For Lips Only

I was just taking spring inventory of the Salon Vertigo cosmetics and fell in love all over again with the huge variety of lip colors and a delivery methods available.  All of my lipsticks are cruelty free, fragrance and preservative free, hypoallergenic and made in the USA. Here is a rundown of lip products and benefits from most coverage to least:

Lipsticks

Luxury Matte Lipstick - Heavy on the pigment, low on shine, this lipstick has the longest wear and still glides on smoothly like a regular lipstick. Our most popular seller! Comes in 13 colors.

Micro Bubble Lipstick - Creamy, long-lasting, feather resistant with a high pigment level.  Micro-bubble spheres continually release special conditioners that keep color looking fresh for hours. Comes in 9 colors. 

Luxury Lipstick - Creamy, lip plumping formula helps to minimize fine lines. Comes in 11 colors. 


Luxury Lipshine - Shine with a transparent tint and an SPF of 15.  Great for that "not made up" look. Comes in 6 colors

Glosses

Liquid Lustre - Packed with color and glitter and gloss, plus plumping. WOW! 4 colors with a stick/brush applicator.

Super Gloss - Semi translucent color with vitamins A and E. Squeeze and smooth tube application comes in 8 colors.

LipToxyl Sheer - Sheer color gloss with super plumping power contains real diamond dust. Comes in 4 shades with a wand/stick applicator.

LipToxyl x3 - 3 times the plumping power with no tint. Wear alone or over another lip color.

Early Spring, Time for Renewal

Wow.  February was especially brutal this year.  While we had half a year of excruciating cold and snow LAST winter, it seemed that we were having no winter this year.  Until february - my birthday month is always unapologetically miserable.  Best to just hibernate, watch Netflix, eat warm gooey food and wait. Or take a vacation to Miami. Which is what I did...

Getting out of the mitten in winter is usually what I do in January every year by going to L.A. to visit one of my best friends for a long weekend of sun and r&r.  But it's NOT Miami, with it's wonderfully diverse people, never-ending beach culture and everglades experience.
This trip was my birthday gift from one of my very bestie girlfriends who has a condo down there.  Girl time for 5 days and water everywhere you go.  My favorite thing!

Hollywood Beach

Lunch at the Fountainebleu

 My favorite outing was stopping by my alma mater (this one in South Beach) Vidal Sassoon for a new cut.  Nothing recharges my creativity like getting a new haircut, seeing the  new for 2015 styles and trying different products in my hair.  This motivation made me finish all of the idle projects to complete the salon move (thanks to Matt and Jim) after one year.  I have been keeping that motivation going with online education to refresh my spring offering for both cuts and colors.

Salon Vertigo sporting a fresh new look 

Yet another redo of the logo.  I think this is THE one.

Kima shows off her new layered bob

 Roxy has geometry AND color

As you can see, I'm inspired to look at things differently after having a much needed getaway.  Proof that this needs to happen MUCH more often. In the meantime, on it's way to the salon soon:

Satin finish spring natural Zoya polish $9

Wella Blondor Freelights highlighting service

Hope to see you soon in my chair!

It's Time to Treat Yourself...

So, I am never happy just plugging along with the status quo.  I love getting excited about new services, new products and seasonal colors, so I decide to add a trio of both practical and pampering services just in time for the holidays.  Hmm, sounds like these might make a great gift for someone!

Wella LuxeOil Deep Conditioning Keratin Treatment $20 / $10 with a hair service

                           

Using the LuxeOil Shampoo, this service starts with an intoxicating massaging shampoo and follows up with the Hair Mask and Restorative Elixer blended and massaged through the hair to be followed with 10 minutes under a warm dryer for smoothness and hair repair before rinsing.

Facial Waxing

I found a gentle alternative to traditional wax.  Nufree is a wax free product that is great for those with sensitive skin, does not leave a residue and effectively pulls the entire hair out.

I'll be doing brow arches, lips and chins starting next week.
Services are $12 each, $20 for any two or $25 for all three.

Hand Treatment with Paraffin $15

       

First, an generous application of healing, soothing cuticle balm, followed by a moisturizing massage using Qtica luxury lotion, then off for a dip in the paraffin bath. I'll wrap you up to let the heat do it's magic and after 10 minutes, voila!  Relaxed, moisturized happy hands.

Try adding one or all of these new treatments to your next visit, but remember to book them ahead of time, so I have plenty of time to spend on you...

New Wella LuxeOil Line is Magnificent

The smell of this new smoothing and reconstructing line is heavenly! With almond, argon and jojoba oils to strengthen, soften and smooth. I'll be using this at the back bar when you get come in for a service, so here's a primer to what the line consists of...

KERATIN PROTECT SHAMPOO $22

From Wella: For lightweight, luxurious cleansing. This professional shampoo gently cleanses impurities while keratin and panthenol penetrate the hair to anchor water molecules with hair proteins for strength and hair reconstruction.

My experience: After using this, I am amazed at how the hair feels stronger and protected, without any kind of residue feel after styling. It really is a luxury experience.

KERATIN BOOST LEAVE IN CONDITIONING SPRAY $22

Infuses the hair to strengthen the keratin and leave the 
hair smooth and moisturized. Provides the perfect foundation for styling and cutting.

I like using a cutting lotion because it smooths down the cuticle and makes your comb glide to give a more precise cut.  This also means a more smooth surface for style foundation. While it is a conditioning spray, it doesn't weight down the hair with an overly moist feeling.  Use after shampoo for combing out hair.

