My trip at ABS 2010

What an amazing exciting experience America's Beauty Show was this year.  It was jam packed with tons of information from the student assembly to the

So you are in cosmetology or a recent graduate and are looking for inspiration. 

How does one become a celebrity hairdresser or esthetician.  hard work and dedication.  In the beginning you will work very hard for very little and

you have to pay your dues there are no short cuts in this industry.

Master your craft and doing so takes years and tens of thousands of hours.  set out to be your personal best, and do it.

One the Shoulders of Giants

Being a cosmetology student is one of the most amazing experiences a person can have, and my attndence at America's Beauty Show this past week reassured my decision to become apart of the best, most creative and naturally gifted industry in the world.   There is no business like the Real Beauty business, we hair skin and nail folks by nature are a creative  forward thinking and talented group of people.  

It's no wonder that we are one of the fastest growing industries.  Where else can you graduate school become a world renowned esthetician, hairdresser or manicurist, or if that route doesn't tickle your fancy, create, manufacture and distribute your very own beauty products?  Your possibilities are endless and this was evident by the diverse background of speakers,  demonstrations and assemblies that were held during ABS2010.

There were estheticians and hairdressers that were authors, members of the cosmetology organizations, radio show hosts, platform artist, and the list goes on.  As differnt as each person's story was they all shared a comon thread, and that is being passionate about your work, doing your personal best, and being transpernt in business. On Saturday there was a Salon Sustainablity workshop and we were given pointers on  how to effectively reduce our carbon footprint. Robert Nemeth pointed out that when we conserve or save energy it means more money in our pockets, and who couldn't use a few more dollars these days?

Ms. Tabatha Coffey, Mr. Scott Cole of Paul Mitchell, Mr. Luis Alvarez of Aquage, and Mr. Darico Jackson of Mizani really made lasting impressions.  Tabatha spoke on not being a beauty bully, because we have the power to make someone feel great about themselves.  She also said that hairdressers won't ever be outsourced, because we empower people lives every single day, and you should be proud of this. 

Scott Cole of Paul Mitchell said that there is a difference between being good and being great.  While he was speaking he held a pair of cutting shears in his hand, and said that with them he feels more confident.  That he himself never stops practicing and working at being his personal best, and he encouraged member of the audience to be their best as well.

Luis Alvarez said something that struck a nerve with the audience and that was that we should expect to work very hard for very little pay in the beginning and then after we have developed our skills we will work very little for much pay. Darico Jackson said that the torch will be passed to the next generation of hair dressers, but mastery of their craft is a prerequisite.

Everyone wants to know, how do I become a celebrity estheticians or hairdresser or truly be successful in my cosmetology career? The answers are pretty simple: Work hard, continue your education, be willing to make sacrifices to advance your career and set goals for yourself.  "The people that are successful, they do the little things that the unsuccessful won't". -Scott Cole

I've heard alot about people being transparent in their business. This was evident from the student assembly to the trade show floor, and everywhere in between. Celebrity Hairdresser Mr. Darico Jackson said that the torch was being passed to the next generation of technicians graduating from cosmetology school.

  Ms. Tabatha

I met Mrs. Trisha Helmer owner of My Hair Place in Derby Kansas during lunch one afternoon.

What the beauty show meant to me. Bright lights, music blaring, heart pounding this is typically the stuff that rock star dream are made of, but not on this occasion.  This was America's Beauty Show 2010, and what a show it was.  

Online Scheduling Done Right!

I have been using Schedulicity for the past 3 months and well yeah we are in love. I mean it was just right, one of those this is meant to be kinda deals. Schedulicity has totally made it easy for clients to do business with me, and that is sweet sensation (and more bucks in my purse).

Clients love it, because they can book an appointment when it works for them and I love it because it saves me that . I am not some online scheduling virgin I've tried other companies and actually used one for over a year before I dumped that Zero and got with my Hero (Schedulicity). Literally that clients hated it, and I hated it for them. After all what I do is for them...So when they are not happy I can't be happy.

In the beginning I was not feeling the fact that they didn't participate in nailing the No-Showers to the wall with a full charge for a missed session.

