Hair in France... I wanna bring all of their Style HOME!

As promised I am back! (It’s Lauren again is what I mean) I have more French beauty styles to share with you from my honeymoon! I have already told you about the very glam French makeup trends I followed in Paris now let’s move on to hair!

Between strolling along the streets in Paris and boat rides along the Seine I noticed those Parisian Ladies have some gorgeous hair. It just looks effortless and truly chic. 

My goal was to NOT LOOK LIKE A TOURIST, blend in as much as possible obviously I had to try and copy their looks.

There were two looks that stood out to me to be true Parisian trends. The first is so simple, yet so effective. Easy to create but very beautiful and touchable! The ladies with their hair down had it soft and smooth (not frizzy) but very windblown and it didn’t look as though it had been curled or straightened. To get this look I let my hair dry naturally with tons of Moroccan Oil in it to keep it smooth (my hair is naturally quite large and frizzy) and a spraying of Glamour Queen to give volume. Once it was dry (the next morning) I took my Amika Iron with the 3 different sized curling wands (LOVE THIS IRON) and set it up with the largest size Iron. Let’s just say I am so glad I brought a power adapter to make this iron work in Paris cause I would have been a fuzzy mess without it! I touched up the funny looking pieces by wrapping them around the iron to smooth them out and immediately shook my hair out not leaving time for any curl to set. Sprinkled in some Dust it and gave my hair another shake and voila! I had soft windblown hair after just a few minutes!

The other trend I saw with hair over in Paris was a very high, very messy bun. I loved this look. It took two minutes in the morning and it reminded me of a messy, day version of my glamorous wedding hair!

I knew how to create this look from tips I had gotten from Emily over our time working together. Got to love having a Best Friend who can teach you amazing hair tricks! What I would do was spray my hair with Glamour Queen and sprinkle Dust It on the roots for volume! Then I would pull my hair up into I high ponytail on the top of my head. I would tease the hair in the ponytail and then just throw bobby pins in it randomly to secure it. It was fool proof, I couldn’t mess it up and I felt like I fit right in with those chic Parisian girls!

We were off to the French Rivera next! So make sure to read our blog next time to hear about the easy summer looks I created abroad!

The Bride Herself!

The Bride!

 

Here is how to get the Disney Princess bridal look.

Emily has gone over all over the amazing looks she created for all my favourite girls (herself included ) but who better to describe the bridal look than the bride herself!?!

I told Emily she could do whatever she wanted and I knew I would love it, and that most certainly came true. No matter what she did with my hair if she likes it I KNOW I will; I have complete trust. So I wasn’t worried at all about showing her pictures of what I wanted or trying to explain my look because she just knows me! I am a lover of all things Disney (especially Cinderella) and had the castle venue and the ball gown -- what next but the PERFECT princess bun.

Here is what Emily did... She asked me to smooth out my hair with a blow dryer the night before so it wasn’t frizzy. No prob! I loaded up my strands with Moroccan Oil and Osis Buff to condition my hair and help hold the smooth style. I used a round brush to get my locks frizz free. On the day of... the first thing Em did was spray my hair with some Glamour Queen and sprinkled in some Dust-it to get volume! Then she pulled my hair up into a high pony tail and use her hands to soften it at the scalp so there was some shape (I don't like a SLEEK pony). She knew I wanted the bun to look FLAWLESS, and it needed to have height and DRAMA! Thought my hair is long and THICK, Emily thought she would garuntee perfection by using the aid of STUFFING! Using some magical doughnuts (as I call them) she placed them around the pony tail stacked to create lots of volume. Yay! Then she took my hair and smoothed it over and around the doughnuts to create this flawless magic bun with tons of height! It was time to seal with lots of Sessions Hairspray. Did I love it? OF COURSE! I knew I would, it was the perfect ‘do for me! Then I felt just like a real princess as she placed my Tiara on the top of my head around the bun.

To complete my look I had to have those big Disney princess eyes and Joy was up to the task! Using Lift Cosmetics she evened out my skin with Flawless Finish Lite-n-Sweet and then brightened my cheeks with Temptress blush. Adding lots of glow with Stardust shimmer powder to highlight my skin and eyes she then smoked them out with Taupe and Black Magic eye shadows and some Onyx Eyeliner.  We went big with a full set of lashes and finished my princess look off with Flirt Mineral Vanilla Bean Lipstick and a touch of Mint Sugar Plum Gloss.

