Winter Beauty Essentials

Le Palais Hair Lounge
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I know I’m not alone when I say that the winter gives me the blues. Ugh – everything is so dark and dreary! It’s really easy to let negativity get the best of you and not want to leave your couch next to the fireplace (yes, that’s where I am right now). I’ve gathered up a few of the most essential beauty tips you’ll need to conquer this cold winter!

1. Bain Satin and Lait Vital

If you haven’t already seen our Facebook post about this amazingly moisturizing duo – here’s the low down! We weren’t surprised when we found out that InStyle Magazine had ranked Bain Satin and Lait Vital 2016’s BEST shampoo/conditioner for dry hair!! If your hair is dry but seems to get oily fast, this pair is made for you! They’re packed with amino acids to keep each strand super clean without robbing you of any moisture. Want even better news? To celebrate, we’ve got them both on sale for $25 each!

2. Shea Butter

This is a biggie when wintertime finally rears its ugly head. This season is especially tough on our knuckles and palms, so it’s important to keep them moisturized. As for us hairstylists, our hands are constantly wet in the sink which causes them to dry out and crack. For this tricky one, I recommend Kiehl’s Ultimate Strength Hand Salve. This cream has tons of shea butter, avocado, and sesame oil. It works by completely covering your hands and locking in the moisture!

3. Facial Moisturizer

We all know the importance of consistent facial moisturizing!! This is an easy step to overlook but you wouldn’t leave the house without brushing your teeth – would you? I hope not! Try and make some time in the morning before your makeup to apply moisturizer, better yet, put it on before bed and let it soak in overnight!! My recommendation for this is Cetaphil Moisturizing Lotion. Cetaphil is safe for sensitive skin, super moisturizing, and the best part is that it’s budget friendly! (Available in your local drug store)

4. Chapstick

There is no worse feeling than going to pucker up to your cutie and feeling nothing but dry crackly lips – yuck!! Our lips are so sensitive and we don’t even always realize it! They need sunscreen, moisture, and love just like the rest of our skin. Lips tend to age quicker and wrinkle quickly so keeping a good chapstick on you at all times will only benefit you in the long run! My favorite is Aquaphor Healing Ointment. It’s been said by two celebrities (Drew Barrymore and Zendaya) that this is a 5 buck everyday essential. It clears up chapped lips, reduces redness, and helps any matte lipstick go on smoother!

5. Baby Oil

Such a classic, you almost forgot about it! Baby oil is the absolute best!! So I’ve got 2 favorite ways to use baby oil, let me explain. Number 1, is using baby oil as soon as I step out of the shower. It makes my skin super soft and supple to let anything else I put on my skin really absorb in. Number 2, is to remove makeup! Sounds weird and almost like it’d be too greasy, but it’s really not! It’s a soft, sensitive way to remove any and all buildup of bronzers, mascara, eyeshadows, etc.

Winter Beauty Essentials
Le Palais Hair Lounge.

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Goals and Resolutions for 2017

Le Palais Hair Lounge
Le Palais Hair Lounge - The experience you've been waiting for.

Happy New Year, ladies! I cannot believe it is officially 2017. If you didn’t already know, I’m getting married this year!!! It seems like something I’ve only ever dreamed about but in a few short months, it will be a reality! Well, with a brand new year, comes brand new goals. With my wedding ahead of me, I’ve got quite a few on my list that I’d like to share with you in case you’re looking to better yourself in 2017 as well!

1. Stay Organized

This is a big one for me with the year I have ahead of me! Between classes, wedding plans, work, life, etc…things can get crazy! Call me old fashioned but I love to carry around a weekly planner. I’ve already purchased my 2017 planner and have it all setup! I write everything down or else I really will forget. I still use my iPhone to keep track of things, but I’ve never been one to put all of my trust into technology. Nothing beats pen and paper to stay on top of your to-do lists!

