The Holidays Are Here!

So I thought that I would post some tips that can help you look fabulous even when you are in a pinch for time.

A glittery hair flower in red or white is a very festive touch. Just pin one in the your hair, and you have instant Christmas spirit.



A flower isn't your thing? Well how about a ponytail? To get this look, slick the top of your hair back. Leave a one inch section out of the bottom before putting all of your hair into a ponytail. Secure and then smooth out any bumps. Take the section that you left out and wrap around the ponytail elastic. Pin the ends of that strand under the ponytail where they wont show. To get the fullness in the ponytail, backcomb the hair starting at the top of the tail try to work only on the hair in the center of the tail and work your way down. Lightly brush the stands to smooth them out and spray!



And if you have short hair, you can always do a simple twist. The photo below is braided, but you can achieve the same feel with alot more easy by twisting the hair and then pinning.



Lastly, nothing says the Holidays like glitter. So feel free to sprinkle or spray hair glitter on any of your looks.

What Has Been Happening In My World

I haven't posted in a while, and for that, I do apologize. I have been so crazy busy with work and life.
The Halloween holiday kept me very busy with everything from up dos to makeup applications and photo shoots.

Victorian Vampire Hair:


"Convict" Curls and Make up:



And here is a photo that was taken at the Jean Dry Lake Beds. The weather was really cold and windy there, and due to the wind, it was very dusty.
Even thought our model was freezing, she did a great job at holding it together and landing some great shots.

Model: Raquel Carpio
Hair & Makeup: Cassie Briggs
Photo: Alberto Oscarelli

I have worked non stop for the past 16 days. Today was the first day that I took the whole day off to rest. I am thinking about putting some blonde into my hair and my daughter wants a cut and color. But, as hard as it was, I had to tell myself...not today.

XOXO

The Eyes Are The Windows To Your Soul

Or so they say...
Want to have a quick pick me up to your look? Well an easy way to do that is to polish up your brows. They frame your entire face and can actually make you look as if you had a mini lift :)
The proper way to shape your brow is as follows :

They should begin at point A, following the inner corner of your eye, and end at point C, following the outer corner of your eye.The highest point of your arch should be at point B.
You only want to remove the hair that is under the brow, not on top of the brow. Doing so may cause them to become too thin or to lose the peak of the arch.
Remove hair slowly and step back from the mirror and look at your face after every few hairs.
Another tip to remember is to comb all of the hair upwards. If there are any long hairs that stick up above the main body of the brow, use scissors to trim them. This will make them lay nicer.
Then to finish them off use a clear eyebrow gel to hold them in place.
If you have done excessive tweezing and your brows are too thin, or have bald spots, you can use an eyebrow pencil to fill them in.
Don't worry if they do not mirror image each other.
It brings to mind the saying that I have heard "Your eyebrows can be sisters and not twins"

From Blonde To Brunette

I actually went from Platinum Blonde to a beautiful Mocha Brown. After I did, I realized that there are a lot of gals out there that are thinking of doing the same. They are attracted to the fact that would not have to touch up their roots as often, but are worried about the color fading.

{My Blonde}


Well, here is the deal. The reason that you should see a professional when you are thinking of any drastic change, is the fact that we know what needs to be done in order to make your color look fabulous and be long lasting!

If you have a dark color on you hair and you want to go lighter, it involves pre-lighting.
And if you are going darker from a very light, porous or damaged hair, you need to first be back filled.

What that means, is that your stylist needs to determine what pigments are currently lacking in your hair, and they must first add them back. So they are filling back in the missing pigment (back filling, get it? :) )

Back filling is done with a demi permanent color and processed before your hair is rinsed and dried.

Afterwards, the permanent color is applied as usual.
Your color will hold better and not have blonde spots popping through after the first wash ;)

Again, I stress seeing a professional because for instance, my mocha brown was not back filled with a demi permanent brown, it was actually filled a red copper based demi permanent color.



