I need a makeover. At least I think I need a makeover. Five years ago I became a busy mom, fast forward and now there are 4 of them, and I have taken little to no time for myself. I think it's a moms curse to put herself last, at least it was in my case. In order to workout, I had to teach the class. In order to get adult time, I had to organize a playgroup. In order to grocery shop I had to push one cart and pull the other. (too many kids and not enough room in one cart.) Moms, you get the picture. Well, I have had some major changes in my life recently and I have decided to do something for me. Just to finally feel good about how it look. I finally figured that just because I have 4 children under 5, and just because I'm busy and I definitely don't sleep as much as I would like, doesn't mean that I have to wear it. You know? Can't I keep some secrets to myself? Does everyone I come in contact with have to see my daily struggles written all over my face or my clothes? I'd like to think that I can be sexy, alluring, mysterious, daring, funny, and carefree even though I do 5 loads of laundry a week and am constantly changing poopy diapers and filling sippy cups with juice. So to all you moms out there, lets change our drooled on t-shirts and slip on a pair of hot Lucky jeans, maybe a pair of heels that are a little higher than the crocs you always gravitate towards and do something for ourselves. I suggest a makeover. They are a lot of fun! This is where my good friend Donna Cortese, Owner of Aloosions Salon and Spa in Scottsdale Arizona, comes in. She and her daughter Kim Cortese run a full salon and spa complete with hair, makeup, massage, ear coning, facials, nails and complete color specialists. They are located on the North side of Shea just west of Scottsdale Road in the Agua Calliente Shopping Center.
Donna is a master craftswoman. She is passionate about her career, her clients, and making people feel as beautiful on the outside as they are on the inside. She suggested I come in for a new ‘do, on her day off, so we could spend some quality time together. She sat me down, asked me what I wanted and what I was willing to do everyday, maintenance wise with my hair, and what my ultimate look was. I opened a magazine and I said, "I think I want her hair." She looked at it, smiled at me and said, "Okay, but I think I can top that." I said, "you know what Donna, I don't really know what I want, I know I don't have a lot of time to fuss with my look, so I want some thing great no matter how much time I have. I am your canvas, do with me what you like." Then she really smiled. She started cutting. And thinning. And trimming. And chopping.
Oh, what a pile of hair we had! While she worked I asked her to tell me why people get makeovers, what is their motivation, do they ever regret their decisions. She was in her element as she taught me the philosophy of hair, why people stay with the same cut for years, and what people are thinking and feeling when they ask for a drastic color change. She is passionate about what she does and it shows. She said, "for some reason, when we go through an emotional time, we mess with our hair. Take Brittany Spears for example. She went extreme when she shaved her head. But it was one thing she could control; her hairstyle was her choice. And then on the contrary, people who don't make changes in their hair and stick with the same haircut as say in high school, it often means that they want to go back to a happier time. And take coloring, a lot of time you can tell where a person is at emotionally by the colors and amounts of colors they wear. Not that you are unhappy if you color your hair, it's just that pink and black stripes might reflect a certain mood that you are feeling.
Sometimes when a person goes through a hard time or a divorce, they put on weight and look frumpy because they want to send a message that they are not a whole lot of fun right now or they don't even realize they are doing it and they end up sabotaging any future relationships, but by not looking attractive they are protecting their minds or their sanity from future pain." I asked Donna what women can do if they can't afford a makeover. She said you can't afford NOT to take care of yourself. You send such a powerful message to people when you wear your problems. But, if you do need to tighten your belt, like if you are now supporting 4 children all by yourself, getting a good hair cut will allow you to still have a good style even if it grows out. You can stretch the amount of time between cuts, and still look great. Donna shared with me some characteristics of a good cut. The first one is to cut the hair dry. When hair is dry, it falls where it wants to, when you cut wet, you are in a sense, telling it where you want it to go, and can end up with an uneven cut. The second tip for a great look is to know your colors. I love to wear greens, blues, and browns, very earthy, very basic. A lot of times when you change your hair color, the colors you loved to wear are not the colors you will like as a lighter or darker hair person. Donna says that she has people come in and want to change their color, but it clashes with what they love to wear. The biggest color problems come when blonds want to be redheads. Ninety percent of the time they don't mean it and they are disappointed by the results. Instead it a good idea to start with low lights and graduate darker if you really want a change. The third tip for a great new look is to use different equipment. A lot of times people are afraid of their makeover and they'll use the same equipment in the same ways- blow dryer, hot rollers, curling iron etc- and they end up with the same old look, just shorter or a different color. You have to have a "Whoo Hoo!" moment where you let go and try something brand new. Use products you've never tried, let your hair go curly instead of blowing it out, or use a straight iron instead of large round curlers. The fourth tip is that none of us have a symmetrical face. We all have a hard side and a soft side. The hard side is prominent in high fashion or when you are seeking a high profile job. The soft side reflects romance, flirty-ness or happiness. Donna suggests that we don't part our hair right down the middle, as it will emphasize the difference in sides.
Before After
Donna took my look from one length, one color, very long, dense and heavy to a textured long layered wavy look with highlights. She took a bunch of weight off which brought back the curls that were being weighed down by the heavy mass of hair that I had to deal with all the time. Long layers are lighter and easier to take care of. The color she used is actually a cream lightener that is used to break up the tones so you don't have a solid look. Summer is coming and we want the sun kissed look. The brand she used is called Toco-Magico, or Magic Touch in Italian. She is a master colorist with the company and travels all over training others to color properly. The lightener is ammonia and dust free and more environmentally and lung friendly. Since each hair strand is already a bit of a different color, Donna only used the lightener, knowing that my hair would change into several shades because of the nature of the hair. After my cut, wash, color, wash, dry, and re-cut, she styled it using a cocktail of products that she loves. They are environmentally friendly, and not tested on Animals. These are the product that she used on my new do and the ones I left the salon with, so I can be successful at home. First, she started with Phytojoba Shampoo and Phytojoba Sesame Conditioner. When we got back to her chair she used Pureology Anti-fade Color Max Spray all over. She mixed together Phytodefrisant Anti-Friz and Phyto 7 for dry hair, and blended into the hair with her fingers. To the root of my hair, she rubbed in Alterna Life Solutions Volumizing Spray Mouse, which gives volume to the hair. You can either let it dry naturally or blow dry at this point. She decided to blow dry it and used Soya Want Flat Hair Styling Spray and Shine Spray by Enjoy. She used a flat iron to give the last final touches and viola, we were done! After she finished my hair I went downstairs to see Penny. My next installment of Anatomy of a Makeover will feature in-depth makeup tips from professional Makeup Artist Penny. Look for it next time in our very own Original 1!
Aloosions Salon and Spa
6990 East Shea Blvd. Suite 110
Scottsdale, AZ
(480) 922-0792
www.aloosions.com
After Mommy and Olivia at home
Redefining "Mom"