2. Be Healthier

I know this sounds like quite the cliché but, hey, I’m only human! I’m not ashamed to say I want to look (and feel) great in my wedding dress! I’m not talking about depriving myself of pizza for the next six months. I just mean to start making some healthier choices. Drinking more water, eating more veggies, and taking the stairs never hurt anybody!

3. Learn More

I speak on behalf of all of us at Le Palais when I say, I can’t get enough of learning! It’s a serious goal of ours for at least one of us to attend one class per month! Trends are always changing, especially in this industry! We feed off of our education because it keeps us up to date. These aren’t any plain old math class; hairstylists host the best classes by far…they even include frequent dance breaks! I’ll be attending a class at Bumble and Bumble in NYC next week actually — starting off the new year right and I cannot wait!

4. Save Money

Isn’t this everyone’s goal? I’m all for spending money and having a good time (as I think we all should!), but I do also enjoy saving some money. House hunting and weddings don’t pay for themselves. About 5 years ago I read an idea on Pinterest called a “5 Dollar Jar,” and it’s exactly what it sounds like. Someone came up with the brilliant idea of saving up all their $5 bills! It sounds crazy, but they don’t come as frequently as singles or twenties. When I did this the first time, by the end of the year, I was able to put half in the bank, and I purchased myself my first iPad with the other half! This time around, we plan on using our $5 jar for the honeymoon! I’m telling ya, grab an old mason jar and try it out for 6 months! Come summer time, you’ll have a couple of extra bucks to spend on vacay!

5. Grow My Hair

I’m known to usually rock a long bob. I love the way it looks on me with funky beach waves. With the wedding coming up, I’d really like to have my hair a little longer in order to put it up for the big day! I’ve done all my research and followed my own advice from previous blogs. Along with applying Bumble and Bumble’s Full Potential serum every morning, I’ve also started taking biotin daily, as well as doing frequent hair masques. Believe it or not, my hair has grown over one inch a month! If you’ve been paying attention to me, you know that hair only grows an average of 1/4 inch per month, so this is a huge deal! I do plan on keeping up with my new regimen, along with getting regular haircuts, and we’ll see where I’m at by the end of the year!

2016 was by far one of the best years ever for me, so I’m really looking forward to how 2017 is going to top it!! I hope through today’s blog I’ve inspired you to sit down, think about where you’re at and where you’d like to be! Set some goals for yourself and watch yourself crush ’em!

Goals and Resolutions for 2017
Le Palais Hair Lounge.

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Top 5 Googled Beauty Tips in 2016

Le Palais Hair Lounge
Le Palais Hair Lounge - The experience you've been waiting for.

Google Trends just released the MOST Googled beauty questions in 2016. Apparently, people still don’t know what balayage is! As hairstylists, it’s our job to educate our clients on all thing’s beauty, but I get it, sometimes it can be intimidating to ask questions! I promise we don’t bite! In case you’re still too nervous to speak up, I’ve got ya covered.

1. How to Do a Fish Tail Braid?

This is one even hairstylists struggle with sometimes. I’m the first to say that braiding is not my strong suit. Although it’d be much easier to probably YouTube this, the step by step is fairly easy. Fish tails are most simply done when you start off with the hair in a low pony tail. Split the pony tail into two sides, grab a tiny piece of hair from the back of one side and wrap the same piece around the front of the other side. Continue by alternating sides until you get to the bottom and tie it off! At this point, you’re finished and have the option of removing the first pony tail or not! Fairly easy, so try it out!

2. How to Make Your Hair Grow Faster?

I’ve mentioned this in a couple of blogs now, but it’s always good to give a refresher! Although there’s no scientifically proven way to make your hair grow faster, there are quite a few tricks, we’ve tried ourselves! To list a few of my favorites – castor oil, Biotin supplements, and of course, getting haircuts!

-Women all over the world are swearing by castor oil, which I go into much more detail about in a previous blog. Simply apply castor oil to your scalp, rub it in, and let it work its magic – do this as often as desired!