{After Being Back Filled}


Also, keep in mind that this is considered a double process service, so be prepared to pay more than the cost of a regular color service. But trust me, you will be so much more satisfied than a do it yourself job. And if you botch that, be willing to pay BIG $$ for corrective color!




{Beautiful rich Mocha Brown}

Smooth Shiny Hair

SO, what is the best way to get luxurious locks?
Start out with fresh washed and conditioned hair and towel dry.
Apply a small amount of styling serum, like, It's A 10 or Paul Mitchell's Super Skinny Serum.
Blow dry your hair until about 90% of the moisture is gone.
Once it is in that stage, section off your hair, into a halo shape.
Using a round brush, dry the sections, concentrating first on the roots. Next midshaft and finally, focus on the ends.
You want to make sure that all of the moisture is gone.
Roll the brush up, like you would be curling it and apply heat while you roll and unroll three to four times.
When you are done, your hair will be shiny and smooth and straight BUT with volume and movement.
Once you perfect your technique, there will be no need for a flat iron!
Try it out and feel free to let me know how it goes.
XOXO

Easy Do Up Do!

I achieved this look with only a hair elastic and a few bobby pins. No irons needed! It is a great look for weddings are Prom. Enjoy!

Lindsey's New Locks

My good friend Lindsey wanted a change! She has a 4 month old baby girl and wanted a new style that would be a lot easier for her to manage. Her hubby Jason, wanted to see her with red hair. Being that she had the perfect skin tone and eye color to pull off a gorgeous copper color that is exactly what we gave her! Take a look at her beautiful A line and shiny color!






The cut is very easy to style with just a round brush and blow dryer. Easy sophistication!

Quiet For So Long!

Sorry all! I know that I have not posted in a while, but things have been kind of crazy. April marked the one year anniversary of working at Mastercuts. I do have to say that it gave me some time to reflect. I now know that I am ready to kick it up a few levels. I promise that I will keep you all posted!

Beckham? Not Quite, But Close!

You all know that my boyfriend, Alex, is always a willing model. Sometimes, I am motivated by a certain cut, style or color that I see. Sometimes, he is inspired.
This particular cut was brought about by a pic of David Beckham that Alex saw.
Beckham is known mainly for his amazing ability on the soccer field, but is also known for his versatility in his looks. He is constantly changing his hair, and his new styles always start new trends.

This is the style that Alex wanted:




Here is the version of this style on Alex. I also took him out shopping for jeans cause he always hated them. I told him it was probably because he didn't know what cut and fit was best on him.
And well, I was right. I helped him find the perfect style for him.




Here is a headshot of the cut. He actually styled it on his own here.



I guess he is a bit like Beckham in the fact that he is very versatile with style, oh and they are both European...lol


And here is a pic of the two of use. I added lowlights in the face framing of my hair.

In My Opinion

Just thought that I would share some of my ideas of hair faux pas.

~If your hair is really dark, you should not get blonde highlights.
Actually, I prefer highlights that are natural looking. That really is the point. Choose a color that is 2 levels, or so, lighter than your base. For instance, if you are dark brown, try a medium to light brown instead of the blonde. But by all means, feel free to try different tones in that level!
~All Mullets
I don't care if you think that you are the only person in the world that can rock it. You can't. Sorry. Even if your husband loves your long hair, but you have to have it short on top. Whatever! Pick a style, long or short, just not both!
~"Blonde hair" that is actually orange. I don't care how many times you call that horrible, brassy, lower-half of your hair blonde, it isn't! And while we are at it. The half and half thing is done as well.
~Drugstore Do-It-Yourself colors.
When someone comes into the salon and I get them to the bowl, I can tell if that have professional color or not. The drugstore color actually has its own "feel" on the hair. And that feeling is not good. The hair feels hard. I will tell you why.
Any color that takes only 10 min to process, does so because the chemicals are so harsh. It takes time to open the cuticle, deposit the color and then seal the cuticle, GENTLY. Not to mention that they have lots of metallics which cause a whole other form of problem!
~Crunchy Hair
There are so many products out there nowadays besides crunchy gel. Texture Fibers, pastes, muds...whatever. If your hair is crunchy, it's time to stop by your nearest salon and get some advice :)
~Round Necklines
It just makes your neck look fat and short. Sorry, my opinion. Stick to the classic square, or better yet, try having your neckline faded out all together. It will be blended down and look seamless. (Think clean cut 50's style)
~ALWAYS wearing long hair in a clip, ponytail, bun, etc. If you don't like mesing with all of that hair, bite the bullet and cut it. Think of a cute short cut that will be easy and looks good all on its own.
~Comb Overs
If you are losing your hair, just be man enough to let it go! The confidence that you show by cutting it off will attract more women than your Trump 'Do.

