Chemical Texture & Style Statements

Yes indeedy!! I have been seriously lacking here. I would start inundating you with heartfelt apologies except for I do not feel the need to apologize.

Why? Not because I am rude, or insensitive. I also know that it's not a lack of dedication to this blog that has kept me.

Because I have been working!!! And not at a desk in front of a computer, in the salon. Behind the chair. Behind a mannequin head! Behind live models!! Part of my assistant ship at this salon is intense education. This is one of the major reasons I feel so privileged to work there. But the education takes place on the only two days of the week that I don't work so I have been working and learning through 80 hour weeks at a time with few days off. So there. No hard feelings right?

Having recently scored a 93% (please hold applause until the end of the piece) in the "chemical texturizing" phase, I will address the way I would like to offer this service once I start seeing clients.When I say the word "perm" I know we all get the same image in our head:



For Some, it is your own face you picture radiating from behind this out-of-control poof. For others it is a friend or family member. One way or another we all have a negative connotation in mind of a perm. What I am asking you to do now is throw out those stereotypes. Leave the 80's perm in the 80s. In 2009 there are new, and better perms.

Is your hair fine and limp? Does it refuse to do much aside from lie there? Is your hair thining as you age? Do you crave more body in your hair? A perm can be the answer for you! New and improved perms are much gentler on the hair, leaving less damage. There are many different techniques we can use to give a softer curl, and more natural curl pattern. Oh, and in case you hadn't noticed, after a decade of bone straight hair, curl and wave are back in a big way. Just look at all the photos from the 2009 grammys. Hardly a head without a curl or wave!

Below are some very recent photos from the net. (I strongly apologize for not giving the proper credit. I found these photos on People.com and Instyle.com)



I am almost sure that most of these styles are not curls from perms. These waves and curls probably took a lot of time and energy to create. Lots of time and skill that most of us don't have on a daily basis. But if someone with straight hair got the right perm, these styles would take very little time and effort to create for the average person. Once your straight hair is infused with the body of a perm it is much easier to get the curl and body that these women are sporting. So c'mon ladies, out with the old! Start pumping more body into those locks!


Because I believe personal growth, and self exploration are so important to everyone,I would like to share a recent personal favorite that has brought some nice surprises. I recently saw a book suggestion from Apricot Tea.(one of my favs!) Style Statement is a tool that can help to live your life in a way that's true to you. (so the inside cover says) I am an optimist. I like to give everything a fair shot. I am not sure yet if this book will change the way I live, but I will keep you posted. What I can say for this book is I have discovered some things out about myself that are new to me. Being at the end of my 20s I started to think I had myself mostly figured out. How nice of a surprise it has been to still make new finds.

Please don't shampoo your hair!

How many times per week do you wash your hair? This is a very important question for a stylist to ask her client. Once this question is answered we can gather answers to many other questions like how many products you use, how long you spend each day styling your hair, etc. I was once a wash-my-hair-everyday girl myself. And for those of you that still are- I am guessing you do not realize the damage potential in doing so. Depending on your hair texture and any chemical damage you may have, coupled with what type of product you are using, shampooing frequently can be the culprit to a lot of damage to your hair. This is especially important for those who are living in a dryer climate. Every time you shampoo, you are drying out the hair even more. Especially if you are not using a professional product. Anything you get off of a shelf in a drugstore or Wal-Mart is going to be more drying to your hair.

It is best to wash your hair as few times as possible, period. I know this is a hard transition for many people. I could see this being especially difficult for someone who is very active and sweats daily. Even just wetting the hair down versus shampooing is less damaging and can help more with having a "clean" feeling after exercising. In a dry climate like the mountains where I live, the goal is to shampoo once a week-twice at most. I know those of you who find this to be a new concept think I am crazy right now. Maybe it would help to think of it in baby steps. If you wash your hair every day now, start with trying every-other day. Then work up to every-third day. See for yourself just how long you can get up to. Over time, shampooing your hair less will lead to healthier hair. I promise!

A common problem you will run into is an over-active sebaceous gland. Or you might better understand this as having an " oily scalp" or "greasy hair". A girlfriend of mine in college coined the saying "My head is so greasy I could fry french fries in my hair!".(gross I know) The sebaceous gland is the oil gland of the skin connected to the hair follicle. It is the one responsible for creating oil on your scalp which is simply meant to keep it moisturized. And those of you who do wash your hair too often will have an over active sebaceous gland because your scalp has been trying to keep itself moisturized while all along you have been drying it out shampooing every day. If you have a more coarse hair texture, even an over-active sebaceous gland may not create that greasy look to your hair. But if your hair is of a finer texture you will be asking: "How could I possibly wash my hair only once a week when I've got that greasy look on day two of a shampoo?"

There are several professional companies who make products for this exact problem. First there are Dry shampoos. These are typically marketed to those who cannot bathe as regularly. (say if you are on bed rest) More and more companies are marketing powder products not as a shampoo-but more as a volumizing or thickening agent. Check out pure abundance by Aveda. Another one to check out is Hair Powder by Bumble and Bumble.

So you are more of a practical gal and don't want to spend $34 for a 4 oz. bottle of powder? I have a solution for you too! Try corn starch or baby powder. They are both almost the same thing, except you get more fragrance with baby powder. Just sprinkle small amounts throughout your oiliest, or root area and voila! You should get anywhere from 1-3 extra days between shampoos using one of these powders.Being the honest problem solver I am I will tell you the downfalls of these more old school products. If your hair is darker in color, it is going to give you a bit of a white look to the areas you apply it to depending on how much you use. Work it through with fingers or a brush as much as you can to get it to settle in. The Hair Powder by bumble and bumble comes in blonde, brunette, and red for those of you who can't get a round using a white powder. I guess that's what their charging for-the additive color? I have not examined the ingredients in the professional powders out there. But it is my personal opinion and assumption that corn starch is the familiar ingredient in all of these things.

