Friday Link Love 9/30/2011

I missed last week's Link Love so this week is extra special. Have fun!

• This twist hairstyle is perfect for that lazy day. 
• Did you stay away from the craziness at Target for the Missoni line but desperately want a piece? Well you can buy it on eBay, but be careful, some things are selling for over $1000. 
• A Gossip Girl clothing line. My dreams are finally coming true! 
• Now that it has dropped five degrees outside, I think it's time to transition my wardrobe to Fall. 
• I have about a thousand t-shirts from my college days and now I know exactly what to do with them!
• This advice on reusing household products is amazing. 
• "Is 'fat' really the worst thing a human being can be? Is 'fat' worse than 'vindictive', 'jealous', 'shallow', 'vain', 'boring', or 'cruel'? Not to me"-- J.K. Rowling. Such a brilliant women. 
• DIY temporary fun colored streaks? Yes please. 
• I love reading beauty secrets from the professionals, and these are no different.
• Oh. My. Gosh. This ombre look is amazing! And just for the night! 
• Everyone's favorite vampire-lover has amazing hair. Now you can too! 
• Not really beauty related, but awesome nonetheless. 15 things worth knowing about coffee from The Oatmeal. 
• Still don't know how to do the fishtail braid? Watch this video. 
• I love Amy Poehler. 
• 5 pieces of clothing you shouldn't live without. 
• I love ...Love Maegan more and more every week. 
• And finally, guys who just don't look right with hair. Umm... Vin Diesel. 

Did you see anything cool online this week or last? Let me know!

Hair Accessories

The hair accessory industry has been really innovative these past few years. It used to be the only thing available to wear was a headband. That is, unless you were a little girl. Then there were about a thousand things you could put in your hair. But now!


 Cue hair accessory montage...

All photos courtesy of Google Images

Hello hair accessories!

Who knows why the influx of hair accessories has hit the world. Maybe it's because of recent shows, like Gossip Girl, who feature loads of them. But you know what? I'm okay with it.

Want to sport a hair accessory? Here are some things you should know.

• Make sure your accessory matches the occasion. For example, don't wear a giant pink bow to a funeral. 
• It's okay to make your peacock feather the focal point of your outfit. But if you do, maybe don't wear that lime green eye shadow you have in the back of your drawer. 
• Hair bows are awesome. But if you're over the age of eight, make sure you're buying the ones that are made for adults. 
• But most of all, if your a little unsure about the accessory in your hair, don't let anyone else know that. If you're wearing it, own it girl. Don't let that girl across the room with the bad highlights, giving you a weird look ruin your mood. Because let's face it, aren't we all a little happier with a flower in our hair?

What are your thoughts on hair accessories? Let us know in the comments below!

Product Review From a Non-Stylist: Sebastian Drench

Sebastian Drench shampoo 8.4oz: $13.96,  Sebastian Drench conditioner 8.4oz: $14.96  

My name is Jackie and I’m taking over Cassidy’s blog today to review one of the many
products offered at On Stage Salon.

When I received my very first product, I peered in to the box and was skeptical. I mean, how
much difference do your shampoo and conditioner really make, once your hair is clean, dry
and styled? But I agreed to take on the challenge of using Sebastian® Drench shampoo and
conditioner for a week and sharing my results.

I was warned by Cassidy to be conservative in my use since the products are concentrated, so,
since my hair is shoulder-length, I used about a nickel-sized dollop of each. My hair texture is
pretty average, sometimes on the dry side, so I was excited to see if Drench would help with the
dryness and frizziness. But one other aspect of this product interested me too. The Sebastian®
website claims Drench helps to add “body and bounce” to your hair. Hmm. We shall see.

I lathered up the shampoo like normal, but when it came to the conditioner, I flipped my head
over and just spread it through the ends, trying to avoid the roots. As with any moisturizing
conditioner, rubbing it into your roots can sometimes weigh your hair down or make it seem
greasy. I also rinsed it with my head flipped, just to make sure. Both shampoo and conditioner
rinse easily and cleanly.

