Hairdressing Supplies | 3 Attentive Tips When Choosing A Hair Straightener For Your Salon
Hairdressing supplies like straighteners are vital to any salon business that specialises in hair cutting, trimming and styling. Using the power of heat, these hair straighteners can tame the wildest hair to make it look delicate and stylish without much effort. This guide is designed to help you identify certain must-have features in a hair straightener for your salon. Choose Different Plates To Manage Hair Type Choosing the right plates for hair straighteners is important because you won’t want to cause damage to your client’s hair depending on its specific type. A good idea may be to purchase a few straighteners with different plates to cater to diverse hair types. For example, ceramic straighteners work best for thin or fine hair because the plates heat up evenly to smoothen or reduce frizz without having to redo the same hair strands over again. This even heat distribution ensures minimal damage to thin hair. Titanium plates work best for coarse and thick hair because they hold high heat temperatures to straighten hair quickly. Since you’re likely to get diverse clients with different hair types, you should add both these straightener plate types to your salon’s repertoire. Pick A Hair Straightener With Adjustable Temperature Settings Having adjustable temperature settings is important because your customers naturally have different hair types that will respond differently to the heat from the straightener. Adjustable temperature settings in hairdressing supplies like straighteners will enable you to use lower settings for people with thin or damaged hair and higher temperatures for people with coarse hair. This way you won’t risk the possibility of causing damage to your customer’s hair and to your business reputation. Being able to regulate the temperature of the straightener will give you added flexibility in your quest to create different hairstyles and looks for your customers. Make Sure The Straightener Heat Up Time Is Low When buying a hair straightener for your salon, you should consider the time it takes to heat up. This will lessen your waiting time, allowing you to work on hair quicker. The quicker you are able to work on straightening hair, the more customers you will be able to work with in the course of a business day at your salon. This also lessens the amount of time your customers have to wait to get their desired results. As a hair expert, you’ll also know that straightener plates cool down when they encounter hair, so quicker reheating time will help you achieve a desired hairstyle quicker. Follow these attentive tips when buying hairdressing supplies like straighteners for your salon....
read more3 Productivity Boosting Scents Every Business Owner Should Know About
When you are a business owner, you have to juggle hundreds of responsibilities at the same time. Something that is at the forefront of every business owner’s mind is how to create the most productive working environment possible, because greater productivity equals greater revenue and increased profits. Of course, this is not a simplistic thing and there are many factors that affect employee productivity, but something neglected and easy to experiment with is scent. When most people thing about aromatherapy oils and scents, they usually think of their relaxing properties, but there are certain smells that are energising and productivity boosting. Spritz these oils around the workspace and even encourage your cleaning company to incorporate these aromatherapy oils into their cleaning products, and you could find that your business output ramps up overnight. Rosemary. You might be more familiar with the scent of rosemary on your dinner table, but it’s also very powerful in a working situation. Studies have shown that rosemary is a booster for both mental power and mood, both essential attributes for an office that functions well. If you want to foster a positive environment where people work collaboratively and with smiles on their faces, reach for the rosemary oil. Peppermint. The zinginess of peppermint is something that makes people feel more alert and awake. For those Monday mornings when your staff seem a little sluggish, a whiff of refreshing peppermint could give them just the lift they need, which is a far healthier choice than a big cup of coffee that will only cause a caffeine crash once the high wears off. And like rosemary, peppermint also elevates mood so that people can work through their daily challenges more effectively. As well as burning peppermint oil in the office, you could also provide mint tea in the work kitchen. Cinnamon. Cinnamon is more commonly thought of as an ingredient you would eat in baked goods than a scent used in aromatherapy, but actually it has many beneficial properties in the workplace. One of cinnamon’s best qualities is that it aids concentration. Let’s face it – when you ask your employees to sit at a desk for hours at a time performing challenging tasks, it’s no surprise that concentration can wane, but a sniff of cinnamon in the office could provide the solution to this. One of the really great things about using these oils in the office is that they are cheap enough to experiment with without causing damage to your bottom line, so why not try these out and see what effects they could have on your workforce and your...
