HAPPY NEW YEAR!

2010 Fashion Trends

Happy New Year and new decade! As we turn the page on a new year and season it´s a great time to look at fashion trends. A quick look through various media would have us believing that we are all supposed to embrace the Lady Gaga look. While she has certainly created a lot of attention, what’s happening out there for "real" women? Plenty! Here are some fun trends pulled from a tour of the internet. According to trend watchers, the "in" colors are reflective of the economic climate. That is, lots of dark, deep and nature-inspired tones. Colors include Black Grey: from earthy-grey tints to light grey tones sparkly metallic Cream Brown: tan, beige Red: Crimson red to burgundy Orange: Burnt Sienna, deep orange Blue: electric blue, mint blue, dark navy blue, teal blue Of course, choose colors that look good on you and compliment your skin tone. A favorite website, thechicfashionista.com, describes four very wearable looks for right now. Here they are:

BoHo DeLuxe 70´s glamour with exotic details. Colors: Brown, black, olive, yellow, gold. Details: Ethnic and folkloric prints, vintage floral prints, layered necklaces, fur, suede and leather hobo bags, sexy but refined 70’s thigh high boots. Key Pieces: Military Jacket, Suede or Leather Bag, Thigh High Boots, Faux Fur Stoles/ Scarves, Exotic Print Blouses and Tunics, Multi-layer Necklace, Gypsy Belts Country Folk A mix of romantic English Country style with feminine 70´s elements. Colors: Orange, grey, brown, beige, off-white, olive green. Details: Checkers print, barnyard-looking boots, lace, loose blouses, menswear fitted slacks, old English style like medallion pendants continued on page 4

Top 10 Styling Mistakes

Skipping Regular Haircuts Maintain your hair style to make your life easier. "Haircuts have a shelf life of four to eight weeks before they start to lose shape and become harder to style," says Lisa Abbey, creative director of Salon Blue, in Mineola, New York. Working with Too Much Hair at Once Spend an afternoon at a salon and you’ll notice that the pros always use hair clips to divide and conquer a big styling job. The reason? It lets you concentrate the heat of your dryer or flatiron on one small section at a time. At home, split your hair into three horizontal layers. Pin the top and middle sections back with clips and work your way from the bottom up. Complete each section before moving on to the next, but if you’re in a hurry, spend more time styling the front and cheat a little in the back. Forgetting Your Roots If you pay more attention to your roots when you apply product and dry your hair, you’ll have more control over volume. Want more body? Then pull your hair up and out when drying, says Abbey. Want less? Pull your hair straight down to smooth and flatten the root. Treating your roots also saves your ends – the oldest and driest part of your hair – from excess heat damage. Frying Your Strands Use the low or medium heat settings on your styling tools. "Only extremely coarse or curly hair can handle the highest temperatures," says Marc Mena, senior stylist at Warren-Tricomi Salon, in New York City. Other ways to protect your hair: Mist with a thermal styling spray, use a nozzle or diffuser attachment to disperse air flow, and don’t concentrate the heat in one spot for too long. Using the Wrong Size Brush Many women use a round brush that’s too small, says Umberto Savone, a celebritystylist based in Beverly Hills, California. A small brush with a 1-inch-diameter barrel works best for chinlength hair, shorter layers, or if you want to add extra bounce to very fine hair. Medium to large brushes – 2- to 3-inch barrels – are better for longer hair and help you create loose, natural waves or straight, smooth styles. Applying Product to Dry Hair "Your hair is the most responsive to styling when it’s freshly washed or rinsed," says New York City stylist Damian Monzillo. It’s also easier to distribute product evenly throughout wet hair. (The exceptions to this rule are heat-protecting sprays, which you should apply to dry hair before you use hot tools, and finishing products like hair spray and pomades.)

Overdosing on Gel or Mousse Practice portion control so your hair doesn’t end up looking flat, greasy, or shellacked. "If you have shoulder-length hair you only need a nickel-size amount of styling cream or gel, a dime-size amount of serum, or a shot glass of mousse," says Becker Chicaiza, a salon owner in Greenwich, Connecticut. Using the Wrong Products Make sure to match your styling product to your hair texture. Root-boosting spray plumps up fine, thin hair without dragging it down (like Rootlift by Pureology); if you have medium-thick hair, you need a heavier spray gel or mousse to firm and lift the roots. When it comes to smoothing, a light serum is plenty for taming fine, frizzy hair. Thicker, coarser hair needs extra hydration and shine, so use a combination of serum and cream, says Abbey. Redken recently introduced staightening serums for fine, medium, and course hair. Got curls? Curl-enhancing sprays work well for delicate tendrils while richer creams help control denser, kinkier spirals. Not Allowing Hair to Set Want your style to last? Then take the time to let your hair cool after applying heat from a dryer or iron. “You ruin your work when you brush through a warm curl or release the round-brush when your hair is still hot,” says Kevin Mancuso, Nexxus creative director. Bonus tip: Velcro rollers add extra body and smoothness to your style but you need to leave them in for at least 10 minutes. Horsing Around with Your Ponytail Bad ponytail habits – such as using rubber bands or elastics with metal clasps, pulling back wet hair and tying your tail too tight – lead to broken strands. Keep your hair healthy by drying it first and prepping it with a little styling cream, says Chicaiza. And stick to snag-free elastics. "Life isn´t about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself." George Bernard Shaw

2010: Resolve to Take Better Care of Your Skin

Did you know that your skin is the largest organ of your body? It performs many important functions which makes it the most important thing you wear everyday! Treat your skin right and you will have healthy skin that looks good at any age. When our skin is healthy, we reflect confidence and well being. Anyone can improve their skin – it just takes knowledge and desire to add skin care to your overall wellness routine. Here are some simple things you can do. Commit to a Home Skin Care Routine Start with the basics of cleansing, toning and moisturizing twice a day. It is very important to use products that are right for your skin type and condition (oily, combination, true dry, dehydrated, mature, acneic, etc.). At Samsarah, we’ve chosen the awardwinning Bioelements skin care line. We love these products and most of us in the salon use them ourselves. Bioelements products are a mix of the best of science and healthly botanicals.

Bioelements uses no artificial fragrances (which makes most customers rave about how great they smell), no artificial colors or preservatives. The aestheticians at Samsarah or your stylist can direct you to the right products for your skin type or condition. What you do at home to care for your skin on a daily basis is the biggest factor in getting healthy skin results. Exfoliate For a healthy glow, exfoliate your skin. The process of making new skin cells and shedding old ones goes on constantly. However, after the age of 25 this process begins to slow. Excess dead skin and oil cause plugs to form inside your pores resulting in blackheads and acne. Exfoliation is the removal of dead skin cells. Exfoliating maintains clean pores, makes skin feel smoother and stimulates circulation to nourish skin cells. Exfoliating products are either manual (granular) or chemical (enzymes). Each has benefits and downsides. Which you use will depend on your skin type and condition. Get advice – more is not always better – and use according to directions. Get Regular Facials Every skin type can benefit from regular, professional facials. A professional facial is healthy maintenance for your precious skin – think of it more like getting your teeth cleaned rather than as a luxury (although it does feel luxurious!) A facial provides the extra exfoliation, hydration and deep cleaning that every skin type needs. Regularity is the key – a monthly schedule is ideal. This schedule produces skin that has an unmistakable clarity, softness and healthy glow. If you can’t do monthly, consider quarterly to give your skin a check up as the seasons change. Professional treatments are important, but optimal results come from combining them with good skin care habits at home.