I Can Hear the Bells...The Wedding Bells

It's May 31, which means tomorrow is June. And everyone knows June is the wedding month. Want to know a bit of trivia? I knew you would.

According to some folklore, June became the traditional month to marry because that is when people had their (get this) annual bath. So they were all fresh and smelling clean. Luckily these days we don't have to worry about smelly people showing up to our weddings, but June still remains a coveted month for marriage.

"Everyone hop in a clean off! We've got a wedding to go to!"

Weddings and the beauty industry are pretty much tied up with each other. You might call it a marriage. Working in the salon, I've learned a lot of things that will come in handy for when I take that step down the isle one day.

And of course, I've decided to share them with you.

• Please, please, please book a trial run for your hair and makeup. Stressing out on your big day is no fun, so if you're going to stress over your hair, make sure you do it the month before. It is a huge help to you (and the stylists) to already know what y'all will be doing.
• Give yourself plenty of time! This goes back to the no stressing rule. Especially if you have appointments in two different places. Sometimes we run behind. Sometimes you run behind. Either way, we want to get you where you need to be on time. So make sure you give yourself some room to spare.
• Of course you can bring your photographer! Please do! There was a wedding party in one day where no one was taking photos of the bride getting ready. I thought, she'll want to see this one day, so I snapped some pictures for her. If you only have your professional photographer for the ceremony, that's what your bridesmaids are for. Put 'em to work girl!
• Pretty much all the same advice as "your formal hair day"

So...how many of you guys are getting married this year? Do you have tips to share?

So... You Want to Donate Your Hair?

Well, first of all congratulations! Donating your hair is really like being Santa. You get to bring joy into someone's life who is going through something dreadful. And, really, who doesn't want that?

I've done a bit of research on some of the companies that take donated hair. Many of you will just automatically say, "Locks of Love." Did you even know that there are other companies out there? Check 'em out below.

Pantene Beautiful Lengths is one of the more well-known organizations. They say, 

"Beautiful Lengths is a partnership between Pantene and the American

Cancer Society that gives gorgeous, real-hair wigs free of charge to women

fighting cancer. Demand for real-hair wigs is high, and we need your help to reach

even more women. To us, it's hair, but to a woman with cancer, it's hope."

Some things to know:

• Requirements: The hair must be at least 8" when straight. No permanent color, bleach, or chemical treatments (Like the Japanese straightener). No more than 5% gray. 
• Pantene Beautiful Lengths makes wings mainly for woman with cancer.
• Wigs are free.

Locks of Love is probably the most well known donation company. They say, 

"Locks of Love is a public non-profit organization that provides hairpieces to financially disadvantaged children in the United States and Canada under age 21 suffering from long-term medical hair loss from any diagnosis. We meet a unique need for children by using donated hair to create the highest quality hair prosthetics. Most of the children helped by Locks of Love have lost their hair due to a medical condition called alopecia areata, which has no known cause or cure. The prostheses we provide help to restore their self-esteem and their confidence, enabling them to face the world and their peers."

Some things to know:

• Requirements: They take up a full page to explain them, which you can see here. 
• They donate wigs to children under 21 suffering from long term hair loss. 
• Not all their wigs are free.
• There has been a lot of controversy surrounding the organization. You can read about some of it here. 

Wigs for Kids is another non-profit organization that takes hair donations. They say,

"When Children lose their hair, whether as a result of medical treatments, health conditions, or burn accidents, they don't just suffer physically. The change in their appearance can drastically undermine their self-image and sabotage their self-esteem. To combat this additional trauma, Certified Cosmetic TherapistTM Jeffrey Paul founded Wigs for Kids, a nonprofit organization that has been serving children suffering from hair loss since 1981."

Some things to know:

• Requirements: Another whole list of them. See them here.
• As the name suggests, they make wigs for kids.
• As far as I can tell, the wigs are free.

You can do a Google search that will turn up a hundred other organizations. There are even location based ones. So you can donate to people who live in your area.

Next time you're donating you hair, or you are thinking about donating, search the web and find out what organization is right for you. It's a brave thing you're doing, so make sure you feel good about doing it!

How To Tuesday: Sock Bun

I like big buns and I cannot lie.


You know that has been coming for a while right? Ha!


So, ever since I cut my hair off I've been missing my big giant top knot. It's small and puny now, and I understand why people with little hair are sad. And then, I discovered the sock bun. It was like an angel was watching down over me.

If you have hair much longer than mine, then this probably won't work. But there are sock bun tutorials for long hair out there. Or, you can just watch this top knot tutorial and it should work just fine.

