Excuse Me Ma'am, But May I Have Your Hair?

If you had a choice to choose any hair in the world, would you change what you have?

I honestly can say my hair is the ONE thing I wouldn't swap for anyone else. Body.....well I would love to swap that with Evengeline Lily ....maybe with a little more hips and booty.... But I could definitely work with that.And I could actually AFFORD to eat a few Twinkies without guilt, ahhhhhh forget it, I would trash that body too.Ill just make do with with my fluffy body.

Everyone wants what they cant have. People with straight hair getting perms, people with curly hair getting straighteners, changing color, thinning hair, putting in extensions to make it longer, thicker and fuller, will it ever end?

Long before plastic surgery, women changed their hair and makeup to enhance their looks.

Now you can get fat sucked out of your body and formed into a Brazilian butt!

You would think that the options would be limitless by now on what you can do with your hair, but alas we are limited truly by mother nature in this aspect of beauty.

The closest thing to a real change is to have your own hair moved from one location to another, but its the same hair just in a different place.

I have a little poll on Erryns Health And Beauty Home Page titled May Fun Beauty Poll

So check it out and put your vote in!

I'm hoping against all hope that maybe some of you will realize, the hair you fight with and curse every day, is probably envied by someone else!

Clip In Hair Pieces

All the celebs out there wear extensions of one kind or another.A great alternative for permanent expensive extensions are clip in extension.Branded by Jessica Simpson and Paris Hilton and even Dr.Boogie from Shear Genius can run you a good $100 or more.


But what do you do when you cant find the right texture,color or length to match your hair? Or maybe you just cant justify the price in your mind.

Make your own! You can purchase all the item you need at your local Sally Beauty Supply or other public beauty supply.The costs are minimal, usually under $40 or so.
A few things you want to keep in mind when looking for hair wefts.You want to buy the best hair you can for the money. 100% remy human hair is important.
Also look for cuticle correct hair.This means all the cuticles on the hair shaft are facing the right direction like hair grows naturally.Cuticle correct hair will have more shine, wear better, provide easier brushing and styling.

Here is a great video on how to DIY your hair pieces.

You can dye your hair pieces with whatever color you are using for a perfect match as well.Cutting your extensions to match can be done by your stylist or at home yourself. When you want to cut your extensions you want them to look as natural as possible.Hair naturally thins out as you get closer to the ends of your hair.Using a pair of thinning shears start about 1 " down from the top of the extension and thin about 10% of the hair out.Then go half way down the hair shaft and thin another 10% out.Take a final 10% out of the bottom few inches of the hair.This will help the cut look more natural.

Stay away from acrylic, artificial hair.They wont last long and wear terribly.You cant use any type of heat on it at all.So no washing and drying, no curling or flat ironing...they just turn into an old ratty mess and will be in the trash before long.Not to mention the shed factor.A good set of extensions made with good hair can last 6 months or more with every day wear.

You want to wash them only when needed, let them dry naturally and style to match your hair.

A great fun project for teens as well! They can have that bright purple streak you've been fighting with them over with no commitment.

Does Hair Care Packaging Affect Your Buying Habits?

Hair care lines are infamous for the old packaging switch-a-roo.If a product line isn't performing up to certain standards or sales are slumping, they will add a splash of new color or slightly change the package on the same old product to make it look new and fresh.Somehow this must work marketing wise, or they wouldn't invest in the changes.So how much do these package changes influence your buying decisions? Probably more than you realize sadly enough.

TIGI is probably the king of all packaging marketing.From the boldly white pink and silver S-Factor line to the unique shapes,colors and names of the Bed Head line as well as their new Rockaholic products,TIGI screams "I'm unique and new".Appealing to your sense of fun both with packaging and fruity scents that you can smell before you open the bottle.What's not to love? Their product lines are diverse and unique as well.And they keep adding to their product lines without axing 10 other products to make room for a new one.The unique packing makes it easy for you to find the product you love at a glance without reading 10 similar bottles to find the right one. I think alot of manufacturers should take a que from TIGI as far as that goes.

The down side? So many products makes each salon pick and choose what they can carry according to shelving space.The items don't shelve neatly and closely and are not ideal for "product per inch" issues.This can cause salons to opt not to carry a product based on the fact that a short, wide bottle containing a wonderful product takes up more space than a tall slender decent product in the same price range.So your choices may be limited and unpredictable.Also with SOME TIGI products I have noticed a lack of quality with sprayers and nozzles etc.Are they spreading themselves too thin to provide quality product, quality packaging and fair prices?

