First Impressions Salon

With the dregs of spring still permeating the upcoming summer weather, its hard to determine how our skin will act in the beginning stages of summer. Depending on what region one lives in, oily skin can be a problem for women who would have never thought it could happen to them. The girls at First Impressions Salon reside in northern Virginia where the weather changes very often and can at times be very humid. Due to this, its hard to apply makeup and expect great matted coverage all day long. Certain products claim to “keep oily skin under control” or “reduce shine” (Sound familiar?) but have other side effects that may not be so good for the skins natural oil producing process. When these products fail, IF they fail, there are other options that ultimately help more than harm. For example, blotting sheets. The emergence of these lightweight little beauties have saved many sweating brides, nervous first daters, and just plain overheated women since their production. They are easy to use and can be taken most anywhere. You can even blot oil from your face WITH makeup on! Sounds like a dream right? Some of the noted best are:

Also, note that OIL based products or liquid forms of concealer, blushes, or bronzers are not such a good idea this summer season. It’s like BEGGING the elements to make your face shiny and greasy! There are other natural ways to control shine that one can do at home as well!

Honey Mask (Used respectively from Voices on Yahoo.com)

Here is what you will need for this mask:

5 to 7 regular, uncoated aspirin

1 teaspoon of water

1 to 2 tablespoons of honey, any kind

Place the uncoated aspirin in a bowl and add several drops of water. They need to be able to dissolve but don’t make the mixture too watery. Once the aspirin is dissolved, mix in the honey. It will be a bit of a sticky mess at this point.

Depending on your particular skin needs, you can modify this recipe to suit your skin. If your skin is excessively oily, perhaps just use the aspirin without the honey. My skin is extremely oily but I find that the honey makes a nice base for the aspirin. Also, you can substitute aloe vera for the honey as well. Some people find it pore clogging though.

Pull your hair back with clips or a headband as you do not want to get this mixture in your hair! Spread it all over your face with your fingers, avoiding your eyes and mouth of course. Leave it on for about 15 minutes. Wash off with a warm washcloth, making sure that you get off all of the honey.

This is a great homemade and inexpensive mask that will help to clarify and treat oily skin. I use this mask twice a week.
With the help of these tools, hopefully an oil and shine free summer will be attained. More time to focus on fun and not face!

It used to be in the 80s where neons and bright colors were the trend along with large hair and and scrunchies. After that, it died out giving way to a more monochromatic era where neon colors were deemed garish and just too much. But now many years later where the trend is to essentially emulate the past, these bright hues are making a comeback and what better way to do so than with the face.

With our faces a blank canvas for artistic expression concerning makeup, it is definitely fun to experiment with different shades. We, at First Impressions Hair Salon have recently received an awesome new line from Mirabella aptly called “Neon Muse”. This line not only strays away from the rich and dark colors of winter, but also allows one to burst into spring with its colored mascaras and and eye shadows.

Below are some examples of beautiful and tasteful ways to make the most of these new colors.

Spring is in the air, love is rampant, and all of a sudden it seems as if EVERYONE is tying the knot at the same time. Married or unmarried, all of these weddings pose a big problem for female attendees: what’s a girl supposed to do? Wear old digs from that one Christmas party last year? Or go all out and buy that $300 French Connection shift you’ve been dying for an excuse to buy? It’s one thing to attend a wedding…but another to ARRIVE. Every detail has to ooze the fresh off the J Crew wedding spread in their glossy magazines. You know the one, where everyone is so cool and collected in a springy garden fit for a wedding in one of Jane Austen’s novels. So how does one fit in at these important gala’s, keep money in their pocket and NOT outshine the bride…too much….?

NOTE: Despite the little joke made above, number one rule just to start off: NEVER EVER try to outdo the bride. Be it an overly fancy updo or an off-white dress, it’s just uncouth to show up to a wedding with a look that rivals the brides. It’s HER special day, no matter how special YOU feel you need to look.

Dress to Impress

FINALLY! The moment when we women suddenly have enough money to look smoking hot and have an excuse to blow cash. “Why is it so important to spend money on an outfit for a wedding? It only happens once!” a silly man may ask, well we can think of a couple of good reasons.

1) You never know who you might see.

2) Weddings are special occasions that don’t happen as often as we would like.

3) Because unlike men, there are HUNDREDS of do’s and do nots behind outfit choices.

4) Because we can! Duh!

After considering these reasons, it gets tricky concerning where to start with the process of finding the holy grail of dresses. So where does one begin? The mall? A place where price often is a issue? Or maybe online, where one often has to take a leap of faith and pray that all goes well(not to mention those annoying shipping fees).

