Highlights from Last Year's Event: Gemmette's Kick Off to Breast Cancer Awareness Month

There are many ways to make a difference in the fight against breast cancer so we were very excited when sponsors like Wacoal, LA Fitness, The Comfort Diner,  Casa Espana, Tuscan Sun Grill, La Bella Tans, Metro Ink and The Bake Shoppe were as motivated as we were to help kick off our fund raising efforts for the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation last year.

With your support, we are hoping to surpass last year's success. No matter how you give, every bit helps support the Komen global mission of ending breast cancer.

On October 15, 2011 Gemmette Hair Studio will once again be in full arrays of pink. Wacoal will properly fit women from their beautiful bra collection and our studio will once more be a vibrant environment filled with energy and hope for a cure against this disease that has affected so many of us.

We hope to see you there!

5 New Things to Do With Your Hair

In a hair rut? Here are 5 new, easy things to do with your hair this fall. Good hair day? Try, good hair season!

Can't-Decide Chic

Can't decide if you want a braid or not? Do like Blake Lively, and have it both ways. The normally polished star gave her look a boho feel by pulling a messy pony to one side and weaving a braid in the center. Make it blend in by using thin, see-through elastics rather than thick, colored hair-ties.

Body Builder

If tight curls leave you feeling like you booked a one-way ticket on the Soul Train, get control by pulling them back and to the side. We love full, voluminous body, like Eva Longoria's, but think it's more formal-appropriate to tame bouncy strands with a low, side ponytail. Fight all-over frizz by coating fly-aways with curl-control serum.

Fashionably Frazzled

A messy ponytail, like Sienna Miller's, works well for dirty hair, since clean strands don't have as much hold. Get extra texture, before putting your hair up, by spritzing roots with an aerosol spray dry shampoo and dispersing product evenly through hair with a boar bristle brush. Then, bend at the waist and pull your hair into a ponytail, letting gravity give you extra height at the crown. For added oomph, tease hair around your face and on the underside of your head.

Side-Tracked

Glossy curls tossed over one shoulder are effortlessly glam and were seen up and down the red carpet on stars, like Liv Tyler, this year. Starting with a full head of curls, use a large paddle brush to guide hair over one shoulder (the brush will help disperse oil and shine). The trick to making strands stay is using small pins to strategically keep shorter pieces in place and coating locks lightly with a anti-humidity hairspray.

Bravo, Bun!

J. Lo's perfected what we like to think of as the mullet of the bun world (a good thing!): All business in the front with sleek strands, and party in the back with a tousled updo! Achieve this look by starting with a secure, tight ponytail. Then go at it with U-shaped hair pins, haphazardly twisting and pinning pieces around the base of the pony. Just remember to pack extra bobby pins.

Best Guy Hair

From eye-catching feathered locks to sexy slicked-back surfer waves, see how the hottest male celebrities are rocking the latest hairstyle trends.

David Beckham's swanky combed-back style shows off his frosty highlights (and arched brow). We’d say the famous soccer player is just as smitten with this haircut as we are, judging by his smirk.

Alexander Skarsgard elongates his gorgeous mug with this strategic cut. Trimmed sides show off his Nordic cheekbones, while the longer pieces at the crown minimize the size of his forehead.

Brad Pitt skips the beard in favor of this less-scruffy-than-usual look. The father of six keeps the focus on his chiseled features and (handsome) sun-kissed skin.

See...We have love for the men who visit our studio too! 

DIY: How to Style Hair Secret

Dirty hair is easier to style. Stylists prefer if you don't wash hair the morning of an updo. Don't be surprised if they sprinkle dry shampoo on your hair. 

These help create the perfect texture for an updo. Keep this tip in mind when creating your own updos. 

You can also soak up extra oils using baby powder, which creates the same texture as dry shampoo but at a fraction of the cost.

Fact or Fiction: Can split ends be reversed?

