Saturday, August 29, 2009

FOR THE NYC GIRL



I went to visit a girlfriend recently at a leading Magazine publication firm in NYC. While I waited, I observed the women coming and going and I wondered what it must be like for a woman working in an industry where Image is paramount to their lives (and the lives of their readers) and how difficult it is to stand out in a building full of Savvy New Yorkers. As my girlfriend appeared through the deluge of savants I noticed her Bangs (fringe) that we had cut and how chic she looked. I thought—that’s it! Granted, a great haircut is an amazing way to turn heads, but bangs are a non-drastic and very chic update to just about any hairstyle. They allow women to wear their hair long or short while flattering the face. Of course, we all know that some hair types cannot wear bangs but lets focus on those who can for now.



Here are some tips on styling and getting a good bang! Well…you know what I mean :)



1) During my extensive Google research I happened upon several videos for cutting your own bangs. HONEY, if you live in Timbuktu maybe you can cut your own bangs, but if you live anywhere near a salon you should treat your self to a professional trim.



2) If you see someone on the street with great bangs, ask them where they get their haircut. Great bangs are a sure tell-tale sign of a good stylist.



3) Take pictures of bangs that you like to your hairstylist—it will be very helpful.



4) Bangs, like any cut, are a work of art; it takes sectioning the hair off of the face, then sectioning the bang and cutting thin sections at a time. If you see a stylist taking your entire bang and getting ready to cut, quickly excuse your self, grab your belongings and take your bangs back before its too late.



5) When looking at a client’s face I evaluate the strong areas and weak areas. Lets face it—some of our features are better than others. For example, if your forehead is too small but your cheekbones and jaw line are prominent, short cropped bangs could make your face look too heavy.. Why not do a lighter bang and create an opening to expose more of your forehead? This way the face Is elongated.



6) If you have a cowlick in your bang area and have trouble blow drying it try this: take a small flat brush and dry your bangs in both directions across the forehead with the tip of your hair brush. The idea is to soften the root of your bang by breaking down the base of the cowlick. When it softens and you see that the bang is a bit more manageable, take a round brush of your choice and continuing shaping the bang if needed.


7) If you have super straight hair with short bangs you may notice that even when you use a round brush the hair falls flat anyway, try this: apply a volumiing product on the root area, then without using a brush, hold the dryer and literally blow your bangs in the direction you want them to go, focusing on the roots. This is a trick I do in the salon for difficult bangs. Its simple and it works.



I read in a magazine that the best way to find a great hairstylist is to get a bang trim from them first. Well, what if they do an okay job? I guess you are stuck with this "thing" in your face for some time. Is it worth it? You be the judge.

Copyright © 2009 Antonio Gonzales, All Rights Reserved


I wish you all great bangs!

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Sunday, August 23, 2009

CHROMA REFLECT


As I work with so many different product lines I am eager to bring you my results. As you already know I do not discriminate towards any product as long as it works. No what matter the price is, I will try it. Today I'm writing about one of the top product lines in the world from L’Oreal. Child, let me tell you, I love me some L’Oreal! Ever since I was a teenager in the Caribbean, I would use with their products. As I move forward in my career, so does L’Oreal with their research to bring you better products.

As consumers, we appreciate that, but then out of no where, they will bring us a product that really makes no sense. I love Kerastase but let’s talk about the Chroma Reflect line from Kerastase. I have no idea where this product belongs on the shelf. They recommend if I need moisture, I should use the Nutritive line (orange). If my hair is breaking, I use the Resistance line (green). If I'm in the sun, I use the Soleil line (red) and if I have scalp issues, I use the Specifique line (white). They are all meant for color treated hair and they all make the hair shine. But with Chroma Reflect they promise me an amazing product for color treated hair and great shine. But guess what,I see blonds using it but it’s not for blonds. It’s not for damaged hair either. Evidently, Chroma Reflect is for healthy Brunettes! Even my clients are confused and I'm as confused as you are. If this line is for healthy hair, why can’t I use the orange line instead? Or does it have shine properties discovered in Mars that are so amazing, they needed to create a separate line of products. Give me a break, I have had this product at my station for the past five years and I have used it twice. I just don't see the need. So in a time where every dollar matters let’s be wise and get a product that we can all agree on that's works.

