Taking Care of Your Hair Extensions

On February 11, 2013February 11, 2018 By Christine RinehartIn beauty, hairLeave a comment

Cleansing/Conditioning

Brush your hair with a detangling brush. Use the shampoo recommended by your stylist. Gently, from the scalp to the ends, massage the shampoo in a downward motion and repeat if necessary. Only use sulfate free conditioner and apply from mid length to ends.

Styling/Drying

Always dry your hair using a low to moderate heat setting on your hair dryer. Style as desired using the recommended hair products from your stylist. Remember to keep all heated styling tools away from the bonds. When using blow dryers, flat irons or curling irons, use the appropriate protective serum to protect against thermal damage and add control and shine.

Sleeping

Never sleep when your hair is still wet. Gently gather your hair on top of your head with a scrunchie. A loose braid will also help prevent tangling and matting at night.

Swimming

Before swimming, mist hair with a leave in conditioner or apply a shine serum from the ends of your hair to mid-length. Do not apply directly to the scalp. Loosely braid your hair since chemicals and salt water may compromise the integrity of the bonds. Follow the advise of your stylist for post-swimming hair care.

Removal

Do not remove your hair extensions by yourself! You might damage your real hair. Your extensions stylist is trained in the steps to properly remove your hair as to best preserve the best condition of your natural hair, and not impede the next extension process.

Seasonal Style Rules

On February 5, 2013 By Christine RinehartIn beauty, hair, lifestyle1 Comment

Often as seasons change, my clients ask me what’s trending in with the new weather pattern. While there’s always a fair amount of unexpected fashion, there are also a lot of style rules that don’t really change. Hope these help you stay on point.

Spring.

-Makeup returns to peach tones and colorful pastels, think “playful” and “innocent.”

-Clothing is shorter, of course, as few items as possible, kind of the anti-layering, usually lace or other “open” fabrics.

-Hair gets lighter though don’t go too light too quickly, but more natural sun-kissed, typically on the ash/beige end of the color spectrum.

Summer.

-Makeup is typically dewy with soft, brown-rimmed eyes, not black, and nothing too deep for lip colors. Sometimes bright eyeshadows for extreme color trend, but that can be hit or miss.

-Let’s address the clothing trends: Denim! It’s always denim. I don’t know why, it’s a terrible fabric, but summer brings is denim skirts, shorts, vests, oh gosh, everything!

-Hair this season views lots of blondes, golds, caramels for darker hair with beachy, worn-in scrunchy wavy softness.

Autumn.

-Lots of natural soft looks with makeup, sometimes just a bit of color to keep it interesting. Since it’s just starting to get cooler people seem to start cutting down their beauty routine. Possibly to spend a few extra minutes in a warm bed each morning?

-Autumnal clothing is pretty well understood by most already. Unlike spring, despite similar temperature ranges, there is almost an obsession with layering as though you aren’t dressed without three outfits at the same time. Also wear lots of brown, since Autumn is the season to celebrate brown everything.

-Personally it’s my favorite hair season because I love all the gold, red and copper. Emulate the local foliage as much as you reasonably can.

Winter.

-Makeup settles in with bold, jewel tones with a soft neutral lip, or goes the other direction with a Snow White look and red lips.

-Clothing gets puffy. As the temperature decreases, the level of mass required by clothing increases exponentially. 40=jacket. 30=puffy jacket. 20=strap on a polar bear and hide it with an even puffier jacket.

-Hair trends darker, more intense, and often straighter, my guess is that since this is the coldest season it’s the only one where the hair is chosen based on ease. If you cannot leave with wet hair, straight is usually the fastest.

Some Notes on Link Wefts and Malaysian Style Extensions

On February 1, 2013 By Christine RinehartIn hairLeave a comment

Link wefts and Malaysian Style Hair extensions are great for medium-length hair looking to go longer. Link wefts and Malaysian style hair extensions both use wefted track hair extensions to add length and/or thickness quickly and easily. Link weft hair extensions use only micro link beads to hold weft hair in place. Malaysian style hair extensions use a row of micro link beads to create a “track” to sew the wefted hair extensions onto.

The biggest benefits? Both methods use no heat and no glue. These extensions can also be tightened every month or so without having to be removed or replaced. This means your hair can stay looking better for a longer period of time.

Fair warning: These extensions aren’t good for people who have very short hair because it doesn’t blend as well as methods with individual attachment points.

Talking Points for You and Your Stylist: Tape Weft Hair Extensions

On January 28, 2013 By Christine RinehartIn beauty, hair2 Comments

Tape wefts are a relatively new format for hair extension application. Tape wefts are also referred to as sticker hair and skin wefts, depending on the salon. There are a lot of great brands out there producing them right now as well. Some of my favorites include: Di Biasi, Cinderella Hair, So.Cap USA ( SHE by So.Cap), Georgie OSY, and Babe.

Tape weft hair extensions are best suited for “short term” extension wearers, or those who change their hair frequently. Tape wefts are best when worn one to three months and then replaced.

Fine hair works well with tape wefts, since they are completely flat to the head and are easily hidden.

Unfortunately, tape wefts are not good for making short hair long because too many pieces are required, and that decreases the wear time.

As always, the best way to determine what kind of hair extensions are best for you is to visit your local extension specialist. In person consultation in advance is key for making sure you get the amazing head of hair extensions that you’re dreaming of.

And of course, if Northern Virginia is local to you I’d love for you to visit.

