which aveda products do the professionals recommend

Leza Duncan transitioned into a new craft when she moved back home from Hawaii where she was a professional photographer.  Her exposure to photo shoots, interest in transformation through hair and makeup, in addition to believing in the Aveda  philosophy motivated her to experience a new direction.  She joined Salon U, when it first opened, and in this journey has trained under Aveda make-up and hair artists and gained her cosmetology license.

After years of working the Aveda’s products, she is convinced that there are no products better for the health of your skin and hair, and has compiled this list of her favorites: The Aveda skin care line offers regimes for all skin types, from sensitive to mature. Every product is made from all organic ingredients without the use of petrochemicals.

• Outer Peace has proven to amazingly improve acne both in young adults and adults. The Outer Peace pads are extremely popular because of ease of use. This product is proven to unclog pores, exfoliate and help prevent new breakouts.

• For blemished skin use Cooling Masque. This mask is friendly to all skin types. It promises to reduce visible redness while cooling and calming the skin.

• The Botanical Kinetics group of skin care is fantastic for a simple regime for oily to dry skin . The starter set includes cleanser, a toner, a lotion and a skin firming agent. The Botanical Kinetics toner aid the skin to accept moisture while firming mature skin.  The Botanical Kinetics exfoliant is applied with a cotton ball to remove spent cells and dry skin from fine lines, which results in a more youthful looking.

• Aveda’s Tourmaline Charged Skin care increases radiance in all skin types and offers what many skin professionals belief is the most effective mask available .  Try an afternoon pamper session with the tourmaline charged exfoliating cleanser followed by the tourmaline charged radiance mask and watch your friends turn green with envy.

• Enbrightenment is all about brightening the skin by slowly and gently fading brown spots from those days at the beach.  At the salon, we love the brightening corrective serum for nightly use and guarantee to see visible results.

• Green Science is the choice if you are wanting to lift and reduce lines,  Aveda is state of the art for boosting natural collagen production.

At Salon U, we feature customized facials which are designed to cater to your skin.
And Leza will gladly consult you about your skin regime needs.

the right tools to style hair

Using the right tool for the job has always been a mantra of mine. We’ve all heard it before, and it still rings true. You can’t be expected to fix a car with a chopstick, and the rule doesn’t change when it comes to hair. There are many options available (gels, sprays, flat iron,rollers), and one of the key tools for hair are brushes.   Everyone should include several in their arsenal, depending on their hair’s natural textures. There are a ton of brushes, but finding the right one for you means that you first need to understand what they do and how they can work to attain the style you’re maintaining

If you’d like to achieve a smooth, silky straight look, use a paddle brush. The paddle flattens hair cuticles while detangling and boosting shine and slickness.
If your hair is thick and you want to add volume, wave and body use a round brush. This round shaped brush is wrapped with bristles so it works like a roller adding volume and body. Knowing the problems that your hair battles will narrow down the selection. If you fight frizz, try an ionic brush which will remove static, for fine hair use softer bristles, thin hair would benefit from a cushioned brush and for thick hair, use boar bristles.

After you’ve found the miracle wand, take care of it by regularly removing unwanted hair and washing it in warm water. No use washing your hair and then putting a dirty brush to it. Replace them yearly. If you’re still unsure about which brush would be a good mate, ask a professional before buying a ton of things you don’t need and won’t use. If you have any questions, don’t be afraid to ask what your stylist. We love sharing our experience and knowledge and will gladly help you have a better understanding of how your hair works and how you can keep your salon-styled hair after you get home.
And who doesn’t want to look like they just walked out of a salon every day?

Jason Roberts, Senior Stylist at Salon U

the best cut for curly hair

The biggest thing when it comes to getting a good cut for curly hair is to go to someone who understands your hair. Curly hair has lots of personality. There is everything from fine hair with loose curls, think Victoria’s Secret Angels at the beach, to tight curls on course hair, like Gloria Estefan, and everything in between.

The basics for a good cut boil down to understanding how much the hair will shrink and to cut accordingly.

Unfortunately, many innocent victims have been scalped because this fundamental but extremely important fact not taken into consideration. Have you ever cried because it was 6 inches too short?!  I have! The other important factor is layering.  This can be tricky because curly hair, will naturally be bigger at the bottom (like a triangle).

For this reason, curly hair, needs to be layered.  However, done incorrectly, could potentially your head into a  Christmas tree!  To avoid this disaster, I gently cut, working in increments , like sculpting, and constantly review to evaluate how each cut sits on the last one.

After your cut- you’re ready to style. Keep in mind, at this stage, it’s all about keeping frizz out and moisture levels up. There are great products that enhance your hairstyle. My favorites from Aveda are Be Curly Style Prep and Be Curly Curl Enhancer. Both of these products will tame the frizzy, add some shine and softness and hold to your tresses.

One last tip from a curly- hair professional (who also has a head of ginger ringlets herself)–before you go to the salon for a cut, decide on how you’ll wear it the majority of time.  Choose if you’ll embrace the curls, and wear it au natural, or will you use straightening wand each morning. It’s impossible for a cut to look great
both ways, so by committing first, you’ll achieve a cut that you’ll love.

~Kristie Michaels @ Salon U