Do you know the story of John Paul DeJoria, the co-founder of Paul Mitchell?
He started out at the bottom. Early in his life his parents divorced, he was doing poorly in school and he joined a street gang. A teacher even told him “you’ll never succeed at anything in life”.
In 1980, he was living out of a car when he and hairstylist Paul Mitchell got together and, with a $700 loan, they started the John Paul Mitchell Systems line of hair care products.
Today, his net worth is around 3 billion dollars.
How did he do it? Well, according to this recent article in Forbes magazine, “He works hard and gives back as much, if not more than he takes in. With each undertaking, he thinks not only of how much money can be made, but how he can help people, animals and the environment. Each business decision is always in line with a philanthropic decision.”
He did it because he’s very good at giving and thinking about others. In another article for Business Insider, John Paul said this:
“If I had to pick one moment that truly felt amazing, it was when I helped Mobile Loaves & Fishes build gardens and homes for those in need of shelter and food…I helped give someone a place to live, a garden to work at, and another chance at life. To this day, that’s where I feel most fulfilled in life. It’s having the ability and resources to provide more resources to those in need.”
I love great hair. A thousand times yes, we are all about great hair and esthetics at our salon. But as I’ve always said, beauty goes much deeper than what’s on the outside. Actually, the beauty inside is what counts most.
John Paul DeJoria gets this too, which is another reason why we love their company and products. From the quality of their products, to their treatment of animals or their care for the environment, they show how caring for others is not just good business. It’s the best business.
That’s why at Eliegante we’re so pleased to be a Paul Mitchell Focus + salon.
I had a guest come into the salon a few weeks ago. She needed a hair product that could hold her style through all the wind and heat of the summer. We’ve had a few good days, right? I said to her, “I can give you something that you can wear to the beach. In fact, go swimming, and your hair will still come out looking great.” She looked skeptical, but she took it.
She came back later amazed. It worked! Great hair, even at the beach! The product I gave her was a texturing cream, from the Paul Mitchell Neon line called Sugar Twist. We love this stuff, along with all Paul Mitchell hair care products. As a certified Focus+ salon, we have the products you need and the ongoing training to help you stay looking your best. The Neon line is fun and flexible, and is infused with natural sugar to add some healthy sweetness to your hair.
But this isn’t all Neon is about.
Paul Mitchell Neon promotes kindness and well being among teens with their ongoing anti-bullying campaign, which provides tools and support to help fight bullying. You can find out more about it by visiting their website or checking out social media at #StickItToBullying.
September is coming and soon it’ll be back to school for many teens (I have 3 daughters, I know!) and I’m proud to partner with a company that helps make schools safer and more positive. Looking your best is great, but feeling you best is greater. That’s why at Eliegante we proudly carry Paul Mitchell products and support their Bully Free Zone campaign.
It’s growing season! At Eliegante we’re busy these days making things beautiful inside and out. In between making bridal parties gorgeous and getting young prom princes and princesses ready for the ball, I’ve been outside fixing up the garden in front of the salon. We’re closed on Wednesday’s, so I spent yesterday afternoon weeding and cleaning up (my poor back!). Today I unloaded a heap of mulch to help curb weeds and hold the moisture for our tulips, hostas and daffodils that are already showing their brilliant colour.
There’s a lot that goes into making your garden ready for growing season: weeding, trimming, cultivating, adding mulch, and giving it plenty of water. Gardens don’t just grow beautifully on their own: they need care!
And, really, it’s a lot like caring for your hair.
When someone walks by my salon on Upper James Street with luxurious hair blowing in the hot summer breeze, I know she doesn’t have that look by accident. Her hair is the result of proper care. The summer can do damage to your hair if you’re not careful, so here are 5 tips to help you have great summer hair.
1. Start with a trim
Warmer weather leads to dryness, which for most people means split ends. Split ends are like the dandelions of hair! Some people are surprised to know that no product can fix split ends; they can only prevent them. So starting with a trim means that split ends can be cut away and we can work on strengthening the rest of the hair.
2. Add plenty of moisture
Here’s an easy tip to remember: give your hair what you give your face. If you apply a facial moisturizer for dry skin, chances are your hair needs moisture too. Using a leave-in conditioner or a once-a-week treatment will keep your hair looking shiny and soft.
3. Get the right shampoo
Make sure you choose the right shampoo for your hair. Professional products are designed to give your hair exactly what it needs, and there’s a product out there that’s suited to your needs. At Eliegante we feature Paul Mitchell Awapuhi and Phyto products.
4. Don’t forget to masque
Applying a hair masque every week to two weeks will ensure your hair is protected. If you have coloured hair, make sure you use a colour-safe masque.
5. Enjoy yourself
Once I get my garden all spruced up, I’m going to stand back and enjoy its beauty. Similarly, once you’ve taken these simple steps, it’s time to stroll into summer with ooh-la-la hair!
If you’d like to learn more about how to get your hair ready for summer, come by Eliegante Hair Design and Spa and we’ll provide you a free 15 minute consultation. I promise to leave the gardening gloves outside!
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.
Cold 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 
protection 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!
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.