My look was perfect for me, and of course Emily knows me so well she would have no problem at all creating a look that made me feel my best on such a big day. A BIG THANKS to Joy and Emily for making us all look and feel so beautiful that day!

Wanna try my look? We carry all the products used in our store! Mention this post and you can get 15% any of the products we used for my big day! Call Lift Beauty Boutique to book us for your special day at 416-960-5438.

*I was at a Bridal Shower last week and had NO idea that it would be hosted outside!

Du, du, dnnnnnn.....

I was wearing a t-shirt dress and obviously didn't have any SPF on because I thought I would be inside all day. 

(I wear SPF on my face everyday!)

Long story short, I totally got the worst farmers tan of my LIFE!

 Wait, Let me correct myself.. the worst farmers BURN of my life!

 Note: This is NOT my arm - this is a man, and he is WAY more burnt that I!

With the wedding 2 weeks away, I kinda freaked out! I don't wanna show up with a pealing farmers tan in a gorgeous strapless gown!

So a few days later I decided I would head down to my brother's condo to sit on his roof top patio with intentions of evening out my tan! This time I wore the SPF but still got burnt! Global Warming??? I generally don't tan, so maybe I just don't know how to do it properly!

 I came home a total TOMATO with the farmers tan fix but I still needed to be concerned about pealing!

Lauren was with me and she too got burnt! She should be the one panicking, it's her wedding after all!

So that night she SMS'ed me saying "I'm laying here coated in Aloe Vera Gel - fingers crossed!"

I looked around my place for some Aloe, but because I never tan, I don't own any!

I was about to head out the door to shoppers with I noticed  my Moroccan Oil Glimmer Shine Spray!!

It's all natural, extra hydrating for the hair and I have been using it on my cuticles anyway - So, I gave it a shot on my burn!

*Easy application because it's a spray and it smells heavenly! My BF kept asking why I smelt soooo good!

I haven't seen Lauren since all of this, but by the sounds of it, my Moroccan Oil has done better for me than the Aloe for her!

I'm going out tomorrow night, I think I might spray some on my legs to give me that sexy, glowing shine we see in the magazines! This Moroccan Oil is so amazing, I honestly use it for EVERYTHING!

If you want to get your hands on some of this stuff, visit us at Lift!

A Successful Girls Night In at Lift!

Thanks Ladies for Organizing an Amazing Night for a Great Cause!

Left to Right: Lauren (Lift Beauty Girl), Farah, ME, Anjali, Joy, Aanchal

Photo Cred: Arianne of http://www.glittergeek.ca

As I am sure you are all aware, last Friday night the above ladies hosted an amazing night at Lift Beauty Boutique

Cup Cakes, Wine, Hair Styling, Make-up Apps and Girl Talk... oh my! What more could we possibly ask for!

 Our attendees arrived looking great, but left looking Stunning with thanks to the Lift Beauty Boutique Staff and the hosts themselves!

 Hope to see all of you lovely ladies again soon!

Remember, the Lift Beauty Girls Travel!

In home parties are a blast and super affordable for ANY event - Birthdays, Bachlorettes, Bridal Showers or just a fun girls night in! We bring the tools for hair, make-up and nails - You sit back and get the salon pampering in your home! For more info call 416-960-5438!

Make-up Used: Lift Cosmetics

Hair Products: Osis and Moroccan Oil

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

Give Away Time!!

So, it has been 3 months since I...

1. Started Writing this Blog
2. Opened a Twitter Account, @LiftBeautyGirls
3. Made a Facebook Fan Page for Lift Beauty Boutique

As a result; My TweetDeck doesn't shut up, my BlackBerry buzzes constantly with Facebook updates and my email inbox is rammed with questions and comments from this blog! Although sometimes I feel like I have developed A.D.D because of all of this, I absolutely LOVE it!!!

Over past 3 months; I have had over 100 people click follow @LiftBeautyGirls on Twitter, over 200 people become Fans of Lift Beauty Boutique on Facebook and 25 people become official followers on this blog. *I must not forget to mention the MANY nameless hits/clicks that we get daily on our blog and website! 

I want to thank all of you for giving me the confidence to do this by giving great feedback and checking in regularly. I hope that these numbers will only increase dramatically over time! Psst.. Tell your friends! hehe

In Honour of our 100th, 200th and 25th Followers, fans and hits, as promised a GIVEAWAY is here!

