• {About Me}

Blog Joie de Vivre

~ let it shine, daily.

Blog Joie de Vivre

Tag Archives: style

(Hair) Model for a Day

31 Thursday Jan 2013

Posted by blogjoiedevivre in Everyday Joie, Hair Game

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Austin Beauty Guide, beauty, blow out, Bumble and bumble, bumble and bumble products, Hair Model, L7 Salon, Model for a Day, round brush blow dry set, style, thick hair

A couple weeks ago I saw an article on Austin Beauty Guide that national hair product company Bumble and bumble would be flying instructors from NYC to hold workshops here in Austin at a local salon.  They were holding an open-call for hair “models” — those selected would receive a free consultation, professional blow-out, and two full-sized Bumble and bumble products to take home.  I’m always down for a free blow-out (and most anything free, for that matter), so I applied & was accepted!  Admittedly, in the days leading up to the event, my husband and I had some fun playing around with the new “hair model” title I’d earned, sarcastically mentioning my upcoming “modeling gig” and sharing a giggle.  It was quite cheeky to think I could add anything with “model” in the title to my bio.  😉

The event was on Monday at L7 Salon and it was a unique experience I’d LOVE to do again.  “Round brush blow-day set” was the official name of the class, I think, and introduced a twist on your typical blow-out by combining the use of a round brush to blow-dry sections of hair with the stay-all-week curls achieved in a classic wash-n-set.  The result was fabulous, but I’ll let the before & afters speak for themselves:

BEFORE:Image

–As I’ve previously shared here on this blog, I have a thick mane that I mostly end up taming down into a bun or braid for everyday.  Washed the night before, this is my no-product, unstyled hair, as seen just after being taken out of the loose side braid I walked in with.

Participating the event as a whole was something fun & different to do…  It was cool to observe the teaching process:  the instructor reminding the stylists of what they previously learned in the slide show, the group collectively prescribing which products would work best on this girl’s hair vs. that girl’s hair, etc.  My stylist –a super fun chick who drove in for the workshop from San Antiono– began by picking my potion:  gentle shampoo, super rich conditioner, a foundation of Bumble and bumble’s tonic lotion and styled with thickening hairspray just on the sections at the very top of my head.  Once the individual sections were blow-dried, they rolled my hair to cool and set.  However, no rollers were used:Image

Once the pin curls were shot with a blast of cool air from the blow dryer, it was time to take ’em out.  In my opinion, the genius of this blow-out process is that once the curls were all taken down, the stylist only had to use a few swipes of a natural bristle brush to obtain the look we were going for:Image

I adored the big loose curls — a very Victoria’s Secret look, if I do say so myself.  After finishing with a little “does it all” styling stray, here’s the AFTER shot:Image

Fabulous, right?  It was a super-fun morning and I walked outta there feeling gorgeous.  Top top it off, it was all FREE.  Plus, since I referred two models for the other workshop later that day, I got extra products in my goodie bag.  Look at all this loot!Image

I can’t wait to try them all!  Anyone who knows me is well aware that I’m all about spreading the word about great opportunities.  SO…the Model Coordinator I work with is actually looking for candidates at upcoming classes, with the first available appointment in Austin on March 4th at 11:45 a.m. or 2:45 p.m.  If you’re not free then, no worries, because they will have about a class a month — it’s worth reaching out, even simply to get in her rolodex, trust me!  They also do workshops in Houston, too.  She told me that ideal hair is between shoulder blade to mid-back (think bra clasp length) and not too thick/not too thin (basically hair that can easily be styled into a straight or wavy style).  If YOU are interested in being a hair model for an upcoming Bumble and bumble workshop, here’s how:  email Roxy at  AustinModels@BeCreativeHouse.com with a picture of your natural hair and be sure to mention moi.  Mentioning my name is important because a.) it helps them spread the word out to new models by working off our referrals and b.) you get rewarded with free product for each friend you refer, what what!!!

Happy Fashion Week!

