It seems more and more these days that science and chemistry are surfacing in cosmetology education and training. This addition to the basic beauty curriculum can be attributed to the more sophisticated procedures and methods used in hair care and skin care.

Ten years ago, if you said ‘esthetician,’ most people wouldn’t know what you were talking about. Nowadays, you can choose your beauty professionals like you choose your clothes. With so many different avenues that have branched out of beauty, like esthetics, massage therapy, aromatherapy and advancements in hair treatments, customers can choose a trained beauty professional for their all their different beauty needs.

Salons have also transformed into tranquil and stress-relieving sanctuaries that are making people turn their beauty regimens into a sacred and peaceful event – some beauty treatments even lasting for hours.

How does chemistry come into the equation? Since these beauty procedures have advanced into the science realm, schools are beefing up their classes to include anatomy, the study blood-borne pathogens, chemistry basics for hair treatments, the use of microscopes to determine different types of skin-related problems, and many other scientific aspects of beauty.

These new and advanced classes help each beauty student to take their career from solely a hairdresser to a full-fledged cosmetologist who can not only style hair but recognize skin problems, promote healthier choices for your mind and body, and perform advanced treatments for hair and skin.

What about your school or salon? Does your cosmetology school infuse the science of beauty with traditional beauty education? Tell us all about it!

Do your nails crack or break easily? Nail strength, like so many of our traits, is passed down from our parents. So, if your mother complained about broken, chipped nails, chances are, you will, too.

But, don’t despair! You are not completely doomed! There are some steps you can take to save your nails from nub status. Just check out these tips:

1. Wear short nails. The longer your nails are, the more likely they are to break. File your nails regularly to maintain short, pretty nails that are less likely to break, chip, crack or split.

2. Eat calcium-rich foods. Nail strength depends a great deal on calcium. By taking in calcium-rich foods like cheese, milk, salmon and broccoli can improve the strength of your nails and prevent breakages.

3. Use less polish. Unfortunately, nail polish can dry out weak nails, too. The next time you visit a nail technologist, request a buffer instead of polish. Buffing can still give you a shiny, classy look and it comes with an additional bonus – it stimulates nail growth.

4. Avoid nail polish remover. This will be easier to manage if you follow tip #3! Since nail polish remover lists alcohol as one of its main ingredients, it can cause your nails to become more brittle and more prone to breaking. Try to limit yourself to about once a week – so try to think ahead about upcoming events before you try out any funky neon colors.

5. Cut down on H2O exposure. Since water can make your nails dry out, prolonged exposure can cause your nails to split and break more easily. Make sure you dry your hands and nails thoroughly after washing and bust out the gloves for dish duty.

6. Slather on hand lotion. Hand lotions with a rich formula, not containing alcohol, can help seal in moisture and help make your nails more flexible. It’s better to bend than break, right? So, make sure to follow up apply a generous amount of lotion every time you wash your hands.

No matter whether you have cosmetology training or not, finding the perfect foundation for your face (or someone else’s face) is always tough. We’ve all seen the three worst foundation offenses:

1.    Foundation that is way too dark for a woman’s face and creates the dreaded “line” at her jaw.
2.    Foundation that is way too light for a woman’s face, and reflects like the moon in flash photos.
3.    Foundation that doesn’t have the desired effect of smoothing skin, and rather clings to every imperfection.

So here’s the thing. I personally believe that the majority of women don’t need to wear foundation. I think that a tinted moisturizer with SPF smoothed over the whole face, followed by a light bronzer dusted over the cheeks and forehead is the most natural and flattering.

However.

Especially when women get their makeup professionally done, we feel like we need the whole shebang. So how to make sure that the foundation you’re putting on is going to look the best all day long, in all kinds of light?

If this is a professional makeup job, be sure to schedule a practice session before a big event. If you’re just looking for the right shade for day-to-day, don’t be afraid to shop around. It’s okay not to buy from a salesperson right away. Better yet, visit a store like Sephora – they will give you samples in little pots that you can take home and try for a couple of days.