Just an extra tip. Try teasing your hair before you do the "swoop" step. Just a tad, close to the sock. You'll understand after you watch. Enjoy! Then you can thank my hair angel.





Do you like top knots as much as I do?

Friday Link Love 5/25/2012

• The first thing in this week's Link Love has to be The Great Gatsby trailer. I'm seriously fangirling over here. Please tell me y'all are just as excited as I am?
• Yankee Candle, the place where I can spend hours sniffing things, has come out with a new scent. And men, it is perfect for your man cave. 
• I love this article from Hello Giggles about how everything I need to know I learned from Mean Girls. True? Possibly. 
• Oh those Japanese. They make the coolest things...like a robot that will wash your hair. 
• A Cup of Jo had a beautiful mermaid tail braid tutorial this week. 
• I love those lego sculptures, and I love hair. Some talented person combined them both. 
• Wrinkles suck. And botox is expensive. Why not try this natural homemade wrinkle remedy? 
• Last week I posted an article claiming that swoopy bangs were giving people lazy eyes, apparently it isn't true! Yay!
• Christina from Hair Romance is so talented. Check out this braided updo/awesomeness. 
• The trailers for some of the new shows for the Fall are out. Check 'em out and let me know which ones you think you'll be watching. 

What did you see online this week? Tell me in the comments below! 

Clip-In Extensions

I've been seeing a whole lot of clip-in extensions  in the salon these days. Prom season is just finishing and prom girls love to wear them. And why not? It's a great way to get the (long) style you want without years of waiting.

But I've also noticed some other things about clip-in extensions that I thought I would share.

• There are bunch of different types: synthetic, human hair, tracks, head pieces, etc. Make sure you know which one would be best for you.
• Make sure you know the difference between synthetic and human hair. Synthetic means that you can't color or put any heat on it. So basically they are come as they are. Whereas on human hair you can color or style it.
• If you buy human hair, bring it to your sylist and ask them to color match. Obviously, you want to buy the one that is the closest to your hair color first. 
• If you have thick hair, take into account how much hair your actually getting. For myself, one package of track extensions wouldn't be enough, but something like a head piece probably would be. 
• Make an appointment with your stylist to have them show you how to put them in! It can be tricky the first couple of times if you don't know what you're doing.

Clip-in extensions over all are pretty cool. They have huge pros and not very many cons. So I say...go for it!

Have you tried clip-in extensions? What brand? How did you like them?

In Between Color Tips

My hair grows at super human speed. If I don't do it every four weeks I have people telling me, "oohh...it's time to do your color." And just a heads up, no one likes to hear that. You'd think that working in a hair salon would make it easier to get your color done, but no. It's harder than a normal client. So a lot of times I go longer than four weeks, thus submitting myself to hear remarks about my roots. 

don't look at me or my roots!

But over the years I have learned a couple of tricks to make your color last longer and to conceal those pesky roots. Pay close attention. You'll want to know what I do. 

Help your color to last by...

• using a color shampoo. I switched over and went from needing every two weeks to every four.
• use a UV protectant out in the sun. Believe it or not, the sun can fade your color, so if you go out in it a lot, you need to protect it just like your skin.
• talk to your stylist about demi-permanent color.

Hide your roots by...

• I know it may seem silly, but hats really are an amazing product. Not only do they hide greasy hair, but they can also hide your roots too.
• try a hair mascara wand. It's like coverup for your hair. You paint it on your part line, and it effectively covers your roots...until your next shampoo of course. Don't forget to buy the right color!
• scarves. Tie 'em around and bam! no roots. 
• wear your hair down. I've noticed that when you pull your hair back, sometimes you can tell that you need your hair colored more than if you wore it down. 
• keep it clean! My hair turns dark at the roots when it's dirty, making it look like my root is really longer than it is. 

I didn't know what category to fit this tip into:

• prebook your appointment. A lot of the reasons that people go too long is because they forgot to make an appointment or their stylist is booked out for another two weeks. If you prebook, you never have to worry.

What are your tips to hide those grown out hairs? 

How To Tuesday: Pin Back Your Bangs

Growing your bangs out sucks. Believe me. Every time I see a picture of Zooey Deschanel I ask my stylist to cut my bangs, then I grow them out. And then I see another picture of Zooey. It's a vicious cycle that I go through with my bangs.

And that weird phase where they're too long to be full bangs, too short to be swoopy bangs, and way to short to fit behind your ear. It's a frustrating time. I basically wore one of these looks everyday. So check out a couple of ways you can pin back those frustrating things.

The Poof

1. tease your bang area. 2. pull back bangs and pin. Easiest thing to do.

