Bumble in da House!

We were over the moon when we found out that Bumble’s Nicholas Roach was coming to solidify our razor cutting skills! It’s the go to tool for the latest, hottest cuts for summer. As professionals we are always honing our skills at Luxe so we can better serve you, our clients! Click HERE to see some BEFORE and AFTERS.

Bumble Before & Afters!

Summer Waxing Routine

OK, so the pool and beach (if you are lucky to escape town!) beckon now that the thermometer has hit 108F! It is our proper duty to remind you about a summer waxing routine. At Luxe we use Nufree, which is technically not wax, but works very similarly. This natural, self-preserving antibacterial, antimicrobial, water-free botanical formula contains no wax, sugar or honey. It was originally formulated for plastic surgeons who required clean, less painful hair removal for their patients prior to surgery. Nufree was scientifically tested for over 10 years and has been used in salons for more than 30 years! Only the best for our clients! Here are our top suggestions for a successful depilatory experience at Luxe:

Waxing before tanning. Always wax before spray tanning. Waxing naturally exfoliates the skin and will remove any color application. There is also potential for infection.

Be sun safe. Waxed skin is photosensitive and more susceptible to burning, so take extra care to so cover up and wear sunscreen, especially after waxing.

Smooth shaving. If you have been shaving, try to wait 3-4 weeks before getting waxed. If you get a wax prematurely, you may not achieve the long-lasting results of a great bikini wax. Avoid shaving between appointments. Shaving will negate all the positive benefits of waxing and can irritate hair follicles, leading to those nasty bumps we all hate.

Right now, be sure to take advantage of a great offer: a Complimentary Level One Spray Tan with any Bikini or Brazilian Wax (a $20 value). Just be sure to schedule your spray tan for another visit AFTER your waxing service. For more questions about our waxing or tanning services, please contact our estheticians at 480-209-1659.

Shark Tank’s Hot Tot Coming SOON to Luxe

If you’re a Facebook Fan or a loyal client, you may have noticed it’s been coming up babies at Luxe Salon & Spa! Six new beautiful bundles of joy have come into our lives in the last year or two! So it is no surprise that as new mothers ourselves we seek out products that are organic, mild, made with hypoallergenic ingredients, tested for safety and in keeping with our high standards, but made for children.

After leading trade magazine Salon Today featured Luxe on its Facebook page, we heard from Megan Gage of Hot Tot, a great new line of children’s products. We knew we had found a great match, as Hot Tot’s roll out across the United States is being mentored by ex-Bumble specialists — a product name we trust for amazing, healthy hair.

If you are familiar with the TV show Shark Tank, you may have seen billionaire investor Mark Cuban buy into Hot Tot. (If you missed it, tune in THIS Friday, May 24th to see it again!) The only professional line formulated for the physical characteristics of immature (children’s) hair, Hot Tot is made for softer, finer and denser hair in the early phases of life. Hot Tot now offers a complete selection of specialized products designed to cleanse, condition and style kiddos hair.

The various products in the line are infused with antioxidants (Organic Japanese Green Tea, Vitamin B-5, Grape Seed Oil, Jojoba Seed Oil, Aloe Vera Gel to name a few). “This unique pollution-control system protects from environmental toxins and ensures that young hair remains pristine,” explains Gage. We just know this means it will do its best to protect hair from the blazing sun and harsh pool chemicals.

And to top off, additional testing has occurred since the airing of the original Shark Tank show: “We just finished an extensive series of clinical testing to determine that all products are hypoallergenic.” explains Gage, who notes that they have made much progress in addressing the few concerns made. “We were just added to PETA’s and the Leaping Bunny’s cruelty free companies guide. We do not engage in animal testing on our finished formulas or purchase raw materials from any company that does.”

Hot Tot has been featured in numerous publications, such as Pregnancy & Newborn, Parenting and US Weekly. The line is currently being phased out of upscale children-centric salons and moved into traditional upscale salons like Luxe. Luxe will soon be the only salon/spa in Arizona at which the line can be purchased during our Hot Tot Summer Trunk Sale! Keep your eye on Facebook and your email inbox for special offers this week and get your little one’s hair ready for summer weather and summer vacation!

Luxe Brides in Perfect Hands

Brittany as a beautiful Bride!

A recent newlywed herself, we can not think of a better Bridal Coordinator to care for the needs of our Bridal Clients than Brittany Wasilefsky! She is a consummate professional, grasps the ins and outs of the beauty industry and knows the salon and its professionals, so she can direct our Brides to the right people for their services.

She’s also a long standing and very integral part of our Front Desk team. “I truly enjoy answering phones and greeting customers as they walk in for their appointments,” she explains.  “I am one of the first interactions with our customers and love to share my enthusiasm for the beauty industry to help create an enjoyable experience here at our salon.”

