I love everything vintage! Home Decor Post.

Hey everyone!

It's been a while but I am back to tell you guys about another things that I absolutely love, Vintage Decor!

When I was a child, I was always glued to TV Land and watched a lot of shows like The Brady Bunch and The Jeffersons and Laverne and Shirley. I honestly loved watching those shows, not only for the feel-good plotlines but also for the awesome decor. One of the great things I love about 60's and 70's shows is admiring the vintage kitchen and simplistic decorative items.

Here are some examples of retro styled rooms that I love!

One of the best things about these retro style living spaces is the amount of color! I really love color and that's why I am such a fan of this fun style of decorating.

Thanks for letting me share!

New favorite lunch spot.

One of our new favorite spots to have lunch here is

Panera Bread.

There has just been a new Panera Bread built in Chelsea and we have been having lunch there at least 3-4 times per week. I love Panera Bread because it's not like conventional takeout. Eating healthy is something that has always been very important to me and whenever I go to Panera Bread, I don't end up feeling guilty about what I eat.

This place is not only a bakery but, also has lots of  options such as soups, salads and sandwiches, making it the perfect lunch spot.

Have you ever tried Panera Bread?

I highly recommend the Broccoli Cheddar soup to anyone who is looking for something creamy, delicious and indulgent but, is still trying to stay away from unhealthy, processed, fast food.

It is cold.

It's March but still cold here in New York City.

I have been waiting very patiently for the weather to warm up and I can say that I've had enough of Winter!

Just last week it was about 50 degrees so, I figured that Springtime was approaching. Unfortunately, today it is 28 degrees here in NYC, and I am wearing a shirt, a turtleneck sweater, and a pretty heavy cardigan.

How is the weather for everyone else? I know a lot of our clients are from states with pretty warm weather overall and I am just curious about how things are going for everyone else.

One of the things I really enjoy about working at Armada is that I get to talk to lots of people all over the country. Just last week, I got a call from a client in Alaska. She told me that it was -27 degrees and that her products had frozen! Luckily, frozen M-3.2 and P-3.2 may be thawed out and used after they have liquified completely.

Leave In Conditioners- Yay or Nay?

I am not ashamed to admit that I LOVE products. Not only do I like buying lotions, body scrubs, candles, body sprays (things that fall in line with my love of all things scented)- I really really love conditioners as well.

One thing that I have come to realize about my hair, is that is tends to be on the dry side. For a long time, no matter what I put in my hair, it was feeling dry again within days. Since I have started using the e-CURE Treatment Foam Pack religiously (at least 2x a month) I have seen a drastic change in the health of my hair. I no longer have dry spells and my issues with porosity are hardly noticeable. I will say though, that I take 1-2 week breaks between washing my hair. Instead of loading my hair up with product though, I can honestly say that adding leave-in conditioner in my hair prior to blowdrying (or air drying), has been vital in maintaining my hair at an optimal moisture level.

The e-CURE Treatment product line has recently expanded to include a leave-in conditioner.

This conditioner is called AETENO.

AETENO is made up of 7 different types of fruit extracts and is 4 FREE.

What is 4 FREE, exactly?

Artificial Color Free- Silicone Free- Paraben Free- Petroleum Free

Being the product lover that I am (and also wanting to try the products so that I could better talk to our clients about it) I was able to really see how this worked for me.

The best thing about AETENO is that you really (really) don't need that much. A little goes a long way.

I have two favorite ways of using AETENO that I'd like to share with you. (Keep in mind, I have natural (ethnic) hair and keep my hair stretched 95% of the time, usually blowdrying 2-3x/month to help curb tangles). 

1- Applying before blowdrying. -- I use AETENO before blowdrying. For me, blowdrying zaps the moisture out of my hair (even on a warm, low setting) and AETENO helps to preserve some of that moisture and prevent it from being sucked away from the blowdryer.


