GrandeLASH has arrived at Salon Adrian, so we put it to the test!

salonadrian beauty, Bridal, eyebrows, eyelash, fashion, fine thin hair, Fort Myers, hair care, hair care solutions, healthy hair, lash growth, makeover, makeup, New, new product, Salon Tips, styling tips, Uncategorized

[symple_heading style=”” title=”GrandeLASH Product Review, by Emily Hart” type=”h2″ font_size=”26″ text_align=”left” margin_top=”30″ margin_bottom=”30″ color=”undefined” icon_left=”” icon_right=””]

We are very excited to now be carrying the Grand Cosmetics products, GrandeLASH, GrandeBROW, and GrandeBROW Fill (light and dark.)  Now we aren’t going to bring these products into the salon without thoroughly testing them ourselves, and I can honestly say that they work wonders.  I’ve been using all three products for about 2 months now and have seen a great improvement in the thickness and length of my eyelashes and a noticeable improvement in the density of my eyebrows.

So here’s the science behind why it works so well.  These award-winning lash and brow enhancing serums are infused with a proprietary blend of vitamins, antioxidants, and amino acids to nourish and condition the lashes and brows and a magic ingredient called prostaglandin which is proven to accelerate the lash and brow hair growth process.  This blend creates naturally longer, thicker-looking lashes in just 4-6 weeks, with full results in 3 months.  It’s a favorite for helping to enhance short or thinning lashes, and it’s also ideal for restoring the appearance of brittle or damaged lashes. GrandeLASH-MD is easy, safe, and effective to use as well as vegan, cruelty-free & safe for lash extensions.You don’t have to be super precise when applying the lash serum. Just swipe along upper lash line, just above your lashes. I’ve found that this one application also affects the growth of my lower lashes as well, because my lower lashes have also become thicker and longer.The first changes will come as the new, longer eyelashes begin growing in amidst your older lashes usually within the first 3-5 weeks. Within another month or so, most of the lashes will have been replaced with the new long, thick lashes.

The same goes with the application of the eyebrow serum.  I apply it to the areas that I feel are sparse first and then brush the remaining product through the rest of my brows.  When I am applying my makeup for the day, however, I prefer to use the GrandeBROW FILL brow gel with peptides and fibers.  This formula is great for adding thickness and density to your brows while locking them into place for the entire day.  Now the BrowFILL does not contain prostaglandin so it will not stimulate your brow hairs to grow like the serums do.  The fibers and peptides that are in this product grab onto your natural brow hairs and plump them up, which gives you the appearance of thicker, fuller eyebrows.

 

 

 

 

 

 

So let’s review.  I highly recommend all three of these products.  I use them all everyday and have seen amazing results so far.  I will continue to use and recommend both of the serums and the browFILL and keep you updated on the outcome.  It may be too early to say I’ve found a miracle product but I will say this…I was an everyday-falselash-wearer before I started using the Grande Cosmetics products and i can say that i have not worn false eyelashes in over a month.  Now that is a miracle to me.

50 Tips, Tricks and Hacks for the Perfect Prom Prep

salonadrian beauty, Bridal, fashion, hair care, hair tools, long hair, makeover, makeup, prom, prom prep, Redken, spring, style, styling tips, updo, volume, weddings, women's hair styles

With Prom Season upon us, teenage girls across the country are stressing out over what to wear, how to style their hair, and who’s going to do their makeup.  Well we are here to save the night with 50 of our favorite, foolproof tips, tricks and hacks to make anyone’s Prom Night go off without a hitch, or at least turn any hitches into totally manageable snags.

 

  1. Prevent an updo meltdown. Stash a mini can of hairspray and a few bobby pins at the bottom of your purse. When your hair feels like it’s about to fall, spritz a bobby pin with hairspray and tuck it into your updo. The hairspray makes the pin hold to your prom hairfor extra reinforcement.

 

2. Swipe foundation on your ears. Otherwise, when you’re 1,000 degrees from                dancing all night, your ears may redden from the heat and you’ll look two-tone in all your Insta photos.