A few easy tips:

•    Make sure you test the foundation on the whole face. While the jaw line is the most accurate skin color, many     women’s’ faces have a natural flush that doesn’t occur there.
•    Walk around! Check out the color in natural light, bathroom light … and take a picture … with the flash on.
•    Keep in mind: if your complexion tends to be oily, your makeup is going to darken within minutes when it mixes with this oil.

I know that Halloween is over but the dressing up is just beginning! Beauty blogs are gearing up for the release of Twilight. These bring-your-face-back-to-life looks might even help you snag a vampire of your very own.

Beauty and the Blog is even having a give away for some oh-so-hot products to get you ready for the premier of the movie. If you do not want to spend time entering the contest, you can stop by your local Sephora and pick up the products.

Included in the Win a Vampire (makeover) are:

•    Gwen Stefani’s L L.A.M.B. fragrance
•    Cargo Lip Gloss in Bella Bella
•    Fresh Twilight Freshface Glow
•    Shu Uemura Dazzling Topaz Diamante
•    Nars Lip Gloss in Bloodwork and Kat Von D Painted Love Lipstick in Underage Red
•    ck Calvin Klein Splendid Glam Mini Nail Enamel Collection
•    Kat Von D True Romance Eyeshadow Palette in Ludwig

The contest runs until the November 21st! So get your entry in and hopefully they will bite… I mean, pick you for the prize.

As you know, beautyschools.com loves organic, natural beauty products. And, what could be more natural than wearing no makeup at all?

After Election Day and Michelle Obama’s appearance in a memorable red and black number, I was reminded of another fashion statement she made a while ago. She told Chicago Sun-Times columnist Mary Mitchell why she chose to occasionally forego a daily makeup regiment.

“I want people to get used to my face more naturally so that I don’t have to do that every day. Who’s got time to put eyelashes on and all that?”

I guess that’s probably easy to say when you have a complexion as naturally radiant as the new First Lady’s. What about the rest of us who aren’t able to roll out of bed with glowing skin?

There are a few great products out there that give you coverage, but allow the natural character of your skin to show through. That way, you can show the world your natural beauty and still put your best face forward.

Mineral makeups that you brush on are great for achieving this look. Right now, I’m into Bare Escentuals. I just brush it on in the morning and it lasts all day. It takes about 2 minutes and it allows my freckles to show through (but still covers any nasty blemishes). And, it’s made of 100% pure minerals so my skin doesn’t absorb any toxins.

I always wondered why it seemed like celebrities have full tresses of hair cascading in voluminous waves – ALL THE TIME. Surely, these women are not super-human hair-growth machines that wake up in the morning looking like they just paid up $300 at a salon, right?

Right. When I realized that celebrities used hair extensions, everything seemed to fall into place. (And, I sort of hit myself on the top of the head for not realizing sooner.) Of course they can always have gorgeous hair when they’re simply clipping, weaving or braiding in someone else’s hair!

So, I was doing a bit of research on this beauty method, and I stumbled across this bit of news: you can buy Jessica Simpson’s hair! Well, not her actual hair. But, Simpson, along with hair guru Ken Paves, has designed a whole line of extension systems.

Check out the Hair U Wear! The tagline for her new line of hairdo’s “Change your hair as often as you change your mind,” is true-blue Jessica Simpson. And now, thanks to Paves and Simpson’s line of locks, you can sport a whole range of Jessica-inspired looks.

At first, I thought that it was kind of silly that they would make a line of extensions just for blonde’s, but then I saw that they come in a lot of different colors. You can get human hair or synthetic, too. So, all in all, it looks like a pretty good, fun product.

I was blessed with sensitive skin, particularly in the eye area. This wouldn’t be so much of an issue if I didn’t love to wear eye makeup! Ever since I was twelve and my aunt took me to the makeup counter at the department store to get my first makeover, I was hooked on eye makeup in particular.

Unfortunately, I started having reactions to eye shadows and creams during my teenage years. My eyelids would get red, puffy, and itchy, and after a few days, the skin would even start to flake off. I always chalked it up to cheap makeup or not properly cleansing my face and eye area before bedtime. But after years of trying both high and low-end brands and various cleansing techniques, I still had reactions!

