I used to be a total cosmetics snob. Only the best for me. I’d look down at all those cheap drugstore items and count my blessing that I could afford the “good stuff”. Well, that was back in my DINK (Double Income, No Kids) days and a lot has changed since then. Time, and my bank account, have taught me that sometimes you don’t really have to fork over a bundle to get a decent product. Sometimes the least expensive mass market products can work wonders compared to their uber-expensive counterparts.

But sometimes, cheaper is just, well, cheap. (more…)

She’s had the same hair since high school. TotalBeauty.com’s about to change that

Check out this hair and makeup makeover — you won’t believe the transformation — and find out how to get a makeover yourself! See makeover

You know, way back in the day (8 or 9 months ago) I got an email from a new web friend asking me for advice on dyeing her daughter’s hair. All this time later I get to dish out the same advice to a larger audience, facilitated by the same web friend, the amazing Jen Hill. Imagine getting to talk about all the new things you’ve found and all the things you love, and occasionally even getting a box of goodies in return. It’s been an amazing and fun journey and I’m so proud to be a small part of this awesome project Jen has going on here.

“What Have I done????”

I am a hair color afficionado. I have been coloring my hair for more than half my life, no joke. My natural haircolor is unclear, but I assume it’s some random brownish auburn color. Currently my hair is a lovely, shiny raspberry color. I’ve tried most colors at least once, with the only exceptions being green and yellow.  With my skin tone? No way. I’ve done professional and home color, even playing the role of the guinea pig when I worked at a salon…”Do you think this’ll work? I don’t know, let’s try it out on Mo”. So I’m here to offer a few of my pointers to the uninitiated and the curious.

First things first, you have to decide on placement. Are you doing streaks? Bangs only? Tips? Just underneath? All over? A few streaks or just part of the back are good just to play around and try it out. If you have very thick dark hair you can pull up the top half of your hair and add some color around the middle, that’ll add some dimension and a little eye candy. I once had a nice normal color for most of my hair but changed my bangs from week to week. The possibilities are limited only by your imagination.

Next you need a color. I’ve found that purple looks good on most people, but red and pink are pretty all purpose as well. This part gets tricky, because this sort of hair color does funny things sometimes. A friend applied a vibrant purple to her freshly bleached locks, only to have it end up as an odd sort of gray color, barely even visible in her dark hair. Another applied ‘Apple Green’ and ended up with bright turquoise. My own ‘Deep Violet’ once came out as a rather shocking royal blue. If you aren’t willing to risk a bit of a surprise then I recommend having a professional help you with color choice and application.   It’s pretty easy to find these colors if you know where to look. A quick trip to your local beauty supply store or Hot Topic should be all you need. Some of the more standard and well known brands out there are Manic Panic, Punky Colour, and Special Effects(they have a great user photos section for each color). Upkeep is a factor to consider when choosing a color as well. Green and blue can fade to icky versions of themselves in no time at all and red fades faster than pretty much anything out there.

Prepping your hair will depend on your placement choice a bit, but to get the most out of these colors you’ll usually want to bleach your hair before applying. However, L’Oreal Colour Rays are a kit that require no previous color removal and are great on dark hair. They are an easy one step product for the first timer and are pretty darn reliable as far as results go. If you’ve never bleached your hair before I HIGHLY recommend going to your favorite trusted stylist the first time. Home kits can be harsh, and if you aren’t sure how your hair will respond it can get ugly quick. My stylist recently started using Paul Mitchell and the lightener is effective and so ridiculously gentle I instantly fell in love. It’s best to get a feel for your hair before you start abusing it. If you don’t remove all of your original color you will alter the way your new color ends up, so again, be prepared for a surprise. In my opinion it’s always better to risk a surprise color than a head made of straw, so err on the side of caution and don’t over bleach. Be sure to shampoo your hair before applying color so that you don’t leave any lightening agents in your hair. DON’T use conditioner between the bleach and the color!! Hair that has already been processed(sraightening, perming, etc..)may not even need to be beached unless it’s dark. But red or purple over dark hair without lightening can still give some really great highlights.

Most colors come in a squeeze bottle or a jar. Preference is key here, I’ve used both but actually prefer a jar. There’s more room to reach in and grab globs of dye, and you aren’t spreading dye around the outside of the container every time you have to squeeze it into your hands. A jar is also easier to dip a comb into for touch ups or for applying to short hair, like mine. Since these colors stain fast and hard, always wear gloves and a grungy shirt. Keep a pack of disposable latex or vinyl gloves on hand, since you’ll need them for coloring AND for rinsing your hair afterwards. Almost everyone recommends petroleum jelly to coat your hairline and ears, but I like something like Repelle because it’s easier to remove and doesn’t feel as gross on my skin. Typical process time is 15-20 minutes, but I try for at least half an hour. A plastic cap and some heat will help you get better color, but an infrared light at your beauty shop gives maximum results. Walk around the house doing chores while you let it sit, you’ll get something productive done and you’ll let it sink in longer because you’re preoccupied, a win-win situation all around.

Once you’ve let it sit you’re ready for the rinsing. Rinse until the water runs clear sounds easy enough, but it feels like it takes forever.  Wear a pair of gloves until the water is mostly clear or you may end up with hands the color of easter eggs. This is usually the only time I will use shampoo on my brightly colored head, to help remove a lot of the excess dye. From this washing on I’m a conditioner only gal. It helps your color stay put longer and it’s gentler on your already taxed hair and scalp. A dark shirt afterwards is also recommended, since you never know just how much might rub off onto your collar right after coloring.