3. Brighten your smile. Two weeks before prom, swap your regular toothpaste for a whitening one that removes surface stains and protects your teeth from further yellowing. Brush for at least two minutes at a time, and avoid dark soda, coffee and tea.

4. Crank up your glow. If your dress is strapless or mini, slather on a lotion with a shimmering tint, then dust shoulders and collarbones with a bronzing powder for an extra dose of radiance.

5. Double up on hairspray.The secret to getting an updo to last all night is to apply hairspraybefore and after styling to give your strands that extra stick. 

 6. Smell ~irresistible~ all night.Just pat on a teeny amount of Vaseline to areas you normally spritz — your neck, back of wrists, etc. The Vaseline gives the perfume something to hold on to, so it will linger all night long.

7. Keep oil blotting papers handy.Sweat and oil can cause makeup to slip off, so stash blotting papers in your prom-night clutch for touch-ups. Avoid piling on powder, which can look cakey.

8. Fill in your brows.You don’t need to go Cara Delevingne-crazy, but pro makeup artists swear thatstrong brows make the biggest difference in how you look in professional photos. And by professional photos, we mean the 10,000 your mom will insist you take.

9.Fix streaky faux tan lines.Mix together freshly squeezed lemon juice with a few   teaspoons of baking soda until the powder becomes a paste — the lemon juice is an ultra-mild lightener and the baking soda is a natural exfoliant. Then take a shower and scrub areas of streakiness with the mixture until the unwanted tan lines disappear.

 10. Nix a prom-night pimple fast.If you wake up on prom day with an unwelcome visitor on your face, stash a Q-tip soaked in eye drops in the freezer for an hour. Then rub it on your pimple. The combo of the cold and the eye drops constricts blood vessels to immediately reduce redness and soothe irritation.

11. Turn to the right in photos.For whatever reason, researchers say the left side of your faceshows more emotion and looks more flattering in pics, so it’s basically the easiest way ever to look even better in your prom pics.

12. Use the eyeshadow trick pros swear by.For a big event, always use a cream shadow instead of a powder, because the texture looks richer. To make it last until the 2 a.m. after-party, use a little translucent powder or a thin layer of concealer underneath the shadow.

13. Bring a little extra shadow with you, just in case.Load a Q-tip up with product and stash it in a plastic baggie for emergency touch-ups later in the night.

14. Use painter’s tape to clean up the aftermath of a smoky eye.All those shadow flakes hanging out under your eye?Dab painter’s tape on your skin to gently lift them off. The tape is just strong enough to remove the excess makeup, but not so strong that you’ll pull off your foundation, too.

15. Brush your lips (seriously).Before applying a bold color, remove any dry flakes on your lips by brushing them with a toothbrush.

16. Give your makeup a selfie-run. Take a few photos of yourself after you do your makeup to catch things you don’t see in the mirror, like if your shimmer is catching the light in a weird way, or if your contouring looks too gray. Also always take a flash test and a natural lighting test. You don’t want to be looking like a ghost in all your Prom pics with flash back and natural light is the best for getting a true idea of how everything looks.

17. Try a two-step lipstick application. Apply one shade all over your mouth, and then dot-and-blend a lighter color in the middle of your lips. The contrasting shades create dimension that makes your lips look extra full.

18. Blot your lips the right way.Apply a coat of lipstick, blot, and then apply a second coat. Doing so removes excess oil on your lips from the first application, so that the second one grips it better and will last all night

19.Tame your baby hairs.Spritz a toothbrush with aerosol hairspray, then use it to clean up stray hairs along your part and hairline. This works wonders if pesky flyaways are attempting to escape from your updo.

20. Say “prune” in pictures.Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen reportedlysay this word to nail that perfect close-lipped sneaky smile. It sounds ridiculous, but it also works.

21. Cover a prom-night pimple with primer.If you’ve got a zit that won’t quit, dab eyeshadow primer on top of it to create a velvety surface and then apply your regular foundation on top of it. The primer is a long-lasting alternative to concealer, which can look flaky and rub off on an inflamed zit.

