Color Your Hair at HOME!!!!

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--CLICK-- the ltext above to get a great deal for any CLAIROL Color.
Natural Instincts Fans, go get 'em!

Need a little help on HOME HAIR COLOR? Get The Color Guide! Need to refresh that sun faded color? Get SHINEclass!

You Want Me to Put THAT Where?

I want you to put it where you need it, sister!

I have a confession...

I have a farmer tan.

Where your neck and arms get tanned.

UGH!!!

And then I was watching the Today Show this morning and notices the guest host form The Real Housewives of the OC and noticed her neck and decollete (chest).   

Sweet Baby Jesus!

High Def is a bitch!

Her neck and chest were not looking so good.

Then it hit me...spread the word before it's too late.

It seems the emphasis is always on the face when we need to remember the neck, chest, arms, HANDS and ears.

You can't easily fix turkey neck and for the record--when do freckles become age spots?  

Just wondering.

The backs of your hands are especially susceptible.  Hands on the steering wheel get a lot of sun through the wind shield.  Think of Old Lady Ear, do you want that?

We know better and this is the time of the year to put good sense into action.

Protect yourself.

You may not get a burn, this summer,  but you will look like hell when you get older.

So, I am off to purchase a cheap sunscreen with at least an SPF of 30 and UVA and UVB protection.

Apply, apply, apply.

I will look fabulous when I am older, come hell or high water.

Nice to know I am starting so young! 

LOL!

So Put It Where you need it--hands, neck, chest, ears, anywhere you don't want to look like a leather bag when you get older.

Burned by SUNSCREEN?

Well, sort of.

I have one heck of a time with sunscreens.

I am really prone to breakouts when I use an SPF 30 or higher.

I have tried many, many brands with the same end result--breakouts!

I do wear SPF 15 year round.  

UGH!

Most recently I tried a new sunscreen to the market--Neutrogena SENSITIVE SKIN SPF 60+.

It is a physical block that provides instant protection.   There is no irritation or stinging which is great!

There is, however, a white cast that is quite evident after applying.  Have you seen a mime?  It was almost that bad.

Sooooo...  How did I get burned?  Wasting money!

I wanted to find a daily sunscreen in an SPF 30 or higher that did not lead to breakouts.

Although there were no zits, I couldn't wear it in my daily life without being self-conscious.

What to do...what to do?

Well, let me tell you.

I use it before any outdoor activity.  I will be showering and washing my face after my workout, so this is where I can use it.  

There was no sign of burn or tan or anything!  YAHOO!!!

There was no stinging and no breakouts.  Reactions occur for me with any sunscreen I use when them for outdoor activities--running or biking.  Not this time.

BOTTOM LINE:

I am still on the hunt for a daily SPF 30, but have found a great 'sport sunscreen' to use during the summer months.   (They also have a baby formula that is identical in formulation.)

Read more--product information and reviews--click here!

Red Carpet Ready?

Ummmm--YES!!!

I recently did a fundraiser for the Sacred Heart School.  We were able to raise $1000.00 for scholarship aid  for the school.

What an night!

The night was hosted by Julie Francavilla (local news anchor on Seattle's own KIRO7).

My goal was to get these ladies Red Carpet Ready...and did we ever.

I first started by going over The Prep Steps (from The Color Guide and SHINEclass).  This is the first step in getting your hair in great shape with a salon quality conditioning treatment.

Next, The Ultimate Ponytail Workshop.  This is a styling guide I developed to help style your hair for special occasions.  I do a  lot of hair "additions" in the salon and wanted my clients to be able to re-create the looks at home, and this PDF fits the bill.  We went over prepping the hair, the best tools for a ponytail, and how to place your ponytail for various looks. Ooooo's and ahhhh's over the transformations they saw on my model--my bff, Sharon!   

We weren't done yet.

The finale was with my make up guru Tiffany Maskiel-Buchannan demonstrating Ultimate Eyelashes--a real Red Carpet make up trick--that works on everyone!!!

The ladies all looked amazing and had a great time.

We helped raise money for the Sacred Heart School and we showed some ladies how to get Red Carpet Ready--and by the end if the night, they all were!

Thanks to everyone who donated and a special shout out to Killer Looks Salon and vivian lee cosmetics.

Do you want to get the styling PDF's?  Email me and I will email you a copy of everything we covered that night--come on, it's FREE!!!!

tommygene@shineclass.com

My feet looked like HELL!--Tip of the Week

The above photo is me and my Ped Egg--note the scaly nature of my big toe. This is not what my feet currently look like. After the Ped Egg, I did a quick rinse and added a little Hawaiian Tropic to my piggies and covered with white socks. Priceless!

Easter Weekend was a nightmare!


I was set to head out for a family weekend, so no time for my mani/pedi.
DAMMITALL!


The one thing you can't do at home is get those calluses. Well, you can. Soak, use the pumice stone or a shaver. In the case of those shavers, you walk funny for a few days due to the bloody bandages you will need from overzealous callus control. Who has time to soak before a bloodbath with a callus shaver? Not me, people!


I broke down and bought a Ped Egg! These people are not even playing. This product works! I was skeptical--at first. I shaved and shaved that nasty dry feet skin right off. No blood, no pumice stone to get all stinky in the shower stall.

ONE THING! You need to have dry skin. No soaking. This is a real time saver. You can easily maneuver the Ped Egg over the ends or sides of your toes. Any dry barnacle you can easily and quickly remove.