Pricy but Stylish: The Mall

CAUTION: Yes, there are cheap hotspots at the mall that may sound ideal, but these same places usually aim for the shock factor which is NOT what to aim for at a wedding. Avoid, Bebe(which isn’t actually cheap but just plain tacky), Forever 21, H&M, etc.

Cache:

Once dubbed an older women’s store, Cache has taken a drastic turn becoming more relevant and upscale. The prices are a bit high and many a time I have found the SAME dresses at other stores for a tad cheaper, but you can never go wrong with girly class.

Macy’s:

Varying prices but also an abundance of styles, Macy’s is a great place to browse and get ideas for what type of dress to purchase. They also have a variety of sizes and lengths which can’t be said for MANY stores at the mall. Don’t have Macy’s at your mall? Try one of the other departments stores. They usually offer semi cheap options and great brands.

Nordstrom Rack:

The cheaper little sister of Nordstom is a great place to find formal dresses. It is still expensive compared to other discount places like it, but other stores don’t have its large collection of name brands.

The Plunge: Online Shopping

Caution: Make sure you know your size before you purchase online, and make sure to THINK about it before you take the plunge!

Etsy.com:

A mixed bag of outrageous and stylish, Etsy is a site specifically designed for unique and timeless pieces. Think of it as an Ebay for hipsters…that’s a good thing, promise. The prices aren’t bad also!

Ebay.com:

Always a great option for awesome deals, Ebay is a one stop shop full of every type of dress you could possibly think of.

Spring is in the air, love is rampant, and all of a sudden it seems as if EVERYONE is tying the knot at the same time. Married or unmarried, all of these weddings pose a big problem for female attendees: what’s a girl supposed to do? Wear old digs from that one Christmas party last year? Or go all out and buy that $300 French Connection shift you’ve been dying for an excuse to buy? It’s one thing to attend a wedding…but another to ARRIVE. Every detail has to ooze the fresh off the J Crew wedding spread in their glossy magazines. You know the one, where everyone is so cool and collected in a springy garden fit for a wedding in one of Jane Austen’s novels. So how does one fit in at these important gala’s, keep money in their pocket and NOT outshine the bride…too much….?

NOTE: Despite the little joke made above, number one rule just to start off: NEVER EVER try to outdo the bride. Be it an overly fancy updo or an off-white dress, it’s just uncouth to show up to a wedding with a look that rivals the brides. It’s HER special day, no matter how special YOU feel you need to look.

Facelift

Visualize if you will: we’ve all seen that one person who dares to push the envelope concerning their makeup and color choices. You name it, the blue eyeshadow with the pink lipstick. Or the natural beauties who only use makeup to enhance their glow and such. Where do you fit in? And what look is best for you during this special occasion? Unfortunately, makeup application is NOT across the board in these situations. It all depends on the outfit, confidence with ones skin/everyday look, and the colors the bridal party will be working with. Fortunately, mixing and matching is suggested in order to attain the perfect look. Below are some tips and examples for beautiful and chic makeup styles that are sure to please.

No. 1: DO NOT TRY TOO HARD, it creates more work. To avoid running to the bathroom constantly and fixing, blotting and patting your makeup, keep it simple.

No. 2: No garish makeup. It brings back the 80′s in the worst ways. And it’s just plain distasteful, the bride invited YOU, not Cyndi Lauper.

No. 3: Make sure that you’re even wearing makeup in the first place. Ladies, lets remember that our mirrors at home often lie and we don’t look as dewy and polished as we think we do without the war paint on. Powder your nose and accentuate those lashes a bit, it will look great no matter what. Promise!

No. 4: If the hair is extravagant, make sure the makeup isn’t and vice versa. Two extremes are NEVER good idea. Just think of the phrase: “too much of a good thing can turn bad”. Compare that to your outfit in ANY instance.

No. 5: Find out the plans of the bridal party! If you know all of them are doing the smokey eye, don’t copy! You’ll just blend in, so do your own thing and wear it with pride.

Top left: “The Smoky Eye”.

Top right: natural glow.

Bottom left: hair as the main focus.

Bottom right: bright lips.

Spring is in the air, love is rampant, and all of a sudden it seems as if EVERYONE is tying the knot at the same time. Married or unmarried, all of these weddings pose a big problem for female attendees: what’s a girl supposed to do? Wear old digs from that one Christmas party last year? Or go all out and buy that $300 French Connection shift you’ve been dying for an excuse to buy? It’s one thing to attend a wedding…but another to ARRIVE. Every detail has to ooze the fresh off the J Crew wedding spread in their glossy magazines. You know the one, where everyone is so cool and collected in a springy garden fit for a wedding in one of Jane Austen’s novels. So how does one fit in at these important gala’s, keep money in their pocket and NOT outshine the bride…too much….?

