Uncategorized

John Frieda Salon Shape Hot Air Brush Review

Yes ladies, it’s totally possible to do a quality blowout at home thanks to one of these handy hot air brushes.  No need for a separate hair dryer and round brush, this guy is both tools in one.

My hair is pretty straight and I normally either wear it curly or in a knot on the top of my head.  But, being a makeup artist and hair stylist, I am sometimes asked to do a blowout on a client’s hair.  I have a full arsenal of makeup and hair supplies that I lug around on a daily basis, but any tool that makes my job easier (and looks cool) is a definite must have.

The specs on the John Frieda Salon Shape Hot Air Brush:

 

 

  • Lightweight
  • Low, High and Cool Settings
  • Professional length swivel cord
  • 500 Watts
  • Advanced ionic conditioning
  • True ceramic heater
  • Ceramic Titanium coated barrel
  • 2 sizes of bristles that comb through the hair easily
  • Available in either 1 inch or 1.5 inch barrels

I purchased the 1.5 inch at ULTA for $39.99 along with a coupon.  I was desperate and needed it that day.  It’s cheaper on Amazon.

How to use:

  • Make sure your hair is 80-90% dry (very important, it may take a while if your hair is not mostly dry)
  • Distribute your favorite heat protecting product into the hair (I like John Frieda Frizz Ease and Tresemme Thermal Creations Heat Tamer Spray)
  • Separate your hair into sections.
  • Start with the bottom portion, begin running the brush through small sections of the hair.  It may take 3-4 passes to fully dry it.
  • Work your way through the sections toward the top of the head and around your face.
  • For volume, lift up the brush at your roots, really working it in to create lift.
  • To curl the ends, curl the hair around the hot brush, blast it with either the low or hot setting (depending on your hair) for a few seconds, then switch it to cool for 5 seconds or longer to set the curl.  Turn the hot brush off and release the hair.

     

  • Practice working the brush at different angles to create the look that you want.

My first time using this on a client made me a little nervous in the beginning.  Of course, I tested the dryer rigorously beforehand on myself, making sure that it could handle the job and not explode in my hand.  I applied product to the client’s hair and rough dried it with a regular hair dryer.  Then I dove in with the John Frieda Hot Air Brush.  My client was chatting with her producer while I was doing her hair, speaking in French the whole time so I had no idea what they were talking about.  After about ten minutes into the hot air brush styling, the producer (a lady) started making oohhing and aahhing sounds, which I took as a good sign.  As soon as I put the hot air brush down for a second to re-section the hair, the producer grabbed the hot air brush and told me how wonderful it was (in English) and asked where could she buy it.  Needless to say, the client’s hair looked great when I was finished and they both thought I was a genius with this incredible tool.

The Cons:

  • The handle and settings switch can get a little slippery if you still have some serum or product still on your hands.  I may modify mine with some strips of grip tape or sand paper tape.
  • It takes a little practice flipping through the different settings with your thumb, the more you get used to it, the easier it is.
  • This particular brush does not rotate on it’s own, may be a con for some but for me, I like it better.
  • Yes, you’re going to see some hairs in the brush after you are done.  What brush doesn’t have hair in it after use?

The John Frieda Salon Shape Hot Air Brush is best for ladies who want a great looking blowout at home without the hassle of a round brush and heavy hair dryer.  It also costs way less than going to the salon on a constant basis.  Of course, keep your natural hair in mind if you are thinking about buying this hot air brush.  If you have extremely curly hair, this may not work as well for you.  It will work for pretty much all other types of hair.  The John Frieda Salon Shape Hot Air Brush will definitely be a permanent part of my hair styling kit.  I hope you like it as much as I do!

Uncategorized

Please Wash Your Makeup Brushes!

 

 

Nasty, dirty things.

Would you sleep on the same pillow case every night for 3 months?  No way, that’s gross.  So why are you repeatedly putting something on your face without washing it regularly?  Your makeup brushes need a bath, right now.

I’m a bit of a germ freak when it comes to my makeup brushes for my business.  All clients get their own set of clean brushes, washed with anti-bacterial soap and water.  Why am I so vigilant about this?  I don’t want disgusting dirty stuff put on my face, so I don’t put it on my client’s faces.

Washing makeup brushes is easy and should be done on a regular basis.  The brushes will feel softer and work better without all the layers of gunk on them.  Washing brushes will not make the hairs fall out, but some shedding occurs with all brushes, especially less expensive ones.

Start by gathering your dirty brushes.  Get a fresh towel and spread it out to give the clean brushes a place to lay flat and dry.

The best soap to use for natural hair brushes (blush, powder, eye shadow) is a mild shampoo.  Baby shampoo works well or any regular shampoo that you have in the house.  For synthetic brushes (foundation, concealer, eye liner, lip) use a liquid dish soap that you would use to hand wash dishes, not the stuff for the dishwasher.  I usually try to find one that says something about dissolving grease.

Using warm water, wet the brush then work a little soap into it.  Swirl the brush around in the palm of your hand gently, never pushing too hard which will damage the hairs.  Let the brush lather up to get rid of all the makeup.

Hold the brush under the running water and work out the soap, gently spreading the hairs.  Try not to get any water into the ferrule, which is the part that attaches the hairs to the handle, the silver thing on this brush.  If too much water gets into the ferrule right where it is attached to the brush handle, your brush may get damaged and fall apart.  For very soiled brushes, the process may need to be repeated until all the makeup is dissolved.  Do not use any hair conditioner.  Do not leave them to soak.

Fresh and clean

Squeeze out the excess water and smooth the hairs out.  Lay flat to dry.

Do this on a weekly basis (at least) to keep your brushes clean and bacteria free.  Brushes will last for many years if treated with love.  Happy washing!

All photos:  Tracy Sotirakis