Relationship is priceless

Just got back from Lebanon! It’s been over six years since I was able to take my whole family back to my home country and we had a fantastic time. Great food, a moonlight hike in the mountains and gracious hospitality. Through it all I was reminded of how important family and relationship is.

At our salon we work hard to make every customer feel welcome and appreciated. After all, we want to be your day-maker! We never forget that Eliegante salon is part of your day and part of a larger community, so the personal touch is very important to us. This attitude comes from my upbringing in Lebanon, where community and hospitality is at the heart of the culture. A well-known Lebanese phrase is دائما معا, which means “always together”. So even though I have childhood friends that I haven’t seen in years, we’re still together. A friend is a friend even a continent away. And, in times when we get back together like we did last month, it’s a wonderful reunion.

Let me tell you one quick haircut story from my trip.

I have a cute little nephew named Ray. When he was born, his parents said “Elie, when he’s old enough we want you to give him his first haircut”. That was 18 months ago. Well, his hair has been growing and by now was getting full and thick. His parents had been keeping it trimmed, but were saving a full haircut for me. When I got over to Lebanon on this trip I had the pleasure of seeing Ray and, you guessed it, giving him his very first salon treatment! What a joy! And he sat so patiently for me, it was amazing! You can see pictures of the experience on my Facebook Page.

I’m glad to be back home and busy at the salon as we head into fall. But I’m thankful for the trip and time away with my family and friends. It helps me remember that hard work is very good, but relationship is priceless. A warm, friendly atmosphere is what we want you to feel each time you step into Eliegante Hair Design and Spa.

How to have a lifetime of looking good

Oh my, the Queen is 90! And doesn’t she still look good? Wow, that lady has had a style all her own through decades of fashion changes, hair styles and culture shifts. How does she do it? Well, I’ll tell you: she doesn’t do it alone.

Angela Kelly wrote a book about her experience as a personal dresser to Her Royal Highness. In it she says that there’s a team of 12 people just to handle the Queen’s wardrobe! Ian Carmichael and Denise McAdam have been keeping the Queen’s hair coifed and styled so perfectly for almost two decades. Over the years her style has gradually gotten shorter, but always fitting her look that seems timeless.

Now, the Queen always looks good because she has to look good. But she has help. Just like you, she doesn’t roll out of bed looking all put together. It takes effort and care, and with professionals who understand style and design and know how to help her find the right look, it’s not all on her shoulders. And it doesn’t have to be on yours, either!

Have you ever asked a professional what style would work for you? A lot of people try to copy someone else’s style, and sometimes this works, but everyone is unique and a professional can help you find your best style at any age. A stylist can also help you find the right product to help you keep your hair healthy and looking great.

Have you always had the same look? Is it time for a change? I just finished re-colouring a customer’s hair from jet black to a beautiful blonde. Wow, the process took hours but what a change! She’s thrilled, and I’m so happy for her. Change doesn’t need to be scary. With the right people to guide you, it can be a wonderful moment.

You may not need a team of 12 assistants helping you look your best, but if you want to have a lifetime of looking good, make the investment in yourself to look your best. I work with each of my customer’s to find a style that works for them, and I never get tired of seeing a beaming smile in the mirror.

Long live the Queen, and long live great style!

How hair offers hope

“Your child has cancer and there’s nothing we can do for you.”  These are words I hope people never have to hear.  At Eliegante, we are blessed to be  part of a community working to erase those words here in Hamilton and around the world.

994653_1561551890840431_3375130450082018884_nRecently Eliegante Hair Design & Spa was invited to take part in two fundraisingevents at McMaster University in Hamilton.  The first was Locks for Love, organized by Smiling over Sickness McMaster, and the second was the Hamilton Health Sciences’ 2016 Cancer Relay.  Locks for Love is held each year in February to help raise money for cancer research and for volunteers to donate hair for wigs, which are given to children with medically-induced hair loss.   At the Cancer Relay, a dozen or so volunteers had their hair cut by cancer survivors as part of the event.

