The Good Stuff

        In my past blogs I have brought up the topic of dangerous chemicals in beauty products and how organic beauty products are better for you. So I thought I would dedicate a post to one of my favorite hair products that I have used for the past four years. This hair care line is known as Earthly Botanical. It's an all natural line that is contains "earth friendly ingredients." Everything from the ingredients to the color of the shampoo is natural and consists of highly active Certified Organic Botanicals.  On the product website the company provided a list of what you will find in the entire line of Earthly Botanical products (as well as what you will not find).


Here is the list below:

• Sulfate FREE cleansers (nothing to strip out your hair color)
• No MEA's, DEA's, TEA's (EthoAlamines can or are carcinogenic)
• NO Parabens, DMDM Hydantoin or UREA (Formaldehyde releasers) 
• 4 Certified Organic Botanicals,the heart beat of our Proprietary blend.  
• Moisturizing and Conditioning Proprietary formula's (to provide the performance that your precious locks demand)
• Concentrated formulas, a little goes a long way! We call thisVALUE
• Plant based proteins to add tensile strength and visible shine
• No Artificial Colors Added (we use natural coloring, if any at all)
• pH Balanced for hair and skin (ranges 3.5-5.5)
• Decorative Kraft boxes made from 100% recycled Kraft boxes with Soy ink.
• Vegan & No Animal Testing or Ingredients
• Made in the USA
• Available at Fine Salons & Spas 

        The one thing I really enjoy about this product is the performance. After using these products for so long, I can definitely tell a difference between cheap shampoo/conditioner and the good quality stuff. My favorite shampoo and conditioner from this line is the jojoba shampoo and the restore conditioner. When you first  apply the restore conditioner it has tingling feeling on your scalp which I love because it makes my hair feel refreshed. The jojoba shampoo contains jojoba extracts that work to dissolve clogged hair follicles so that your scalp can "breathe" to help promote hair growth. If you want nice hair you have to give in a little and spend the extra money because no matter what those L'oreal and Pantene commercials say about the performance of their products, a $5 shampoo will not do the job. 

       Another great thing to try out is their product duality. You can use it has  curl enhancer for curly/wavy hair or you can use it as a smoothing cream to help smooth out your hair and either go for a blow-dry or straightened look. The overall quality of this line speaks for itself and it's definitely worth trying out!

The Evolution of Tools

            With today's innovative technology, it seems like anything is possible when it comes to new hair styling tools. Sometimes I wonder how would I style my hair without our modern day flat irons or how would I curl my hair without a curling iron. This stirred up some curiosity on how women used to style their hair before our time and so I decided to do a little bit of research.

            Since my mom went to school for hair and make-up I decided to ask her about hair styling back in the early 20^th century. She told me I could read about it in these really cool books she used for school. The book was called 
From Flappers to Flivvers... and it was about all about the 20's decade. It shared personal stories from individuals who lived through the 20's and certain events that happened. As I was reading I found a section that had to do with hair and fashion, which was exactly what I was looking for! Reading through personal stories, it seemed like bobs were the "cool" thing to have during this era of flappers. Many women were cutting off their long locks for boyish looks. For the women who kept their hair longer they used to "rag curl" their hair. Here is a quote that I thought was interesting from a woman who shared her daily experience with rag curls. "Starting at our scalp, we'd wind a section of hair neatly around a long rag, then wind the rag up over the wound hair and tie the ends in a not. It wasn't too comfortable sleeping on all those knots."

            Another style that was common during this year was the "finger wave." This was a very common hair style for women who had shorter hair or bobs. I remember my mom telling me how it was challenging to finger wave in beauty school because it took a lot of time and skill, so I wasn't surprised when I read that women in the 20's wanted "permanents." permanents are what we call a “perm” now-a-days, which is when you use chemicals to permanently curl your hair. "In those days, women getting permanents had their hair wrapped around little metal rollers. The electric machine that did the "magic" was a huge monstrosity with larger tubes into which the rollers fit. The tubes and rollers were so heavy that customers put bath towels behind their necks to keep their heads from falling backward!"

            As you can see from the two passages, styling hair was a lot tougher and probably more painful than it is now!  One thing that I asked myself while reading through the book was why did most women cut off their hair? I remember learning about flappers in school, but my memory was a little foggy so I went and looked it up on the internet. After some reading, the information came flowing back. The roaring twenties, of course, were all about women and their new-found freedom! This was the era where women got the right to vote, work, and have some fun on their own. In a way they felt like they now had this new freedom to make their own choices and this was shown through their fashion sense. Before this time, women were to be covered up with long dresses and their curves were to be accentuated. In addition their hair was kept long and pinned up. Then after the war, women began wearing loosely fitted short dresses that showed off their legs and hid their curves. They cut off their hair and wore dramatic make-up. Their style in a way greatly corresponded with political events that taking place at the time. With all this freedom, it seemed like women rebelled and society saw this through there drastic changes in fashion and appearances.

