Tuesday, September 24, 2013

Product Review For Smiley360.com On Just For Men Beard Cover

Smiley360.com  recently asked me to take part in a survey using Just For Men beard cover. Having never colored my beard and already sporting greys, (which I've been plucking) I decided to give it a go!

As a hairstylist/colorist with an extensive male clientele needing hair color, I thought that I could put my color expertise to good use here.
Out of a total of 11 different color shades for free, I chose medium dark brown.  Knowing that color tends to have some red tones, I decided to do test on a small area of hair to see the results. 30% of my beard is gray. If you're totally grey, you will want to adjust the shade and tone. The shade is how dark it is and the tone refers to the tonal value, be it more red or brown.


Round 1 - I mixed the color as suggested in the little tray which was very easy. Because I'm not fully gray, I decided to brush the color only in my grey areas. As I expected it was brown with red tones. Often we see men walking around with reddish hair and beards. This is due to the color not having enough ash.

Round 2 - Knowing this I decided to mix the medium dark brown with the ash brown. The ash brown will control the red in the color, giving it a more masculine finish. I mixed the same amount from each, but this time I applied it more aggressively.The coverage was really good! Because I mixed the two shades, I was able to get a real brown without that reddish cast. My beard felt a little dryer and more coarse, which is the norm even when coloring the hair on your head.

 Below are some important tips to consider when coloring your beard.

1) Always add ash to your chosen beard color. Just for Men offers ash in different shades. Use them and you won't end up with a reddish beard in 2-3 weeks. If you have dark hair like me, choose any of the browns that you like and add ash brown.

2) When applying, be aggressive. The hair on the face is curly, coarse and thick. You need to get the color in there. I recommend brushing your beard to soften the hair, then applying the color.

3) If you're like me and have a certain amount of gray, try not to color the hair that does not need it. If you choose your color wisely, you should be able to get a nice blend.

4) After washing off the color, you may want to condition your beard. You condition the hair on your head so why not your beard?

5) When choosing a color always choose one shade lighter. Color that tends to work this fast tend to be darker.

6) When you need to color your beard the next time, I recommend doing in on the days that you trim your beard. Cut off the old ends that already have been colored. If you start layering old color on top of new color, it can end up getting too dark. Coverage is important, but you don't want to end up looking like Brutus from Popeye the Sailor.
 Added bonus- Guys I used it to color my chest hairs, it was great!

Just saying:)

Antonio

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Thursday, September 19, 2013

You Maybe Homeless But You Are Loved.

That was my message at a recent workshop I held for mothers wanting to stay clean and break their addiction to drugs that range from alcohol, pot, pills and heroin to crystal meth. Some of these women live in shelters or struggle to put a roof over their heads. From my personal experiences I can relate.

"You are beautiful from the inside out..." was my first message to the room. "We are no different from each other and you deserve to be treated as an equal." This I firmly believe based on my own life experiences.

Some may assume that with the struggles these women face, "beauty from the inside out" may not be the most important thing, but they're dead wrong!
The power that a human gets from understanding that they have inner beauty, can move mountains. We live in a world where magazines, TV, radio and social media are constantly telling women they are better off looking look like someone else (maybe a celebrity). Not being able to live up to these impossible standards can break a woman, especially one who is already battling an addiction.

 Some women may also have to deal with other challenges,  like financial insecurity, physical abuse, mental health issues and crushing poverty. With this weight on their shoulders, there is often no room for feelings of self-worth. That's where inner beauty plays an important role.

By recognizing their "inner beauty," these women can be reminded that they deserve a good life, just like everyone else. They deserve love, deserve respect and deserve to be supported through difficult times, just like everyone else.

So if you're reading this, know that showing others' their inner beauty is extremely powerful. So many of us walk around depending on our outside appearances to represent who we are, but that only lasts so long. As I always say, a hairstyle lasts a day but self love is forever!

So spread the word, beauty is still just skin deep!

Feel free to write to me with any questions or comments. Remember that we can all bring joy to someone in need.

To love one's self is the beginning of a life long romance. - Oscar Wilde


Give love.
Give hope.
Give faith!

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Tuesday, September 17, 2013

U.S Elle Magazine October 2013- She's A Rainbow. Hair By Orlando Pita

So excited to share these images done by a very talented group of people, including my 2 friends and mentors Hairstylist Orlando Pita and Stylist Lori Goldstein.