In total opposition to TIGI is lines like Paul Mitchell.Back in the day Paul Mitchell built its brand line and reputation by using stark black and white bottles.This screamed "We care more about our product than fancy packaging".So in a way by stripping their bottles down to basic black and white, in a time where fancy pretty bottles were all the rage, put the focus on their line as "superior". Other lines followed suit with the back to basics method of marketing. Brands like Artec Textureline also became known for their black and white packaging techniques.Even lines like and Kenra, Nioxin,Biosilk and Joico keep minimalistic approaches to the every day glitz and glam choosing to keep their all their products in virtually the same bottles.Joico does have some range of color in their bottles but overall the packaging does not change much. These bottles are great for display generally due to the fact they are easy to keep neatly lined up and look clean and sleek.The problem lies when the customer (you) approaches an overwhelming sea of bottles that all look the same.You can never find exactly the right item easily without spending forever reading each and every bottle.OH, and the fine print as well.You see a can of hair spray that LOOKS like the right one only to get home and figure out the can of firm hold hair spray you were wanting is actually a soft hold that does nothing for your hair.Why do they do this to us? Paul Mitchell has over the last few years finally figured out that maybe the solid black and white bottles aren't ideal for customer selection and has been color coding their products that go together with a flashy lime green or vivid purple accent.Fancy nozzles added makes selections even easier.Paul Mitchell has not followed the black and white trends with their other line Modern Elixirs but the Tea Tree line has virtually the same dull drama as the black and white bottles.

Personally I love the packaging on Redken.You know when you go in that green is curls, golden bottles are for softness etc.They try
to make their line user friendly as well as appealing to the eye without gimmicky adverts.Sleek and sophisticated and great products
as well.For a mid priced salon product I really have nothing negative to say about Redken at all. The number system on their styling products is ingenious.If properly displayed, you can find your product by number easily without having to read each bottle.Every item is unique in what it does.Theres no XX product in 4 formulations for you to decide upon.They do branch out from time to time with mini lines like Urban Experiment but those are easy to shop as well with unique bottle shapes and catchy names that are easy to remember.

Then there are the faux organics lines in every salon.

The ones that scream " LOOK I'M NATURAL".Matrix Biolage was one of the first lines to try this approach out on the public and it worked beautifully.Matrix was originally known for its big black VAVOOM can of
spray .The Biolage flew off the shelves and suddenly everyone wanted botanical herbs and extracts on their hair.NEXXUS changed all their
products slightly and marketed it as Phyto Organics attempting to catch on the "all natural" wave.The problem is, they changed all the old favorites and put the original packaging in stores like Costco! So what incentive do customers have to buy a different version of their old favorite when their original favorite was even more readily available? So are you drawn to the product with the picture of a flower because it just seems better? Or are you really interested in organic hair products and natural herbs and extracts. I have a news flash for you, virtually every hair care product has some sort of herb or extract in it.Read the label dont let an advertisement do the reading for you.Organic while good for the earth, is still a gimmick to get you to buy a product. There are still chemicals in organic products. Your not washing your hair with 100 % pure organic dandelion juice.

Graham Webb's Back To Basics line is also one of these "lets put a flower on it" lines. A revamp of the line with more colorful packaging has brought some life back to the Back To Basics Products.It amazes me that Back To Basics is still alive and doing well.I mean no doubt there are some good products in the line, but when you compare it to other GWI lines it pales in comparison.They have made some incredible products that have been discontinued to make way for a new "flowered" product that I consider sub-par at best.
Then there are the ever changing chameleons of products.Famous for their ever changing product lines, formulations and packages are Sebastian and Graham Webb.While these lines keep their basics the same generally they revamp and redo their side lines.Discontinuing products like mad trying to find new lines to catch on and make the fast cash. This has lead to the rise and fall of many great lines like XTah, Nolita, Head Games and many many more.Sebastian has recently been repackaging even old standards like Shaper hairspray! SOS, different bottle.I imagine this new packaging of Sebastian will not last long either due to some major issues with the design elements of the bottles.It seems they tried to make the new bottles look sleeker and unique by a different shape and texture of plastic.The new bottles have a grit almost like a rubber which make the bottles very hard to keep dust free.They also made them smaller at the
bottom and larger at the top so when you slightly bump into one they all fall like Domino's.GENIUS ! People are not going to want
to walk within 10 feet of a Sebastian display after the first time they knock 50 bottles off the shelf.Never mind the issues this will present in the shower! Mark my words, Ive seen enough product line changes to know when something is going to flop.They will be making revisions as soon as they finish putting this packaging out so don't get too comfortable.The new line isn't overly welcoming in appearance either.I think a refining of the old product packaging or making a whole new line would have been better than taking the same exact product that people buy because they are comfortable with, putting it in a new stuffy , attemptingly sleek package, raising prices and marketing it as NEW! Sebastian is a great product line, and I think they feel their issues are with visual marketing.Maybe they are right and the US will catch on to what most European countries already know about this great line!