             The cool thing about the beauty industry is that there are so many new products that are out on the market. Whether it's hair, make-up, or clothes there is always something new! This weekend I went back home from spring break and I was talking to my mom and she told me about this new way of curling your hair with the twiddle stic. It's something I have never seen before so I thought I would share this video on how it works.

            Nearing the end of my spring break it turns out that my stepdad surprised me with these hair styling tools. I tried this out for the first time and my curl lasted all night! Like everything else, beauty products and hair styling tools have evolved over the decades. But one thing I have noticed about fashion as well as hair styles back in the 20's and now, is that back then people made fashion statements that seemed to be influenced by politics and events that were currently happening. Whereas today we don't see much of that influence on fashion. The way I see it, the trends that are out there today are just a modernized version of the past. For a while the 80's came back and bright colored tops and leggings were on the runway, and now 50's inspired hair styles are making its way back.

            In my opinion, I feel like our younger generation isn't really effected or influenced by political issues. I read a few articles on my generation which is referred to as "Generation Y" and compared to the older generations it seems like we don’t show that we care much about government affairs.  Of course there are still people out there who are passionate about politics and are willing to spread their opinions, however, a lot of people I know do not have much of strong opinion on political issues today. Personally, I do not follow politics nor do I know much about it. I feel like because people don’t show that they care as much as they used to there isn’t a political influence on our fashion trends these days.

Trade Shows

One thing about the beauty industry is that there are always new products coming out as well as new developing companies trying to promote their lines. For many companies advertising is key to launching a business and getting the word out. A great way to get the word out and advertise in the beauty industry is by showcasing your products at an event called "Trade Shows." There are all types of trade shows in every industry, and of coarse the beauty industry has their very own. Beauty trade shows range from hair-- color, cut, accessories, wigs, products, styling tools, etc., along with makeup (IMATS), skin care, nails, anything related to beauty! It's a great way to meet new people and demonstrate your products to show buyers what their companies are all about.


Trade shows can be found all around the world, usually in bigger cities. Trade shows in the United States are probably different than the ones in other countries such as Australia or the UK. It could be possible that some styling tools or hair care lines haven't made their way to the United States, so by going to trade shows further away from your current location, you might find some cool things you've never seen before!


Here are a few videos to get an idea of what these shows are all about and what to expect.

Nail Design

Since the beginning of high school I used to always get my nails done, acrylic nails with pink and white powder. Pretty simple but it was fun to have them on for awhile. I eventually got tired of them and after 6 months, I ripped them off. But like everything else, there is always a trend that comes and goes.  Some designs that have become very popular are the crackle nail polish, the magnetic nail polish, bright nail polish, air brush designs, nail polish sticker designs, 3d nail art, and crazy hand painted designs. Lately I've been seeing the most intricate nail designs I've ever seen and it amazes me how someone can be so patient to draw these designs individually on a persons nails. I thought I would share some pictures of different types of designs.

3D Nail Art

Airbrush Designs

Hand Painted Design

Crackle Nail Polish 

French Tip Design

Bright Color Nail Polish

Nail Polish Sticker Designs

Magnetic Nail Polish Design

The ones that I really like are the hand painted designs. I think it is so creative and artistic for someone to be able to design peacock feathers on such a small surface area! People go all out with the 3d nail art, I don't think I would be able to handle that much stuff on my nails but they are definitely fun to look at. I thought it would be cool to learn how to do my own nail art so here is a video I would like to share.

Is There Really a Difference? 

After some time thinking about a new idea to blog about, I thought I would discuss the differences between organic versus non-organic beauty products. I have a slight idea of what could distinguish the two, but for the most part I don't know much about it. So as I am sharing this with you, and hopefully sharing information that is insightful, I am learning as well.


So, what is organic? Why should I use it? How do I know if it's organic? Why might organic products be harmful for you? Is there really a difference, or is it just a sales tactic? These are some general questions that come to my mind when I think about what people should  know when it comes to choosing organic or non-organic beauty items.


My general assumption on organic versus non-organic beauty products, is that organic would probably tend to have less chemical ingredients which would mean that they are probably better for you and less harmful. But even though they are less harmful why should someone choose organic? Well according to Saffron Rouge (an all organic beauty line) everything that you put on your skin will end up inside your body, so if you are rubbing on lotion that has some kind of synthetic pesticide it will eventually go through your bloodstream, scary!


"Certified organic products are made with ingredients that are grown free of synthetic pesticides, herbicides and genetically modified organisms. They also don't include harmful additives such as petroleum waxes, fillers and artificial chemicals. Simply put, certified organic products are completely healthy and natural, synthetic alternatives are not."


