Earth Month Cut-a-thon

Come in to Chroma Salon on Monday, April 22nd (Earth Day) for our annual cut-a-thon!  Haircuts are regular price with ALL proceeds going to our local Aveda partner, Puget Soundkeeper Alliance. PSA is an awesome organization that is working hard to keep our Puget Sound clean.

Also available on Earth Day (and every other day this month) are our Earth Month candles.  They are only $12 and 100% of sales will go to clean water in Madagascar.  The proceeds from one candle can help someone have clean drinking water for a year! 

Last year our salon helped contribute to the $4.6 million that Aveda raised for Earth Month!  This year the goal is $5 million.  Come be a part of the fun, I will be working from 11-4!

I need a change, not a new identity!

You have all been there, ready for a change, but not ready to cut off ALL your hair.  

Enter Marguerite.  She was looking for something new, but not something that would make her lose her identity.  Hmmmm, what to do?

Marguerite is a real estate agent in Tacoma (check her out!) with a lot of photos and videos out there that she is easily recognizable in so she did not want to look too different.  After a chat and a look at some pictures, we decided to add a ton of layers and trim the bangs a little less blunt, but still shorter.  There was talk of growing out the bangs, but when she walked in the door with them pulled back, I had to look twice to make sure it was her.  Too different, we keep the bangs!

This may not seem like an extremely drastic change, but it was just enough to get rid of Marguerite's hair boredom and update her style a little.  Look how much we cut!

Getting a new style doesn't have to mean losing all your length or even coloring your hair a completely different color.  Maybe it's just a few more layers.  How do you know when it is time for a change?  I ask all my clients if they like their hair when they take the time to do it.  If not...time for something new!

So, consider doing something different on your next visit to the salon.  And, when you are looking for a house in Tacoma, remember to contact the woman with the awesome hair :)

This isn't what I asked for

As a stylist, I would say that it is my goal to have every one of my clients walk out the door with this expression on their face.  

We all want to be happy with our hair, right?  Unfortunately, I have heard way too many stories to know that everyone is not always pleased.  A few days ago I received this picture from my sister-in-law with the caption "I need help on how to talk to hairstylists."

Obviously, Georgia is not happy with her new haircut.  While it is very cute, it is not what she asked for.  

So, I thought I would give you a few ideas on how to get what you want the next time you are in the chair at the salon.

1. Talk.  Don't let them pick up the scissors until you are comfortable.

2. Tell your stylist what you DON'T want.

3. Bring in pictures.  Your idea of a bob (or other style) might be much different than theirs.

4. Never say "Just do whatever you feel like." You don't really mean that.

5. Explain your daily routine so your stylist knows what you are willing to do and ask what it will take to style your new look.

A good stylist should prompt you on all of the above things.  But, if not, don't be afraid to speak up before and during the appointment.  We stylists take pride in our work, you are our walking advertisements.  We want you to walk out the door happy and to keep coming back!

Gluten Free

I recently discovered that they make gluten free shampoo and conditioner!  

For those who have Celiac disease or a gluten intolerance, this may be something you want to try.  Just a small amount of wheat in a product could cause irritation or an unhealthy scalp if you react to wheat in a negative way.  

Many ingredients in hair products can contain wheat but they don't necessarily say it directly.  Here are a few nicely hidden ones:

Triticum vulgare (wheat)

Hordeum vulgare (barley)

Secale cereale (rye)

Avena sativa (oats)

Stearyl dimonium hydroxypropy (hydrolyzed wheat protein)

Laurdimonium hydroxypropyl (hydrolyzed wheat protein)

Vitamin E (frequently derived from wheat)
Malt extract (usually barley)
Beta glucan (frequently derived from wheat)
Vegetable protein (may contain wheat, barley, rye, and/or oats)

Of course, these things are not in every product, nor are they the only things that could contain gluten.  Be sure to check the ingredient list carefully and get to know what you are using on your hair and body.  Luckily, when something is gluten free, they want you to know it and it will most likely be advertised as such.  

We just started carrying Loma shampoo and conditioner, which is gluten free, at the Beach House Salon.  

Loma is new in our salon but not new to the hair world.  Check out this article about it on the Livestrong website from back in 2010.  

Loma is produced in Monroe, WA and I am so happy to have a local product at the salon.  It is inexpensive, works great, smells lovely and there are a few kinds to choose from.  Stop by soon and get some for yourself!

New product!

Do you have fine hair and want more volume?  I have a new product for you.  AVEDA came out with Pure Abundance Style Prep in July.  The first day I used this, I got multiple compliments on my hair!

Spray the style-prep in damp hair and then blow dry for weightless volume all day long.  It will also help to detangle.

This product is great for day 2 hair as well.  On dry hair, spray a few pumps at the roots and then blow dry.  It will help reduce the look of oil and will re-up the volume, kind of like dry shampoo.  

The style-prep is getting great reviews everywhere, try it today!

Back to school!

The end of August represents many things to us all.

1. School starts soon.

2. You probably have a wedding to go to over Labor Day weekend.

3. I should get back on schedule with this blog!

Two of these things mean that you need your hair done.

Schedule your appointment today!

Round brush warning!!

It has recently come to my attention that in hopes of duplicating a certain hairstyle, round brushes have been getting stuck in people's hair.  I am very sorry if this info is a little late for the unfortunate people who currently have a round brush stuck in their hair. 

When paired with a blow dryer, a round brush can act like a hot roller and give your hair volume and a little bit of curl.  Here is what one might look like when in the hair correctly.

Often, hair can get caught in the brush that is not supposed to be there.  It most likely will look like this.  Notice how the hair that is caught is underneath the brush? 

Slightly unroll the brush and use your other hand to help untangle the hair that is caught.  DO NOT tug or pull to the side, it will just get more tangled.

Remember, you rolled the brush up to the scalp.  To fix, retrace your steps and unroll.  It sometimes help to lift the brush upwards.

Keep unrolling while lightly pulling the hair underneath until the brush is free.

To lower your chances of having this problem, try pinning all the hair you do not want in the brush completely out of the way.  

I sincerely hope that this is something you will not need to know, but... here it is, just in case.  You do not want to end up like a friend of mine who had to cut one out of her hair!