Perfect Gifts For Everyone On Your List From Believe

Chanukah is almost over and Christmas is coming right up! If you've seen the full-to-bursting parking lots at the Mall or waited way too long to speak to Customer Service when your internet shopping went awry, you know that time is flying. 

If you can't face another crowd, are out of ideas, and wish you could wave a magic wand and have all your shopping behind you, we at Believe (doing double duty as fairy godmothers) can grant that wish. (Consider it our little gift to you.) 

Here are our picks for Perfect Gifts For Everyone On Your List: 

Your Mom: You know it is time for a makeover for Mom. She's looking a little tired and her old hair color just doesn't suit her anymore. But should you tell her? No! Better yet, buy a Believe Gift Card and send her in for a consultation and makeover with our master colorist and stylist, Lisa. She will talk things over with her, make suggestions and your Mom will leave the chair looking (and feeling) like a new woman. (If you give her the gift of a new Sedu 3600i Blowdryer (on sale now for only $140) she can keep her new style up more easily at home, too.

Teenager Girl: With teenage girls, it is often all about the hair. Buy her a Flatiron for $144 (a 20% discount) and we'll throw in a Flatiron Comb for half-price. (We will also teach her how to use it properly, so she won't fry her hair.) Help her say goodbye to the curls she has hated since she was in third grade and hello to sleek, shiny hair.

Teenage Boy: Long hair is making a comeback, but that in-between stage (when it's growing out) is a mess. Buy him a Cut and Style to keep it in shape (and sexy) while it is getting longer. Do you really think Justin Beiber got that famous from his singing talent? Nah...it was his hair!

Grandmother: Is she sick of those stray grays or fading hair color? Send her in for a custom color by Chromastics. Permanent and Demi-Permanent colors are based on pure tones.  Countless colors can be achieved and due to a soy and hydrolyzed wheat protein base, the product actually helps repair her hair, no matter how long (or how badly) she's been coloring it.

Husband:  Let's face it...sometimes life is a pain in the neck. Your husband works hard, putting up with subways, traffic and the jerks at his office just to help earn the daily bread, Say thanks in a way that matters. Buy a Neck Ease Wrap (20% off) and let the soothing aromas of lavender and herbs, combined with the warm softness of the wrap itself, help unkink those sore muscles and welcome him home in a way he'll remember.

Mother-In-Law: Tell her (with a straight face) that a woman as beautiful as she is deserves to be decorated. Then stop by Believe to check out our selection of jewelry--now all on sale. Buy one and get another 20% off, (Maybe the second one should go in your stocking for being such a dutiful daughter-in-law?) Can't bring yourself to say it? Then gift her with one of the unique fragrances from our CB I Hate Perfume collection (at least you'll like the way she smells.)

Co-Workers: They are always tough to shop for, we know. How to get them something nice, but not too personal and, if your office engages in blind gift exchanges, what's a good one-size- fits-all gift to get? We recommend body butters like Aestalance--great for everybody's static-y hair (or bald scalp) and other dry bits.

Stocking Stuffers: The ZUM family of products make great stocking stuffers--give ZUM Organic Goat Milk Soap (in your choice of fabulous fragrances) now on sale. Buy two get another soap 50% off and Zum Chapsticks (Buy two, get another 50% off). All Zum products are welcome treats during these cold, drying months.

YOU: Let's not forget the most important person here. Instead of all those broken resolutions, make a real change to usher in 2013. Consult with Lisa, Believe's owner, for the perfect new style and color and really do it up for that New Year's party. YOU are a star and we'll make you look and feel like one by working a little magic at Believe. Hurry in! Our December sale ends the 23rd and our holiday appointments are filling up fast! Here's to shining brightly in the new year.

Fuzzy Faces For Fall Are Back At Believe

Autumn is here and with that first hint of cold weather, the man in your life may be itching (excuse the pun) to grow some facial hair. We also know that, left to his own devices, he would probably just grow the hair out, wash it with bar soap, take some scissors to it if it got too long and call it a day. But you (being a woman and a reader of Believe's blog) know better. If its a beard he's hankering for, here's some hint on how he can look more like Johnny Depp and less like Zach Galifianakis.

First, let's talk about beards and facial shapes. Just like a great hairstyle can divert from our weak features and enhance our best ones, so to can a beard do the same for men.