2- Applying when rebraiding.  -- I have applied a tiny bit of AETENO right before rebraiding hair and a little goes a long way, to moizturize my hair and prevent me from having to remoisturize during the week. Since this product is non-silicone, it does a great job of penetrating my hair and after I use it, I don't have that coated feeling.

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Let me know how you like AETENO! How are you telling your customers about it?

Bangs!

When I was younger, I made sure that I always wore bangs because I wanted to not only look older and more polished but, I wanted to hide my forehead, Now as I get older, I have tossed bangs to the side. I was browsing the net the other day and came across an article that discussed how to get a more youthful look overall. The first tip suggested in the article was to cut bangs. I was really shocked reading this, especially since I'd gotten bangs to look older!

Here is an excerpt from the article:

"Bangs hide wrinkles on the forehead and make you seem more youthful. Long side-swept fringe is the most versatile. But when you asked if you should cut it short, I thought, Oooh, no! That tends to mature people—plus, wearing your hair the same way every day is aging. Instead, go for hair that just hits the collarbone, with long layers. You'll be able to pull it into a ponytail—and wearing different styles makes you look younger."

Robinson, of the Marie Robinson salon in New York City and a spokeswoman for Clairol, adds:

"If your skin has gotten pale or sallow with age, try warming things up with golden highlights and a rich base color—just don't stray too far. The most flattering base shades re-create the color and depth that you used to have."

How do you all feel about bangs?

Shiny Hair Rules!

Well,  hello there everyone!

I am here today to talk to you about Shiny Hair. I know that so many of your clients (like myself) come into the salon, not only looking to have hair that feels good but, also hair that looks good.

Shiny Hair is something that is has always been considered to reflect the health of a person's hair. That is true in many ways but, many go to extreme lengths to achieve a shiny look. As you know, so many of the products out on the market today contain petroleum, silicone, heavy mineral oils, and similar ingredients that coat the hair. This is artificial shine that can eventually cause product build-up, and also, may block the hair from actually taking in the moisture and nutrients it needs to naturally stay vibrant and feel good. 

Let's talk about shine and take a closer look at what it means!

Shine can be defined as "to be bright by reflection of light".

Shiny hair can be achieved by smoothing out the surface of the hair. Smoothing out the cuticle is vital in getting the hair to reflect the most light as possible.  P-3.2 is used as the last step of the e-CURE Treatment because it helps to smooth the cuticle, sealing in moisture and giving light rays a smooth surface to reflect off of. A lot of stylists have fallen in love with M-3.2 but, P-3.2 is essential to maintain shine!

Spring Style Forecast.

As a lot of you know, it is Fashion Week here in NYC, a time when the biggest and best fashion designers (many upcoming designers as well) get to see the fruits of their labor hit the runway. But for me, like many others, it is time to start re-organizing my closet and finding some staple outfits for the Spring. One of my favorite websites to browse is Modcloth.com. Although I must mention that I have never purchased anything from this site, I do love looking at all of the vintage style pieces that they have to offer.

Here are some of my favorites from the past few weeks:

Again, they are all from modcloth.com

If you like clothing that has that vintage/retro look, I would highly reccomend this website!

The best macaroni & cheese in the world!

Hello Everyone!

I hope that you all had a wonderful weekend. I am here to share something that I had the pleasure in indulging in over the weekend. This was a present from my boss--- I was so happy when I saw that I had a chance to actually try the "World's Best Mac & Cheese"!

I have seen this on a number of lists online as some of the best that there is. Originally from Seattle, there is a branch of Beecher's downtown in NYC. Of course, you can get some served fresh if you are ever in the area but, if not, you could also get it delivered online by clicking over to the Beecher's Official Site here.

Okay so I would have to agree with the customers of Beechers who say that it is the best--- it really is! The flavor of the flagship cheese is absolutely amazing and I almost forgot to take a picture of the final results, out of the oven!

I have tried lots of mac & cheese in my day but, this has been the absoulute BEST that I've ever had!

I hope that everyone enjoyed this review and I just want to remind you all to use my code for 10% off of your order, next time you order from our website armada-usa.com

The code is iBLOG!

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.