I was like Yeah, No there no way this could possibly work.
As an esthetician I recognize that time is money, and No-Shows pretty much suck.

To protect myself I enforced the Big Bad I'll Charge Your freaking Credit Card If You Miss your appointment policy.

The Risky Business of Body Waxing

You've finished your training, passed your boards with flying colors, and now you are ready to take on the world. Bright-eyed and bushy-tailed you have put together a resume and cover letter that gets results. You're hired! Those words are music to your ears, and they have given you the confidence boost that you need in order to live your dreams of waxing, facials, cuts, color, or round brushing. You can't wait to tell all of those that have loved and supported you throughout your beauty school journey.

On The Job Training

It's Monday and you are in your treatment room or at your station, and Mrs. Smyth walks in unexpected and needs a facial wax. She is headed out of town for business tomorrow. You are the only one available, and the receptionist books her with you. Yay! This is your first official client. Your career is off to a great start. You go through your mental checklist.

Wax Melted√

Strips√

Applicators√

Gloves√

Client form completely filled out√

In the midst of you servicing your first client on your first day, the owner walks over and says "Take good care of Mrs. Smyth. She's a regular. Oh, and by the way, we use one applicator per client." You hesitantly comply with her wishes; after all, she is the owner, and you don't want to make any waves on your first day.

The receptionist tells you before handing you your only tip (Mrs. Smyth's) that the owner would like to speak to you. The walk to the back office is one of the longest walks you'll ever take. You get there and nervously sit down, and ask "Is there anything wrong?" She says "Yes, there is. Mrs. Smyth complained about how long it took you to wax her and that your gloves kept sticking to her face, and I noticed that you used too many supplies for that one service."

Don't Rock the Boat Baby

You are at the pinnacle of your career, you work in a posh Midwest salon, and the potential for growth is endless. There is just one problem - they are unsanitary, I mean DISGUSTING. They break every rule on sanitation. They double dip during waxing, don't wear gloves, their wax pots are a health code violation, and you, the germaphobe, are forced to go along with their unsanitary practices. After all, your job is on the line. In your heart, you know that double dipping and not wearing gloves while waxing is risky business, but you need your job. So you grin and bear it.

Making Waves

Sanitation during body waxing is a very touchy subject and has been known to spark the most heated debates among spa and salon professionals - so much so that people are afraid of losing their jobs if they speak out. If sanitation is a huge issue to you and you are unwilling to compromise:

o Put it in writing. Use your resume and cover letter, as well as your application, to state your intentions up front.
o Be willing to take a stand or walk. If you are serious about sanitation and the risks associated with double dipping and not wearing gloves while waxing, don't compromise your standards.
o Be on the lookout. There are spas and salons that exist that practice safe sanitation. Keep going until you find the right one.
o Ask and you shall receive. During any routine interview, the interviewer will ask the "if you have any questions." This is your chance to ask about their sanitation practices.
o Call in reinforcement. You've been gainfully employed; and besides the waxing violations, things are perfect. Before you approach management concerning their sanitation fiasco, do your research. Find others that share your viewpoint in a respectful manner.
o Put yourself in their shoes. This may be very embarrassing for them. Take their feelings into consideration and assure them that it's in the spa's best interest to provide the safest services to your clients.

The benefits of body waxing are endless. As we are in peak season for waxing and sun.  Please put your clients' health first.

A Flawless Canvas

To deny that great makeup looks better on beautiful skin would be nothing short of insane. In our western culture, we are negligent when it comes to our skin. In her book The Color Of Beauty, Iman said that she was taught that the skin you take care of  in your teens and 20s is the skin you inherit in your 30s, 40s, and beyond.

When I read that statement, it struck a nerve. I remembered a conversation that I had with my Aunt Sheila (my dad's sister) back in 1999 when we were roomies down in Georgia. I'd gone in her room to say good night, and there she was standing in her bathroom with a white mask on her face.

That moment opened up a ritual of weekly masks and girl bonding. We would wash our faces and put on our masks and talk. Now my aunt Sheila has the most beautiful skin I have ever seen on an individual. Her complexion is perfect, but so is her skin care routine.

