Tips For Vacation Hair From Believe

Summer is flying by and if time has finally come for your vacation (it has for us at Believe. We'll be closed July 17 through July 21 and again July 27^thand 28^th so book your appointments now!) here's some tips to help you hit the road with ease and grace and still have fabulous hair:

Get cut and color now: This is where "better the devil you know comes into play." By now you trust all of us little devils at Believe with your precious locks and the same can't be said for a stylist wherever you are traveling. This is not the time to experiment! Getting your hair corn-rowed on some Jamaican beach is one thing (everybody deserve a Bo Derek moment once or twice) but don't let anyone near your hair with scissors or dye. We've cleaned up too many bad cuts and seen too many allergic reactions over the years. Let us at Believe get your hair in super shape before you vacation, so we don't have to save it for you after you come home.

Packing light: If you are flying, TSA will restrict your liquids (or gels) to one quart size Ziploc bag in your carry-on. You can pack more in your suitcase, but be sure to avoid pressurized cans and have everything tightly locked in a Ziploc inside your suitcase. Even then, be prepared for a gooey mess inside the bag when you land--pressurization does strange things to containers you could have sworn were closed tightly. So try your best to stick with the carry on. Go buy travel size containers in 2-3 ounce sizes for your favorite products (don't buy those cheap alcohol-based hair products that come in travel sizes. They may be the right size, but can wreck havoc with your hair. Its much better if you put good products--like those we sell at Believe--in small bottles.) If you are driving, don't be lazy and just empty everything from your bathroom counter into your bag. Make a list and stick to it.

Play it smart: Call ahead to the hotel or check the website to see that they have a hairdryer in the room. That will save you from having to pack one--though, if you must, pack a foldable travel dryer (and if you are headed to another country, make sure you have a convertor with you.) If you are traveling with family, make sure you aren't duplicating what someone else is bringing (everyone doesn't need their own hairdryer or curling iron, for example.)

Absolutely take: A good moisturizing shampoo like Agadir Morrocan Oil or Aestelance Moisture Cream. A versatile conditioner like Aestelance Mud Masque. A leave-in conditioner like Chromastics Tri Organic Leave In. For curly hair, a frizz-reducing styling get like Alcohol Free Aestelance Hydrogel. For straight hair, a styling gel for volume like Aestelance Alcohol Free Volume. A small bottle of spray suitable to the hold you want. One good brush (rounded for styling) and, perhaps one curling iron or flat iron (but do consider: how much time do your really want to spend on vacation styling your hair?)

On the plane: Apply some leave-in conditioner before you board to avoid drying up your hair. Try Aestelance Hair Cream which we sell at Believe and the dry air of the plane won't leave your hair feeling like straw. Rinse it out when you get to your destination.

At the beach or pool: Work in a product like Aestelance Hair Cream to help protect your hair from the sun. Make sure to rinse the salt or chlorine out of your hair with a Clarifying Shampoo right away when you get back to the hotel. (Beware: Beachside showers often use salt water!)

Maintain, don't duplicate: Your regular look may require hot rollers or tons of products that just won't be practical in the small bathroom of a cruise ship or your favorite campground. Don't try to duplicate your usual style. Think more of maintaining healthy hair and know that changing conditions (including water, humidity and even elevation) can change how your hair performs.

When it comes to styling less is more: Go for easy styles on vacation (saving you trouble and time.) Even letting hair air-dry after washing can create a great look. Or for short hair, a good pomade like Butter can add texture and style to your strands. Medium hair can take a good scrunching while drying for volume or go for a low ponytail with sleek edges for a look that can go from shopping in Paris to dinner out in Rio. Longer hair can look chic (and be out of the way) in a chignon, messy bun or even a high ponytail or try braiding your hair before bed. In the morning, unbraid and add some volume with TriOrganic Leave In for a wavy style that can last for days.

Rein it in and cover it up: Small combs, clips, and covered elastic bands will fit easily in your suitcase and will help hide a multitude of sins. Scarfs are great too, and since hats are a pain to take on a plane, wait till you get where you are going to buy an inexpensive straw hat from a street vendor (bargain!) and leave it behind when you go home or, if you are in a car, carry it back as a great (and useful) souvenir of your travels.

Quick! Call for your Believe appointment now and then get out there and have a fabulous (and restful) vacation—and we will too. Enjoy!

