Thursday, June 20, 2013

Brassy Hair - Brunette and Blond Enemy #1! How to keep the red out.



It's a classic argument over whether blondes or brunettes have more fun. Studies might show brunettes are taken more seriously, and gentlemen may indeed prefer blondes, but one thing's for sure no matter what your hair color, when summer comes we all fight brassiness. It is widely agreed that ORANGE is not a color anyone is happy to see hit their strands at the beach. I have been asked about this subject and how to get rid of red tint in hair many times so I thought I would give you some tips on fighting back!


Coloring you hair is really just a process of depositing colors on to the cuticle of your hair. Your color is a combination of red, yellow and blue in exactly the right mixture.

But even when you find the IT color combination for your hair type, the challenge is preventing the brassy side effect that happens over time because of oxidation. The blue molecules tend to leave first, leaving you with red and yellow, which we all know from elementary school make orange, BINGO!

The biggest hint to solving this issue again comes to us by viewing  the color wheel and seeing that the opposite of orange is blue. It is precisely those violet pigments that can shut down the brassy-orange shade in your hair that you've been obsessing about. This is why those DIY recipes of using grape Koolaid powder actually work when you mix it with your shampoo, but there are so many better options than Koolaid which could leave you with a bigger problem if things go wrong. Shampoos and conditioners that  are specifically designed for color treated hair to use just once or twice a week to keep colored locks looking their best.


You want to keep your hair as healthy as you can, damaging your hair cuticle causes it to become more porous, and it is harder then to keep color in. I recently read that playing outside in the sun for a week long vacation can be as damaging on your hair as leaving peroxide on your locks for 30 straight minutes!

Another way to filtering out harmful chemicals. metals and ions in your water is to use pure beauty water to wash it with - You can do this for less than $100 by attaching a purification system to your shower head. You can find them at Home Depot or at jonathanproduct.com     


Some violet based products to try are Loreal Colorist Collection Blonde, John Frieda Sheer Blonde Colour Renew line and my favorite ~ Clairol Shimmer Lights (just a warning for blondes that this may be a bit too intense, but is perfectly suited for brunettes) Don't be afraid to buy these if you are a brunette because the label says for blondes - these are the shampoos that work and the ones I use. (It's one of my inside secrets I want you to know about too!)

Another cool new technology to try out is a styling product called  Color Wow Brass Banned Mousse. It immediately counteracts brassiness by using a mouse that is teal tinted for brunettes and a purple-violet shade for blondes.

Color correction is a fascinating concept that stylists and makeup artists have kept mostly to themselves, but it's such an easy idea to understand, that I hope you embrace. Check out my post about how to use green concealer to cover acne or any redness on you face flawlessly {HERE - Best way to Hide and Conceal Acne}

For more tips on how to reduce the oxidation from the sun and water this summer check out my post {HERE - Prepare Your Hair for the Plunge} 

Saturday, May 4, 2013

Look younger with Whiter teeth. GLO Science.




They say if you aren't whitening, you're yellowing.

We associate beauty with youth, and for some reason baby teeth are just naturally freakishly white. So if you're not whitening, your smile might be making you look older than you are.

Teeth whitening has come a long way these past few years. Who hasn't heard of Crest WhiteStrips? Yes, they work, but only if you're VERY patient and willing to put up with the goo and mess in trying to keep them in place every time you use them. Speaking of, you'll need to use them a lot to see real results.

And we've all heard of ZOOM, the fastest way to whiten, especially how painful it is. The sensitivity lasts a long time due to the strength of the bleaching agent that's used.

So if you're looking for a solution to whiten quickly without sensitivity, there is a new at home device on the market that you should know about called the GLO Brilliant Personal Teeth Whitening Device, $199 Available at Sephora and gloscience.com.

This system was developed by a dentist, Dr Levine, and is a new approach to whitening using heat and light with a patented gel formula. Dr Oz named it one of his top anti-aging products and beauty editors swear it's the easiest way to whiten teeth without sensitivity.

It looks like an iPod, but easier to use. Charge it up, apply the gel to your teeth - connect the mouthpiece and press power for 8 minutes to get one step closer to whiter teeth. Up to 5 shades whiter in 5 days, without sensitivity. 

The set comes with 10 G-vials of gel which is enough for 40 applications or sessions. By purchasing additional mouthpieces everyone in the family, over 12 years old, can have beautiful pearly whites. I think Americans now have the whitest teeth in the world!

Blue Light Therapy Zit Zapper - Tanda High Tech Beauty



They say that beauty comes in all colors ... and so does the light we use on our skin. Blue light therapy is often used in clinics to treat and prevent acne and now there are gadgets available so you can do it yourself at home.

 Watch more High Tech Beauty video 

One of the smallest devices using blue light therapy on the market that can really deliver is the Tanda Zap for $49. It uses the same technology as the in-clinic machines used by dermatologists and here's why it works.

A zit forms when a pore is blocked with oil according to Acne.org. Most of the time the oil will drain but if it becomes blocked bacteria are formed. One of the bacteria creating a zit is called P. acnes. It proliferates, becomes inflamed and swells. White blood cells rush in to try to fight it away, which is how you end up with a white head. 

Blue light therapy works on killing acne because it delivers oxygen inside the pore and P.acnes bacteria cannot live in an oxygen rich environment. Benzoyl peroxide, a commonly used OTC product used to treat acne works in the same way - by introducing oxygen into the pore, but it can be very drying to the skin.

No matter what your age, zits continue to pop up. I love the Tanda Zap to treat that unexpected little monster that shows up and I never travel without it!  This device is designed for spot treatment and has 1000 two minutes uses and can be used 2-3 times a day on the same area safely. There is also a larger version called the Tanda Clear if you are interested in treating a bigger surface area for $195. 

For more secrets and tips to look your best buy my book Face This: Real advice from real Models on Amazon, Kindle, Nook or iTunes.