Tip For Tomorrow: The Cheap Chick is going high tech, people, and finally entering the 21st Century. I’m joining Facebook – possibly My Space, too. So prepare to be Friended. Whatever the heck that means.
Further Elucidation Of My Cheap Deal: Although it pains me to admit it, I totally understand why some women spend a fortune at the salon. Those sneaky stylists have magical ways of making you look and feel stunning. They also have mad skillz in separating you from your hard-earned cash.
However, even when you spend big on a frivolous item like a manicure, you can still be thrifty. How, you ask, oh wise Cheap Chick? By making that over-priced treatment last for as long as earthly possible, grasshopper.
Through intense Internet research, and pesky nagging of the stylists at Spalon Montage in Edina, MN, I learned the following tips to keeping your blow out, mani/pedis and hair color looking like you just stepped out of a salon. Wait a minute, wasn’t that the tagline for Salon Selectives? Moving on.
Make It Last Longer Than Love Salon Treatment Tips
Blow Out:
1. Ask your stylist to thoroughly clean your hair and scalp first, and use the correct type of hair styling products for your hair’s texture and thickness. For example, a heavy silicone product would make my hair look like Grease-O-Rama. Not cute.
6. NEVER blow dry perfectly dry hair. It will fall out of your head, and you will be turned away from the Pearly Gates when you die. Seriously, THAT’S HOW BAD IT IS FOR YOU.
Mani/Pedi:
1. Choose a light polish, which hides chips and flaws better.
4. Ask your nail technician to buff your nails, instead of using polish, for a finished look that won’t chip.
5. Wear gloves when doing household chores. Or make your children do them for you. Isn’t that why you had them?
6. Rub cuticle oil into the nail bed, to protect the nail from soaking up moisture, and to keep the polish flexible.
Hair Color/Highlights:
1. Choose a shampoo, conditioner and styling product formulated specifically for color-treated hair. You can find them at salons or the drug store, so there’s one in the price point right for you. Heck, I use Suave’s line.
a. Wear a bathing cap
b. Rinse your hair before and as soon as you get out of the water
c. Wash the chlorine out of your hair ASAP, using a specially formulated shampoo.
d. Spritz on leave-in conditioners with UV protectants
e. Wear a wide-rimmed hat.
4. Try a partial foil, instead of a whole head of foils, for highlights that grow out more naturally.
5 Comments
Well, I do get acrylic nails done. Over the years I'd developed a habit of getting them, then tearing them off, mostly because I wasn't willing to go faithfully every two weeks and have the damn things filled. Solution! The "pink and white" fill technique when done by a good nail technician lasts three weeks at a minimum and four weeks when you have so much going on you just can't take an hour out of your schedule to listen to the high pitched squeal of nail sanders. The other bonus is that it saves about $125/year by getting them done less frequently. Of course, I could save lots of dough by just doing it myself, but in real estate-as you well know-it's practically a law to have perfectly manicured hands.
I want to be your facebook friend!
My family gives me crud about how much time AND money I spend on cuts, colors and highlights, and eyebrow treatments. But longtime loyalty oays off, as I've been the recipient of the rare free haircut, eyebrow wax, etc., given discounts on rare occasions, and even given a present from 3 stylists after I got a new job. One big tip they've given me, and what is so important for healthy hair, is conditioning after shampooing. My stylists seem to love Target for products as much as I do. You can even use normal rinse-out conditioner for deep conditioning too. I used to use mayo, which really works well (I know, "Eww!"). I've since moved on to a "normal" deep conditioner. I swear that conditioning after shampooing, and the weekly deep conditions helps my color and highlights look fab and last longer..
Muy excellente tips! I use conditioner in my hair before swimming. It gives me a deep conditioning treatment and keeps the chlorine and sun blocked out by sealing the hair cuticle. Then I can just rinse it out quickly and I'm good for the rest of the day.
It really helps keep my color from fading so quickly.
Oh, and I'm too cheap to go to a salon. I do my own manis/acrylics (when I want them), pedicures, and hair color. The only thing I go in for is a hair cut. I just can't sit still that long. lol
I do my own highlights, as anyone can! For me, I go to Sally's beauty supply and pick up a foam cap with pick, level 30 lightener creme, lightening powder, and for under $10, I'm ready to go for several months. Put the foam cap on, use the pick to pluck out thin strands of hair. Apply a coat of the thick paste-like mixture of the lightener creme and powder and wait 30 minutes. Just like they do in the salons, but for a fraction of the price. Hope this helps!