10 Monday Sep 2012

Posted by blogjoiedevivre in Uncategorized

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

Austin Fashion Week, clothing, fall, fashion, Fashion's Night Out, FNO, NYFW, Saks, style, trends, TRIBEZA Style Week, wardrobe pieces

Ah, it’s that time of year again:  the kids are back at school, the weather’s becoming crisp & cool, and row after row of fans gather to watch the action play out…  No, I’m not paying homage to football season — I’m talking about Fashion Week!  Wouldn’t you agree that Fall is the absolute best time of year to celebrate fashion…magazines release their mammoth September issues (um, my Vogue this year is a phone book!), bloggers & stylists map out their top trend predictions, and stores begin to stock gorgeous indulgent wardrobe pieces from our favorite labels.  I swoon over the touch of quality cashmere, that badass-feeling I assume in leather, and how skinny I somehow appear in the season’s latest skinny jeans.  Fall is simply fashion at its finest.

Back in mid-August, some girlfriends and I kicked things off downtown in the 2nd Street Shopping District.  As part of Austin Fashion Week, we hit up a few of our local boutiques to see what was going on and our favorite party of the evening was at Hemline, by far.  Since they were founded in New Orleans’ French Quarter, they held a fitting Southern Summer Soiree complete with Cajun food, Abita beer on tap, and a couple designer trunk shows.  I spent the evening with senses satisfied by the huge spread of boiled shrimp, jambalaya (don’t doubt — I straight up GRUB at even the hautest of fashion events if the food is that good!), complimentary chardonnay, and watching live “mannequins” model the featured designers’ sartorial samples.  This totally free, no RSVP required, open to the public event was such an engaging mix of southern hospitality, food, and fashion!

The next Austin Fashion Week event I attended was the official after party.  I had a couple of sorority sisters in town from Houston and this was the perfect choice for a let’s-do-something-different type of Saturday night.  Although this was a ticketed event, we were able to snag a sweet friends & family discount that made it totally worthwhile.  This was another fashion week party with gourmet catering & open bar, not to mention all the utterly interesting expressions of fine arts.  Some of the acts to take the runway stage included:

a pop rockin’ violinist…

a laser-lighted songstress…

an interpretative dancer…
~Pretty sure the bundle of fabric she’s holding was a progeny she just symbolically birthed…maybe she’s presenting it up Lion King-style in sacrifice to the fashion gods?  😉

…and “living statue installations,” just to name a few.

After the final runway show, –where the models wore illuminated medallions sewn into goth Victorian dress (picture Iron Man meets Helena Bonham Carter)– we enjoyed some chocolate-covered strawberries, spotted a few local “celebs,” took pics with a couple of the models, and left for a nightcap at the W Living Room.

***Ladies Night!***

Next, came Fashion’s Night Out 2012!  I celebrated last year in Kansas City bouncing around the Country Club Plaza but my second time participating in FNO festivities was enjoyed right here in the ATX at Saks.  My friend Lori and I made the drive out to Arboretum Market and were greeted by libations, an aerialist swinging around in the shoe department, and her super-friendly super-chic personal shopper.  I tried on a killer Parker black leather dress & a Joie white lace crop top while helping Lori determine that she simply couldn’t leave without an amazing Theory leather jacket, among other goodies.  In our excited state of fashion reverie, we completely missed out on the goodie bags, dinner buffet, and cupcake station, but no matter; we had such fun making our own party in the fancy Fifth Avenue Club dressing room.

I’ve never been to NYFW, but maybe one day I’ll get to catch a major designer’s runway show in New York, Paris, or London.  Until then, there have been plenty of opportunities locally to satisfy my craving for fresh fall fashion.  So, while New York’s top fashionistas are currently cabbing to & from Lincoln Center as part of Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week, I’ve got plenty o’ parties to keep me busy right here at home, thank you.  While the weather here is still kinda hot as hades, all these fun events about town would put even the most devout jorts & flip-flops wearin’ Austinite into the fall fashion spirit!  Next up, there’s the events of TRIBEZA Style Week as an option to attend and, then…darlings, there’s just plain ol’ shopping.  –I’m thinking my own autumn wardrobe would be rounded out nicely with something in the color du jour:  oxblood, a little lace, a little leather, and the perfect shade of dark lipstick.  Tres chic!

