The Instyler Pro rotating iron/curler

Are you ready for the all in one tool?   Here is the newest hotness to come to the professional salon market.
The product debuted at the Premiere hair show in Orlando Florida.  Check out this video.  I don't think I can live with one.
 

CVS closes all of its 360 beauty supply stores

 Small business and big business seem to be succumbing to the effects of this economy.  Retail stores have been suffering for quite some time now.  Our industry, based on a needed service has weathered much better then others.  CVS, though is unable to translate their marketing muscle and buying power into a successful beauty supply business.  The CVS Caremark Corp has officially shut down as of May 19th.  Those of us that are still alive and kicking know what a struggle it can be.  If you love the industry and what you do though, you will be successful.  Thankfully, the service end of our industry still thrives and if paired with great products so can the retail. 

George Clooney never to have gray hair again?

 Would you want to change his look?  Does George Clooney need to get rid of the gray hair? Gray hair could be cured once and for all. Science has just broke the secret code to stop hair from going gray.

Gray hair is, along with premature balding, one of the greatest fears of image-conscious men and women everywhere, but it may soon be a thing of the past. Scientists at the Ito Lab at New York University's Langone Medical Center have identified the proteins that cause gray hair, which could lead to an eventual cure.
Scientists have known for years that hair color is determined by the stem cells that guide the development of hair follicles working together with color-producing stem cells called melanocytes. Today, NYU researchers announced they had isolated the wnt protein, which serves to coordinate pigmentation between the two types of stem cells.
Already, scientists have managed to start with black mice and once they inhibited the Wnt pathway in their melanocyte stem cells, they eventually turned gray.

"Mouse and the human hairs are very similar in the way that they are structured and the way they contain melanocyte stem cells. We found that the wnt signaling pathway is activated the same way," said Piul Rabbani, a grad student in NYU's Langone Medical Center who led the study, told ABC News.
This breakthrough means that one day the wnt protein could be added to hair grooming products or supplements and help turn back the clock.
"Our hair follicles and the pigmentation from the melanocyte stem cells work in a very similar fashion, so it definitely can be applied at some point in the future," Rabbani told ABC News.

New Years Eve Hair Style

Your dress is hanging in the closet, your party plans are made, now what are you going to do with your hair?
Not another updo?  It just about fell out last year while laughing and drinking champagne.  This is a more wild and free New Years.  Here are a few new ideas to create a hair style to rock in the 2012.

The ponytail boufant

The faux hawk

Adding some curl and wave make it perfect for dressing up.

No problem for your date to match your style

The crimped bob works with shorter hair.
This with smoky makeup will be a knockout
New Year do

Boardwalk Empire Haircut

Boardwalk Empire is pushing the 1930 fashions upon us.  Barber shops all over the West Village are getting requests for the Micky Doyle.  The style consists of shaved sides, long on top with good amount of pomade to slick it back.  The old school hair-do has been a hit for web designers, young banker, djs, and even fashion designers.  Wear it right and your on the cutting edge, wear it wrong and you look like you've signed up for the Hitler's youth club.

Breaking Dawn Hair Stylist give tips for Brunette Hair

US weekly interviewed celebrity hair stylist Jennifer J and asked her how she takes care of Kristen Stewarts hair on the set of Breaking Dawn, Twilight series.  She has good tips those wanting to create the same rich dark tones.


Q: What maintenance and care tips should I follow to keep my color rich and glossy?
A: First, you should definitely use shampoo and conditioner especially for color treated hair, preferably sulfate free. A gloss treatment is key for deep shine and richness. Deep conditioning is a must for smooth and frizz-free hair and a shine spray will add extra shine after styling.
Q: What went into perfecting Bella Swan's hair color and how can I recreate it?
A: In doing Kristen's color for Bella Swan, there was a lot of layering in color involved. Kristen definitely has warm tones in her hair and if you wanted to achieve this look, you would need to end up with a chocolate brown base color with warm, amber and auburn brown-toned ends. This is all done by layering semi-permanent color and glosses.

Q: Whoops! My end hair color is super dark and isn't the shade I was aiming for! How can I fix it?
A: If it turned out too dark, using a clarifying shampoo or Head & Shoulders will lift the color out a little bit. Also, if you put a deep conditioner or an oil treatment in your hair and cover your hair with a shower cap and a hot towel from the dryer, it will also help pull the color out of your hair, but in a more gentle way. If you did make a more extreme mistake, you should definitely see a colorist that specializes in color corrections. Typically you can color your hair again right away, but I would not recommend doing this yourself -- you should really get an expert's advice!

You can read the whole article at US Weekly
US Weekly

Mitt Romney's Presidential Hair

Is Mitt's hair too perfect?  If you were going to style this man's hair would you change it.

Well his stylist would.   Leon De Magistris, Mitt's stylist said that for years, he has tried to persuade Romney, 64, to loosen up his look by tousling his meticulous mane.

“I will tell him to mess it up a little bit,” said De Magistris, 69. “I said to him, ‘Let it be more natural.’”

The suggestion has not gone over well.

“He wants a look that is very controlled,” De Magistris said. “He is a very controlled man. The hair goes with the man.”

Romney’s is a restrained, classic look: short at the neck, neat on the sides and swept back off the forehead. “It is not something stylish,” De Magistris noted. “It is clean and conservative.”

The cut is so recognizable that men in this well-heeled suburb of Boston ask for it by name.

“The Mitt,” they whisper to De Magistris from the red vinyl chairs in his upscale salon, Leon & Co., a few blocks from the sprawling home where Romney raised his family.

De Magistris, who gave Romney a $70 trim three weeks ago, agreed to share some of the secrets behind his most famous client’s coiffure in between haircuts the other day.

No, he said, Romney does not color his hair. Any such artificial enhancement, De Magistris said, “is not — what do you call it? — in his DNA.”

Despite holding its shape under all but the most extreme conditions, it is gel and mousse-free. “I don’t put any product in there,” he avowed.  So add "The Mitt" to your salon menu.  Offer it to all of your controlled, well heeled business men. 

Magnetic Polish

Crackle is dead.

Fine Hair? What do you avoid

Sam Villa gives us his ideas on what products to avoid if you or your client has fine hair.
Sure there are some advertising in his answer, but it is still good information.

Gelac being discontinued by IBD?

There is a rumor in the nail tech world that one of the main players in the soak off gel category has fallen.

IBD is telling customers that the Gelac, soak off polish is discontinued.  I have heard over and over that the product was curing in the bottle even before it was opened.  They needed to change the formula or the bottle to correct the problem.  IBD is saying that they will have a new product for this hot category called "JustGel"  The new product will be cured under UV and LED lights.