We had the pleasure of providing a little “styling support” for these amazing individuals.  I’ve been a part of these events for years, and each time I hear their stories my heart is both broken and encouraged.  Broken, over what they’ve had to endure; encouraged, at their ability to hope and persevere.  The care and compassion shown at these events is so great that my staff and I can’t help but be inspired to do more for our community.

When people come to our salon to donate their hair we provide these cuts for free, because it’s a way for us to bless those who are being a blessing for someone else.  Donating hair is a big deal!  To donate hair for a wig, you need at least 8 inches.  Many people grow it longer, meaning it can take 1-2 years to get it long enough.  That’s commitment!

Cancer relay 1I recently had a young man (yes, guys do it too) come to my salon with the reddest hair you’ve ever seen.  He’d been growing it for two years in order to donate it.  How awesome is that?  He’s not in university yet, so he wasn’t part of these recent McMaster events, but his contribution makes it like he was right there with us.

The best thing Eliegante can do is make donors feel great about donating their hair.  When it feels good to give, we want to give more.

And when we’re giving out hope, I don’t want it to ever run out.

 

If you can’t tame the weather, tame your hair

I looked out my window today at the salon and thought, “Where is all the snow?”  It was warm and drizzling outside- in February!  Do I mind?  No.  My family is from Lebanon so we don’t do skating and my girls have grown too big to do much tobogganing (they do volleyball instead).  So I’m ok with a warm winter, but I know it can cause havoc with your hair.

winter-haircare-2-nov-14Cold Canadian winters usually dry hair out.  If you don’t have long hair you may think that all this warm, wet weather will help this problem.  Here’s some chair education: the dryness is still there!  Warm, winter air usually results in dry, elastic or bouncy hair.  And unless your workplace or spouse is okay with you wearing a toque all day, you’re going to have to tame that mane!

The key to taming any winter hair, whether it’s warm or cold out, is moisturizer.  A good soaking from a quality moisturizer will help keep your hair and scalp soft and resilient to the drying effect of our Canadian winter air.  You’re going to want a product that doesn’t add a lot of build-up, and keeps your hair from actually feeling wet all day (not good out in the cold).  I like the Awaphui Wild Ginger lineup from Paul Mitchell for these reasons.  They’re purposely designed to repair dry, damaged hair, are lightweight, don’t add a lot of build-up and give you the right amount of elasticity to help your hair keep its bounce and shape.

And while I joke about wearing a toque all day, hats do offer your hair mitch clean cutprotection during the winter. There are lots of cute caps in style now to protect your hair when you’re going to be outside for a long time.  And gentlemen, if you’re not already using a styling product, consider applying a flexible cream like Mitch Clean Cut or using a moisturizing conditioner during your shower.

I’m sure that you’ll have to break out your shovel sometime this winter and do some digging.  But whether things get white or stay green, look good while you’re out there!

What did your hair get this Christmas?

One of the things I love about Christmas is the spirit of giving. It’s a feeling that stays with me long after that one day on the calendar because whenever I pull out a gift someone gave me, it reminds me of that generous spirit. Which is why I spend a lot of time trying to pick just the right gifts for the people I love. Most of the time I think I’ve gotten it right. But I’m sure there have been times where one of my gifts found its way to the back of a closet, became someone else’s gift, or got put in the trashcan. I’ll be honest: I’ve had a few of those gifts!

Have you ever gotten a gift like that… for your hair?

Over the years I’ve seen that hair and beauty products are popular gift items at Christmas, and why not? They’re needed every day and they make you look and feel your best. That is, unless it’s totally wrong for a person’s hair.

This often happens when people lack ‘hair product knowledge’. It’s not enough to simply choose a product based on price or brand name. You need to understand what the product will do to the hair and why. Otherwise, you won’t be giving your hair what it needs or, worse, you may end up damaging your hair or someone else’s!

