Pores, pores and more pores!

Everyone’s got them.  Some a huge and dark.  Some aren’t even noticeable (we hate those people).  Pores are touchy, take it from me, mine are about the size of polo divots! haha  Seriously, I have to use a facial extractor on myself about weekly after I wash my face, exfoliate and get out of the shower.  A facial extractor has a round loop on the end it in to put pressure around the clogged pore and force whatever is inside to come out.  Gross, I know, but think of what I would look like if I didn’t do that!  A good facial every couple of weeks is the best when you have more acne-prone skin.  Especially if you don’t feel like extracting your own pores.
Here is what a clogged pores and blackheads look like…

Have you ever treated yourself to a facial or tried a pore strip?  Laugh now, but those things really work great!!!  I use them all the time.  This next pic is kinda gross, but if you have clogged pores and you use a pore strip, this is what you could possibly remove from your skin! …

…I know, but think about how much better your skin could look if this was gone!  Now not everyone has this issue, but I know alot of people do.  After you do remove a pore strip make sure the first thing you do isn’t slather your face in makeup.  You want to use a light oil-free moisturizer and let the face do a little healing.  Skin is like a baby, it needs tender love and care! haha  Best of luck to those who are going to try a pore strip now!

Enjoy!

Age appropriate?

What do you consider too extreme when it comes to beauty or even self satisfaction?  Is a woman who is 50+ years of age too old to have hair this long?  Even though she’s “had it since high school”?

What’s you opinion?  Is it beautiful?  Or does it look like she doesn’t doesn’t like to mess with it?  Is it the color that drag her down and makes it look too “old lady”.  Here’s my opinion, I think her hair looks to be in great condition (which it should be since she obviously never colors it), but yes, it’s definitely way too long for her age.  Hair that long and uncolored should never be below should length.  The color, however, is another personal opinion… she seems to have a beautiful color of gray hair with nice natural depth.  If this is how she has looked for the past 25 years, then do not color it.  Cut it into a sophisticated bob to have it work for you and not against you!  This is how I think it should look…

  or 

Much more put together looking and youthful.  Yes, sometimes a beautiful gray can be youthful! haha  Keep in mind that when hair is so un-pigmented that you need to work with warmer tones on your face to that it doesn’t make you look drab.  Try a brighter lip color or add a warmer blush for a pick-me-up in your makeup routine!

Enjoy!

Hair Accessories …the scoop

Women constantly see hair accessories everywhere at stores.  Do you ofter think “I’m too old for that” or “Eh, can I even pull that off?”.  Well, I’m here to tell you that unless you’re over the age of maybe 50, then you’re NOT too old and you have no excuse to not bust out a cute embellished ponytail or a little side adornment with the some pretty waves!  (Sorry for any women 50+ reading this, try a neck scarf!)

Here are some fantastic accessory ideas to jog you mind for the next time you get ready in the AM…

 

  …this last one is one of my faves!  Love the polish that the red lip brings to it.  Also ideal for 2nd or 3rd day hair!!!

Having pixie hair doesn’t mean that you can’t do accessories too!  Let me show that short hair some accessory love…

 

…see, ADORABLE!

However if this is how you feel once you put in a cute hair accessory…

Remove it immediately, go crawl back in bed and call your boss cause there is no way that you can even go to work today! jk  Suck it up, buttercup, you’ll be fine.

Some of my favorite accessories are those that are paired with a lovely ponytail! …

       …so simple, chic and definitely jazzes up a basic pony!

What I’m saying is, don’t ever be afraid to try something new.  Even if it is as simple as a new handband, bobby pin or scarf.  If you wear it with confidence, I’m sure it looks GREAT!

Here are a few of the accessories I’ve busted out! …

 

  …I get the hint- I NEED full bangs again!  I know, I know.   😉

Enjoy!

Have you ever?…

  …had a horrendous perm?

… jumped on board the “striped” hilight train?  Yikes!!!

  …thought “yup, tomorrow I’m going to look soooo good!”

…rubbed a balloon on your kids head?

…had your bangs cut too short? (We all have!)