Why Over Washing You Hair Is A Problem

On January 24, 2013 By Christine RinehartIn hair, lifestyle1 Comment

Hair is naturally dry on its own and relies on oil from the scalp to keep it supple and enhance elasticity. Over washing your hair can actually strip your hair of its essential moisture.

How often is too often, though? It varies from person to person. Ask your stylist. Some factors include:

-Hair thickness

-Activity level and exercise

-Products used

-Air-drying vs blowouts, curly vs straight

-Chemical processes

As a general rule, hair should be shampooed only when it’s dirty. This results in less frizz and can save you from going through conditioner at an alarming rate. There are lots of “non shampoo” cleansers out there if you simply must wash every day. My favorites: Kerastase Chroma Sensitive, WEN, and Deva Curl No-Poo. Otherwise, washing with regular shampoo about twice a week is good pretty standard for most hair types while some hair thrives being washed only bi-weekly.

Benefits of Keratin Treatments

On January 10, 2013 By Christine RinehartIn hairLeave a comment

Keratin treatments are often referred to as Brazilian Keratin Treatments or BKT for short. The term describes a fairly wide range of products that have one common theme: topical smoothing of the hair using heat bonded protein to fill gaps and reduce frizz.

Express treatments are better for fine hair as there is less reduction to volume. Full treatments work wonders at reducing bulky hair. The best option is always to have a thorough consultation with your personal stylist.

Some talking points for a great consultation are:

-Pre-existing color processes

-Current washing schedule and styling routine

-Curl pattern and reduction that you want

-Frizz level

-Volume or bulk ratio

How to Know What to Ask For: Highlight Edition

On January 6, 2013February 11, 2018 By Christine RinehartIn beauty, hairLeave a comment

There are three basic ways to book for your highlights. Knowing what your reason for highlighting is helps you make the right appointment with your colorist. The three appointment types are full highlight, partial highlight, and mini highlight.

Want to be lighter? Full highlight. A full highlight colors strands of hair all over your head lighter, which produces an all-over lighter hair color effect.

Want your hair brighter? Partial highlight. By lightening strands from the crown and front sections of your hair, a brighter effect is achieved without the effect of changing the base hair color.

Just bothered by the roots at the front? Ask about a mini! A mini typically consists of about 5-10 foils placed strategically to hide roots between full/partial appointments.

My Favorite Things: Shellac Pedicures!

On December 29, 2012December 30, 2012 By Christine RinehartIn beauty, lifestyleLeave a comment

Nothing makes me happier than a fresh pedicure, unfortunately when it’s cold outside I don’t want to wear flip flops for hours and hours while it dries fully. Enter Shellac!

Now I can get my toes done and put my socks on as soon as I’m done. Best thing ever! It lasts even longer than a regular pedicure. Try it at once and you’ll love it, I swear.

Shellac itself is a brand name for gel polish by CND. Other companies have Gellish, OPI Axxium, and several others. I’ve tried pretty much all of them with no major differences in wear time or nail health. Go wild for them!

Happy News!

On December 28, 2012 By Christine RinehartIn lifestyleLeave a comment

I try to make it a point to thank people when I am mentioned and hear about it so I wanted to give a shout out to some of the lovely people associated with Breakthroughbusiness on Blog Talk Radio. On December 24th, 2012 I was mentioned as a successful social media business user for how I promote myself and my hair extension work using my Instagram account. How cool is that?

You can listen to it here, I’m mentioned about 30 minutes in by Don Cooper, The Sales Heretic.

Digital Media Communication Strategist & Speaker Michele Price brings you weekly access to the top minds in Business Success Mindset and Web 2.0 tools, techniques and strategies. Michele Price the Breakthrough Specialist enjoys bringing you high powered guest each week as well as everyday business owners so you can build your online presence through relationships.

My Winter Face – Favorite Things

On December 27, 2012 By Christine RinehartIn beauty, lifestyleLeave a comment

With the weather all wonky for Winter skin can be dry and lips can feel like they need some extra oomph (technical term, I swear). So today I reached for some of my favorite Winter products to protect and emphasize.

I’ll start off with Barrier Repair, a calming “moisturizer” for sensitive skin by Dermalogica. Barrier Repair is a water free silicone and natural oil based “moisturizer” designed to instantly form a soothing barrier for your skin. You’ll notice I keep putting moisturizer in quotes. This is because it’s not a moisturizer in the traditional sense. Most moisturizers add lots of oils to your skin to fill it up and keep it feeling supple, what Barrier Repair does is different because it’s not creating moisture so much as it’s protecting it. It’s also full of other vitamins to keep the health of your skin up during these chilly dry months. Think of it as the grown up version of when your parents put Vaseline on your face before you went out to play in the snow. Added benefit: it can be used as a primer before make-up or instead of make-up because the silicone adds a soft focus feeling and reduces the appearance of pores. Really a great multitask product. That’s what we all need right? Fewer things in our bag?

My other favorite Winter product isn’t as much a multitasker or hugely beneficial, but it always makes me feel like my lips really pop. In the Winter I feel like my lips start to disappear on my face because they get dry and they aren’t shiny so they look thin and, well, blah. Enter Du Wop Lip Venom (I prefer the Gold Flash version for added sparkle). Unlike many other lip plumping products this one stays shiny all day so that long after the effects have worn off it still feels like it’s working. It also has more of a cinnamon “flavor” than mint so I’m quite appreciative of the warmth during Winter instead of just the tingling you would normally get from other products.

So those are my gotta have Winter favorites for my make-up kit. What about you? What Winter product do you always turn to?