Fiction. Unfortunately, once split ends happen, the only way to get rid of them is by getting a haircut. The good news is that the right hair products can definitely make them less noticeable. Try  Enjoy, Moroccan Oil or Paul Mitchell, all available in our Studio. Try to also limit the use of heated tools and appliances (hair dryers, flat irons, etc) for shinier, healthier locks.

12 Tips for Getting Out of Hair Hell

Save yourself the added stress of a bad hair day, and read up on these easy tips for troubleshooting your "mane" nightmares.

1) Fight Frizz Like a Pro

Frizz happens when the cuticle layer (the outer layer) of the hair opens, moisture gets inside, and the hair swells up. It's made worse when your strands are pushed against each other, due to weather, tool damage, or even rubbing wet hair with a towel. Prevent a frizzy mane during warmer months, and cut back on your flatiron and blow-dryer use to every other day, or every third day.

2) Work with Your Curls

Fighting your hair's texture in humid climates will only lead to more frizz and breakage. Instead, apply a flexible-hold gel on wet hair and twist coils or waves in the natural direction of the curls to eliminate friction. This will add definition to your do.

3) Hands Off!

Mandate a "no touching" rule for your strands on hot, muggy days, no matter your hair type. Roughing up or scrunching curls with a towel or your hands can pull your hair out of place and cause more frizz. Finer textures are prone to greasy scalps (oils from your hands move down straighter strands faster), meaning limp locks later.

4) Slick Back Shorter Styles

Keep cropped cuts off of your face (the shorter pieces are more likely to cling to sweaty foreheads and cheeks), by taking a page out of Hayden's book. Instead of blow-drying hair to fall along your natural part, coat wet hair with a light gel and mold pieces back and away from your face for a simple and chic 9-to-5 look.

5) Troubleshoot with Braids

Wispies are cute for daytime picnics, but they don't always translate to the office or post-work plans. Tame the halo around your head, and weave face-framing pieces into small braids. This style also works well for women with layers, who want to keep all of their hair off their neck and mug.

6) Be A Seasonal Swapper

Just as with skin-care products, trade in your cold-weather regimen for formulas better suited for heat-related hair stressors. If you have fine hair, avoid styling oils and creams, because these heavier mixtures can weigh down hair. Opt for water- or alcohol-based volumizers to add a oomph to damp strands. Conversely, thicker hair types need more moisture during warmer months.

7) Get Some Clarity...

...In the form of a quick hair rinse. After swimming in a pool or pond, immediately cleanse hair with a clarifying shampoo. Non-salt water can contain hard metals and chlorine that will oxidize dyed strands, making the color look brassy or even, green.

8) Go Retro!

Old school swim caps are not just vintage throwbacks. These rubber caps are the most effective means to blocking chemicals and rays from burning your scalp, drying out ends, and altering your salon-perfected shade.

9) Soak Your Strands

Because your hair is like a sponge and can only absorb so much water, saturate your strands with bottled or filtered water before going swimming and pull it into a bun. That way, your hair will be unable to soak up any hue-altering properties."

10) Be Sun Savvy

The sun acts as a catalyst and oxidizes newly highlighted or lightened strands to bring out unwanted warmer shades. Beach-dwelling blondes and brunettes should look for shampoos that contain blue or violet pigments to counteract yellow, red, and orange tones. 

11) Add Mega Amounts of Moisture

Environmental factors, like pollution and water type, will all determine what adjustments you need to make to your hair-care routine as the mercury rises. Women with coarse, curly hair should use styling formulas high in glycerin to attract moisture into your strands and combat dryness.

12) Baby Treated Hair

Women with relaxed hair need to apply their moisturizing hair dress more often than usual. Also, try to keep your body temperature as cool as possible. Any excessive perspiration on your neck or scalp will revert your straighter hair back to a frizzier state. A sky-high sleek ponytail can help beat the heat.

We hope you find these tips helpful.

Quick and Easy Beach Hairstyles

The best way to look like you just spent a day at the beach is to actually be there (or learn how to re-create the look!). Check out these sexy summer hairstyles so you can be a bona fide beach/pool/island bunny this summer. 