Every night she cleanses her face. "I don't care what time of the night it is. I never wear makeup to bed." She learned that from her mother. She will occasionally use a toner if she feels oily and uses plenty of moisturizer and avoids her oily zones.

Now her excellent skin care habits totally rubbed off on me and played a part in my decision to add esthetician to my makeup artist resume. Flash forward to 2009 and here I am makeup artist/esthetician with my own blog about skin care and beauty.  Talk about family values.  

The Case of the Streaky Tan

I loved to watch willy wonka's chocolate factory growing up.  The oompa loompas were my absolute favorites.  They were awesome with their perfect timing and song and dance all while working in an the most amazing place on earth.

I have always held a special place in my heart for the oompa loompas, but ironically about 12 years ago I saw my first oompa loompa in person and she wasn't as cute as I'd remember them in the movie.  She was actually very tall, pleasant and resembled someone the I'd worked with the night before.

1997 I was working at Victoria's Secret in Westland mall and they just launched a self tanning line, and we were given some to try.   My co-worker went home and came back the next day a full on oompa loompa.  I was horrified for her because that orange is just not natural unless of course you are from Loompaland, which she was not.

This is pre-beauty school I had no suggestion on how to help her and took a good number of days for it to wear off.  If you are ever caught with the bad self tanner here is what you can do.

The most obvious for many reasons is prevention

• Shower and use a body scrub before applying self tanner and avoid moisturizers with mineral oil.  Mineral oil will leave a coating on the skin and the color won't deposit evenly.
• Choose a brown self tanner over an orange or yellow one...the browner the better.
• If the damage has already been done then reversing it is necessary. Cut a lemon in halfor use lemon juice on a cotton ball to and rub on the area where you want to remove the sunless tanner.
• If it is on your face you can try makeup remover, alcohol free toner or baking soda.
• If it's on your body you can use a sugar scrub or try soaking it off in 1 cup baking soda 1 cup of hydrogen peroxide tub full of water and mix...then sugar scrub and shower when it is all said and done moisturize moisturize moisturize. 
  
  Depending on the product, your skin and your luck it could take anywhere between 2-10 days for the tan to fad away. 

Tan towel makes an awesome product that doesn't leave you streaky.

Stuckey's Got It Going On...

ok so as usual i was watching a pistons game; and yes girly girls do watch basketball my home is pistons country, anywho i got this brilliant idea after seeing rodney (50 cent look-a-like) stuckey shooting a pair at the line, that's basketball lingo for free throws. his unders were very well man-a-cured.  

that's it a brazilian wax for your pits fellas. stuckey had this landing strip kinda thing going on. as a waxologist i was very fascinated with his well groomed pits. nothing makes a girl toss her cookies faster than a full on pit-bush at the free throw line. 

hey nba, since you are in the mood to shake things up and add penalties,fines,fewer technicals and the like please keep the fans in mind and implement a under-pit grooming rule. thanks stuckey for starting this new trend. rock on rodney ms. esthy loves you.

8 STEPS TO THE PERFECT SHAVE

1. CLEANSE YOUR CANVAS
After a good old fashioned hand washing; start thoroughly cleansing your face and neck with tepid water and a cleanser specifically for your skin type (ex. hydrating cleanser for dry skin). In my opinion you should not use bar soaps, because they have a tendency to strip your skin of its essential oils. Cleansing is the first step in any good skin care routine. Steaming or shaving before you cleanse your face is never an option, you can trap dirty harmful little microorganisms in your freshly opened pores, and this can lead to breakouts. "I am well aware of the fact that i am challenging a tradition as old as the hills, but they (the hills) are wrong the first step in shaving is cleansing the skin this is esthetics 101". You are now ready for step two.

2. STEAM YOUR FACE
You can do this by using a hot towel or while taking a hot shower. When you shower make sure the water is hot enough to cause vapor in the bathroom and on the mirror. Steaming the face causes the pores to open up releasing what lies beneath, a whisker or two. With your whiskers now in position you can move on to step three.


