In this week’s How-To- Video Debbie from Michael’s Salon and Spa will be demonstrating how to go from day make-up to elegant evening make-up.  This is a quick and easy tutorial on how to transform your everyday makeup into a stunning look for that special occasion. Watch this video for tips and tricks on how to create elegant evening makeup in just 2 minutes!

 

Products Used:

•  Jane Iredale 24 Karat Gold Dust in Silver
• Jane Iredale Cream to Powder Eye Liner in Black Plus
• Eye Liner/Brow Brush
• Jane Iredale PureGloss

Michael’s Radiance Face Lift, sold exclusively at Michael’s Salon & Spa, is a temporary face and neck lift created by intermeshing invisible sheer fibers soaked in super lifting ingredients. These wrinkle-filling filaments are combined with 3 dimensional mineral glow holographic droplets to create a temporary and refreshing lift. 

 

Application: Wear alone on clean skin or under makeup. Use 1-2 pumps starting with criss-cross motions from your neck moving upward to your cheekbones, nose, eyes and forehead. .  A thin veil may also be carefully applied over makeup for a smooth and elegant glow.

 

Features and Benefits:

·      Provides youthful firmness with continued use

·      Helps to minimize the appearance of large pores as it smoothes the epidermis

·      Imparts a natural healthy glow when applied on freshly cleansed skin

·      Women of all ages will enjoy its moisture retaining properties

Michael's Salon and Spa invites you to freshen up your look for Spring by giving 15% off ALL Jane Iredale and Dr. Dennis Gross MD Skincare products - through the end of this month!

Jane Iredale Mineral Makeup

One product from Jane Iredale that is great for a lighter spring look is the Dream Tint Moisturizer. It moisturizes your skin while providing light coverage that you can wear alone or as a base under Jane's mineral powders. It contains SPF 15 to protect your skin from damaging UV rays. Jane Iredale features a variety of products that contain SPF to protect your skin - this is very important as you spend more time in the sun on nice spring days.

New from Dr. Dennis Gross - Alpha Beta Glow Pads

You love the at-home Alpha Beta Hydroxy Peels by MD Skincare, but have you tried the NEW Alpha Beta Glow Pads? This amazing product has been featured in many magazines this spring - Elle even gave it a 2011 Genius Award!


What makes the Glow Pads so great? It is the ONLY anti-aging, exfoliating sunless tanner that contains active Vitamin D. The Glow Pads provide smoother, healthier skin and natural radiance year-round.

Benefits of the Alpha Beta Glow Pads:

• Exfoliation + Self-Tanning in One
• Anti-Aging with AHAs & Potent Antioxidants
• Streak-free Application with Micro-encapsulated DHA

These are only two featured products of this sale, but ALL Jane Iredale and MD Skincare products are 15% OFF through April 30, 2011.

What is your favorite spring skincare product?

How To Tuesday videos are back! Check Michael's Beauty Blog weekly for a new video featuring Michael's beauty team demonstrating the techniques they use everyday when getting ready in the morning. There's nothing more frustrating than not being able to recreate your salon look at home, so we're going to do our best to show you some secret tips and techniques so you can have a salon look everyday!

How to Curl Hair with a Flat Iron

In our last video, Sheena demonstrated how to crimp your hair with a flat iron. This week, Brooke's taking it a step further to show how to CURL with a straightening iron. Sound like an oxymoron? Watch the video to see how it's done:


Video: How To Curl Hair with a Flat Iron

To recap, here are some of Brooke's tips:

• Brooke preps her hair with Michael's Styling Creme before blow drying to give her hair more texture and hold
• This look is good for the day(s) between shampoos. The build up in your hair can help hold the curls, and prevent fly-aways
• Always use a thermal protectant spray to protect your hair from heat damage
• Brooke used a 1.5 inch wide flat iron - the size of your straightening iron determines the tightness/looseness of your curls
• Section off your hair and start on the bottom layer and work your way up, one side at a time
• In small sections, start the flat iron at your root, turn the flat iron, and pull it all the way to your ends
• Brooke curls her hair toward her face, but you can alternate in and out for a different look
• For the back, Brooke pulls the pieces toward the front to make it easier to control
• Once your hair is curled, take a look to make sure you didn't miss any pieces
• Use a dime-sized amount of Michael's Texture Taffy to give your curls separation and texture
• Finish with a flexible-hold hairspray

What do you think? Is this a look you will try? If you have any styling tips or beauty techniques you would like to see, please let us know! You can leave a comment here on our blog, or on Facebook or Twitter!