Curled Side Pony

For those with frizzy, hard-to-tame hair, this look is an easy solution. As the humidity rises, your hair tends to want to curl even more. By putting it up out of your face, you'll get the volume without the fuss. To get a similar look, make a deep side part and curl the ends with a large, round curling iron, then let the weather do the rest of the curling work for you.

Textured Waves

Play with your texture by using a leave-in beach spray for a just-off-the-beach look.

Lighter, Brighter

Summer is the perfect time to get a few face-framing streaks one to two shades lighter than your natural color and let the sun do the rest of the work.

We'd love to teach how to create these looks at home, just stop by our studio and ask us how.

Enjoy Haircare Products

Amazing new technology to create a highly versatile hair care system for all hair types, textures, styles and chemical care needs. 

Simple as 1-2-3 to cleanse, repair, moisturize and equalize your hair for that every day salon look. Enjoy Haircare is a unique line of hair products that was developed for your simple everyday needs. 

Containing no sulfate in the shampoos, Enjoy products give your hair strength without harming or stripping your color treated hair. 

Enjoy uses their Cleanse Sensor Technology to ensure proper treatment of your hair type.

Hot, Sexy Summer Hair

Whether you are headed out for a day at the beach, a backyard BBQ or an outdoor concert, get sexy hair this summer with these fabulous here are our tips for a good hair day, everyday this summer:

1) Rinse your hair immediately when coming back from the pool or beach to reduce chlorine damage. Use haircare products with SPF.

2) Get your hair cut every six to eight weeks to keep in healthy and smooth. If you use hair color, get your roots touched up too.

3) Don't shampoo daily. Overshampooing can strip your hair of its natural oils. If possible, shampoo your hair every other day.

4) Headbands, tiaras, clips and pins! Hair accessories with jewels, crystals and flowers are all very sexy ways to pull your hair up this summer. Here are a few fabulous options for stylish hair accessories.

Dry Scalp?

Many people come into our studio looking for a natural solution to their dry scalp problem. This condition can plague young and old alike. 

While there are many types of scalp problems; from itchy scalp, dandruff, seborrheic dermatitis and even hair loss ranging from mild to sever, the bottom line is that every one needs the proper scalp care.

Scalp problems are more common than you may think. For example, dandruff - that dry, itchy, white or yellow flaking of the scalp - affects up to 70% of men, women and children in various degrees of severity.

Dry scalp differs from dandruff but is non-the-less problematic since it is a symptom of moisture and oil production imbalance that can result in a very itchy scalp! Of course, your natural reaction is to scratch, but scratching or even rubbing can aggravate the problem.

Many factors can contribute to the cause of dry scalp and its related symptoms:

1) Winter's blistery, cold and dry air wreaks havoc on our skin overall.

2) Hot, sunny summertime can also cause a type of "sweaty dryness" that brings on problems.

3) Certain food allergies can affect us in various ways.

4) Certain hair products and shampoos containing the chemicals PHTHALATES, SODIUM LAURYL SULFATE, DEA, MEA, TEA and FRAGRANCES can cause a red, drying rash on your scalp,around the eyes and along the neck, with flaking, peeling, and itching. Unfortunately, the federal government doesn't limit their use.

5) All the myriad of gels, creams, conditioners and sprays that we apply on a daily basis weakens or ruins the natural PH of the scalp.

What you can do at home:

Honey

• Mix thoroughly 1/2 cup of clear honey with 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar. Add 2 drops of tea tree oil and mix again. Apply to the scalp, massaging the mixture well into the dry, flaky areas. Leave the mixture on your scalp for thirty minutes before rinsing it off in warm, running water. Repeat twice weekly until the dryness disappears and your scalp is no longer itchy or flaky.
  

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

• Mix 1/2 cup each of extra virgin olive oil, clear honey and skimmed milk until well blended. Apply to the scalp, leaving the mixture to sink in to your dry scalp for at least thirty minutes. Rinse off the mixture in warm, running water until the water runs clear. Olive oil is an excellent moisturizer, honey softens dry skin making it supple and smooth and milk contains Vitamin D to enrich the hair and scalp to give them vitality.
  

