The Ugly Side Of Beautiful Hair

Living fabulously affordably is one thing. Living cheaply is a whole other thing. I have recently become obsessed with the Matrix Sleek collection I just picked up at Trade Secret. The shampoo and conditioner were both $14.99 each. That's on the affordable end of salon hair care. After a few days of using it, I'm walking around Target and I see it sitting on the shelf! Along with Bed Head, Paul Mitchell, CHI, Biolage, and almost all other salon namebrands?! So now I'm thinking, WTH? I've been turning my nose up to Pantene and Suave and come to find out my salon shampoo is it's neighbor!?

So, I ask my boss, Amy,who has been a stylist and in the hair care business for many years,  what exactly is going on? Playing devils advocate I ask her why I would go out of my way to a salon, pay a little exta for something I can conviently get and pay for at Target? Well, my friends, here is the ansewer:

Turn that Paul Mitchell bottle around and it will tell you everything: "Guaranteed only when sold by a professional hairdresser, otherwise it may be counterfeit, old, or tampered with"


Every salon bottle you find at a store other than a professional's will have some kind of warning like this one on it. What happens is large companys sell their product to a individual sales representative. It is these representative's jobs to sale their product to professional salons. Sometimes these shady representatives have old or expired bottles and they will sell it to these chain stores to make a quick buck. Another thing they can do: take a cheap shampoo, give it a similer scent, and market it it the expensive salon bottle. Some of these shampoos are even known to have high bacteria levels in them. Now remember, this is only worse case scenario. You could go to the store and get a perfectly good bottle. You would also be taking money away from a locally owned salon and not have piece of mind. Is the few extra bucks really worth it? I'm going with NO.

PS: My reccomendations: Matrix Sleek Look Smoothing system.(middle) This does wonders for wavy hair.
Paul Mitchell: Super Skinny daily hair care line. a.maz.ing! (top)
Purology Clarifying sulfate free shampoo.(below) Peppermint scented: So good!

Glitter!

Clear off the cobwebs, I'm back! It's been a LOOONG time since I've written, but I am so excited! Spring is here! Well, it's almost here, but Spring collections and fashion trends have definitely arrived!
One thing I'm loving: Glitter!

I have not been able to get enough of the glitter heels that have been popping up everywhere! For a girl who loves neutrals paired with crazy accessories, believe me...they are a dream! So I begin my search for the perfect pair and my ecstasy is crushed my true reality: prices. $89, $95, $129, and, wait, is that for real? 600 DOLLARS!?!? Umm..no thanks. On to plan B.

When I worked in a tanning salon about a year ago, everyone was coming in with glitter pedicures. They were to die for. Me and a friend got the name of the girl who was doing them and we found out they cost $50! Since that was out of our range we came up with a DIY version. No one could tell the difference.

So I'm thinking: Why not apply the same mentality to shoes! Steps below:

You will need:
(1) cheap pair of heels (they can even be ugly-they're getting covered!)
(2) fabric glue or super glue ( one might work better depending on material of the shoe)
(3) fine grain glitter. (try not to have the flecks too big-the shoe will look cheap. My choice-Martha Stewart brand glitter (above) , available online or at Michel's. Amazing color assortment! I'm doing aqua-so cute!)
(4)optional- clear craft sealer

Step 1:
Make sure shoe is completly clean and dry

Step 2:
Apply a thin coat of fabric glue on a large part of the shoe. Don't do too large a space-the glue won't be as sticky!

Step 3:
Sprinkle glitter! Over paper of course. Dump all unused glitter back to reuse!

Repeat steps 1-3, till your whole shoe is covered! Depending on the original heel color you might want to cover it in glitter or leave it alone. If you feel the glitter is a little loose, spray a clear craft sealer. Wait at least 24 hours before wearing them out!

Don't have a big night planned soon? Glitterize your flip flops-soo cute! Perfect for day time!

Tip: Pick a sophisticated shaped shoe to avoid looking like a hooker. Also, pair them with a solid, flowing dress for day.(a la, Carrie Bradshaw)  For night, pair with a dress no more than 4-5 inches above the knee.