The Hair and Makeup Blog

Hair Extensions Are NOT Just for Black Women

There are those who really believe that weave is just for African American women.  Obviously, these people have never heard of Britney Spears or Jessica Simpson. And this hasn’t been a new development. 

White women have been wearing hair extensions to add fullness and up the glamour factor to their look since a far back as Egyptian times. Hair extensions were also in demand during the Victorian area when huge pompadour hairstyles were in fashion. In fact, nearly every time that big hair has been the thing to do, so have hair extensions. Come on. Do you really think that Dolly Parton was making all that happen on top of her head with her natural hair?

Call it what you want: weave, sew-ins or hairpieces. The truth is that hair extensions cross all racial and ethnic barriers. It’s just that their more out in the open now.

Although black women are still more likely to wear hair extensions, you will find that many Asian, Latina and White women wear weave too. Just ask Lucy Liu or Victoria Beckham. And their reasoning is the same as anybody else’s. Maybe they are looking for to try a new look without  having to wait to grow out their hair for over a year. Or perhaps they have particularly thin hair but crave a fuller, sexier hairstyle. Maybe there’s a special occasion that they’re glamming up for. And don’t forget those with alopecia or other problems growing hair naturally.

Whether it’s Remy Brazilian hair extensions or tangle free 100% reusable Indian extensions, hair weave is for anyone who wants to change up the game and make a splash. It’s 2009 and it’s not just a black thing anymore.

Visit the Look Hair and Makeup online store for luxury tangle free reusable hair extensions and inside beauty tips and news.

They Say It Happens in Threes

So I got on the plane yesterday morning to learn that Farrah Fawcett passed away. The thought came to me who’s next? Upon landing I received a slew of texts that Michael Jackson died. It happens in threes: RIP Ed McMahon, Farrah Fawcett and Michael Jackson.

I am especially saddened by Michael's untimely death. MJ was my first celebrity crush and many in my generation.  We did not have to worry about our parents not condoning his lyrics.  They had been jamming to Michael's music before we were here. I am saddened by his untimely death but am so thankful for having his music be a part of my life.

Hair and Makeup Blog readers sound off:  What's your favorite Michael Jackson song, video or memory?  I have so many but a number of my all time favorite Michael Jackson songs are on the Off the Wall Album.

Indian-Hair-Extensions Private Sale at Washington DC Salon

What's better than the highest quality Indian hair extensions? Getting a discount on those high quality Indian hair extensions, that's what!

On Monday, June 29, 2009 we will be offering 40% discount on select Indian hair extensions to newsletter subscribers in the MD/DC/VA area. This is a private sale in an upscale DC area salon. The event lasts from 11:30AM to 2PM and the location will be disclosed when you RSVP.

Not only will you get a deep discount on these premium hair extensions, but premier DC metro hair stylists will also be onsite for your convenience. You'll get the scoop on hair extensions and tips to care for them. You can also have any of your questions answered or have consultation for you next style move.

Send an email over to info@thelookhairandmakeup.com to RSVP. This is an exclusive invitation for newsletter subscribers only, so be sure to subscribe NOW and get there early. See you there!

Hairstylist are also welcome to this event....

Wedding Day Glam

June is the height of wedding season so we know that many our fabulous fashionistas are knee deep in wedding mania. Wedding planning comes with an ever growing to do list and tons of stress. There are so many things that could go wrong. The dress. The DJ. The invites. Will the groom even show up?!

Well, we may not be able to guarantee you happily ever after, but you can at least check gorgeous wedding hair off your list with this rules:

• Go for glamour. A wedding day is the perfect time for you to up your style index. An easy way to do this is adding a few extensions to your natural hair. Whether your want a dramatic up-do or curls down your back, you’ll get a fuller, more glamorous look in record time with Remy Brazilian extensions.

• Don’t forget the wedding props. Unlike most days in your life, you will have lots of props and accessories on Big Day. The dress. The veil. The headpiece. The groom. These should all be factors in your wedding hair. Edgy hair and a traditional wedding don’t go together. Neither do your 80s prom do and a  modern minimalist ceremony.

