HairBoutique Blog

One of the best experiences of my life, was attending a Paul Mitchell The School located here in Texas.

At the school I attended along with all of the Paul Mitchell The Schools, the students are referred to as “future professionals” which is a welcome title to carry.

(Image of Paul Mitchell the school in Cosa Mesa, California - Paul Mitchell - All Rights Reserved - 2009).

Paul Mitchell schools don’t just focus on teaching students about hair.  Many of the schools also offer courses for aesthetic students which my school did.

Note: If you wish to consider attending Paul Mitchell the school visit this link to find a school that works for you. (more…)

One of the at-home tips I see constantly on the Web and in literature is to use Baby Powder to remove oil and grime from the hair.  I usually have to stifle a scream when I see this tip.

Why?  Commercially produced baby powder often contains talc.  In some cases it also contains other ingredients which like talc, can be harmful if inhaled.

(Image to the side of fresh Lavender - HBM - All Rights Reserved).

it is virtually impossible to spritz your hair or that of your child without getting a big whiff of baby powder because it fills the air. Yes, you can use a powder puff and glide it carefully, but you still are applying chemicals to the skin which can be inhaled over time.

Although I usually recommend plain cornstarch as a great alternative, some people complain it is not as effective as Baby Powder.

After thinking about this for a long time I decided to come up with an alternative recipe.  After much searching I found the recipe below (in Herbs For Health - July/August 2001 by Mindy Green) for herbal based baby powder which is not harmful if inhaled or swallowed. (more…)

When my beloved husband Michael died very suddenly over four years ago I had the presence of mind to ask to cut off a few of his fabulous curls to keep in my keepsake box.

I was literally in shock, since he died of a massive heart attack.  However, when the social worker offered to let me sit with him right after he died, she asked if she could get me anything.  I said “yes, a scissors and a plastic bag.”

(Image shown to the side of a brooch made with human hair - HairBoutique.com - All Rights Reserved).

She looked at me oddly and I said “I want to snip a few of his curls to put into a locket or my keepsake box to remember him by.”

The social worker scurried off and came back with a scissors and a little baggie.  She offered to cut his ringlets for me but I told her I wanted to do it.

While saying goodbye to my beloved partner, best friend and husband for close to 23 years, I snipped a few of his gorgeous shiny curls and tucked them carefully into the little bag.  As I said goodbye to him for the very last time, I clutched those curls knowing I would always have something of him to cherish along with his wedding ring and favorite watch. (more…)

I’m a huge Twitterholic.  Even though in a way you could call me one of the old ladies of the Web since I’ve been around since the mid 1990s, I really never got fired up about Web2.0.  I tried but it just didn’t catch my initial interest.

(Image from Airs and Graces Collection - #3 Grace and air - Photography By Jill Wachter, Hair by Vivienne Mackinder, Make up by Mary Schook, Fashion Styling by Sharon Maloney at the Metropolitan Building in NY.  Hair extensions from Hair U Wear - www.hairdesignertv.com - All Rights Reserved - Printed Silk Charmouse Dress - $7,500 Carlos Miele).

Yes, I have a Linkedin Account, a Facebook account and have proudly had some of my articles reprinted on MySpace because HairBoutique has had a MySpace account as soon as it was permitted.  I also had an account on SecondLife right after the site was opened and HairBoutique had an initial storefront we took down before anyone else in the hair industry even knew about SecondLife.

Although I love the Web and am in some circles considered an early adopter with HairBoutique.com and HairTalk, I never got the Social Netorking bug until Twitter. (more…)

Today I read a blog/article written by Sandra Lee on May 4, 2009 for NJ.com.  The subject of her blog was her toddler’s critical reaction to a short haircut she recently had her hairstylist create on her previously longer hair.  Her almost 3 year old wanted Sandra to put her old hair back, which made Sandra feel “self-conscious” and comforted by the fact her hair would eventually grow back.

Although this has a humorous twist of mother and daughter reactions to the mom’s new haircut, the reaction of loved ones to our hairstyles may not always be what we hoped or wished for.  Some loved ones react more strongly than others and a lot may depend on how drastic the change is.  However, the eternal question exists of whether or not we should wear our hair to please our loved ones or not?

For every person in the Universe this question of whether we wear our hair for ourselves or others will bring different answers. (more…)