Archive for the ‘Color’ Category

Halloween Memories

Oct 25th, 10 / 3 Comments

Halloween, 1988

Do you have a favorite Halloween costume memory? Mine would have to be the year I went as a Punk Rocker (That was the official name I gave myself).  I was the toughest, coolest chick on the block with my pink ratted hair, spider tattoo and puff painted splatter shirt. (What’s that? Puff paint isn’t usually considered to be Punk Rock? Details!) I don’t know why at 5 I just had to be a Punk Rocker but I’m guessing like most things, it can be blamed on the 80s.

What makes this costume memory even more fun for me now is that I distinctly remember going with my mom to Sally Beauty to pick up the pink hairspray. Yes, I was a big fan even then.

To recreate this look break out your rattail comb, spray on some Beyond The Zone Color Bombz Temporary Haircolor in Air Head Pink, draw on a tattoo of your choice with black eyeliner, and voila! You’ve got a super fun and simple costume.

I’d love to hear about your favorite Halloween memory! Any fellow Punk Rockers out there?

Color, Make-up

Color FAQ

Oct 22nd, 10 / 0 Comments

Q: How often does red haircolor need to be touched up?

A: Consistent touch-ups every four to five weeks are important with reds. If you wait too long between touch-ups—i.e. when new growth is over half an inch—your body heat may process the color closest to the scalp faster, resulting in what professionals call “hot roots”, when the color at the scalp is brighter than at the mid-length or ends. To give red hair color a boost between salon visits, try Beyond The Zone Glam Street Glaze in Jaw Dropping Red.

Have color questions? We’d love to see them!

 

Color

Gray is the new black…again

Oct 20th, 10 / 0 Comments

Have you heard that gray is once again THE color for fall? I attended a presentation on trends last week and everyone is still all about The Gray. What are your thoughts? Do you agree or are you sick of it?

My love affair with it continues, but I admit that gray by itself can come across as a little…blah. That’s why I prefer to mix it with pops of colors, especially burnished oranges. I’ve got pumpkin spice lattes, gray cashmere scarves and caramel scented everything on the brain right now, so it’s only natural that it’s spilling over into my beauty look. Smoky eyes and nails the color of pie? Bring it on!

Here’s a roundup of some products featuring my current color combo obsession:

  1. FingerPaints in Copper Elements
  2. Femme Couture Baked Eye Duo in Copper Chic
  3. China Glaze in Avalanche
  4. Palladio Tinted Lip Balm in Orange
  5. Palladio Baked Eye Shadow in Gun Metal
  6. Palladio Eye Ink in Smokey
  7. Sally Girl Mini Squeeze Tube Lip Gloss in Shimmer Pink
  8. Sally Girl Mini Baked Eye Shadow in Silver

 

So what colors are you loving this fall?

Color, Make-up, Polish

Facing My Fears

Sep 10th, 10 / 20 Comments

I’ll admit it. I’m a total scaredy-cat when it comes to coloring my own hair. It’s not like I’ve ever had a bad experience, so I don’t know why the thought of dyeing my own hair makes my palms sweat. Well, I take that back. There was the unfortunate Highlighting Incident of 2003 that we will not speak of. But, I didn’t do that to myself so I don’t think it counts.

Anyway, as someone who has been getting their hair colored regularly since they were 14, and works for one of the largest beauty suppliers in the world, being scared of a little at-home color is sort of ridiculous. Our customers color their hair all the time! So, I decided it was time to face my fear and guess what? It turned out really really great! My color is even and shiny, and my hair actually feels healthier. Plus, it wasn’t scary at all!

I’ve outlined my steps for those who are looking to try coloring at home. Just to let you know what I started with, I had brown, reddish hair that had faded to a brassy red at the ends, and about an inch and a half of brown roots.

(The hair color comes with full instructions and recommended processing times – follow them closely! Perform a strand test on a few select strands of your hair to preview your own results. Details are included in the directions.)

Step 1: Cast of Characters

* Color Trak Tint Bowl
* Color Trak Extra Wide Tint Brush
* Ion Sensitive Scalp Developer 20 Volume 8 oz.
* Ion Color Brilliance Permanent Creme Hair Color 4G Medium Golden Brown
* Ion Color Brilliance Stain Remover
* Ion Color Brilliance After Color Treatment
* Color Trak Measuring Beaker
* Salon Care Disposable Vinyl Gloves

I know it sounds like a lot of stuff but everything, except for the tube of color, is reusable.
Step 2:

I mixed 4 oz of color with 4 oz of volume 20 developer. I ended up having WAY too much color left over, but since this was my first time I was playing it safe. Better to have too much than too little in this case.
Step 3:

Make sure the color and developer are completely mixed together. Doesn’t it look like frosting?
Step 4:

