Photos: Juan Deleon Photography
Wardrobe Stylist: Jessica Kay Rowe
Make Up Artist: Jenny Cassillo
Hair Stylist: Clemente Javier
Model: Victoria Monette- Page.713

1. Moisturize Moisturize Moisturize! Like a mantra repeat it until it sticks-OOOOHHMMMMoisturiiiiiizzze… Your hair needs a drink! Dry hair gets frizzy and brittle as it screams for moisture. The summer heat brings on a bit of sweat now and then which seems like good enough reason to shampoo more often but this is exactly the problem. Constant over stripping of the hairs naturally produced essential moisturizing oils is the leading cause of that dryness. So ease off on that militant shampooing and maybe just use conditioner next shower..or two.

2. Go hat shopping seriously, if you know you’re going to be in the sun a lot this weekend why not shop for an amazing hat. The idea is try to keep your hair out of extended exposure to sunlight. You can see it in a piece of paper left on a dashboard, a toy left in the yard or the face of women with tanorexia, how prolonged UV exposure will destroy the surface and beyond. So just be aware and, when you can, do your best to keep your hair out of the sun. Umbrellas, hats and patio coverings are great, let the light shine in just try to keep it from shining on your hair too much.

3.Do you have to go swimming? Really? I’m kidding …but I’m kinda not! If you plan on getting into a chlorinated pool you might as well take every precaution down to the tight swim cap. Pool water is wretched on the hair, especially if you have color work done. Saltwater isn’t as bad but excessively and with our bonuses in ocean water these days its best to take precaution. If your hair will be in the water first soak the hair with a deep conditioner. A hair strand filled cannot absorb the pool or salt water. If your in the water for a longer period of time reapply first wringing the hair out with a towel. …going into a pool with your hair you might as well throw on the swim cap and a shiny set of goggles, just to be safe.

I Love Kerastase hair sunscreen! Duh.

http://bit.ly/summersuggestions

I have never tried this but I like how ambitious this sunscreen is.

http://bit.ly/supersunscreen

I Love it!

http://bit.ly/UVhairspray

Hair growth is part of your ongoing growth cycle. Just like the skin it grows, wears, and replenishes. The way the cycle works, as far as cell reproduction in the follicle, a healthy body should maintain consistent growth. Because the growth(anagen), transitional(catagen), and rest(telogen) phases of cell reproduction do not occur in mass stages across the hair there should not be a perceptible slowing of the growth cycle. With age, hereditary inheritance, or most commonly with stress and poor nutritional health some people may experience a thinning in the hair. Thinning hair just means you are growing less, but it is still growing.

One reason it may seem like your hair is not growing may be due to the shape of your hair style. Bulkier hair, in certain styles or when lacking any proper shaping, tends to have an effect of growing outward from the head and not expressing much in length. Its growing but the shape is not influencing the appearance of length or even allowing for length in all of its bulkiness. Poorly shaped hair is one possibility but the most common reason it appears like the hair is not growing and it wont get past your shoulders is because of perpetual damage.

Dry brittle hair will break off on the ends just as much if not more than it grows. A state of perpetual damage will outdo any consistent growth. Reaching that state of perpetual damage comes from many factors, bad products/shampoo, overuse of hot tools(especially without a thermal protector!), chemical over processing and bad razor cuts are just a few. Check out this article to find out more ways you can avoid your hair falling into a state of perpetual damage.

So your hair doesn’t stop growing. But it is possible to lose it off the ends as quickly as it comes in at the root. Remember that as long as you keep your body healthy your growth cycle should remain strong. Balanced nutrition + balanced lifestyle = balanced body. Chase health and beauty will chase you!

Having color or not, myself I believe that a shampoo which does less chemical scrubbing on the surface of the hair shaft is beneficial to the overall state of the hair. I like, and often use at the shampoo bowl, Schwarzkopff Color Save. One of my favorite things about the line is the spray in/leave-in conditioner designed to further prevent color slippage by skipping the post conditioner rinse.

I definitely recommend the use of a sulfate free shampoo to everyone whether you have color in your hair or not. If you haven’t tried a sulfate free shampoo find one and give it a go. If you dont like it I recommend trying another line. If the problem is there are less bubbles when you shampoo this is not a problem. Those bubbles are a sign of higher levels of sulfates. Add a little more water to the hair or do a quick pre wash to loosen up excess oils. The addition of a sulfate free shampoo to regular and conscious hair care is an excellent idea.

So let’s first acknowledge the importance of aesthetics. The packaging is gorgeous with gold to insinuate the forth coming shine and glimmer to your hair. Kerastase tends to do an exceptional job at providing a packaging that feels like you have something powerful in hand. The inner label has a diamond cut design so that as it catches light it really bounces a bright reflection back through the bottle. I love it, its completely unnecessary and solely for the purpose of design. To deny aesthetics is to deny the senses, I appreciate the details of good packaging

Now on the practicality tip, Kerastase says: “An extraordinary blend of beautifying oils adding ultimate softness and shine.” Clemente says: Yes, its true. The product smells and feels extraordinary in the hand and it takes a ridiculously small amount to achieve ultimate results.

There are multiple ways to use Elixir Ultime for softness protection and shine. Applying to damp hair for “intense conditioning” before blow drying for protection and shine, or to dry ends for a little smoothness. An interesting application, Kerastase recommends applying Elixir Ultime “before cleansing to remove impurities and deeply nourish” I found it to be like doing a pre-wash. Its not much necessary but kudos to Kerastase for striving to be more!