At first I wasn’t sure I could tell a difference, but then, after doing my hair in the same fashion I often do, blow-drying it then curling it away from my face in big waves, finishing it with hairspray, I noticed that, indeed, my hair did seem to have more body. I find that sometimes using a really hot iron, either flat or curling, can make my hair flat as the day goes on, even with hairspray. But my hair held the volume all day at work.

I got more compliments on my hair than usual, one memorable comment coming from the
armored car driver who picks up the money from my store. He said my hair looked “prom-
ready…” I’m not quite sure how I feel about that, but I took it as a complement nonetheless
since prom up-dos are usually pretty pricy and I spent approximately 10 minutes on my hair that
morning. I attribute most of my hair’s recent celebrity to Drench.

Another plus worth mentioning is that my husband has now commented twice that he likes the
way it smells. That’s huge.

Overall, I think Sebastian® Drench shampoo and conditioner are totally worth every penny,
especially since using less of this concentrated product makes it last longer than your usual
drug store brands. I encourage everyone to stop in to On Stage and give Drench a go. I know
you’ll love it!


Have you tried Drench? What are your thoughts on the product?

How To Tuesday: Giving Yourself a Bang Trim

Google Images

So, today's tutorial is more of a cheat sheet rather than a full on tutorial. Here's why...

There are about a hundred different ways someone can have bangs. Side bangs. Full bangs. Choppy bangs. Straight bangs. So trying to tell you how to cut your specific set of bangs would be almost impossible. But, what I can do is give you a general guide to trimming those pretty puppies at home.

First of all, let me tell you that I don't suggest trimming your own bangs unless it is a dire situation. It can easily turn disastrous. But there are sometimes that you just can't get into the salon and it would be a danger to everyone on the roads if your bangs were too long for you to see.


That being said, here's what you need to know:

1. NEVER, never, ever pull your bangs up or out to trim them. This might help you see them better, but it won't make them look any better. 
2. Always trim your bangs dry. When they are wet they don't take the shape of how you wear them, so it makes cutting them more difficult. Which brings me to..
3. Trim them while they are in your normal style. If you wear them as full bangs, don't trim them if they are swept to the side.
4. Don't hold your scissors horizontally, instead cut at an angle.  
5. Start with small sections. You can always cut off more, but you can't put it back. 
6. It could help to split your bangs into sections, then bring each one down when you're finished with the last one. 
7. Also, keep you're eyes open. That helps. 

But like I said, bang trims are really something that you should leave to a professional. I've seen one too many accidents when it comes to DIY haircuts. So keep these guidelines handy for emergency situations only. 

What You Need to Know About Curly Hair and Haircuts

I feel like curly people dread getting their hair cut. I haven't conducted a random survey or experiment or anything, but whenever someone who has curly hair books an appointment, I almost inevitably get asked, "And they know how to cut curly hair right? Right?".

And curly hair people have a right to ask that, because curly hair is difficult to cut. This is something that anyone who's ever had a bad cut because their stylist didn't know how to cut curly hair knows.

So if you have curly hair and want to avoid a hair disaster here's what you need to know to tell your stylist. And don't worry about hurting your stylist feelings. Tell them what you want.

• Don't freak out if your stylist wants to cut your curly hair wet. This is actually a better method than dry cutting for you curly-headers. The stylist should be able to tell where the curl will lay while it's wet. 
• Ask for more of a square structure. Curly hair tends to already be round enough without the extra bulk with a round cut. 
• Sometimes, it isn't the stylist's fault when curly hair is out of control. If you're a curly-header, you need to know what products to use to keep your mane nice and tame. 
• If you have a finer texture hair, go for a mousse. But if your hair is more course and unruly, opt for a gel instead.  

Paul Mitchell Extra-Body Sculpting Foam 6.8oz, $9.50

Aveda Confixor, $17.00

• Use a diffuser while blow drying. Don't touch the curls with your hands, so that you're not disturbing your natural curl pattern. Then hands off during the day! Touching will only cause more frizz.

