A vampire Halloween costume is a pretty popular item, especially considering how vampires are still all the rage with the True Blood and Twilight franchises everywhere. Plus, if you’re running short on time before the big Halloween party, vampire costumes can be an easy option to put together on the fly.

But we know beauty professionals, and you guys know the importance of cool details, even if they seem small. So how about putting some pop into this year’s vampire costume with sweet, Halloween nail designs. YouTube user goldiestarling has a cool tutorial for vampire nail art featuring blood-red lips and vicious fangs grinning up from each gorgeously colored digit.

A costume is all about execution, and great execution often comes down to unique details. Spice up your costume this year with Halloween nail designs that will have your friends mesmerized.

Courtesy of binababy123 via Flickr

Going to a costume party this Halloween? If so, chances are you have some accessories to spice up your costume – maybe a witch’s hat, crazy jewelry or some festive makeup. If fun Halloween makeup is in your costume plans, you might want to read some of our tips before you go hitting the glittery eyes for that awesome Ke$ha costume you’re planning.

While glitter can add instant glitz and glam, it can also cause eye injuries, discomfort and infections if not used correctly. Big chunks of glitter that fall into the eye can scratch the cornea and leave your eyes bloodshot. Unless you’re going for monster or zombie makeup, you probably don’t want that.

Here are a few Halloween makeup tips on how to have glittery, yet pain-free, eyes:

• Never use glitter that isn’t intended to be makeup! Don’t think you can sprinkle craft store glitter on your eyelids. It is often cut in bigger chunks and made out of metal which could scratch your cornea or irritate your eye.
• Before you pile on a bunch of glitter, test it out on your skin. Does it irritate your skin? Does it fall easily into your eyes? Make sure you know before you wear it all night.
• Is it a loose glitter or liquid? If it’s a glittery “goo” that has to be applied with a brush or stick, it’s better to put on your eyelids than “loose” glitter. Loose glitter will fly into your eyes and irritate you – or worse, scratch your eyes.
• Read the instructions! If it says, “not intended for use around the eyes” or “avoid eye area,” don’t put it on your eyes! Some glitter is made to brush on your cheeks but not meant for eyes. Stick to the directions.
• Apply the glitter over a layer of liquid or cream eye shadow. If glitter has a “sticky” base to hold on to, it’s less likely to fall into your eyes throughout the night. A bonus is you can make some cool colors combinations!

Enchanting, sparkly eyes can really add to your magical Halloween costume. The trick is using the right kind of glitter and applying it correctly so your Halloween makeup looks beautiful from start to finish.

Wish you could get up out of bed and be instantly prettier? Of course you do. If you could altogether avoid or cut in half the daunting task of dolling yourself up for the day – wouldn’t you? Absolutely!

Well, now you can with this list of 5 ways to wake up prettier. No more of those days at work having someone tell you, “Ooh, you look tired.” Nope! You can kiss those days goodbye.

Shower it – then braid it

If you want to achieve that nice wavy look, then stick to this old motherly secret. You’ve heard the saying, “If it isn’t broke, don’t fix it.” Well, this bedtime beauty secret is old school for a reason – it’s not broke, so don’t fix it!

Double layer it

Wearing primer over skincare products at night might sound odd, but it allows them to sink in and work their magic. Try it out if you’re a non-believer and see how good you look in the morning.

Keep it tamed

Want to protect yourself from the reincarnation of ‘80s riot hair? Then flip your hair upside down, pull it into a ponytail and secure it tightly (but not too tight – you’ve got to sleep comfortably after all) with a hair tie. No more striking a morning pose looking like Madonna.

The rub

You’re not the only one who wants to be comfortable when you lay yourself down to sleep at night. Your skin wants – no, deserves – to be comfy, too. Next time, moisturize yourself all over – elbows, knees, toes, ankles, armpits. If you can name it – moisturize it.