How To Tuesday videos are back! Check Michael's Beauty Blog weekly for a new video featuring Michael's beauty team demonstrating the techniques our they use everyday when getting ready in the morning. There's nothing more frustrating than not being able to recreate your salon look at home, so we're going to do our best to show you some secret tips and techniques so you can have a salon look everyday!

How to Crimp Your Hair with a Flat Iron

This week's video features Sheena demonstrating how to crimp your hair with a flat iron to create messy, beachy waves.


Video: How To Crimp Your Hair with a Flat Iron

To recap, here are some of Sheena's tips:

• Sheena preps by blow drying her hair up-side-down to create as much volume as possible
• Part your hair into one-inch sections
• Starting at the root, slide your flat iron down the section, flipping it over and under to create a zig-zag wave
• Always end "under" so you don't have harsh edges on your style
• Squeeze your flat iron tight to get more definition in your waves
• Sheena twists her bangs to the side and pins them with a stylish clip
• You can vary the look by parting your hair in larger or smaller sections

If you have any styling tips or beauty techniques you would like to see, please let us know! You can leave a comment here on our blog, or on Facebook or Twitter!

How To Tuesday videos are back! Check Michael's Beauty Blog weekly for a new video featuring Michael's beauty team demonstrating the techniques our stylists use everyday when getting ready in the morning. There's nothing more frustrating than not being able to recreate your salon look at home, so we're going to do our best to show you some secret tips and techniques so you can have a salon look everyday!

Round Brush Blow Out

This week's video features Katie demonstrating how she round brushes her angled bob haircut to get lots of volume.

Video: How To: Round Brush Blow Out

To recap, here are some of Katie's tips:

• Finger-dry your hair until it's 80% dry, and then start round brushing
• Clip your hair out of the way to start round brushing your bottom layer and work your way up
• Round brush one section at a time, and hit the cool button on your dryer to allow your hair to cool before removing your brush
• Work in small sections for the best results
• At your crown, brush your hair back at about halfway up your part - if you follow the part all the way back it will look flat.
• Use a good hairspray to hold your look

If you have any styling tips or beauty techniques you would like to see, please let us know! You can leave a comment here on our blog, or on Facebook or Twitter!

While perusing online, we found some beauty words of wisdom that we couldn't wait to share. This wisdom comes from Lucky magazine's article 10 essential beauty tips. Check out the entire article for great beauty advice for women of any age. Here are the 2 nuggets of wisdom to keep in mind at your next visit to the beauty salon:

7. The hairstylist/aesthetician/manicurist who spends her time trashing the job the last person did on you is the hairstylist/aesthetician/manicurist you need to replace, stat. Truly talented people focus on bringing out the best in you, not telling you what's wrong with you.
Sally Hershberger ain't cheap, but a cut with her is better than any outfit.

and

9. You wear your haircut every day, so think about that when agonizing over the price: You. Wear it. Every. Day. So it could cost more than your shoes and that would still be a reasonable thing.

What do you think? Have you spent more on your haircut than your shoes? What's the ROI (return on investment) of your new stiletto boots vs. a cut and color with a Michael's designer?

Have you noticed how many celebrities have been wearing their locks in wavy curls? Have you tried to style your hair like this at home, just to end up with a tangled, half-curled, half-frizzy, doesn't-look-good-at-all mess? Here comes Myka to the rescue! She wears her hair in curly waves every day, so she took some time to show us exactly how to make your hair look naturally wavy, when it's not:

To style, Myka used products from Aquage and TIGI.

• While her hair was still wet, she used Sea Salt Texturizing Spray from Aquage to add volume, texture and separation to her locks.
  