22.Set your nail art like a pro.It sounds crazy, but using candle wax as glue makes 3D nail appliques last twice as long! Scrape off soft wax with a toothpick and dab onto the back of the mini crystals. Press them onto wet nails, and the wax will harden with the polish.

23. Blast your mani with a shot of cold air to help it dry faster.You have zero time to spare when you’re getting ready, so get in front of your AC or use the cool button on your blow-dryer. The cold air hardens polish fast (just like in salons), making it last longer.

24. Get the perfect winged liner.We know, the flirty look isn’t as easy as YouTubers make them look! Use a piece of scotch tape to get that winged liner on lock.

 25. Spritz your neck.There’s one last thing you should do before you head out the door: Spray perfume at the nape of your neck. Hair holds fragrance longer than skin, so the sweet smell will last past the dance

 

26.Apply foundation in the center of your face and blend outward. This helps you get a natural-looking application and is extra important if you’re sweeping your hair into an updo.

 27. Make your eyelashes look amazingly long. Step one: Blast your eyelash curler with a hair dryer for two seconds so it heats up just a tick. Step two: Curl your lashes and apply mascara as usual. Step three: Look like a devastating bombshell.

 

 28. Prepare for a downpour. Don’t think of rain as a hair-ruiner — think of it as a chance to carry a cute DIY umbrella. Create designs and catchy phrases on the underside of a black umbrella for a totally custom feel!

29. Remove lipstick from your dress.If disaster strikes in the form of rogue lipstick, use shaving cream to fix it. It sounds weird, but white shaving cream is nothing more than whipped soap that rinses easily and is gentler than straight suds. Just dampen the stain with a little bit of water and use a cloth to rub in the shaving cream. Then wipe away with a damp cloth.

30. Kill late onset frizz.Run a dryer sheet over your strands to minimize static.

31.Whiten your teeth in literally two seconds. A lipstick with blue undertones will make your teeth seem whiter. Plums, cherry, reds, purply pinks, or any shade with a silvery shimmer will do the trick.

32. Wearing your hair down? Give yourself a DIY deep-conditioning treatment.For shine-bright-like-a-diamond hair, comb deep conditioner through damp, clean hair and wrap your head with a towel. Let it penetrate for 10 minutes, then rinse with cool water. 💎

33. Try this trick for flawless skin allover.Help blemishes or skin discolorations look less noticeable with a gold-flecked lotion, which reflects light away from any blemishes and gives skin a sexy sheen. Use it on bare skin, then wait 10 minutes before you step into your dress.

34. Max out your volume. The night before prom, use a clarifying shampoo — it will remove any residue, so you get major volume.

35. Get the perfect smoky eye. Draw a hashtag on the outer corner of your eyelid and smudging it out with the sponge. Keep drawing hashtags and smudging it out to get a darker, smokier look.

36. Apply deodorant to the sides of your feet.It will help prevent blisters from dancing in your heels all night.

37. Find those cheekbones.To determine where you should be dusting on bronzer powder, line up a cotton swab right below your cheekbone. Once you’ve found the correct placement, lightly trace the line of the Q-Tip with another cotton swab tip coated in bronzer. Then blend the bronzer in with another clean cotton swab tip (tugged on for that cotton candy-like texture) to diffuse the color for a more natural look.

38. Hold off on the shine coat.In photos, glossy lipstick can reflect light and create the appearance of a weird white dot on your mouth. Stick with a matte lip color and then layer something shiny on top later in the night if you want.

39. Get bobby pins to stay put.For better grip, flip the bobby pin over so the wavy side is against your head. If you have a hard time keeping your bobby pins in place, try flipping the pin over. The straight side is slicker and won’t grip as well as the wavy, more textured side.

40. Use baby powder to lengthen your lashes.Skip the falsies! To get crazy long lashes without any glue, apply one coat of your favorite mascara. Then, use a Q-tip to dust baby powder all over your lashes, and apply a second coat of mascara. The baby powder will stick to your lashes to create natural extensions.

