Behind the chair

Up dating my portfolio a bit today! Get ready for a picture heavy post!
These are a few of my favorite looks I have accomplished lately!
Thanks for looking,

Hope you are having a happy hair day! 

Thanks again for checking in! 

Michon :)

Burning Man Hair Part 2

I love living vicariously through my brave friends that dare to attend that glorious art gallery called Burning Man every year. It is on my bucket list. I love watching as the pictures start to download on Facebook and to the internet through other media sources. If you have never heard of it or want to learn more about it here is the website. I love looking at everyone's costumes and the things they end up doing or not doing with their hair. It amazes me to see how people are allowing their hair to get completely trashed for an entire week! Some of the folks I saw are not going to get that out of their hair with anything less than a major haircut!
Alkali is primarily what the playa is made of. It opens the cuticle of the hair shaft making it dull and rough feeling. You could actually perm someone's hair with that playa dust! Then of course you would have to neutralize it with an acid rinse to get it to stay for a while.
Now that you are back from the Black Rock Desert and ready to return to reality it is time to put the "life" back into your hair that the playa dust took.

1. The best way to neutralize the alkali is with an acid of course. I suggest after a nice gentle shampooing or two that you rinse with an acid rinse of either apple cider vinegar or lemon or lime juice. Don't let them stay on for longer than a minute and rinse. This will close the cuticle of your hair shaft and begin the repair process. 
2. Follow step one with a heavy conditioner. You know something very thick and luxurious. My favorite for this job is Hydrate Hydra Whip by Pureology. The directions say to leave it on 2-5 minutes but I would suggest an hour or so to just let your hair attempt to re-coop some sense of moisture. 
3. Try not to wash it or dry it out anymore than possible. If you can go a couple of days and let the natural oils return to your hair and scalp all the better. If you have to wash daily I would again suggest the Hydrate Shampoo by Pureology.  There is a reason this shampoo is the number one seller in theses high desert dry climate states. It is gentle and moisturizing. 
4. When shampooing just work in at the scalp. That is where the dirt and oil build up. Don't get a bunch of lather going on at the lengths of your hair. The shear action of the shampoo rinsing down through your ends is enough to cleanse any dirt that may be on those dry ends. 
5. Style au-natural for the next week or so.  The less heat tools the better. If you can possibly get by without drying, curling or ironing your hair for a week it will go a long way in helping to repair the ground you have lost over the last week. 
6. And finally get a trim! Nothing big, just a new end is all you need. By putting a new end on those tresses it will keep them from splitting. And while you are there ask about a professional deep condition treatment. We have in salon treatments that can do wonders for the playa blasted pony!

Thanks for stopping by my blog. 

Hope you all had an amazing time on the playa. Can't wait to see all of this years photos! 

See you next time,

Michon :)

Mention that you read this article and book for a trim by Sept. 30th and you can receive a in salon ritual deep conditioning treatment for only $10 extra! That is a $25 savings! ;)
Special thanks to Natasha of Natasha's World Jewelry for letting me use her photos for my blog the last two weeks!You rawk Natasha!

Burning Man Hair Part 1

I love seeing all the amazing costumes that everyone wears to Burning Man every year! This is my beautiful friend Natasha of Natasha's World Jewelry and just one her many funky costumes from last years event! One of the things you will notice about the costume and many of the pictures you will see from the event is the many attempts to cover the cherished tresses. The alkali on the playa at the Black Rock Desert has the pH of approximately 10.5.   The pH of your hair is between 4.5 and 5. It is important to keep it protected from the pounding it will get on that desert this week. Here are my best suggestions to protect your hair from excessive damage.

1. Wear a wig. They are fun and easy to whip on. They may be a little on the hot side but it will be fun for a day to be a different color or a different length. And with your alter ego out there you will have more fun for the day anyhow! 
2. Hats are another great option. Your hair will probably still poke out from under it a little but at least the playa dust will have a detour before getting directly on your scalp. 
3. A scarf, turbon or bandana will help. They will also be cooler since you may be sweating the dust from the lake bed will be attracted more to the moist cloth than your hair. 
4. Braid your hair. Braiding will keep much of the hair protected. DO NOT make the mistake of adding conditioner or anything else to your braids. That will only attract more dirt rather than ward it off. 
5. A bun is a great way to protect the most of it. And if you cover the bun in some fun shiny fabric or something creative you will return from your trip with hair that will forgive you. 
6. Do not weave or braid fabric or yarn into your hair. If those fibers get wet, which they most likely will if it is hot they will be a magnet for the alkali dust to attach to the full strand of hair. 

