Some of the candles I am excited about this Spring with Yankee Candle

One of the things that I told you all about before was that I loved candles. I really do!

 

Yankee Candle always comes out with a really great selection of candles for every season. This Spring I am really excited about a couple of scents that are new and exclusive to this time of year.

 

There seems to be a limited edition collection out called Citrus Passion. It is a collection of candles that smell like citrus fruits. I told everyone here before that I am absolutely in love with Grapefruit scented products, and candles are no different.

 

Here is a list of the candles that I am really excited to try out this season!

• Beach Wood
• Grapefruit (Citrus Passion)
• Peaches & Berries
• Coastal Waters
• Pink Blush

YouTube For Stylists

I think I spoke with you guys in the past about how much I really enjoyed YouTube. One of the first times that I used YouTube was to look at a clip of an old TV show that no longer aired.

I never imagined that I'd be looking at videos everyday and mostly of other young people just like me. A lot of the videos that I watch are of beauty bloggers and haircare related clips.

I think that stylists can use YouTube in a number of different ways to enhance business.

Here is a list of the

Top 5 Ways Stylists Can Benefit From YouTube

5. Refresh your abilities!

 Has it been a while since you've taken some classes? Are you new to the profession and want to have some special training but don't have time? YouTube has so many videos on chemical processes, how to achieve them, and get the best results.

4. Learn new tricks!

There are other people who are passionate about hair, including other stylists that create videos on YouTube. Why not see how other people do things. Maybe they use difference technology to achieve better results when doing roller sets or maybe they hold the flat iron at a different iron to get roots straighter.

3. Understand the mind of a potential client.

Look on YouTube for reviews of salons and experiences that people have had with other stylists. Find out what happened that made them decide to never return to that stylist. Or, hear about some of the reasons why they LOVE going to the salon. Either way, being able to look at things from an opposite perspective is always interesting.

2. Be knowledgeable about current trends.

In in the hair and beauty industry, just like in fashion, there are trends and fads that come and go. A good way to get ahead of competition is to take to YouTube and get ideas about the latest trends. Whether that be hair feather extensions, a new type of flat iron, or a new braid design, it's always great to be one step ahead of competitors.

1. Market- Market- Market!

One of my favorite channels to watch on YouTube is the channel for Salon Cabelo. One of the head stylists there (I believe she is the ownder) has a lot of Do-It-Yourself type videos to help viewers with maintanence and at home styling... Her styling and ideas are really interesting, not to mention, she is promoting her salon and what services she is capable of, all at the same time. To check out Salon Cabelo's channel click HERE.

To comb, or not to comb.

A few days ago I decided that it was time to wash my hair. I know, that might sound weird to some readers but, washing my hair takes a really long time, especially because it's one of the only time I remove shed hairs from my scalp. 

Yes, that might sound controversial but, you guessed it!  For the past few months, I have opted out of  combing my hair unless it is damp or wet. Most of you know that wet hair is in it's most fragile state (more or less). But, what about fine hair? Some of my hair is so fine, that is could honestly be mistaken for a baby's hair. Very soft, very very small in diameter. My hair is also natural, making the small coils very likely to get tangled up in one another. For this reason, combing my hair is detrimental when it's dry.

I opt to take the route of combing gently with conditioner and water, first finger combing and smoothing the hair down, followed by using my favorite comb of all time:

Ouidad Double Detangler Comb

Ouidad Double Detangler Comb

This comb can be found at Sephora and is the only comb that I use for the most part (unless I am flat ironing, which is a story for another post!).

Anyway, I was really enthused about using the S-Series S-2 for the first time on it's own. Usually, I use this shampoo along with M-3.2 but, when I used it on it's on, I got really good results.  I was able to comb my hair and get lots of shed hairs out because the shampoo was really moisturizing and gave my hair an awesome slip!

Of course, I wash my hair every few days so, I do not have a super excessive amount of shed hairs. I personally feel that this is the best option for me and it has allowed me to grow my hair to a medium length with a minimal amount of breakage.


I hope to hear from you guys on this controversial topic. How do you feel about not combing for a few days? Have any of your clients ever spoken to you about doing something like this?

spring colors

Hey everyone,

We had the first snowfall of the year here in New York City and the accumulation was about 5 inches or so. It's not bad though, considering that only 2 days later, we are now at over 50 degrees. I simple cannot wait for more bright and sunny days. 

