Showing posts with label Hair Care. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Hair Care. Show all posts

Thursday, May 27, 2010

Tip of the Day

I know I have rambled about shampooing & conditioning -> how often you should be doing it and all about PH levels and their relation to oily hair!

However...
I've never given you any tips on techniques for Shampooing & Conditioning your hair!
I know this sounds silly; it isn't rocket science, but there are a few little tricks I would love to share with you!
1. Good Shampoo can be Pricey, to avoid wasting that good stuff make sure that you hair is SOAKING wet. If your hair is soaked you will be able to use less shampoo but still get that lather we all want!
2. Do no apply the shampoo to your ends, apply the shampoo to your roots and massage it in! Once your roots are all sudsy rub the excess bubbles into your ends. Then bring your ends up to your roots and massage again!
3. Do the opposite with conditioner from what I just said with Shampoo! Only apply conditioner to your ends and the mid shaft of the hair. Massage into the hair to make sure it is all coated!
4. With a jaw clip wrap your hair into a bun and clip it back. Kill some time in the shower by shaving your legs! When you are ready to rinse out the conditioner, get under the water flow and  massage your hair into your roots! The water will rinse the conditioner out while you are moisturizing your roots just slightly!
*Try these tips out and let me know if you notice a difference in your hair!
Xo

Saturday, May 15, 2010

Rule of Thumb for Hair

So, for the last week I have been pushing our event "Girls Night In at Lift" for the Canadian Cancer Society but now it's over! I wanted to say thanks for all of the help and support it was such a great success and a lot of fun! I will post pictures soon!


Now on to blogging and my regular tips and tricks...


I've been asked too many times to count, "How often should I be getting my hair trimmed?"

Most Hair Stylist will give you the generic answer of "Every 6-8 weeks!" They give this answer for 2 reasons; 
1. For maximum hair health the 6-8 week period will ensure CLEAN ends!
and 
2. Because it get's you back in their chair FREQUENTLY meaning more $$$ for them!

Here's the truth in it all:

The amount of time that you wait between cuts/trims depend on your hair style, your hair length and your hair type!

Let's start with Style: If your hair is extremely "styled," meaning bangs, heavy layering or asymmetrical than you will need to visit your stylist more regularly than someone who has a simple "traditional cut." 
Why you ask? 
Extra length on a very precise and artistic cut can alter the desired shape and design. You may notice that after just 3-4 weeks you feel your hair cut has "lost it's shape."

 On To Hair Length:
Short - Have you ever noticed that the men in your life generally get there hair cut 3 or 4 times the amount that you do? It isn't because their hair grows faster, it's because growth is far more noticeable on short hair than long! Those of you who have short hair, are rarely getting their hair cut to remove split ends, it's to maintain the shape of your style! People say short hair is the lowest maintenance, I totally disagree... I think it's the highest maintenance.
Length of time you should be going between cuts? hmmm, depends on your personal preferences.. as I mentioned you wont be cutting for hair health, so only you will know when your style has grown out! My short cut client's usually visit me every 4-6 weeks to maintain a flawless shape!
Medium - Medium length locks with a traditional cut can go the longest between trims! Why? Because when it grows out it just looks like a long version of your original cut, and your hair isn't so long that the ends split quickly. For you, I say wait as long as you want between cuts! When you desire a new style or your ends start to feel dry... visit your stylist!
Long - Us long locks ladies: 8 weeks should be your maximum wait period between cuts if you want your long hair to look full and healthy! Reason: Think about how old the hair at your ends is... YEARS AND YEARS AND YEARS old! I would say my ends are about 6-7 years old. In those 6-7 years I have washed my hair too many times to count, blow dried it, curled it, straightened it, sat in the sun with it, swam with it SOOOOO many times! This repeat ware on the hair is very damaging. The longer your hair, the older your hair, the older your hair the more damaged your hair, the more damaged your hair the more split ends you get the more split ends - the more cuts you need!!!
*Long haired ladies always say "my hair stops growing after a certain length" THIS IS IMPOSSIBLE! Here's the reason why it seems that way - Split ends break off the hair shaft, which makes the hair shorter. If you don't trim your hair, it will trim itself in a detrimental way and you will never notice growth because it's breaking off before you can see the difference! Hair breakage also results in an uneven, straggly, and fried look!

Last but not least, Hair Type:
Most Hair types react to the elements relatively the same. However if you have naturally dry hair or THIN hair, you must visit your stylist more frequently! Blame genetics for that!
Dry hair and thin hair, at whatever length will naturally deteriorate faster than other hair types. I suggest regular visits for a trim every 6 weeks for you ladies!

*Styling your hair with product and hot tools can also effect the length between when you need to revisit your stylist. Using heavy products with a high alcohol level will cause the hair to dry out and split = extra visits for trims. The same thing applies to using BAD hot tools without protecting the hair with GOOD products! To prevent damage from styling I suggest the following products:
Amika Irons
Buff (Styling cream and protector) by Osis 
Moroccanoil® Glimmer Shine Spray

Thursday, April 15, 2010

4 Day Hair Schedule...

Okay, So I have been asked the same question TOO many times to count...

"How do you get your hair to look like that!?!"
 