Hair Tips To Make You Look Thinner

Unless you are naturally skinny, not a day in the summer months goes by that every woman alive doesn't wish she could lose a few pounds before having to step out in that sleeveless blouse, strappy sundress or (worst of all) that swimsuit.

Even if you are a gym rat (or perhaps even particularly if you are a gym rat), you look in the mirror and wish for a thinner you staring back. Well, why we at Believe don't have a magic wand to make you instantly leaner (if we did, we'd surely be a lot richer than we are), we do have the next best thing...

Some hair and skin tips to make you look like you've lost weight:

Go for the change up: If you are still lugging around that long hair from your younger days (maybe even your college days?) it might be time for a change. Long, lank hair can make you look not only hang-doggy, but can draw the eye down to your jowls, double chin or overly ripe bosom and point right to those ever-expanding hips. A shorter do can perk up your whole look, emphasize your high cheekbones and gorgeous eyes, draw the eye upward to show your pretty face and add a little spring to your step (carrying yourself well is one of the best tricks to looking thinner.) Stand up straight, look people right in the eye, flash your brightest smile and, combined with your new cut, people may not only think you dropped a few pounds, but maybe even that you look so good, you must have had a “little work done”. Shhh! We won't tell, if you won't.

Bobs aren't the answer: When considering your new cut, steer away from the classic flapper's bob, the one that reaches right to your chin and perfectly frames your face with cute little side curls. Those curls will point right to a double chin. Chin-length bobs also tend to add volume on the sides of the head, which will make your face look even wider. This type of cut can actually give the illusion of adding pounds instead of subtracting them. Go instead for a bob above chin level to draw the eye up. Or go a bit edgier with the asymmetrical bob, where it is shorter in the back and longer than your chin in the front. No Buster Brown or Early Beatles bowl cuts for you. One-length hair can make you look heavier.

Try longer layers: Layers are great for creating the illusion of an elongated face, just so the layers are vertical-shaped and not horizontal. Also make sure the layers aren't too wide or too short. Try for a length that falls between the bottom of the ear and the top of the shoulder. Discuss what you are going for with your Believe stylist who will make sure about cutting the layers precisely, so that when they “shrink” after cutting, they end up the right shape and length. Think of it the same as choosing not to wear horizontal striped T-shirts, and why your favorite pin stripe suit always makes you look taller, thinner and leggier. Long layers do the same for your face.

Start at the top: The crown of your hair is where you want to add height and volume. Not only will you appear taller, but the extra lift “upstairs” brings the attention up to your beautiful eyes and noble brow. Flat hair on the crown makes your face look like a balloon with a brick on top of it. Have your Believe stylist show you how to dry your hair so that you build the best volume. She'll show you how to use duck clips, a diffuser, the best brush techniques and the perfect products, like Aestelance Volume to build the volume and lift you, in the words of the immortal singer Jackie Wilson, higher and higher.

Using bangs and parts: Full bangs of the type that march straight across your forehead (alá Vogue Magazine's Anna Wintour) are a no-no for a full face. No blunt-cut bangs for you. They take away from the length of your face and make it inevitable for everyone to notice the width. Instead, grow your bangs long and sweep them to the side in a wispy shape. You get all the benefits of bangs that way, with none of the detriments. The diagonal sweep will accentuate your cheekbones and soften a round face. A side part does much the same thing—take the attention of your face's circular shape. A deep side part will help make your face look longer (and thinner), whether you are wearing your hair up or down.  

When in doubt, accessorize: Not only will you dazzle when you walk in a room bedecked with hair jewelry, but accessories are a stand-out way to look thinner. Place the accessories at the base of any updo and as close to the crown of your hair as possible, helping make your face (and neck) look longer and thinner.

Darker is better: To our detriment, every woman learns early in the game, that she looks thinner the tanner she gets. In this day of awareness of sun damage and skin cancer, what is a girl to do? At Believe we carry a product called Dr. Dennis Gross Glo-Pads that can darken your skin and impart a healthy glow without taking in one harmful UV Ray. Just swipe and wait for your skin to turn a lovely (and thinning) bronze.

We, at Believe hope these tips help you hide those few extra pounds (now go and have a guilt-free ice cream cone for us, will you please?)