-The recommended daily dose of biotin is 2,500 mcg. This is the most popular trick for not only growing your hair, but keeping your hair healthy, as well as your skin and nails.

-Haircut, haircut, haircut! You had to know I’d mention this one! The best way to grow your hair is to keep trimming your hair! It’s so important to keep removing your dead/split ends and making sure your hair is healthy from roots to ends!

3. What Is Balayage?

This is a question we hear almost every day inside the salon! If you have any form of social media, you’ve read the word “balayage” at least a million times. First of all, how do you even say it? It’s properly pronounced (bah-lay-aj). Now, what the heck is it?? Balayage is actually a French word that means “hair painting” and that’s exactly what it is! Instead of traditional highlighting with foils, balayage is applied free hand. That means there’s no foils involved. Colourists may often use plastic wrap in order to separate highlights and/or keep the lightening product moist (once it dries out, it stops processing). Is balayage any different? Though there are pros and cons to every highlighting technique, balayage is extremely popular due to the fact that the grow out process is much more subtle. That means there will not be a harsh line of contrast between your natural hair and your highlights. Next time you’re in, ask your stylist if balayage is right for you! (Friendly reminder: Consultations at Le Palais are completely free! Give us a call or stop in for more info from a professional whenever you’d like.)

4. How to Clean Make up Brushes?

I know I’ve talked about this one before because unfortunately, it’s often a missed step for us ladies! Cleaning our brushes is easier than you think! Simply pick up a bottle of brush disinfectant from your local drug store, pour some in a shallow bowl or dish, and swirl your brushes in along the bottom. The disinfectant is often blue in color, like what you see on our stations in the salon. You’ll know your brushes are clean when the blue starts to change to a darker, cloudier color. How often should you be cleaning your brushes? As a general rule of thumb, if you use them daily, they should be cleaned every day.

5. How to Get Rid of Dark Circles?

First of all – why do we even get dark circles under our eyes? It’s actually genetics that is to blame! If your parents have hyper-pigmentation, especially in this area, it’s likely that you will too. The best way to get rid of (and prevent) these pesky dark circles, is moisturizing! It’s key to find a good moisturizer to apply every night before bed. Some women are still putting frozen spoons under their eyes.

-I mean, it’s worth a shot, right?! Another solution is one that seems nearly impossible, and one that we don’t want to hear, and that is getting more sleep and staying out of the sun, or at least wearing sunscreen. Be sure not to touch your eyes too much either, this can irritate them, causing them to look even worse than they really are.

This just so happens to be my last blog of 2016! I can’t believe it’s been four months now that I’ve been blogging weekly. This is something I’ve always, always wanted to do and only used to dream about. The day I was asked to take on this huge task I was filled with joy because I was finally given a platform of loyal fans who would follow along with me on this journey! I’m so very thankful for your continued support, and I look forward to what’s to come in 2017!

Happy New Year, beauties!

Top 5 Googled Beauty Tips in 2016
Le Palais Hair Lounge.

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5 Ways to Beat That Holiday Blah

Le Palais Hair Lounge
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I know I’m not alone when I say that this week is by far the most stressful week of the year. It’s easy to get caught up in the holiday madness and forgot all about yourself! Luckily, I’ve got a couple of easy tricks up my sleeve to share with you on how to beat that blah!

1. Moisturize Skin

This one is important all year round but especially when you’re stressing! As women, we know all too well that stress causes break outs. The one and only way to stop those break outs is to take good care of your skin! Make sure you’re washing your face every night before bed to rid your skin of all that nasty buildup of oils, and of course when you’re done with that, moisturize! There are tons of moisturizers you can get from your local drug store that are fragrance-free and hypoallergenic. You should be moisturizing every morning and night to reduce the chance of dry skin or pimples.

2. Hair Oil Treatment

If I’ve said this once, I’ve said it a million times! You already know my feelings on the importance of treating your hair with oil treatment. You can refer to previous blogs on the best natural oils to use on your hair. Trust me, when you’re already stressed out and your hair looks crazy frizzy; it all seems like too much! When your hair is fully moisturized, it cooperates even better! Not only that but hair is naturally more dry in the winter time so oil treatments are even more important.

