Beauty Ideas

Christian Dior fall/winter 2010

Claudie Jasper — Wed, 04 Aug 2010 23:11:18 +0000

Photo:©Rino Jasper for Beauty-id

Christian Dior’s fall/winter 2010 couture collection was magical down to the smallest detail. The hair styles were designed for elegant winter evenings—a mass of teased hair atop the head tapered into soft curls or subtle waves at the nape of the neck. Some styles finished with long strands tipped with extensions that were then braided into a long tress that was daintily set to the side or fell directly down the back.
These divinely styled dos gave a sophisticated and extravagant edge for those scintillating nights out. Bravo to stylist Orlando Pita!
The couture on the runway was a clever match with the hair styles: fluid dresses in pastel tones gave a burst of femininity while a few carefully placed sequins gave an air of elegance.

A number of dresses layered delicate sheathes of slightly transparent fabric—it was the detailing on the dresses that took the breath away.
The hair styles, seemingly lightweight but with almost electric volume, were a perfect reflection of the couture collection.

Thank you to Anna Wintour and Vogue for the invite!

The genetics of hair loss

Rino Jasper — Fri, 21 May 2010 22:19:20 +0000

While hair loss and thinning hair are often a worry for men, it’s often their mothers who are blamed for their condition. But is there any truth behind the old myth that the genetic traits for baldness and thinning hair are passed down from mother to child? Not necessarily. When a child is born, he or she has a set of genes from both parents—those that determine eye color, hair color and other traits. The dominant gene will most often than not come through, but this depends on factors of farther down your family tree as well.
According to the American Academy of Dermatology, genetic causes are to blame for hair loss in 30 million women in America, versus 50 million men. With the help of new technologies, researchers today are no longer looking only at single genes as being responsible for genetic traits such as hair loss, but at several genes at a time.
Determining whether mother or father is to blame isn’t really the issue—treating hair loss, no matter where it comes from, is the imperative. Our best advice is to seek medical attention if you believe your hair loss is more than just the result of a bit of stress. Your dermatologist can often determine what is causing your hair loss by reviewing your medical history (diet, exercise regimen, mental and emotional health). If needed, you can undergo a scalp biopsy—a routine office procedure.
The good news is that many of those who suffer from hair loss or thinning hair have not inherited it from anyone, which means there are things you can do to reverse the damage. Look closely at different factors including your lifestyle, what products you use on your hair and how you treat it.

My hair through the years

Rino Jasper — Tue, 18 May 2010 13:35:38 +0000

Most people don’t need to be told that the hair you are born with is not the same hair that you will grow old and die with. Consistency, color, thickness and how your hair feels to the touch will all change throughout your life.

So what causes our hair to go through all of these stages?

A number of things are responsible: age, stress, pollution, but most of all it’s down to hormones, and how they change with age.

Birth to 1 year: Hair in the early years can be fine, and sometimes barely there. Don’t fret: babies who are late bloomers in terms of the amount of hair they have can very well turn out to have thick hair, just as they can have very fine hair.

Toddler to teens: Children have ‘perfect’ hair in that it rarely gets oily and is abundant. This is the golden period! But when the hormones start to kick and sebaceous glands go into overdrive in the early teens, hair can begin to get limp and oily and is more prone to dandruff.
Adulthood & pregnancy: A healthy individual will not have many hair ‘changes’ from the mid-twenties to the late thirties. This is with the exception of pregnancy, when most women rejoice in the experience of having thicker-than-usual hair due to an influx of hormones. Post-partum, however, hair loss is common and sometimes severe, but generally grows back with time.
Fifties and up: Sebaceous glands are definitively on the downswing. This period is characterized by thinning hair in some women and in most men and, of course, graying hair. As hair grays it gets coarser and less soft to the touch.

My favorite natural hair mask

Rino Jasper — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 19:49:01 +0000

‘Dirty-dishwater blondes’ are in a tough spot—their hair is blonde, but not necessarily luminous, especially in winter, when sunlight is rarely around to lighten up one’s natural color.

Here is a recipe using natural ingredients that works without the sunshine additive (unlike lemon masks).

You’ll need the following ingredients:
One yogurt (obviously sugar-free!)
2-3 tablespoons honey (the more liquid the better)
2-3 tablespoons strong Chamomile tea or a few drops of Chamomile essential oil extract

Steep several teabags or chamomile flowers in a cup of boiling water until you have a small amount of very strong tea, usually ten minutes is plenty.
Mix the yoghurt and honey with a fork until it is well blended and pour in the chamomile concoction.
Blend the ingredients and apply thoroughly to dry hair.
Cover hair with saran wrap for 45 minutes, then rinse thoroughly and wash with a gentle shampoo.

This mask can only do your hair good—there are no drying ingredients—so you can apply as often as you wish. (We advise once a month during the winter). You may need to wait for the first few applications to notice a change, but for ‘dirty-dishwater’ blondes, you’ll notice your hair is lighter and more luminous.

For brunettes, this recipe also works, but substitute chamomile extract with a shot of espresso!