read moreSpray Tan | 3 Smart Tricks To Preserve Your Skin Tan Glow In Winter
You’re probably proud of the gorgeous bronze skin tone you’ve managed to get at the spray tan parlour. But when winter winter arrives, you’ll have your work cut out for you to maintain the same skin glow. These smart tricks are designed to help you preserve your summer spray tan glow when gloomy winter arrives. Avoid Long And Hot Showers Even though the temperature is falling, you’ll want to avoid hot and frequent showers to preserve your spray tan for longer. The heat and steam from the shower will cause the tan to fade prematurely. When you apply a spray tan, your shower should not be for too long and the temperature should be moderate, otherwise the tan will end up vanishing too soon. To preserve your spray tan for longer, make sure you take short showers with lukewarm temperatures for the best results. Keep in mind that your skin regenerates naturally with oils to make it glow. Long and hot showers will cause your skin to dry out and lose its natural glow, while fading your tan. Keep Your Skin Nourished During winter, the air tends to dry out your skin, which could also cause your spray tan to fade. You will need a good daily moisturising cream to preserve the healthy glow of your spray tan, while keeping your skin nourished. You’ll want to choose a moisturiser designed to enhance the look of tanned skin. A hydrating gradual tan moisturiser should do the job nicely for your skin. This type of moisturising cream hydrates your skin to enhance the glow of your tan. You’ll also want to use gentle soaps, shampoos and body washes to prevent your skin from drying out too often. Avoid using abrasive towels on your skin to prevent it from drying out during winter. Avoid Waxing Your Skin When you have a spray tan on, you’ll want to avoid waxing your skin because this action will not only remove your hair, but your tan as well. Make sure you remove all your hair just before you get your spray tan and avoid waxing your skin for a while to preserve the healthy look of your skin tan. If you prefer to shave your skin, you may want to use an electric shaver instead of a wet razor. This is because a wet razor will remove several surface skin cells along with your tan. An electric shaver will only remove the top part of the hair follicle, leaving your spray tan intact. Follow these tricks for preserving your spray tan in...
read moreHairdresser | 4 Face-Flattering Hairstyles For Women With Round Faces
While round faces are attractively youthful, the right haircut will add an air of sophistication. Before getting a new style at the hairdresser, consider these face-flattering hairstyles for your round-shaped face. Varied Outward Layers For Medium-Length Hair Varied lengths for medium-length hair are great for angling the layers outwards without boxing in your face. Inward layers tend to make a round face look shorter, so you’ll want to ensure that the layers are angled outwards. You can get this look by asking your hairdresser for loose layers that begin slightly below your chin if you have medium-length hair. You’ll want the waves to be feathered away from your face to give it a slightly more contoured look. Angled Bangs For All Hair Lengths Heavy angled fringes can be extremely flattering on women with round faces because they draw the eye away from the roundness. Angled bangs work great on short, medium or long hair, so you can ask your hairdresser for this style if you’re a fan of this look. Angled downward bangs just above the eyebrows can also highlight a woman’s eyes beautifully, so consider this look when you’re trying to flaunt your best assets without drawing attention to your round face. Tapering Pixie Cut For Short Hair Contrary to popular opinion, short hair isn’t bad for women with round faces. In fact, the right hairstyle can make short hair extremely appealing. A pixie haircut with short tapering sides and a side-swept fringe can add plenty of definition to round faces. The side-swept bangs should ideally graze over your cheekbones to define them nicely without accentuating the roundness of your face. Before your hairdresser picks up the scissors, you’ll want to ask her for a little hair softness around your ears. Cutting around the ears excessively or with too much definition will end up looking masculine. The hair area around your ears should ideally not be too stiff if you want a delicate finish for your pixie cut. Delicate Layers For Long Hair Long hair works well for women with round faces because it tends to lengthen the face, which is the ultimate goal for women with this facial shape. Adding subtle and delicate layers that start near the collarbone will prevent long hair from falling flat and looking dull. These light layers will give your hair a little lift, so that your hairstyle doesn’t look lifeless. Add side-swept bangs to give your cheeks definition and to add some drama to your hairstyle. If you have a round face, consider these hairstyle ideas before your appointment at a salon like Kenricks Hair &...
