The Big Bad Blunt Bangs

Maybe its just being a child of the early 90's that makes me so critical of bangs.But I really do find alot of bangs I love out there.But there are more factors to consider in selecting a bang than how long you want them.Nothing can make or break a look like the hair framing your face.

If you have a large cranium why on earth would you accentuate the largeness of your head by starting your bangs half way to the back of your head?

To avoid looking like your bangs are eating your face alive take your head shape into consideration just like you would take your facial features into consideration.If you have a shorter forehead and delicate features then go for the bangs starting farther back.But if you have a large head, please I beg you, choose a bang that starts closer to the front of your hairline .If you have a head that is wide across the forehead area go for a more side swept version of the blunt bang or a softer look.

On the other hand make sure your bangs don't look like your mom took you to get a good short bang trim at the local great clips for $5.I hate the totally disconnected short bangs that don't flow with everything else.Putting a bang just doesn't look good with every single hair cut.You don't have to "blend" the bang but make sure the look of the bang flows with the overall look.

Trust me, I know all too well, bad bangs will haunt you forever!

A "REAL" Pet Peeve

I have some little pet peeves that just irritate the poo outta me so I thought I would vent a little.

One of my biggest pet peeves is people asking "is that real?"

Here are some things I've heard asked and my natural sarcastic responses:

Are those your real nails?(I paid for them so yes they are mine)

Is that your real hair?(yes I've been asked this, I had no clue what to say and I said yes...nothing witty )

Are those your real breasts?(really?is it any of your business?)

Is that a real tan?( no your eyes are just full of dirt I'm really pale)

Is that your real natural hair color?(I'm a hairdresser, what do you think?)

Is that a real diamond?(I have no clue what your talking about... are you imagining things?)

Are those your real eyelashes?(seriously, you should see someone about those hallucinations, I have no eyelashes.)

Is that a real (enter designer name here)?(If you cant tell them im not tellin)

I mean seriously where does the line end? I don't mind a close friend asking but I've been asked these questions by complete strangers and slight acquaintances. Is anything really real? I mean no one asks questions like:

Are you really that size or are you hiding fat rolls inside your spanx?

Does your hair really grow into that style or do you get it cut like that?

Do your toenails naturally grow bright red or is that paint?

Do you really naturally smell like flowers or do you have wear deodorant and shower?

Are your eyelids really that lovely shade of blue?

The whole point in getting faux anything is to give the illusion that it is real and give the illusion of perfection.

The first definition of the word "real" is

existing or happening as or in fact; actual, true, etc.; not merely seeming, pretended, imagined, fictitious, nominal, or ostensible

So next time someone asks you if something is "real" you can refer back to that definition and say "YES" with confidence and not be lying. After all if it exists it is real !

Just a silly rambling

Magic Mom

Being a mom of 3 and owning my own business keeps me hoppin all the time.Fortunately my wonderful hubby of 15 years works with me.I don't know if I would be able to keep it all going without him!

I think being a mom is so different now from our parents generations because most moms work and are presented with new challenges and we need new strategies for being super moms!Its hard to take time for yourself some days when you ave everyone else to think about and spend time on.

Here are a few things I do to make it all happen.

• Pedicures all around.I make it an event for me and my girls to do together.Quality time meets pampering.
  


• Outfit planning.Sounds silly but we will hang everything that goes together on one hanger like pants, shirt, jewelry etc. This way when its time to go everyone is ready and looking spiffy and no drama looking for what goes with what.And its a fun time for the kids.They get to be creative and discover self expression.This helps alot for my son who is color blind too.

• Cooking together.Ive done this since my kids were babies.They love to cook now and eat just about anything.They love to show off whatever they make themselves even if its spinach and broccoli.Now that my kids are getting older this has proved to be a real investment.It actually saves me time in the kitchen by designating who does what and we all get in on the action,get it done,and have time to sit down and enjoy our creations.Here is Xane showing off his very first perfect egg over easy made 100% by himself.
  
  





• Accepting help.This was a really difficult thing for me to do.I always felt inadequate when I had to ask someone to help me or take the kids so I could have a break.A mom should be able to do it all, right? WRONG! Over the past 2 years I've been learning to accept that I don't have to be perfect to be a good mom. I just do my best and let other people fill in the gaps. You cant be everything to everyone all the time.

What do you do to make the momma magic happen?

My Makeup Bag

I swap out my makeup frequently (and carry a fairly hefty makeup kit everyplace) but here is what I am carrying right now.