Find the perfect hairstylist/colorist

Rino Jasper — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 21:03:35 +0000

How many of us have walked out of the salon wishing we had a hat to cover up the damage? It’s not often that we find a hairstylist that gives us the cut of our dreams or the color that matches our skin type to a T.

Here are few pointers for finding the ideal hair stylist and colorist:

Word-of-mouth: the best source of advice are people you trust. If someone has a great cut, ask them who their stylist is and try them out for yourself.

Online: look at feedback forums or rating system sites if you’re nervous about trying someone for the first time. This will give you the pros and cons before you step foot in the salon.

A good stylist should have the following qualities:

Good listener: hair disaster often happen because of a lack of communication—either the stylist isn’t listening to what the client wants, or the client isn’t letting the stylist in on her needs. This is a relationship, so there should be an exchange.
Open-minded: Your stylist should be open to new ideas, and not always embark on what they want just because they are good at it.
Up with the times: A good stylist should be up on the latest trends and cuts. He/she should also be able to tell in the wink of an eye if your facial features will suit a certain cut or style.
Experience: An experienced stylist knows better than the client what will look best on you. He or she doesn’t need to have decades of experience, but a few years helps.
Ambience: You should feel comfortable in the salon. This means that it should be a clean environment with welcoming and serviceable staff. If you don’t feel ‘at home’, chances are you won’t be getting what you came in for.

Interview: Alain Divert

Rino Jasper — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 05:29:46 +0000

What brought you into the world of hairdressing?
Passion, perseverance and people. My first real connection was with Claude Maxime, who was a famous hairdresser and styled Brigitte Bardot’s hair—she invented the “Bardot bun”. I worked with her for five years. The second person was Norwegian fashion designer Per Spook. I styled the models for all of his collections and when he moved to Louis Féraud, I styled those collections as well.

What inspires your work?
I’m inspired by what goes on in the street and through my travels. My favorite regions are the Middle East and Asia.

What is your definition of beauty?
Beauty can be ugliness; beauty doesn’t really exist. What is beautiful to you might not be to me, and vice versa. I believe beauty comes from the guts and the heart. Real beauty is someone that expresses all the love that exists on this earth.

What makes a great hairstylist?
In my opinion there are three kinds of stylists: the first is a good sales person, he does what his clients ask him to do and closes up shop in the evening like clockwork; the second is a businessman who will open a chain of salons but doesn’t give a thought to the beauty or quality of the work that goes on there and the third kind of hairdresser is passionate about beautiful hair, making the woman beautiful and determining what cut and style will suit her best.

What is the golden rule for maintaining beautiful hair?
You must take good care of your hair on a regular basis. Using low-quality products really takes its toll—in addition to pollution, over time these items will make your hair dull and breakable. Another important rule is to have a balanced diet. And last but not least, find a good hairstylist!
At my salon I use natural treatments on my clients’ hair. I call them Les Smoothies by Alain Divert –a home-made combination of ingredients including fresh ginger, shea butter, essential oils, black olives, bananas, nasturtium seeds, corn and avocado. I then do an Ayurvedic scalp massage. I’d like to launch a line of treatments so that my clients could take home a jar of a Smoothie that suits her hair type.
I’m also going to sell a new line of French nutritional supplements, Grow Up, which are very efficient in boosting hair growth, and will be available at my salons.

What makes the perfect bun?
A bun doesn’t look great on everyone, as it can age the person who wears it. So the perfect bun depends on the client’s face—it can be the banana-style Audrey Hepburn wore in Breakfast at Tiffany’s, Brigitte Bardot’s messy-look or a more high-tech look.

You have a salon in Paris; are there other projects in the works?
I have a project that will see the light of day in three months—I’m opening a beauty space, Alain Divert Paris, on the avenue Franklin Roosevelt. It will be around 200m2, and will feature skincare and bodycare treatments, teeth whitening and of course hairdressing. On the ground floor there will be the hairstyling space, reception and boutique, and the treatment rooms will be in the cellar.

Can you tell us a few celebrities you’ve styled?
Celebrities are notoriously fickle, and have been styled by many different hairdressers, but I’ve styled Pierce Brosnan, Leonardo Di Caprio, Judith Godreche and Charlotte Gainsbourg to name a few.
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Hair colorants 101

Rino Jasper — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 05:14:49 +0000

In the early days of hair coloring, women used dyes found in nature to enhance their natural color or cover up the gray, but today most of us color our hair in a far from natural way. The home hair-coloring kits widely available in drugstores and supermarkets have a high chemical content, so those with fragile locks beware!
But what exactly is in those products that can potentially wreak havoc on your hair? The majority of permanent colorants or dyes contain hydrogen peroxide, which “oxidizes” your hair—it lays the groundwork for a color that will last. If you are a brunette and want to go blonde, for example, the first step of changing your hair color involves stripping your hair of its original shade and this is where hydrogen peroxide comes in. The other main ingredient is ammonia, which then allows the newly applied color to penetrate the hair shaft.
Given the mixture of hydrogen peroxide and ammonia, it’s not hard to imagine why permanent coloring can be harmful to your hair, especially if you color it regularly. Having your hair professionally colored can help make the process a bit less stressful for your locks. (Home hair-coloring may save you a bundle, but it can take its toll.) A good hairstylist will be able to judge what shade will work best for you—permanent dyes are not always the answer, there are semi-permanent and vegetal dyes and even permanent dyes that are ammonia-free (L’Oréal Professional’s newly launched Inoa, for example. More on that in an upcoming post).
Your stylist can also give you tips on how to care for your colored hair, and suggest products that can soften the impact of the chemical process.