Luxe’s Stormy with Kristin Anderson of Fox TV.

Brittany’s most high profile bridal assignment so far this year was to help Fox 10 Morning Anchor Kristin Anderson’s Mom get ready for the newswoman’s wedding at Power Ranch’s The Barn in Gilbert, Ariz., this April. “She said she never felt so beautiful and was treated like a queen,” says Anderson herself, who also praised Brittany’s choice of stylist, Lindsey Rae Hayes, who did an amazing job!

After recommending our professionals for certain services based on a Bride’s style and needs, Brittany also supplements their professional’s  advice on retail choices to help properly prepare them for the big day. Luxe products she thinks every Bride should use: Eminence Organics Eight Greens Phyto Masque! “This masque is fabulous because it does it all! It helps hydration, elasticity, oil production and helps prevent breakouts,”she says. “It’s my go to product before a big night out!”

To reach Brittany for questions about our Bridal Program, Luxe for the Bride, please send an email to luxebridalaz@gmail.com. We generally respond to emails within 48 hours. You may also reach Brittany in the salon on Monday 10:00 am-4:00 pm, Tuesday-Thursday 9:00 am-2:30 pm Fridays from 9:00 am-1:30 pm by calling (480) 209-16-59. To read more about Brittany, click HERE to go to her full bio. Click HERE for all the information about Luxe for the Bride!

Study Reveals that 29 is the “Golden Age” of Good Hair

Release of ‘Gatsby’ Inspires Beauty Trends

The Great Gatsby film by Baz Lurman (known for Moulon Rouge, Strictly Ballroom) all in a flapper, so to speak, at the Box Offices, coming in second only to Iron Man 3 and posting profits of about $51 million. A film so colorful and so anticipated, it is no wonder it is inspiring beauty and makeup trends like these:

HAIR: That iconic 20′s look is coming back and we have already seen the “lob” and shorter on Hollywood stars for the summertime. For sure a great summer style for Arizona! Pin curls, embellished bobby pins or barrettes and jeweled head pieces are part of the style. Even long styles are getting that infamous 20′s wave.

MAKEUP: Max Factor launched his first lip color in 1928 and the rest is history. Deep red lips, along with plum colors and brownish reds remain very hot right now, even for swim season. Skin is supposed to be luminous and creamy but for eyes think super-smoky like the speakeasy itself! In the early 1920’s, King Tut’s tomb was discovered, and everyone went crazy for everything Egyptian, including Cleopatra-like kohl-eyes. Use a smudgy black pencil and then in terms of lashes, think big. Either go false or curl and apply at least two coats of intense black mascara. Bigger bolder brows are also part of the Gatsby style.

NAILS: Takes on the famous French manicure were tops in the 20s — painting the tips different colors many cool variations fit right into this look! Ask our nail techs for their recommendations!

Mother’s Day Winners Announced!

We were so touched by EVERY entry we received for our Mother’s Day contest. Each daughter or son who wrote in spoke so beautifully of what their moms give up or do for them daily. It was a terribly hard choice for us to make and solidified our resolve to remind everyone how hard moms work to take care of their families and others close to them. How much they give of themselves at work on a daily basis. Each and every mom really deserves to take time for themselves and take care of themselves — mind and body. Our owner and management were so touched in fact, they added an additional prize on to the contest for an extremely deserving runner up. Thank you again for all of the submissions and for the chance to work with you to do something nice for those special to you. Our best to moms everywhere!

 

It solidified our resolve to remind everyone how hard moms work to take care of their families and others close to them.

Here is an excerpt from Grand Prize Winner Alexis Quintana’s entry. She will treat her to a Luxe Mini Spa Day and $50 Otaku Gift Card:

There are a million reasons why my mom is the best. She had me at a young age. She gave up a lot of her life to raise me. Till this day she does anything to make me happy. Looking at her you’d think nothing was wrong. Unfortunately, she is currently suffering from a tumor in her head. Luckily it is not cancerous. It’s taken a toll on her …

My dad is in the Navy and eight months ago he was ordered back to San Diego. My mom didn’t want to make me start at a whole new school my senior year. She decided to stay here with me until I graduate. We couldn’t afford to pay rent on two homes so we had to downgrade to an apartment, but my mom did not mind one bit, as she knew how much it meant to me to graduate with my friends. It’s hard and she made a very big sacrifice in her marriage being long distance for almost a year.

The past six months I have been trying to enlist in the Navy. Unfortunately, after two times of failing the ASVAB and wanting to give up, she wouldn’t let me. Even though we were tight on money she was willing to spend nearly $2,000 on tutoring sessions for me so I could pass the test. After a month of studying I took the test for the third time and passed! My mom has never been so proud and as of this past Monday I officially belong to the United States Navy and I ship out August 6th!