It wasn’t until I went to my local Sephora store and had them try two different eye-shadow bases on my eyes that I discovered the cause of my eye makeup troubles. After wearing both bases for a couple hours, one eyelid started to get itchy and red. I immediately looked up the ingredients list on each product label, and I found one glaring difference: the itchy eyeshadow base contained a pigment called ultramarines.

Eureka! Of course this is my problem because most of the eye colors I wear are either greens, blues, or purples, which would all contain a blue pigment. So I began the quest for ultramarine-less eye shadow. It was horribly unsuccessful as pretty much ALL shadows use ultramarines for cool-hued shades.

Finally, I discovered NVEY ECO Organic Eye Shadow in Indigo Gunmetal shade, which is a lovely, medium blue-gray shimmer. I attempted it for the first time last weekend, with ZERO reaction except from others saying “I love your eye-makeup tonight!” So I continued on and have worn it every day this week, with the same success. I would highly recommend this as a healthy option for people with sensitive skin, as well as for people who just want another way to “greenify” their makeup bag. They have tons of nice shades that you can bet I’ll be adding to my collection in the near future!

Green nails are all the rage!

I’m not talking about the color. I’m talking about eco-friendly nail salons and how they are the new trend in going green in the beauty industry.

A new salon in San Francisco, Nova Nail Spa, offers only organic and chemical-free nail products. The owners realized that not only were organic products and eco-friendly lifestyle were gaining steam, but they were uncomfortable with having employees and customers exposed to the chemicals that are found in polishes and acrylic nails.

The products in the salon are either vegan or organic, including the fingernail polish remover, which is not acetone but a vegan orange-infused product that smells like mandarins. In this salon, you won’t find products that contain formaldehyde, toluene, or dibutyl phthalate. These are the chemicals that are linked to cancer and reproductive problems. Nail technicians have also complained about the affect that those chemicals had on them, saying they can cause headaches, skin rashes and nausea.   

The salon itself is even an eco-friendly building. The interior is made up of non-toxic paint, recycled denim for the insulation, and slate and bamboo finishes. There is also a state-of-the-art ventilation system.

The salon features everything a typical salon has except for acrylic nails. Acrylic produces dizzying fumes, while filing creates plumes of dust. The salon does offer gel nails. Gel nails are used to coat a natural or fake nail. Then a UV light is used to ‘set’ the nail.

Tell us what you think about organic nail salons. Is this just a new trend that will blow over, or is it here to stay?

Now that has fall has officially begun, it’s time to turn our eyes to this season’s trends.

The September issue of Glamour highlights hot nail colors this season.  It’s no surprise that rich plums and burgundies are in, but some interesting colors made the list.  Blues and blacks, but these colors are glossier, making them more chic than Goth.  For those not wanting their fingernails to make such a bold statement, you’ll be happy to know you can still be trendy with shades of pink and nude.

Rich colors are not only popping up on nails, but hair too.  According to a beauty tips website, rich browns are hot for fall.  Even blondes will want to add some subtle low lights to add some richness to their color.  As for length, anything goes.  Long or short, as long you make sure the hair has volume. This can be achieved by razoring the ends and adding chunky layers, which looks just as great on long hair as it does on short tresses.

As we say goodbye to the hot days, we welcome in the fall with its warm colors and wait to see what will be hot in fashion too.

I came across a very interesting blog post the other day and have been transfixed about it since. The post was about single ingredient products and in particularly about an oil cleanser and moisturizer. The product is Jojoba Oil Cleansing & Moisturizing and I found it on Jack and Jill blog . Jojoba only contains oil and is used to clean and moisturize, well, any part of the body. You don’t just have to use for your face – plus, this product can be found in a number of health food stores and is very inexpensive. 

So, I thought since I have sensitive skin and it tends to be on the dry side that I would try this product out. I am always changing facial cleansers and moisturizers because they tend to work in the beginning then fizzle out.

This product works wonders on my face! I have to say that I love it, but only time will tell if it will be a long-term product. I can tell you how this amazing treatment works: first you apply liberal amounts to your face while slowly massaging your face. Then, apply a hot wash cloth to the face and let it cool. After that, just wipe with cloth and you have skin that doesn’t feel oily.

I will give a report about how the product is going in a couple of weeks. I want to make sure that simple oil product might replace all of the high-end, expensive beauty products that I use.