GREAT Gatsby! The Hair Diary of Daisy Buchanan

Baz Lurhmann's film adaptation of "The Great Gatsby" blew into theaters earlier this year as a kaleidoscopic carnival of stylized, shingle cuts and pin curls.  But you don't have to bob your hair to glam out over the holidays with the "Gatsby Look."  As Hanukkah, Christmas and New Year's Eve approach, Let's take a step back and talk about the ease and elegance of this modernized, roaring 20's chignon as a glamorous option for a holiday party hair twist.

Earlier this year, we saw photo ops of stars posing on the red carpet with various versions of the Daisy Buchanan finger wave style with the look of old world elegance; but the finger wave isn't just reserved for the expertise of the super stylists.  The Internet provides plenty of tutorials and videos that offer the inside, trade secrets to this chic coif.  

There are several schools of thought on how to best create the Daisy Buchanan's finger wave.  Start with wet or dry hair? Flat Iron or Curling Iron? Hairspray or styling spray? Instead of rehashing what so many other articles and blogs have already offered, my advice to you is to use the products and tools that work best on your hair.  

After reviewing some of the online tutorials, the only thing I would caution any novice or non-professional stylist would be the overuse of hairspray!  You don't need to coat or necessarily prep hair with hairspray to achieve the effect you want.  There are several

Ocean Air

products available, like my "Ocean Air" which provide the necessary volume and flexibility to act as the base for this style.  "Ocean Air' is a salt-infused spray that acts as a non-greasy foundation to hold curl and lift hair at the root.  In my opinion, The Daily Mail offered one of the best tutorials for the finger wave technique by using a medium barrel curling iron.  The article broke the artistry down to a simple step-by-step instruction as well as providing helpful photos to guide you to that perfect look:  http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2317314/Great-Gatsby-fever-Give-hair-Roaring-Twenties-twist-FEMAILs-online-tutorial.html 

Once your coif is complete, finish it with my humidity resistant, thermal friendly "Triple Take" hairspray to keep your waves looking fresh through the evening. Never forget to return a little shine back into your.  My "April Shine" is a spray laminate giving your hair instant, brilliant shine.  It will also smooth any frizz and and dries clear.

April Shine

"April Shine" is alcohol free and won't weigh your hair down.  Your finger wave will look fresh and shiny without looking over worked with too much product.  After all, you want your hair to look natural and effortless!

The "Gatsby Look" always needs some bling, so roar into this 20's look with a vintage style headband, a barrette, or a long, flowing scarf.  Hairstyle-Blog.com provides some fresh accessories ideas to finish a style that even Daisy Buchanan would be jealous of: 
http://www.hairstyle-blog.com/gatsby-hair-accessories.html

For more information or to order the products mentioned in this blog post, follow the link to www.suzetteaudia.com/products.html.

Hair Styles & Suzette Audia Hair Products Line ...

I'm not one to often repost another's blog but I found the information interesting and the post relevant to my products line.  Regardless if you straiten with a flat iron, coif with a curling iron, spike & twist your tresses, or even finish with shot of shine.  I have a product to help you style with confidence!  

This blog post is all about hairstyles .. it's worth the read:
http://www.thehairstyler.com/features/articles/hair-care/shiny-hair-secrets?ref=homepage

To buy Suzette Audia products on-line: 
http://www.suzetteaudia.com/products.html

Suzette Audia Hair Products

99 Problems But My Hair Ain't One ...!

Seems appropriate for this post.  Why have hair problems?  No matter if your tresses are cropped or lengthy, great hair starts with even better products!  A Quality shampoo & conditioner in your shower has more value for your overall look than the styling products you use to mess your tress.  Just remember, hairspray is not the go-to tool in your cabinet.  Hairspray is the finishing touch; used to prolong your look not to style with!  So remember: quality hair products in your shower, quality styling products in your cabinets, and you can worry about the other 99 problems!  Don’t forget!  You can order my E-Shampoo & Conditioner and styling products ON-LINE with just a click of a button!  www.suzetteaudia.com.