3. Cold Sore Tricks

Along with break outs, come cold sores! Unfortunately, cold sores can be a natural part of stress for some of us. There are plenty of natural at-home remedies to prevent and get rid of cold sores. If you feel one coming on, keep applying your chap stick and ice the area every night! If it’s already too late, you need to treat that nasty bugger! One proven trick (and a festive one) is peppermint oil! Dab some on a Q-tip and apply it to the affected area before bed! And don’t forget to change your tooth brush once it’s gone!

4. Beauty Sleep

I know 8 hours of sleep seems completely unrealistic, especially when you’ve got a full-time job, children, and holiday shopping on top of that! There’s a reason why they call it beauty sleep! After a good night’s sleep, you’ll look beautiful and when you’re more rested and relaxed, you’re more likely to stay calm and keep your cool.

5. Treat Yourself!!

That’s right, ladies – treat yo’ self! There is no better way to relax than to come de-stress for a few hours at the salon! In the midst of holiday stress, it’s easy to get down on yourself for any number of reasons, but that’s exactly what we’re here for! Come on in – have your roots touched up, get a fresh haircut, or even a quick blowout before that party! Here at Le Palais, we pride ourselves on being extremely relaxing for our beloved clients. Whether you feel like talking or not, we are always there for you!

No matter what, remember – the importance of the holidays should be those around the tree, not what’s under it! Forget about the craziness of shopping and just enjoy every moment.

5 Ways to Beat That Holiday Blah
Le Palais Hair Lounge.

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5 Perfect Hair Day Facts

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Don’t we wish everyday was a perfect hair day? I know it’s not always possible, but I’m here to tell you a couple of tricks you can follow in order to get the most ‘good hair days’ you’ve ever had!

1. Brush Hair

Brush, brush, brush! Brush your hair often and brush your hair well! Not just when you wake up, keep a travel size brush in your purse or in your car to brush your hair throughout the day. This is one of my favorite tricks for whenever my curls start to look funky. I simply run a vent brush over my hair and wah-lah! My boring curls are suddenly brought back to life! Not only should you brush your hair throughout the day. It’s also important to brush before, during, and after your shower! While your hair is wet, use a wide-tooth comb instead to reduce tangling when it comes time to style!

2. Sulfate Free Shampoo

This is a biggie! If you’ve ever looked at the back of your shampoo bottle while you’re in the bathroom (I can’t be the only one), well, then you’ve probably seen all of these huge words, and it’s like “whatever I don’t even know what that stuff means.” I’ll give you a little trick you should look out for – sulfates. What are they anyway? It’s what makes your shampoo all big and bubbly! Guess what? You don’t need bubbles! I had a hard time dealing with this at first because I love the bubbles, it makes me feel clean! Sulfates can increase frizz and cut the life of your color in half! More and more women are catching onto this so more hair care lines than ever are adjusting and finally becoming sulfate free! Kerastase and Bumble make multiple sulfate free shampoos, one of my favorites being Bumble’s Hairdresser’s Invisible Oil. It still gets mildly bubbly, just in case you’re like me and love the bubbles, plus it smells absolutely amazing!

3. Use Hair Sunscreen

You will thank me for this one! Hair sunscreen is a real thing, and it happens to be super important. Did you know that heat from our blow dryers and curling irons isn’t the only heat we have to look out for? The sun is really damaging to our hair, as well as our hair color. Sometimes wearing a hat just isn’t ideal – I mean, who wants hat hair anyway? We’re talking about having a perfect hair day here! That’s why it’s important to start your daily routine with a UV protector. Referring back to Bumble’s Hairdresser’s Invisible Oil line, they also make an HIO Primer! The primer smells just as amazing as the shampoo, and it’s even more important! I’m telling you, I use this primer every single time I wash my hair! It will detangle, prime, and protect your hair – what more could you ask for? I even keep a travel bottle in my beach bag every summer because it’s amazing after I’ve been swimming around in salt water all day!