Extensions 101

Birthday Coat. A gift from my Mother.

The Salon holiday party went off without a hitch. I did end up getting a very affordable dress that my Mr. Man was kind enough to help pick out. The party was at an art gallery. Wine, beer, and berry-infused vodka was served. There was a photographer who was taking candids against a white wall and immediately printing the photos for us to take. There was a DJ that rocked our socks off. Plenty of dancing and even a flip-cup table was created by whom else but a bunch of male significant others.

In the hair world I recently agreed to be a model for a Stylist who is learning extensions. There are many different types of extensions. Most are made of real human hair. Some are synthetic. There are a few different ways of attaching extensions. They may be glued in with some sort of a bond, or they can come in a weft to be sewn into a braid. My Pro-Hair extensions were synthetic. After having them I would encourage anyone thinking about getting extensions to go for the real thing. The problem with synthetics is there is no straightening, and no curling iron. These tools are too hot and will melt the hair. The only options for styling this hair is to wet-set, or use hot rollers. (they must have the velvet covering around them). The other thing about synthetic extensions is that they get kinda nappy. They have to be brushed constantly. I would recommend this type of extension for someone who is looking to add body or thickness, but not to add length. Inevitably these were short-lived for me. I took them out after three short weeks. Below is the best picture I have of them. It is my sister and I over Christmas.

Dear Dressmaker,

Yesterday started out great. I officially got my ticket home for Christmas! I am so very excited about this because I didn't think I was going home and it made me very sad. But now I am so excited to see friends and family that I haven't seen since May!

Then one of my new friends at the salon invited me to come see him DJ this Friday. I am really excited about getting out for some music.

And then there is the ever-looming Holiday party. One of the other assistants is planning for this as if it were the Grammies! She has had her "escada" dress fro weeks and it's as if this is THE social event of the year for her! And then there's me, the broke ass newbie who will not be getting any kind of new fabulous dress. Ahhh, and so it goes I will have to somehow convince myself between now and then that this holiday party is not this all important once-a-year event to make a style statement for myself. It is really about eating, drinking, and enjoying each other's company right? Yeah right this is the beauty industry.

I will not give up. I will not succumb to the superficial, materialistic world that can be the beauty industry. I am poor, but my will is strong. I will not be self absorbed and buy a new dress. This is the time of year of gifts for others. I have plenty of dresses in my closet. I know it must be possible to stay grounded in this business. Besides, my beautiful date will obviously make up for what my dress may lack.

Haunted by Beautiful Spirits

"Each friend represents a world in us, a world not born until they arrive, and it is only by this meeting that a new world is born. "

-Anais Nin


Friends come and go. This is a fact of life. For anyone that has ever moved out of their home town, or across the country as I have. Probably a known fact even for those who have lived in the same place their entire life. I have many people who have remained my friends over time and distance. There are also many friends that I've had that I have lost touch with. And now looking back it makes me sad and I wonder where we lost touch. Are those friends that stand the test of time and distance the ones who are your true friends? And what about the ones you've lost touch with-were they never a true friend all along?

There are many people who were my friends, but now that we are not in touch I don't loose much sleep over them. I am not a person who has had a hard time letting go of things that need to be let go of. It is not unlike me to up and move to a new city at the drop of a hat. I adapt to new people and places very easily and almost never dwell on things in my past because I know I cannot change these things. I just learn the lesson that is set before me and move on. Once I've moved on I take with me what I've learned from any of life's daily dramas. March onward, move along. This is how it goes for me.

There are a small number of people in my life who I, at one point, considered to be a very good close friend. These people had a major impact on me and stand out as being important figures in my life. To have lost touch with these three people is something I have not been able to accept. It feels to me like these three people are ones that should still remain in my life.

One of these people I deliberately let go of, on purpose wanted them out of my life. And then a year later realized how wrong I was for doing so. I realized what an amazing effect they had on me and that I should not have shut myself off from them.Now that it is too late, there is not much I can do. We do have small here and there 'how are you doing's. I treated this person very badly when I decided I didn't want them in my life anymore. And I am fairly certain that I burned the bridge to our friendship.

The other two are people whom I did not choose to loose contact with. I feel more that they chose to lose contact with me and I never figured out why.


These three people show up in my dreams frequently.I hear a song and it's as if they are right next to me again-but they aren't. Their spirits haunt me. I remember our connection and how they affected my life, my very being. This feeling of being haunted by someone from your past-what does that mean? Is the universe trying to tell us something? Why do these people still linger in my thoughts and subconscious even though I haven't spoken to them in years? It is something that really bothers me. It is as if I know in my heart of hearts that these people should not have disappeared. I wonder if it is a mistake that we are no longer in contact. Maybe these people and I have unfinished business. Maybe there is some karma that still needs working out and since we have lost touch in this life working it out will be impossible. Will I see these certain people in another life since we did not get to resolve things in this one? I am not consciously trying to dwell on these people of my past. They are just haunting me. And that is exactly what it is, this eery creepy feeling that something has gone wrong. And there is a feeling of helplessness. There may have been a window of time to connect with them. But now that opportunity is lost. And with it any sense of control for me. This is a strange feeling that I am not overcoming easily.