• You get what you pay for. We could all save a buck in this economy but please  remember that if you go the cheap route, you may regret it. Spend the money where it counts and go for high quality hair products and care to avoid any wedding day snafus.

To make your wedding look flawless, check the Look Hair and Makeup online store for the source for 100% Remy hair extensions and luxury beauty products.

Time to Upgrade Your Hair Extensions

Hair extensions may be one of the single best style inventions known to women, right behind lip-gloss. Hair extensions automatically add a bit of glamour to your whole look in minutes. In a world where women have more choices than ever, hair extensions are a way for you to express your individual style.  

When you do them right, hair extensions are fun, fabulous and fierce. Here are some signs that it’s time to upgrade your extension style:

You think “Remy” is a drink. Actually Remy is the highest quality hair extension you can buy. Cheap hair gets you nowhere . . . except picked up by the Style Police. The better quality hair extensions you buy, the better your look will be.

Your hair has more tangles and knots than the storyline on your favorite daytime soap. That’s just one of the drawbacks of cheap hair. Always try to sleep with your hair tied up at night and use a natural bristle brush on it daily. But, if you buy quality reusable Remy hair extensions , they won’t tangle and you reuse them over and over again.

Your extensions are completely obvious. Hair extensions should look and feel like your own hair. That means the color and texture should match your own. If you don’t, you’ll look more like a clown than the fab chick that you are.

Your sew-ins are so tight, people keep asking you to teach them how to use chopsticks. Whether you’re wearing a few pieces or a whole head of extensions, you need to protect your own hair. So that means not letting your stylist braid your hair so tight you see stars. Or letting product buildup in your own hair, which can cause dryness and breakage.

If any of these apply to you, you have hair extension issues. Solve all your problems by going to the Look Hair and Makeup online store for tangle free human Brazilian or Indian hair extensions and the products to keep your hair looking tight.

Summer 2009 Hottest Makeup Trends: Low Maintenance With Spark Of Color

Special guest blogger and Celebrity Makeup Artist: Felisha L. Mims

Summer is the season when one rule always applies…“less is more”.  Not only does this concept apply to clothing but makeup as well.   With the harsh rays of the sun beaming down on us we want to make sure our skin is healthy and fresh.  This means moving away from heavy foundations and allowing the skin to breathe with a sheer, lightweight tinted moisturizer  which contains SPF ingredients.  The tinted moisturizer will hydrate the skin while giving it a hint of color and add a healthy glow to your complexion.  A translucent powder is a good product to use throughout the day to reset your makeup and control the shine without adding color. 

Keeping with this summer’s makeup trend is a spark of color on the cheeks and eyes.  The cheeks should be vibrant yet sheer enough to compliment the lightweight tinted moisturizer.     Selecting delicate pinks, soft rose and subtle peach colors and placing the color at the peak of the cheekbone, and fading the color slightly downward as oppose to concentrating the color on the apples of the cheeks, redefines the structure of the face.  The eyes on the other hand, should be somewhat more daring and pop with hues of  vibrant turquoises, seductive plums, and shimmery silvers.  Remember a little goes a long way so apply only one of these bold colors on top of the lids or as an accent color on a neutral eye. 

Eyebrows and lashes should not be overlooked.  The summer trend for eyebrows is a natural brow with minimum refinement.  Eyebrows can be filled slight as to not overpower the statement made by the eye makeup.  Eyelashes should be accented with a light application of mascara.    Waterproof mascara is ideal for those sun sweltering days.        

Last but not least lips should be hydrated with a lip balm that contains sunscreen to help protect the lips then a gloss with a tint of color should be applied on top.  The gloss should be subtle enough not to offset the vibrancy that comes from the cheeks and eyes. 

Tip 1:  To take your look up a notch increase the intensity of the color on the eyes, rim the eyes with a soft black or brown to bring them out, add more volume to your lashes by building up the mascara, and add more color to the lips with an opaque gloss.