Summer Travel Tresses

01 Wednesday Aug 2012

Posted by blogjoiedevivre in Beauty, Hair Game, Travel

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

beauty, ceramic flat iron, style, travel, vacation

Le sigh…let me just take a moment to shake my head in feigned remorse…I’ve had such sad beauty blunders while traveling and well, in life (let’s be honest).  However, I feel like with each trip abroad, I’m getting better at managing my stubborn locks while on-the-go.  Thus, I was inspired to write this post.  Not because you’d look at me & be all like, “She’s got great hair!”  –Um, no.  This is me, sharing part of my travel survival guide.  Because my hair is stuck back in the hunter-gatherer era, my modern self has had to figure out how to tame it by today’s standards, straightening it into submission.  With ultra-thick locks and a very very strong wave to boot, styling my hair has always been an uphill battle.  BUT, styling said hair while traveling?  –On another level.  The usual routine I’ve adopted lately of air drying overnight coupled with a one-two punch with the flat & curling irons is almost impossible to carry out abroad.  BTW, I realize this sounds kinda high-maintenance, but seriously, my wild hair texture requires a bit of a process.  I cannot roll out of bed & go, rocking that cute-if-done-right bed-head look, no way; my hair must be pinned or plaited in some fashion to be presentable in public.

With the plethora of products & picks vying for a piece of precious space in the carry-on, I’ve decided that bulky tools like ionic blow-dryers and large-round barrel brushes don’t have a place in mine.  Neither do hot rollers — yes, I’ve actually packed a set of these into a carry-on before…total misuse of space.  Even more woesome, I fried my old Chi from the inside-out at the Sofitel in Munich.  I was using a plug adapter, but novice international traveler I was, didn’t realize the whole difference-in-electric-voltage factor.  –What??  I just thought the little plug adapter would take care of all that.  Apparently, you need a dual-voltage flat iron in addition to your plug adapter.  Furthermore, I’m reading on the travel chat boards that even dual-voltage flat-irons just dont get as hot when plugged in overseas (something about them taking a lot of voltage –more voltage than 220, really– and not preforming optimally).  At any rate, charring that Chi was regrettable and I kinda took a moment in Germany for my dearly departed first ceramic flat iron, in thankfulness for her 5 years of dutiful service.  😉

So, during the hustle & bustle of exploring a new city, there’s no space, no time, no flat iron, no proper usual hair products…what to do, what to do?  I suppose I could scour the web to order travel-size versions of my fave styling oils, sprays, and smoothing serums, but what typically occurs is a quick run to CVS about 2 days (or hours) before leaving.  Take the elements encountered in travel territory –not just heat & humidity– but jaunts on & off public trans, lack of usual beauty touch-up tools in the downsized travel purse (probably a cute cross-body!), traversing anywhere from climate-controlled museums to sun-soaked botanical gardens; take all this and pair it with the aforementioned lack of space, time, & heat styling tools…and products really come into play.  Pretty please, TSA, why can’t you make an exception for Bed Head’s Biggie Masterpiece Massive Shine Hairspray?  Now, your corner store pharmacy isn’t really known as a place to find salon-quality products (and travel-sized versions, at that) but I’ve found a couple subsitituions that do it for me.  Easy-to-nab at your local CVS, here are a couple examples currently in my utilitarian-chic ‘quart-size, zip-top, clear plastic bag’:  Organix Hydrating Macadamia Oil, dry styling oil (not exactly the gloriousness of Moroccan Oil, but it does the trick) and TRESemme’ Fresh Start Dry Shampoo (seems to get the job done just as well as my Rockaholic Dirty Secret Dry Shampoo by TIGI).  I also try to bring along a small jar of a hydrating hair mask because now that my hair’s longer, I will run out of a travel-size conditioner in like two days.  Plus, the conditioner in those little hotel room bottles always sucks.  There’s likely no time to luxuriate in a bubble bath while the hair mask is on, but I’ve had results from just lightly applying it to my ends at night and sleeping in a low bun.