Also, worth the repeat, here is a link on all the benefits of Emu Oil. Emu Oil is a main nutrient of my E-Products: 

http://www.ehow.com/about_5472284_emu-oil-benefits.htm

1,000 Miles Away & A Quart Low ...

I recently traveled, cross-country from L.A. to Dallas.  Since I decided to travel “light” and only brought a carry-on, I left all my liquid products at home to make the TSA happy.  I was gone just 3 days but time can be VERY telling!  I left my E-Shampoo & Conditioner, as well as my pure Emu Oil, at home and my hair and skin suffered the consequences of an EMU oil deficiency!  In just a couple days, my hair was a dry, fly-away mess and my skin felt chapped and desperate for moisture.  

So why is Emu Oil important???  Why do I even bother to blog about a 3 day trip without my E- products?  BECAUSE … Emu is an essential oil; It’s rich in Omegas-3, 6, & 9.  This oil is necessary for maintaining healthy skin cells and vital to continued growth of thick, HEALTHY hair.  Read about the properties of emu oil: http://www.ehow.com/about_5055171_emu-oil-hair-growth-benefits.html

So returning to my story … Before I even unpacked my carry-on, I b-lined straight to the shower and re-hydrated my hair with my E-Products.  My hair drank in all the panthenol, jojoba, and emu oil with the same thirst as my skin did with the pure Emu Oil.  It only took a couple days to realize how quickly my hair and scalp could be a “quart low” without my E-Products.  My short trip reaffirmed what I already knew; Emu Oil is an essential component for maintaining healthy skin and scalp.  www.suzetteaudia.com.  #hair #emu #hairstyle #healthyhair.   

To Pixie or Not To Pixie .. That Is The Question!

As I've already blogged in recent days ... the Pixie cut hit Hollywood hard over the last couple months following on the tail of trail blazers, Michelle Williams and Anne Hathaway.  Both actresses cut their long tresses into this stylish coiffures for movie roles but retained the chic shorn locks after the film reels stopped rolling.  Fast forward into the fall of 2013, Hollywood has re-branded the 60's Pixie into a sexy, stylish short cut by giving it a variety of fresh looks with spikes, edgy bangs, or with a simple, swept back style. Where Hollywood dares to tread so, eventually, so does mainstream style.

Michael Saxon recently tweeted, "Embracing change: If you always do what you've always done, you will always get what you always got."  Ok, I admit ... a little too cerebral for me too but I agree on some level that in order to move forward, change is always required!  So, my wonderfully daring client decided to make the leap for change.

She came in with a cut out magazine picture of Anne Hathaway's glam style!

She got exactly what she came for!  She embraced change, acquired a fabulous new look, and just maybe a little bit of "za-za-zu" attitude to go with her sexy hairstyle!  By adding some rich brunette tones to her existing color, she went from pretty to Pixie!

NOT Your Mama's Hair Cut!

Return of the 60’s Pixie!  Back in the day we had Twiggy, Mia Farrow, and Audrey Hepburn showing us that short hair could be sexy.  Flash forward fifty years and BAM! Pixies are back, larger than life, in the Hollywood spotlight.  Anne Hathaway and Michelle Williams cause a ruffle when they chopped their manes for movie roles but styled them into quirky, coquettish takes on the Pixie and lit the red carpet on fire in 2011-2012. Recently, Pamela Anderson took her locks to the chopping block and literally took a foot of hair and 15 years off her face!  After getting tired of putting her hair up … fan favorite, Jennifer Lawrence, officially launched the Pixie into a new era!  With other celebs like Charlize Theron, Kristin Chenoweth, and Jennifer Hudson following suit .. stylists better get ready for the Pixie blitz! 

Eating Crow & Growing Hair!

I love my clients!  They make me laugh, they can make me cry, but sometimes a few of them just need to be popped upside the head with a bottle of shampoo!  No, not LITERALLY!  My case in point.  One of my FAVORITE clients, Susan, had major back surgery last year.  Her surgeon told her if she wanted the best results, she would need to lose some major weight!  Determined, Susan took her surgeon at his word, and survived on a 500 calorie per-day diet for five months.  Sure, she lost a LOT of weight and felt better .. starved .. but better.  But was she any healthier?