4. Use Heat Protector

Equally as important as my previous point, you must use a heat protector! We already know how damaging heat can be on our hair. It’s important not to use heat every single day. However, it’s inevitable that we use a curling iron or flat iron here or there. Using a heat protectant spray or crème on your hair will dramatically affect the health of your hair! If you use the heat protector diligently, I promise that over time, you will see less split ends and frizz!

5. Oils

I know I’ve mentioned the oils to you more than once, but they really are important. This time I actually don’t mean essential oils though. Here I’m referring to styling oils! Sometimes blowing out our own hair can create a little extra frizz, that’s when we need the oils. Complete your Bumble’s Hairdresser’s Invisible Oil family collection with the actual HIO itself! The Oil was the original product that inspired the entire line! It’s been one of my favorite products for years because it really does work! All you need is a dime-size squirt right in your palms, rub your hands together really well, and simply rake it through the ends of your hair! It’s important to keep the oils away from your scalp once you’ve finished styling, or you may cause your hair to look greasy. Focus the product on your ends to reduce frizz, add shine, and complete your perfect hair day look!

I’ve told you time and time again that I do not recommend washing hair every day and that still stands true with this blog! If you’re still clean from a day or two before, refer back to my blog on how to make a blowout last longer! Without shampooing, you’re able to skip most of these steps and head right to revitalizing your bounce with brushing and a curling iron. Always remember on a good or bad hair day, you’re beautiful no matter what!

5 Perfect Hair Day Facts
Le Palais Hair Lounge.

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5 Natural Oils for Healthy Hair

Le Palais Hair Lounge
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I’ve mentioned on several occasions in my previous blogs that you should be using oils on your hair. I’m sure by now I sound like a broken record, but I figured, now would be a good time to go into depth on why you really should! Most women assume oils will either make your hair too soft or greasy, yet they don’t know the list of benefits oils bring! Read on to find out the top five oils I would recommend for your hair and how they can work wonders!

1. Castor Oil

Surprise! It is said that castor oil actually promotes hair growth! Although this has not been scientifically proven, there are millions of testimonials that say castor oil will help to grow your hair 3-5x faster! It sounds almost too good to be true! On average, hair grows ½ inch a month. However, after using castor oil twice a week for one month, it is said that hair can grow up to 2 inches! Not only that but because of its antibacterial and anti-fungal properties, it can prevent dandruff and other scalp infections. Don’t believe me? Try it yourself and track your growth!

2. Coconut Oil

Coconut oil is trending quickly for its many benefits in the beauty field. This oil is perfect to counteract a dry, itchy, or flaky scalp. It’s full of Omega 3s, vitamin C, magnesium, and amino acids. Coconut oil also happens to be high in electrolytes, which makes it a great way to hydrate! Shampoos often contain coconut oil in them, so you might think they’re great for your hair alone but other harsh chemicals may be present that could, in fact, be damaging! Going straight to the source and using the oil itself to hydrate your scalp will treat dandruff much better than any other over the counter shampoo treatment. You may not be cured overnight, but in just about a week I promise you’ll be seeing results.

3. Almond Oil

It is said that people with alopecia often have magnesium, calcium, and/or zinc deficiencies. It just so happens that almond oil is rich in all three of these minerals. This makes almond oil another great oil to use for thinning hair! Almond oil will also repair your ends, given the high amount of vitamin E, which repairs any damage done to the collagen layer of your hair.

4. Olive Oil

Women have been using olive oil on their hair for thousands of years. Advocates claim that olive oil adds shine, body, and extreme softness. Olive oil is especially beneficial for those with dry and thick hair because of how strong it is. That is not to say that those with softer, thinner hair cannot use olive oil, it’s just that it may weigh your hair down. Olive oil is an especially useful treatment for hair that has been damaged by chemicals like perms, bleach, smoothing treatments, etc. due to the deep moisturizing that it provides. For those with highly bleached hair, it is best to wait at least 72 hours after your initial color appointment and start off with a strand test to be sure that it does not affect the color of your hair!