Speaking of buns, I’ve come to rely on a series of buns and braids to keep my mane in check — especially during summer vacations when the humidity wreaks a relentless assault on our hair.  Usually you will find me sporting milkmaid braids, a messy side braid, or my favorite:  the top knot.  Goody spin pins work amazingly well to create a pretty proportioned bun while not forfeiting the function of actually holding it in place.  Pinterest is a rich source of ideas on this subject.  One of my favorite time-wasters is searching pinboards for inventive travel hairstyles.  Check out my New Beauty Ideas board…literally every time I log-on, Pinterest is a treasure trove of hairstyle inspiration!  Also, an arsenal of headbands, bobbi pins, and hair elastics come in handy while taking virtually no luggage space.  I especially adore headbands like this from Anthro…lots of style for little effort.

The milkmaid braid makes a debut in Goa, India.  Right on the Arabian Sea, I can feel the heat & humidity just looking at this picture.  Beautiful place, no question, but almost as hot as it gets.

If all else fails, just treat yourself to a salon blow-out.  You deserve it, darn it.  –At least that’s what I tell myself!  You’re on vacation, after all.  Think of how many pictures you’ll be taking, posting, and putting in albums to look at for years to come.  Oh, and have you been to one of these new blow-dry bars where all they do is blow-outs?  Blo in Austin is simply a treat.  And with the dry shampoo I’ve packed, I can extend the blown-out look for a couple days longer.  After all, our hair is our “crown” and we should let it shine!

Recent Posts

  • Staycation at Sonesta Bee Cave
  • DIY Garage Floor Makeover
  • Staying Healthy (and Sane) in Quarantine
  • Homeschooling Help? Check out Stomp Rocket
  • Natural Defense for Sick Season

Archives

  • December 2020
  • July 2020
  • June 2020
  • March 2020
  • February 2020
  • January 2020
  • October 2019
  • May 2019
  • February 2019
  • January 2019
  • October 2018
  • July 2018
  • June 2018
  • May 2018
  • March 2018
  • February 2018
  • January 2018
  • December 2017
  • November 2017
  • October 2017
  • September 2017
  • August 2017
  • July 2017
  • June 2017
  • May 2017
  • April 2017
  • March 2017
  • February 2017
  • January 2017
  • December 2016
  • November 2016
  • October 2016
  • September 2016
  • August 2016
  • July 2016
  • June 2016
  • May 2016
  • April 2016
  • March 2016
  • January 2016
  • December 2015
  • October 2015
  • September 2015
  • August 2015
  • July 2015
  • May 2015
  • April 2015
  • February 2015
  • January 2015
  • December 2014
  • November 2014
  • October 2014
  • September 2014
  • August 2014
  • July 2014
  • May 2014
  • April 2014
  • March 2014
  • February 2014
  • January 2014
  • December 2013
  • November 2013
  • October 2013
  • September 2013
  • July 2013
  • May 2013
  • March 2013
  • February 2013
  • January 2013
  • November 2012
  • September 2012
  • August 2012
  • July 2012

Categories

  • ATX Events
  • Au Naturale
  • Austin, Texas
  • Baby Girl A
  • Beauty
  • Charity Events
  • Dapper Dad
  • date night ideas
  • Dining
  • Everyday Joie
  • Faith
  • Fashion
  • Fitness
  • Gatherings
  • Hair Game
  • health & wellness
  • Holidays
  • Home Improvement
  • Infertility
  • Interviews
  • Life[style]
  • Married Life
  • Motherhood
  • Pregnancy
  • Product Reviews
  • Shopping
  • skincare
  • Snacks
  • The Arts
  • Travel
  • Uncategorized

Meta

  • Register
  • Log in
  • Entries feed
  • Comments feed
  • WordPress.com

Blog at WordPress.com.

Privacy & Cookies: This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this website, you agree to their use.
To find out more, including how to control cookies, see here: Cookie Policy
  • Follow Following
    • Blog Joie de Vivre
    • Join 81 other followers
    • Already have a WordPress.com account? Log in now.
    • Blog Joie de Vivre
    • Customize
    • Follow Following
    • Sign up
    • Log in
    • Report this content
    • View site in Reader
    • Manage subscriptions
    • Collapse this bar
 

Loading Comments...