The Beauty Bar Blog

Tag: tips

4 Tips for Fixing a Bad Layered Haircut

Bad haircuts are one of life’s major beauty disappointments. Once you see the result in the salon’s mirror, you feel defeated, to say the least, and you wonder just how the stylist thought this was even a good idea.

Layer cuts, unfortunately, are extremely easy to mess up. On one hand, you could get something with extra volume that flatteringly frames your face. On the other, a truly dreadful layer cut has missing ends or blunt edges, looks mangled, ends up with a “helmet” effect, has too much space between layers, or looks extremely 1990s.

So, at this point, what can you do? Depending upon the damage done, think about these strategies:

Get It Trimmed by Another Stylist

Have another stylist you trust trim it, so that it’s overall softer and shorter. A trim, to improve the cut, should make the layers closer, balance them out, and blend them more. This helps get rid of the unintentionally piece-y effect.

Or, as your hair grows out and you’re wanting more of an even length, have a stylist trim only the bottom layers. Over time, this evens everything out.

Grow It Out and Style It

Speaking of growing it out, you’ll have to wait in the meantime, but can style it to obscure the poorly cut layers. Depending upon your hair’s length and texture, consider:

  • Disguising the layers with waves
  • Parting it to the side
  • Giving it more texture, such as with a texturing cream, mousse, or sea salt spray

Add Volume

Bigger can be better, especially if the cut you got ended up looking flat. If the ends are closer together, add mousse to improve its overall volume, which can temporarily camouflage the layers.

Straighten It

Layering can, as mentioned above, look extremely ‘90s. Think of The Rachel cut from <em>Friends</em> as the paradigm example. But, much of this effect, in fact, comes from curling in the ends. So, to reduce the dated look, straighten everything, so that it seems intentionally piece-y.

Are you looking to change an unflattering layered haircut? Schedule an appointment with our team of experts for a trim or a complete do-over.

Tips for Wearing Makeup with Contact Lenses

If you wear contact lenses and also like to wear makeup, you have probably experienced the irritation and discomfort of getting makeup under your lenses. Here are some tips for wearing makeup with contacts.

Be sure that your hands are clean before you put in your contacts. Insert them before you apply makeup, moisturizer, or any other product. Residue from beauty products could irritate your eyes. You should also make sure that your hands are dry before you insert your contacts. Tap water can contain a parasite that can be dangerous to the eyes, so make sure that your contacts and case never touch water.

Change your contacts frequently. Daily lenses are your best option if you like to wear a lot of eye makeup. You can prevent many problems by starting with a fresh pair of contacts every morning.

If you do not want to use daily contacts, be sure to clean the ones you choose to use thoroughly every day. Use a multipurpose solution that your optometrist recommends, rub your contacts for 15 to 20 seconds, and then place them in a case with fresh solution. Clean both the top and bottom of your case every day with multipurpose contact solution or three-percent hydrogen peroxide. Dirty cases are one of the most common causes of eye infections.

Avoid using products with oil around your eyes. Oil will be attracted to your lenses and make them cloudy. This will not hurt your eyes, but it can make it difficult to see clearly.

Do not apply makeup to the lid ledge, the part of your eyelid that touches your eyeballs. This is where your eyes’ oil glands open. If you block them with makeup, you can wind up with dry eyes, dirty lenses, and possibly even sties.

Avoid mascaras that cause clumps or release excess particles or fibers. Instead, use a traditional lengthening and volumizing mascara to avoid irritating your eyes.

Use lid wipes to completely remove makeup. This will prevent residue from getting into your eyes and causing irritation.

If you follow these tips, you can wear makeup every day without having to worry about it affecting your eyes.

Beauty Tips for Springtime Allergy Sufferers

Spring is here, which means it’s allergy season. Spring allergies can take a toll on your appearance and make it hard to keep your makeup looking right. Here are some tips to deal with springtime allergies.

If your face is puffy, cold can help. You can dunk your face in a bowl of ice water in the morning or put a wet washcloth in the freezer for a few minutes (take it out before it becomes stiff) and apply it to your face to get rid of puffiness before putting on your makeup. Contouring can also alleviate the appearance of puffiness. Apply bronzer under your cheekbones, down each side of your nose, and on the outer edges of your forehead to reduce the look of puffiness.

