My first time…with Permanent Make Up!

The Vinery Hair Salon in Huddersfield has teamed up with Michaela Hammond at Divinity Beauty Rooms after we were inundated with professional recommendations about how skilled Michaela is at Permanent Makeup application.

As a bit of a hair and beauty aficionado (hey I work in a salon!) I was very keen to find out more about permanent makeup after hearing horror stories (through general gossip) about how painful the experience is, how the makeup (which is essentially a tattoo) can look awful / fake / overdone and its safe to say I was approaching the whole idea with a degree of trepidation. However Michaela soon set my mind at rest. She explained about her extensive background and training (Michaela also teaches permanent makeup application at Elite in Liverpool!) and about the various specialist techniques she uses to create a natural 3D effect on the brow area as well as eyeliner and lip blush/liner applications.

So, after a good long chat over several cups of tea (It's safe to say that for poor Michaela it probably felt more like an interrogation than a cosy chat!) I felt 100% more comfortable about the procedure and booked in for Permanent Brows.

Following many years and lots of ££££ on regular tinting and products (brow palettes, pencils you name it I bought it) the idea of Permanent Makeup made sense. The Brows last between 18 months and 2 years following a complete treatment (the procedure takes place over two appointments - the first is the actual application and the second is 4 weeks later for the top-up) and cost £375 - averaging out the maintenance cost currently spent on managing my pesky brows I estimated I spent roughly between £20 and £25 a month over the year - a whopping £270 a year - or to put it into perspective roughly £540 every two years. So paying £375 for brows that would last me 2 years seemed like a no brainer - I'm actually saving myself £165 that could be spent in Kurt Geiger or the next Net-a-Porter sale!

So my purse was happy and my mind was at rest - now the real test was to actually go ahead. So this week I headed to The Vinery for my appointment with Michaela.

The appointment lasted for 2 hours, the first hour consisting of a very precise consultation. After going over some paperwork, Michaela measured my brows, assessed the movement in my face (to see how my brows move with my facial expressions) she then colour-matched to the depth of tone that I wanted for my brows, and drew in the shape that I was hoping to achieve. Even though she had only used pencil for this part of the appointment it was clear to see the dramatic change that proper brows would make to the definition of my face, I was thrilled! Michaela constantly checked to see how I felt about the shape, thickness, depth of tone and effect of the brow which reassured me that she was listening to my exact requirements. 

So, once the consultation was out of the way it was time for the needle. I must admit as I reclined on the couch and heard the needle whirring I had flashbacks of being in the dentists chair! Michaela had already prepped my brows with some numbing cream and she began with the outline of the brow before anaesthetising the brow area. Each step I was asked how my pain level was on a scale of one to ten as Michaela does not believe in pain - she believes it should be a relaxing experience - hard to believe but once i was undergoing the procedure I almost fell asleep! The entire process felt as though someone was tickling my forehead - the sensation is like someone pressing lightly on your skin with an electric toothbrush - you can feel it but its not painful, just strange!

In what seemed like no time at all Michaela asked me to sit upright so she could finish off with some freehand styling techniques. The entire procedure took less than 2 hours and the results - well WOW!!! I was blown away with how defined my brows looked - and how they really brought out features such as my eyes (and seemed to lessen my wrinkles!!). Michaela advised me on aftercare and I have an appointment in four weeks for a top up (which is complimentary and part of the two-part procedure).

I can honestly say that the entire experience was fantastic - Michaela is meticulous in her attention to detail, really listened to my concerns and what I hoped to achieve from having Permanent Makeup. I got the results I wanted and more - it is safe to say they completely exceeded expectations! See below for my before and after pictures..what do you think?

     

Emma at The Vinery x

Autumn Festival Hair – Keep It Stylish!

So the Festival season is winding to a close..but it’s not over just yet. If you are one of the thousands of music-lovers heading to Reading or Leeds this weekend (like our Progessive Stylist Mathew is – throw Mat a Hi-Five if you see him!) then you need to make sure you are prepared. And by prepared I mean not just packing the Hunters and Pop-up Tent in your rucksack!

Festivals are a Big deal…a HUUUUGE deal…forget the music, it’s all about the fashion – who has the Coachella Celeb look down to pat, who is sporting the latest in chic welly wear, and who has the best festival hair!

Now we cannot help you with which fringed crochet vests to take, or whether vintage levi denim is still on trend (given the fact that the sun has hit the skids in August you may want to think about thermals instead)…but we can help you with your festival hair.

For guys it is pretty simple..take along some sculpting clay (we like Alterna Form) and just rub and go – to keep the style looking sharp a quick spritz of firm-hold hairspray will also carry you through until the morning – and maybe through to the next evening too! We recommend a blast of Sebastian Shaper Fierce, this will definitely do the trick!