….tried using the Flowbee?

…tried home bleaching your eyebrows????!!????

….braided your whole head thinking that tomorrow you would be sporting the coolest waves?

…had a bikini wax? …at home?

… thought “why didn’t that level 10 at home box haircolor totally make me super blonde over my dark ends?  What the hell!”

…thought “Nah, I’m not too old for that cool trend!”  OMG!!!!!

…found your daughter quietly in her room with hair on the floor?

…haha okay, so this was just funny to me 🙂

…wanted to confront a gal with a bad ass mullet?  “Hi, I like your hair!”

…Overplucked your man’s eyebrows?  Oops, sorry honey.  My bad.

…decided that cute lil’ pigtails were definitely the way to go for the day?

Enjoy!

Emmy’s After Party!

Okay, so I’m assuming you all tuned in last night for the Emmy’s!  What a great show it was!!!  Comedic, memorable and elegant…everything the Emmy’s should be.  Obviously, the stand out evening dress color was canary yellow…

Gorgeous, gorgeous color!

Makeup for the night was just classic for an awards show!  There was the “au natural” beauty, the defined red lip and of course, the deep smokey eye.  Nothing we haven’t seen before, but I’m sure some thought they were really stepping out of their “comfort zones”! haha

Hair for the evening was simple and understated, which I like.  It wasn’t all about the classic updo.  It was pulled back into chic chignons and left down and wavy quite a bit.  One thing I didn’t see was the ponytail at all, guess they’ve moved on from that look for a black tie event.

   

  …Very 50’s glam too!  Finger waves are definitely making a come back!

Here was my all time fave frock of the night…

…so elegant with the full, pleated skirt and the lace top!

As always they didn’t disappoint, as usual!  Can’t wait for “awards show season” to arrive next Spring so we dig a little deeper.  Tune in again for more style/fashion talk!

Enjoy!

 

 

It’s Gray Day!

Gray hair isn’t what it used to be!  It can be sexy and very put together looking!  It is important to highlight the role melanin plays in hair when examining why hair turns gray. Melanin is an insoluble pigment found in all forms of life and is responsible for skin color as well as hair color. As we age, the pigment cells in our hair follicles begin to die, which means that the amount of melanin in strands of hair will be reduced. As a result, hair becomes a more transparent color, such as gray, silver or white. People can start seeing gray hair at any age and genetics will determine when.  Here are some pics of some sexy looking grays…

 

Like, I said-SEXY!  These heads of hair are neglected however, you have to really moisturize gray hair more because the hair shaft is rougher and tougher to penetrate.  Also, color can still be your best friend.  Sometimes adding a little  more “pepper” to you hair can make it look fuller, prettier and not as aging.  Here is a great example that I just did recently…

 

Gorgeous!  Totally changed her look from unkept to stunning!  Enjoy!

 

Ombre VS. Bronde

Opened a magazine in the last 2 months?  I’m sure you have!  If not, quit watching Wipeout and grab a fashion magazine, ladies.  It’s like milk- does the body good!   If you have,  I’m sure you have seen plenty of celebs rocking the “ombre” hair color.

   

What is it?   “Ombre” means shadow in French language.   It is actually making light hair darker at the root area down the mid hair shaft, and the ends are kept (or bleached) lighter.  On hair that is a solid darker tone, you can paint in some lighter pieces at the mid shaft and bottoms for that ombre apprearance.  Here are some great examples…

 

Nice, hey?  Just gives a softer, brighter look without doing a traditional at-scalp highlight, and keeping the health of the locks.  Always smart!

Of course there is always that ombre that went bad…

Sorry, Drew.  So sad on such a pretty face!  This color went from straight up too dark to waaaaayyyyy too bleachy looking at the ends.

“Bronde” is another incredibly trendy look for the Fall season.  It’s when those gals who are blonde want to tone down the summer tones, yet don’t wish to be quite a brunette.  Tah dah!  Bronde, my friends…

 

Perfect mix.  Is it blonde, is it brown?  Nobody can tell, that’s the beauty of this unique color!