5. Avocado Oil

Not only do avocados taste great on toast and in guacamole, they’re also amazing for your hair! Being especially high in vitamin E, potassium, lecithin, and chlorophyll, avocado oil is the perfect leave-in conditioner because it is highly, highly moisturizing. Apply to hair while wet or dry and it will leave your hair feeling shiny and even easier to style! I hope that some of these has inspired you to head into your kitchens tonight and throw some oil on your hair! For all the oil treatments I have mentioned above, I suggest a couple of helpful tips to achieve optimal results:

• Wear gloves (with castor oil, specifically)
• Wear an old raggedy T-shirt in case of staining – Apply oil to dry hair for best absorption
• Use a wide tooth comb to distribute oil evenly throughout hair – Keep a towel on the floor for easy clean up from dripping
• Use a jaw clip to pin hair up while oil soaks in – Leave oil in as long as possible (overnight is best!!!)
• Rinse thoroughly when you’re finished and use a sulfate free shampoo

Go enjoy your beautiful hair!!!

5 Natural Oils for Healthy Hair
Le Palais Hair Lounge.

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5 Ways to Grow Long, Natural Hair

Le Palais Hair Lounge
Le Palais Hair Lounge - The experience you've been waiting for.

Every year, the same pattern happens time and time again. Just before the summertime, ladies (including myself) come into the salon dying to cut all their hair off. Then of course, come wintertime, we’re all regretting it and wishing our hair would just grow already! Although our hair grows at an average rate of ½ an inch per month, we all know it’s impossible to become Rapunzel overnight. Good news is, I’m here to tell you a couple of healthy tricks to grow long, natural hair!

1.Keep Hair Hydrated

If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it a million times! Hydration is the key to everything! Hydration starts from the inside and works its way out. That’s why doctors recommend 8 glasses of water a day. Not only will you notice a difference in your skin when you start keeping up with your water intake, you will also notice a difference with your hair! Using a conditioner whenever you wash is equally as important. Kerastase’s Nutritive line was rated number 1 by InStyle for hair moisture! I promise you’ll notice a difference in your hair after one shampoo.

2.Protein

Not the kind that’s in chicken! I’m talking about a good hair masque infused with protein! It’s so, so important to be applying a masque once a week in order to keep your hair super healthy. If you’ve been keeping up with my blogs though, you know not to leave any masque with protein on your hair for longer than 20 minutes! This is super important because an excess of protein can cause adverse effects on your hair!

3.Reduce Heat Use

This is a tip I think we can all benefit from! Unless you’re super talented at blowing out our own hair (or in our Blowout Club) then you’re probably rough drying your hair and then using a hot tool as well. This is one of the worst things we can do to our hair! Reduce as much heat use as possible! This is easier said than done, especially in the winter time. In the summer, we can get away with letting our hair air dry from the beach and such, otherwise.

4.Handle Gently

Brush, brush, brush! Handle your hair as if it is the finest, softest silk you’ve ever touched! Brush your hair often and brush it well! Use scrunchies instead of elastic hair ties. Be gentle with your hair by tying it up in a looser bun rather than a super tight pony tail. This will decrease your amount of breakage and help your hair grow super long!

5.Seal in Moisture

Aside from drinking lots of water, you will also need to moisturize your hair on the outside! Along with doing masques once a week, try using some oil on your hair. Kerastase makes four Elixir oils that are customized for exactly what you need and they’re extremely beneficial. There is one for colored hair, aged hair, damaged hair, and coarse hair. Discuss with your stylist which oil will suit your needs best and apply this to your hair every single day!

5 Ways to Grow Long, Natural Hair
Le Palais Hair Lounge.

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