Get Your Sexy On!

I don’t know if it’s healthy or not, but my ex boyfriend and I are actually still friends. Best friends, really, so we see each other quite often. Even though I’ve known him now for almost 12 years (and have been aging [maybe] so gracefully in that time) he seems to be full of compliments these days. For the first time in all these years he likes my hair so much that he has even offered to pay for my salon visits. He calls me his special Leo with a heart of gold and the mane of a lioness. On my birthday recently he said to me, “Whoever does your hair is doing a great job, so keep going to them.” Gee, it took long enough, didn’t it?! Maybe it’s true that men only notice what’s not right in front of them all the time. (More on that one in future articles, I am sure.)  

Now I may not know everything there is to know about healthy relationships (even though my track record is pretty good), but I do know a thing or two about healthy hair. I agree that my hair has never felt or looked healthier. Part of it could be my diet, and the other part of it is more than likely due to good hair care products. I have always taken care of my hair, but for the last nine months I have made my professional coloring visits more frequent and have invested in only salon quality products. Additionally, I have been taking MSM for over a year now. (I mentioned this supplement in an earlier published article titled “It’s What’s on the Inside that Counts”.)(http://www.cougarcandystore.com/2009/04/its-whats-on-the-inside-that-counts/) The only bad thing I can say about this supplement is that it makes my hair and nails grows so quickly that I have to color more frequently and often find myself saying, “I need a manicure.” Oh, darn! You can’t have everything. Lucky for me I like my stylist and I enjoy practicing some of the Vietnamese I learned from my college roommate with my nail technician who is such a sweetheart. But all of this stuff takes money, honey, so I don’t particularly enjoy that part about staying pretty. Can’t we just wake up beautiful and perfect everyday??? Why, God, why??? It seems we’ll never have all the answers.

I am always on a tight budget, as most are, and have just been getting lucky lately with referral discounts. I tell everyone about my awesome salon – The Doves Studio in Santa Monica, CA – so every time I refer someone to my salon, both parties receive a discount on their next service. (http://www.thedovesstudio.com/). (If you give this salon a try, be sure to say I sent you to get your discount.) When I am in New York, I visit Arté Salon (http://www.artesalon.com/) which specializes in curly hair. You may have different needs, but those with curly hair know how difficult it is to find someone who will give you a nice cut. This Nolita salon really knows how to keep the curlies cute! Two years ago I researched salons online because I knew that I was moving to NYC and wanted to find a “home” for my hair. After reading wonderful reviews about this salon – and seeing that it is located on Elizabeth Street – I thought, “But, of course. Meant to be!” and off I went, happy as a clam. Hours later I left the salon with such beautiful, bouncy hair that people were actually staring at me on the street. I remember even calling my friend in Philadelphia and telling her, “I feel like I’m in a commercial! People just keep smiling at me! Why are they all looking at me???” Her response, “It’s because you know you look nice and you are walking tall with confidence and you’re probably smiling because you are happy.” Whatever the case, you won’t be sorry if you give them a try. Be sure to inquire about new customer specials, and be smart and schedule the day of a hot date.

Some of the hair care products I am using right now I mentioned in my article “Rapunzel, Rapunzel, Let Down Your Hair!” (http://www.cougarcandystore.com/2009/05/rapunzel-rapunzel-let-down-your-hair/) Sebastian Penetraitt Strengthening and Repair Shampoo and Conditioners leave my hair clean and soft, without stripping it of its moisture. Once a week I use the PACT colordefence stategy shampoo and conditioner that was specially formulated for my hair color in order to add a boost of oomph in between salon colorings. My salon is a Wella salon, so I do have quite a few of their products, including Wella Color Preserve Smoothing Shampoo and Smoothing Conditioner and the Seal and Shine Drops. While I prefer the Sebastian line a bit more for its shampoos and conditioners, I do like the Wella shine drops and I use them daily when styling. The drops don’t weigh my hair down like Frizz Ease Hair Serum and I like the idea that the P3 Complex will help to preserve and prolong my haircolor up to 78% longer. I often mix a bit of the drops with Sebastian’s Professional Potion 9 – a versatile styling cream that does not weigh down hair and helps to restore moisture while acting as a styling treatment. Whenever I remember I use a moisture mask by Schwarzkopf Professional that I picked up at my local beauty supply store to restore moisture to my hair. This mask promises to give curls new bounce and elasticity, make frizzy, extremely dry hair easier to manage and leave hair supple and shiny. My favorite new find is a Soy Tri-Wheat Leave In Conditioner by Sexy Hair that leaves my hair so soft and smooth. I get much better comb through than I did with Wella System’s Professional Hydro Milk, which is also a spray-on, leave-in conditioner. I spray this on my hair right after I towel dry and before using a small amount of the Potion 9 and Seal and Shine Drops to style. For a finishing touch after blow drying with a diffuser I spritz a bit of Nexxus Comb Thru Natural Hold Design and Finishing Mist and scrunch my curls with both hands.

I am just glad that with some TLC my hair is now way past the, “Daaarrrrling, I promise I will give you the haircut and color you want, baby. Don’t worry. Trust me!!!” that I got last March from my overly confident Israeli hairstylist who gave me my “goth” look hair color and a cut that was more soccer mom than Carmen Electra hot – which is actually what I was going for. (So much for upscale Upper East Side salons in Manhattan!) See what happens when you try to be responsible and go for a less expensive option? Sticking with a salon you can trust is a very, very good idea and saves you money in the long run.

So my advice is, “Get your sexy on!” Whether you are a lioness or not, don’t be afraid to splurge on quality products and/or on a good cut and color. The products last a long time so you can budget accordingly and a nicely coiffed do is just going to get you that much closer to a hell of a lot of stares. And who knows? Maybe your ex will even offer to pay for your next salon visit, sexy. Maybe.

Elizabeth Hawk

View Elizabeth's Profile      Subscribe via RSS