Fall is the perfect time to start experimenting with your color, so don’t be afraid to try something different this season.  Enjoy!

How many looks you may ask?

So many people ask me all the time, “How many different things have you done with your hair?”  My response is always, “Oh, lots!  I’ve done everything!”  And I have, I’m never afraid to try something.  It’s fun. It’s just hair.  Might as well experiment 🙂

So here is a ton of pics letting you know what I’ve done…

Enjoy!

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   …that’s all folks!

Rachel’s Top Beauty PIcks!

Sally Hansen Nail Polish Strips- Stays on my nails for 10+ days!  I cannot get enough of these darn things!  I love them so much that we now have a few fun designs and color at Studio 1 Salon for guests to have put on.  Otherwise you can find them at Walmart, Walgreens, Tagret, etc. for less than $10.  Great for special occasions or vacations 🙂

   

The POREfessional pore minimizing translucent primer.  The best for making my pores look and feel smaller without being oily a few hours later.  Works best on oily skin and goes underneath your makeup for a smoother look.  Can be found at Sephora and Ulta for about $30.

 

Makeup Forever HD Microfinish Powder- This is honestly the best freakin’ finishing powder in the world (for me). It helps my foundation stay matte ALL DAY – I literally went 12 hours with this on and still looked amazing at the end of the day. It makes me feel like I have nothing on my face and I don’t have to worry about smudging or streaking when something touches my face.  If I get oily or anything, I just brush some on anytime throughout the day for a fresher look!  I won’t ever be without this!  I get mine at Sephora for about $32.  Well worth the price!!!

Lilash- it’s a purified eyelash stimulator.  The MOST INCREDIBLE results producing product you will ever use for lash growth!  Studio 1 Salon has been using and selling Lilash for over 3 years, with results that will blow your mind.  I always noticed a serious length boost after using this for about 4-5 weeks.  And full maximum potential was definitely achieved by 10-12 weeks!  Once your lashes are at their longest, just continue with Lilash twice a week to maintain.  You won’t be sorry…just addicted!  Here are my own personal before and after’s:

  

Enjoy!

To Brow or Not to Brow?

Don’t have any eyebrows?  Me neither, join the club!  Sucks.  A lot.  Especially, since a strong brow is so trendy right now.  I have always been a fan of a fuller, more natural looking brow, like this…

Nothing crazy, just not so pencil thin and overly plucked looking!  Now, not everyone was born with these fuller brows, so don’t expect to achieve this look the next time you visit your stylist.  If you tend to be an “at home over plucker”, and your brows look like this…

  

…stay calm.  There is hope!  Quit tweezing those puppies.  Start growing them in naturally, I know it’s very difficult, but it must be done.  Once the grow in a little, let your stylist wax them so they are neat and clean.  If necessary, let them continue to fill in and grow where they weren’t waxed.  Eventually, they will come back to you and you will be thankful!  If your brows come back super sparse and patchy like mine, no worries, cause I have a second plan for you!  There are things on the market that allow you to fill them in and make them look fuller without looking like a circus freak.  Some people prefer a brow pencil that can be found in any stores cosmetic department.  That’s fine, to each their own.  I, however, prefer something that won’t look streaky and clog my pores.  I use the Glo Minerals Brown Brow Powder that you can order from us here at Studio 1 Salon & Day Spa, and I apply it with our Glo Brow Brush.

  

What I love about that slanted brush is the fact that you can make tiny little swipes with it along the brow line to fill them in quickly and naturally.  And this brow powder is 100% straight pigment, no color fillers!  I have had mine for about 3 years already because you hardly even use any when applying it!  Here is where one’s natural brows should align….

Interesting to know where they should be living, hey?  I think so!  I had a great question from Anna Fredrick the other day about making brows more smooth.  Great question, Anna, what you can do is take a clear mascara and swipe it across the brows until you like how they are laying and then let it dry for flyaway’s or unruly brows.  Hope that helps, Anna!

Just for proof, here is my own before and after when I fill in my brows versus when I don’t!  Seriously scary. 

   Enjoy!