read moreHow To Keep Your Hair Healthy
Has your crowning glory lost its gloss? It’s all too easy for your hair to become dry, lifeless and damaged. In addition to regular visits to your hairdresser in order to give your mane some serious professional TLC, there’s plenty you can do to protect your tresses in between times. Read on for some tips on how to keep your hair looking healthy. Too much heat Whether you want arrow-straight tresses or a mass of tumbling curls and waves, the usual styling solution is heat, and this is terrible news for your hair. Heat dries out your hair and strips it of the natural oils that give it flexibility and shine. Protect your hair by keeping use of straighteners, hair dryers and heated rollers to a minimum, and always use a protective serum before you style. Why not try leaving your hair to dry naturally, or using cold rollers instead of heated ones? Both these options are much better for your hair. Avoid daily washing There’s really no need to wash your hair every single day. A wash every other day is all you need to do to keep your hair clean and fresh. Too much washing strips out the hair’s natural oils, leaving it dry and lacking shine. Over-brushing Did you know that you can really damage your hair by brushing it too often? Over-brushing your hair can thin it and cause unsightly split ends and breakage. Stick to brushing your hair once in the morning and then again in the evening to avoid damaging it. In addition, brushes with soft, natural bristles are much kinder to your hair than those with stiff, nylon ones, so ditch the fake and go au naturel. Avoid chemicals Although you might enjoy a tipple every now and then, your hair doesn’t! The alcohol contained in some brands of hairspray, gels and other styling products strips the moisture and oil from your hair, leaving it looking dull and limp. Many shampoos contain sulphates. Sulphates are what make detergents lather-up, and although a head-full of sweetly-scented, foaming bubbles might feel and smell great, those sulphates dry out your hair and can exacerbate dandruff and scurf. Instead, look out for products that contain natural ingredients and are sulphate-free. Products used for perming, bleaching and colouring hair can contain damaging chemicals that strip away your hair’s cuticle. Without this protective layer, your hair becomes more porous and loses its natural moisture much more easily. Keep these treatments to a minimum, and always have your hair permed or coloured professionally by a hairdresser, rather than taking the DIY route. Use moisturising conditioning products If you have dry hair, or hair that’s suffering from the effects of over-colouring, always use a conditioning product that contains added moisturiser. It’s a good idea to treat your hair with a nourishing, moisturising mask or a hot oil treatment every week as part of your hair care routine. For added effectiveness, apply the product to your hair after washing, and then wrap your hair in a warm towel. Allow the product to soak into your hair for half an hour or so before rinsing it out. This allows the moisturisers contained within the mask to soak right into your hair, giving it greater flexibility and shine. In conclusion You can keep...
read moreQuestions to Ask Before Taking a Makeup Course
Learning how to apply makeup like a professional can open up a wide range of career choices for both men and women. While it’s easy to think that makeup is only professionally applied to actors and actresses working on movie sets, remember that TV reporters and anchorpersons also have makeup applied every day, local commercials that are filmed in your area will need makeup persons, and of course women get makeup applied professionally for a wide range of events. When you’re ready to take a makeup course, either online or in person, note a few questions to ask beforehand. 1. Ask what is covered by the course fee by way of supplies You may assume that your course fee will include all the makeup supplies you’ll need for your class, but this is not a good assumption to make. A class might provide you with certain supplies but you may also need to purchase many items to use for practice or to bring with you to class, including brushes, cleansers, and the like. You may also need a Styrofoam head or other practice “dummy” for assignments. Always ask what is included and what you should expect to purchase on your own when you sign up for any course. 2. Ask if you’ll be expected to bring samples of your own work Many makeup courses will give you instructions and go through courses and then expect you to work on certain assignments at home, and in turn, you may be required to take pictures of your work or bring in that Styrofoam head after makeup is applied. If this is the case, be sure you have a good camera or are prepared to show your work to your instructor for the course. 3. Note if the class qualifies you for certain licensing Not all areas require someone applying makeup to be licensed, but some areas do have license requirements to work as a makeup artist. You may also find that newsrooms, commercial production facilities, and other such businesses prefer using a licensed cosmologist. In those cases, it’s good to ask if the class you’ll be taking qualifies you for such licensing or if the license is part of the course completion. If not, they may still be able to help you find out more about the requirements for licensing in your area or for working in particular industries and assist you with paperwork, filing for the license, and so on. For more information, contact a local beauty school like Elly Lukas Beauty Therapy...
read moreSalon Equipment | 4 Strategies To Choose Professional Hair Straighteners For Home-Based Salons
Even if you’re running a salon from your home, you’ll need to ensure that the salon equipment you choose meets professional standards if you want to succeed and stay competitive in this industry. Hairdressing equipment like hair straighteners and curlers come with certain specifications to help you make the right choices. Use this guide as the stepping stone to choosing professional hair straighteners for your home-based salon. Understand Plate Width For Different Hair Lengths and Types When you run a salon, chances are your customers will vary widely with their hair lengths and types. You’ll need to understand different plate widths for different hair types because you’ll probably need to have a few in stock. Slim plates are best suited to short and straight hair. Medium plates are best suited for short to medium-length hair. Wide plates are ideal for thick and long hair. Since you’re likely to have customers with all types of hair, you may ideally like to have them all in your salon. Choose High Wattage With Adjustable Power When buying salon equipment for hair, wattage often gives you an indication of its power. Additional and adjustable power gives you more flexibility because you can set the hair straightener to high or low temperatures, depending on what you are looking for. Hair straighteners with high watts work best for thick and curly hair, but extremely hot temperatures may not be the ideal choice for thin hair. Adjustable power allows you to lower the temperature setting to suit the requirements of thinner hair, so you don’t end up damaging it. Some hair straightener models even offer digital displays for greater accuracy, giving you more flexibility when you work with clients. Look For Automatic Shut-Off Features Running a home-based salon probably keeps you busy through the day, so you may end up forgetting to turn off your hair straightener. This could end up being extremely dangerous as an overheated hair straightener could trigger an unprecedented fire, putting the lives of your family members at risk. An automatic shut-off feature turns off your hair straightener after a given time, so you don’t cause needless damage to your house. Choose Ceramic Plates For Even Heating The plate material must be an excellent conductor of heat for optimum performance. To reduce hair breakage, you’ll want to ensure that there is minimal friction between hair and the plate. Ceramic plates are perhaps the most popular choice because they retain heat at constant temperatures and heat evenly across the plate. Some hair straighteners come with glass plates, but these aren’t durable because they can chip or crack easily when dropped. Use these tips when choosing salon equipment like professional hair straighteners for your home-based salon. You can shop for straighteners and other hairdressing equipment at a company like Elasta Hairdressing...