Here's how it will work: If you haven't joined our Facebook FAN page (not the "group" - can't get rid of that old thing for some reason) please do so by Wednesday April 28th as the winner will be drawn from the list of Fans!

The Winner Will get a wonderful Prize Pack filled with the following:

Orly Rich Renewal Cream

 

3x Orly Polishes

DannyCo Nail Buffer 

(Amazing Product, Haven't told you about it yet!)

DannyCo Nail File  

(Best Nail file in the Market in my Opinion, Haven't told you about it yet either!)

  

Moroccan Oil

Lift Cosmetics':

Gloss

Shadow

Blush

To Win, Click here and become a Fan on our Facebook Fan Page! Xo

Someone's going to enjoy a Schwarzkopf Cosmetic Bag filled will all of these goodies!!!

The Winner will be announced next Wednesday, check back to see if it's YOU!!

Day 3 of Hair Science

Continued from yesterday....

So, I had succeeded in training my hair to produce less oil and therefore was able to go a day or 2 between Shampooing! Hurray!

I knew that my PH balance had leveled out because I my scalp wasn't producing as much oil and grease! BUT my bottle of Shampoo was empty...

NEXT STEP:

I chose to switch shampoos to Schwarzkopf's BlondMe Reflective Luminosity Shampoo!

*Most professional shampoos do have a balanced PH level, so once your scalp is balanced you should be safe to switch to ANY of Schwarzkopf's Shampoos! I'm going to try their NEW VOLUME Shampoo and Conditioner next. 

 Here's my hair schedule and how I make one Shampoo last 4 days!

Day 1: Shampoo and condition hair in the shower - towel dry hair - Apply BUFF to the mid shafts and ends and spray all over with GLAMOUR QUEEN - Go to bed with hair wet! *By NOT blow drying your hair from WET to DRY you are saving it the stress of direct heat!

Day 2: Wake up with hair a MESS! Blow dry the roots (whether they are wet or dry) to fluff up the hair - add another light spray of GLAMOUR QUEEN! Then I enhance my natural shape. Ex. If my hair is mostly straight that day I touch up the few strands that have a wave with a flat iron. If my hair has a nice wave to it, I enhance it by curling a few locks with a similar sized curling iron. If it's a complete mess, I brush it out and curl the entire head!

Day 3: Brush out my hair, weather it is straight or curly - add DUST IT (Dust It helps me go the exta couple of days by mattifying my hair! The texture feels weird but it definitely does the trick and looks wicked - it adds volume too) and another spray of GLAMOUR QUEEN - touch up any funny pieces from your slumber with a curling iron or flat iron, shake it out and go.

Day 4: Brush threw, toss head upside down - shake with your hands, flip over and smooth out. Add a small amount of MOROCCAN OIL to the ends - pin a few pieces back and go!

Day 5: WASH! I do 2 shampoo's and conditioner and start over again!

I hope you try training your hair! Let me know how it works out!

All of the products that I use are available at LIFT and are relatively low in $$$,  call 416-960-5438 to get them!

Xo

The 5 Minute Style and Frost Bitten Ends...

The truth is, this weather isn’t great for long locks!

 

 


I dunno about you guys but I trim my hair ever 6-8 weeks which is frequent enough that I shouldn’t be getting split ends, and I’m NOT!
Here's the trick; not only do I trim on the reg but I also use the hair saving "Moroccan Oil." This product is absolutely unbelievable and it's totally dummy proof. It can be used on wet OR dry hair and it smells soooooo good.
The benefit: The molecules in this oil are actually small enough to saturate into the hair shaft, chalking the hair full of all of the right things to keep it looking, feeling and truly BEING healthy.

I've also learnt to work with what I’ve got, to save my ends.... (It's less time consuming too.)
Tip: try do avoid using heat to style your hair. Ie. Blow dryer/curling iron/flat iron

The 5 minute Do:

1. Shower, Apply Moroccan Oil.... give your hair a break and let it try naturally.
2.  Apply Osis “Magic” and “4-Play” from root to end, to tame and frizz and to add texture. Then toss all of that hair into a loose and very low pony. (If you want some volume at the root, do a little back combing prior to pulling it back/if you have short layers in the front let them hang out )
3. You remember the 90's, close to your scalp and above your elastic divide the hair in two, making room to pull your ponnied hair threw.
4. Twist, tease and knot the hair that has been pulled threw.  
5. Grab a hand full of bobby pins and start pinning your tassled locks into a low cluster

*Tip: Cross Pinning will help to keep the hair from falling.