Make Sure Your Manicurist Doesn't use one of These

Have you ever been to one those nail salons where there are pedicure thrones lined up and clients revolving through the door faster than a fast food restaurant. In strip malls and shopping malls across america there are nail shops everywhere. Ive been to some that are wonderful, and some where I was kind of squeamish about putting my foot in the bowls. If your like me, sometimes things you do for yourself, are last minute. If your leaving on vacation where sandals will be worn, and your feet are full on hammer time, any place will do right? If yourgoing to get a pedicure in a place your unfamiliar with, be informed on what tools should, and should not be used.  If they are using what is called a credo blade, you should pass. It looks like a cheese grater.

like this..

In the past, I've had pedi's in places I didn't really know about, but I never allowed one those to be used. They just always scared me to much.  They were commonly used in the past but now only a pumice, or pumice file should be used, because its the law.   

Some salons still use these. Do you know why these are banned? Because if the skin is nicked by one of these, and you don't have it treated you could get tetanus. A serious bacteria infection commonly referred to as lock jaw.You can die from it left untreated, and its a miserable death. Have you ever had a tetanus shot? Of all the vaccines it hurts the worst. Growing up in the country, my mother was adamant that my sister and I always be current on this vaccine because it often occurs through a foot wound( I loved playing barefoot outside!).  When I was 22 I was cleaning out my garage and cut my hand on a piece of rusty tin. I had to get a tetanus shot the next day. This shot makes your arm so sore for days. It feels like a Mack truck hit your arm. If you ever received a nick from ones of these little bad boys pictured above, you better go get a tetanus ASAP. Make sure your your pedicure provider doesn't use one of these. If they are professional they stay up to date on state regulations of their trade. As a consumer you should stay informed as well.  Laws of the beauty industry change frequently. They often arise out of need. The State Board of Cosmetology had to intervene when several reports from medical providers informed the state they were treating people for  injuries from credo blades from nail salons. Visit the link below to see this law and others that pertain to the beauty industry. 

 http://pr.mo.gov/cosbar-pressrelease.asp

We always recommend finding a reputable salon and sticking with them. Referrals are the best way to find a great service provider.
 We recommend  Maysies Nail Salon at 6056 NW 63rd Terr. KCMO 64151. 816-326-8880. http://www.maysysnailandspa.com/
They are clean, professional, licensed and can do the most incredible artwork I've ever seen on nails! It's always best to let professionals do a professional job.

3 Tips On Finding a Good Balayage Hair Salon

Some Balayage Facts

 Many of our new balayage clients are clients who have been to other area salons, claiming to be "balayage specialists" only to have an inexperienced colorist performing a service that requires years to master.  If I were a client seeking this service, I would assume all salons knew their this method. However, in the last 2 years clients have come to our salon seeking color corrections from other salons in the area who attempted this tricky technique. Many salons say they are "masters" of coloring services, and unfortunately for you,  some  of what is advertised is an inflated perception of their capabilities to deliver this service.

This picture is common   of many before and after clients we see. This client went to an area salon and received this from a stylist who said she did balayage.

You can see how the color on the left model is blotchy and yellow ( indicating the color bled). The photo on the left is one given to us by this client to show us what the other salon had given her. She paid for this other salons attempt at" balayage" and did not receive it.  The photo on the right is a picture of her hair after one of our stylists Megan, performed color correction service. Megan did a balayage highlight and low light with 2 paddles to correct the previous attempt of the other stylist. This created the sunny, dimensional look the client desired, shown on the right.

This concerns me as a salon owner.  Studio 39 Salon is seeing this more and more. As social media sites like Pinterest and Instagram become more popular with hash tags like #balayage , these incidents are more common. Clients show these pictures to stylists who say they can do it because perhaps they watched a YouTube video about it.  From there its a hot mess! Real training on this is rare and hard to come by, especially in the Midwest.  A  real balayage stylist makes it look simple, which in turn makes an average hairdresser think "I can do that"! When balayage is done correctly, it looks easy. If a stylist who hasn't received formal training on this service, they should not be attempting this technique, and a day class or afternoon workshop is not enough.

  I've heard" fake it till you make it" often in the hairdressing world. In our salon this common industry belief is unacceptable.

