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