3. USE A PRE-SHAVE OIL
Pre-shave oil helps to lubricate your skin and it prevents nicking, cutting, and irritation. When choosing an oil make sure that is non-comedogenic (doesn't block pores). A dime-sized amount in the palm of your hand is all that is needed, dime sized not enough, silver dollar sized amount should do the trick on a slightly larger face. You will want to massage it thoroughly into your beard, this helps to soften your whiskers and it also keeps the razor gliding across your skin, remember we love it when a razor glides. Please don't overly concern your self with the fact that your face now has a sudden semi-gloss, you are now ready for step four.

4. SHAVING CREAM
Using a wet badger brush whip your shaving cream into a lather. Brushing encourages the hairs on your face to stand at attention, and that is what we want. Spread the whipped shaving cream using your badger brush over your well oiled face. F.Y.I. I do not like it when you use super foamy things like canned shaving creams and soaps, they make it nearly impossible for the razor to get close enough to your skin. I prefer it when you use the good stuff, a shaving cream that produces just enough lather for your razor and skin to get up close and p-e-r-s-o-n-a-l, you can proceed to step five.

5. THE TRIAL RUN
Your razor should always without exception or hesitation be used in the direction that your hair grows. This is called shaving with the grain. Shaving in this direction helps prevent ingrown hairs by lifting the whiskers from your pores. You can start shaving at the sideburn of your choice and work your way downward paying careful attention to the direction in which your hair grows. Be sure to save your neck for last, this gives the shaving cream and oil a little extra time to soften the cuticle of the whiskers on your neck, since the skin on your neck is thinner than the skin on your face. Make sure you always use long even strokes, shaving with the grain,and be sure to rinse your razor blade often. Proceed to step six.

6. THE SECOND TIME AROUND

repeat steps four and five. Proceed to step seven


7. RINSE CYCLE
After you have finished shaving, you want wash away any left over shave oil or cream, and close your pores, you can do this by repeatedly splashing your face with cold water. Then you want to pat dry (not wipe) your face using a towel. Remember you wipe your nose, and pat dry your face. Proceed to step eight

8. AFTER-SHAVE CARE
Now it is time to show your skin some love after you just traumatized (shaving is skin trauma) it by using a soothing balm, after shave moisturizer, or a toner depending on your skin type, and lightly pat on the product until it is absorbed into your skin. Finish by properly cleaning and storing your shaving utensils. You are now ready to proceed to your nearest talent agency, with a shave this close you are bound to be cast as the next Gillette model.

image credit: dhammza

POSTED BY MS. ESTHETICIAN AT 9:00 PM 0 COMMENTS 

Life After Waxing

Epilar® System is a simple way to reduce unwanted hair semi-permanently (no method of hair removal is permanent). It is less expensive than electrolysis and laser. The Epilar® System works quickly and painlessly and can be used on all skin types and hair of any color.

The system contains two patent pending gels that are massaged into the skin immediately after waxing by your esthetician. It works on the hair follicles that are left empty after the waxing, specifically on hairs that are active and in the anagen phase (the growth phase). The two gels are applied one after the other to the skin by a licensed esthetician in a spa. 

Most users of the Epilar® System notice that the re-growth time has doubled, and the number of hairs has been reduced at least 20% by each treatment. For the best results, 8-12 treatments are recommended depending on the area of the body treated.

The procedure will also reduce pain in connection with waxing, increasing the intervals for depilation and leaves skin smooth and soft in between wax sessions.

image credit: epilar systems

Some Guys Bare It All

The male brazilian has gone mainstream. Men from all over the world are enjoying the liberation that has been enjoyed by "hairfree" women for so long.  

Look before you leap: Here are a few things to consider when choosing an esthetician to do your waxing.

1. Do they practice the no double dipping method?
2. Do they reuse (recycle) their wax?
3. Do they wear gloves?
4. Do they care for your skin before and after waxing?
5. Do they educate you on proper care of your newly waxed skin?

These are a few of many things to think about when it comes to waxing. If the person you are considering does not meet "all" of these very basic guidelines then please reconsider. An educated client is a healthy client. ¡Happy Waxing!

image credit: google

Minimized Pores Coming Right Up...

You can't shrink your pores, but refining their appearance is possible. Products such as Clinique contain silicone and optical diffusers, preventing shine by absorbing the sebum produced by the skin, and using optical diffusers to reflect light softening the appearance of flaws and blemishes.

image credit: CLINIQUE