If your eyes and skin are sensitive and reactive, you should avoid heavy anti-aging skin care ingredients, especially around your eyes. Instead, opt for a simple eye cream and moisturizer that work well and use them consistently. Avoid experimenting with new products that could cause your skin or eyes to react.

If allergies cause your eyes to water, use a waterproof mascara. You can also avoid eye makeup entirely by wearing comfortable, fake eyelashes.

If your nose is red due to spring allergies, you can apply a green-color primer to reduce that effect. Use your fingers or a brush or sponge to apply the primer to red areas, and then apply your regular foundation or tinted moisturizer.

You can also reduce the effects of allergies on your appearance through good hygiene. Clean your eyelash curler with an alcohol swab after each use. You should also clean your makeup brushes frequently to prevent built-up makeup from aggravating your allergies.

While suffering from springtime allergies is unpleasant, there are ways to reduce its effects on your appearance. Follow these tips to look and feel better this allergy season.

Warm Weather Hair Care Tips

As the cold days of winter give way to warm spring and summer weather, the changes in temperature and humidity can affect the texture, color, and health of your hair. Here are some tips on how to keep your hair healthy this spring and summer.

During the winter, hair often becomes dry and full of static. In the spring and summer, there is more moisture in the air, which can make hair frizzy. You can minimize the effects of humidity by changing your conditioning routine. If you used a deep conditioner every week in the winter, do it every other week in the spring and summer. If your hair is limp or oily, reduce the amount of moisture you put in it. If you used a heavy conditioner, switch to a product with lighter moisture or a balancing conditioner.

If you highlight your hair in the spring or summer, it can make frizziness or dry ends worse. This can become an even bigger problem if you spend a lot of time in the sun or swimming. You can improve your hair’s strength with a protein treatment, protein-enhanced conditioner, conditioning treatment, or leave-in conditioner.

The sun’s rays naturally lighten many people’s hair. While the lightening does not cause serious damage to the hair, too much sun exposure can make your hair dry. Use a UV-protecting shampoo, conditioner, and other hair care products if you spend a lot of time outside in the spring and summer.

If you do a lot of swimming in a pool, chlorine buildup can dry your hair, damage the ends, and make it dull and difficult to manage. To prevent this, you should wash your hair with a clarifying shampoo and balancing conditioner right after you leave the pool. A salon can also give your hair a treatment to remove chlorine buildup.

Following these warm weather hair care tips can help you look your best all spring and summer long.

Makeup Tricks to Take Years off Your Appearance

If age is taking a toll on your appearance, these makeup tricks can help you look years younger.

Apply concealer lightly with a concealer brush. Using your fingertips can transfer oil to your skin, which will prevent you from creating a smooth application. Apply the concealer with curved, U-shaped strokes. Blend to right above your cheekbones. Spread the concealer out a little beyond any dark spots.

Reshape your eyebrows. The right shape can make you look less tired. You should avoid a shade that is too dark in order to give your eyes a fresh look.

Create a contoured chin line by applying a subtle bronzer that is two shades darker than your foundation or your natural skin tone using a contouring face brush. Applying the bronzer along your jaw line and under your chin will make your face appear slimmer. It will also make the area under your chin appear tighter and firmer. You should also apply bronzer on your forehead and cheekbones. Lightly blend the bronzer all over your face to keep the appearance smooth and even.

Next, apply highlighter to your cheekbones using light strokes. Then apply some to the corners of your forehead above the corners of your eyebrows. Apply a thin and light layer of highlighter to your nose, beginning between your eyebrows and continuing down to the top of your nose.

Use neutral colors for eye makeup, such as beige, brown, or black, to highlight certain areas. Highlight right below your eyebrows and the corners of your eyes to minimize the appearance of dark circles. Keep the makeup between the crease of your eyelid and the highlighted area beneath the brow bone. Next, shade the crease line with a darker color and blend a little above and below the crease line to give your eyes more dimension. Finally, apply eye liner and mascara to the top of your lid and your top lashes, and define the corners of your eyes with black eye shadow.

Airbrush Makeup is great for girls to use when getting Senior Portraits done. No more retouching makeup in-between outfit changes!