She’s been crying all week telling everyone she is not ready for her baby girl to grow up. She has always pushed me to do better. My mother is strict but she’s the best. I was always taken care of because of her. I value my self worth because of her. I’m strong, respected, and beautiful because of this woman.

Here is Runner Up Heather Ladd’s Entry. She will treat her mom to a Luxe Mini Spa Day:

I would love for my Mom to win this special treat.  I have been blessed with having my Mom in my life.  She has always been there for me and anyone else who needs her.  My Mom works full time, always has, to help support our family but still always has time to give.

She has spent the last several years acting as a caregiver to her Mom, my Grammie, until recently my Grammie passed away.  My Mom would work a full day, go home to get food for my Dad set up (he is retired on disability, is diabetic and has had two open heart surgeries), then would go to my Grammie’s aid until late into the evening. She would head home, do what work around the house she could before collapsing to sleep and getting up the next day to do all again.

Her weekends are spent running errands for the two households and also helping my Uncle (her brother) who is in a wheelchair with his errands.  She would skimp on herself and in fact, the first pedicure she ever had was when I took her when she was on “vacation” to visit me this last year. First time she had ever had paint on her toes! She loved it and has yet to treat herself again.

When my Dad got sick, she would sleep at the hospital each night just so she could be close to him even though he had no idea she was there. She would then go from the hospital to work to my Grammie’s side and back again. She would never complain.

In the midst of all that she does, she will find little bits of time and will call me and leave messages on my phone just to tell me little special messages.  She will tell me that I am talented and can do anything, she will tell me she loves me, she will tell me how proud of me and the woman and mom I have become. I have no idea how she does it all!

My Mom is so beautiful and I wish she knew just how much that was true.  She is too busy to stop and take care of herself and that breaks my heart.  She is so loving and so caring and I wish I could do more for her.

After my Grammie’s funeral I mentioned to my Mom that her and Dad should move down here to Arizona to be with us. I wanted to have them closer to us and the grandkids. They could spend more time with us and I could be here to help them out when they needed.  My Mom responded of course with that she could help me out with our two daughters and save us money on childcare. Again, she is thinking of how she can serve and help someone else! They are moving here this week and I am so blessed to have them here.

My Mom has never moved from home, she and my Dad live 30 minutes from where she grew up and they have lived in the same home since the day they were married. She sold that home, and packed up everything to move to a state she knows nothing about, with no job, to be here with us, for us, AMAZING!

I have set up an appointment with Stephanie for my Mom to get her hair done and styled with professional color treatment (no cheap box color for her anymore!) I want to treat my Mom so that she can feel as loved, important and beautiful as she really is. I want her to know how much she means to me and to all of us in the family. She is our rock and the most amazing part is that she has no idea how special she really is. I love her so much and winning this for her would be a way that I could show her that she is worthy of the winners treatment and a day of beauty at a glamorous salon and spa.

She would be blown away and I would love to be able to watch her bloom with these services that she could never do for herself.  Thank you for the opportunity to share about my Mom and I hope you select her.

The Next [Bb] Wave Arrives … in July

If you’ve ever spent time at the beach and came home with perfectly tousled locks, you’ll understand the fascination with Bumble and Bumble’s Surf Spray. So it is no wonder that we are anxiously awaiting the July release of two new products in the Surf line …  Foam Wash Shampoo and Creme Rinse Conditioner. Both promise buoyant body and sea breezy texture … can’t you just feel the gentle breeze blowing on your face, through your hair and over your bare shoulders? Hear the waves crashing? See the seagulls soaring overhead?

Um, OK back to reality … both shampoo and conditioner contain a blend of sea minerals and botanicals to give hair that freshly washed feeling, with a touch of beach. Ideal for girls who like the textured, tousled style of sea hair, but with softening properties too.

Surf Foam Wash Shampoo cleanses the hair of impurities and adds a touch of grit with the Sea Fennel and Kelp ingredients while Surf Creme Rinse Conditioner softens with the added minerals. Leave hair to dry naturally for the full beachy wave style — that’s right cut down on time under that hot dryer!

Bridal: Black and White?

Brides.com runway review called it “… a modern homage to ‘architecture and discipline.’ The striking contrast of black and white—featured in nearly every look—is complemented by the use of textured layers. The result? Dramatic volume and a fashionable edge—the perfect cocktail for a confident bride.” Um, OK. Huffington Post had a one word description: edgy. But isn’t like the world’s foremost Wedding Dress designer, Vera wang to push the envelope and make you think, “hmmm, maybe?” Last year’s red bridal collection did just that, so some may find the black accents — especially the leather gloves — to be an attempt to emphasis the possible. The line should be  perfect for rocker Avril Lavigne … we’ll have to keep an eye out. Meanwhile, would you wear one? See the full show here: http://www.verawang.com/veraunveiled/2013/04/spring-2014-bridal-collection-run-of-show/