A Studio 39  a balayage colorist interns and trains with me directly. They have to have a natural ability and talent for free hand color work, that usually falls outside the mechanical rhythm of traditional foiling. They also need good judgment and self confidence to tell a client when this service is not the service for their type of hair. Eight years ago I traveled to New York to learn this method. Even after I went completed the rigorous training, It still took about 2 years until I felt confident to perform this difficult method. I have been asked by area salons and beauty supply stores to teach classes on this service. Although I'm flattered, I always decline because it takes more than a seminar to learn this. It simply cannot be leaned or taught in a day. I was shocked to learn large chain salons are teaching this is day classes. These are clearly places not owned by a stylist who works behind the chair . Because of the liability and room for error with this service, I would never permit an inexperienced stylist to perform this service. . These places might be ok to purchase a hair brush or nail file, but not for refined and technically challenging coloring techniques like balayage.

I know that sounds harsh, but we've seen the above scenario dozens of times since search words like ombre and balayage have been flying across cyber space.

If you book balayage with us, I guarantee your color will be beautiful. I will also tell you if you are not a good candidate for this service. It is naturally more warm and diffused at the root. So if someone is used to power blonde at the root, its not for them. Be cautious when booking this service and always ask these questions:

1. How long has the stylist been doing balayage and where did she/he train?

2. Do they use a special product designed for balayage?

3. What method do they use?

Number 3 is important. There are several types of balayage- most colorists just don't know!

So ask these questions before you book. If you do your research you will end up with beautiful highlights that grow out well. If you don't, you could end up with a preschoolers project on your head!

Green smoothie for your health & skin

Watch a quick demo of what I use in my smoothies in the morning for a healthy breakfast and glowing skin..

Beauty Products and Estrogen Dominance

Estrogen dominance could be responsible for many illnesses in America. Here are  a few(ahem) symptoms..

• Allergies, including asthma, hives, rashes, sinus congestion
• Autoimmune disorders such as lupus erythematosis and thyroiditis, and possibly Sjoegren’s disease
• Breast cancer
• Breast tenderness
• Cervical dysplasia
• Cold hands and feet as a symptom of thyroid dysfunction
• Copper excess
• Decreased sex drive
• Depression with anxiety or agitation
• Dry eyes
• Early onset of menstruation
• Endometrial (uterine) cancer
• Fat gain, especially around the abdomen, hips and thighs
• Fatigue
• Fibrocystic breasts
• Foggy thinking
• Gallbladder disease
• Hair Loss
• Headaches
• Hypoglycemia
• Increased blood clotting (increasing risk of strokes)
• Infertility
• Irregular menstrual periods
• Irritability
• Insomnia
• Magnesium deficiency
• Memory loss
• Mood swings
• Osteoporosis
• Polycystic ovaries
• Premenopausal bone loss
• PMS
• Prostate cancer (men only)
• Sluggish metabolism
• Thyroid dysfunction mimicking hypothyroidism
• Uterine cancer
• Uterine fibroids
• Water retention, bloating
• Zinc deficiency
• Pre-mature aging & wrinkles

 Well isn’t that just fanfreakintabulous!! I mean who doesnt have at least 5 of those symptoms at any given time? Are we all just totally flipped?   No, because small adjustments can make a big difference.  What goes in or on your body, remember that, are the largest factors. Being aware is the first step. 

 It’s possible that we are all — men, women and children — suffering a little from estrogen dominance, because there is so much of it in our environment. You would have to live in a bubble to escape the excess estrogens we’re exposed to through pesticides, plastics, industrial waste products, car exhaust, meat, soaps and much of the carpeting, furniture and paneling that we live with indoors every day.  Im always surprised when clients have no idea what I’m talking about when I speak of it in the salon.  So what is it exactly?? Women produce 2 types of hormones- progesterone and estrogen. All of the things above we breath, eat and absorb; dermally break down in our bodies as synthetic estrogen, which in turn,  can create a hormone imbalance. Synthetic estrogen simply means its not estrogen your body created, but absorbed from the environment. When our hormones are balanced everything is functioning great, when they aren't a bagillion different things can go wrong. From just feeling sluggish or in extreme cases, cancer.  In most cases for women, we get the largest doses of  synthetic estrogen from what goes in & on our bodies.  Its scary but in a world where GMO”s( genetically modified organisms) are in most supermarket foods, & petrochemicals( derived from crude oil includes: ethylene, toluene  often in nail polish, and butylene) and preservatives are in most cosmetics , its a reality.  Its unrealistic to think you can avoid all these things, but even slight efforts can make a huge difference in your health.  Where do beauty products play in to this? Well they obviously go directly on our bodies. Many mainstream and VERY advertised products contain the highest amounts of preservatives, sulfates, parabens, and chemicals. Choosing organic, or plant based(natural) skin, makeup and hair products are a great start.  Here are a few other easy things that make a big difference.