I began by painting the color on my roots, in small sections. Full disclosure: After about 2 minutes of doing it myself I got frustrated with my lack of coordination and called for reinforcements. The fact that my hair was feeling like cotton candy (i.e. sticky, clumpy mess) due to the crazy humidity didn’t help matters. I think next time I’ll be a lot more confident in my skills and will try to do my whole head myself.
Step 5:

I let the color process on my roots for 15 minutes. Tick tock. Tick tock.
Step 6:

After 15 minutes on my roots, I (read: my helper) pulled the color through the rest of the shaft, but left it off the very tips. I let that sit for 10 minutes and then applied color to the ends for 5 more minutes. My ends are pretty porous so I knew they would suck up color faster, hence the difference in timing. Porous ends are pretty common since over time they’ve been exposed to more heat styling and coloring.
Step 7:

After I shampooed out the color, I applied the Ion Color Brilliance After Color Treatment to close the cuticle and seal in color. It also removes any oxidizing agents and restores pH levels. Nifty! I left this on for about 3 minutes.

Conclusion:

Pretty, shiny hair. Consider me an at-home coloring convert. FEAR, BEGONE!

Do any of you have any tips to share with this coloring newbie? Please share in the comments!
Color

Hair lost that sexy sizzle?

Sep 3rd, 10 / 1 Comment

I don’t know about you, but all the time I’ve been spending outdoors and in the pool this summer has taken a little of the sexy sizzle out of my hair. My locks are looking dull and lifeless and I’m starting to suspect that the sun and chlorine have teamed up to wage an all out war on my tresses!  I want to send the summer out in style this Labor Day weekend, but things are not looking so good in the hair department.

Don’t be like me and wait until the damage is already done to take action. There are some preventative steps that can help. For instance, you can wet hair with tap water before swimming to seal the cuticles and keep the chemicals out, or there’s always a hat. But my feeling is, a hat is often better suited for a poolside party. Besides, it’s not what I had planned to wear to my Labor Day celebration. What’s a girl to do?

Since my  hair color is still looking great and it’s not time for a touch up, I’m going to pull out my secret weapon – Ion Color Brilliance Demi Permanent Intensive Shine in clear. It adds great shine, lasts 4-6 weeks, and since it doesn’t contain color I can use it not matter what my shade is. Nice!

Do any of you have any tips for reviving summer damaged hair? Please share in the comments!

Color

My Dream Has Come True

Aug 23rd, 10 / 10 Comments

Has it happened? Has my dream come true? I don’t have to color my hair every 8 weeks to keep my gray concealed? I can actually embrace my gray hair for what it is, gray hair?

Well, my group of work friends who keep me on schedule for my hair color have told me no. The fact that gray, silver and white hair is a current trend with Kelly Osbourne, Lady Gaga, Kate Moss and others, does not entitle me to grow out my natural hair color and flaunt my gray. So, according to them, I have to be celebrity status, younger or older to pull it off.  I guess I fall in the middle where it’s just not fashionable. Do you think that is the case? The beauty about hair color is that it can be changed at any point and time.

Is anyone out there tempted to go with a gray accent like Stacy London or do an all over gray like Kelis?

For now I will not attempt to disrupt my hair color schedule because the color that I use (Ion Color Brilliance Permanent Crème 4IR) is really a good color for me, but in the meantime I will dream of the day when my gray hair will be an asset and not a curse.

Color

Lessons Learned

Jul 7th, 10 / 4 Comments

Let me introduce myself, then I’ll move along to something useful. I promise.

I’m a grown male who writes for Sally Beauty Supply. It makes sense that I find myself here.

I’ve been surrounded by women all my life. I was raised with three sisters, including my twin. My part-time job in high school was running the stockroom at a women’s clothing store. And today, I have two teenage daughters.

My daughters have benefited by the expertise I’ve acquired at Sally Beauty.

Such as…

We have many, many products that our customers tell us they can’t live without. A perfect example is our Miracle 7 line of hair care products. When I bring home Miracle 7 Leave In Conditioner, I’m a hero. If you haven’t tried it, please do. And let me know what you think.

Want to try something fun? Have you ever colored your hair a wild color? Sally has temporary hair color that washes right out.

My daughter Erin painted her hair blue for a football game, and I told her, “After it dries, spray it with hair spray. It will last longer.”

Wow – that useful tip rolled out of my brain without even thinking! Thanks to Sally Beauty, I’m both a father and a mother!

I believe every woman should paint her hair a bold color to spread the fun at a party or event at least once! Try that sometime and report back to me.

And as long as I’m sharing knowledge, one last thing: Eye cream. It is NOT to be used on the eyes. It’s meant to be used AROUND the eyes, to moisturize and cover wrinkles. Let’s all spread the word about that one!

Color, Men, Skincare, Styling Products