Stay tuned for more on how to save your money by shopping smart.

AFG

Copyright © 2009 Antonio Gonzales, All Rights Reserved

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Wednesday, August 19, 2009

MY HAIRCUT IN PREF MAGAZINE






Copyright © 2009 Antonio Gonzales, All Rights Reserved

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Monday, August 17, 2009

STOP THE BREAKAGE

7 THINGS THAT CAN BREAK FINE HAIR


1) Highlights being processed under heat lamps, dryers or any heat producing tool.

Ask your stylist to not use heat when getting highlights. It may take a little longer without heat but it's worth it. When I'm applying color and bleach gets on my fingers, it actually burns the skin. So put that on fine hair with heat and it's dry hair galore!

2) 40 volume peroxide with bleach for your highlights equals your hair on the floor.

I use 40 volume on super black virgin Asian hair that's super healthy. The highest volume peroxide I use on fine hair is 25 volume.

3) Metal brushes

I know, I know you love you some metal hair brushes but the fact is they get very hot! So take your fine hair, add a hot dryer and a metal brush and you are begging for damage.

4) An aggressive hairstylist that can't blow hair.


Child we have seen them all. They blow your fine hair like they blowing the hair of a Musk Oxen ( google it )

5) Poor hair care routine

I know when you have fine hair your concern is products weighing your hair down. But you must treat your hair to a little loving. Use a hair mask on the day you are not hitting the town, so if your hair is a little flat it’s okay.

6) Plastic hair brushes with plastic bristles

I would not even use plastic hair brush on my Barbie as a child (oops)

7) Rubber bands for your ponytails

I hope you understand that this is a long time culprit for breaking hair, get a band that's gentle on your hair. But please not a Hello Kitty ponytail holder.

We all had healthy hair at some point in our lives. Let’s retrace our steps and stop the breakage!

AFG


--
hairbyantonio.blogspot.com

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Thursday, August 13, 2009

THE TRUTH ABOUT YOUR HAIR PRODUCTS

LETS BE HONEST



Have you noticed that some hair product companies never know when to stop making products that seem to be a waste of time? I recently noticed one company created a shampoo for fine hair, then for thick hair, limp hair, tired hair, stressed hair, color treated hair and hair that has an attitude. It seriously got me thinking and I had to blog about it. A hair care company may have a great product that we all enjoy, and then before you know it, they will add another product in the same line with a different color bottle, a different smell and promising you the world! Although they already have a great product they insist that this one, when added to your routine, will make all the difference. They use words like skinny, slim, slimming, age recharge and youthful. Is it a shampoo or a fitness instructor? I recently used a shampoo that claimed to have Diamond dust in it, child I was about to buy 10 jars and make me some big Diamond hoops! Come on guys we may have dry hair but we are not retarded!

Recently, a hair product I use launched a new shampoo and I realized something. These professional product companies are targeting hairstylists big time. They know that we get very excited with a new bottle, smell and shape. Once upon a time, I used to get so excited about new products. Now I pay attention to one out of five of them. Professional product companies also know that if we get excited the next step will be for us to tell the client about it. They know that we are the ones to get the products off the shelves and into your bags. As someone who firmly believes in professional and non professional hair care and supports both groups, I believe that the consumer comes first. There are some professional hair care products that I think are amazing and some that I think are a waste of time and the same goes for the non-professional ones.

I must admit, it does tick me off a little. Is this what consumers feel like? The truth is that a great haircut is better with great product. When I do a haircut or color, the feeling of reaching for a product that will compliment my work feels great. I also know for a fact that professional hair care companies have spent Billions researching ingredients to revolutionize the industry in a positive way, but give us a break already. All we want is clean healthy hair. Please don't promise consumers that with one shampoo they will look 10 years younger. It’s just a shampoo not a miracle!