Upkeep is very important to me. With a little practice touch ups are easy, and you can simply slap some color on before your usual shower. I’m old enough that a faded funky head just looks like I’m trying to hard to be a kid again. Keeping your color fresh and touched up can actually help people take you more seriously with crazy hair because you’re obviously willing to invest time and effort into yourself. I’m a grown woman with 3 kids and, while I like having a little color and pep in my life, I’m responsible enough to know I’m not 15 anymore. There comes a time when you recognize the value of putting your best foot forward, even when that foot is encased in a Fleuvog.

I know that we have at least a few faithful readers (Jami) that enjoy dipping into the bottle just like I do. We want to hear from you. I mean it this time!! As always, PG rated pictures are encouraged!

Here is a brief summary of my day at Cosmoprof.   

Cosmoprof North America – the only all-encompassing business-to-business beauty trade show event in North America! Organized by product categories, there are four pavilions that cover the entire spectrum of the beauty industry. Visit the Cosmetics Personal Care Pavilion, Packaging, Contract Manufacturing & Private Label, Spa & Wellness and Professional Hair, Nails & Tools to see trends and newness from within all segments of the beauty industry. Strong international participation solidified by the presence of country pavilions give you the global perspective on emerging trends.     

8am-10am  PBA Annual Business Forum (Keynote speakers, James Carville and Mary Matalin)

To be honest, we went to hear the keynote speakers and didn’t know anything about the PBA.  The Professional Beauty Association or PBA is made up of salons, spas, distributors and manufacturers dedicated to improving their individual businesses and the industry as a whole. 

James and Mary were fabulous, witty, and offered keen observations on how this Presidential election is unprecedented and will be referred to historically for generations to come.  The two of them made several cracks at their odd ball relationship.  Mary quoted Dennis Miller when he called her husband, “a snake oil salesman who actually looks like a snake.”

This early morning meeting was the highlight of our entire trip!

10am- 4pm  Cosmoprof

We entered the Mandalay Bay Convention Center to pick up our badges and walked into the white- carpeted immense pavilion with 100’s of booths promoting every type of hair care, nail care, skin care, spa equipment, and salon tools imaginable! 

The exhibitor’s objectives are to get buyers interested in purchasing their product.  Being a beauty blogger and a bit of a beauty product junkie, I was curious about anything that stood out as original and innovative.  Each company wants to stand out with the next big breakthrough product which can differentiate their product from what is already out there.   I observed and admired the hard work that all these exhibitors had put into this show.   And oh-ho baby, this Cosmoprof show did not disappoint!

Here is a list of some of the people I met with and will be reviewing their products in the next few weeks. 

Curly Q and Curls Hair care - visit with Mahisha, who developed a naturally curly hair care line for children and adults.  I cannot wait to try their “Milkshake” leave-in conditioner.

“Pencil Me In” Healthy Eyeliner – Linda created a beautiful palette of glide-on eye liners that have a built in pencil sharpener.  Brilliant idea and offers them at a great price ($6 a piece).  I am sending Mo one to review and cannot wait to hear what she has to say about it!

Mommy Makeup with the CEO Debra and Jeremy (many thanks for the VIP pass to Cosmoprof).  Debra developed a goof-proof cosmetic line to assist busy women who want to look their best.  Many of her products are “multi-taskers” and serve more than one purpose to keep our daily beauty routine to a minimum.

Brazilian Keratin Treatment - the founder and beautiful Marcia created an alternative way to smooth and straighten hair temporarily, and claim that this product is safe on all types of chemically treated hair. 

LillyPilly Australia - Simon demonstrated and explained that the antioxidants from the Australian native LillyPilly fruit make this skincare lotion unique.

Cyclic Nano - A collagen based cleanser uses Nano Silver Technology, and claims anti-aging and skin clearing qualities.  I really enjoyed my visit with Edwin and Edward.

Napoleon Perdis - with the gifted Gloria, who is the “Official Makeup Artist” for Napoleon Perdis and gave me a fabulous cosmetic makeover!   She announced that Napoleon Perdis is launching a new television reality show this fall, “Get Your Face On With Napoleon Perdis.”  This show will be searching for a new cosmetic Protégé for the company in the US.   NP has also created a new, more affordable NP “Set” cosmetic line that will soon be sold at Target stores.

Miss Oops! – Makers of Miss Oops ® JAKs ^TM , the Miss Oops ® Boob Tube ^TM, and Miss Oops ® Pucker Protector ^TM.  My 14 year old daughter Amanda put the Boob Tube to work while wearing a sundress yesterday and this product helped cover-up some of her cleavage, and made me feel so much more at ease.

GINGI - their skincare philosophy is that quality and simplicity is the root of success and uses only the purest water and the finest highest quality natural ingredients available.

Cures Skincare by Avance – Denise discussed with me how CURES primary focus is on skin conditions and not on skin types. CURES has created services and treatments that claim to treat the root cause of the condition, offering long-term results.

SK1N Probiotic Systems - a skincare line that is the first to incorporate the use of probiotics to combat acne.

Smart Beauty- Funky and creative temporary and semi-permanent hair color sprays, including a bikini color kit!  I accidentally introduced myself to the women working there as a “beauty booger” instead of a “beauty blogger,” and they didn’t let me live that one down.  Oops!  They gave me some deep russet highlights and made me feel like a million bucks.  They had the coolest buttons at their booth like, “I am a natural blond, and I can prove it!” and “Hell yeah I color my hair!”

Viktoria De’Ann Cosmeceuticals - Viktoria hired a team of chemists that worked for several years to develop a new way to deliver peptides into the skin.  She uses all natural ingredients and has kept her products at reasonable prices.

Goldfaden Skincare -a high end skincare line that incorporates Red Tea.

I had such a wonderful time meeting and learning about what these companies had to offer.  In the next few weeks, Mo and I will be using and reviewing these products and let you know what we think about them!