Working At Derek Lam Fall NYFW 2014

Orlando Pita called us together early in the morning at the site for the Derek Lam fashion show and gave us a demo. For this show, the hair was inspired by different ethnic tribes. This particular look evolved...first at the trial he created a different hairstyle for Derek and as they were changing it, Derek said, "Stop! That's it!"

To begin with, we blew dry the hair with Phytovolume actif, when we were done blowdrying we then parted it down the middle. Next, taking the hair in large sections, we made soft waves using the T3 Bodywaver Curling Iron.

 If you have long hair and are tired of the barrel curls or the waves, which is considered old school, get this tool!

We then secured the middle part and front section of hair with Phyto Strong Sculpting Gel and Phyto Glossing Cream (only the front). We slicked back the front and made a ponytail.

 Taking the ponytail in one hand high into the air, we then backed-brushed the tail from the the end of the tail to the base of the tail using a large Mason Pearson brush.

After all the hair was backed-brushed we then lightly smoothed the surface of the tail.. We finished the look by spraying the hair with Phytolaque from Phyto. Take a look at Orlando working his magic..

 The incredible Tom Pecheux doing amazing makeup!

Fall 2014 is all about sporting a non-descpipt look for the everyday. It's more about your natural length rather than the long flowing tresses of years past...

Thanks Orlando Pita for a great show!!

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Ulyana Sergeenko Haute Coture 2014

I'm sharing one of my favorite shows from Paris Fashion Week Spring Summer 2014, Ulyana Sergeenko. All of her garments are made in the designer's homeland of Russia and feature hand-beaded fringing, soft, flowing silks & cotton and elegantly detailed craftsmanship.

I absolutely love, love, love her work! The show's music, which was kinda sexy yet eerie was also fantastic. :)

And let's not forget about the hair which was pretty incredible! Orlando Pita designed a beautiful finger wave which then transformed into a braided double bun. You can also see more of Orlando's work on instagram @orlandopitahair

Great job guys!!!

Post by Ulyana Sergeenko.

Posted by Unknown at 6:23 PM - 0 comments

Its Not About Lipstick

Recently an acquaintance and I were discussing helping the homeless where he said something that really grabbed my attention. He said, "... giving woman lipstick is not really helping them." What a powerful statement I thought. I stepped outside of myself for a minute to try and understand his point of view. After some deliberation, I came up with a few insights that maybe helpful to others who feel the same...to understand "the power of lipstick."

 

 First let me say it's not about lipstick. It's about the love and support that comes before handing over the lipstick that makes the experience. Reminding a woman that she is on this earth for a reason, is the beginning of a transformative experience. You see...most women in shelters come from very difficult backgrounds. Some are escaping physical and mental abuse; some can't afford to pay their rent or buy food and some are crippled with depression combined with a lack of self love.

By having them look in a mirror to examine their face, point out their beautiful hair, cheekbones, eyebrows and lips, it is the first step in a powerful experience, especially for those never heard an encouraging word in their life.

Explaining individuality to a woman who has been beaten for a year (or 20 years) is heart-breaking. When they finally begin to believe in themselves...well, it can bring you to tears.

Now here comes the big moment, handing over the infamous "lipstick." At this point it's more of a magic wand. A wand that brings a smile and embodies a positive, loving experience. A wand that will remind a woman of her individuality and beauty. This lipstick is a small token of love from a stranger.

I hope this was helpful in showing that love and support can come in many forms. So don't judge, just love! :)

Posted by Unknown at 7:15 PM - 5 comments

From Runway To Everyday

 Sometimes we believe the fashion and hairstyles we see on the runways cannot be worn as part of our daily lives. It's true in some instances but not all. I know some of us will love to sport one of these to the office!!

 For Michael Kor's S/S 2014 runway show, under the watchful eye of Orlando Pita, we created a very natural, slept-in-messy bun with a loose fringe. The look perfectly matched the clothes, bringing a modern, sexy feel to his amazing designs.