Inspired!

NEW AND BETTER PHOTOS...
Also new color on Alex. We did a French Shampoo followed by a new color :)




















ALEX AND I

Ahhhh

You all know that I love my job, but I am happy to say that I am off the next two days. I am planning on getting some much needed rest, along with working around the house a bit.
Today was another busy day, and I am happy to see that our business is getting better. After taking over the Manager's position officially in Oct., there has been many changes in the salon.
Unfortunately, I had to let a couple of girls go. But I must say, the replacements are much better! Now I see the increased flow of requests coming in.
Our company has what they call, The Presidential Award. I soooo want that.
Our business will have to at least double, but I am confident with the team that I have, and lots of hard work, we can do it!
My Supervisor got her salon to that status and it took her 5 yrs. I already see other signs that we are going in the right direction, because my girls are finally hitting there increased pay scale!

Leann was one of my clients today and we did a beautiful color on her. I asked her to post a photo, so as soon as she does, I will get it posted here.

I am going to close now and enjoy some wine while my boyfriend is cooking a late dinner for us.

See ya soon!

Fun Fun Fun!

Yesterday was a long AND fun day. It started out with my client, Whitney. She came in and wanted a new base color and highlights on the lower half of her head. She didn't want any on top, but wanted some fun and crazy colors.

Here is how the back of her hair looked when she came in:



We decided on a violet red base (think eggplant) and slices of blonde, red, and blue.



It is kind of hard to see, being that I took these on my camera phone with no flash, but we took off a few inches and gave her some long layers. I used the carving comb to help reveal the underneath, giving the slices on the bottom a peek-a-boo effect. When she wants to expose them more, she will pull her hair up in a ponytail or half and half.



After we were done, I had a few walk in guy cuts, then my client Suzy, came in. She is a sweet lady that I really enjoy visiting with when she comes in. She was concerned about how much grey she was getting, so we decided that she will come, in a few weeks from now, and give her some highlights to blend her in.

Then a few more walk ins, and then my client and friend Mayra came in for a root retouch and highlights. As soon as she posts a pic, I will add it to my blog. She is beautiful and her hair was gorgeous! But she is picky about her pics :)



Then at the end of the day, Mayra and Corrin and I ended up making plans for a mini ladies night. We met up with Georgie and Shawnita at Mandalay Bay's Eyecandy lounge. We hung out there for a bit and then decided to check out Mix, which is on the 64th floor and has a beautiful strip view.
The dance floor was too small and honestly, the way the club was laid out made no sense. It was very hot in there as well and there was a traffic jam going to the bar do to the fact the MMA champ (the one from the Phillipines??) was there and all of the meat heads were crowded around like a bunch of preteen girls at a Justin Beiber concert.