The Braid

1. start a french braid. 2. continue braid across hairline. 3. finish by braiding all the way down and securing with a hair tie.

The Middle Part

A personal favorite of mine. 1. part hair in middle. 2. pull bangs to side, twisting as you go. 3. secure with bobby pins

The Twist

very similar to the braid. 1. start with one piece of hair 2. pick up a new piece and twist around other piece. 3. pick up new piece and combine with first piece 4. continue in this fashion 5. secure with bobby pin

What is your favorite way to pin back your bangs? Did I miss it? Tell me in the comments below!

Friday Link Love 5/18/2012

• These steps to super sleek hair are worth taking a look at and taking tips from!
• I love this simple twist/fishtail braid to pull back your bangs. I tried it, and it was awesome. 
• Tyra said that if she had starting modeling these days, she would have been too heavy. It's so sad, but I'm glad to hear former models speaking out about the expectations of models these days. 
• Related: Apparently, thin models don't actually make people buy clothes. I mean, who knew? 
• Nail art that you can do at your desk using office supplies from Birchbox. Also, if you don't already subscribe to that, you totally should. 
• This smoky eye tutorial from Cupcakes and Cashmere is perfect for a night out. 
• Don't like that one? Check out this glitter look from The Beauty Department.
• I post a lot of DIY stuff on Link Love, but what if you suck at DIY? Well, Hello Giggles tells you what to do. 
• Remember Mickey Mouse Club (did you just sing that too?) Check out the former Mousekateers nowadays. 
• I am studiously taking notes from the article on how to be a morning person. 
• I tweeted this picture the other day, but take a look at the insane etching job done in this kid's hair. 
• Apparently, they make "tan tights". You know, to make your legs look tan. 
• Can your hair be impairing your vision? Push those babies out of your eye!
• The 10 best YouTube hair tutorials. I notice that On Stage isn't on there. We'll have to work on that. 

Did you miss Link Love last week? Well, it's because I didn't have enough links to post. I need your help! Send me your links to cassidy@onstagehairdesign.com

Summer 2012 Hair Trends

Every year we're shown what will be the newest hair trend during New York Fashion Week, and this year was no different. Check out some of the trends we saw on the runway.


Ponytails

Ralph Lauren 2012

While ponytails used to say "Lazy Day", this year the designers told us the ponytail says sleek and sexy. Which, I'm totally okay with.

Blowouts & Natural Waves

Versace 2012

Put that flat iron down and let your hair have a rest! This is one of my favorite trends because it's all about natural beauty. And you can't really go wrong with that.

Braids & Twists

Giorgio Armani 2012

Maybe this has to do with Katniss, maybe it has to do with the runways, but whatever it is...did you really think that the braids and twists trend was leaving anytime soon?

Center Parts & Deep Side Parts

Calvin Klein 2012

I'm squealing like a little girl on the inside with this one. I've been obsessed with wearing a center part for a while, and now I'm justified in doing it. 

These are just a few of the looks we saw on the runway this year. Did you pay attention to NYFW? What was your favorite trend from the runway?

All photos: Glamourmagazine.uk

Nioxin/Rogaine: Does it Really Work?

This post has been a long time in the making. In fact, over 90 days in the making. Here's how it went...

My boss, and one of the On Stage owners, was losing some of his hair...just a teeny bit, but we wanted to do something about it. So we came up with this experiment. Combine the use of Nioxin and Rogaine for 90 days. See what happens.

Products used: We put Marty on the whole Nioxin system. Shampoo, conditioner, and the treatment. He used all of it once a day. He bought the 5% Rogaine and used it twice a day.

Well...here are the results of said experiment.

**just a small disclaimer. Neither one of these companies suggests that you use their product in conjunction with other products.


Day 1

Day 30

We started to get excited at this point. You can clearly see that there is new hair growth. But we didn't want to get our hopes up just yet.

Day 60

By this point we were pretty much hopping up and down chanting, "It's working!" Okay...I was hopping up and down chanting. Everyone else was laughing. 

Day 90

I was pretty impressed that it worked so well. So impressed that I got my brother on the same "experiment" and it is working well for him too. Maybe it's not longer an experiment and just fact. Who knows. 

Just in case you need to see it again...

If you decided to try this experiment, send me your before and after photos to Cassidy@onstagehairdesign.com and maybe I'll post them to the blog!

Tanning Beds: Why You Shouldn't Use Them

I'll admit it. I used to be one of the first ones to jump into a tanning bed as soon as my skin dropped below the optimal tan. I loved that 20 minutes in the bed, but I really loved my perfect tan.

