Light Up Your Face--Highlights and Lowlights

Have you ever seen a really bad hair-coloring job? You know the type that looks like a bottle of ink got spilled on someone's head? (This is often seen on men who grab a box of Just for Men and dye their own grey away. Guys: Step away from the dye bottle!)

At Believe, we've seen (and fixed) quite a few.

The reason bad dye jobs look so ...well, bad, is that nature didn't give us one color hair, but multiple colors that blend into the rich tapestry making our color shine. Whether its the gorgeous copper tones in brunette hair, shiny platinum in blonde hair, or that hint of lovely dark blue that shimmers for those of you lucky enough to possess jet black hair.

So what to do if your base color is fading or grey hairs are showing up to make you look older than your years? Come into Believe to get your hair colored but consider adding highlights or lowlights to bring out the depth and beauty of your hair.

We all grew up with home highlighting kits and probably spent at least one Saturday afternoon having our friend paint on highlights for us (this was probably not the same friend we let iron our hair on our mother's ironing boards--since we stopped speaking to her after that scorching incident.) As we should have learned then, but bears repeating now: Do not try highlighting at home. This really is a job for professionals (like us here at Believe.)

Highlights and lowlights are spot hair color processes. Depending on what look you wish to achieve, they can be used separately.

Highlights are when thin or thick strands of hair are lightened (at least two shades lighter than the rest of your hair and this doesn't have to mean you make your highlights shades of blonde only. Got dark brown hair? Consider caramel highlights or brown highlights with black hair.) Try not to go more than three shades lighter than your hair color (unless you are opting for rock-star highlights like lavender, electric blue or crayon yellow. In that case, throw the rule book out the window and let's rock!)

The object of highlights is to brighten up your color and draw attention to your face (that's why highlights are applied to frame your features.) Add as many or few as you like—we can always add more—and remember, the thinner the highlight, the more natural the look. If you want them to stand-out, go for chunky highlights. Also, you don't have to refresh your highlights every time you come get your hair colored (unless you want to change out the tone for another.) Every other time will do.

Lowlights can also pump up the drama in your hair—but in a more subtle way. For these, think or thick strands are made two or three shades darker than your natural color. (Because they are less noticeable, lowlights have to be refreshed only every third time or so you visit Believe to have your color done.)

Of course, you don't have to stick to either high or lowlights alone. You can mix it up by asking for tri-colors! Highlights are added near the top of your hair (to make you shine like the star you are) and lowlights near the bottom (to give the illusion of more volume and dimension.) Tri-colors are tricky things. It takes a little artistry to get the right look (good thing Lisa, the owner of Believe is one of the few Master Colorists in Westchester, eh?)

Call at Believe and make an appointment to come in for a consultation. We'll be happy to show you how highlight, lowlights and tri-colors can add some va-voom to your color. You'll be turning heads in no time!

When the cat's away...

Every boss in America holds their breath a little when they go on vacation and have to leave their business in the hands of their staff...everybody but Lisa Koebbe Bevan, owner of Believe, that is.

She gets to head on down the highway knowing her business is safe, sound and running like clockwork, thanks to Believe's Manager, Shannon Marriott.

“Shannon is my right-hand woman,says Lisa. "She's smart, intuitive, hard-working and the clients love her, almost as much as I do.”

There is a lot to love. Not only does Shannon lend a hand on the styling side (blow-drying, helping with the fun extensions-some with feathers—Believe uses as fundraisers for charity, doing color for select clients) but is a whiz at the administrative side of the business.

“I set appointments, order supplies, send out email blasts, run payroll and make sure things run on schedule,Shannon says. "Sometimes that does mean lighting a little fire under Lisa's rear end, I admit.”

In return, Shannon is learning a lot. She gets to observe, up-close and personal, the workings of her boss, Lisa, who is a board-certified colorist (one of only 2,500 in the country). Shannon, who studied Cosmetology in high school is ever enthusiastic about adding new techniques and tips to her stylist toolbox. But Shannon is equally grateful to interact with (and learn from) all of Believe's great clients and staff.

“I majored in Communication and minored in Business at the University of Albany and I get to use my education every day in my position here at Believe, says Shannon. "I am learning about how people work together, how best to communicate with the varied personalities of the staff and, most importantly, how to meet the needs of our clients and keep them happy.”

Shannon, who has been with Lisa for three years (she answered an ad in the Pennysaver and Lisa is still thanking her lucky stars) will be manning the ship on July 19^th and 20^th while Lisa is away for a short vacation.

“I'll be doing color and blow-dry sessions, answering the phones, scheduling appointments and will try to find time to even get a little cleaning done,says Shannon. "I like being busy and this summer at Believe is keeping us all hopping...and that's a good thing.”

