Moving On

After 12 years on this journey, we have decided not to renew our lease, and Salon A will be closing at the end of 2016.  Our staff will continue to work in the Bethesda area, so if you need the new contact information for anyone, please email salonabethesda@gmail.com.

Thank you for the loyalty and support over the years.  We are grateful to the Bethesda community for contributing to our success, as well as hanging in there during some challenging times.  We have enjoyed our home on Wisconsin Avenue, but now look forward to great things for everyone in the year ahead. 

On The Bright Side

I shed a tear this morning over the realization that my beloved/all-time favorite/after 20 years I finally found the perfect one lipstick had been discontinued.  After running between multiple stores at the mall last night, wondering why they were all out of stock, I went online this morning to purchase it.  Ten tabs later, as I continued to refresh the browser in a state of disbelief, it slowly sunk in.  The lipstick itself wasn't discontinued, just my shade, which I have to admit I took as a personal affront.  So now the search begins for a new lipstick.

It's happened to all of us.  That perfect product that never lets us down is suddenly gone.  When I found out that Rene Furterer was reformulating the popular Fioravanti Shine line, I was very concerned.  People love that line, the Clarify & Shine Rinse in particular.  How was I going to break the news to our clients when they reach toward that empty space on the shelf, and then turn to me with a panicked expression?  How do I explain that it's gone, but I don't know why?

And, so, when the line was reintroduced recently as Lumicia Illuminating Shine hair care, I was skeptical.  The bottle was pink instead of green.  The scent was different - nice, but different.  Unsure, I hesitated to write about it.  I decided to wait until I had feedback from stylists and clients.

Well, it turns out that people like it.  They like it very much.  The Fioravanti complex of 14 plant extracts is still included in the line, as is the Acerola cherry vinegar.  But Lumicia also features vitamin B5 plus anti-static cationic conditioners, making it more moisturizing than the previous version and great for everyday use.  With a shampoo, conditioner, and a shine rinse that now comes in a spray bottle to allow for easier application, Lumicia can be used to preserve color and remove build-up.

After using it myself, I have to agree that it's a great line.  My hair feels healthy and soft, and has so much shine.  Which is exactly what I need to see as I look at myself in the mirror all afternoon at Sephora, trying on every tube of lipstick.

Go With The Flow

You had to know it was coming.  To every yin there is a yang.  To every straight there is a curly.  After the smoothing treatment craze, we now have an embrace of texture.  Ann and I recently attended the Arrojo Exposé Tour at the Baltimore Museum of Art, which featured an edgy and effortless collection of wave, curl, and movement that was perfectly imperfect.  The looks were modern, yet full of references to 1970s and 1990s cool girls.

This month, René Furterer introduced a new product line, Karinga, for textured hair. Featuring Karite Shea Butter from Burkina Faso, Maringa Extract from Madagascar, and Argan Oil from Morocco, Karinga provides intensive hydration at a higher concentration than the Karite line.

In keeping with their commitment to responsible sourcing, René Furterer works with accountable supply chains in each of these countries to assist local producers with social and environmental development projects.  So, Karinga is beneficial in many respects.

But back to your hair.  What I love about the textured look is the attitude.  So you may have some frizz, or a hair (or two or twenty) out of place.  Embrace it or else don't worry about it.  Think about it - if it's intentionally messy, you don't have to worry about it being messy.  It's one less thing to stress over.  When I turn on the news in the morning, between this crazy election, TSA security lines, wacky weather issues, and who will take over as Kelly Ripa's new co-host, I just don't have the energy left to deal with perfect hair.  Working with my natural texture is so much easier.

The nice thing about the textured look is that it's versatile.  So if messy hair is frowned upon at your job, try just a bit of movement.  Let it air dry a little in the morning while you enjoy your coffee.  Or stop drying it a few minutes early and take a minute to meditate instead.  Then add a little styling product to enhance the texture to your liking.  That's it.  You may be overwhelmed with texts, but there's nothing overwhelming about texture.

The Haircut

I did it again. The magazine arrived, and there on the cover was the headline: "The new haircut that's all the buzz!" I immediately started flipping through the first three dozen pages of glossy ads.  Being a March issue, this one was pretty thick, the kind where you have to get to page 75 before you find the table of contents.  And, of course, the table of contents was spread out over 5 pages, with more glossy ads interspersed.  Beauty....Trends...Fashion?  Where was the article about the new haircut?  I didn't see it, so I slowed down and started reading through the entire issue.  About two-thirds of the way in, I came across a small, boxed one-paragraph feature at the bottom of a page.  It was about models who are shaving their heads.  Hmmm, interesting, I thought as I continued on to the next page.  When I got to the fashion editorial spread towards the back, I recognized that this was the end of the articles.  Where was the hot new haircut article?  I turned back to the cover.  "The new haircut that's all the buzz"...."all the buzz".  Wait, are they talking about those models shaving their heads?  Buzz cuts?

And that's when I realized that I fell into the trap again.  Magazines come in every month with these teasers on the cover.  And so many times, they are just referencing a small blurb inside.  I mean, one paragraph about five models who have shaved their heads?  Does that qualify as the new haircut?

In our business, of course I want to know what the latest trends are.  And, in fact, we have a few clients who have shaved parts of their head - one side or underneath.  It looks edgy and cool, and it perfectly suits those clients.  But it is not the haircut for all clients.  For a while, the new haircut was long-tressed celebrities chopping off their hair into bobs.  The next season, long-bobs, aka "lobs", was the haircut (or, simply, grown out bobs). Now, it's the choppy lob, or, as Ann pointed out, "Choppy lob? It's a shag cut!"

