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!

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!

An article on iafrica.com published today reveals findings about how women feel about their hair that won’t be of surprise to most:

It takes women much of their teen years and all of their twenties to work out which hairstyle suits them best, resulting in 29 being the golden age of good hair, a study has revealed.

Researchers polled 2,000 women in a detailed study of hair habits and found that once a female reaches her late twenties, she has more disposable income to spend on haircare and has ditched the experimental phase of her teens. A third of women also said they only realized what hair style suited them when they were approaching their thirties.

On average the typical woman will have sported four different hair colors, and will have sported seven different styles to date – three of which she’ll regret.

The study … found 45 percent admitted that they spent much of their twenties damaging their hair through styling and heat damage. The research found that one in 10 women regret three of the hairstyles they have sported in their lives, with the 1980s being declared as the worst decade for hair.

More than half of women (59 percent) experimented with a perm, one in three (34 percent) crimped it, and 36 percent admitted they straighten their hair on a regular basis. 40 percent of women have gone through the phase where they refuse to cut their hair at all as they are trying to grow it out.

Other experiments the average woman has tried include bravely cutting her hair herself, ironing her hair and even sleeping with hair in plaits or rollers to achieve a curly effect.

“Most women will be able to relate to these findings,” says Kérastase Ambassador Luke Hersheson. “Certain hairstyles come and go in fashion like any other trend and it’s only natural that women try and replicate the latest look. Having said that, constantly changing styles and hair color can take its toll and as we age our hair density and condition can be affected.

“As women move in to their thirties and beyond they tend to invest more in their hair and look after it using the right treatments.  Most of them reach the age where they want their hair to look healthy, full of body and thicker, rather than opting for the trendiest hair which has come straight off the catwalk.”

The research also found 51 percent of women admitted to experimenting with their hair a lot when they were younger, with more than half adopting styles such as a sleek bob, a shaggy perm and a sleek and straight look.

More than a quarter also sported the layered “Rachel” cut made famous by the Friends character in the late nineties.

A brave 36 percent even pulled off a pixie crop in their younger years.

As they get older, nearly half of the women said they spend more money on their hair – 70 percent of these women said they needed to look after it more the older they got due to loss of density and wanting more voluminous hair.

A more lavish 24 percent simply said they love splurging on good quality products.

And 37 percent said they spend longer on their hair in the mornings than they do on clothes and makeup.

When asked if they could change one thing about their hair, 41 percent said they would like much thicker and fuller-looking hair. In fact, nearly half of all women who took part in the research (44 percent) said one of the worst aspects of aging was hair thinning and losing its vitality.

Although women feared going grey, 18 percent said the overall density of their hair was their biggest concern.

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!

 

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.

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!