Just before I went on vacation I freshened up my hair with some blonde highlights. I knew that even a day outside site seeing in the hot Mediterranean sun would bleach out my blonde hair, so I took a big hat and wore it everywhere I went.
It saved my hair from disaster, but it made my head hot and sweaty and I had to keep popping my hat off every time I posed for a picture.
When I got home I wondered, was there anything I could have put on my hair ,besides a hat, to save my hair? I emailed our friend The Makeover Guy, Christopher Hopkins, who specializes in hair, and this is what he told me about summer hair.
Hair that has been colored it is susceptible to fading with U.V. rays. There are products that say they have sunscreens but I seriously doubt the benefits as it is pretty difficult to cover every strand top to bottom and all around with sunscreen. And if it’s sticking to your hair, it is likely going to make it flat or sticky.
Hats are pretty much it. And I know the boomers like to believe there is an answer to everything. Cake and eat it too. But alas, coverage is it. If you’re in the sun, the color will fade. Creams don’t get rid of your wrinkles, and there is no weight loss with out a diet change.
Shampooing is what really does the fading, more so than even sun, so shampooing less is always a better way of preserving color. Try rinsing and using conditioner to cleanse.
I don’t really see any more problems with hair in the summer than with the winter. Just slightly different with humidity changes. Good or bad for curly or straight depending on how curly or how straight and how curly or how straight you WANT your hair compared to how curly or straight it is in the humidity (or lack of).
Damaged hair cannot be corrected, it can be band aided. It can be temporarily given the illusion of repair through styling, pressing the cuticle flat with heat or rollers. It can be temporarily filled in with products like protein, moisture, fillers (like hair color and clear sealers).
Chlorine doesn’t turn blonde hair green, it is copper, usually found in algae deterrents in hot tubs, pools, etc. The turquoise color combined with the yellow blonde makes, what? GREEN! You will need to open the cuticle of the hair with a detoxifying shampoo (several times) and heat and strip it out, then condition like hell. Again, that’s why there are swim caps and conditioner. I say wet the hair, put on a good conditioning treatment and think of that time as a multi tasking deep conditioning treatment.
Ever look in the mirror and wonder where your eyebrows are disappearing to? JoJami and I were talking about this and we’ve both noticed that our eyebrows seem to be getting patchy and they are starting to fade out around the middle of our eye.
Just read an article called Beauty over 40: 5 Things they don’t tell you about Aging and apparently this is very common, along with getting hair on your face, having your ears and nose droop, your gums shrink and your hands get veiny and spotty! What’s a gal to do?
Well if you want eyebrows as beautiful as Sharon Stone’s, we’ve found a good brow pencil works well, but you must combine it with some powder. (When a make-up artist first told us this we thought it was a sales job, but since we’ve been using pencil plus powder, we see the point.)
The trick is you have to make sure to have a light hand and use soft, feathery strokes when applying the pencil or else you’ll get that fake, painted on look all your old aunties had when you were a little girl.
We prefer a color that’s just a tad lighter than our own brow. JoJami is a brunette and she likes Nars pencil in Jodhpur and a touch of brown eyeshadow. I’m blonde and I like Laura Mericer eyebrow pencil in blonde combined with Laura Mercier brow powder duo in deep blonde.
Once you’ve filled in your brows with pencil use a stiff brow brush that is angled at the tip to gently layer some powder over top. Be careful to use just a touch of powder (it’s easy to overdo it) Why bother with the powder? It adheres to the liner and makes your eyeliner stay on longer, plus it gives your brow more of a 3d look instead of being a flat line.
We guarantee that if you start using a little brow pencil and powder and you’ll be amazed how much it gives your face a lift. More defined eyebrows will frame your eyes and bring your face back to life!
We were just chatting about W ‘s latest article on gray hair which proclaims:
“Once the hallmark of sweet old grannies, gray hair is now being embraced by women with a daring streak”.
Suddenly gray hair is chic. We know that growing gray is not for everyone, but it was fun to see a major fashion magazine go to bat for those women who dare to bare the gray.
But just because you’ve decided to go au naturel, doesn’t mean you are off the hook maintaining a stylish appearance. Graying gracefully can actually mean more work.
Gray hair is naturally dull, dry and coarse so you really need to use clarifying shampoos and deep conditioners to keep it looking soft and shiny. And since your hair becomes such a major focal point , you need to keep it crisp and trimmed, and neat at all times.
You also need to devote extra time and attention to your make-up. Fashion journalist, Laurn Ezersky warns, ” Gray hair can look haggy if you don’t wear makeup and look put together”
Here are a few make-up tips for those of you who have decided to join the “Silver Foxes” Club.
Start with a sheer to medium foundation and a dab of powder. As your hair grays so does your skin. It becomes pale, spotty and uneven, so you need foundation to create a smooth base.
A good undereye concealer is a must for women with gray hair.
Make sure eyebrows are well defined with a light pencil. Don’t use black. It’s too harsh.
Keep blush very soft and subtle. Just a sweep of color, otherwise you’ll look old and hard.
Lipstick is key to adding life to your face. The best shades are soft pinks, roses, and peaches. Stay away from anything that screams bright, or anything that is too dark.
Also avoid brown/neutral shades which are too dull and muddy.
Eyeshadow -We love make-up artist Bobbi Brown’s advice on this. She says: “I recommend grays, slates, and white for the eyes, which offer a sleek and sexy look without too much drama.” We’ve found that very soft pink can also work well with gray eyeshadow.
If you are still on the fence about going gray, More Magazine had a wonderful diary of one woman’s six month journey to “get back to her roots”, so to speak.
We also found a great book you should check out called Going Gray Looking Great. It covers everything to do with style and beauty for gray haired women.
It isn’t easy going gray, but the results can be stunning!
If you love to cook you know that to make a truly wonderful meal, you’ve got to start with the freshest ingredients possible.
It’s the same philosophy behind a luxurious new line of beauty products that feed your skin called The Body Care Deli.
Teresia Andrews Maas was a certified financial planner when she first started making herbal beauty products as a hobby. Several years later her yummy, organic, handmade creams have become so popular that she’s had offers to sell them in stores.
But instead of having her nourishing skin creams sit around on store shelves Teressia decided to sell them online so she could give her customers with the freshest products possible.
Some of our favourites- Sweet fennel eye cream, and Rejuvenating Moonshine cream -made of avocado, jojoba and sweet almond oil, plus oil of rose geranium to help stimulate collagen.
Also love the White Tea Body Mist which contains organic ylang-ylang, pink grapefruit and black pepper essential oils.
Sounds so nutritious and delicious for your skin!