Stay tuned for next week when I do a follow up on what to do after the Burn! 

Thanks for tuning in to my blog. 

See you next time! 

Michon :)

What are Lash Extensions?

I am on cloud nine!! I just got lash extensions for the first time! I have been doing lash extensions now for over a year but hadn’t found the right person to do mine. Well I finally found her. Linda McKinley does an amazing job and I would highly recommend her. She has a advanced degree from Extreme Lashes and really does an amazing job.
I know this may be overview for many of you but I still get asked all the time, "What exactly are lash extensions?"
Lash Extension is a procedure where a licensed professional adheres and individual, lush and long lash to your puny, thin lash. It is a semi-permanent procedure, meaning the lashes eventually fall off as your natural lashes do. The recommendation is that you come back in to get "a fill" every 2-3 weeks to replace the lashes that you have lost. It takes approximately 2 hours for the initial set. Fills are anywhere from an hour to hour and thirty minutes, depending on how many lashes you have lost.
Lash Extensions are glamorous! Nothing is as flirty as long lush lashes!
If you can afford the upkeep I would say do them all the time! They are beautiful and they save you a ton of time in the morning not having to use mascara or a lash curler. Pricing around the Reno area run between $250-$200 for the full set and $150-$100 for the fills.
If price is a factor there are still times I would recommend them such as: wedding, photo shoot, special event or a hot date. ;)
Here is an excellent article by Dana Oliver, about the lash extensions and she does such a good job covering the pros and cons I do not feel it necessary to duplicate her list.

Here is what mine looked like when Linda was done with me! I loved them!
Everyone should try them at least once!
Thank you for stopping by my blog.
I hope this post was helpful and please send me an email and let me know what you are interested in hearing more about.
Thanks,
Michon :)

Beautiful Bikini Bare!

Tis the season to bare more than you dare. Especially if you are not prepared in advance for that pool party or the last minute run up to Tahoe to get much needed lake time in! The season here is so pitifully short. Let's not waste time covering up or worrying about not being groomed properly for that itty bitty swim suit. Hair removal used to be a pretty basic order, but now days we have options. Lots of them.

• Shaving is always going to the be standby for most of us. It is easy and accesible at all times. The downside to shaving is razor bumps and ingrown hair that can be painful. Here are my favorite tips for getting the best results. 1- Exfoliate to get rid of dead skin and bacteria. 2- Use a new razor with a moisture strip on either side of it. 3- Shave in the direction of the growth. 4- Dab a little Neosporin to moisturize and protect. These tips should help to cut down razor rash.  
• Waxing is a great, although painful way to accomplish our goal. Waxing is done with use of a sticky or hard wax that is heated up and then applied to the skin and then strips of cloth are applied to the wax. the wax is then removed with quick motion in the direction of the growth of the hair. Downside of this procedure in my opinion is that you have to let the hair grow 1/8 to 1/4 long so that the wax has something to grip. 
• Sugaring is very much the same thing as waxing except that it works better for those of us with sensitive skin. The sugar is just barely warm which keeps the safety factor up since there is no chance of being burned by wax that is too hot. Clean up is easy in that it comes off with water. The procedure is considered less painful by many since the sugar doesn't stick to the skin the way wax does. 
• Depilatories are seen by many as a viable option but I have to disagree. Most creams have a very unpleasant aroma.  The chemicals that you are allowing to penetrate your body at a very sensitive area are concerning. The course hair down there is not easy to dissolve and some could remain leaving you with uneven results. And there is the chance that some of the chemical could migrate to an even more sensitive area and really send you howling. Enough said on this one! 
• Laser hair removal is the Mercedes Benz of  hair removal. It is pricey but it is also permanent. The laser works best on people with light skin and dark hair. But everyone should go for a free consultation at least and look into it. When you compare it to the price of waxing and pain of ingrown hairs it is at least worth looking into. Don't go cheap! Lasers can leave scars if not being preformed by a skilled technician. So my recommendation would be no Groupons! :)

This covers most of the hair removal techniques out there. If you are interested in eyebrows or facial hair removal all the above apply and there is one other option available to you. That is called threading. I do not do threading but it looks like a fascinating technique. I can't imagine how it could possibly be any less painful that waxing but it is fun to watch! 

Hope you are all enjoying your beach time! Live it up while you can! Only 22 weeks till Christmas! 

Haha, thought you would like that! ;)

See you next week. 