41. Put your school ID to work.You probably need to bring your school ID to get into prom anyway, so the piece of plastic may as well help you put on mascara. Hold your school ID or a credit card underneath your lashes, then go crazy with the mascara. Your lashes will get properly coated, but any excess mascara will end up on the card, instead of your face. Just make sure the card is clean first.

42. Don’t rub your wrists together.Everyone has their usual perfume routine, but try to avoid the common mistake of rubbing your wrists together after a spritz. Doing this forces the top notes to disappear faster than intended, so your fragrance won’t last as long.

43. Get instant hair thickness. Dust an eyeshadow (in the same color family as your hair) along your part to shade your scalp slightly, making your hair appear thicker. This will also make your hair look super-thick in all of those insta pics!

44. Use cold green tea bags to decrease puffiness under your eyes. Prom can be mega-stressful, so it’s super understandable if you have trouble sleeping the night before and wake up the day-of looking a little tired. The quickest way to de-puffing your under-eye skin is to apply a cold, caffeine-based product, like two cold green-tea bags, under your eyes for five or six minutes.

45. Double layer your mascara. Layer waterproof mascara on top of your regular formula to make your mascara last longer and make it easier to remove at the end of the night.

46. Half your lashes. Your fake ones, that is. Strip lashes are tricky to apply unless you have a lot of practice, so cut a strip and apply the half-pieces to the outer corners of your eyes for a super flirty look.

47. Don’t just apply blush to your cheeks!Unless you want to look like a baby doll in a horror movie, all-over application is key. Start with color on the apple of your check. Then, brush it along your cheekbone and all the way up to your temple. This will give you a much more natural flush.

48. Load up on dry shampoo.It’s not just for second-day hair — apply it immediately after you dry your hair and the texture will help your updo last longer.

49. Use concealer to fake a larger lip canvas.Pat concealer onto your lips, spreading it a little over your lip line. This will make your lipstick go on closer to the color in the tube, and make your lips look larger.

50.Help your mani shine. Before you get your nails done, soak your nails in lemon juice to remove nail polish stains. Lemon is known for getting rid of stains faster than anything else, so the new polish that compliments your dress will be the only one that shows!

All Tressed Up! – How to Plan the Perfect Prom

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girl-881912_1920Prom season is here and if we’re being honest, it can be pretty stressful. Finding the right dress, securing a date or a group to go with, hair, makeup, and nails, it might seem that the list of preparations is never ending. But do not fear! Our team at Salon Adrian is here to help! Follow our prom beauty checklist to ensure that the one thing you don’t have to worry about is looking your best.

  • Two months ‘til prom: book hair and makeup appointments
    • Schedule your appointments far in advance to ensure availability. Use the time leading up to your appointment to look for inspiration, bring pictures to show to your stylist and makeup artist!
  • Two weeks ‘til prom: Prep your smile to be picture perfect
    • Let’s be honest, who doesn’t want pearly whites. Start using products to help whiten your teeth. At home products such as whitening strips work great without the cost of a whitening appointment. Natural methods more your style? Try out natural whitening options, like incorporating brushing your teeth with activated charcoal!
  • Almost a week ‘til prom: Skincare Skincare Skincare
    • If you can, indulge on a facial. If not, focus on skincare. Don’t stray too far from your normal routine because this can trigger a breakout. Moisturize to achieve supple skin and use your favorite facemask to nourish your skin.
  • One week ‘til prom: All about the brows
    • Pluck, tweeze, thread, wax them into perfection. Waiting until the week before will allow your skin to heal from your desired hair removal method, but is close enough for regrowth to not be a problem.
  • Eve/Day of Prom: Mani/Pedi
    • Avoid potential chipping, fading, or warping of your nails and leave your mani/pedi for last. You can choose a nail salon, or to do your nails yourself at home.
  • Day of Prom: Watch as everything falls into place
    • Your smile is set, your skin glowing, and you don’t have to stress about your hair and makeup appointments because you know exactly what you want. Remember, this is your day. Have fun!