 

Tip 2: For an evening look add a shimmer to the arms, shoulders and décolletage.

 Visit Felisha's portfolio at http://picasaweb.google.com/transitionsofbeauty

Getting Bronzer Right

Haven’t had a chance to hit the beaches just yet this summer? Are you the kind of girl that goes from zero to sunburned in minutes? Or maybe you just want the sun kissed look without the risk of sun damage? The answer is bronzer.

Bronzer is probably one of the most misused makeup products out there. When done right, bronzer can give you a naturally healthy glow that looks like you just came back from a Miami vacation . . . even if the most sun you’ve gotten is walking from your car to your house. When done badly, bronzer can make you orange, dirty and just plain wrong.

The key to bronzer is where you put it. Like blush, bronzer should be applied anywhere that the sun would naturally hit you—the bridge of your noise, your chin, your forehead, your cheekbones. Don’t forget to blend!

Your bronzer should also be tailored to your skin tone. Are you on the paler side? Then go for a peachy blend. Darker skin looks best with gold or copper toned bronzer blends.

We love the Bobbi Brown bronzer.  There is a perfect shade for everyone.

If you’re worried about making mistakes, go for the powder bronzer instead of the liquid. It’s more forgiving and harder to get wrong or experiment at home with a liquid or cream foundation that is 3 to 4 times darker than your skin tone.

And for pulling it all together, don’t forget to set your makeup with Model in a Bottle. This finishing spray will keep your look in place all day. You worked hard on giving yourself a healthy glowing just-from-the-beach look. Make it last.

Check out The Look Hair and Makeup online store as the source for high end Indian and Brazilian human hair extensions, hair care and makeup products.

Eating Your Way to Healthy Hair

We all know that you are what you eat . . . but did you know that it affects your hair too? You can spend all the money you want on expensive hair products, but if you’re not putting the right things in your body, it won’t do you any good. Good hair care starts with a good diet, so make sure you’re watching what you eat. Here are some tips to eating right for your hair:

Dry /Brittle Hair: First of all, are you staying hydrated? A great way to avoid all kinds of health problems is to make water your main beverages. Another cure for dry hair is upping your intake of fish or nuts, which contain the fatty acids that you need keep your hair so ft and moisturized.

Oily Hair: That’s not enough vitamin B. Stay away from the oily foods and eat more eggs, leafy vegetables and whole grains. These are all great sources of vitamin B

Thinning Hair: This situation is often caused by an iron deficiency. Stock up on red meat and eggs. Vitamin E might also be missing from your diet, so leafy vegetables and nuts are also a good bet.

Even if you don’t have these problems, there are certain vitamins that will improve the general health of your hair. If you don’t get enough vitamin C, found in citrus fruit, you’ll lose your hair over time. You’ll find the vitamin A needed to promote hair growth in carrots, broccoli and sweet potatoes.

After you’ve gotten your diet right, you should keep your hair healthy by using like HairArt tourmaline flat irons that promote hair growth and minimizes hair breakage. For all the hair care products and tools you’ll need to keep your hair healthy, head over the Look Hair and Makeup online store.

Hairstylist To The Stars Robert Ramos On Summer Hair Care Tips

The Hair And Makeup Blog had the pleasure to sit down with Hairstylist to the Stars: Robert Ramos at the salon to discuss some of our favorite topics hair and hair care products.  Robert is very warm, personable and knowledgeable about hair.  This is why so many women trust him with styling, coloring and cutting their hair.

Robert Ramos is part owner of the chic West Hollywood's Estilo Salon. Estilo Salon is located on swank Beverly Ave in West Hollywood.  Estilo is The House of Style for hair.  The salon provides all major hair services and provides additional Brazilian Keratin hair treatment, Japanese hair straightening, traditional sew-in hair wefts and keratin hair extensions. 

