talk about first? I know! How about Organic Color Systems (www.organiccolorsystems.com) non ammoniated permanent hair color!!

 First an example of how beautiful no ammonia can be. This is the stunning Lisa Remillard in one of her PR photo shoots. You can see this color in action at www.ktnv.com or follow her on Twitter http://twitter.com/#!/LasVegasLisa She is very funny and talks about Me all the time, ha ha.
This is a highlift blonde. No bleach, kiddies. I use a darker blonde done in an Ombre Pattern to achieve the contrast.

No burn, no fade. LOVE!

Another real time example of 3 different levels of blondes in the OCS line:

Candid shot, regular light, Lisa , me a level 8 , and The beautiful Heather a 9 highlight.

Fun Fact: Before OCS, it has been 12 years since I have been able to color my hair all over. Years of color service has created an allergy in me to Ammonia and a sensitivity to PPD. Could be that we were such rebels back in the 80's we never wore gloves, oh wait - that would have been because our nails were so long we couldn't wear gloves. More on that hot mess later. 

OCS can call itself Organic due to the percentage of organic ingredients it uses to formulate it's color line . It is not food grade. Just in case anyone needed clarification on that. It has the highest percentage of Organic ingredients in it on the market ( I believe) and the lowest percentage of PPD - which is the chemical that creates the color change. To learn more about how color works and the chemicals used check here : newhope360.com/personal-care/hair-dye-0

That article mentions another color line that I love - but it is available for purchase in Heath Food Stores - and it has a limited range of shades. I tell my clients to use it as an in betweener if they cant get in for some reason. OCS has 54 shades. And - they do not test on animals . 

One more picture and then I am off to work : Check out this Red - this client has super fine hair and nothing has ever been vibrant enough or has it ever stayed in longer than a couple of weeks. We never got what I would say was enough shine until I used this line.

Have a great Hair Day!