Men's Color

Lately I have been getting quit a bit of interest about men's color. And interestingly, they are saying they do not want to lose all their grey. Blended or less than prominent is the request. The problem for men is that with as short as most of them wear their hair you do not want to use traditional dyes and colors as you would for a woman. The line of demarcation would be too drastic against the white/gray coming in. There are a couple of answers I have found through the years that can help.

1. Grecian Hair formula. This has been a "go to" for men for years. The downside of this process is that the color quite often turns orangey or un-natural looking for many. 
2. Your stylist can weave some darker color into the over all color during a regular color appointment. This typically requires a hour to an hour and half depending on the amount and length of your hair.
3.  Redken Camo Color is a salon color created especially for men. It does not pull color on the brassy side as many colors can and it is semi-permanent. Which means it will fade off gradually, and it is fast! 10 minutes in the chair and your done! 
4. Brush on color with your stylist. This is my preferred method for men with shorter hair. After we achieve the desired length, I then go through very light handed and brush the predominantly grey areas and lift areas where needed, to create an overall look that is still has some "proof of wisdom," but does not look "too old." This appointment only takes and hour including the haircut. 

So if you feel like you are looking older on the outside than you feel on the inside. Don't despair! There are answers. Even right here in cowboy country Nevada. Guys are doing it. They may not be talking about it, but trust me. They are doing it! ;) 

Thanks for stopping in! 

See you next time, 

Michon :)

Spring Clean Your Pores

It's been a long dry, typical winter here in the high desert of Reno, NV. You may be used to this but your skin is not going to be reaping the rewards of it. Dry heat and low humidity can make your skin dull and flakey. Exfoliating or chemically removing dead skin cells can reveal bright new, fresh skin cells underneath. This is a great time of year to get a chemical peel or a microdermabrasion done. We are typically not out in the sun too frequently this time of year and you have less of a chance of getting overheated, which is something you want to avoid after a resurfacing treatment.
Here are 4 great reasons to do a little spring cleaning on your skin this month.

1. Reduces signs of aging. As you we age our skin becomes dryer and less elastic. It can also be rougher in texture and thicker. Multiple layers of dead skin can accumulate and create a duller appearance to your skin. Peels will remove this build up and brighten up your lack luster complexion. 
2. Help with trouble skin. Exfoliation helps acne-prone skin by sloughing off dead skin cells that may be clogging pores and causing blackheads and pimples. By properly removing a few layers of buildup you will see immediate results. Note: You must follow up with proper, non-comdemic moisturizer to replace the moisture lost so that you body doesn't think it needs to produce extra oil!
3. Minimizes pores. Dirt can get stuck down in those pores and before you know it they are clogged and will start to get congested and begin looking larger and larger. Clay masks work especially well on enlarged pores. Follow up with a nice exfoliation of chemicals or microderm usually results in removing at least a couple of layers of old dusty skin. 
4. Improves texture. As we age our skin naturally slows in cellular turn over. Chemical or manual removal of this buildup can help to speed up the skin renewal process. Beautiful fresh skin has to be generated to replace what has been taken. This process also encourages the skin to plump up there by minimizing fine lines and wrinkles.

So when you are done with your windows and your blinds and tired of all that buildup in your house all winter, don't forget your skin! It needs a little TLC as well. And now is the best time to do it!
Happy Spring Cleaning (if there is such a thing).
See you next time,
Michon :)

Spa Toscana Review

I am sharing a review with you this week. A review of one of the best spa’s in Reno! Remember a couple of posts back when I talked about what I was going to get my mother for Mother’s Day?
Well, a spa day was the gift that won out. So today we went with a couple of other girlfriends from the salon and played hooky all day! I have to tell you it is without a doubt the most opulent spa I have ever been in! Here is a short list of the best parts of the experience.

• The price! So my pedicure was a hefty $65 with a 10% tip that they added on automatically for me. (nice of them, I thought) So the bill at first glance is a pedicure for $71 and some change. That is a little on the high side I thought, BUT you also get a day pass to the entire spa for that price! So if we do a little math... the day pass by itself would run you $36 if you are a local and you have a player’s card from them. So if we subtract that from the pedicure it comes to only $35.50! No way you can beat that price if you plan on spending the rest of the day relaxing anyway.  

• Outside entrance. I loved that I could enter from the outside parking area without ever going through a smoke filled casino to get to the spa! The parking is right outside the main entrance to the salon/spa making it easy access with nothing polluting your lungs or hair before you arrive! Good planning Peppermill! If you have an appointment anytime that day you can check into the spa as early as you wish before your appointment! They open at 8:00 a.m. and close at 10:00 p.m. 

• The Caldarium. This lovely facility hosts an indoor pool (for those of us allergic to the sun), waterfalls, cool/hot tubs and showers that are an experience in and of themselves! Children under the age of 12 are not allowed. There is an outdoor terrace for sunbathing for those looking to catch some rays in the peace and quite of the spa. The beds in the Secret Garden are awesome and completely adjustable. They are filled with the rhythms of the soothing spa iPod/music that is attached to each bed, with earphones. Honestly I could have slept there all day! 

• Refreshments. At first glance this doesn’t look like much but honestly if you didn’t want to order up something special from the very nice menu of spa cuisine you could make it through your day easily with the goodies they have available on this little snack area. Fruits, nuts, dried berries, juices, coffee, teas, and fruit infused waters are everywhere on every level. We even found the cookie room on the 3rd floor! Yes cookies and tea! Who needs lunch, really? 

• The Finishing Touch. As you can see my mother is looking very sad that our day is over but my review is not. The end of the day the experience just gets better. The showers are stocked with shampoo, conditioner, body wash, shaving cream, lotion, disposable razors and of course towels and washcloths. Then you go into the salon area and you have blowdryers, flat irons, curling irons, hairspray, deodorant, mouthwash, mints, disposable brushes with mirrors attached, hair gel and lighted makeup mirrors.  It was really so sad to leave... :(

So this is my first of many spa reviews. I will be checking out other spas here in Reno and offering up my recommendations. I highly recommend this spa to anyone! Go try it out! 

If you have been to a spa here in Reno that you thought was over the top I would love to hear about it. 

Please leave a comment below and let me know what your recommendations are. 

I really think I could be a spa reviewer full time. 

Do you think there is such a job?