Foxy Hair in a Flash!

Revive a Day-Old Blowout
If you don’t have an hour to wash and blow out your hair, fake a fresh style fast by using three big Velcro rollers on just your face-framing strands. Put one at the top of your hairline and one at each temple. Mist them with hair spray to help dry up any oil and set the hair in place. Blast the rollers with your hair dryer, then leave them in for five minutes. The end result: a style that looks like you just slaved over it.

Do the Lazy Updo
Fast-track an updo by teasing the hair around the crown of your head with a fine-tooth comb then giving it a shot of hair spray. Next, brush the hair to smooth it out a bit and pull everything back into a high, loose bun, allowing a few pieces to fall around your face.

Revive Your Roots in Record Time
When you need to oomph up flat hair on the double, rub a tiny dab of a lightweight sculpting wax between your palms until you just see a bit of sheen on your hands, then scrunch up your roots. You’ll bulk up fine hair without weighing it down if you stick with a light water-based version.

Foxy Hair in a Flash.

Whip Up a Posh Ponytail
What upgrades your usual fallback style from simple to sexy? Location, location, location. Perch it at the crown of your head, and it won’t channel a cheerleader. To do it, flip your head upside down to position the pony as high as possible, and secure it with a chic elastic for extra polish. Back-comb the top inch of the tail to add some oomph at the roots.

Flip Your Part
One of the fastest styles you can create without a pair of scissors? A low side part. It’s so dramatic and instantly chic, plus, it’s great for all hair types and textures. All you have to do is part hair about 4 to 6 inches above the ear then sweep strands back with one of the teeth on your comb. Smooth any flyaways with a drop of shine serum.

Don Something Dazzling
If you’re running crazy late for a party and your hair is only semi-done, slip on a flashy headband or a silk scarf. It makes such a glamorous statement, without any hassle. For maximum effect, pick something that has a colorful, eye-catching print.

Shiny happy hair products for the curly, the frizzy, and the stressed.

Having curly hair is a bit like being a medieval knight – you spend the better part of your adult life on the quest for something holy, magical, and maybe a total myth. For crusaders, it was a blessed metal cup.  For curly girls like me?  It’s a product line that tames your snarls and coils, without surrendering your hair to a flat-iron, a weekly blowout, or a relaxer.

No two curls are alike.  They should be treated as the wonder they are.  The Curl Conscience Product Line by Bumble and Bumble was created specifically for Curly Hair Types.  This product line was created using a unique moisture complex and curl enhancing enzyme which help forms bonds to help curl definition.

If you are a curly-cue…this product line would be great for you.  Bumble and Bumble is available at Holiday Salon.

Uncommon Beauty|| Haute Couture.

Couture always means fanciful and fantasy.  Pat McGrath and Tom Pecheux are two of the most influential and talented makeup artists when it comes to fashion shows of any kind.  They inspire the masses with their creativity and eye for Uncommon Beauty.  For some of the couture shows-McGrath outlined the models’ eyes with iridescent sequins, acid-bright bits of paper, metallic fabric and vivid feathers. At Jean Paul Gaultier, Tom Pecheux gilded a model’s arms and legs to match her golden dress and painted another’s chest with a faux tattoo of flowers that could be glimpsed through her sheer net shirt. “It’s interesting,” says Pecheux, “when makeup becomes clothes and clothes become makeup.”

For hairstylists too, haute couture often translates into greater flights of fancy. “You don’t have to think trends,” says Orlando Pita, whose chignons at Valentino seemed to bloom from the base of the models’ heads. “There’s an opportunity to create something more intricate.” At Dior, he designed a “frizzy flying saucer” look inspired by Klimt, while at Armani Privé, Hanlon embellished coifs with shards of black Lucite.

Extreme as these looks might seem, Pecheux believes that elements of couture beauty are transposable to daily life. For a past couture show, he used bindis around the eye “like a fashion accessory,” he says. After that, “I saw a lot of young women playing with the idea.”

McGrath notes that fashion-obsessed clubgoers will sometimes mimic couture looks. “It can create an interesting cycle,” she says, “because many designers frequent these same clubs and will see the kids and find inspiration in their interpretations.

“The genius thing about couture is the surprise,” McGrath adds. “There are no limits, which means it is always magical.”

Top 10 “Holiday” Hair Mistakes.

1. Corkscrew Curls

The only corkscrew you want this season is one that opens a bottle of wine. “There’s nothing flattering about tight curls on anyone over the age of seven,” says hairstylist Mark Townsend. ”For a more modern wave, wrap hair around the outside of the barrel of a curling iron, leaving the ends straight for texture.” Once all the hair is curled, break up the ringlets by raking through a little bit of texturizer.  The result: “Curls look more uneven and natural.”

2. Milkmaid Braids

If you look like you could work on a Swedish dairy farm, your braids are too tight. “You always want hair to look touchable,” says Townsend. For a less severe style, resist parting hair down the middle—it’s flattering on almost no one—and instead “loosely pull your hair straight back and make whatever style braid you do a little messy by spraying it lightly with dry shampoo and mussing it with your hands.”