Love is in the Hair!

salonadrian braids, Salon Tips, styling tips, volume, women's hair styles
It’s almost Valentine’s Day and love is in the hair. To some, it’s an overly commercialized holiday. But many of us are hopeless romantics, who absolutely ADORE the idea of Valentine’s Day and everything it stands for.
The secret to a great and successful Valentine’s Day night out is to keep it simple, soft and natural.
We asked our stylist to create four of their favorite go-to styles that can be recreated easily and with just a few products and even less time.
Sexy Teased-up Waves
Perfect for sexy singles, this look is unfettered and totally carefree. A word of caution: big, buoyant curls tend to attract a lot of attention.
Start building body in the shower with Pureology’s Clean Volume Shampoo and Conditioner. Then with towel-dried hair and a generous amount of Redken’s Guts sprayed directly onto the roots of the hair at the crown and Redken’s Heat Design through the ends for added volume.
Blow-dry with a large round brush, pulling hair up and out to create lift at the roots. Then wrap random sections around a 1-inch curling iron using Redken’s Iron Shape for heat protection and memory.
Once hair cools, brush through the curls and tease at the crown. Finish with a light mist of Redken’s Forceful Hairspray for touchable hold and shine.
Super Sleek Pony
It’s simple but chic. The power of a good ponytail should never be underestimated. You can never go wrong with a perfectly sleek ponytail
 
Blow-dry hair smooth with Redken’s Diamond Oil Glow Dry. Using a rounded soft bristle brush smooth hair into a sleek, high ponytail.
Make sure to smooth out all bumps. Use another small amount of the Diamond Oil Glow Dry over pulled back area for a glossy finish.
Take a piece of the pony from the underside and wrap around the base of the ponytail and secure with a pin to hide the elastic. Spray the whole look with Redken’s Forceful Hairspray for hold and shine.
Undone Bun
Inspired by the classic ballerina bun, this ultra-chic top knot is strong and sexy. This is a great way to update your usual, thrown together bun-look while still looking soft and girly.
 
Spray your second-day waves with Redken’s Pillow Proof Two-Day Extender Dry Shampoo to refresh yesterday’s style and for some extra texture.
Smooth hair towards the top of the crown with a soft bristle brush and secure with an elastic. Holding the ends of the pony spin until the tail begins to wrap around itself.
Loosen spots around the strands and secure with pins as you wrap the section into a bun shape. Spray with Redken’s Wind Blown Hairspray for lightweight hold and texture.
Simple Sexy Side Braid
This one requires hardly any effort but still feels appropriate for a night out on the town. With its deliberately tousled texture, the new side braid has a sweet coquettish charm.
 
Spray dry hair down with Redken’s Fashion Waves Texture Spray. This gives a slightly salted, beachy feel to the hair.
Reserve a few small pieces around your face to create a soft fringe and direct the rest of the hair to the side opposite your part. Separate the hair into three even sections. Braid down the strands holding your hands to one side of your face.
Secure with an elastic and loosen some strands while moving back up the braid to give it an undone feel. Bend the few strands you left out around a 1” curling iron to create a soft, face-framing wave. Finish with Redken’s Windblown Hairspray for a windswept lived in feel.

Simple DIY Style: Braided Mohawk Bun

salonadrian braids, easy hairstyles, hair care, healthy hair, long hair, Redken, Salon Tips, styling tips

DIY Braided Mohawk Bun
From everyday braid styles to undo’s for special occasions, we’ve got everything you need to create an easy yet elegant hairstyle all by yourself. Sometimes, reinventing your look and feeling like a million bucks is as simple a trying something new with your hair.
This braided mohawk bun is a simple style that easily transitions from day to night and can be worn dressed up or casual. Working with hair that is already waved, add some Redken Pillow Proof Two Day Extender Dry Shampoo at the root to absorb any oils from the scalp and create a slightly ruffed-up texture.
Start with a part that extends from both temples back towards the crown of the head. Create an inverted french braid beginning quite close to the front hairline.
Secure the braid at the crown with an elastic. Working from back to front, loosen the outside sections to add volume to your braid.
Gather the unbraided ends of the section and begin twisting, pulling random pieces out as you go. Let the section twist in onto itself and create a bun shape.
Secure with pins and finish with Redken Windblown Hairspray for an airy, ethereal feel.