hair Tag Archives

Life without hair extensions-so far I’m making it!

When I have the $$$, I like to invest in hair extensions. I have tried different methods and brands-Keratin bonds, micro-beads, and most recently, tape-in extensions. I tend to wear them for between 3-6 months, and then give myself a break.

So I’m in a break period now-which is not the norm for me. Normally I wear extensions in the fall, winter, and spring. That’s mainly because of the extra weight and extra heat that they provide. This time around, I got them in spring and wore them all through summer (mistake-so hot). I was bracing myself for the worst during removal. I was surprised to find my hair in great condition. I’m even more surprised to find myself absolutely loving my hair sans extensions. I’m so pleased with everything about it and have been taking extra care ever since.

The number one thing that I love is being able to run my fingers through MY hair. I’m also able to put my hair up, it’s versatile. While I am missing the length, that’s really the only thing. I’m taking extra care with products, only washing my hair when necessary and heat styling sparingly.

I’m sure I will get hair extensions again, but I can tell you right now, It’s not going to be soon. I may do something different with my colour but right now I’m content. And I feel good about that!

 

You should visit….. Eric Del Monaco Hair Studio

I’ve had the pleasure of knowing Eric Del Monaco for more than a few years. I met him at one of the first L’Oreal blogger events I attended since starting my blog.  Over time, I would see him at events, including one held at his own studio.  Since I’ve started working downtown again, I’m fortunate to be able to see Eric at his own studio, conveniently located across the street from my office. You should visit…..Eric Del Monaco Hair Studio.

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Longer, stronger, better. Hair. With Priorin

Will Priorin help your hair grow?

Raise your hand if you’ve taken Biotin before-and NOT been impressed.  Honestly, I wasn’t pleased with Biotin and the other Hair, Skin, Nails vitamins on the drugstore shelves today.  I didn’t see results-even after taking them for several months and I did notice that Biotin caused me to break out.  It’s always been a struggle for me to grow my hair past my shoulders.  After I turned 40, I noticed my hair growth was even slower.  I have had hair extensions before-and while they did solve my length ‘situation’, my hair wasn’t better (or worse) afterwards.  So now, Priorin.  When I got this, I wondered if it would be any different.  Would I notice any sort of change-or would I be using this and then using my spot acne treatments.

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SUMMER SIZZLE- Skin Essentials to keep your skin in check this summer!

*This is a Beauty United Post*

I’ve been serious about skincare for several years now….and as I age, it’s even more important to me.   Check out these great products from Olay, Pantene, Venus, and Secret to help keep your skin protected this summer while you have fun in the sun.  Stay tuned for my reviews on some of these products!!  Let me know if you’ve tried any of these in the comments below!

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Irresistible Me extensions-my very first clip ins!

I’ve worn extensions before-last year in fact.  I’ve had fusion extensions and euro-lock extensions.  I loved them both but they were quite high maintenance….even for ME.  And the cost?  More than I’d care to admit.  I happily accepted an opportunity to try clip in extensions from Irresistible Me.

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Yet another reason to get your locks to Yonge/St. Clair- BlowDry lounge!

Creeping my work neighborhood……has worked out in my favor!

I had an event last week, a social outing-right after work.  No way I could style my hair in the morning, work the entire day and then head off to this event.  I wanted a fresh style-something pretty & voluminous.

Sure I walked by the blowdry lounge at least a hundred times. I noticed it was busy, sure I did….I looked at the website.  But after going to another blo dry bar chain and being fairly to moderately disappointed on a consistent basis (I won’t mention the name but I’ll give you a hint, the name of the disappointment rhymes with ‘Flo’), I was hesitant to give this place a shot.

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I am SO glad I did!

blowdry lounge

 

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First impressions? Fabulous.  Decor-pretty, clean, simple.  blow dry lounge has a RECEPTIONIST.  Yes, ONE person dedicated to scheduling, payment processing, inquiries.  I breathe a sigh of relief here-how many times I had to wait for one of the stylists to stop drying a client’s hair, to assist me with scheduling.  How many times was an appointment forgotten or overbooked upon my arrival? More than one.  But that’s the OTHER blow dry bars….not blow dry lounge. The atmosphere is friendly-not pretentious or stuffy.

My stylist consulted with me briefly about what I wanted.  She was friendly, polite, quick and efficient.  Then she started working her magic.  And it was quite magical!  She knows how to style….the shampoo, the product, the technique-perfect-o!  She gave me the full brush blow dry (head full of bushes!).

Just in case you are wondering, here’s a photo of me at the event.  I don’t like the photo for other reasons but my hair is incredible!

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I also popped over again for another blow dry-this time a bit more sleek.  I had a wonderful experience and my hair stayed frizz free for almost 3 days! YAY! Again, not my favorite picture of myself, but check my hair (and the 2 beauties next to me).

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And how about for up-styles? Blow-dry lounge has got you covered, as evidenced by my LATEST trip:

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I highly recommend blow dry lounge for your styling needs. They also offer haircuts AND threading (which I’ll be trying out soon).

blowdry lounge is located at  1343 Yonge Street in Toronto. Find pricing information and hours here.

 

Oh the places I’ve been……the shOws TO!

This post made possible by the wonderful people at MSL group- #beautyunited!