For girls, we know you like to keep things fresh even when the showers are limited! A festival hair-must is dry shampoo and you need to make sure it is a good one – we love Alterna Cleanse-Extend which will keep your hair and scalp feeling clean for days. Now we have the base covered it’s time to think about style. Traditional braids are so last year – 2014 Festival hair is all about style. Grab that headband and put it over your hair, run some light hold product through the lengths and ends that are exposed (Try a pea sized amount of Alterna Freestyle gel) – then pull the hair underneath the headband up and tuck it in over the headband in ‘an up and over’ move – spritz on some light hairspray such as Neal & Wolf Fix and leave overnight – you should wake up in the morning with perfect festival waves!

(TreasuresandTravelsBlog.com – thanks for the pic!)

 If waves are not your thing..or your hair is unruly/untameable you need to think about styling in a different way – forget the topknot and try a loose chignon to stand out from the crowd – easy to pull off with just a few well-placed hair grips and some hairspray – we love the looks sported by Taylor Swift and Sarah Hyland – simple and chic!

                                  

If you cannot bear to dump the braids then seek inspiration from Katy Perry with a thick dishevelled side plait..

And if all else fails..grab the nearest hat – they are always a festival winner!

Stay safe and enjoy!

Love,

The Vinery x

This Week's Hair Surgery is about how to style your Lob!

This week's question is from Nicole about styling her mid-length hair.

Q: Hi there, I have a long bob and am finding it hard to style - I want my hair to look good during the day and at night but at the moment it just seems to hang there and looks pretty boring. Can you give me some advice on how to make it look good?! Thanks, Nicole :D

A: Hello Nicole, thanks for getting in touch! You would be amazed at how versatile Lobs (Long Bobs) can be in terms of dressing and styling the hair.

One of my favourite looks is the tousled lob as seen on style icons such as Olivia Palermo and Keira Knightley, who seem to carry the look off effortlessly, and the good news is that you can too!

Keira Knightley (www.instyle.co.uk)

Olivia Palermo (www.stylebistro.com)

Creating this breezy summer look is easy - first of all you need to apply a texturising product to hold the style from inception, we particularly like Sebastian Texture Maker as this can be sprayed into wet hair to maintain hold and style and also applied to the hair once it is dried to achieve that  'beach-ready' look.

You only need a few well-placed spritzes of Texture Maker on wet hair, finger comb the product through and then blast the hair off for a minute or two on a medium heat hairdryer to take out some of the moisture.

Then apply a 20p sized amount of Neal & Wolf Silk to damp hair - this will help to keep the hair smooth and frizz free as you continue to dry. (Don't forget your heat protection product too - try Sebastian Trilliant!) An important part of the drying process is not only the use of appropriate products and a medium-heat but also the correct brush - we recommend using a Paddle Brush (See the Big Brush Company for their fantastic range of professional brushes).

Using the Paddle Brush, dry the hair from root to tip, directing the heat downwards for that smooth look, then wrap the ends of the hair lightly around a medium tong or curling wand, creating slight movement on the bottom edge, you should see a wave or bend on the ends of the hair. Once this is done, depending on the finish you are hoping to achieve you can either spray some Sebastian Texture Maker (two or three pumps should do it) into your hands and then lightly scrunch the product through the waves, manipulating the hair into the style you want or, for a more  sophisticated finish use SP Luxe Oil (one or two pumps into the hands) and smooth this product through the lengths and ends for a glossy, defined wave.

Hope this helps!

The Vinery x

See our latest Hair Surgery Blog on styling your hair this week..Ask Us A Question!

This week’s Hair Surgery Blog question is from Sam who has been getting frustrated about not achieving that ‘in-salon’ look when at home.

Q: I can never get my hair to look right when I do it myself at home but when I’m at the hairdressers it looks perfect – what am I doing wrong? Thanks, Sam.

A: Hi Sam, I can understand your frustration but its quite an easy problem to solve. Obviously I don’t know what your hair looks like in terms of style etc however I can advise that you do need to start from the very basics which means using a good quality, professional shampoo and conditioner. We use several brands at The Vinery including Sebastian, Alterna and Neal&Wolf which are tailored for all hair types and budgets.

You then need an appropriate styling product which you can apply whilst the hair is damp to hold the style whilst you are drying your hair which obviously is dependent on your hair type (curly/frizzy/straight/dry/flyaway/fine). Choose a product that will compliment your style and provide hold – ask your Stylist for advice if you are unsure.

It is vitally important to use a heat protection product on your hair before you begin to dry it so I would recommend something like Neal&Wolf Guard to spritz over the lengths and ends first.

So, we have the foundations laid – starting with a good shampoo and conditioner, building up to an appropriate styling product and heat protection. Before you then start to dry your hair it is advisable to invest in a good hair brush. Again depending on the style and your hair type you need to opt for an appropriate brush and some section clips! We love the Big Brush Company range which caters for every hair type/need.

I would also advise that you speak to your Stylist and perhaps book in for a blow-dry lesson – most good salons will be happy to show you how to dry and style your hair so that you can achieve the look at home and will provide product and brush advice.

If you need any further help or advice..or want to book in for a blow-dry lesson then please do not hesitate to get in touch!

Thanks

The Vinery x