3. Tendrils

They’re really old-fashioned (and not in a cool, retro way). “There is nothing more unattractive than tendrils, especially when they’re obviously pulled out of a finished style,” says Townsend. Rather than deliberately placing stray hairs (or, even worse, curling them), just let loose hairs fall where they may: “It gives a modern touch to an often classic look.”

4. Hair Spray Overload

Remember: You’re walking into a party, not a wind tunnel. The problem here is not just your trigger finger, but holding the spray can too close to your head. “The product doesn’t have time to dry, so you end up with sticky, wet-looking hair,” Townsend explains. If you can’t hold the hair spray or shine spray 12 inches away from your head (and let’s face it, who can?), your best bet is to spritz the product on your palms and run them over your style. “That way, hair is beautiful and touchable all over,” Townsend says. (Using a lightweight spray doesn’t hurt.

5. Too Much Teasing

A little bit of volume can dress up any look, but anything higher than an inch of two has the potential for a big hair mistake. Instead, add subtle volume to a ponytail or high bun by back-combing only at the hairline, then pulling the hair back loosely.

6. A Cheesy Half-Updo

The hairstyle of the commitment-phobe (you can’t bear to put it all up, but don’t want to leave it all down) often leaves hair looking top-heavy. “A common faux pas is pulling too much hair up,” says hairstylist Mark Townsend. To keep the balance, make sure hair is pulled diagonally upward and secured above the start of the nape of the neck—no higher. “Brush key areas, the hairline and forehead, with an eyebrow brush lightly coated with hair spray to keep them in place,” Townsend says.

7. Decking Your Head With Too Many Ornaments

If there’s a headband, there can’t be a clip. If you’re all about barrettes, one is safe, and two can be cool if they’re stuck in in a random way, as they were at Dolce and Gabbana. And remember the cardinal rule of hair accessories: Don’t wear them with big earrings or a serious necklace. Some of our favorite hair embellishments of the season:

8. Poker-Straight Hair

“Straight hair can be gorgeous, but it still has to move,” says Townsend. To keep it from hanging too close to the head, he recommends spritzing roots with thickening spray and blow-drying with a round brush before tackling it with an iron. “I hit just the very bottom of the hair with an iron,” he says. “That way, you can still see the layers.”

9. Slicked-Back Updo

There’s a difference between a classic upsweep and giving yourself a temporary eye lift with a night updo. The trick, says Townsend: “If you’re going to pull hair really tight, don’t slick it back with too much product. Instead, use a small amount of styling cream to tame flyaways, and that’s it.” Also, consider your part: If you do decide to incorporate one into the style, make sure it makes sense. “If you’re doing a low bun, it’s a great time to go for a part—but if you’re doing something higher, just pull the hair straight back,” Townsend says.

10. Teased Bangs

The ’80s may be making a comeback in fashion, but that doesn’t mean it has to hit your look over the head. The biggest culprit here: “using a round brush when blowing out bangs,” says Townsend. To cut volume, dry your bangs with a flat boar-bristle brush and watch the gunk factor: “Don’t ever use a shine- or silicone-based spray on your bangs,” Townsend says. “It will clump hair together and make it look greasy.”

Going to Great Lengths

These days, being older doesn’t have to mean losing your long hair.

Estée Lauder scion Aerin Lauder and her mother, Jo Carole Lauder, agree about many things beauty-related, from their devotion to brown eyeliner to the importance of applying a good moisturizer twice a day. But on one issue they simply do not see eye to eye. “My mother thinks I should cut my hair,” says Aerin, whose long, glossy, chestnut-colored hair is as much a part of her look as her posh Park Avenue wardrobe. “She told me to cut it just yesterday! She said my hair is so long that it’s ridiculous.” Aerin, a 37-year-old mother of two, has no immediate plans to take her mother’s advice but says she understands where Jo Carole, now in her early 60s, is coming from. “She’s from that generation of not growing it superlong,” Aerin explains. “But I just think long, layered hair looks very feminine, pretty and soft.”

There used to be a rule about a woman’s age and the length of her hair. Simply put, long was acceptable only for the young. Beauty guides like Beauty Begins at Forty, a 1984 book written by Barbara Coffey, a former Glamour magazine editor, didn’t mince words on the topic. “After 40, don’t wear long hair. Chin-length is a good length that provides versatility,” pronounced the author. Those who dared to transgress this rule, it was implied, were veering dangerously close to Jane Seymour territory.

But almost 25 years later, it’s not just the ingenues who are letting their hair down. Demi Moore, 45, she of the pixie cut in the days of Ghost, today has a flowing mane that falls to the middle of her back. Jennifer Aniston, Gwyneth Paltrow, Sarah Jessica Parker, Kyra Sedgwick and Natascha McElhone, all in their mid-30s to early 40s, have hair that reaches their breasts. Even Meryl Streep has recently grown hers long again. And one year away from turning 60, she looks as sexy as she did 20 years ago.