I have been thinking about shopping for Springtime outfits and am really excited to incorporate some fun colors into my wardrobe while temperatures warm up. I am thinking of some of my favorite celebrtiy styles looks for Spring and a lot of the color schemes that I love are very muted and pastel.

Some of the colors that I am looking forward to incorporating in my wardrobe this Spring are mint green, coral, ivory, and light gray. A great fabric to compliment this would be light denim.

cute fishtail braids!

My favorite hair products.

As I have mentioned before, I have had natural hair almost my entire life. There was a brief period in time (age 18-20) where I had a relaxer but, my hair strands have always been extremely fine and with the porosity issues that I faced, I decided to transition back to natural.. without revealing my age (haha) I have been natural for a number of years following that and I have come up with a simple yet effective regimen for my personal hair care.

For me, it is more about the technique than the products but, certain products can make all the difference in the world.

Below, I will tell you about my very favorite hair products and why I love them so much:
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Kinky Curly COME CLEAN SHAMPOO - 8 OZ. -- I have tried a lot of shampoos but, this is my favorite of all time. I use it every time I wash and it leave my hair and scalp feeling very clean but, not stripped. It is all natural and that's what I love about this product. It smells amazing-- like orange extract (similar to our Armada-Style S-1 shampoo).

Nexxus Humectress -- I love this conditioner and I only have to use a little bit to get lots of slip and moisture. It also helps to melt away any tangles right after I've shampooed. One of my favorites. I used it while I was relaxed as well as it has always worked very well for me.

Paul Mitchell The Conditioner - I use this as a leave-in conditioner to keep my hair moisturized for the week. It is also great to use on flat ironed hair, as it does nost cause the hair to revert.

S-Series Shampoo, M-3.2, & P-3.2  -- I feel so lucky to have found these products! They are really amazing and I do the Foam Pack Intensive conditioning treatment every few weeks. They really work

 to keep my hair moisturized and the foam pack is a must have, especially before blowdrying or flat ironing, both which have the potential to seriously zap moisture from your strands.

LottaBody Foam Wrap Lotion - I am not a big fan of gel or hairspray and to be honest, so I just pump a little of this into my hands for neater braids and more defined curls.

adara Coconut Oil - I mentioned to all of my readers here  about how much I loved coconut oil and how good it was for the hair and scalp. I have only tried the peach scented version of adara oil but it is absolutely splendid! I am a big fan of how this smells and I use it 3-4 times a week, moreso in the wintertime!

As you can see, I use a lot of products to mix and match and apply on my hair, depending on how my hair is feeling and what style it is in at the time. If you have any questions for me, please feel free to leave them in the comments box or give a call to the office! I am always happy to help you find solutions for yourself or your clients and especially love to talk about hair-care, whether relaxed or natural.

Shopping and Candle Review.

Most of my friends that know me well know that I really love scented things. Scented lotions, perfumes, body sprays, body scrubs, and candles... just to name a few. It is without saying, some of the stores that I can't help going into are Victoria's Secret and Bath and Body Works.

I not only love going on there to indulge in the wonderful scents of lotions and sprays, I also love the candles.

I went into Bath and Body Works sometime last week to visit the Semi-Annual sale and managed to pick up a few of my all-time favorites and a bunch of new goodies as well. If you are like me and love a scented body and home, you may want to check out some of these recommendations!

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My Top 5 Favorite Scents of All Time from Bath & Body Works

5- Warm Vanilla Sugar- I love this because it is very comfy and cozy. It is one of the gourmet scents and I love using this during the winter season.

4- Fresh Picked Strawberries

3- Peach Bellini

2- Country Apple

1- and..... Strawberry Daquiri!!!!!



Just for fun, I am posting my latest Bath & Body Works candle purchase, from the Semi-Annual Clearance Sale--- otherwise known as , Hello Yellow!

I got this Dark Chocolate Mint Candle. What I love about the Slatkin and Co candles is how satiny smooth the wax looks.

Kim Kardashian Style.

I have mentioned before that I am a big fan of the Kardashians, mostly because I love their style. Below I will post some of my favorite outfits from Kim. What I love about the KDASH girls, is that they always look so put together and glamourous, even on a normal day.