Here are some tips on achieving this look.

1) Messy hair is key. Don't brush the hair, instead start with hair that's air dried or a couple days old.

2) Think volume at the crown of the head and fringe area.

3)Think texture, texture, texture!!

My model walked in with hair that hadn't been washed a couple of days and there was hairspray in her hair. This was perfect as there was some oil in the hair and the ends had some product build up.

 The only product I needed for this look is Orlando Pita's Revive Boost Dry Shampoo. Dry shampoos were created to remove oils from the scalp, now with amazing technologies they can add texture and volume.

Orlando's version is clear, so no color to worry about about and no annoying residue.
 Plus the price is amazing! 

 When applying the dry shampoo, spray it on the root area (not the scalp).
After spraying the hair, I separated it into sections )no brushing) and curled each piece vertically. 

 The fringe area was also ironed vertically with a light pivot or angle.

After curling each section, I lightly sprayed a little more dry shampoo through her hair.
Then I asked the model to bend over and shake her head, loosening up the ironed curls. To pin the hair in place just twist the entire back in a very informal way and add large bobby pins first, followed by smaller pins. The top was lifted back. I kept the volume in the fringe with hair falling in front of the face.

What I love about this dry shampoo is the price and the fact that it's on the Beauty's Most Wanted List! 

Posted by Unknown at 8:21 AM - 0 comments

Helping Women In New York City

We did it! Thank you to everyone for making this special event possible for women who are experiencing difficulties with addiction, homelessness and getting their lives back on track. These mothers were so grateful and over joyed with the love they received from the volunteers and the donations that came in from all over the U.S.

Here are the images from the event.

This guy was amazing!! Thank you Isaac Goldszer for your support with showing these women that they are loved!!

                                           http://Www.themonadahls.com

                                       

                                             ROC RESTAURANT YOU ROCK!!!

We were able to collect new and used clothing for everyone person. From jewelery, shoes, sunglasses and scarfs!!

Check them out on instagram @Bonsignourcafe

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Inspiring Girls In The NYC Shelter System Through Reading, I Am Malala.

I recently held a workshop in a NYC shelter for teenage girls where we discussed Malala Yousafzai and her campaign to promote educational rights for girls in her home in the Swat Valley. Each of the 32 girls were amazed and inspired by Malala's story and would love to have her book, I am Malala: The Story of the Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban. 

If you want to purchase and donate a book, please email me and I'd be happy to give you a mailing address. 

Support the Malala fund and girls in homeless shelters in NYC.

Posted by Unknown at 8:49 PM - 0 comments

Rihanna's Hairstyle At The AMA's

Rihanna's recent appearance on the American Music Awards totally inspired me to hit the keyboard and post my thoughts.

Rihanna wore a hairstyle which is called a "hair wrap" or "doobie." Latino and African women have long been using this technique, wrapping their hair around the head to keep it smooth, while also inserting bobby pins around the head to keep it in place. It's basically a set without the hair rollers.

First I had to ask myself, was it that unattractive or funny to cause such a stir? I think not. Let's face it...in the beauty industry everything from every culture can be an inspiration. With so many things being repeated each season, why not bring something fresh to the stage?

Then I recalled a hairstyle that shocked the couture runway shows seven years ago. I had to ask my friend and mentor, Orlando Pita about the inspiration for hairstyle he created for Christian Dior Couture in 2009 A/W.  

"We were trying to create 1920's inspired bobs...which was the beginning of the bob being a stylish hairstyle for women. Instead of using wigs and since we couldn't cut all the girls' hair. I thought of creating a bob silhouette with the girls own hair using bobby pins. Lol! No pun intended!"

To me this is another example of someone using their imagination and creating something that they think is beautiful. Yes, Rihanna's choice was a little more literal but fashion can be literal or just someone's creative juices flowing big time!

Let's embrace it all!!

