Hair & Nail Trends for Spring 2013

HAIR

With breezy waves, unfussy braids, and lower-than-low ponytails, the spring runways were all about natural, undone hair. It was roughed up, not too perfect, and still crazy-pretty. Better yet, the styles are so simple that they won't drive you crazy when you attempt them yourself. Here, a few looks for spring 2013.

MESSY BRAIDS

"It's not polished and it's not glamorous," McKnight said of the sporty braid at Balmain. He got the look by roughly drying the hair and spraying it with Pantene Pro-V Classic Style Hairspray. He braided the hair and secured it with a thick black elastic, then added a second elastic at the base of the neck. To make the hair look "lived in," he pulled out random sections around the ears.

NATURAL WAVES

J. Mendel makes elegant dress-up clothes, but the hair this season was relaxed and unfussy. "They're not barrel curls," hairstylist Orlando Pita said of the "flat and natural-looking" waves he gave the models. He parted the hair down the middle, smoothed the front section with Phyto Professional Workable Holding Spray, and then pushed the hair behind the ears. Starting just under the ears, he ran a flatiron over one-inch sections of hair, rotating it both toward and away from the head to create soft waves. He tamed frizz with Phyto 7 Daily Hydrating Botanical Cream. 

SICILIAN TWISTS

"It's about the scarf," Guido said of the hair at Dolce & Gabbana, "like how a woman would just pin her hair up [and] put a scarf on." He began by applying Redken Aerate 08 Bodifying Cream-Mousse to the hair and blow-drying it straight back, removing any hint of a part. He placed the scarf around the head about an inch from the hairline and tied it off-center at the nape of the neck, letting the ends skim the shoulders. He rolled the hair up as if he was going to do a French twist, instead folding the ends under to form a loop, and fanned the hair out on top of the head. "There's a little indication of the '60s. [There is] a little Riviera feeling," he said.

ROUGHED-UP TEXTURE

To create a tousled, sexy texture at Lanvin, Guido misted the hair with water then roughly blow-dried it. He sprayed the roots withRedken Quick Tease 15,made a deep side part, and teased the thicker half with a Mason Pearson hairbrush. He pushed the hair behind the ears and finished by blasting just the front with hair spray.

ULTRALOW PONYTAILS

To complement the scarves in the Rochas collection, hairstylist Eugene Souleiman decided on superlow ponytails. He parted the hair down the center, misted it with Wella Professionals Ocean Spritz Beach Texture Hairspray, and blow-dried it straight with a round brush. To lock in the "supernaturally straight" style, he then flatironed it. He pulled the hair into a very loose ponytail, letting the top portion of the ponytail fan out so that the hair looked like it had been cut into a bob from the front. "My favorite thing about it is that it's one of those looks that's so normal, it's really abnormal," Souleiman said.

NAILS

Contrast was the name of the game when it came to nails at the New York shows. Looks ranged from light and innocent to dark and dangerously chic this season. We saw pretty swan white polishes, barely-there French manicures and buff looks juxtaposed with black vamp shades, medieval “cage” inspired designs and the most breathtaking of all—the “dripping blood” effect seen at Prabal Gurung. Balancing out these more extreme styles, we noticed plenty of glamorous metallic varnishes and colorful two-tone manicures that added the perfect pop of sparkle and impact.

How To Keep Your Hair Color From Fading!

1.  Use a good deep moisturizer 7 to 10 days before coloring to prepare hair for the color. Use a clarifying shampoo to wash your hair at least 24 hours before your color (this is especially important if you use styling products with silicon because they will prevent the color from adhering to the hair). Do not wash your hair within 24 hours of coloring because the color will not take to the hair as well. Furthermore, do not use the clarifying shampoo after coloring because it can strip the color from your hair.

2. Do not shampoo your hair until at least 48 hours after the color is applied to avoid stripping the color. When you do shampoo and condition, use products that are specifically designed for color treated hair. Shampoo and conditioner for color treated hair have ingredients that are designed to protect your color rather than stripping or dulling it. I prefer Park Avenue Color Protecting Shampoo& Conditioner. My stylist also advised not to shampoo my hair every day but only when necessary to protect the color.

3. This one is a little difficult for me because when I take my shower the water is hot enough to boil eggs most of the time. However, in order to protect my color I have learned to shampoo and rinse in cool water rather than hot water. The hot water opens the hair follicles and dulls the color. Cool water will keep hair color much brighter and true than using hot water.

4.Speaking of showers, the chemicals in your water can dull and strip hair color. My stylist suggested that I invest in a filtered showerhead and she was correct - my hair color does last longer and is brighter than before.