Get the glow

Self tanner is an important beauty product for maintaining exceptionally vibrant skin throughout the year. The best time to apply it? Right before bed. By self-tanning before bed and letting it dry overnight, you’ll find yourself waking up radiant-er.

By utilizing these 5 beauty-before-bedtime tips, you’ll be well on your way to waking up prettier and saving yourself that bothersome task of getting ready in the morning.

The other day, a Groupon popped into our inbox promoting photorejuvenation, and even though we work in the beauty industry all day, we had a little trouble defining exactly what it was that we now had a coupon for. We could kind of break it down – “photo,” which generally has to do with light, which we’re a fan of; and “rejuvenation,” which is always a positive thing in our books – but what were the down-and-dirty details of this procedure?

Basically: what, exactly, is photorejuvenation? (Hands down, estheticians – we know you probably have the answer already!)

Photorejuvenation is a skin treatment that uses intense pulsed light (which you might see just referred to as IPL) to treat certain skin conditions and sometimes remove wrinkles caused by UVA and UVB exposure. Apparently it can be used to:

• Lighten or remove sun spots, age spots or other brown discolorations
• Lighten or reduce rosacea, dilated blood vessels or broken blood vessels

And (to lesser effect):

• Improve skin texture through collagen stimulation
• Improve pore size by temporarily reducing oiliness

So, in general, this procedure improves our skin’s tone and texture. It’s non-invasive, only really affects the very top layers of the skin and is filtered so that no UV damage is possible, so a lot of the time, the only side effects people feel are flushed skin that’s akin to a very mild sunburn. Most places that offer photorejuvenation require 3-5 initial treatments for optimal results, and after that, you might have to come back for a maintenance treatment every few years or so.

Seems pretty harmless, right? Why NOT get it?

There are a couple of things to keep in mind – like tanning. Most places don’t recommend the procedure if you have a tan or tanned skin, so it’s not for everyone. Also, some people may experience more extreme side effects, like burns or blisters, scarring, or changes in pigmentation. It’s rare, but it’s still possible. Your best course of action is to go to a professional skin care specialist and consult with them about whether photorejuvenation would be a good option for you.

There! That’s it in a nutshell. We’re planning on this being just the first in a series of articles that explores some of the high-level, high-tech skin care services that fabulous estheticians are offering these days, so be on the lookout for explorations into dermal fillers, sclerotherapy and more!

And then be on the lookout for the Groupons that are sure to pop up.

Photo by Upstate Options Magazine via Flickr

You’ve seen them on Steven Tyler. You’ve seen them on Ke$ha and Miley Cyrus. You’ve probably also seen them around town. Feather hair extensions are a red hot trend everywhere.

But do you know where this flashy and colorful fashion is coming from? And the controversy behind it?

Feather extensions – which clip into your locks and can last for a couple of months – come from roosters, or more specifically, from the backs of roosters that are specially bred to produce unnaturally long and striking saddle feathers. Before the trend explosion over the last year or two, they were used almost exclusively by fly fishermen as part of their tackle. But the rabid new demand for feathered tresses has made them expensive and difficult to come by.

And it has led to the slaughter of thousands of roosters a week.

But, you may say, that can’t be true – birds don’t have to be killed in order to get their feathers. That’s absolutely correct, but a lot of times, these roosters are. Thomas Whiting – head of Whiting Farms in Colorado, which is one of the largest producers of feather extensions – told the Orange County Register that the roosters “aren’t good for anything else,” so after they are de-feathered, they are euthanized and turned into compost.

And just to give you an idea of the scale: Whiting Farm alone ships out feathered bird hides to the tune of around 65,000 per week.

65,000.

The good news is that if you want to sport the look without supporting this brutal process, there are options. Do a quick search for “cruelty-free feather extensions,” and you’ll find that there are quite a few vendors out there who are taking a greener approach to the trend. Mostly, these vendors are getting their feathers from people who raise birds in safe, comfortable, no-kill environments and procure feathers naturally when the birds molt them. It is being embraced as a great alternative for those who keep an eye both on fashion and animal rights.