February 2010 Contest Winners

admin — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 20:16:21 +0000

This month, we are giving away a scented notebook and guest soaps from France.

Congratulations to this month’s winners:

Brenda Johnson, Katy, TX

Annette Bozak, Sea Girt, New Jersey

Tina Taylor, Houston, TX

Interview: Alexandre Zouari

Rino Jasper — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 00:00:54 +0000

Where did you get your start in hairdressing?
The Alexandre Zouari ‘brand’ got its start with a company called Lorca, which was the firm that launched the concept of “brushing” (French term for styling hair with a brush and blow-dryer). I started there in 1969, and later took a few years off to do some modelling and acting. I then was an associate in a salon on the Avenue Marceau [in Paris’ chic 8th arrondissement]. When I started there were 10 employees and I grew the business so that after just three months there were about 40 of us, and we had a very glamorous international clientele.
In 1984 I returned to the world of couture where I stayed for five years working with an Italian designer, and I was then contacted by Shiseido to work with them as a stylist.
In 1987 I opened my salon on the avenue du President Wilson, with a famous decorator who did the interior design—the first time a stylist imposed his own personal style on a salon. Since 2003 I have been 100% owner of my business.

What are your current projects?
I just signed a license with a Chinese company, Shiamas Ltd, to sell my own line of hair jewellery and accessories in more than 65 boutiques in Asia. I’m also working on a new line of hair-care products and I would like to launch my own fragrance.

What inspires you?
I get my inspirations from the street—I’m lucky enough to travel a lot around the world and I have a pretty exceptional clientele. I’m also very interested in culture and art.
I draw on my past ideas as nothing I’ve ever done has gone out of style. Women have evolved in the sense that they don’t spend as much time on their hair and they have simpler hairstyles, which is a shame. When I travel to the Emirates, for example, women of a certain class still wear couture and have elegant hairstyles and make-up. But times change and you have to stay modern.

What should women never do to their hair?
Never let it get oily! You should always have clean hair, a good cut, color and light make-up. You mustn’t get lazy about your appearance!

What are your basic hair-care tips?
Find a high-quality shampoo that is suited to your hair type. It’s also important to get regular treatments, such as hair masks. The most essential thing is to take care of your hair on a regular basis.

What is the ideal method for getting perfect curls?
The old-fashioned way is best—just wrap a bit of Kleenex around each strand of hair and roll it up and tie—the result will be beautiful bouncy curls.

What is your vision of beauty?
Beauty comes from the heart! Apart from that, I think beauty is found in flowers and vegetation.

What do you believe makes a good stylist?
A good hairstylist knows how to do everything—from the shampoo to the total look. He needs to be creative and have a vivid imagination, and not go for a stereotypical look. All the hairdressers in my salon are trained here, from the bottom up.

What are some of your favorite things to do in Paris?
I love to go to galleries every so often and see the latest shows in museums. I also have my favorite bistros, such as L’Ami Louis and Tang, a Chinese restaurant.

Who are some of your celebrity clients?
To name a few: French president Nicolas Sarkozy, model Karen Mulder, actress Marisa Berenson and Queen Noor of Jordan.

Should I change my shampoo on a regular basis?

Rino Jasper — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 23:46:04 +0000

Most of us have heard, at one time or another, that the best way to have healthy, shiny and vibrant hair is to change shampoos on a regular basis. But what if you’ve finally found your dream shampoo and really don’t feel like changing? Dream shampoo or not, when you wash your hair everyday, or at least on a regular basis (most of us do!) your shampoo will build up on your hair shaft, as will conditioner and styling products.
This isn’t to say that your products are lacking in quality—even the best products applied on a regular basis will create build-up on your hair. Changing shampoos doesn’t actually get rid of this build-up, but as each shampoo’s ingredients differ, changing products will give it a “new” wash.
If you really don’t want to part with your beloved shampoo, try a natural alternative. A few times a month, apply a vinegar rinse to your hair. This is a gentle and natural way to strip your hair of product build-up and reset your hair’s PH balance, which will result in shinier locks. Cider vinegar is the best variety to use: add one teaspoon to a cup of lukewarm water and rinse your hair with the concoction after shampooing. You can then either rinse out the vinegar rinse with warm (not hot) water, or leave it in. Although vinegar smells strong when applied, fear not, the smell disappears as your hair dries.
For those of you who like tinkering in the kitchen to create your own hair-care products, certain herbs can be added to the vinegar rinse to enhance a particular color. More on that in an upcoming post!