5. Heat not only damages your hair but it also damages your hair color. I dry my hair on a medium heat setting and I use John Frieda Heat Defeat Protective Styling Spray to protect my color and hair when using a flat iron or other heat styling tools. This is essential to keeping your hair color from fading.

6. Protect your hair from the sun to make the color last longer. Purchase hair products that have UV protection. Wear a hat if you are in the sun and cover your hair when you are in tanning bed

7. Avoid using hair spray if possible because this will dull your hair color. However, make sure that you use products to enhance the shine and appearance of your hair color such as BioSilk Silk Therapy (I cannot live without this product for my hair).

8. There are color enhancing shampoos on the market that are designed to boost your hair color by depositing small amounts of color on your hair. I have tried some of these and found that they actually turn my color brassy if I use them every time I shampoo. Therefore, use these only once a week or every other week to give your color a little boost. Pick a shade that is closest to your hair color for best results.

The Benefits Of Olive Oil!

So I tweeted earlier that as you get older your skin starts to sag and someone replied saying that Olive Oil keep yours skin looking radiant so I did some research and this is what I found!

The olive tree is an evergreen tree in the Mediterranean region. The tree grows to 9 meters tall and takes 15 years to bear fruit. Olive oil has a heavy texture, and can vary in color from a pale golden yellow to dark green. The purest form is "extra virgin," and it is lightest in color. Olive oil has many antioxidant properties. Olive oil absorbs UV radiation and appears to assist in repairing cells and in preventing cell damage. Olive oil is soothing and healing to all skin types

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Olive oil is a fantastic source of vitamin E. Consuming olives or olive oil has been associated with such health benefits as reducing blood pressure, decreasing growth of some cancers, lessening the severity of asthma and arthritis and may actually help maintain a lower weight. Using olive oil externally on your body can also have benefits. Olive oil is now found in many skin care products. The vitamin E found in the olive oil is the key ingredient.

For hair care, add 1 tbsp. of olive oil to your hair conditioner. Shake well before each use. Use conditioner as usual. Olive oil will provide not only a beautiful shine, but also manageability.

Olive oil can also help with the area around your eyes. Nightly, place a small amount of oil on your fingertips. Gently dab on the corner of your eyes, your eyelids and under your eyes. Use caution not to get the oil in your eyes. You can also do this to your eyebrows after tweezing or waxing to provide moisture and soothing relief.

For lip care, place a small amount of oil on your fingertips. Rub across your lips to provide moisture and shine.

Similarly, take a small amount nightly and rub into your nails and cuticles. This will give a beautiful shine to your nails and keep the nail beds and cuticles soft. Make a sugar scrub and use it on your hands nightly to keep hands hydrated and soft.

For foot care, use 1 tbsp. of olive oil in a warm footbath. Soak for 10 minutes, then pat dry. You can also use sugar scrub on your feet daily.

Use sugar scrub daily in shower for continued soft and hydrated skin. You can also use olive oil in a massage
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Up, Up & Away !

A few weeks ago I teamed up with Atlanta based photographer Antonio Guerra and M.A.C. makeup artist Tinisee Buckman for a very fun shoot. When the idea was first pitched to me I was very concerned because I couldn't get passed the balloons. Many people may not know this but I really don't take myself to seriously when it comes to modeling. I'm very used to being behind the scenes as a hairstylist. I made jokes about coming across as a clown but in contrary I am extremely pleased with the outcome. I learned a very valuable lesson out of this project and that is when you stop letting fear get in your way the possibilities are endless. I hope you all enjoy!

Photographer : Antonio Guerra

Makeup : Tinisee Buckman

Model & Hair : Paul Mitchell Rabell 

Sammy B Look Book S/S 2013

Want A Weave That Doesn't Shed?

Please keep in mind shedding may occur with any wefted hair. Common reasons for shedding comes from wefts being cut for installation, as well as breakage from excessive brushing and combing through the hair.  If getting wefts sewn in, make sure you or your stylist installs your tracks properly. Avoid sewing through the wefts as it loosens the thread and causes shedding. 

The hair should be kept moisturized to minimize breakage. Use a good leave in conditioner and a light silicone based serum. For curly textures try using a curl activator or curl pudding. 

You can also seal your wefts with a sealant or fray block  prior to installation to preserve the longevity of the wefts.  I like HE 101 weft sealer because it comes in different hues to match your hair color, its fast drying and and it requires no additional curing time once applied. You can also try Aleene’s Stop Fraying or Junes Fray Block which can be found in your local craft store but these require 5 days to cure.

To apply the weft sealer or fray block you want to apply a thin layer of product to weft. Allow to dry. Turn weft over and apply a layer to the other side. Allow to dry completely prior to installation.

       Below is a tutorial on how this technique is achieved.