Thank you Rihanna for being so brave and bringing home some "realness" to the big stage!

Posted by Unknown at 6:31 PM - 0 comments

Tribeca Beauty Spa

Everyday it's my job to make clients look and feel better about themselves. As you can imagine, there is a certain amount of pressure on me to practice what I preach. However, one thing that I've ignored over the years is my skin...and now that I'll be 42 in a few months, it's time for me to step up my game and search for someone to teach me how to look after my skin. Over the years, I've had many an esthetician say to me, "You have great skin and you need to look after it!" Did I listen to them? No...

Recently my client and friend Thereza happen to mention that she loved her esthetician at Tribeca Beauty Spa, so I quickly added their number to my contact list.
When I arrived I noticed the vibe was warm and noticeably quiet. God knows I don't need to get a facial while listening to people chat about what happened at the club last night. I was escorted to a private room where I would get a facial and found it immaculate. I loved that there was no sign of the last client's procedures or their mess.

My esthetician Nadia who happens to be the owner of the spa was going to deal with my sun-beaten skin. 

Her touch was soft when it needed to be and firm when needed. I was excited to see that she used products from Sonya Dakar, a renowned professional skin care line loved by the celebrity pack. She dealt with both the blackheads and whiteheads created by years of neglect and sun damage ( i.e - me...oiling my face to bake in the sun.) There's nothing like having someone work on your skin and know what they are doing. No area of my face was denied her expertise.

I actually felt layers of heaviness leave my skin after the steaming, cleansing and all the other tricks she had up her sleeve. When it was over, I really did not want to go. First for the love my skin had just received and second...for how relaxed I felt.

Tribeca Beauty Spa is a beautiful, modern establishment that also offers waxing and nail services. They even have showers and a sauna which can be used after getting a full body massage. Most of all it's not at all intimidating. Personally I'm tired of these warehouses that they now call spas across NYC. Give me intimacy, cleanliness and expert staff.

With a large menu of options for massages, facials and waxing, it seems like they have all the services covered. 

They even specialize in Pre-natal massages!!!

Oh and guess what? They were generous enough to give me 15 gift bags full of products for my girls living in homeless shelters. Now that's love!!!



So if you're looking for a great facial, try Tribeca Beauty Spa and tell them Antonio sent you.

Let's support those who support others!

Posted by Unknown at 9:44 PM - 0 comments

Working at Victoria's Secret Fashion Show 2013

Today was a spectacular day full of hairspray, angels and feathers at Victoria's Secret Fashion Show, held at the Park Avenue Armory in NYC. I was fortunate enough to be part of the team headed by my mentor, Orlando Pita. Here are some backstage images to warm your heart with color, love and hair!!!!

Posted by Unknown at 3:03 AM - 1 comments

Karen Elson attend CFDA and Vogue 2013 Fashion Fund Finalists Celebration- Hair My Antonio

Yesterday I had the pleasure of working with the beautiful and sweet Karen Elson for the CFDA awards. Using the flatiron I created soft waves that are natural and modern. 

Karen Elson and Jason Wu

Posted by Unknown at 9:03 AM - 0 comments

Just Launched A Dry Shampoo And Argan Oil Hair Mask By Orlando Pita!

He's done it again guys. Orlando Pita just launched two, new incredible products! The first is a dry shampoo...but wait for it...it's just not any old dry shampoo. It's clear! Meaning no color which (I think) is the first of its kind. The second is an Argan Restoring Treatment Mask. It's a paraben-free hair mask that leaves hair feeling luxurious.

Let's face it. The man not only is a wiz at hair, he sure knows how to create hair products that won't sit long on the shelf. Similar to his previous launch (a Moroccan Argan Oil shampoo, conditioner and oil) these new products are expected to be a hot commodity among hair-industry specialists.

So hurry now to your local Costco and treat your hair to the finer things in life.

Posted by Unknown at 1:16 PM - 0 comments