• Once her hair is dry, she preps her strands with Bed Head Masterpiece shine spray by TIGI.
  
• When curling, Myka takes vertical sections of her hair, and curls by starting mid-shaft,  and working her way down
• She makes sure not to curl the ends, to keep the look loose and natural
• Once she curls the top front sections, she works on the bottom layers around her face, then curls sections in the back
  
• You don't have to curl every strand
• To finish, use a pea-size dollop of Bed Head AfterParty by TIGI to separate strands and add a smooth shine
• Flip head upside down and shake out curls, then use your fingers to separate and shape

What do you think - can you get this look at home? Is there a style or beauty tip you would like to see featured? Let us know, leave a comment here, on Michael's Facebook, or @michaelssalon on Twitter!

This week's How To video is a little different. First, we're showing a spa treatment instead of a hairstyle. Paula is demonstrating what the MD Express peel is. Many people are confused and don't know exactly what a chemical peel is - an episode of Sex and the City comes to mind. Paula shows you exactly what to expect - it's a quick and easy treatment that makes a big difference! Also, you can use this video for follow-up at home with the MD Skincare Alpha/Beta Daily Face Peel. Use the same strokes around the face that Paula uses on Mary to exfoliate your skin and leave it fresh and luminous!

An MD Alpha/Beta peel is a recommended treatment for several skin disorders, including acne, rosacea, hyper pigmentation, fine lines and more.


I asked Mary how her skin felt a few hours after the treatment, and she said "it feels really clean - comparable to how your mouth feels clean and fresh after going to the dentist."

To follow up at home, Paula recommends using the All-In-One Facial Cleanser with Toner at morning and night to wash your face. At night, follow with the Daily Face Peel Two-step system, and finish with a good moisturizer.

The spa at Michael's is great for a relaxing treat, but spa treatments should be part of a regular beauty routine, not only for special occasions. Through the month of April, we are featuring special offers to re-introduce you to some of the services offered by our spa professionals.

Axxium Manicure

Do you get frustrated when your nail polish chips a few days after a manicure? OPI has developed a new gel lacquer system called Axxium that makes your polish last and last. The polish instantly cures under a UV light - no more being careful reaching into your purse or putting on your coat after getting your nails painted!

An Axxium manicure can last several weeks, depending on how much you work with your hands. Mary, a designer at Michael's says her Axxium manicures usually last about a week, but she has her hands in water and chemicals all day long. I sit at a desk and my Axxium manicure didn't chip for three weeks! For more information on Axxium, check out this previous blog post all about it.

MD Express Peel

MD Express Peel is a microexfoliation treatment that removes unwanted cellular debris from the surface of the skin, resulting in a smoother, firmer and more luminous complexion. It helps treat enlarged pores and gently calms redness with soothing botanicals. Results are significant, noticeable and immediate. An MD Express Peel is a results-oriented treatment, so if you're looking for relaxation, please check out our other facial options.

Alpha/Beta peels are especially helpful for those with problem skin - acne, rosacea, scarring, sun damage, aging - all of these can be minimized with an MD peel. For more information, check out our previous blog posts, or visit the MD Skincare website. Also, check back to our blog next week - we will feature a video with Paula demonstrating the MD Alpha/Beta peel.
UPDATE: Click here to view the MD Alpha/Beta video

Manicure & Pedicure

I'm sure most people are familiar with manicures and pedicures - but do you realize what having poorly treated hands and feet says about you? At best, it says you can't be bothered by little details. Sure, not everyone can afford to get weekly manicures and pedicures, but the nail technicians at Michael's can give you a good foundation that can be kept up with a little at home maintenance.

Manicures and pedicures are more than just polish applications - it's about maintaining the health and appearance of your nails. Your cuticles will be trimmed and neatened, hands and feet moisturized, feet buffed and exfoliated, and nails neatly shaped. A manicure is a must-have before a job interview, and you need a pedicure before you wear your strappy sandals this season :)

The spa at Michael's has many other services including massage, spray tan, waxing, and eyelash extensions. Check out all of our spa treatments on our website at michaelssalon.com/spa