That’s why at Eliegante Hair Design and Spa, I’m passionate about sharing knowledge with my customers; not only about cuts and style, but also about proper product use. It’s true we carry professional products like Paul Mitchell, Phyto and Awapuhi, but we don’t sell product just to sell it. Every product we sell we use in our salon, and when you ask how to keep your straight-from-the-salon look my staff and I are happy to explain. We call it ‘chair education’, and with a few tips and the right products we can help you keep your hair healthy and looking as great as right after your visit with us (well, almost!)

Chair education isn’t complicated and doesn’t take long. Hair is my business and my passion, and after 30 years no one has ever come back and said they hated a product I recommended.

For example, if you have fine hair and it looks flat, it’s probably because you’re using a heavy product. You need to switch to something that adds volume. If you apply product by simply scooping it up and spreading it around (this means you too, guys), stop! You need chair education!

This year, whether you’re buying that special gift for others or yourself, save money and buy a product that will do what you want it to. You can even bring in your old products and I’ll tell you which to use and which to get rid of.

And ladies, if you can’t find it in your heart to discard them, re-gift them…
Give it to your husband.

Old with a Twist, Please

Hairstyle trends for Fall/Winter 2015

Whether you’re talking movies, music or fashion, the old adage is true: “everything old becomes new again.” Hairstyles this season are no different. The 90’s looks are back, with a twist…and 2015 technology.

women's curls For the ladies, curls and bangs are back in. Meche – colour highlights that go light to dark – is very popular right now. And of course this style works well the opposite way too, so Ombre – highlights that go dark to light – is a hot trend as well.

For men, pompadours and every variety of fade cut continue to be popular, proving that men want the best of both worlds: long hair for looks, short hair for maintenance.

Sometimes I’m asked, “what drives hair style trends?”  I’m sure it wouldn’t surprise you to hear that the world of fashion, European designers, and Hollywood celebrities continue to set the design aesthetic. But what has changed is how fast new styles catch on. Decades ago, Canadian looks were always a few months behind the Europeans, and a few weeks behind Hollywood. Thanks to technology, now we see styles becoming trends in a matter of days.

mens hairstyle 2016Why? It’s simple: you can’t own a style. When it comes to pure fashion and hair design there’s no such thing as intellectual property. Everyone borrows from everyone else, so go ahead and borrow the style that looks best on you.

The other big twist to bringing back the old is actually what you don’t notice. 90’s curls may be back, but the 90’s products aren’t. So now, curls are much softer than they used to be. Colour – Meche, Ombre, whatever – never goes away, but today the industry is far more aware of what’s healthy, what isn’t. Allergies have increased in recent years, so the hairstyling industry is much more careful about the chemicals they use.

Here’s a test for you to try: walk into Eliegante salon and just breathe. You won’t smell heavy products or chemicals. That is because I only use products that make your hair look beautiful without offending your other senses.

And that’s really what I believe my salon is all about. All these trends are just fashions; they don’t mean anything. The important thing is that, at the end of your appointment, you walk out feeling beautiful. If you can’t afford to keep up a trendy style or if it doesn’t look good on you, I won’t sell it to you. If you hate bangs I won’t advise you to get them, even if they are in style.

I have a saying: In hair, there is nothing we can’t do, as long as the hair will let us do it. We work with living fabric and living people, not mannequins. You should never leave hating your hair, because then your stylist hasn’t done their job right.

Regardless of what’s trendy or old styles coming back, one thing will never change:
At Eliegante salon, you’re always in good hands.

WEDDING HAIRSTYLES THAT WORK WELL WITH ALL HAIR

HERE SOME IDEA’S I THINK ARE GREAT FOR WEDDING DAY HAIRSTYLES

 

Love the classic look of a veil but still want a wedding hairstyle that stuns?

 

A Super Sleek High Bun Wedding Hairstyle

The top-knot bun is a great bridal trend as it keeps all eyes on your beautiful face.