So before you clip in that bright-colored plumage on yourself or your clients, take some time to research your vendor. Don’t just succumb to the feather hair extension clamor – first, make sure you’re comfortable with where they’re coming from.

Streaking. What comes to mind? Well, you might want to change what you think about streaking because it has a whole new meaning.

No longer is streaking running naked through a public place. It’s not even adding dyed or highlighted streaks to your hair. This month, it’s about lining your hair with trendy colored tinsel to show your support for the National Breast Cancer Foundation.

Streaking with hair tinsel allows you to do what you normally do to your hair, including washing, drying and flat ironing up to 400 degrees. It just adds a subtle, colorful flair and pizzazz – not to mention it speaks volumes about you supporting a charity close to your heart.

The organization “Streak for Cancer” recently changed its name to “Streak for a Cause,” so they could raise awareness and funds for even more charities of choice, though in October they will focus on the National Breast Cancer Foundation.

Salons who wish to participate can visit www.streakforcancer.org to register their stylists. If you would like to schedule an appointment to have your hair streaked with tinsel to support Streak for a Cause, visit www.streakforcancer.org and click “Register to Get Streaked.” 100% of all pre-paid proceeds ($15 for 12 streaks) will go directly to Streaks for a Cause.

Fashion is a constant and ever-changing part of our society. New clothes and hair trends come and go just like yesterday’s old news. However, unless you’d like to resemble Bert from Sesame Street, there’s one fashion that’s probably not on your must-have list. In case you’re lost, we’re talking about the forehead caterpillar, the eye bridge, the gaze stache – ladies and gentlemen – the unibrow.

Though it doesn’t personally rock our world, this abundance of hair between the eyebrows may be seen as an attractive quality in some cultures. Still, don’t let this fool you into thinking that it hasn’t shared its time in the spotlight. Several celebrities, rather they’re aware of it or not, have and still do rock the unibrow. Check them out:

Musician: Noel Gallagher of Oasis

Photo from Galaxy fm via Flickr

British popband Oasis’ frontman and guitarist, Noel Gallagher has seen his ups and downs. Noel could use a break from all the negative publicity that he and his brother have made throughout their music careers due to family feuding and drinking. We still like to blast “Wonderwall” with the windows rolled down, so we can overlook the unibrow AND all the public shenanigans because we got our fingers crossed that Oasis will put it all behind them and focus on the studio someday soon.

Painter: Frida Kahlo painter

Photo from Mario Agostinelli

Artists can be eccentric and in turn, they can get away with a lot more than the average person when it comes to acceptable and unacceptable fashion – and this includes Mexican painter Frida Kahlo. Her unibrow has made her one of the more recognizable icons in art and Mexican history. In fact, she loved that little black caterpillar so much that she painted it over and over again throughout her artistic self-portrait career.

Musician: George Harrison of the Beatles

Photo from Morgacito

That’s right, ladies – one fourth of the 1960’s heartthrob sensation known as The Beatles sported a unibrow. Guitarist/vocalist George Harrison proudly wore his forehead warmer all around London as he John, Paul and Ringo were chased by the crazed hordes of teenage women. Apparently, the girls couldn’t get enough of it.

Actor: Colin Farrell

Photo from ewanjudecolinchristian

Colin Farrell is famous for two things: his good looks and his ability to swear like a sailor. Oh, and his drinking – okay, so three things. Oh, and that breakout talent that often creeps up and wows us – okay, so FOUR things. It’s not surprising, then, that the fact that this Irish-born actor rocks the unibrow gets a bit lost in the shuffle. And does it really matter when he’s that gorgeous and has that fantastic accent? Yeah, we didn’t think so either.

It seems like there’s a smartphone app for anything and everything these days. Now the beauty industry is even benefitting from our mobile devices.  You can check prices, read reviews, and test out hairstyles and nail polish colors with a simple click on your cell phone.  What’s next — sampling perfume scents and trying on lipstick?  Ok, maybe not yet, but here are our current top five favorite beauty apps for your iPhone or smartphone.