NOTE: Despite the little joke made above, number one rule just to start off: NEVER EVER try to outdo the bride. Be it an overly fancy updo or an off-white dress, it’s just uncouth to show up to a wedding with a look that rivals the brides. It’s HER special day, no matter how special YOU feel you need to look.

THE HAIR GAME

Now folks, as you may have recognized, this blog is owned by a hair salon who specializes in the ultimately fabulous looks you see in the portfolio link BUT: this time we’ll slow it down a bit and show the softer side of fashionable and APPROPRIATE hairdo’s. Especially for these occasions.We’ll start off by calling these three styles The BBC’s: Buns, Braids and Curls.

Curls

Soft curls or natural curls are ideal for wedding guests. It allows the bride to shine and you personally to glow with your own style and and radiance. Plus, curls virtually go with ANY outfit which is a bonus.

Con: Outdoor weddings=Lots of hairspray.

Braids

The most simple of styles, yet the ones that leave the most lasting impressions. Braids are tasteful and add an innocence to a look that one can play up with great accessories.

Con: One must always be very aware of their hair when it is in this do to avoid ruining the look. Basically, don’t cha-cha slide TOO hard at the reception.

Buns

Elegant and chic, buns are always thought of to be classy and sexy. Paired with a simple monochromatic dress or shift, this hairstyle is inevitably “Kardashian-esque”. You can even pull out that nude lipstick for a high class look.

Cons: Sock buns or intricate buns work best with longer hair. But never fear! There ARE products in the industry that help get that perfect shape no matter the hair length.

Change is good and sometimes necessary, when it comes to hair though, one must be VEEEERY careful! The age-long battle of what haircuts are best for the face is a battle with a loss of many casualties. Fortunately, one doesn’t have to lose this battle with online guides and hair specialists to guide in the right direction. Let’s establish the best haircuts and styles for the different face shapes.

Oval

The "Beachy Wave" Medium Cut Length

 

Medium Length Bob

Curly Bob

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The best part about having an oval face is the fact that almost ANY type of bob looks good! Be it uneven, choppy, edgy or soft, it looks great!

Round

 

Thick Bangs

 

 

Shoulder Length Curls

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Typically, longer hair looks good with a round face, but these styles really bring out the cute features of such a shape!

Square

Long and Layered

Bouncy curls

Long But Blunt Cut

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If one has a square face, it’s a great idea to keep it natural concerning curls. Also, the longer the hair, the more flattering the look.

Heart

Pixie Cuts: Beautiful on heart shaped faces

Side-Swept Bangs

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Keep it cute with these looks and show off that beautifully narrow jawline.

“Punxsutawney Phil” the famous season predicting groundhog of Pennsylvania has seen his shadow much to the satisfaction of many Americans this past week! According to the age old tradition, this means that the mild weathered spring is on the way, so what does this mean for you? Basically, it is almost time to rid of the itchy sweaters and constricting monochromatic colors of winter and break out the lighter shades of the warmer weather. Brands such as Louis Vuitton, Burberry, Coach and coveted Marc Jacobs are reigning in audiences with their bright and eye popping selection of purses, tops, and bottoms. Due to the fact that these colors are normally reserved for summer, it is safe to assume that these top brands are almost as excited as we are to get in the fun hued mood!

Fortunately, one doesn’t have to “break the bank”, so to speak, to indulge in this new fad. From glancing through the newest Teen Vogue March issue or InStyle, one can get some great ideas for where to begin shopping and stocking up on the latest trends. Let’s knock out some of the obvious picks for this season!:

Colored Jeans: Every year, they come back on full blast in colors that we love to pair with our cutest tops. Some great places to purchase a pair…or two….okay fine three, would be places like…

GAP-Skimmer Jeans-Styles starting at $69.95

Designed to graze the ankle, hence the name “Skimmer”, Gap caters to women and men of all shapes, sizes and heights with this ingenious format. The color choices are spectacular as well!

Express-Colored Jean Legging-$79.90

With a satiny feel, these jeans are ideal for any occasion.

KOHL’S-Elle Color Skinny Jeans-$24.00

Okay, everyone loves a good deal and what better place to find one than at Kohl’s? Slim fit, flare, straight leg, you name it, Kohl’s has it!

Colored Purses: Daring in winter, but vibrant during the upcoming season colored purses add a splash of fun to any outfit regardless of occasion.

Target- Xhilaration Key Item Crossbody- $24.99

Available in many different fun colors this fun little purse has made Target the authority for cute accessories.

Forever 21-Studded Clear Tote-$19.80

With a funky and unique design, this bag is sure to steal the show this year. The price isn’t half bad either!

H&M-Leather Shoulder Bag-$69.95

Bring some Euro-chic into your closet with the extremely fab and stylish picks of H&M!