“I definitely don’t believe that you have to cut off your long hair after 40,” says hairstylist Chris McMillan, who in his eponymous Los Angeles salon tends to the lustrous locks of Aniston and other leading ladies. “Women take better care of themselves on the whole. Their bodies are healthier, their skin, their hair—everything is healthier. It doesn’t all go to pot after 40 anymore.” It’s true. Whether it’s Pilates, dermatologist appointments or low-carb diets, well-maintained women in their mid-30s and 40s don’t look like their mothers did at their age. They’re dressing more youthfully and letting their hair grow long to match.

 

Mary-Loiuse Parker

Even so, not everyone is enamored of the over-40 long-hair trend. Salon AKS co-owner Alain Pinon believes that a shorter haircut is often a better way to go. “Women are in great shape in their 40s,” he says. “Long hair hides your shoulders, your neck and your bone structure—it closes everything up. We’re still attached to the idea that long hair is very feminine and that men like it better that way. But when you go short, everybody steps back and looks at you differently.”

And it goes without saying that one needs to dress appropriately to balance the look. “If you have long hair and you’re wearing age-appropriate clothing, it looks perfect, finished,” says Lauder. “But if you have long hair and very young clothing, it looks bizarre.”

Here, McMillan wouldn’t disagree: “If you’re going to have long hair, keep the outfit simple. A lot of women I see in Malibu, they’re overtanned, their long hair overstreaked. They think they’re twinsies with their daughters, and that’s not appropriate. When you’re in your 40s, you’ve got to keep it chic and simple. Do a long bang that swoops to the side with soft layers around the face, or a low ponytail like Carolyn Bessette. She was the perfect example of chic long hair.”

What inspires you?

painting by Jorg Dubin-

We Aspire to Inspire at Holiday Salon.  Last weekend, we held an art show showcasing work from Jeff Peters. Art in every way inspires us to learn and share different techniques on how to wear our hair, how to style your hair and how to keep our faces and strands coordinating.  We want to know what inspires you? For us, it can be anything from nature to music, architecture, literature, good wine, stimulating conversation, film…  We hope you continue to be inspired within the confines of Holiday Salon.  We are inspired by you.

Pretty Fall Makeup Preview: Gray is the new Black.

Gray Scale...

I just want to prepare you now: You’re going to be seeing a lot of gray this fall. Gray eye makeup, gray nail polish, gray clothes, the works. And while all that may sound dark, gloomy and kind of depressing, I promise that it’s not. Gray is a great smoky-eye alternative: It gives you the intensity of black without the hardness and decreases the threat of the dreaded raccoon-eyes look. I like how Sienna Miller’s makeup artist, Kate Lee, paired her gray shadow with a low-luster pale-pink lipstick. For tricks of the trade on getting your gray on for fall: Set up an appointment with Ally or Misha at Holiday. 949.642-4040

Enhance your skin. Tips from the famed Misha Nesselrod.

 

we all want beautiful skin...

Don’t fret if your skin isn’t spot- and line-free—that’s what primer and foundation are for. To fake a pristine complexion, follow these steps given to us by Misha Nesselrod, Holiday’s Key Makeup Artist: 
1) To prevent makeup from settling into lines and acne scars, prep skin with a primer.Smear it on everywhere you intend to apply foundation or concealer. 
2) Depending on your preference, dampen a sponge or brush 
3) Pour a nickel-size drop of foundation into your hand, and dip the brush or the pointed end of the sponge into it. 
4) Spread the foundation onto your skin in the thinnest possible layers. Makeup artists swear that if you start at your forehead and move down toward the nose, cheeks, and chin, you’ll get the most natural-looking finish. (It helps to smooth down all the little hairs on your cheeks and keeps you from ODing on tricky areas, like your jawline.)

Holiday’s Hair Accessories Report.

Just in: a headband that’s chic, comfortable, and doesn’t break our bank account (three musts). The hair clips and headbands from True Birds are so pretty and romantic, we thought of Renoir’s ballerinas—all the chiffon going on. Our favorite is the Budding Chiffon, the line’s signature look. We’ve been obsessed with headbands for a while now, and this one is so easy to wear, we couldn’t take it off for days!

There’s nothing like a good headband on a bad hair day. But, according to a Goody survey, 62 percent of women complain that they get painful headaches from the accessories. No need to suffer: These four are comfortable and stylish.

1. Terri Fellows links-on elastic: Created by Fellows, a hairstylist at the James Corbett Studio in New York City, the double-elastic straps shown above can also be twisted into cool ponytail holders. We love the camel-colored one—it looks gorg in brown hair and nearly disappears on blondes. If you want a brighter color for summer, our pick is the robin’s-egg blue.

2. L. Erickson Double Strap Headwrap Silk Dupioni: The double straps—one slightly thicker than the other—have a slight shine, thanks to the silk coating.

3. Goody Sport 2-Layer Headband: These thick cloth bands are perfect for working out or for schlepping around on the weekend—or, if you go with the black one, even for a cocktail party with a casual bun.

4. Pluma:  They’re more for show than for holding a large amount of hair back, but they’re so chic and come in a zillion color options.