I believe that the majority of women have a skewed perspective on hair care and maintenance. I think the hair is seen as part of the body so it can be treated as such. “I know I’m not taking care of my body right now but that’s my new years resolution” says She. You shouldn’t do that to your body either but hair, while it does continue to grow, it does not regenerate. You can moisturize and soften, fortify and strengthen but the hair on your head right now is like fine linens. If not properly handled and maintained it can deteriorate and it doesn’t matter what you do then, you must replace.

Another thing to keep in mind is that when styling, coloring, and chemically altering the texture of your hair you are not infusing your hair with nutrients and substance. Even if your mousse has b-vitamins, zebra plasma, and oxygenated avacodo oil its still not health food its candy and glitter for your hair. So in a pursuit, or the maintenance of, that illustrious ‘Beautiful Powerful Healthy Hair’ consider this: everything you do combined with everything you don’t do comprises your personal hair care regimen. Chase health and beauty will chase you -Clemente

Early in 2010 the Oregon OSHA department got involved with the investigation of  “Keratin Based” smoothing products after a stylist contacted the Center for Research in Occupational and Environmental Toxicology due to difficulty breathing, nose bleeds, and eye irritation when a popular smoothing product was being used in the salon. These are all symptoms of an exposure to formaldehyde. An investigation ensued.

Samples were taken of a number of  smoothing systems and each was tested for formaldehyde, which was not present in the listed ingredients of any system. Each tested positive for formaldehyde at levels well above the regulated standard. When this information was released some companies immediately released “New formaldehyde free formula”s. The samples were again collected and tested and again the formaldehyde was present at the same levels even in the “New formaldehyde free formula”s. In some cases the only difference was in now a derivative of formaldehyde being present.

I now know from first hand experience that these smoothing systems present a danger. Being in the same room while the process is taking place leaves me, nauseous, dizzy, with a headache, and pain in my chest. Formaldehyde is a known carcinogen. The cost of beauty is not and should never be cancer. I have heard people say things like “I’m sure there are chemicals in the color and styling products we use.” or “I dont get a head ache so I dont think it affects me.” That sounds to me like “Well, I already drink alcohol and eat fatty foods why not do heroine?” or “Heroine doesn’t make me sick so I dont think it affects me.”

Take into consideration that these smoothing systems present the hairstylist and the salon an opportunity to make large sums of money. If  I convinced 50% of my clientele to start a keratin smoothing system I could ignore the other half, work one week out of the month, and still do just a bit better. Its not worth it to me and it shouldn’t be to you. There is a enough information available to make the right decision now. I guarantee we will be hearing much more about this and these smoothing systems may find themselves with the diet pills of the eighties, miracles found to be monsters. Chase Health and Beauty will chase you. -Clemente

I have a client who was determined that she was way overdue for a promotion. It was when she decided she was going to change her look all around, including pale blond to brunette, and find a new job that she was offered a new position within the same company that paid much more than she was asking. I’m not saying it was all hair and not her attitude and strength that made her superiors take notice, but I’m sure it was a huge contributing factor. Blonds make more money than brunettes as dancers. Why? Blond hair is a flag of flirtation like a bug light, at least to a drunk man in a dark strip club.

Color is powerful. Color is not just a necessary “beauty requirement” for covering gray hair. More facts and fictions about color:

FALSE: Color can improve damaged/depleted hair by making it healthy. “Coloring my hair dark makes it healthy again”

no it doesn’t.

FACT: Color can improve the overall look of your hair, providing a suppleness and richness in its tone and shine.

FALSE: Once you color your hair that’s it your locked into a cycle of time and money!

FACT: Maintaining color requires some amount of upkeep. As in return visits and proper shampoo/products.

Some of my clients are in the salon on a regular 6-8 week touch up. Some of my clients I see once or twice in a year. It all depends on your hair and what is being done .

FALSE: Some women shouldn’t have dark hair and some women shouldn’t have light hair.

FACT: Any woman can be a blond. Any woman can be a brunette. Any woman can be a redhead.

The world of color is so intricately diverse. There is so much complexity to even one shade out of the spectrum of colors we call red. Its just about knowing where someones pallet lies within the blond shades or the red shades or what have you. So whatever you want to do, do it. If you feel like it takes courage that you haven’t found yet see what you find when you find yourself shining new colors in a different light. Do it.

A lot of shine products make the hair look synthetic, the shine is just too intense in a wet look kind of way. Along with this look comes the expected feel, hair that is heavy and greasy. Shine is supposed to offer an uplifting effect to the hair as does the glimmer of  precious gems to an already stunning gown. Heavy greasy hair is flat, not very uplifting.

Moroccan Oil Glimmer Shine Spray comes in a great fine mist spray bottle. Just a few pumps around the head creates an almost floating mist that settles evenly and beautifully on the hair. The result is a shine that has a very healthy hair appearance rather than a shine that screams “I have shiny hair!” Because it is such a light product, if its not overused, any volume your attempting to maintain will not be threatened. I sometimes use it as a detangler just at the ends after shampooing. With that same amazing Moroccan Oil fragrance, all in all Glimmer Shine Spray is a great product.

The beautiful, talented models in the photos are Teresa Merchant of Smoking Hot Cigar Chick and, just as hilarious as she is gorgeous, Julianna. It was a lot of fun all day. Tracy Tesmer is incredible, period. A camera is wheels and buttons without those eyes! And I’m in love with her Smoke and Celluloid project. A love for smoking cigars, a love for shooting film, put them together, win! Toward the end of the shoot I went from watching it to becoming part of it. Here are a few of the photos:

To see the rest of the set and a behind the scenes video check out smokeandcelluloid.com as well as smokinghotcigarchick.com