Call Shannon now to schedule your Believe appointment before leaving for your own vacation.

Eyebrows: Creating The Perfect Frame

We've been watching a lot of Elizabeth Taylor movies lately--a salute to the recently deceased movie queen who was often called "the most beautiful woman in the world". Though she was most famous for her gorgeous violet eyes, we noticed that in her Academy Award-winning performance in “Butterfield 8,” it wasn't just her eyes that were stunning --it was her eyebrows. They framed those amethyst orbs perfectly and it got us to thinking about eyebrow shaping and products that help keep our wild brows in great form.

Shaping Up: Your brows should not only frame your eyes, but flatter your facial shape, and balance your features. Consulting an expert the first time is always a good thing. Come on into Believe and we'll make sure you get the best brows of your life. But if you must do it yourself, here's how to determine the perfect shape for you:

• Remove all your makeup. Pull your hair gently back (use a headband for short hair) and look in a well-lit mirror.
• Hold a ruler vertically in front of your face, so it is lined up touching the outermost point of your nose and the inside of your eye. This line shows where your eyebrow should start. Mark the spot with a lip pencil and then repeat for the other eye.

Next, angle the ruler so it lines up with the outermost edge of your nose and the outermost edge of the iris of your eye. (Be sure you are looking straight ahead and that your head is positioned straight ahead, too.) Wherever the line intersects your eyebrow is where the peak of your eyebrow arch should begin at the top border of the eyebrow. Mark that spot with your lip pencil. Repeat for the other eye.
• Now angle the straight edge further so that it touches the outermost edge of your nose and also passes along the outermost edge of your eye (not your eyelashes). This tells you where the eyebrow should end. Mark this point with your pencil. Repeat with the other eye.

Now that you have the shape, determine if you want thick or thin brows. Take into consideration the shape of your face. Thick eyebrows go best with strong features and thick hair (think Salma Hayek) and delicate features (like Halle Berry) usually call for thinner brows. (On the other hand, Brooke Shields became famous for her bushy brows, so it really is a matter of choice.) Some shapes can help correct facial shapes, too. Emphasize the arch if you have a round face, to draw attention away from the width.

If your face is long, flatter brows (less arch) empathize the horizontal planes of your face, making up for it's length.

Getting Rid Of Hair: Take it easy! It takes 64 days to regrow eyebrow hair—so less is more no matter which method you choose. Never shave your eyebrows...stubble is impossible to get rid of and looks terrible. Waxing, one of the services we offer at Believe, is quick and easy (and some say the hair eventually grows back lighter and finer.)

Tweezing is the choice of most people—at least between professional visits. Before you start tweezing, though, use a lip pencil (easier to see) to heavily draw on the shape you want. Adjust it with makeup remover as you go along. Tweeze any hairs that fall outside the line of the brow. Next, brush the brows straight up with a brow brush (we sell great ones at Believe) or old toothbrush. Any hairs that are too long should be trimmed with small scissors. (Tweezing long brow hairs can result in gaps in the eyebrow.)

Coloring/Filling In: Dame Elizabeth Taylor liked to extend her brows (making her eyes look farther apart) by using a real lead pencil, but new products make such extreme methods unnecessary... And while we are on the subject of extreme—don't dye your eyebrows! The chemicals can drip in your eye and blind you. Come into Believe and we will tint your brows with vegetable dye at the same time as we do your hair. You won't have to worry about matching the shade and we do it safely. Also be careful if you choose to get permanent eyebrows tattooed on (like Liza Minnelli and Michael Jackson.) Pick your operator carefully—there is no going back if there is a mistake. Also the use of eyebrow pencils—the standard way to fill in brows since the 1940s—is out. They can produce a greasy, hardened look (Joan Crawford anyone?) and draw the wrong kind of attention to the brow.

At Believe we offer GIELLA custom blended makeup products, including two that are magic for the brows:

Brow Powder-A cream-to-powder formula that fills in and defines brows naturally and is intended to compliment hair color. It's applied with a brush and comes in shades of Blonde, Light Ash, Taupe, Auburn and Brunette.

Brow Tint- A lightweight tints and gel for brows. It is a convenient way to cover gray hairs, set unruly brows, and change the tone of brows to match your hair. It's also a great quick-fix to cover gray in hair or men's beards or mustaches and comes in Blonde, Brown Suede, Sphinx (an auburn tone) and Taupe.

Now that Spring is finally here, you'll be showing off more of that beautiful face. Let us at Believe help make your brows the perfect frame for a lovely picture.