If a man has a long face, he'll need a beard that is fuller at the sides and shorter at the chin. Adding width to the sides will make his face appear shorter.

The exact opposite is true if he has a round face. Then he'll want to go longer at the chin to add length. Keep the sides short and no bushy sideburns (a goatee looks good on round faces.)

If the guy has a square face, he should have the beard longer at the chin and shorter at the sides to give the illusion of a longer face. (Goatees work with this shape face, too.)

Small faces should have small facial hair. Just like large jewelry on a small woman, a big beard can overwhelm a little guy. Keep things in proportion.

With a large face, the opposite is true. Go big or go home and then just follow the tips above about face shape.

If a guy has an oval face, congratulations! He's got what is considered the ideal shape and can wear any facial hair he chooses.

Here's a few beard styles for him (and you) to consider:

Van Dyke Beard -This is a moustache combined with a goatee (or Soul Patch--see below) with no hair connecting the two and no hair covering the cheeks. By the way, there was a Van Dyke--he was a 17th century painter--so maybe this will bring out the creativity in your man.

The Goatee -This is confined to only the chin area and can be short, broad or of any fanciful shape (think Hunger Games). By attaching it with a moustache and a small beard bridge, it is called a French beard and is great for man with small chins.

Soul Patches -This feaures a small patch of beard under the lips and above the chin with no mustache (and no other facial hair). It can be triangular pointed and requires only a minimal amount of trimming.

Stubble Beards-Like those made famous by such men as David Beckham often sports is a two (or more) day growth of beard and gives your man a tough guy image. (This type of beard may make a kind of tough guy of you, too, if you get razor-burned by this beard. Take care of your own skin while kissing him.  Rub some emollient, like Aestelance Butter around your own lips and jaw after some heavy smooching.) An electric razor hovering just above the stubble is the way to maintain this type of beard.

Full Beards-To avoid looking like a member of  the ZZ Top band, Brad Pitt on his bad days or Charles Darwin, your man has to keep his full beard well-trimmed and pay attention to its maintenance and condition. Treat it just like the hair on his head--get it cut well (we are happy to do this a Believe), maintain its shape (we at Believe will teach you how) and use shampoo like Aestalance G and conditioner like Chromastics TriOrganic Light Conditione to keep the beard hair in tip-top shape.

Chin Curtain Beard -Easy to maintain, this is grown only on the lower part of the guy's face along the jawline, from cheek to cheek. It looks sleek and slightly historic.

Sideburns Beards-Coming down from the temples and running along the jawline, whether or not its accompanied by a moustache, this type of beard is for the guy who is an individualist. Bring your guy into Believe to consult on just how busy those sideburns should be to suit his face and we'll even teach him to use a trimmer to keep that Civil War look from taking over.

Caring for the new beard:

Have him use the same shampoo and conditioner on his face as he does on his head.  Good ones carried at Believe include Camellia Sinensis (green tea extract) and Annuus (Sunflower) Seed extract.

If his beard is gray, conditioning is key because grey hair can grow thicker and more bristly than colored hair. The conditioning will help soften the beard (and help you with that kissing problem.) Try Chromastic molding cream or Aestalance Butter.

For unruly beards, a dab of conditioner like Aestalance Hydrate will work wonders.

To give his beard the best shape possible, make an appointment at Believe and have his beard trimmed professionally.

A clear shaving oil will allow him to see what he is shaving at home and will help ensure clean lines around his beard.

Choose a trimmer with an adjustable trimming guide for mistake-proof trimming and consider buying two clippers. A full sized clipper will make overall trimming easier, while a small fine-toothed trimmer will cut closer and allow him to get a clean outline.

Keep the beard smooth and free from tangles by using a fine tooth comb through the beard in the direction of the hair growth.

If his beard is graying or a dramatically different color from the hair on your head, make an appointment at Believe and we will dye it for him (avoiding the mess and keeping him from dyeing his neck, his chin skin and the whole bathroom.)

Invest in a wall-mounted mirror with a telescoping arm for your new bearded wonder. This will prevent him from having to lean across the bathroom counter and ensure he can get a close up view for trimming.