In June, Susan called me in a panic!  Her diet had finally reared it's ugly head; Susan's hair was falling out by the handful.  I calmly told her to change her diet to include foods high in Omega-3, Vitamin B, and Vitamin E.  I recommended a biotin supplement and begged her to come into my salon and pick up a bottle of my E-Shampoo and E-Conditioner.  Did she do it?  No!  She changed her diet.  She even took her supplements.  Unfortunately, even with all this change, her hair continued it's mass exodus.

Another month later, she came into my salon, still crying about how much hair she continued losing and how bald she had become in just a few months.  I nodded, helped style her hair to cover the worst areas, and then SHOVED my products into her hand and said, "Just TRY them!  Take them at NO charge and THEN tell me what you think!  Ok?"  She looked at me stunned for a minute, agreed to use them, and walked out my door.  Less than six weeks later, Susan returned to my salon with a huge smile on her face.

You see, Suzie Q had been to the dermatologist the month before.  The doctor gave her a recommendation to follow a hair restoration system, which she bought on-line.  She also broke into her emergency credit card in order to purchase every major salon product available that might help her damaged, thinning hair.  She told me after hundreds of dollars, her hair continued to fall by the handful UNTIL she used my products!  During her follow-up appointment with her dermatologist, she stunned her doctor by telling him that not only did she bypass his highly recommended hair restoration system in lieu of my E-Products but shocked him with the results!  Not only did Susan's hair dramatically change in just under five weeks but the quality and thickness surprised her doctor into silence.  (When Susan told me this story, his silence was my favorite part.  hehehe).

Sure, my Suzie Q ate a little crow while she stood in my salon that day that but she ate it with a huge smile on her face and with a beautiful head of healthy hair!  So sometimes .. popping your client in the head with a bottle of shampoo is not necessarily a bad thing!  :-)

Is My Hair Anorexic?

Is my hair anorexic?  “When did my hair turn into the Chia Pet !?”  Ok, sure.  This may be a slightly exaggerated version of a common complaint I hear from my clients but, honestly, it’s a pretty good visual description. Yes?  So many of my clients sit down in my chair and ask the same question, “Why doesn’t my hair look as good as it did before _______?”  The scary part of this question is that the “before” can be anything!  Before the summer began?  Before I went on that diet?  Before I had my kids?  Before... before… before.  Most people take healthy hair for granted until it turns into a Chia Pet.  The health of our hair is no different than the health of our bodies or the health of our skin.  Unhealthy hair can happen to anyone, even celebrities!  Hair is damaged by the sun, our diets, chronic use of cheap chemicals, and even stress.

before

I’m always surprised when clients tell me they just can’t spend the money for quality hair products so they buy a cheap knock-off thinking that their hair will never suffer.  Here is my thought: we don’t gamble with our health and most of us don’t gamble with our skin.  Because, unless you have a plastic surgeon on speed dial with an unlimited bank account, we start investing in our health and our skin during our 20’s in the hope that our genes and our regiments carry that youthful glow into our 40’s, 50’s, and beyond.  So if we invest a lifetime of preventative measures to keep our skin looking it’s best, why do the same consumers gamble with the health of their hair?

after

So, how do you protect yourself from hair anorexia?  Keep feeding those follicles so they retain the essential nutrients needed to maintain the same strong, healthy appearance year after year.  Let’s face reality. Those permanent colors, long term straightening treatments, and every day products can put strain on an otherwise healthy scalp and, overtime, our follicles become starved for hair nutrition.  So what is hair nutrition?

Hair nutrition is part diet and part quality product; just like your skin, hair care is a life long investment where both parts not just stimulate the scalp and strengthens hair follicles but continue to maintain healthy hair.  Some of the foods that target your tresses include salmon, oysters, sweet potatoes, kale, and blueberries.  Using hair products, like my E-Shampoo and Conditioner give your follicles that nutrient boost with the omega-3, panthenol, jojoba, and emu oils.  For more information on my product line, click on www.suzetteaudia.com.  Stay tuned to this blog and learn more about the power of emu oil and much, much, more.  Don’t starve your hair … feed it!