Michon :) 

Gardening Hands Helps

Tis the season to be gardening! The gardening season here in Reno is short, so I know you are all madly digging in right now! Digging in the dirt and keeping up with the weeding can be very hard on your hands. Dirt and mud are a vacuum for moisture, and the deadheading can leave your nails stained and nasty looking. However, I know that you die hard gardeners are not about to let those little inconveniences slow you down.  Here are a couple of tips to help keep your hands from telling the world what a Green Thumb you are.

1. Put a heavy moisturizer on under your gloves. Use one that is more of an ointment than just a hand lotion. Even petroleum jelly is better than nothing. My favorite moisturizer is the Mango Mend that I spoke about in this post. By providing your hands with this protective barrier, you will greatly decrease the drying effect that dirt will have on your skin and cuticles. 
2. Keep your tools with you. Use a little bucket like you would if you were going to the beach and fill it with the necessary tools to do the job. A small shovel, a pair of utility scissor and a pick or a screwdriver is usually enough to keep you from doing something that may end up with a broken nail. Your nails are especially fragile when they are already moist.
3. Be careful when digging. This goes along with number 2 but it bears repeating. Don't get tempted to just start digging away with your hands instead of using your handy little shovel. It only takes one puncture from running into something unexpectedly to end up with an infection that could take weeks to recover from. 
4. Paint your nails. This sounds ridiculous but if you think about it, a couple of extra layers of lacquer over your nails is going to strengthen them. Less chipping and splitting is always the better solution when you are talking about the health of your nail bed.  Go ahead, it is a good excuse to primp. 
5. I saved the best for last. I have found a miracle cure for dull, yellowing, dirty nails. It is called Bar Keepers Friend. It is a scouring scrub that is designed for cleaning your stainless steel but it also happens to be an amazing nail whitener! I use it at my manicure station at the salon to get my clients nails as white as possible! Simply make a paste and dig your nails into it and allow the paste to stay under your nail for at least 5 minutes. 

That is all I have for this week. Please leave me a comment if you have a trick that works for you while you are gardening to keep those hands in decent shape. I would love to hear them! 

Thanks for stopping by my blog. 

See you next week 

Michon :)

Summer Beauty Must Haves!

Hot enough for you Reno?! Wow! In light of all this heat, I thought it would be a good time to share some of the hottest new beauty items on the market this year. With 4th of July weekend coming right up, you should stock up on these items to make your weekend as carefree and beautiful as possible. First up...

Model in a Bottle. This product was brought to my attention by a client of mine who bought a bottle on vacation. Caroline is a Reno blogger as well, and takes her job of informing the public about food allergies and asthma on her blog here very seriously. So when she started texting me after her lipstick amazingly lasted through her entire day of events, which included eating and drinking of course, I thought I should take note. Online reviews for the product are great.  Nothing is hotter than lips that are well defined, beautiful and lasting.

The BIO BB and SPF line by Lira Clinical. This product is a must have for all women on the go this summer. The Beauty Balm tint is a comprehensive system that incorporates new advances in anti-aging, camouflage, and sun protection all in one! Three products in one gets you out of the bathroom and out on the beach that much faster. It doesn't get any better than that!

ST TROPEZ sunless tanning system. If you are allergic to the sun like me, and you don't want to have to pass out sunglasses to everyone on the beach before you make your appearance, you will love this product. It gives a sensational tan with no orangy afterglow. You must be meticulous when applying to keep it from streaking, but with a little practice the results are impressive. The reveiws for this product are off the hook from most of my customers and from what I have found online. Available at Sephora at the Summit Mall.

CND Vinylux weekly polish. This nail polish is a fantastic, durable, long lasting polish. It does not require a uv light to cure and it's durablity actually increases with natural light exposure. There is no base coat, so drying time is cut down, and it comes in super cool fun summer shades. The "vinyl" in the color actually makes the polish more flexible. The result, less chipping. Available at fine salons everywhere. Check it out!

Mango Mend Treatment Balm.  This extreme moisturizing and conditioning hand ointment is exactly what you need when you have been out digging in the garden or playing in the sand or surf. I like to apply a thin coat to my hands right before bed to allow the beneficial oils, vitamins and extracts to soak in for a full 7 to 8 hours. And it smells yummy to boot! Available at Image Artistic and other fine salons.

One last must have for summer is the Artown App! Not much makes Reno a more beautiful place to live than Artown. Now there is an app for your phone so that you won't miss a minute of the great events that are happening all over town this month! It even has a calendar on it to invite friends, share on Facebook or Twitter, and it is free! 

That is it for this edition of product reviews. Hope you are able to beat the heat the next couple of weeks and enjoy some cool stuff! 

Thanks for stopping by my blog. 

If you come across any cool new products that you would like to share I would love to hear about them! Leave a comment below. 

See you next week. 

Michon :)