Robert is the much publicized hairstylist for Jessica Alba and Eva Mendes.  However, Robert has been in the business for many years and has worked with celebrity legends Bette Midler and Pam Grier.  In fact Bette Midler has been Robert's client for 20 years.

Celebrities have been fascinated with Robert for some time but the latest industry buzz is Robert Ramos fresh clean haircare line.  The shampoo is paraben and sulfate free. The styling spray was featured in fall/winter 2009 LA's Fashion Week. It is ideal for people who want hold and touchable tresses.

One of my favorite Robert Ramos product is the leave in conditioner which provides added moisture for the hair. An extra benefit to the leave in conditioner is that it works great on weaves and human hair extensions.  It makes wavy hair extensions look new, provides sheen and helps define curls. The Robert Ramos conditioner has hair friendly ingredients such as silk amino acids, spirulina, ginseng and UV protection.

Here are some of Robert's tip for summer hair:

1. Keep yourself hydrated
2. Eat a healthy diet - what you do on the outside is as important as what you put on  your hair
3. Buy one to two hair care products you know is gonna work
4. Use a daily leave in conditioner - check out Robert Ramos leave in conditioner- great for vacation hair
5. When out in the sun for extended periods use a hat to cover up your hair
6. You are not bound to a ponytail - create a low messy knot instead. A knot provides a stylish summer look

Robert Ramos products are eco friendly and old school inspired.  You can purchase Robert Ramos products online at  http://www.robertramos.com or in select salons.

To book a hair appointment with Hollywood Celebrity Hairstylist Robert Ramos visit Estilo Salon http://www.estilosalonla.com or contact 323-936-6775

Summer Hair Do's

So it’s finally June and summer is officially in full swing. Get ready for beach vacations, flip-flops and the ice cream truck on your street every five minutes. But before you can  start enjoying all these wonderful summertime treats, be prepared for the stress that the hot weather puts on your hair. Make sure your style is a summer hair-do and not a summer hair-don’t by following the following tips:

• Summer humidity is a breeding ground for the frizzies so even think about giving your flat iron a vacation. Avoid heat damage to your hair by using a heat protecting hair spray and making sure that you upgrade to a professional Hair Art Flat Iron.

• Easy up-dos take the work out of styling your hair and keep you cool at the same time. There are tons of ways to put your hair up, but the easiest is to just grab your hair, twist it up and secure it with two bobby pins. Use a high quality smoothing product, like Tancho Stick, to keep the strays in check. 

• Let your hair take the summer off. Salt water and UV waves can wreak havoc on your tresses. Try sew-in weaves. Your own hair is put in neat braids beneath 100 % Remy reusable hair extensions, giving you the look of long luscious hair without exposing your own hair to the summertime elements.

For all the luxury hair products and tools you need to get you through the summer, check out the The Look Hair and Makeup ® online store.

Summer-izing Your Makeup

After what seems like millions of months of winter, summer should be in full swing within the next few weeks. With beach hair and bikini bodies, you’ve got enough to think about. The last thing you need this summer is for your makeup to be sliding off every time you step out into the heat. Here are a few tips to making your makeup last longer this summer:

• Avoid foundations and stick to a tinted moisturizer. It’s the difference between wearing a parka and a tank top.

• Go for oil-free products to avoid unnecessary breakouts and blemishes. You’ll have enough oil with all the summer sweating going on. More oil will only make your makeup run more.

• Thick lipsticks tend to melt and slide around in the heat. Try a tinted lip balm or lip stain to add color without the clump to your lips.

• Waterproof mascara is made for summer. Poolside fun and sweat can smudge and smear regular mascara but the waterproof kind stays put.

 

• Sheer colors are perfect for beating the heat, tend to run less and look good on just about anybody. For the bolder diva, summer is the time to work some bright colors into your makeup routine. 

• For those of you who can’t switch up your makeup routine, set your usual look with a makeup setting spray to avoid makeup slippage. Whether it’s summer or winter, it keeps everything looking fresh all day long.

For the scoop on beauty products and news, check out the Look Hair and Makeup ® online store.