Bed Head Glamma Whipped Foundation in Shade 1 (love it makes my skin feel like silk)
Bare Escentuals ID Weather Everything Liner Sealer/Pods/Brush
Bare Escentuals ID Soft Black Liner Shadow
Bed Head Splurge Metallic Martini Waterproof Cream Eyeshadow
Bed Head Cyberoptics Eyeshadow In Green
My Conair Little Mini Shaver Thingy
ELF Cosmetics Lip Gloss In Caramel and Fairy
OPI Lip Sheers Lip Gloss In Sheer Heaven
Lola Cosmetics Eyeshadow In Trainwreck
Anastasia Perfect Brow Pencil In Brunette
Imju Fiberwig Paint On False Eyelashes In Black
Bibo Cosmetics Eyeshadow In Desire
Bibo Cosmetics Lipgloss In Groove
Tarte Seal The Deal Lipstick Sealer And Gloss(great stuff keeps lipgloss on for HOURS)
Nars Velvet Matte Lip Pencil In Cruella
Rimmel Lipgloss in 400 Smooch
Rimmel Lipgloss in 200 Rebel Rebel
Sephora Pro Lip Brush (retractable and no lid to loose and you don't get junk in it )
Bare Escentuals ID Tinted Mineral Veil
Bare Escentuals ID Hydrating Mineral Veil (NEW STUFF ALERT)
Cricket Pink Tweezers
10X Magnification Mirror
Avon Powder Brush (I broke my retractable one so I need a new one )
Bibo Cream Blush In Undone Parfait
Some random makeup sponges and eyeshadow applicators too of course.
It all fits in my nifty 2 pocket makeup bag which was a sample gift with purchase from Paul Mitchell.
Whats in your bag?

Natural Remedies For Dry Itchy Skin

Chronic problems with dry itchy skin can drive you crazy! Dry weather, poor diet, cleaning products, soaps and ageing are a few of the culprits of the problem.

Diet plays an important role in every part of your body. Make sure your drinking enough water.Keeping your body hydrated helps every part of your body including the largest organ in your body, the skin.Eating foods high in Omega 3 and essential fatty acids, like fresh fish and flax seed have shown to improve skin's appearance and texture as well.Also take Vitamin E for an added boost of natural oils to combat the dryness.

Externally Vitamin E is the only vitamin proven to improve the skin so look for skin care products that are high in Vitamin E oils.You can even use Vitamin E capsules and break one open and apply it directly to your worst areas.

Stay away from creams that contain ingredients that are made to break down the skin for a chemical exfoliation.Instead of removing dead dry skin they can actually cause your skin to dry out even more.These are ingredients like Retinol, Alpha and Beta Hydroxyl Acids and Alpha Lipoic Acids.If you experience dryness or redness after using these products, look for a product without or with a lower concentration of these ingredients.Look for ingredients that are natural like natural oils derived from plants, beeswax, herbal extracts, water and glycerin.

When you first get out of the shower, apply baby oil or mineral oil all over to seal in moisture.Moisturize your skin every day with a lotion as well.

Avoid long hot showers which can dry your skin as well as harsh soaps. If your soap leaves your skin feeling tight and dry, then it is too strong for you. Your skin should feel soft and supple after cleansing so experiment with milder cleansers. Antibacterial cleansers contain high levels of alcohol as well so limit usage to when you really need them.

Use a humidifier in your home to keep the moisture levels in the air at a comfortable level.Even if you just keep a humidifier in your bedroom, you should notice a big difference in time.

Choose clothing made from natural cotton or silk fibers that allow your skin to breath. Avoid fibers that irritate like wool and artificial fibers that don't allow sufficient air flow.

Sometimes an overload of chemicals and irritants can actually cause dry skin issues.Stay as close to natural as possible in your ingredients and be kind to your skin.

Stylist Choice Award 2009

OK SO ITS VOTING TIME AGAIN!

Check out BTC and vote for your fav products RIGHT NOW!

When you vote you get a $10 gift code for purchase at behind the chair BTC Bookstore

Click Here To Put Your Vote In

Poll results for the 9th annual awards will be available June 7th so check back here for the scoop!

We will be stocking all of the new 2009 stylist choice awards products into our store as soon as we find out what they are !

Here are some of 2008's star winning products!

Favorite Shampoo:

Pureology Hydrate

Favorite Conditioner:

Redken All Soft Conditioner

Favorite Styling Product:

Paul Mitchell Sculpting Foam

Favorite Hair Spray:

Kenra 25 Volume Spray

Favorite Specialty Styling Product:
TIGI Bed Head Manipulator

Favorite Volumizing Product:
Big Sexy Hair Root Pump

Favorite Flat Iron:
Farouk Systems CHI Ceramic

Favorite Overall Professional Products Company:
Redken (winner for the last seven consecutive years)

Can You Mix Hair Products?