A Curly Wedding Hairstyle For Short Hair

If you have pretty, natural ringlets, why not show them off?

 A Romantic Wedding Hairstyle with Pulled-Back Waves

Pull a few pieces of your hair back with a low veil to show off loose waves

A Glamorous Wedding Hairstyle for Medium-Length Curls

Use mega volume curls to create a glamorous wedding-day look.

A Side Braid Wedding Hairstyle with Loose Curls

A Loose, Low Updo Wedding Hairstyle

A Half-Up Wedding Hairstyle

A Sleek, Low Bun Wedding Hairstyle

A Soft Chignon Wedding Hairstyle for Long Hair

Wavy Wedding Hairstyle for Long Hair

Tousled beachy hair looks fantastic on a bride

Long, Loose Hairstyle for Curly Hair

 

IMPORTANT NOTICE – Salon Renovation

Eliegante Renovation

Which Hairstyling Product Should MEN Use?

Some guys don’t give a ton of extraneous thought to their hair—that is, beyond washing it each day and wondering if/when/where it’s going to start falling out. If that’s you, then updating your hairstyle to sync with the season or to project a new image probably seems like a lot more hassle than it’s worth. Trust us, we feel you on that. But whether you’ve been using the same gel or mousse since you were in high school—or have never put anything in your hair at all—it’s a lot easier than you might think to switch up your look simply by switching up your product
– *Hair Gel: Use it if you have short to medium hair, you can go for a “wet” look with gel
*Pomade: If you want a hold that’s a little bit more pliable It’s great for that “behead” look.
*Mousse: Guys with longer hair should consider using mousse. It’ll give you more control and definition than using nothing at all , but your hair can still move naturally.
* Hair Spray: To max out the hold on longer hair, use hair spray. It will control frizz and flyaway’s without making your hair feel sticky.

Things You Should Be Doing This Winter For Healthy, Beautiful Hair

Now that the winter months are upon us and the days are much colder, it’s time to start thinking about ways to protect our hair from the damage that the winter elements can cause.

One very simple tip is to wear a hat when out as it keeps your hair covered from the wind, rain and snow. But as we all know, no woman wants the “dreaded hat hair.” A great way to avoid this is to wrap your hair in a silk scarf before putting on your cozy, wool beanie. This helps to protect your hair from damage caused by the hat rubbing against your hair and it also cuts down on the static. Another great way to combat static is to use a good heat styling product for blow drying such as the Mitchell  Heat OFF the Press  Protect and Shine Spray. This can also be used on dry hair before using a curling iron or flat iron.

 

During the winter months, it’s a great idea to treat your hair once a week to a deep conditioning treatment. This will help to replenish the moisture, which tends to get depleted from things such as the dry heat in your apartment and the cold winter air. I recommend something like the Awapuhui .KERATRIPLEX Two Step Repair .

What it does
KeraTriplex® Treatment transforms weak, broken and brittle strands into pillars of strength and protects from further damage

How it works Step one of the KeraTriplex® 2-step Repair Treatment, the single-shot vial of isolated proteins is virtually identical to the keratin found in human hair.

  I also find if you can keep washing your hair to a minimum, say two to three times a week, this will prevent your hair from drying out too much. And always make sure you dry your hair before leaving the house. Not only because you will get a cold, but the moisture in your hair combined with the cold air, will add further damage to your hair by making it more brittle and dry.. Regular trims are a great way to keep your hair in good health during the winter months as well — every six to eight weeks, just get a light dusting of the ends to help reduce the chance of dry, splitting ends.

One unexpected secret to keep your hair looking good in the winter is to invest in a humidifier. I know you’re thinking that humidity equals frizzy hair, but when you have the heat on, the air in your apartment/ homes , becomes very dry and I find the humidifier helps stop your hair and skin from feeling dry.

For more information or if you have any questions please give us a call my staff and I will be very happy to help you any time .

Have a great hair Day every Day

Your Stylist

Elie