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

Designer Spotlight - Kristin “Matti” York

 Kristin “Matti” York graduated from Creative Images Cosmetology School in 2006. She couldn’t wait to start working at Michael’s Salon. Matti pursued a career at Michael’s because she wanted to continue learning after obtaining her cosmetology license and work for a salon where she saw a future.

She has always wanted to be a hairdresser and says she has never thought about doing anything else. One of her favorite services is specialized styles, so if course she enjoys working with wedding parties and loves prom season.  It goes without saying that Matt is definitely a people person. She goes above and beyond to make her clients happy.  

“A happy client is the best feeling in the world” says Matti. “I feel like I’ve accomplished something wonderful if I can make someone’s day a little better. I know when I get a new hairstyle; I look better and feel like I can conquer anything. I love that I can make my clients feel that way too.” And, Matti does just that. She makes her clients feel great and they absolutely love her.

In February, Matti was awarded the Michael’s Salon 2010 Rising Star Award. Her client base and service revenues grew over 100 % from the previous year.

Besides building a solid clientele, Matti believes that one of the most important things to be a successful hair designer is to be a great listener. She says “Listening to your client is important to accomplishing the look they are going for. If you can give them that, they will leave your chair looking great and feeling happy.”

www.michaelssalon.com

It's that time of year again, and Michael's has a great giveaway for all of you basketball fans! Here's how it works:

• On Sunday, March 14 the teams in the Men's NCAA Basketball tournament will be announced
• Use your best strategy to determine what 4 teams will make it to the Final 4
• Email cindy@mediagrouponline.com with your picks before the first game begins on Tuesday, March 16.
  
• Wait it out - we won't know who is in the Final 4 until Sunday, March 28
• From the entries who guess all 4 teams correctly, we will draw at random the winner of a complimentary one-hour massage from Michael's Salon & Spa

A FREE MASSAGE - just for picking a few basketball teams with a little bit of luck!

No purchase necessary. Only one entry per person. Email cindy@mediagrouponline.com with any questions about this contest.

Good luck!

It's How To Tuesday (a day late) again at Michael's! Do you have problems recreating your salon look at home? Michael's Salon is putting together a new how to video each week to teach you how to style your hair at home. But here's the difference: our designers are demonstrating the styles on themselves!

We didn't want to leave out the guys, so this week's video features Michael Ison, a new designer and intern here at Michael's. Ison gets questions all the time about how he styles his hair, so here's his video to show you exactly what he does:



Ison uses products by Sebastian to hold his look: the Volupt Spray before blow drying, and the Microweb Fiber to style.

We aren't the only ones talking about Keratin Complex Smoothing Therapy - our designers have found articles about it in US Weekly, and a quick search on Keratin by Coppola's website features many articles highlighting Keratin treatments!

Visit keratincomplex.com to check out all of the attention this amazing process is getting. And if you look closely, you'll see that our price point (starting at $220) is much lower than many other salons:

It's How To Tuesday again at Michael's! Do you have problems recreating your salon look at home? Michael's Salon is putting together a new how to video each week to teach you how to look fresh from the salon everyday.

This week is part 2 of Debbie's Jane Iredale makeup application. Last week she showed how to apply makeup for a classic day look. This week, she's showing you how you can quickly and easily dress up that look for a night out. She turns the basic eye makeup into a smokey eye and adds some shimmer to the look.


Debbie added Jane Iredale's Cream to Powder Eyeliner in Black Plus and used the Eyeliner/Brow brush to soften and smudge the look. She added some shimmer with the 24 Karat Gold Dust in Silver, and added some shine to Morgan's lips with Jane Iredale's PureGloss.


For more makeup tips, check out Jane Iredale's makeup blog and YouTube page. The great people at Jane have lots of videos and ideas on how to update your makeup look. And as always, let us know what you think of today's video! Leave a comment here, or on our Facebook or Twitter accounts. Also, let us know if you have any ideas for next week!

Remember back in January when Michael's Salon announced we were giving away a free Keratin treatment? For those with curly, frizzy, or hard to manage hair, a Keratin smoothing treatment can cut styling time in half! We asked our blog readers to send us a photo and a paragraph about why they would like a free Keratin treatment.

Jessica Burton of Centerville was selected, and here's her before and after photos from today's Keratin makeover:

Jessica is a stay at home mother to her son with special needs. Taking care of a child with autism and ADHD is a full time job; the only break she gets is when he goes to preschool for a couple hours in the morning. Jessica is very involved with her church, playing piano and volunteering several days a week.

"Between taking care of the house, my son, and doing things for church it leaves me with almost no time to try and tame my unruly hair," Burton said in her entry. It took almost an hour to apply product, blowdry then straighten her locks. "If I don't blow it dry and take the time to fix it, then it's just a frizzy wavy mess. I love wearing my hair down - and my husband loves it too - but with not having any time to fix it, it usually ends up in a ponytail."

Hopefully your ponytail days are over, Jessica! Today, Abby gave Jessica a Keratin smoothing treatment - and she loves the results. "It doesn't feel like my hair anymore, it's so smooth and soft!" After a Jane Iredale makeup application with Jill, Jessica was thrilled with her morning at Michael's. "I've never really had a makeover before. Jill and Abby were both so friendly and nice, they really made me comfortable throughout the whole process."

Jessica was very appreciative of today's makeover: "I'm so glad that I found Michael's Salon! I started coming here after a horrible experience at a discount haircut place. Caribeth fixed my cut and I've been a client ever since!" We're glad that you found us too! We're confident your Keratin treatment will cut down your styling time so you can spend more time with your husband and son - or pampering yourself!

We'll check in with Jessica in a few weeks to see how big a difference the Keratin treatment made on her daily beauty routine. If you want more information about the Keratin Complex Smoothing Therapy, www.keratincomplex.com or ask your designer here at Michael's Salon.

It's How To Tuesday again at Michael's! Do you have problems recreating your salon look at home? Michael's Salon is putting together a new how to video each week to teach you how to look fresh from the salon everyday.

This week Debbie is showing you a basic daytime makeup look. She is using Jane Iredale products, which are all available here at Michael's. Jane Iredale has created an awesome line of products that are great for your skin. For more info, check out this previous blog post.


Next week, Debbie will show you how to dress up this makeup look for a night out. She will give Morgan the smoky-eye look that is always popular.

Do you want more makeup tips? You can get a complimentary Jane Iredale makeover with Debbie next time you come in to Michael's! It's a great way to try different shades and colors - we do recommend scheduling an appointment to ensure that she's available.

We posted some information about Michael's PhotoArt in our Culture Shift post last week, but we've had many questions about our involvement with the American Heart Association Go Red for Women campaign, so we wanted to give you more information.