•  eat only organic meat and dairy , or at the very least food that says “no added hormones”
• get a tap filter, Brita sells a great one for about 60$ and help the earth & save $ by not buying bottled h20
• dont microwave your food in plastic
• use an organic body lotion- or extra virgin olive oil. I use Eufora’s body lotion & I love it. Did you know a major beauty company tried to buy it from them (Initials are E.L.. can you guess?)  to try to sell in department stores for 60$ a jar for a face moisturizer. They politely declined. Its about 20$ for a bottle. But if that's still to much use the E.V.O.O. It makes your  skin soft and healthy. If you cant bear the smell, add a lil lavender, citrus or rosemary oil. Have fun with it & save major $. Did you know Vic’s Secret and Bath & Body are some of THE most unhealthiest things you can put on your body? They’re loaded with chemicals.
• get a few houseplants, the extra co2 improves air quality
• switch to mineral makeup
• don't smoke, duh
• stop drinking pop, especially diet( hangovers excluded)
• read labels and ask questions! Seriously, quit opening the shampoo bottle to smell it. It kills me when I see a client do this, although I DO IT TOO. I guess its just human nature, but trust me; the fragrance is the LEAST important thing in the bottle.

 The last one is very important. Ask questions. There is nothing I CANNOT stand more than a dumb hairstylist. You know the one. Selling something just because they’re told by the reps or hair companies that its a great product without finding out for themselves.  Is that someone you really want to get beauty advice from over the long haul? No. Whether its health advice from a physician, or beauty advice from an aestheticism or stylist, don't you want the “professionals” in your life to be educated and knowledgeable? 

 I really dislike the word “lifestyle”. It seems so smug. I've been on the ”green” walk since 2002, before it was coined “green”. Making the decision to choose cleaner, healthier options for my body and planet. I still learn new things all the time.  I’m sometimes hyper vigilant, sometimes not so much. But the one thing I know, it’s not going away, its getting worse. Unfortunately, its the world we live in today. Adopting some of the things above will help your body and our planet. In no 

Ph Balance And Your Hair

Why is PH balance something you should know about for your hair? Ph is a term for the scale that determines the acidity(acid) or alkalinity (alkaline) of any substance. Low on the scale is acid( 0-6), alkaline is high (8-14) water is 7, making it neutral. The ph of human hair is 5, so its is naturally acidic. It is important to use products that are also low in ph to keep hair healthy !

Maya Brenner

So what I'm loving now is my Maya Brenner Missouri necklace and my lil arrow bracelet. Both are two things very dear to me, my state & archery!  In my Lucky magazine in February, one of the "Lucky deals" in the back was $100 off her popular state necklaces. These first trended in LA by stars wearing her dainty bling to represent their home state. Being away from your home makes you appreciate it even more. When I was NYC for school I would talk about Missouri whenever I could, the beauty, the people, you get the idea. Anyhoo, I'm not much on big brandie jewelry (bleh), especially since my sis is such a huge artsy jewelry talent. BUT I do still love my gold, so I had to share with you my new fave baby necklace. I always wear my "Gemy" necklace. My parents gave it to me on my sweet 16, but I also usually wear a smaller, shorter necklace above that I call my "baby" necklace. I love layering gold; as long as it looks chic, and not gansta. Check out her designs at  www.mayabrenner.com

Nuwati Herbals

So my bf was at a trade show in Iowa a few weeks ago and bought me some of this awesome balm. I'm always looking for natural ways to unwind at night and stop those wheels from spinning. What I love about this; it's all natural oils- no petrolatum or preservatives. I rub some on my temples and I'm in relax mode in no time. He also bought me some of the Cloudwalking tea. I love this too, but you need a tea steeper since its loose tea. I'm a tea fan, and I drink oolong tea all day long for its antioxidants and hydration benefits. The "less o me" tea Nuwati offers seems very similar so I purchased some to replace some of my oolong during the day. I want to compare the two. If you visit the site www.nuwatiherbals.com  you can read all the great reviews of their teas and products.  I also love anything Native American related and am completely lusting their bone earrings in the  jewelry section. They are so hip and I LOVE the colors. Who knew the Iowa Deer Classic had such cool stuff???