So last week, I posted on facebook that my next post would be a little question and answer session, and I asked for any beauty related questions anyone might have. I got some really good questions, so I'll just get right to it!
Q: Why doesn't the hair around my face grow as fast (or at all ) as the rest of my hair?
A: I've got so many clients who have sat in my chair and asked this very question. First off, the hair around our hairline (sides, bangs, etc) is a bit finer than the rest of the hair, making it more vulnerable to damage. Also, people who use heat tools, most often a flat iron, tend to go over the same piece several times, until it's 'just right'. Of course, the hair you see when you look in the mirror is that hair right in front, so it takes most of the punishment. After so much heat damage, you will see breakage start to happen. So, though it may seem that the hair isn't growing, it's actually just breaking off from the bottom. There are a few things you can do to stop this from happening. First, be sure to use a heat protectant spray or serum before using your flat iron, curling iron, etc. Second, do not continually run the iron over the same piece of hair. If you have even a decent flat iron, it should smooth and straighten on the first pass through the hair. Those second, third, and fourth times are simply not doing anything but damaging your hair. And lastly, if you're having your hair highlighted with bleach, ask your stylist not to pull it through your ends where the hair is breaking, or very fragile.
Q:Why does my color fade so quickly?
A: If we're talking about color you've had done in a salon that's darker than your natural shade, there is usually one culprit causing the fading, and that is shampoo! I know that salon brand shampoo and conditioner is not in the budget for everyone, and that's totally understandable, but if you're going to buy from Walmart, choose wisely. First of all, anything Suave brand is typically murder for your hair color. Now, I haven't browsed the Suave section in a long time, so maybe they've started to come around, but when people have had bad box color results, and ask how they can strip the color, I tell them to go buy a bottle of Suave. Also, any kind of dandruff shampoo is going to affect your color. I know lines like Tresseme and Garnier have shampoo and conditioner for color treated hair, and they're relatively cheap, so maybe give that a try. If you're using good shampoo, specifically for color treated hair, and you're still seeing rapid fading, talk to your stylist about maybe trying a different line of color that might be more compatible with your hair.
Q: What should I do if my blonde starts looking brassy?
A: Brassy is just a fancy salon word meaning gold or yellow. Sometimes, after a bad color job, you'll notice your roots are bright yellow, or after a few weeks, your once gorgeous white-blonde highlights are now golden. There is a wonderful product I think every blonde should own, and that is purple shampoo. Purple shampoo is exactly what it sounds like. It's a shampoo that is a very pigmented purple color. What this does is counteract any brassy tones you're seeing. When it comes to haircolor, opposite tones cancel eachother out. Purple and yellow are at opposite ends of the color wheel, therefor, if you're seeing yellow, throw a little purple on it! I use my purple shampoo about once a week, because that usually does the trick for me. If you think your hair is overly brassy, and you want to use it every time you shampoo, go ahead, but I will caution you, it will turn your hair voilet if you over do it, or leave it on too long. Now don't let that terrify you, because it will only be violet until you shampoo it again with a non purple shampoo. Several brands make purple shampoo, but my favorite is from Joico. I know Sally's has a purple shampoo that is comparable, and you may be able to find one at the drugstore. If you find that purple shampoo isn't doing the trick, schedule an appointment at the salon to have it toned, which means your stylist will put a violet toned semi permanent color over the top.
Q: If I decide to go dark, can I go back blonde in one step?
A: NO! NO! NO! If I could tell my clients one thing, it's this. Once you have gone dark, or darker than where you started, there is nothing that will lighten your hair but bleach. As we all know, bleach is not known for it's gentle qualities! I often have clients who will look at the color book, and say, 'I want my hair this color', which is 4 shades lighter than the color they have on their head currently. Let me tell you, I WISH there was a color line that would lift old color and deposit new, but unfortunately, there just isn't. What this means is, if you're thinking of going dark, or you already have, and now want to go back, the only way to do it is by heavily highlighting. By putting the bleach in foils, and leaving some hair out, you are reducing the damage to the hair. This usually means that to achieve the desired light color, it's going to take more than one appointment. About three years ago, my naturally blonde sister, Danielle, decided she wanted to be a brunette. After all was said and done, she was a VERY dark, deep brown. She then decided about a year later that she wanted to be a blonde again. It took us at least four heavy highlight sessions to get her back where she started. And let me tell you, the in between colors were sometimes not pretty! I would not ever recommend bleaching the hair all over and starting fresh, unless you have very short hair that will be cut off frequently. So, next time you're thinking you want to be a brunette like Megan Fox, just remember, it will take lots of time, money, and patience to go back!
Q: What can I do to emphasize my light or sparse eyebrows?
A: This question is one I'm very familiar with. Though I'm not a natural blonde, my eyebrows are (Go Figure!). I've had light eyebrows all my life, and I would get so frustrated when I'd be in a picture with a flash, and it would look as if I had no eyebrows. Thankfully about a year ago, I discovered a great makeup tool, a brow pencil! Who knew, right? Nowadays, my brow pencils are my best friends. I have two that I love, one high end, and one drugstore. The drugstore brow pencil I love is by Revlon. It's called 'brow fantasy', and I love it because not only is it a waxy pencil, but it's also comes with a tinted brow gel to set them in place after you've filled them in. I use the shade 'dark blonde', and it's perfect for my fair skin and light hair. I got mine at CVS, and I paid around $8 for it. There are three shade options, listed below. My other favorite brow product is by tarte cosmetics, called the Brow Architect. This is awesome, because it's three products in one; a pencil, a spoolie to brush your brows, and an under the brow highlighter that gives the brow an instant lift. This is a bit pricey (around $18), but totally worth the money. I got mine in a package deal from QVC, but these can be purchased anywhere Tarte is sold. This comes in one univeral color, which seems to work on any skintone. I know other people who swear by brow powders, or just using eyeshadow and a brush to fill in their brows, but I seem to have the best luck making them look natural when I use a pencil of some sort.
Q: I want to have nice nails, but I don't want to pay for acrylics or Shellac, what are my options?
A: I feel the exact same way! Lucky for us, CND just came out with a new product that makes it possible to have nice, long wearing polish, without the use of acrylic, or LED lights. This product, called Vinylux, is a polish that is supposed to last up to a week without chipping. There is no base coat necessary, however, you do have to use the Vinylux topcoat over your desired shade. These just hit the beauty supply store within the last month, so they will probably be available for purchase at Ulta and other retailers very soon, if not now. I've got two different shades, and love them both. As far as the longevity goes, I've had my current polish on for about five days, and they've just started to chip around the edges. Now keep in mind, I've got my hands in the shampoo bowl all day, which is not great for polish, so on a person who isn't washing hair all day, you may get more life out of your polish! These retail for around $11 a bottle, and there is a wide variety of shades. The only thing I can say I don't love about this polish is that it does not stay as shiny as my Seche Vite top coat, but all in all, I'm very pleased with the staying power of the polish. Here is a chart showing some of the shades that are available...
That's all for today. I hope I've answered everyone's questions, and that maybe you found this helpful! Thanks again for taking the time to read my blog! Have a wonderful day :)
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