But we had a drink and a few dances, even though my feet hurt from working a ten hour shift. We called it an early night. I came home and snuggled with my man, which was the perfect ending to the perfect day :)


As promised..Miss Mayra's hair ;)

Perks Of Being A Stylist

Is that you get to put your hands on some of the newest products before the public. Opening our shipment at work sometimes feel like Christmas morning. Today we got a full size bottle of both Mastercut's new Moisture Shampoo and Conditioner( they are sulfate free ;) ), a full size of the new It's A 10 Leave-in plus Keratin (the original is the bomb, so I can't wait to try this one!) and a mini bottle of Paul Mitchell Fast Form Creme (which I also adore). I also broke in my new carving comb and twist comb. Leann loved her haircut and I loved doing it! All in all it was a nice day. Can't wait till tomorrow for my clients. Lots of color fun :)

My Gratitude for Their Appreciation!

I got an unexpected package at work. I was so excited to find out that it was a gift from my Area Supervisor and Regional Manager! They sent me a Paul Mitchell Carving Comb, Paul Mitchell Twist Razor and a beautiful Ralph Lauren necklace. The gifts were great, but the note was even better. It basically told me that the gifts were sent to me for helping out with the PM event and that they appreciated me :)
And also, when I spoke to my Area Supervisor today, she informed me that Corrin and myself are both receiving Certificates from the corporate office for Exceptional Guest Services. A first time client took the time to let them know that her visit to our salon was the best she had ever experienced! Corrin was her stylist and she went on about how we both treated her so well and how she had so much fun!
Those are the things that make me feel like I can make a difference:)
And here is a pic of Alex's hair, after I used the Carving Comb and the Twist Razor.

CAPER 2011

How is this for PASSION.
This was the Paul Mitchell STUDENT presentation! I thought it was pretty good for a group of future stylists to put this together.
I hope that you enjoy!

Welcome!

Where should I begin?
I guess when I found out that I had a love for the beauty industry would be best. Most would be surprised to know just how young I was. Try 5 years old. I had a wonderful Aunt, who was also my Godmother, named Louanna. Louanna went but the name of Aunt Ann to me and I thought the world of her.
She had a small little beauty shop built in her backyard and I thought that it was wonderful. I loved the feel of the beauty shop. Even the smell of hair color and perms!
I was amazed at the fact that she was a hairstylist. She seemed so beautiful and strong and confident when she was working. Her clientel consisted mostly of little old ladies that wanted their weekly shampoo set and their quarterly perm. But they were faithful! And punctual. You could set your watch by these ladies!
Once I graduated from High School, I immediately signed up for Beauty School. I was not sure what I wanted to do with my future, but knew that I had a love for beauty. I thought that it would be a good idea to spin my wheels for 9 months and figure it out.
I must say, beauty school, or at least the one that I attended, was less than inspiring. I entered the program with high hopes. My dream was to become a Master Colorist. The program at my school sucked! All it was about was free labor for the school salon.
There were days that students were even pulled out of the theory classes to take clients, some having no lunch breaks..etc. So I kinda lost the "passion".
Off and on, through out the years, I would try to get back into the beauty industry. I worked in a few salons, managed a spa, worked as a spray tanning tech, owned my own salon, did the booth rental thing...but something was always missing.
Fast forward till a few years ago. I had been working as a waitress/bartender and had horrible hour. I decided that once again, I should get back into the indusrty.
So I took a shot and transferred my license. I started working again, and it was like WOW!!!!!!!! I FINALLY HAVE IT!!!!! I FINALLY HAVE THE PASSION THAT I HAD BEEN MISSING FOR SO MANY YEARS!!!
SO, what did it? I think it was a combination of quite a few things, first off...believing in myself and having someone else believe in me. As my confidence grew, so did the passion.
I now feel like my wings are spread wide open! I have to keep moving up and growing. I have a fire inside that needs to be fed. SO, I am drinking up any knowledge that I come across. I want to be cutting edge. I will NEVER lose this passion or become that stylist that does the same thing on each client!
I created this blog to follow along with my career and to post tips and inspiration :)
I hope that you all enjoy.