OC Beauty: Sassoon Salon in Costa Mesa CA

Sassoon. Is there any name more associated with hair? We lost Vidal Sassoon this year, but after my visit to the Sassoon Salon in Costa Mesa, I know first-hand that his impact on the hair industry will never fade. The salon itself is a reflection of what you can expect your hair to be – chic, modern, tasteful, yet edgy.

I had the pleasure of having my hair cut and colored by the expert staff at Sassoon. Adriana Harrison, Color Director of the salon, was the one who would create my new color. Adriana is good. I brought in a photo of Kate Beckinsale’s hair and explained that I loved that it was definitely dark brown, but warm with dimension and still highlighted. That’s exactly what I got. Dark brown that still shimmers with some very subtle, pretty highlights. I *love* it. When it was time to wash out the color, I got one of THE greatest shampoos ever by David. I wanted to take him home with me and have him wash my hair every time. Best scalp massage ever. He also did a treatment on my hair – the Kerastase Pixeliste treatment. This magical treatment gives your hair WICKED shine. My hair was freaking glossy. 

After the magical color and divine shampoo experience, it was time for cutting! Tani Cole, Creative Director of Sassoon South Coast Plaza did my cut. I wanted something very easy to wear – side bangs and layers – that would look good both straight and wavy/curled. I love my cut. It’s again exactly what I wanted.

My favorite thing about my experience was Tani and Adriana’s attention to detail. Both my cut and color are extremely versatile. Since my highlights are subtle, it allows me flexibility– I don’t have to rush to the salon as soon as a little bit of root comes in. The placement of the highlights is such that I can part my hair down the middle or on the side and it doesn’t look uneven. And I was really impressed with Tani’s precision cutting. Even though I wanted a style I could wear wavy or curly, she and I talked about her flat ironing it out for me so that I could see the evenness. I told her I’d had styles in the past where I couldn’t tell until I straightened it but they were uneven and a mess, so I was glad she took the time to do that for me. And her cut is perfection! No weird lines or uneven layers to be found.

Overall I’m completely thrilled with my Sassoon experience! I would go back in a heartbeat and actually really look forward to it because everyone there is so nice and really take the time to listen to what the customer wants.


July 2011 Favorites

So, it’s August. August rocks. Even though I hate the heat (I’ve been basically sweating for three months straight – TMI maybe? I’m miserable, people!). August rocks because it’s my birthday month. Duh. ;) But here’s what I was digging this past month. This month I was kinda all about hair. Being that I’m in a constant state of being super hot and sweaty and gross (this is a beauty blog, I swear) I have concentrated on my HAIR because makeup just sweats right off. In that vein, my favorites are more hair-centric. 
I have been just loving Sojourn’s Thermal Protection Straightener ($24) lately. Since my hair is fine, somewhat dry, and color treated, I try to take extra good care of it when it comes to thermal protection. I’ve been straightening my hair a lot more lately since I got it highlighted. For the first time, I really feel an improvement in my hair from using a heat protector. And it smells like coconuts! Bonus! Sojourn products can be purchased from their website, or from one of their authorized salons.
I also have a continuing love affair with Not Your Mother’s Beach Babe Texturizing Sea Salt Spray ($5.99 @ Ulta). I think I have mentioned this in a favorites post before, but it’s worth mentioning again because it’s 1) inexpensive 2) smells nice 3) gives me fantastically beachy hair. I’ve been thinking of doing a tutorial on how I do beachy hair. What say you?
Oh yes, highlights. I got them. Which brings me to a new love I want to share with all of you So-Cal readers: Images Salon in Corona del Mar. I was invited in to Images to experience Redken products (believe it or not, I never had!) and had my hair done by the fabulous and lovely Paige Cavender. I’m in-freaking-love with my hair and it’s all thanks to her! I let her have almost carte blanche with the color, and I’m thrilled. If you’re in So-Cal, definitely give her a try and let her know you read about her here, yeah? She’s so sweet (and talented!).
No makeup, chapped lips, and recovering from oral surgery, but still feeling gorgeous with my awesome new hair… ;)

Not everything I was crazy about in July was a hair product (almost!). I am also super in love with the Essie Resort Collection this year. Check out Scrangie’s swatches since I’m a failblogger and don’t have any of my own at this time (too busy frantically swatching Essie Brazilliant and Zoya Smoke & Mirrors). I got this little mini cube of gorgeousness very inexpensively on Amazon and I love all four colors so so much. Bonus: the green color (Da Bush – stupid name) is a dead-on dupe (with a better formula) of OPI Stranger Tides – see what I mean?

Samples from Essie and Sojourn Beauty provided for editorial consideration.

Hair Feathers: My Experience

I get bored with my hair you know? I am growing it out, but so my usual “chop it all off” solution to hair boredom isn’t going to fly. I got a couple colored extensions last year that I loved, so when I was contacted by Nova Vita Salon & Spa to try out feather extensions, I jumped at the chance.  My stylist, Alicia, was so much fun! I told her a bit about my lifestyle and what sort of look I was going for, and she helped me pick colors and placement of my feathers.

I thought the easiest way to do this post would be to do Q&A! If one of your questions doesn’t get answered, just ask below in the comments. :)

Q: What are they made of?
They are rooster feathers – all real feathers. Obviously the colored ones have been dyed. Most of the biggest brands are naturally sourced, cruelty-free feathers including Bling Stands, one of the industry leaders for this trend.