Aloe Vera

• For thousands of years, aloe has been used to soothe, moisturize and soften irritated skin. Take an aloe stem and split it down the middle lengthwise, squeezing out the precious gel. Massage the gel into your dry, irritated scalp, leaving it on for thirty minutes. Rinse off the gel thoroughly under warm, running water until all traces of it are gone. Repeat this process twice a week for as long as it takes to remedy your dry scalp.
  

If the problem persists visit our studio or a dermatologist.

Don't know what to do with your hair?

Here are some great ideas for that special night out:

 

Hair Accessories Trend for Spring/Summer 2011

If you are not the sorts to get inspired by no-nonsense hair accessories such as hair clips, you are going to like what a lot of designers used to dress up the models on the runway for spring – headbands, fur head gears, tall combs and hats  – they were all there and in abundance too. So get inspired by the runway and adopt a unique style what suits you!

Headbands

Headbands made of various fabrics proved to be a good alternative to the clips. While headbands can be made impromptu of any matching or contrast fabric, what really puts this style at an advantage is that in many cases you can create a stylish alternative yourself using a little imagination to make a one of a kind hair accessory.

Hair styles to wear on –Spring promises to be big on hair left loose – it could be curly, or gelled. The other prominent looks were the top buns, braids, bangs and bobs. Used innovatively, headbands could look great on all hair styles.

How to interpret the look – Different methods of knotting the headband and different places to keep the knot will yield different looks to the same hairstyle. You could tie the headband on top of the head, or on the side or finish it off at the nape. If you are unsure about whether this look will suit you, try having a not so wide fabric headband in colors of your outfit and tie it at the back. You could leave some hair showing from beneath the headband, a la Emilio Pucci look to feel a bit more confident. Once you have tried the look, throw caution to the winds and try out newer methods of tying and use contrast colored hair bands too.

Where to wear – The look is casual, so wear it to after office activities like a movie, an evening out , shopping etc. You could even give the conservative version of this look a try on casual Fridays – just ensure you do not have serious business meetings planned for that day!

Hot tip – pair this look with wide brimmed hats or cat shaped sunglasses to create a unique 70s look. Try heavy eye makeup and nude lips and slept in look to create a bohemian effect. Use minimalistic make up and accessories to create a formal chic look.

Bandanas and Turbans

Promising to take hair accessories to the next level and to bring in newness to their collection many designers used bandanas and turbans on the runway.

Hair styles to wear on – These hair accessories cover the head and so can be practically worn on any hair style – short, bangs, long, loose and curly.

How to interpret the look – I am sure all of you would have tried out bandanas tied at the front of the head, at some point in our lives, not only does it look sporty, it also is a great fashion accessory if you are having a bad hair day!

Bandanas and turbans as used by Ferragamo and Armani which are tied to completely cover your head and sometimes all of your hair, are not for the fashion conservatives as this look is bound to get you noticed. So try out this look, only when you are sure you are willing to move out of your comfort zone and can handle all the glances coming your way! A lot of people consider the look conveyed as masculine, however, with minor innovations such as use of floral prints, lace, jewels, the look can be softened and used effectively. Another good method to soften the look is to wear a smaller sized turban, with hair sometimes showing through to add a touch of beauty and romanticism to the wearer, as was effectively used on the runway by Vena Cava and John Galliano. Good make up is of prime importance to carry off this look as with the hair either completely or partially hidden by the bandana or turban, the face is the main attention point.

Where to wear – Bandanas spell casualness and while it really is a casual look and mostly worn at casual events, the new looks of all covered bandanas and turbans encourage the wearers to let go of their inhibitions and get bolder and wear these looks to formal events as well . You could wear a well prepared turban to a formal sit down dinner or even a red carpet event. A right balance of elements such as flowing fabrics, jewelry, prints interspersed with the boldness of a turban is a great method to stand out and have your own fashion and style statement and represent a very modern look.