We've got more tips (including the latest styles) for those men who want to sport a moustache this fall or winter. Check back here soon for our blog about 'staches. For now, call Believe soon for an appointment for that guy in your life so we can get his beard off to its best start.

(And don't forget to come in for your pink hair extension through October. Only $10 and all money goes to Pink Hair For Hope to fight breast cancer.)

Silver Is Sexy!

We have a lot of customers at Believe who qualify as Baby Boomers, and they are proud to have made it –healthier and fitter—than any other generation, into their late 50's and beyond. But no amount of vitamins, supplements or yoga classes can erase on of the most visible passages of time...gray hair. When you go gray, is mostly determined by genetics, but how you go gray is up to you. No need to have mousy, washed out helmet hair like the “old” ladies or gentlemen of the last generation. Silver is the new black, baby and gray is great (with a little help.)

One of the reasons for going gray we hear the most at Believe is that our customers find their hair needs dyeing every few weeks—say every three instead of every 6--and then roots show up. Since these are often gray roots, they look dull. Or silver roots which shine like beacons announcing “I need to be dyed.”

Maybe you are tired of the battle or maybe you just want to let your true—more mature—self out and the effort to constantly look younger be damned.

Whichever the reason, here are some things to consider before you take the plunge. (If you went silver or white young in life, read on for tips on keeping your shiny silver vibrant and consider not getting your hair colored. Silver hair framing a young face can be striking.) But if you are of an age where your hair is starting to turn due to normal aging...Consider this:

• If you bristle when someone guesses your age as over 40 or sees you with a young child and assumes its your grandchild and that doesn't bring a smile to your face, you might not want to go gray. If you're still squeezing into miniskirts and dating 20-somethings, the fact that you might get treated differently with gray hair is probably not going to make you happy.
• Are shiny silvers peeking through your do? Sometimes Mother Nature's color is prettier than any color we can apply at Believe. If you are gifted with shiny silver or snowy white locks, why fight it? Not sure? Come into Believe and talk it over. We'll give you an honest opinion.
• Do you have wildly interesting streaks of grey or white now? If they are framing your face or giving you men an adorable Jon Stewart skunk streak, you might not want to mess with success. Let your hair alone until more has gone gray—then decide if we should color or not. The same goes with highlights. If you are used to lots of blonde (or even other color) streaks, letting your whole head go one color—even if it is silver—might not offer enough “drama” for you.
  
  
  

  
• Are you confident enough to pull it off? Remember Meryl Streep in “The Devil Wears Prada'? Now there was a confident silver-haired woman. So is Jamie Lee Curtis in all those yogurt commercials. From Dame Helen Mirren to Richard Gere, confidence is the magic key to making gray magical instead of mousy.
  

  

  
  
• Are you a “dirty blonde”? The problem is light hair going gray looks dirty, so either make it all gray/silver or color it all blonde. In this instance, hit 'em hard or go home.
  
  
  

  
• Got six months? If your hair is long, no matter how good a job we do at blending your roots to hide the demarcation line it's going to take a while to let your gray grow in. (Your hair grows about a half an inch per month.) Consider a shorter style for this period and then, when its passed, you can grow long lovely silver hair like Emmy Lou Harris. 
  
  
  

  

• Can't stand the wait? Get lowlights in the meantime to help blend in newly-emerging grays and come into Believe often for cuts to get rid of that old dyed hair.
• Get tough. Silver hair can grow out coarse or wiry. We at Believe will show you how to use a flat iron to jeep the frizzies in check. Anti-frizz serum like Chromastices Repair will help too, Keeping your hair in great condition both by using a daily conditioner and occasional deep conditioning like Aestelance Protein or Mud Masque will help keep up the moisture content of aging hair.
• Don't forget to drink gallons of water and take an age-appropriate vitamins. Water helps keep your hair from being dull and the vitamins help it grow more quickly.
• Going for the gold...err silver: If you make the decision to cross that line into gray or silver, we're behind you 100%. We'll recommend shampoo (like Aestelance Clarifying), conditioner (like Scruples White Tea) and even a few tricks of the trade to bring out the gloss (A clear semi-permanent glaze).

Shine like you mean it, with some help from Believe.