Let us not forget "elitism".Product lines that gear themselves to be only for elite salons for special people.Pureology was one of these lines until the Loreal buyout and is now becoming more main stream.Aveda products are touted as "exclusive" and are only available through Aveda salons.Many private lines like Bumble and Bumble, Peter Coppola and more began in private salons and are now more and more readily available to the masses.Are these private labels better than other lines simply because they are seemingly "exclusive"? As these lines eventually are bought out and marketed to more and more people do they suddenly become not as good as before?

There are alot of smaller manufacturers out there that carry good products as well but are marketed in a totally different way.Alot of
companies like KMS, Kenra, Aquage, RUSK and Joico have chosen to market mainly to the professional.Pushing their product lines on
stylist by way of classes that preach "WE ARE THE BEST SELL US" and giving away masses of stylist samples to get us to use their
products. Making deals with salons to carry their lines and preaching a holier than thou attitude toward other lines. These
companies count on the stylist to sell them which is a much cheaper, but more difficult sales tactic but a sales tactic all the same.

And of course the bonus for all you readers who muddled through all these ramblings, SEX. Who knew all along that all you needed to spice up your love life was good hair! Bottles that make you think....where did you say I put this? Sexy people performing experiments in urban settings, and bottles that just come out and say "HEY I'M SEXY LOOK AT ME" So when you walk into a salon is your eye automatically drawn to the monochromatic bottles that say nothing, or the bottle that looks like it came from an adult bookstore?

So what do I think is the best line overall through all the BS that is marketing?I have never found one line that I feel has the all the best of the best.I don't believe in using anything because it looks fun or smells good, is elite, is pushed on me,looks more professional, looks like a good time or is readily available in every single salon. What works for me, may not work for you.Mixing and matching is half the fun anyway! As always don't buy ANYTHING you don't know how to use.I do believe in trying something new from time to time.I believe in old favorites. I believe in testing similar products. Don't say "Oh I only use XX line". Test hair spray against hairspray, shampoo against shampoo. Superior products exist in almost every hair care line so don't fall for all the hype.

Blogger Partnership Contest Coming In May

We will be sponsoring a contest with one of our favorite beauty bloggers,Gail at Oogle Makeup in May. We will be donating over $100 in prizes and a $50 gift certificate for purchases in our store so don't miss out on your chance to score BIG! Gail will be adding some neat gifts to the pot as well .
We are still working out all the details but it will definitely be an event worth a look!
Check back here for more details coming soon!

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Got A BFF? Have A Swap!

I have a best friend of about 15 years and I adore her taste in just about everything.We usually shop together or if one of us is out shopping we will call the other for verification of our purchases.I.E. I will call her and say " OK I'm looking at a black dress, do I have to much black or should I look at some color?" or "do you have any red patent heels to go with a retro 50's style dress?"

About 10 years ago when our kids were little and we were both poor as dirt, we came up with this great tradition.We would pool all our clothes we wore a few times or that didn't quite fit perfect.We wear the same size but she is 5 foot 10 inches and I'm 5 foot 1 inches so if it didn't fit one of us it may fit the other.We get together and try on each others clothes, shoes and makeup and trade oodles of things.

We do this 2 or 3 times a year and its just a blast.Its like having a personal shopper bring you tons of stuff to try on.Whatever just isn't working for either of us will go in a pile and we will decide who of our friends would look good in what.Then we go give it all away and some of our friends give us things back in exchange that didn't work for them and we get to fight over it!

Another great thing we do is when we go shopping together and we both love the same thing, we buy it for "mutual" usage.We will trade it back and forth or she will buy one color and I will buy another so we can swap colors after a while.

Right now we live 1.8 miles apart so it is easy to do.We even did this though when I moved to Florida and she was in Ohio for 2 years.We visited each other at least 3 times a year and we would pack a suitcase of things for the other person and trade up wherever we were.

We both are makeup addicts too so when I moved to Florida I started buying empty makeup pots with sifters ( let me know if you want to know where to get some I know a great website) We would buy stuff and split it in half and send the other a little box of new makeup.

We both have 13 year old daughters that are 3 weeks apart in age and now they do the same thing! It saves us both a ton of money on the girls and it is just plain ol' fun to do.

I kind of have a rule that if I haven't worn it in 6 months, it goes in the trade pile.Sometimes Ill get traded back the same thing I bought a year ago, but somehow forgetting about it makes it seem new and I remember why I bought it in the first place! But when it is sitting there staring at me and I want to wear something new it looks like the most boring thing Ive ever seen.

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