3 Day old Hair!


So, Over the next few days I will be giving you a step by step on how to train your hair to last longer than a day and how to get volume and shape! Keep Checking in, day to day to get the full benefit!

Step One: Understanding your hair...
More often than not people complain to me about the fact that their hair gets too "greasy" too fast and therefore have to Shampoo and restyle their hair daily!

Let's get to the bottom of this!
  1. Greasy Hair is not really GREASY hair! The problem as you are all aware is your scalp.  The sebum (oil) from the scalp travels down your hair making the hair look greasy, limp and smelly. Grease/oil is always more noticeable on straight hair than curly - Sorry Straight hair Ladies, I know how this sucks.. I'm in your boat!
  2. Often the problem stems from having a DRY scalp. Our bodies are sensitive to a dry scalp and will over produce oil to heal the problem! This unfortunately, almost ALWAYS results in an OVERABUNDANCE of oil and GREASY hair!
  3.  The question is, how do we get a dry scalp?! There are a number of reasons for this. To list a few; Genetics, Hormone Changes, Weather Changes, Product use, etc. The underlying issue is ALWAYS your scalp's PH level!
  4. You can effect your PH level through healthy eating but the easiest way to balance your PH is by using the right Shampoo! Shampoo can range from a 4 PH to an 8.5. Most of us like the feeling of our hair when we use a HIGH PH shampoo but using a high PH shampoo is generally the culperate for this problem!  
  5. Generally skin has a PH level of 5 yet most shampoos have a PH ranging somewhere near 8. IMPORTANT: Greasy, flakey, smelly scalp is general a sign of a FUNGUS, caused by a HIGH PH, GROSS... I know, but it's the truth. These PH imbalance Fungus' cannot live on a low PH scalp. Every time you shampoo with a high ph product you are contributing to your scalp’s higher ph and in turn making to the problems worse. 
Now that you know the cause of your problem lets talk about the solution... Tomorrow!
Visit tomorrow for the remady...
Xo

Wednesday, April 14, 2010

Lightening your Locks; Free Product!

I don't get outside much, cause I'm generally behind the chair making one of you lovely ladies look amazing, or sitting at the computer blogging or doing admin work! 
However, a hair stylist always know when summer is on it's way because we are generally booked back to back with FOILS!!!
People always asking me why women have the tendency of lightening their hair in the summer months!


That's Little Me, don't laugh!! Look how beautiful my blond locks are!

Here are my thoughts:
As children we spend a LOT more time outside, especially in the summer! The sunlight changes the tone and level (darkness vs. lightness) of EVERYONE's hair! Take a look at pictures of yourself from the summers of your childhood and you will notice that the sun had effected your hair colour in the most gorgeous of ways!

That sun-kissed look makes everyone feel youthful and vibrant which is why, we always see a trend to go lighter in the spring and summer months!

*Tip, when lightening your hair avoid changing the OVERALL colour, just add THIN, natural looking highlights to enhance your natural look! Avoid straying too far from your natural colour, 3-4 shades lighter is enough! 

Yesterday I must have put over 1000 packets of foils in, and I look forward to many more!

When booking your highlights mention this post and receive a FREE 
Conditioning Treatment 
and take home a 
Schwarzkopf
ColourSave Shampoo and Conditioner Trail Set!
416-960-5438

Friday, April 2, 2010

Amika:Stylers My New BFF

Okay Ladies, Lift Beauty Boutique has been around for years now
But It isn't until now that we are selling HOT TOOLS!

Reason: I hadn't found a brand that I really fell IN LOVE with enough to share with my beloved clients!

2010 is the year of HOT TOOLS for the Lift Beauty Girls!
My suggestion: AMIKA-Stylers...
The post could go on forever if I gave you EVERY reason why I love these stylers, so instead, I give you the main points!


We'll start with the Amika Flat Irons:

  • First of all they come in some super cute and totally fun prints and Colours!
  • They have "Floating Plates" which prevent creasing on the hair, which means easy styling into STRAIGHT style, Wavey Style and CURLY style.
  • They Have NANO-technology which helps your hair hold on to moisture and shine and as well removes pollutants and bacteria from your hair.
  • The Amika Iron also has 100% ceramic plates rather than coated plates!
  • They use Infrared technology too, which helps lock in moisture and keeps your colour looking fresh!
On To the Curling Irons (My personal Fav's)
  • Okay Ladies, you want easy... I'll give you easy!! These wickedly hot tools are something I can't live without anymore! I have the 3p Set which comes with 3 different removable heads for different styling needs! A small, medium and large barrel come with this set which means you can get an infinite amount of different styles from this one purchase!
  • The reason I suggest these to people who have a hard time styling there hair, is because the were made with the saying K.I.S.S (Keep it simple stupid) in mind! You will notice the irons don't have a "clip" or Marcel! Instead the iron comes with a heat resistant glove because all you have you to do, is WRAP your luscious locks around the barrel and HOLD!
**Okay, too much babbling, you have seen my hair done with these irons a number of different times but here's a recap:



*For More Info, Call us at 416-960-5438
These are special order items at the moment, so let us know what you want and we will bring it in JUST for you! Xo 

Also, visit http://www.loveamika.com/ For more info and videos on how to style!