My blog is mostly beauty oriented but occasionally I’ll venture into the fashion world.  I was absolutely delighted to learn that I had won tickets to the first night of the shOws in Toronto on October 9th.  This show was held at Andrew Richards designs and I have to say that this was the BEST use of this space that I have ever seen!   In case you didn’t know (and I know I didn’t),  here’s a little blurb from the website:

“Our aim is to put the spotlight on Canadian Designers, Hair and Makeup Artists and Models and build a property that benefits not only our designers, artists and retailers but also our supportive sponsors, by showcasing the very best of Canadian talent at home and abroad to our media, buyers and stylists.

The purpose of The ShOws is to bring together our most talented and creative Canadian designers each season and allow them to present their collections here in Toronto to the fashion industry without incurring any production costs themselves. We want to support them here at home and give them every possible opportunity to continue to build their brands.”

I was selected to participate in backstage interviews….and I’m sure you have seen it before, but in case you have not, it can be described as ‘beautiful chaos.’  Here’s my point of view:

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I was also delighted to attend the Bellavance and Calla fashion shows…..every seat was a good one, and I can now truly appreciate the work that goes into the behind the scenes setup.  I also realized that when I attend future fashion shows, I will be bringing my SLR camera in order to capture the models, as well as my digital recorder (although I prefer a notebook and pen! That’s my generation X speaking).

So let’s get to the important stuff-the photos!

The looks:

Bellavance:

 

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IMG_0492IMG_0495IMG_0493Hair& Makeup-Bellavance:

-Justin created a ‘shaved head’ appearance by pulling the hair to one side, and braiding it underneath (see photo above) to keep the hair in place.  I remember when a ton of my classmates did that for REALS in the 90’s.  This look is fresh!

-Amelie used Cover Girl flamed out pencils in a thicker line underneath the eye to “open it up.”  The Cover Girl clean whipped makeup foundation was used to keep the face fresh. I’m loving the ‘modern matte’ finish of this particular foundation.  Cover Girl Smoochies were used on the lips.

 

Calla:

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Hair & Makeup-Calla:

-Braids, braids, braids everywhere!  The string/fabric was woven in-slightly boho-chic!

-Makeup was clean and uncomplicated, but complimenting the hair and clothing.

 

*Yes these runway looks were achieved using Cover Girl and Pantene products!*

And now, the runway-and I point out (again) this is the main reason for my upcoming shift to a higher grade camera/recording device!

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It was a fantastic evening, that’s for sure-I am so grateful to Jennifer, Alyssa and the lovely people at MSL group for giving me the opportunity to attend.  Also, huge shout outs to all the designer talent, as well as Justin and Emelie!  It was a night to remember!

 

 

Greasy to Gorgeous with Aveda! Waterless (and effortless) styling!

I feel like Aveda called me in the  nick of time.  Almost 3 weeks into a new cut and color and absolutely CLUELESS about styling a shorter ‘do.

Aveda celebrates Earth month in a BIG way.  They have all sorts of Earth month events (check here) to include special ‘salon’ days where proceeds are donated to charity, and a walk for water. There are also specially marked Aveda products that can be purchased.  In Canada, Aveda has teamed up with WaterCAN , an organization dedicated to providing sustainable water for underdeveloped countries.  In the spirit of Earth month and conserving water, I was invited to Aveda to learn about ‘water-less hair styles’ and believe me, I was all too happy to oblige.

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Adventures in styling with Aveda-Born to Style 2013!

I was fortunate enough to merely attend the last Born to Style competition at the Aveda institute in Toronto and it was a blast being in the midst of SO.MUCH.TALENT.

Aveda is once again calling all those talented, passionate individuals with a “flair for hair” to apply for their scholarship. This is an absolutely fantastic opportunity for someone who feels a “calling” to coiff everyone they see into perfection!

I know this means YOU so why don’t you check out the contest details here

 

Honestly, if you were BORN to style, then what could possibly be better than winning your tuition? Seriously? It’s the ultimate!

Aveda has definitely ‘upped the ante’ by offering extra incentives to ‘early bird’ entries-in the form of gift cards!

Winning your tuition could be as easy as these 3 steps:

1.  Make a video!  Create a video to show us why you are born BORN TO STYLE and why you’ve got the talent, passion and determination it takes to develop your hairstyling skills with the Aveda Institute Canada.

2. Upload and Share! Click on Enter Contest to upload your video. Share your Aveda Institute entry page with your network of family, friends, fans and followers. Get them to vote for your video. The entry with the most votes secures an automatic spot in the final Hair Showdown, so make sure to share your talent with the world!

3.  Hair Showdown! An esteemed panel of hair and beauty professionals will hand pick four aspiring hairstylists in each city as well one spot will be slotted for people’s choice to advance to the final round. These future hairdressers will participate in a live head-to-head competition and runway show putting together two complete looks in front of a panel of style experts and hairstyling heavy hitters. The winner in each city will be awarded a full scholarship to the Aveda Institute hair school!

There’s so much waiting for you at the Aveda Institute!

Entry details and more information can be found here!

OOTN-Company Christmas party

I do NOT normally post this kind of thing but wanted to share this with you….

Here is what I wore to my company Christmas party on Friday night:

Dress: Jacob, Shoes: Nine West, Jewelry: various but mostly items I have already had!

 

Hair: Dina for Aldo Salon, Toronto

Hair: Dina for Aldo Salon, Earrings: Suzy Shier

What a great night!