Nowadays, people make fun of me because I do some strange things to protect my skin. But I just say to them, whatever dude (The almost Michelle Tanner catchphrase). 

"Whatever Dude!"

While I may go to some extreme lengths, protecting your skin is important. And staying out of tanning beds is the first step to doing that.

Maybe you don't know the harmful effects tanning beds can have. So let me tell you...

• First you need to know that any tan, whether from a bed or from the sun, is actually your skin being damaged on the cellular level. 
• Both UVA and UVB rays are harmful.
• The Vitamin D that your body needs is somewhere around the equivalent of standing in the sun for 10 minutes. 
• You're actually 74% more likely to develop melanoma (aka skin cancer) than someone who has never used a tanning bed. 
• Isn't that last bullet point enough?

I'm not saying that you should never go in the sun again. I love to lie out by the pool as much as the next girl. Just be careful about it. Make sure you sunscreen has protection against UVA and UVB rays.

And for goodness sakes, stay out of those tanning beds!



Source: Skincancer.org

May Spotlight Stylist: Jillian Navarro

Before making a trip over to one of our salons in Beaumont, I had heard a lot of about this gal named Jillian. All good things of course. And then I met her and understood it all. Jill is the veteran over at On Stage II. She's been in the industry for almost a decade and the knowledge of passion she brings to her work really shows.

The lovely Jill has two kids who have some of the coolest names around, Kindell and Kinnedy. She is an inspiring mom and an inspiring person. Basically someone you should know right now.

How long have you been in the industry?

I have just started my 9th year.

What is your favorite part of your job?

I love my clients and forming special relationship with them. It makes my day when clients tell me they love their hair.

Have you ever won any awards?

Rotary club's service about self award. I also won highest service in 2008 & 2009 and highest retail 2008 at On Stage. 

Who inspires you?

Artistically, Marty smith. He's a great motivator and excellent hairstylist. And then, Ellen Degeneres. She's beautiful inside and out. She's always helping others and making the world better. Plus, she is so funny!

What are your specialties?

I love all aspects of hair, but Great Lengths and marrying cuts and colors. I think I have an eye for detail.

What is your favorite hairstyle of all time?

I love the bob hair style.  It is so classic and it looks great on everyone.  Plus it can be customized to fit anyone! It's the perfect haircut.

If you could have anyone's hair, whose would it be?

I really like Jennifer Lopez's hair.  It always looks so pretty and stylish.  I'm pretty sure she has extensions, either way if it is her natural or not it's beautiful.

Tell us a joke.

What's the best pet for a cosmetologist?

...a hare!

Do you have a message for your clients?

Thank you guys so much for sticking with me through the years.  I appreciate all of you and look forward to many more years together.  I love you guys!

Do you live in the Beaumont area and want to make an appointment with Jill? Call (409)899-2109.

How To Tuesday: Your Formal Hair Day

Every weekend this month we seemed to book purely of formals, either for weddings or proms or galas. Every time I book an appointment I make sure to tell each client exactly what to do with their hair and clothing. But sometimes...it doesn't stick.

You might be saying, "Cassidy this isn't an actual tutorial."
Me: You can stretch the definition of tutorial. Tutorial means teaching to do something and I am teaching you what to do on your formal hair day.
You: le sigh
Me: So I'll continue.


Your formal hair day rules...

• slightly dirty hair. That doesn't mean four-day old or longer. That means, for most people, that you washed your hair the day before. (And no, we won't be washing it when you get there)
• no flat iron or curling iron. Everything we will do at the salon will work so much better if you haven't already used any kind of heat styling tool on it. especially a flat iron
• typically you want to come wearing something that wouldn't mess your hair up when you take it off. Like a button up shirt.
• bring photos of what you want. But don't get mad at the stylist if they can't replicate it exactly. Formal styling is really a work of art, and recreating something exactly the same time is hard in art. believe me, I've tried.
• you're going to want to take some hairspray with out. Travel size would probably be the best. 
• makeup before hair. Or hair before makeup...it doesn't really matter. Just make sure you've given yourself enough time to get to wherever it is you have to be.

And of course, have fun! Getting dolled up and have formal hair is a blast. Take lots of pictures and let us know what everyone thought of your "hair art!"