If you need to add a week or two to your pedicure, try the Ped Egg.   You will want to Ped Egg first and then do the cuticle pushing, nail clipping and polish change after.  Even of you just do the Ped Egg, you can extend your pedi a good week or two.  

Tip of the Week--I need a TAN! The best bronzer EVER!!!

...I really need a tan.

Well, I do! 

I do not and will not go tanning, though.  This is a tough time of year.  Spring is not yet fully here.  Time to move from 15 to 30 (SPF, thank you!).  Add a little bronzer to spruce up your complexion...  

Think again, sister!

A regular bronzer can make your face look muddy.  When you have a little color on your skin, it looks great.  But, now, not-so-much!  I went on the hunt and this is what I found.

I found my new favorite thing!

Pearls of Perfection--in LIGHT Bronzer!!!

I have used the regular Bronzer (Pearls of Perfection by Physicians Formula), but, now that I do not pursue the sun, it feels a bit dark.

Not too dark, but to dark for me.  The Light Bronzer formula is perfect!

Regular bronzer is fine in the summer, but this product is perfect for very FAIR complexions.  This also works especially well for those of us (me  :p) who need a slight boost of bronze without the sun.

Give it a try--you will love it!

Pearls if Perfection by Physicians Formula in LIGHT BRONZER  

Tip of the Week--A Tanning Oil with No SPF???

I have to say--"I am ready for SPRING!"

I usually go on vacation right about now. This season, it's not in the cards.

I came up with a great solution. 

The vacation will come to me!

...and it came to me at my local drugstore.

Hawaiian Tropic Tanning Oil!!!!

Oh, Sweet Baby Jesus!!!





The truth of the matter is my skin is dry, dry, dry. I thought this late in the season I wouldn't need to slather myself in lotion to keep from looking like a lizard. I mean, really, I take my Omega 3 fish oil supplement, what girl doesn't?

I needed a quick fix--OIL! I saw the tanning lotions and potions and there it was. That cocoa brown bottle from my youth. HAWAIIAN TROPIC TANNING OIL....and no SPF! When was the last time you put on anything without an SPF of at least 30? I grabbed a bottle!
After I had exfoliated and cleaned my 2000 parts, I lightly toweled off and proceeded to drench myself on the most amazing stuff. The fragrance took me back to happier days, pool-side, tan skin--I was back in Palm Springs.

Well, I was for a moment.

HTTO is a great option when you need a deeper surge of moisture for dry skin. The smell is fantastic, its inexpensive and it works!

I use it once a week after I exfoliate in the shower and every other night on my feet, followed by a pair of cotton socks.

Pick up a bottle or two and take a trip without ever leaving home!

Natural Match 5 1/2 Soft Natural Brown Review L'Oreal Hair Color

I love this color line.

No Ammonia Permanent Hair Color!

Great shades, minimal stress to the hair, no ammonia, wonderful grey coverage.

WOW!!!

This is a line I have used a lot in the last few years. It is

relatively new to the market and it works in a very predictable manner. Natural March by L'Oreal is not about taking you lighter. It can slightly brighten, that's it. The real deal is grey coverage and/or color change without ammonia.

Ammonia is not a bad thing, when used correctly. It is, however, unnecessary in grey coverage and/or color change.

I used my step mom (Mama Linda) as the subject of today's review.

Here's why--

1. Needs grey coverage




2. Can be sensitive to ammoniated (permanent) hair color
3. May not be able to get into the salon (has the need for box color)

I chose Natural Match as it hit all three criteria.

I also chose the 5 1/2, because it was not to dark (level 5) and not too light ( level 6). Somewhere between the two--5 and one half! My goal was a natural lightest brown. Natural Match 5 1/2 in Soft Medium Brown should fit the bill.

I chose a "Natural" tone, as I didn't want the end result to

be too "warm" or "cool."

The last few years have found me testing a ton of box color. I am not afraid of the stuff!

Hair color results that last and look like salon color...sign me up.

In The Color Guide, I go over "level" and "tone," so if you are a little lost, head to the website www.thecolorguide.com

and download a copy.

We did a 'patch test' and followed the direction inside the box, which stated: add an additional 10 minutes for grey coverage.

Please take note--the color looks much lighter at the beginning of the process and gets much darker as the process progresses. This is how color works, don't worry.

Forty minutes later, I rinsed, conditioned (two minutes with the included conditioning treatment), and blew the hair dry.

The end result? The Natural Match was a natural match!

I got the grey coverage I was after, she had no sensitivity, and it was from a box color.

The Color Guide works again.

Hair Color Tip--Tip of the Week

This is me with dye on my hair. 

 Why my hair standing up like a crazy man?

Hair color needs air to work!

I see colorists (professional and home) packing that dye down, and that is BAD.

By allowing the air to circulate, you are insuring the dyes will  properly oxidize or develop.  Air is a critical part of the equation.  No air?  The color won't properly develop and you might end up with spotty color, poor grey coverage, brassy hair, the list can go on and on.

I know they show the lady in the ads with her hair smashed and combed into a nice, neat shape.  That is an ad.  Not real life.

I might not be the next hair color model, but I will have a great end result.

So....use the nozzel to lift that hair and let the air circulate.

Today my site (www.thecolorguide.com) went live!

There was a little bump in getting the site loaded, but it is up and running.

Four and a half years and it is a go...FINALLY!!!

Help for the home colorist!

So, people, get a copy of The Color Guide Volume One now!!!

www.thecolorguide.com

Who is Tommy Gene Harlow?

These are my kids--Jack and Charlotte.