read moreChoosing a gift for a new mum
If you are looking for a gift for a new friend who’s become a new mum, it can be great to look for something that isn’t just a teeny-tiny baby suit or yet another bunch of flowers. Finding a gift that recognises the physical and emotional process your friend has just gone through to become a mother can be a fantastic and memorable gift. A body massage The last few months of pregnancy, as well as the process of giving birth, takes its toll on the mother’s body. New mums are often sore and uncomfortable, as well as somewhat out of shape. A body massage can help to relieve aches and pains, provide relaxation and can help the new mum feel positive in her changing body. A body massage at a salon that specialises in massage from new mums can be a great gift for these reasons. A photography session While smart phones capture many snaps of the new baby, they tend to also capture less than flattering angles of the new mum. While new mums don’t always feel their best physically in the weeks after giving birth, getting some attractive and flattering shots of mum with her new baby is an invaluable gift for a new mum. They can provide her with a memento of this moment in her life. Professional photographers can capture the emotions of the time, and the pictures will be looked back on for years to come. A new set of lounge pants New mums spend a lot of time in and out of bed and at home. A new pair of lounge pants, in a very loose fit, can double as day wear and pajamas for the new mum. Choose a luxe fabric such as silk cotton knit (in summer), or a silk cashmere blend in winter, for pants that look as good to wear as they feel. Make sure to choose a blend that can be machine washed and tumble dried for maximum ease. These kinds of clothes can easily and quickly be dressed up so that when unexpected visitors pop in, the new mum can feel comfortable not having to rush to change. A thoughtful gift for the new mum is a great way to celebrate this new stage of her life. It’s a wonderful opportunity to pamper your friend in this beautiful time and help her to enjoy her time as a new...
read moreHow To Get The Best Out Of Your Work Boots
If you work outdoors as a tradesperson or landscaper, then you’re probably aware of the importance of a good, sturdy pair of work boots as part of your work wear attire. Good quality work boots will keep your feet warm, dry, comfortable, and safe when you’re on site. Like any essential work wear item, it’s important to spend a little bit extra to make sure you get a good quality pair of boots. These can come with a fairly hefty price tag, so it’s also worth spending some money on these accessories that will enhance the performance and prolong the life of your work boots. Waterproofing treatment Most good quality work boots are made from leather, which isn’t naturally waterproof. You’ll need to use a waterproofing treatment that’s designed for leather before you wear them for the first time. This sort of treatment will prevent moisture from penetrating further than the top layer of the outer boot and will stop the leather from becoming stiff over time. It’s important to reapply the treatment periodically to maintain the waterproof outer barrier. Boot brushes Keeping your boots clean is also important because leather boots will deteriorate over time if mud, building materials, or gardening products are left on them. This means getting rid of all the caked on dirt and grime at the end of the day. It’s worth getting a specifically designed set of boot brushes to do this. Boot brushes are stiff enough to remove mud that has set, but soft enough that they won’t damage the leather surface of your boot. You can buy sets of brushes that are used by hand to remove the dirt. The other option is to buy an integrated boot brush and scraper. These are set into a metal frame, with the brushes at the side and underneath, and a hard metal or plastic scraper at the front. This means that at the end of a hard day at work, you won’t even need to bend over to get your boots clean. Conditioning treatment Your work boots will last longer and feel more comfortable if you regularly treat them with a leather conditioner. This will keep the leather supple and it also removes any residual dirt from the leather’s surface. Conditioners work by replacing the natural oils of the leather, which prevents cracking and flaking. It will also revive the appearance of the leather, leaving your boots looking almost like new. A good quality pair of work boots is an investment worth taking care of. You can find all of these accessories from most work wear suppliers and stockists, such as Hot...
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