But really, you and your stylist need to communicate. You can tell your stylist want you want, but you also need to listen to what they are saying. Sometimes we want things that our hair just won't do. I know I do. coughpixiecutcough. It's a two-way street y'all. Not a one-way. 

Do you have curly hair and don't have a good stylist yet? Book an appointment with one of our expert stylists. See that little button above that says "appointment". Well just click on that my pretties. 

3 Simple Steps to Looking Younger

Looking younger. Isn't that what we all want? That is, unless you're 13 and a half, and that extra 6 months makes the world of a difference. But for the most part, we are all trying to feel 5 years younger and look 10 years younger.

Well, the lucky thing about it being 2011 is that science has been very progressive in this area of research. There are face lifts, breast lifts, and tummy tucks. But for the other 90% of the population, there are these 3 simple things.


1. A Good Hair Color


This is one of the easiest ways to make yourself look younger. Why? Because when your gray hair is showing, so is your age.

If you're like me, a girl in her 20s, and have gray hair, then a good hair color is a must. My "natural highlights", as I like to call them, are a menace to my otherwise perfectly brown hair. I can get away with going 6 or even 8 weeks without color, but if you're 50, 75, or 100% gray, then 3-4 weeks is your color time frame.

Don't know what percentage gray you are? Check out the handy chart below.

2. The Right Size Bra


Ladies, this is some serious business. Back in 2005, Wacoal, a bra company, discovered that 8 out of 10 women were wearing the wrong bra size. In case your math skills aren't what they used to be, that is 90 million women over the age of 18!

Even if you think you're wearing the right size bra, you might not be. So get fitted, and give your ladies the support they need.

3. Retinol


Now that summer is winding down and we are spending less time in the sun, it's time to break out the retinol.  Most people have at least heard of retinol, but if you haven't here's the rundown.

Retinol is another form of Vitamin A and essential to a lot of things in your body. But for our purposes retinol helps with skin regeneration and to build collagen, thus reducing the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles, and age spots.

The reason that retinol isn't good to use during the summer time is because it will cause increased light sensitivity, even if you're applying sunscreen. But not only that, slapping on some retinol and then laying out by the pool could actually have the opposite effect than desired and deepen your wrinkles. So applying retinol before you go to bed during the wintertime is the best time.

Here at On Stage, we recommend Skin Ceuticals Retinol 0.5 or Retinol 1.0.

Retinol 0.5, $54.00

Retinol 1.0, $59.00

Tell us your favorite age defying trick in the comments below!

Featherlocks: What Are They Exactly?

Feathers seem to be the newest craze in hair accessory fashion. Feathers, you ask? Yup, feathers. Interesting, right? But I can definitely see the reason why these have become an overnight sensation.

Featherlocks are in fact a feather hair extension. An actual feather that is dyed to one of the 40+ color selections and shipped out to the salons. The feather is then attached to the hair using a microbead that clamps into place. Simple really.

But the best part about these feathers, they cause zero damage to the hair. Starting to understand the appeal yet? Instead of bleaching my hair out then dying it a vibrant color, which could leave my hair dry and damage, all I have to do is clamp in a feather and voilà! Instant color! 


At first I wasn't so into the whole feather thing because, hey, they have to come from somewhere right? And I read too much into what animal activists groups say sometimes. But I'm here to tell you now, that while there are some feather extension companies that are not cruelty free, Featherlocks are cruelty free. I have personally verified this with a Featherlocks representative on the phone and on their website. Don't believe me? Check it out for yourself. No one likes animal cruelty, and here at On Stage we are proud to tell you that we remain cruelty free.


So come in and check out how a couple of simple feathers can transform your entire look. And only for the low, low price of $15 a feather. That is of course unless you want to feather out your hair with 5 feathers or more for only $10 a piece. 




Do you have Featherlock extensions? Tell us why you love them in the comments below.