Balayage Hair-Coloring Technique

Balayage, French for painting or sweeping, is the newest buzzword in hair coloring and a look you have seen on countless celebrities. In this technique color is painted on to hair shafts freehand, rather than highlighting with foil, creating a multi-toned look that appears natural and luxurious.  Who wouldn’t want to imply they just spent a few weeks on a beach?  The look is youthful and makes hair tones look richer and shinier so they catch the light better.  It is more subtle and natural than ombre or sombre hair techniques and suits more styles, textures, and colors.  

Since the technique requires a trained hair colorist, it isn’t something you can try for yourself at home, but the investment is worth it since it is low maintenance as it grows out. No need to worry about your roots showing since that is exactly the point: the hair has ribbons of color applied to the lower half of the growth so your natural color stays on top, and face-framing lighter or warmer tones are applied to the bottom half of the hair.

Balayage works on all but very short hair lengths, and all textures and colors.  It looks sleek and sophisticated on long, straight, shiny hair, and naturally sexy when hair has waves.  Use shampoos and conditioners specifically formulated for color-treated hair, and protect your color when using heated appliances. 

The color-mixing options are as endless as you are bold, so balayage suits just about everyone.  Mid-length to longer hair looks current if the hair has texture and if the lower half of the hair is cut in a choppy fashion.  Brunettes can use lighter tones to look like they just spent the summer at the beach, or caramel tones to add warmth and depth, while adding blonde tones makes a statement. 

If you are not into highlights and a novice with hair coloring, you can start with simply having a colorist work on only the bottom three or so inches of you hair in a tone that is slightly lighter than your hair color, and follow up by waving the bottom sections of the hair for a little volume to catch the light.  Balayge on blonde hair creates a sun-kissed look and looks great when the lighter sections frame the face, having a brightening effect on the complexion.  Naturally grey hair looks amazing with balayage as it creates dimension and depth that is more apt to capture the light.  It also makes the hair greying process an easier transition since it mixes various tones and colors in an intentional way.  If you are bold with a capitol B then rainbow colors might be just the thing to make sure you don’t blend in with the crowd.  Think of Kelly Osborne!  This woman is an original!

An easy way to play with colors and tones on a whim, or to match a fashion look – think blogger style one day, haute hippie-chic the next, is with hair extensions in a tone that does not match your own hair color.  Since it is the bottom half of the hair that is colored with balayage, and the idea is not to match exactly but to intersperse the different color throughout the hair, then extensions can be the perfect alternative for a quick, non-committal fashion statement. 

Next time your roots are showing and you are about to book an appointment, look for a balayage expert and give yourself a break between colorings – you will thank yourself later and everyone will want to know how you got your amazing color.

                                              XOXO Shelley

#balayage hair technique #new hair color trends #celebrity hair styles #hair coloring  #hair painting technique  #low maintenance hair coloring #Dakota Johnson  #Ariana Grande #Julia Roberts #facethis.blogspot.com  #Shelley Goodstein

Model Crush Monday – Three New Supermodels Cover Vogue UK for February 2017

In a tribute to models as icons of style and beauty Vogue UK has broken the trend of celebs as cover stars and put three new supermodels on the cover of their February 2017 issue, lensed by the legendary Patrick Demarchelier. And it is high time!  We have waited too long between covers featuring models rather than celebrities or social media stars, and this issue is bound to become a collector’s edition in short order.  Kudos to British Vogue for bucking the trend and pressure from Hollywood to put a actress on the cover, especially during awards season. 

Imaan Hammam, Taylor Hill, and Anna Ewars are breakaway supermodels who represent the new era of beauty and fashion, swinging the pendulum clearly back to bombshell models with Amazonian bodies, curves, and individual looks that is as far from cookie-cutter as a model can get. 

Taylor Hill is the new face for Lancome, a classic beauty who can channel Audrey Hepburn one moment and Julia Roberts the next. 

Imaan Hammam, born in Holland an Egyptian father and Moroccan mother and is Muslim identifies with blacks, Arabs, and Europeans. 

Anna Ewars’ femme fatale body combined with her sultry girl-next door looks hints at a new-era Brigitte Bardot, and has the campaigns, and editorials to prove it. 

It’s been a long time coming and we are so ready to be excited by supermodels again, eager to embrace these statuesque women with healthy bodies, and otherworldly beauty.  That incredible beauty is made all that much more intriguing by Vogue who chose to showcase these women without altering them with a lot of makeup or stylized hair.  They don’t need help to be gorgeous and it is so refreshing to celebrate a woman looking as “real” as a supermodel ever looks – thank you Vogue!  More please!!

                                                          XOXO Shelley

#the new model trifecta #Vogue UK February 2017 #models on covers #the new supermodels #Patrick Demarchelier  #Taylor Hill #Imaan Hammam  #Anna Ewars #facethis.blogspot.com  #Shelley Goodstein

Beauty Tips: How to Get Rid of Under Eye Bags and Circles

Discoloration and under-eye bags are a challenge for many of us, and treating and hiding them is one of the top beauty concerns.  The skin beneath the eye is thinner and more delicate than that of the rest of the face, and needs special care and attention to minimize and hide them.  Heredity is one common cause, but modern living creates many culprits, from stress, being over-tired, staring at screens for hours, allergies, to dried-out contact lenses. Taking care of yourself and being mindful of these will improve your entire complexion, not just under-eye issues. There are things you can do to minimize and hide bags and circles that don’t require and trip to a dermatologist or plastic surgeon, so take control and follow these tips to avoid looking older and more tired than you actually are.

Start from the inside out:

Drink more water to keep your skin plump and well-hydrated from within. 

Elevate your pillow at night so that the blood doesn’t pool under your eyes.

Get enough sleep and avoid using tablets and phones in bed. Focusing on screens is hard on the eyes, and it shows.

Exercise increases blood-flow throughout your entire body and naturally that includes your face where it maintains a healthy, glowing complexion through increased circulation. 

Use collagen-building creams and serums especially formulated for the eye area that contain retinol and vitamin C to combat circles, discoloration, and lines. 

Use eye masks or refrigerated cucumber slices to de-puff and cool the eye area.  

Concealer is your secret weapon – if you choose the right one:

Look for color-correcting concealers designed the cancel out the bluish hue of under-eye circles.  Peach concealer cancels out the blue tones, and yellow concealers diminish redness. Choose a color to even out the eye lids as well for the perfect foundation for your eye makeup look. 

Don’t choose a concealer that is too light or contains highlighters as this will accentuate the area and make you look a like raccoon in reverse.

Use a concealer brush to apply product and gently blend with your ring finger, avoiding any drag on the delicate eye area.

Top with foundation if you regularly use it, or skip it if you are going for a more natural look.  Gently set the concealer with a translucent power applied with a fluffy brush to avoid too much powder settling into the concealer.  Choose a powder that doesn’t contain any highlighter particles as this will draw attention to the area.   

Younger, brighter, healthier-looking eyes – done.

                                             XOXO  Shelley

#how to get rid of under eye bags  #how to get rid of under eye circles #dark circles under eyes #color-correcting concealers  #avoiding raccoon eyes with concealer #best concealers for eye area  #facethis.blogspot.com  #Shelley Goodstein