All I can say is, MAJOR!!!

Photographer: Catherine Servel
Model: Zenia Sevastyanova
Stylist: Lori Goldstein
Make-up: Christian Mcculloch
Manicure: Gina Edwards 















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Tuesday, September 10, 2013

The Hair At Carolina Herrera Spring/Summer 2014

As always Carolina Hererra delivers an elegance with her latest collection that captivates even the most jaded among the fashion-weary flock at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week.

A few hours before the show began, my colleagues and I gathered around Orlando who did a demo of the look.

First we brushed and blow dried the hair, removing all knots and kinks. We then generously sprayed Spirulina Hair Spray thorough each model's hair.

To achieve the look, Orlando had us all do a side part...and in typical Orlando-style, he paid close attention making sure each head was perfect. That's one of the things I enjoy about working with him...his laser-like focus and attention to detail. We then back-combed the hair section by section.


Orlando advised us to use hairpins sparingly, so we could avoid unnecessary bumps or pulls.


Starting with the left side, we did our first twist, then moved to the right and did our next twist
Orlando mentioned that the idea was to simulate "...sea shells, the long ones that swirls."
And to avoid it looking too "classic," we created two little shell-like curls at the top of the twist.

In the end it was a beautiful, (hint - not easy to do) hairstyle that complimented Ms. Hererra's elegant designs.





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Sunday, September 8, 2013

Orlando Pita And Joe Martino Take Karen Elson From Short To Long!

Last season Joe Martino at Orlo Salon cropped Karen Elson's hair into a much sought after bob. This season Orlando Pita and Joe Martino lengthened her hair at DVF!!

Watch them work them work as an amazing team!



Great job guys, and remember you saw it on Comesse!


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DVF Spring/Fall 2014 Mercedes Benz Fashion Week NYC

"Young, confident and independent. You weren't only chosen because you're beautiful, but because of your personalities"
That comes from the kickoff speech to all the models at DVF this morning. So without changing each model's natural hair too much, we were instructed to highlight their inner beauty. 
Confident women or independent beauty was what it was all about at DVF. 

Orlando Pita Started us off doing a demo showing us exactly what he wanted.

First we applied a layer of the Biosilk Hairspray, then working towards creating an "S" wave, we all grabbed big sections of hair as we primarily used curling irons to achieve this look. In his demo, Orlando made it clear not to style the hair into a barrel curl or curls that were too tight. 
 For this show we used a Mason Pearson brush to add body and some fullness to hair.

And voila!


Here is Orlando Pita and Diane Von Furstenberg just be for the show!
Amazing show guys!!!

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Hair At Derek Lam Spring/Summer 2014 Mercedes Benz Fashion Week

"Structured ease" was one of the terms Derek Lam used to describe the vibe of his Spring/Summer 2014 runway show and each model's hair was styled to follow suit.

Orlando Pitdid his usual demonstration for us, showing the techniques, tools and products that were needed.

The hair was first lightly brushed with a Mason Pearson brush and then sprayed with a Phyto Finishing Hair Spray to give it structure and body. 
We then styled it with the fabulous T3- Micro Hair Iron, alternating the direction of each wave.


NO BARREL CURLS! That's right guys...this is the look that will define today's modern girl.  

The hair was then put into a ponytail, keeping it, "...structured with an ease..."




Great job guys!!

Orlando Pita, Derek Lam and Makeup artist Tom Pecheux.

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Saturday, September 7, 2013

Mercedes Benz Fashion Week NYC Spring 2014

With the "fashion buzz" in the air, everyone is gearing up for yet another amazing week of style, beauty and high drama in NYC. I'm excited to share that I'll be making "hair magic" as part of a team assisting Orlando Pita during Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week.

We'll be working on an exciting lineup of shows for the following designers: Derek Lam, Diane Von Furstenberg, Carolina Herrera, Oscar De La Renta, Michael Kors and Philosophy.
What we will be doing stays secret till Orlando gives us our instructions. To see what's happening backstage, follow Orlando's Instagram and Facebook pages at orlopita.
Here's a backstage recap of hairstyles from the last shows I assisted.
Carolina Herrera


 Oscar De La Renta



Derek Lam


DVF



Michael Kors




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