Travel Beauty Tips From Believe

Memorial Day weekend is the checkered flag for the opening of travel season and I can't help it, when a vacation is coming up, soundtracks start playing in my head...from Steppenwolf's “Born To Be Wild” (Get your motor running. Head out on the highway. Looking for adventure, in whatever comes our way,) and Willie Nelson's (On the Road Again, like a band of gypsies, we go down the highway) to Springsteen's “Thunder Road” (Hey what else can we do now? Except roll down the window and let the wind blow back your hair. Well the night's busting open, these two lanes will take us anywhere...)

Now that I've got those tunes stuck in your head, too (you're welcome) let me share a few Traveling Tips to make your Summer trip a little more beautiful:

(Remember, if you are traveling by plane, the only toiletries you can put in your Carry On bag must be no more than 2 ounces of liquid in any container; all containers must fit in a one-quart Ziploc bag; and TSA will confiscate any scissors, manicure sets or tweezers. Pack any overflow in your checked luggage.)

Come get your skin exfoliated with a great facial and body scrub at Believe. You will keep your summer tan much longer (with lots less uncomfortable peeling.)


• Whether you are headed to the beach or your neighbor's BBQ, sunscreen is vital. Make sure your foundation has it (at Believe, all the custom makeup by GIELLA has got you covered with an SPF of 15 and higher.) You'll want to pack more for your body. Try baby suntan lotion (which provides almost total sunblock) or carry a solid stick (like Neutrogena's Solid sunblock stick—it has no scent and can fit in your purse or beach bag. Reapply often, particularly if you are sweating or swimming.)

• If you do over-indulge and are as red as a lobster, here's an old wives trick: You will smell like an Easter Egg for a night, but douse your burnt skin in white vinegar. You will turn brown by morning.

• Something that smells much better and also fits in your purse is Aura Cacia Soothing Lavender Stick. It's lavender essential oil, in a roll-on so you don't have to worry about spills. You can roll it under your nose in restrooms, dab it on your temples to get rid of an in-flight headache, rub some on a washcloth and add to your hotel bath water or while washing out your dainties in a sink and it can even double as perfume.

• Hair conditioner, like CHROMASTICS LIGHT/ IDEN TREATMENT doubles as shaving cream—not only for your legs, but for the men in your family, too.

• Avon's Skin So Soft keeps mosquito at bay and doesn't smell like you are covered in pesticide.

• Pack a small plastic spray bottle. Fill it with mineral water when you get where you are going. It's magic for travel: Spray it on those tight places on your jeans (maybe after overeating at that family picnic?) and they loosen up immediately (and dry quickly). It will refresh and moisturize your skin at the beach, set your makeup for that perfect night out, and even can be used to help steam out wrinkles (spritz water-safe clothes lightly—no silk, unless it's washable—and let the clothes hang in a steamy bathroom while you shower.)

• You shouldn’t change your skin care routine on vacation (just add more moisture and sunscreen)--the last thing you want is for your sin to rebel and break out just when you are taking photos for the family album. Save and empty hotel toiletry bottles. Put your own cleanser--(like GIELLA'S MAKEUP REMOVER, shampoo like WHITE TEA SULFATE FREE and conditioner like WHITE TEA RESTORATIVE-- into the bottles with a small funnel and throw them bottles away before you come home. Less to carry.
• Pack a Pashmina or two. They don't have to be expensive (and might even be found at an airport store on sale!) They do double duty and can be a shawl, a blanket, a pillow, a skirt or even a bathing suit coverup.

• Always carry AESTELANCE TRAVEL SIZE SHAMPOO, a must for chlorine removal and salts after ocean or lake swimming. It's also great for washing clothes in the sink and gets chlorine out while keeping colors bright and is hard to find elsewhere. Keep one in your carry on, along with an extra pair of under in case your luggage gets lost.

• Check out this website for all things miniature: http://www.minimus.biz/ so you aren't at the mercy of your local drugstore for travel-sized items.
• Let us at Believe cut your hair before you go. We'll help you pick a style that not only looks great, but is no-fuss, no muss (maintenance-free) for your vacation.

• Lay off the hairdryer for a while (airplanes and sunshine dry out your hair as it is) and take along some AESTELANCE HAIR CREAM hair balm. (We stock it at the salon.) Slather it on at the beach (instant conditioning) and use it to keep a wild mane at bay for a night of dancing under the stars.