Most hair care lines want you to of course to buy all and use only their products so there isn't much info around about what products you can or cant mix.

Mixing hair care products is generally safe as long as you aren't mixing certain chemicals.

These chemicals are in products like perms, relaxers, hair color, peroxide and other chemical enhancement products.These products need to be applied strictly according to manufacturers directions.

Otherwise products like shampoo and conditioner are perfectly safe to mix and match.In fact you may even achieve better results by mixing and matching until you find your perfect combination.Combining your shampoo and conditioner and applying them at the same time can cause you to loose the effectiveness of the conditioner.But you can use XX shampoo and then use YY conditioner and get great results.

The exception to this rule is medicated shampoo and conditioner.If you are using a medicated product that contains an ingredient like pyrithicone zinc for dandruff or other scalp conditions it is ideal that you use the full product line.While there is no danger in mixing products like these with other shampoo/conditioner you may find you loose some of the effectiveness of the medication.If you have to choose either shampoo or conditioner, choose the medicated conditioner.This keeps you from washing away the benefits of the product through a second rinsing.You can even use a different conditioner on your ends and your medicated product on your roots and scalp.

Mixing styling products is fine as well.Some products however just will not mix leaving you with a globby or watery mess. To avoid this problem, read the ingredients list. Products that list water as a main ingredient will mix well with other products that have water as an ingredient.Products without water will not mix with products that contain water. Products with water contain emulsifiers to bind the ingredients.Without these emulsifiers weird globby messes can occur.Common bad mixtures of this sort are shine serums and gels. Gels and conditioning styling creams don't mix too well either.The conditioning agents in the styling creams contain ingredients that can interact with gels and you loose the effectiveness of both products.Hair sprays that are designed for finishing dry hair will not interact with products you put into your hair when it is wet so no worries there.

The best way to check and see if you can mix 2 products effectively is to combine the products in your hand and see if something weird happens.If you see products breaking down and separating into liquid and lumps then it is best to avoid mixing those on your hair as well.

Removing Artificial Nails Safely

When your ready to remove artificial nails the absolute worst thing you can do is just tear them off.The acrylic is bonded to your actual nail and you can rip holes straight through your nail exposing your nail bed which can be horrible painful.

Your nail bed will already be extra sensitive upon removal of the artificial nail because it has not been exposed to the normal everyday wear and tear that desensitizes the nails. You need to try to keep the trauma on the nail bed to a minimum to prevent further and possibly permanent damage.

You will need pure acetone to remove the acrylic.You can usually find this just about anyplace from a drug store to a home improvement store.

You can soak cotton balls in acetone and wrap the moistened cotton ball around the nail allowing it to soften the acrylic.Stick your whole hand inside a plastic bag and apply a heating pad to speed up the process of melting the acrylic.

A wonderful alternative to cotton balls and heating pads are little finger soak off pods!

You fill each "pod" with acetone and insert your finger.The heat from your fingers heats up the acetone for speedy removal.They also are alot less messy and less waste .

You can find these at online retailers or your local beauty supply may carry them as well.

Once the acrylic has softened some use an orangewood stick to gently roll away loose acrylic.It should peel away easily and not pull on your nail at all.Don't try to pry off half loose acrylic.Just re soak your fingers and repeat until all of the acrylic has melted enough to scrape away easily.

After you get all the acrylic off it is vital to use a conditioning oil on your cuticles and finger tips.Acetone severely dries skin out but unfortunately it is the only thing that melts acrylics.

Your nails may feel thin and brittle after the whole process.You will need to keep your nails short and trimmed until they have grown out.Any snags or weak spots in your nails caused during the application and removal of acrylics will catch and tear easily.

While there is no way to repair the natural nail there are ways to help the grow out process be less painful.

Using a strengthening clear coat will not actually strengthen the nail itself.The strength is in the product so keep a coat or two on your nails constantly until they have grown completely out.Taking a vitamin that helps with hair and nail growth may help your nails grow back faster and stronger.

You may be able to find a product like Essie Sensitivity which works much like the toothpaste that desensitizes teeth.This is great if your nails feel like they are fire and every bump or hot water touching your nails is unbearable.

Condition, condition, condition.Your finger tips have been through enough trauma so avoid over filing and buffing and keep the cuticle treatment with you at all times.