Q: How do they attach?
They are attached with a little silicone bead that clips the feather to the hair. It takes just minutes to put each one on and there’s nothing to it. If you’ve ever had keratin bonds, you know they um, kinda smell gross. Nothing to smell here! And the little beads are pretty undetectable unless you’re running your fingers through your hair feeling for them. If you have fine hair like I do, your stylist just has to make sure to place the feathers correctly so they’ll be covered at the root where the bead is.

Q: How much do they cost?
This varies a lot, especially since these feathers come from, well, birds and it takes a rooster 2-3 years to grow the pretty feathers. There is a pretty high demand right now due to this trend, so prices are changing often. You’ll have to call your local salon to find out if they offer hair feathers, and how much they charge. There are also many websites where you can get DIY kits if you’re feeling adventurous. Nova Vita charges $30 for the stylist’s time, and $10 per feather. So if you got 3 feathers put in, you’d pay $30 + (3 x $10) = $60. Ew, math.

Q: Do I have to do anything special to take care of them?
No! That’s the best part. You can just wash and style your hair as usual. Alicia warned to be a little careful when conditioning, as too much conditioner can kinda make them look “bleh”, but other than that, I didn’t change anything.

Q: Can you style them?
Yes! You can blow dry, flat iron, or curl the feathers. I blow dried and flat ironed mine several times. The only thing you can’t do with the feathers in is any kind of chemical processing (coloring, straightening, etc.) but you can take them out, do your thing, and then put them back in.

Q: How long do they last?
This varies depending on what you do with your hair, your hair type, etc. They can last anywhere from 6 weeks, to I’ve even heard 6 months. If you need to take them out, you can even re-use the feathers. You’d just need new crimping beads to put them back in.

And now…pictures! (Can be clicked to view full size.)

I ended up keeping mine in for WELL over a month. I took them out, but I saved them. I’m actually thinking of getting one of the DIY kits, I love them so much.
As for Nova Vita, I also really enjoyed my experience there. Everyone was so nice! The salon was clean, and I’ve already made an appointment to go back for my next cut. If you’re in Orange County, you should check them out. Their prices are very reasonable, and they’re in a pretty central location (Tustin). You can also follow them on Twitter – @NovaVitaSpaOC. If you go, let them know you heard about them here. :) I don’t get anything from that by the way, I just thought they’d like to know, lol.
Services described in this post were provided free of charge.

Gloss Menagerie Launches OC Beauty Blog

The Gloss Menagerie has a new baby sister! Introducing a new feature that I was going to save for 2011: OC Beauty. This is the new project I mentioned on Twitter! It’s still pretty bare bones at the moment, but my intention is for it to eventually be the ultimate guide to all things beauty-related in Orange County, CA. My goal here is highlight and feature beauty-related small business owners and professionals in Orange County, but also to unite the beauty junkie culture of my area. Orange County is one of the most image-conscious places on earth, so I just know fellow beauty junkies are out there!

If you’re in or around Orange County and own your own beauty-related business, or are a beauty industry professional (makeup artist, stylist, etc.) and want to be featured on the blog, OR you would like to contribute by reviewing such a location in OC for OC Beauty, please get in touch with me at ocbeautyeditor@gmail.com :) I can’t wait to hear from you! If you have any feedback about the new blog, I’d really like to hear that too. This project has been a long time in the making, but is still in its infancy and I’m very open to your input!

My Splitends Makeover – Pt 1

 

Did any of you participate in this week’s Hawt on Yelp event in OC? Or in your own area? I did! I visited Splitends Salon in Costa Mesa, CA and sat down with the lovely Gina Forestieri for a new ‘do. You can read all about how awesome Gina and the rest of the crew at Splitends are on Yelp. Splitends is one of the most popular salons in OC, and for good reason.

The atmosphere is one of a kind. The salon itself is a little building that looks like a box! Isn’t it cute? It’s kind of tucked away on a side street and a little hard to find, especially in the dark, but with my trusty Garmin helping me along, I managed to find it. The inside is stark white and red, very mod and very cool. It’s small, but cozy and clean. The stylists are all super nice and friendly. Getting my hair done felt like I was just hanging out with the girls, shooting the breeze, talking about everything from our school days to shocking revelations in the modeling industry. Oh, but I was also getting a totally awesome haircut.

I think Gina might be short for genius, because this fast-talking babe really knows how to cut hair. I came in with a…well, sort of bob I guess, which sat around my shoulders. Except it was very uneven in the back and bluntly cut. It wasn’t that noticable until I flat ironed it, which is when the oddities in the back began to show. Gina gave me such a cute cut. It’s the shortest I’ve ever had my hair at a little below my ears, but I am not scared of short hair. In fact, I love it. My short hair sits close to my neck, almost like a 40’s style cloche hat. I also have bangs again! Fantastic fringey bangs. Love it. The cut totally changes my whole look and makes me feel sassy and confident. Gina is great. She’s so fast, too! My bad hair cut took well over an hour. The good one took 45 minutes from start to finish including shampoo and styling!

I would absolutely recommend Gina and Splitends to anyone in So-Cal looking for a great salon and stylist. I can’t wait to head back for my first free bang trim (bang trims are free for everyone!).

Stay tuned for part 2 of my Splitends experience, including PICTURES of my new hair!