It’s the hottest highlighting technique today.  Why not jump on the bus and discover why balayage means big bucks?

By: Angie Manson

Celebrities like Jennifer Aniston, Eva Longoria-Parker and Gisele have put the beachy hair look on the map, and clients across the country are demanding the same natural, sun-kissed effect. So color pros in the know are perfecting their balayage techniques to deliver.  The freehand hair painting strategy offers “I spent the summer frolicking on the beach” highlights.  Here’s how to add this profit-builder to your color palette. 

Beth Minardi
Minardi Salon | New York City
“They’re not your mother’s highlights.” 
“Rooty is in,” declares Beth Minardi. “The traditional effect of placing every highlight at the scalp isn’t sexy anymore.”  That’s why the color pro balayages nearly every one of her longer-haired clients.  “I love the modern look of it,” she says. “I love hair that’s brightest at the ends.” And naturally, she has created her own signature strategies. For example, she uses zig-zag partings instead of straight partings when she’s applying color, to create a more natural look. For blonde clients, Beth likes to blend icy white blonde tones with deeper, creamier blondes. For brunettes, she likes to blend light chestnut with dark mahogany. “It’s all about creating natural-looking dimension by using varying tones,” she explains. And, in place of the traditional French technique, Beth developed her own version that she calls American Baliage. “It’s basically balayage with foils,” she says. “I use special, long foils and press the hair flat into them. It helps me concentrate the lightener exactly where I want it.” 

Solstice Hair Designers agree, this is a natural looking and under utilzed technique. Call for your hair color consult! 508-775-7400

I have hair where? — coping with unwanted hair growth

by Dixie Mills, MD

Occasionally women will come to the clinic with extra hair growing in places where they’ve never had hair before, or in greater amounts than usual. Our feelings about the hair on our bodies and faces can be a highly sensitive topic, and our perspectives vary widely based on personal preference. Many women want to get rid of it as quickly and permanently as possible; others are happy to just let it go, viewing it as a natural (and yes, beautiful, thank you!) expression of themselves. Body hair also carries with it all kinds of cultural and social associations — there’s no question that how much is too much is a “time period” phenomena.

In today’s celebrity fashion craze, for example, no hair anywhere is the rule, with waxing salons on every corner. (However the Brazilian may be on its way out, and a more natural look in!) Those of us who lived through the “hippie days” of the 60’s and 70’s, clearly remember going au naturale with what would appear to today’s viewers as “shocking” amounts of underarm, leg and pubic hair. But at one point or another, most women have hair appearing in places they’d probably rather not for different reasons. The rest of the article..http://www.womentowomen.com/womenshealth/facialhair.aspx

Posted Wednesday, July 21, 2010

Acne is hardly just a teen phenomenon. Millions of adults suffer from postadolescent acne, which can be classified as either inflammatory or comedonal. The breakouts may seem to be beyond sufferers’ control, but a team of European researchers wanted to determine if an unhealthy habit plays a part in acne.

Dermatologists examined more than 200 women between 25 and 50 years old to assess acne type, finding that most, 85%, had comedonal postadolescent acne (CPAA). But it was another majority that surprised the researchers.

Of the women suffering from CPAA, an astonishing 73% are confirmed smokers. Only 30% of women with papulopustular acne (a form of inflammatory acne) reported a smoking habit.

The study, published in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, concluded that comedonal acne not only appears to be the most common kind of postadolescent acne, but that it is clearly connected to smoking in a remarkably high number of its sufferers.

Courtney Doyle styling hair in the Main St window

I love when people are not afraid to try new things. “Because it’s never been done before” does not even faze them.  Today I want to tell you about Solstice stylist Courtney Doyle.  After a short time of planning, she put herself in our front window on Main St to ‘do hair’!  

Yesterday, December 5th was the Main St Holiday Stroll.  Stores up and down Main St were decorated for the window contest, Santa had breakfast with a bunch of kids at the BBC and carolers braved the rainy conditions to sing at every corner.  The conditions were perfect for the ‘force of nature’ known as Courtney Doyle.  I, myself have considered using the front window for some  sort of demonstration, but after spending some time in that small space I found it to be really very hot and uncomfortable if the sun hits the glass just right.  But not Miss Courtney! She recruited models, collected product, designed signage and jumped right in. Ah, youth.  

I had the pleasure of taking pictures and speaking to the dozens of ‘strollers’ who stopped and gawked at our live models and action figure among our holiday display of silver trees and teal shiny christmas balls. “That’s just like  a window you’d find in New York city”, said one woman whose children were making faces at the models.  Sweet kids.  

So in closing, our first live action window display was a great success.  I hope to have many more in the future. But not if it’s too cold, or too hot, or……THANK YOU COURTNEY!!!!! YOU ROCK!!!!!!!!!

Relax, renew and retexturize!

Lately I am running into lots of girls with “change of season skin”. Breakouts, clogged pores & dryness. I’m telling you this is unfortunatley vvveeerrryyy common in September. After a humid, alibet rainy summer, tanning (horrors!) sunscreen, little time for skincare skin just freaks out. This is the time to ramp up your regime, exfoliate and have a facial to safely deep cleanse those congested pores. Scrubs, retinol / alphahydroxy serums and deep hydration are in order. Stay away from sudsy cleansers & hot steamy showers even though they feel so good. My favorite cleanser is Jan Marini Glycolic Cleanser. Non-sudsy, water-soluble (but I suggest removing to with a washcloth) and you can use it twice a day. It will remove make up but don’t use for eye make up removal. Ouch. Glo Therapeutic Super Serum or Glo Retinol CS serum will go to work on the brown spots and help with breakouts. Moisturize twice daily, “even though you get oily later in the day.” If your skin is functioning, it should get oilier later in the day. Oil is not the enemy, dryness is. And as Julianna will tell you, “Honey, everyone needs an eye cream.”