What do you think of these outfits?

Technology and Your Hair!



M-3.2 Retail Size.

 A few months ago I discovered a really great flat iron, while browsing the web. I wasn't particularly looking for a flat iron for myself but, after talking to a stylist who loves her results with M-3.2 as a blowdry/ flat ironing spray, I became curious. She gently mists the hair with M-3.2 before blowdrying and then flat irons for a smooth and sleek look. This works so well because the M-3.2 uses the power of liquid minerals and negative ions to permeate the hair shaft and repair any damage that has occured to the hair previously.

The moisture creates a nice barrier to protect against high heat and that is the science behind the effectiveness of the e-CURE Treatment.

Now back to the flat iron...

The flat iron that I want to talk about today is called the Croc 2 Infrared flat iron. It is special and unique from others on the market because it has a boost of infrared technology.

What is infrared technology?  Well according to Folica.com, one of the vendors of this iron:

Infrared Benefits:

• Balances moisture
• Prevents hair damage and dandruff
• Stimulates hair growth
• Protects color treated hair
• Removes bacteria and odor
• Keeps hair healthy by sealing moisture and adding silky shine

 I think that this iron is incredibly high tech and the fact that it helps retain moisture is a key selling point!

The combination of M-3.2 and the Croc Infrared would make for smooth, shiny, AWESOME hair!

So excited--- my favorite Limited Edition eyeliner just became permanent!

Hey all,

So I have GREAT GREAT news for all of you eyeliner fans out there.

All of my friends know that I am not a girl who is a heavy makeup wearer.When I do use makeup though, I usually highlight my eyes. My eyes are pretty big and although some people may not like big eyes, I love mine and they are my favorite facial feature.

Urban Decay has some of the BEST eyeliners out there. They are long lasting, creamy, glide-on smooth, and come with a nice cap. Just an all around 5-star product if you ask me! For the past few years, Urban Decay only had one solid black eyeliner pencil, called ZERO. Its pretty black but, still has some grayish undertones that I wasn't a fan of. When a holiday collection came out last year and featured and even BLACKER BLACK, I knew I had to try it. The eyeliner, called Perversion, was only available in a set with a bunch of other liners and was close to $100. Needless to say, I went on ebay and found one for the normal retail price of $18.

I just heard that Perversion has been added to its permanent line-up and will be available in February at Sephora, Ulta, and on Urbandecay.com....

Simply AMAZING!

Cold!

Since it's been super cold here in New York City, I wanted to post a funny hair-related story that I have from my years at Penn State.

As many of you know, Pennslyvania winters can be quite brutal. During my first winter semester at Univerisity Park, I experienced a bunch of extremely cold winters, sometimes with temeperatures dipping as low as 0 degrees F.

VERY COLD!

I remember during one particular cold and frosty day, I'd used some coconut oil on my extremely dry and thirsty hair. I'd heard for years that coconut oil had the power to penetrate hair strands and I was really excited to see what it could do for me. Unfortunately, I'd chosen the wrong day!

I my warm room, the coconut oil was liquid and was the perfect smooth consistency to apply to my hair. However, I never knew before that day--- COCONUT OIL SOLIDIFIES!!!!!

The very cold temperature froze my bangs and the combination of wind and cold, cold air left my hand standing on end!

I know not to do that anymore...

This week in New York, my oil of choice has been castor.

2012-- New Year, Fresh Start

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!

I am really excited to be saying hello to all of my readers and suscribers in 2012.

Do any of you have resolutions?

I have a couple of small ones. They are very typical and seem to be quite popular among the majority of people in January. This year, I'd like to drink more water, start taking better care of my skin (which means exfoliating more with my beloved PIDA and LaLicious Sugar Scrubs), and exercise more (not focused on losing weight, just toning).

My last (and perhaps most important) resolution is to study more Japanese. As some of you know, I have been studying Japanese for over ten years now. Frankly, my level isn't where I would like it to be and it's always been one of my lifelong goals to become completely fluent.... I'd like to get closer to this goal by studying more in 2012!

Excited....

Stay tuned here throughout the year for more updates on Armada-Style, me, and especially for exclusive coupons and savings (just for my readers!)