RECONSTRUCTIVE ELIXIR $48

This special formula softens hair without weighing it down. For use on wet and dry hair for optimal nourishing and smoothening effect.

Similar to the Wella OilReflections in its delivery, the focus of this elixir is rebuilding fragile hair and creating smoothness. Use before styling.

Not pictured above, but on the back bar and in stock soon:

KERATIN RESTORE MASK $22

Instantly reconstructs hair fiber to improve texture and leave hair soft to the touch.

Trying this, it is easy to over use. Due to it's extreme thickness, you will have a tendency to scoop out too much.  This mask is SO thick, that truly, a tiny bit goes a long way. Hair feels slippery and comb able after use. Use occasionally after shampooing.

Striving for Zero Waste

Salon Vertigo has always been committed to reducing waste and recycling.  Now being the only stylist generating trash, I took it as a personal challenge to push myself to do more to reduce, reuse and recycle.  We have always used old towels in favor of paper towels and napkins, sold cruelty free cosmetics with no extra packaging, use a water cooler to keep the plastic bottles to a minimum and make coffee the old way without succumbing to the plastic waste factory of a Keurig style machine.

Ever since I moved into my new space, I have become as paperless as possible.  I pay bills online from emailed statements, run charges using Square and emailing or texting receipts and using the iPad for all of my business needs including streaming music, managing inventory, placing orders via text and scheduling appointments in the cloud from clients text messages. Clients (for the most part) no longer need appointment cards, as they are putting appointments on their phone calendars.

The OTHER big change is my addition of composting.  It's taken a bit of effort on the clients part-  every time they want to throw something out, they look at me for a hint as to where it should go...
Composting consists of coffee grounds, teabags, food items, compostable food containers and coffee cups/lids, paper towels, degradable packing peanuts and hair. I keep that bin back in the haircutting area.

Recycling is in the dispensary area and now includes my used foils from highlighting, magazines, shipping materials (I take plastic bags and styrofoam to the recycling center), color containers,  glass or metal bottles, plastic carryout containers, etc.  There is so much recycling happening at the salon now,  that it needs to be emptied daily.

Let me know if any of you would like my old magazines for any reason, so they can get one more use before recycling.

With all the new changes, my trash receptacle rarely needs emptying, and THAT'S a good thing!

MOP Pear Duo for Baby

Even though I choose each of my products in the salon very carefully because of their amazing qualities, pricepoint and filling a need, everyone knows that Modern Organic Products are still my favorite all time products. I was a MOP educator for years, travelling around the state teaching classes about supporting organic farming and using these products with recycled packaging and certified organic ingredients.  It is a very small line, but every product in it packs a wallop and outsells everything else have had for years.

The MOP Pear Smapoo and Pear Detangler duo is a great useful and luxurious gift for any baby and contains real pear and no artificial coloring for a delicious relaxing bath time. The shampoo has a no tears Ph, so it can be used both as a shampoo AND a bubble bath that smells amazing. It's concentrated, so a tiny bit should be enough.  Finsh off bath time with the detangler to make combing baby's hair easier.  

Pear Shampoo $14 / Pear Detangler $12

Easy Breezy in the Summer

Thinking about my upcoming August vacation, I am deciding how to pack the least amount of stuff with the most usefulness.  I'll be swimming with Quincy at a beach house for 5 days on Lake Huron starting on August 20, so please make any back to school appointments ASAP.

I find that while I tend to be all around low maintenance, I like for my summer routine to be even quicker, lighter, easier.  Face it (a pun?), we all have a certain glow in the summer months that I like to let shine through and pare down what I use to get ready (when I actually BOTHER to get ready).
Whether going on vacation or not, these products make looking polished a breeze.


For Face

My private label cosmetics line has a myriad of affordable problem solvers, from lipstick sealer to eyeshadow magnet.  I've recently seen a ton of print about face primers that "blur" and realized that we have carried 2 varieties for several years now.  I decided to give it a try and was pleasantly surprised with the results.  I have extremely oily skin and try to put as little as possible on it, but the Pore Perfecting Face Primer was perfect to dust my mineral powder over to have great looking even skin tone that allows your powder or liquid makeup to glide on and look even more gorgeous. Try the tester next time you come in - Use just a dab for perfect results!

Pore Perfecting Face Primer for normal to oily skin - $14

RetextureCREME Face Primer for normal to dry skin - $21

My most basic summer cosmetic wardrobe is super quick and does double duty.  Mineral Powder prevents shine, evens out my skin tone and hides any other bothersome blemishes, Volume X mascara  both lengthens lashes and is a nice brow color and LipToxyl lip gloss not only gives you a shiny, glittery color to your lips, but also super plumps them up.  Now there's no excuse not to primp!

Mineral Powder Foundation, $20.00

VolumeX Mascara $12.50

LipToxyl Sheer $20.00

And for the rest of yourself...

A quick spray and a minute of blow-dry can give you volume and separation like you just came from a day at the beach.  I love it in my fine straight hair...
New Zoya Summer colors in both cream and glitter styles make you wanna show off those summer toes in cute sandals or go barefoot!

Wella Ocean Spritz - $16

Zoya Nail Color - $9.00

As for the rest of my travel supplies, there will be 3 bathing suits, 2 sarongs, flip flops, my yoga mat, my camera and my rubber inflatable boat and some hoodies, leggings and sneakers for night star watching of the Perseids meteor shower on the beach.  AHHHHHHH.