I wish you great products that you actually need :)

AFG

Copyright © 2009 Antonio Gonzales, All Rights Reserved

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WE ALL WANT HEALTHY HAIR THAT SHINES


WHY CELLOPHANES

I have worked with this product for the past 15 years and I love it! I have written about it, talked about on radio shows and I think its finally making a come back. Its called Cellophanes by Sebastian. I remember working on a hair show in Trinidad in 1990 I think(yes we have hair shows) and assisting a friend Anthony Medina who is an Amazing Hairstylist. We were working for a another product Company but could not get the shine we wanted. Our models hair were stressed from all the hot Sun and rum :) We knew the only was to get this was from Cellophanes. So lets chat a little..


IS CELLOPHANE FOR YOU?

Honey this can be used on you, your child, color treated hair, virgin hair, men and women even your dog Hercules!


DOES IT HAVE PEROXIDE OR AMMONIA?

When I last checked it did not, which is why It cannot make dark hair lighter.


DOES IT COVER GRAY?

No it does not. Think of it this way; If you take a sheet of red cellophane paper and you lay it over any object, it does not block the object 100% It casts a shade of red on the object allowing depth and light to shine through. Cellophane color may stain the Gray hair over time but because of no ammonia and peroxide don't expect gray coverage.

CAN IT BE HARMFUL TO THE HAIR?

It would be the least harmful of most colors I use. Because it mainly stains the hair it fades after some time.


IS CELLOPHANES SIMILAR TO HENNA?

Hell's no!! After my research on henna and years of seeing hair that has been colored by henna I can safely say that they are not the same. They both coat the hair but Henna tends to do more staining that Cellophanes in a negative way. When Cellophanes fades the hair feels good, henna takes forever to leave the hair and can make future coloring difficult. I'm not a HH (henna hater), I just don't believe in it.

I hope these Q&A's give you more insight on one of my favorite products.

Copyright © 2009 Antonio Gonzales, All Rights Reserved

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Friday, August 7, 2009

RED TO DIE FOR!

This one of my clients on her recent shoot. I did her color and the rest was up to these guys.

Photographer- Renie Saliba
Hairstyle/Makeup- Encruma Garriques
Model-Model Service Agency


Great job guys!



How to protect your red hair.


Tip No. 1: Always have your hair color applied to clean hair.

Yes, I know about the old wives tale that your color takes better on dirty hair. Well it's actually not true. This concept is from back in the days when the chemicals in hair color were much stronger so that the build-up of natural hair oils helped protect the hair. Color is now much more refined and less damaging to your hair.On clean hair the color penetrates better and last longer on clean hair.

Tip No. 2: Try Semi-Permanent Color by Wella Color Touch.

Wella's reds are out of this world. Not only do they have every shade of red, the colors are shiny and sexy. My favorite shades by this brand are 6/4, 7/43 and 8/40.

Tip No. 3: Avoid washing your hair 48 hrs after getting your hair colored.

Red molecules are large, and aggravating the cuticle soon after getting your hair colored with hot water and shampoo can release pigment prematurely. Also I always use cool water on my Reds.

Tip No. 4: Do not do hair treatments the day you have your hair colored.

This can also allow red molecules to be released.

Tip No. 5: Wear caps when going to the tanning salon.

You need to protect your hair when you tan, believe me tins is so true!

Tip No. 6: Wear hats or UV protection on your hair in the sun to prevent fading.

The sun can be damaging to hair, so protect hair when hanging out in the sun all day.

Tip No. 7: Get a clear or red Cellophanes gloss after having your hair colored.

Cellophanes are vegetable colors that are safer than henna and fade gently without the residue. It is applied to the hair, then you are placed under the dryer for 20 minutes. This seals the color and gives your hair great shine. Be sure to use a red that it is in the same red tones. So if your hair is a copper red don't use a violet red cellophane.

Tip No. 7: Don't use harsh shampoos.

You spend a lot of money on your hair color. It is time to invest in a good shampoo specially designed for color-treated hair. I recommend using color support shampoos and conditioners by Bumble and Bumble. Just make sure you consult with your hairstylist first to make sure you are not using a copper red shampoo on a blue red color.

Copyright © 2009 Antonio Gonzales, All Rights Reserved

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