Why are we always looking for the new haircut, and constantly flipping through these magazines?  I guess it's because, well, hair grows.  And as long as we need a haircut, why not get the haircut?  Although, I may sit out the buzz cut this season.  Maybe a long-layered choppy lob instead.

Playing Favorites

At the risk of sounding like a Scrooge, I generally pass on the holiday gift sets that our hair care lines offer each year.  While they are always beautiful kits that I would love to have for myself, our experience has been that clients tend to be averse to buying hair care as gifts.  Aside from mothers buying these gifts for their daughters, the feedback I get is that people find it too personal of a purchase, as if you are implying something about a person's hygiene by buying them shampoo.  I get it, and so I no longer stock up on gift sets.

But this holiday season, a new product has been introduced by Rene Furterer that has PERFECT HOLIDAY GIFT written all over it.  (Not literally.  Although, my French isn't that great, so it could actually say that on the bottle.)

5 Sens enhancing dry oil for hair and body is a blend of safflower oil, sweet almond oil, avocado oil, castor oil, and jojoba oil.  It can be applied to both hair and body, leaving a satin, dry finish.  With a fragrant blend of bergamot, jasmine, lilac, spices, vanilla, patchouli, cedar wood, amber, and musk that is perfectly suited to fall and winter, and a beautiful bottle that could be a gift in itself, what more can I tell you?  How about......it's one of Oprah's favorite things!  (I should have just lead with that, huh?)

You know, even if Oprah can't convince you to try out the 5 Sens, I have a suggestion for you.  We carry a number of luxurious hair treatments that are on the pricier side.  I see clients hesitate sometimes, unsure if they should splurge on something for themselves.  Again, I get it.  If you are looking for a gift for a Salon A client, ask me what they've paused over.  I am happy to direct you to a few of their favorite things.  

Not Your Mama's Hair Spray

This month, three new styling & finishing products have arrived at Salon A.  As I was testing them out on my hair, I couldn't help but think back to the 1980s when, at the risk of exposing my age, I had perfected the art of shellacking my bangs to hold the teased sky-high look throughout third period gym class and beyond.  Of course, disappearing into a fog of hairspray was merely in keeping with a habit going back to the days of the Priscilla Presley bouffant 'dos, where hairspray was...king.

Oh, how we have evolved, and in this case for the better.  Rene Furterer has added two new products to its Vegetal Styling Collection, a Strong Hold Finishing Spray and a Texture Spray.  Arrojo has introduced Fierce Firm Hold Hair Spray.  Each of these products provide hold, but more importantly, they provide movement.  The biggest problem with strong hold sprays in the past (and quite frankly, still exists in many products out there) is that they leave the hair stiff, sticky, or even flaky once brushed out.  But these new styling products from Rene Furterer and Arrojo will hold your style through a long day of work, an evening of dancing, or even third period gym class, all while maintaining the health and hydration of your hair.

The key ingredient in the Rene Furterer Vegetal collection is an anti-dehydration complex consisting of Cakile extract, a Mediterranean plant that holds hydration even with a lack of water, and vitamin B5. The key ingredients in the Arrojo Fierce Spray are panthenol to retain moisture, copolymers to maintain hold, and silicone to create softness and eliminate stickiness.  Best of all, these products all have pleasant scents, Rene having citrus and floral notes while Arrojo has guava and lily.

“Fierce is perfectly timed for the surge in eighties inspiration we’re seeing in the salon and on the street. It’s helping us modernize those iconic styles with natural texture and softer, more touchable finishes –– but still with all that glamorous gloss and shine.”  Nick Arrojo, owner and founder of ARROJO

If you look at any red carpet or runway, it's clear that the trends all include hair with movement.  This was particularly clear to me when a few of the hairstyles at the Emmys (I won't name any names) were so stiff that they sadly stood out as a reminder of how far we've come from those days.  If you, like me, emerged from the eighties vowing that as God as your witness you would never use Aquanet again, then you'll totally appreciate these new styling products.  They're like the promise of New Coke with the taste of Classic Coke.  It's like they taste great, but with less filling.  The bottom line is that they rad.

In The Summertime

Remember when the temperature was frigid, and we were complaining about shoveling all that snow, and wishing it was summer already?  And now summer has just arrived, and we are already struggling with the heat and humidity.  Fortunately, Rene Furterer recently introduced a new line of sun care products to keep your hair looking as cool as a beach volleyball player, and with UV sun protection to prevent you from looking like you've been stranded on an island with your volleyball.

The Solaire line of sun care has two pre-sun exposure products.  The Protective Summer Oil has a wet finish, which is perfect for beach or pool time.  The Protective Summer Fluid has a dry finish, for everyday use, tee times, summer concerts, or lunch al fresco.  Both products contain UV filters and sesame oil, and are water resistant. The Protective Summer Fluid is especially recommended for color treated hair to protect color wash out.

The post-sun exposure products include the Nourishing Repair Shampoo and Intense Nourishing Mask, which work to counteract the effects of UV rays, salt, and chlorine, and to rebuild the structure of the hair's keratin.  The Moisturizing After Sun Spray is a great detangling spray which can also be used year round.

Whether you're stuck in the city all summer, hanging out by the pool, or a little of both, don't feel like you have to accept dried out, limp, or over-chlorinated summer hair.  Find your inner beach volleyball player with the right arsenal of hair care products.