Another benefit of organic products is that it's actually beneficial for the environment. By producing organic ingredients through organic farming, the use of synthetic chemicals and fertilizers is eliminated. These synthetic chemicals and fertilizers harm out water, soil, and our health. For organic products, the use of organic plants or botanicals are used to replace chemical ingredients. So while using products that not only benefit our health, it can benefit our environment.


Although organic are beneficial to one's health, I've learned that it may be a little harder to distinguish non-organic from organic. While I was reading about the Coming Clean Campaign, it seems like the term "organic" is not regulated as strictly as organic foods. This results with false advertisements and companies claiming to be organic when they may only have a small percentage of organic ingredients.


However, a key strategy in figuring out weather a product is truly organic is checking the labels and reading the ingredients. An article discussing the differences between the two simply stated that "there are products on the market that aren't even certified organic, but if you read their labels, they have less than ten simple ingredients, they are natural and you know what they are." If you can't pronounce the ingredients listed, then it's likely filled with chemicals and probably harmful chemicals at that.


Non-organic products that contain foreign chemicals to consumers have shown to have side effects. Since products such as lotions, perfumes, soap, toothpaste, makeup, and after shave have direct contact with your skin, the substance will sink right through your bloodstream. Itchiness, headache, dizziness, mood swings are  reported to be some short terms effects that could result with contact from any of these products. What is even scarier is that chemicals contained in these products could even lead to cancers and tumors.

So after all this research, I definitely think I will be using more organic products. I currently use organic shampoo and conditioner called Earthly Botanical. What I like about it is that it is free of pesticides, toxic chemicals, and its eco-friendly! Another organic based company is The Body Shop which has a variety of lotions, skincare lines, soaps, and makeup. Juicy Beauty is also a certified organic company that has up to 98% organic ingredients. Research is essential when trying to find certified organic beauty products to insure that it's the real deal!

The Haircut Experience: Salons vs Barbershops

       As I was writing up my last post about metrosexual men I learned that some men actually prefer going to a salon instead of a barber. They enjoy the experience you can get in a salon: you get your hair washed, your scalp massaged, cut, colored, blow-dried. "Stylists can do hot oil treatments and waxing to give dry hair smooth and shiny look." Traditionally, of course, men go to barbershops – think red, white and blue striped pole, checkered floors, a guy in an apron with a razor and lathered brush -- and women go to beauty shops or, in more modern terms, salons.  What are the differences between the two? How different are they in terms of culture, style and cost? Would I ever go to a barbershop?

       Generally now days, women go to salons and men go to barbershops. However culturally there are some differences between the two. Brett Mckay shares his experience as a young kid going to the, "As a child, I went to a barbershop on the main street in my hometown. It was called “The Friendly Barbershop.” I remember being fascinated with all the barber stuff. What I remember most though, was the distinct manliness of the place. Even as a young child, I could sense that a barbershop was a cool hang out for men." Meanwhile women went to beauty shops, where women sat under blow driers, reading their magazines, waiting for their perms to process. However things changed during the 1980's when a new type of hairdressing catering to both men and women in beauty shops, now known as salons. After salons started to get more and more popular, barbershops began closing down leaving less shops available for men to go to.

Here are some general guidelines on what to expect at a salon and and a barbershop in order to understand the difference between the two.

In a Salon Expect..

- To be there for a longer period of time.
- A stylists can cut and style longer hair if you are looking for a more trendy hairstyle.
- Hairdressers have cosmetologists licenses and are trained on a variety of hair types, lengths, and color.
- If you want color or highlight services, a salon is the place to go.
- Hairdressers may use scissors to cut men's hair instead of a straight razor.
- Salons are generally more expensive.
- Stylists are really creative with new hairstyles, so if you go in wanting a new look they are great and providing suggestions and honest opinions.
- Salons have hairstyling products and beauty supplies will have an even bigger selection than barbershops. Stylists are educated on a lot of products that are on the shelves so they can help you pick out the best one for your hairstyle.

In a Barbershop Expect..

- Barbers are generally really skilled at shorter more traditional haircuts such as buzzcut, flattop, fade, or military style cut.
- They are a lot cheaper than salons.
- Barbers have a barber's license and are trained specifically for men's haircuts.
- Barbers usually cut simpler hairstyles that don't require a lot of maintenance.
- For younger clients, barbers now a days can buzz cool designs in your head that stylists are not trained or skilled to do.
- Some barbershops provide services like a hot lather face shaves.
- If you want to be around all men and socialize with guys, a barbershop is the perfect place to do that.
- Barbers usually just do what you ask and do not give much opinion or suggestions on hairstyles.
- Barbers maybe different tools such as straight razors or clippers.

        Although hairdressers are trained to cut hair on both men and women, many argue that barbers are experts on men's haircuts and are trained to groom a man based on his needs. A lot has changed from the early beauty shop days and now, women are now allowed to go to barbershops and some even do. However, it isn't so common because women enjoy the services that are found in hair salons.