• Shiny face? Traveling is a dirty, sweaty proposition, it's true! Organic baby wipes(with great scents like lavender) help clean you up at rest stops during a hot car trip or a stressful flight. You can use them on your face, under your arms, around bra lines and they keep your hands from drying up when you use all that hand sanitizer on the road. Baby powder makes your entire body more comfortable, too—and you will smell great (even when you shouldn't.) And, believe it or not, those toilet sheet covers in airplane and turnpike restrooms are the same material as oil-blotting tissues and work like a charm.

• Fabric softener sheets have more uses than their original design, too. Pack them in your suitcase to keep clothes smelling fresh, eliminate static cling by rubbing them on your clothes and avoid your shoes smelling bad after a run or hot day of shopping—stuff fabric sheets in them at night and the next day you will be as fresh as a daisy.
• Pack some Vitamin E geltabs in your Carry On and break some open for use on a long flight—under your eyes and also slathered on your hands. Cover them with clean socks before you take a nap and your will wake up rested and moisturized.
• Carry a travel candle with you to make hotel rooms smell more like home and give you a better night's sleep (always the best beauty tip). Choose CLEAN LINEN or one of the other fabulous scents we have at Believe.

• And when all else fails--Never underestimate the power of a (crushable) hat and a great pair of sunglasses.
• Safe travels and have fun this summer.

Extend Your Beauty at Believe

Have you been admiring those long flowing waves so popular in Hollywood right now? But you know that the growing out phase to get long hair will drive you crazy? Hair extensions may be the answer. Believe will weave their magic and voila—instant long and lovely hair that can last up to three months before you even need maintenance.

Hair extensions are lengths of either real or synthetic hair that are affixed close to the scalp. They match your own hair in color and texture and move naturally—making it hard for anyone to tell you have extensions. They add volume and can even add highlights or lowlights to add a little drama to your hair. Natural or human hair extensions are the type you want because they can be colored, set, curled or treated (synthetic hair may melt under a blow dryer.) Be sure to have an experienced stylist, like us at Believe, put in your extensions (stylists with no experience can damage and even break off your hair.) At Believe, we carefully test the strength of your hair and USE the right method of attachment to protect your own precious mane.

Here's a few methods of applying hair extensions:

Braids, Cornrows, Twists, Locks – Extensions are visible here—as in the braid—but they blend into the overall hairstyle.

Weaves – Little braids hold the extensions against the scalp (like tiny cornrows) except the braids are hidden. If the extensions are poorly applied, tension and uneven weight (like wet hair from swimming) can not only loosen the weave, but break your natural hair.

Bonding – Latex plugs hold the extensions and are glued to your own hair for short-term use. Though this method is less expensive (because it is faster), oil and heat have to be used to dissolve the bonding agent when you want the extensions out—which is messy, time consuming and can pull your own hair out if not carefully done.

Metal Tubing – Much like the latex plug, this method uses a metal tube clamped over the real hair. Be careful of the weight here if your hair is fine.

Heat-Shrink Tubing - This doesn't harm natural hair, but may not last as long as other methods. Washing can loosen the tubes.

Adhesive-Based Fusion – This is the best method and the one used at Believe. Professional grade adhesives that can withstand both heat and chemical treatments are used and our professionals can remove the extensions using an adhesive remover that reduces the bonding agent to powder (instead of using messy oil and heat).

Here's some dos and don't for your new extensions:

• Do grow your hair to 3-5 inches so the extensions won't look unnatural.
• Do use recommended aftercare products like Chromastics, Aestelance or the So.Cap. wet line for your hair extensions.
• Don't shampoo
 your hair for two days. The bonds needs time to set completely.

• Do brush your hair gently to remove tangles before washing.
• Don't scrub your scalp or shampoo your hair upside down.
• Don't shampoo your hair more than twice a day.
• Don't neglect your real hair—be gentle and keep your own hair healthy.
• Don't keep them in too long. After a few months, your extensions will be worn out from the washing, drying and styling and your real hair growth will make the extensions look like Britney Spears' on a bad day. Replace the before they draw the wrong kind of attention to your head.

 Long, strong, beautiful hair can be yours—whenever you'd like. Make an appointment with us at Believe and start the transformation.