1. OPI’s iPhone app — Before you head to your manicure check out OPI’s iPhone app.  Instead of wasting time at the salon you can “try on” shades virtually.  The app gives you the chance to check out OPI’s latest colors without having to use any finger nail polish remover!

2. Sephora to Go — Our favorite beauty store now comes in the palm of our hand! Literally! This app allows you to shop, review past purchases, make a shopping wish list, post ratings and reviews, and scan bar codes for product information.

3. TotalBeauty.com — Never pay for a beauty product you don’t like or won’t use again! With this app you can read unbiased reviews of 45,000 products on your phone before you go shopping.
4. iStylist Makeover — This app allows you to load a photo of yourself and see how you’d look in a wide range of hairstyles and colors. Want to see what others think? Easy! You can post the potential hairstyle on Facebook.
5. MakeupTagg — With MakeupTagg, you can find makeup recommendations based on your eye color, hair and skin tone.  The best thing about it?  You receive three suggestions for each makeup category and at different price points depending on what you want to spend.

Ready to take your passion for the beauty industry from the smartphone into real life? Start looking into beauty school today!

How far would you go to save your pet?

Would you punch a bear in the face?

Last week, one cosmetologist in Juneau, Alaska, did just that. When her dachshund Fudge was snagged by a black bear that had been hanging around their neighborhood, 22-year-old Brooke Collins bravely slugged it out to save her dog.

“It had her kind of like when they eat salmon,” Collins said. “I was freaking out. I was screaming at it. My dog was screaming. I ran up to it … I just punched it right in the snout, and it let go. I think it was more startled than anything.”

Black bears aren’t uncommon in Juneau, especially when natural resources – like berries – are scarce, leading them to wander into towns in search of food. Collins is an Alaskan native and used to having to deal with the big beasts and take precautions around them.

As for Fudge, she was not seriously hurt, although Collins says she is keeping her animals inside for the moment since that particular bear is still in the area.

If it comes down to round two, we’ve got bets on Collins for the knockout punch.

Deidra Rains, Rains Foto

Freedom, Art, Respect, Community, Unity
By Guest Blogger: Valerie Reed

A night of hair, makeup and fashion? Yes! FARCU (Freedom, Art, Respect, Community, Unity) is brining all of those and more for this one-night event. On September 30th, at the Beaumont Club in Kansas City, come see local hair and makeup artists showcase their passion and talent on the runway!

The stylists include Mitsu Sato Salon, Jason Finney of Xenon, Shannon Layton of Shannon’s Place, Kristi Darby of Pigment Pie, Jen Thomas of Last Tangle, Sharlene Henthorne of Inner Hippie, Jami Hamilton Jewelry Designs, Artistic Beauty, and more!

Aside from all the glitz and glam of the runway creative show, live, digital art, and a visual arts gallery will also be showcased, along with an Art of Culture Influence lecture.

Need more reasons?
• Network with salon owners and fellow cosmetologists
• Surround yourself with inspirations and opportunities to learn from seasoned stylists
• Encouragement to continue in your studies and to grow as an artist

If this sounds like the event you have been waiting for, contact Valerie Reed at vkreed@gmail.com for tickets. Tickets are just $10, however, one lucky reader will receive two free tickets.

How To Win Free Tickets

Leave a comment to this blog answering the following question:

Why did you choose to enter the field of cosmetology and what are your goals?

New to FARCU? Here is what you need to know:
Started by Angela Luttrell, is a haven for artists of all kinds; cosmetologists, musicians, stylists, designers, writers, painters, photographers, the list goes on and on.  Founded with a belief of strengthening the Kansas City arts community, it has done just that. Through events and networking, FARCU has become an artist-marketing tool.
“Our goal is to provide awareness of art and how it has made an impact in our past, present, and future cultures. Within the awareness we strengthen each arts community.” – Angela Luttrell
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