        For the most part, the differences between the salons and barbershops really come down to experience. In my opinion, I would never go to a barbershop. I enjoy the feeling of getting pampered and having someone else wash my hair, brush out my tangles, and give me a styled look. I have really long hair and after learning the differences between a barber and a stylists, I wouldn't have much confidence in a barber giving me a general hair cut let alone a styled hair cut. Long hair is harder to cut and I've even had personal experiences where stylists struggled giving me simple layers. Barbershops are definitely still a man's territory and is more appealing towards men than women.

The Evolution of Metro-Sexy Men (Cont.)

A topic that I have always found really fascinating is what I call "metrosexuality." In my previous blog I discussed what exactly a metrosexual man is, what they look like, and how gender roles may have changed in our society. But I am still interested in other aspects of this topic because for one, many people have a misconception of metrosexual men and two, for the simple fact that men give women a hard time for spending hours getting ready. So I decided to do a little more in-depth research and found some really insightful information about how metrosexuality is socially more acceptable today than ever and how men have evolved over the last twenty years or so. 

        I would like to start off by sharing with you this article Rise of the Metrosexual by Petter Gotting who wrote for the Australian newspaper known as The Age. Gotting begins his article with a quote from swimmer, Ian Thorpe discussing his sexuality and admitting that he was flattered that the gay community identified with him, but that he was a heterosexual man. It used to be that straight men got offended if someone thought they were gay because of the way they looked or acted, but now it seems like men are more accepting to these metrosexual tendencies that the insecurities of being compared to a gay man is slowly diminishing. 

        While reading Gotting's article I learned some interesting things about men. Like how some metrosexuals prefer going to a salon rather than a barber, or how some men avoid using soap because it is harsher on your skin. Although some men tend to have more metrosexual tendencies than others, I never really thought about the little details and changes these men might make, like switching to a salon instead of going to a barbershop. Thinking about it now, I can see how metrosexual men might prefer a salon where they can get an actual style whereas a barber deals with shorter haircuts. Gotting also explains that marketers have changed their campaign ads and clothing companies for men have expanded. Take Calvin Klein for example, their billboards are covered with half naked men modeling denim and underwear. When it comes to fashion, I've definitely noticed popular clothing stores that I even shop at begin to carry men's fashion lines such as, Forever 21 and H&M. 

        Another article I would like to mention is written by Mark Simpson called, So, Men are Obsessed With their Bodies. Is That So Bad? Simpson starts off by stating that he predicted this era of Metro men back in the 90's and that at first no one had believed this would happen. Surely enough there are more and more metrosexual guys today and I've even seen them at SFSU. He discusses how men are very obsessive when it comes to their bodies, going on strict diets, using laxatives, and taking protein supplements. What I liked about this article was that he incorporated statistics from a survey on men and their appearance. Even being a macho man you wouldn't think that they stress too much about their appearance however, Simpson provides a survey conducted by the YMCA suggesting that "a whopping 63% [of men] saying they thought their arms or chests were not muscular enough. And people never believe me when I tell them that while some women are size queens, all men are." Simpson makes a good point when he says that men are conscious about their body as much as women are with their jean size, except men on the other hand want to be "big" and muscular.


        So one might wondering how could this affect Women in today's society? Well a study done by Lynx deoderant suggests that out of 2800 women throughout 14 different countries, 80%  of women would rather have a man capable of being sensitive without losing their masculinity. In addition 65% of the women did not like the idea of seeing a man doll themselves up in a mirror. The remainder of the article discusses the study in depth about how women actually feel about metrosexual men (if you would like to read into it).
 But is there really a difference between metrosexual men and traditional men? The answer is yes. All these characteristics that define a metrosexual does change the idea of a traditional man. The time it takes them to get ready, their crave to go shopping, the obsessions over their physique, their diets, their social circles, it all plays a role on a metrosexual man while as traditional men don't really care that much about all these things.

        After reading these articles on metrosexuality, my perspective on metro men has changed. I once said that I wouldn't want a man to spend more time getting ready than me, and although that is true, I think that it's nice for a man to care about what they look like. Ultimately, guys like David Beckham that take pride in the way they look by going to the gym, shopping for nice clothes, smelling good, and having an actual hairstyle, are attractive men, and who wouldn't want to be around that! Even if it they aren't the best looking, their confidence makes up for it. I definitely believe that men can be metro and still be macho. There is nothing wrong with a man getting a spa treatment once in awhile and still being able to get his hands dirty. It all comes down to personal preference, and I think now society is becoming more accepting and not stereotyping these men. Going to school in San Francisco I feel like I see a lot of different styles and I've learned that someone's style can be an expression of who they are, I've learned that you can't judge someone based off the way they dress.