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Friday Link Love 5/4/2012

• Though the text is in Dutch, the infographic is in English and really cool. It shows slang words over the years and what they really mean. 
• I'm so excited to go see The Avengers tonight, I couldn't help but post these Avengers inspired makeup. 
• I talked about the makeup transformation girl from You Tube several times. You can see a lot of her completed looks here. Pretty amazing right?
• Fashion emergencies and how to fix them. Umm... adhesive pockets. It's like a dream come true!
• Another infographic on how when we eat matters. 
• Apparently, neon nail polish is illegal in the US...but not really? 
• These "men's" cuts on women are fantastic...and the story behind them in inspirational. 
• Here is a tutorial for waves using a flat iron in a way I've never seen before. 
• Oh my gosh. The most annoyingly cut thing ever. This dog has to hold hands while in the car. 
• Have you heard of Lion King-ing? Me either. But it's fantastic.
• This is a good list to know. Beauty regrets I wish I knew in my 20s. 
• Coconut oil is apparently a really awesome product that you can use in tons of ways. 

What did you see online this week?

Homemade Remedies: DIY Wax

Remember that recipe for homemade wax I posted in the Link Love a while back? Well, I thought I'd give it a try myself to see how it worked.

I'm all for saving money and while I don't really like to inflict pain upon myself, I did it. All for you my lovely readers.

Professional Wax
I prepared my legs just like I have been talking about all week and was excited (and a wee bit nervous) for my wax appointment today. It went well, pretty much like every other wax I've had. It hurt a lot. I made a lot of noises. We laughed. It was a good time.

I still have a bit of left over hair. Although, they are small, bitty white hairs that the wax won't pick up. After 24-48 hours I will be able to shave them away.

DIY Wax
Here's the recipe:
2 cups sugar 
¼ cup water 
¼ cup lemon juice

Heat over low heat until sugar is thick and brown.

It took forever for it to turn thick and brown. So long that I thought I was doing something wrong. I reread the instructions 17 times. Honestly it probably took almost 30 minutes for it to look like the picture above. And I had even cut the recipe in half, and then in half again (I had no idea I was almost out of sugar!) 

Now. Let me list the reason for you to never try this. ever.

1.  I pretty much ruined a saucepan
2. I burnt the bajesus out of three of my fingers
3. and my leg
4. The wax didn't come off of my leg with the cloth strip, I instead had to pull it off...slowly and painfully.
5. It didn't take much hair off.

Are five enough? Or should I keep going?

Needless to say...I'll be back in the wax room again tomorrow finishing what the nice wax lady started. 

The Do's and Don'ts of Waxing

Waxing can be sometimes be a sticky (ha!) situation. Like I talked about yesterday, there are a lot of rules surrounding waxing that some people might not be aware of. 

Aren't you glad you have me (and the power of Google) to help you out? 

Don't...

• Don't drink any coffee, caffeinated beverages, or even alcohol before your appointment. While you think they might come in handy, those drinks can actually make your skin more sensitive. Which equals more ouch. 
• Don't touch your freshly waxed skin. Your hands carry loads of bacteria. You don't want any of that getting onto your open pores, causing an infection.
• Don't go tanning for 24-hours after your appointment. 
• Don't take a hot bath or get in a hot tub for 24-hours after. 
• Don't worry! They are professionals, and know what they're doing. 

Do...

• Do take a pain killer half an hour before your appointment.
• Do exfoliated the area before you go in.
• Do make sure your hair is around 1/2" long.
• 24-48 hours after your appointment, do exfoliated again.
• Do relax! Holding tension in your body could make your experience more unpleasant. 

All you experienced waxers out there...what are your do's and don'ts?

How To Tuesday: Prepare Your Skin for Waxing

There used to be this bilboard on the road that read, "Don't hit a furry beast...or be one." I don't know exactly what company it was advertising for but it was for some kind of hair removal. Every time I passed it, I thought, well played bilboard. well played. Because, yeah, the bilboard make me want to go home and shave any stray hair out of place.

But man, do I hate shaving. It's the worst. So luckily, some smart person somewhere in history came up with waxing. But did you know that you have to actually prepare your skin for your wax service? Because I did not.


The day before...

• You want to make sure that you've exfoliated the area. If you skip this step it could result in ingrown hairs, and lets face it...no one likes those. 
• Make sure your hair is the right length. It it's too short, it won't work. If it's too long, it won't work.

The day of...

• Moisturize the area with a water-based or oil free moisturizer.
• If you'd like, pop a couple of pain relievers half an hour before your appointment. 
• Talk to you waxer about any concerns you're having!

Other tips...

• Ladies, don't schedule your appointment the week before or after your period. Your skin is super sensitive then. 
• If you have any kind of burns or cuts in the area you want waxed, skip your waxing this time.
• If you're using any kind of agressive skin care products (like rentiol) you definitely want to skip your facial waxing. 

What are your pre-waxing tips? Tell me in the comments below! Stay tuned all week for more waxing tips and tricks!

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