This Spring, gather all your guts and wits together to have a signature statement in the form of a well made turban or a bandana!

Hot tip – This spring – search your wardrobe for scarves in prints that you have stopped using – soft floral, animal prints, polka dots , look for gingham checks and stripes – anything is a great idea to be tied on foreheads and use as bandanas. Remember everything matching with each other in the entire outfit is passé. While colors on the entire outfit need to be coordinated, they really do not necessarily need to come from the same fabric yardage! You could let your hair loose, showing from beneath the bandana or completely cover it to look different using the same bandana. Invest in a good turban, made by a professional hair accessory designer. You could add your own quirky elements such as a brooch or a pearl necklace. Last but not the least, don’t forget to wear the look confidently and with loads of attitude!

Hair Care Tips

The following are some basic hair care tips that you can use to improve the health and look of your hair.

General
A healthy lifestyle will mean healthier hair for you. Excessive stress, smoking, not exercising and not eating nutritiously are not healthy for your hair.

Get enough sleep.

Hair Products (Gel, mouse, hair spray...)
Avoid using hair styling products with alcohol which dries out hair.

Avoid putting hair styling products directly on your scalp, if you put it on your scalp you'll clog the pores on your head.

Swimming
Before entering a pool, wet your hair so your hair will soak up the initial water instead of the chlorinated water.

When swimming where a cap to protect your hair from chlorinated water, if you choose not to wear a cap make sure you shampoo and condition your hair right after you are done swimming.

Drying
Hot air can be damaging to your hair so when using a hair dryer use the cool setting.

Don't leave the blowdryer in one spot for more than a few seconds, keep it moving and at a good distance away from your hair.

To speed up the drying process, pat your hair dry with a towel and let the remaining moisture in your hair dry naturally.

Gently use your fingers or a pick to untangle any knots while your hair is drying.

5 Ways to Easily Tame Frizzy Hair

Many people have dry, frizzy hair that may seem unmanageable. However, there are several things you can do to tame it. Hair is frizzy because it lacks moisture. When hair is in good condition, the cuticle layers of the hair lay smooth, resulting in shiny, smooth hair. When hair is lacking moisture, the cuticle layers are not as tight together, causing hair to look dull and frizzy. 

Here are a few easy suggestions will help to tame your frizzy hair.

Instructions:

1) Get a good haircut. Your hairstylist should be able to recommend haircuts that will tame frizz. Get your haircut every 6 weeks to avoid split ends--one of the leading causes of frizzy hair.

2) Use moisturizing shampoo and conditioner. Shampoo your hair, and then rinse with very cold water. Be sure to rinse for several minutes before applying conditioner. After using conditioner, again rinse your hair with cold water for at least 3 minutes.

3) Purchase a leave-in conditioner. Several product lines offer leave-in conditioner. Apply a small amount of leave-in conditioner, and use your fingers to distribute it through your hair from roots to ends. You can make your own leave-in conditioner by putting 1 part of regular conditioner and 4 parts water into a spray bottle. Spray the homemade conditioning treatment on your hair and style as usual.

4) Air dry your hair. Avoid using a blow dryer if at all possible. Blow drying your hair often can lead to damaged ends and more frizz. If you must blow dry your hair, do it only for a couple minutes after your hair is almost dry. Use a flat iron with Teflon plates to smooth your hair. Flat irons make your hair look shiny and healthy.

5) Deep condition your hair once a week to add more moisture to your hair and help tame the frizz.

A Great Haircut: How Much Is It Worth to You?

Imagine your perfect hairstyle: it highlights all your best features, complements your hair’s texture and color, is low maintenance for easy styling, yet is still polished. 

If you’re like most women, you’ve been on the lookout for it—and the stylist who can deliver it—for most of your adult life. 

If you could find the cut that would make all your follicular fantasies come true, how much would you be willing to pay for it? 

Whether it’s a little or a lot, remember that the right haircut isn’t just an indulgence … it’s a necessity.