I know this first hand.  Comes in handy when shampooing a guy sometimes, but definitely awkward when it’s a woman.  Another problem in this picture is shampooing leans me down just enough to give me INSANE upper back pain.

Well, my friends, after being unemployed for like two months, I’ve decided to take up a job at the barber shop on Fort Stewart.  In other news, this is so I can save up to move to Jacksonville, which is less than two hours away from me, but it’s in another state.  

The reason I have decided to move to Florida is because the job market in my field in Savannah has completely dried up for me.  It’s either work for an evil corporation that doesn’t pay the right wages (and I’ve combed them all anyway), or work in a locally owned salon where there’s zero walk-ins.  And being only three years in the business and not staying anywhere, the only clientele I have are my friends.  So, I’m moving to find better work opportunities.

Also, a man who was very dear to me had moved away.  He wasn’t my boyfriend officially, but pretty close.  We would have been until he learned that he was leaving for NC and couldn’t take me.  So he’s gone now and I miss him so much.  He was my last reason for wanting to stay in Savannah.

Wish me luck, folks.  Barbering is lucrative, but not as fun as full service.

So I read about this young gentleman who thought of a pretty genius plan after going two years after college without a job in his field.  Instead of the futile task of handing out/posting resumes, he created a site with the goal of getting the COMPANIES to apply to hire HIM.  Indeed, it worked, and today he is happily employed.

If I knew site design (or could afford it), I would totally do that myself.

My party is all over before it began.  Some people should not own a business, and some who know how to own a business should not have a staff.  I quit my job at Regis to work at a small salon owned by a lady in her early 50s because I would make some decent money.  

Well, she hired me, and she also hired another girl.  However, there’s only two stations there and one belongs to her.  I worked for her a few days, but she never had a set schedule for me.  As a result, sometimes I wouldn’t know when to come in next and I resorted to having to call her or come by the salon a lot.  This apparently irritated her a lot.  Well, I’m sorry, but I want to work and I’m passionate about it!  She should be so lucky to have such a dedicated employee!  Well, calling her tonight was apparently the last straw and she told me to come get my things.

So now I’m back to being unemployed.  Bugger.

I’ve become stuck on Twitter, but some followers would be nice.  I think I’m stuck on tweeting because those hash tags are fun.  Anyone care to follow me on Twitter, you can find me @OhhhJenn.

So my work and dating life have taken a twisted turn.  I left the evil that is Regis and went to work at a busy family salon.  I’m making better money already, and I only worked one day!  What’s different (and this varies from salon to salon) is I’m having to buy all my products, tools, and color.  Nothing is provided except my station.  Color I will aquire later, as stocking up on color can get VERY expensive.  However, piling up money won’t be an issue in this case.

As for my love life (or lack thereof)…Oh never mind.  It’s too sordid.

butyourelikereallypretty:

But You Like Really Have The ‘Beetus, Paula Deen.

There are some salons out there that focus on getting clients in and out as quickly as possible.  And that’s fine if you want that.  But if you’re looking for a more thorough experience, find a salon that will provide that for you.

First and foremost, I would like to stress that there is no such thing as “just a trim”.  I don’t know where people have gotten the idea that the price of a haircut should be based on how much is cut off.  Sorry folks, but cutting hair is cutting hair.  There are so many times a potential client comes in and a conversation like this will occur:

Client: How much is it for just a trim?

Me:  Our cuts start at $31, and that includes shampoo and style.

Client:  31 dollars?!  For just a trim?!

Me:  *facepalm*

This is where I want to scream “Go to Great Clips if you want something cheap!  They’ll spray you, hack off your hair, and send you out!  Simple as that!”  Of course I don’t because that would be in poor taste and customer service.

Obviously, this post is for those who want more than that.

First thing is to make sure you have a thorough consultation with your stylist.  It’s ok if you don’t know exactly what you want.  Your stylist should offer suggestions on what she or he might think would be a good look for your face shape, skin tone, etc.  If you want to bring a picture, great.  But be sure to discuss the picture in great detail with your stylist to make sure you’re both seeing eye-to-eye on what the picture represents.

Your stylist should analyze your hair’s thickness and coarseness and offer services accordingly.  If you have thin or fine hair, she might offer a volumizing  blowout following the haircut.  If you have very dense hair, she might offer to thin it out.  This involves removing bulk with special thinning shears.  If your hair is very dry, she might offer a deep conditioner (which I discussed in my last post).

For the love of God, please do not talk on your cell phone while your stylist is cutting your hair!

Always make sure you are absolutely clear on what you want done before your stylist begins, as to avoid a very disappointing service.

During the service, your stylist should discuss with you how you care for your hair at home.  Questions like “What kind of shampoo/conditioner do you use?” “How do you style your hair in the morning?” or “Do you own a flatiron?” are examples of what a stylist might ask.

Your stylist should make suggestions for what products for you to buy and take home.  No, she is not trying to shove it down your throat, I PROMISE.  She genuinely does care about your hair and wants you to be able to maintain your look at home.  In the end, your stylist’s goal is for you to come back to her on a regular basis. 

Following the service, if you have any questions regarding your cut or if you see any problems with it, don’t hesitate to call the salon and talk to YOUR STYLIST about it.  Complaining to management can possibly be counterproductive, as it doesn’t help your stylist out much if she doesn’t see where she went wrong.  If she does mess up, it doesn’t necessarily mean she’s a bad stylist, either.

Getting soft, healthy hair isn’t hard….You just gotta have the right stuff!  But first, let’s break down the differences between dry and damaged hair:

DRY HAIR

Ok, so how does dry hair happen?  There’s a number of factors including your own personal biology.  Also, having chemically processed hair or heat styled hair will zap moisture from your hair.  Blame the sun and the climate as well.  Dry hair will appear as frizzy and/or dull and rather lackluster looking.  Who wants boring hair? 

Who wants this, for that matter?

What to do, then?

First, it starts with buying the right stuff.  Also, talking to your hairstylist about it.  She or he can take a better look at your hair and tell you what’s best for it.  Also, getting a deep conditioning treatment wouldn’t hurt, either.  Those range anywhere from $7-$25 depending on where you go.

Ok, so now onto products.  And yes, it is best if you buy the stuff from the salons.  So here are my top suggestions for shampoo/conditioners for dry hair:

-Redken All Soft

-Regis Designline Cashmere (available only at Regis salons)

-TIGI Bed Head Urban Antidotes Recovery (#2)

Also, a good leave-in conditioner works wonders.  Use a spray if you don’t like your hair weighed down by cream conditioners.  Keep in mind that these products should be purchased ONLY from professional salons, NOT from a drugstore or grocery store (but more on diversion some other day).

DAMAGED HAIR

Ok, so this one’s a little trickier.  In a nutshell, having damaged hair sucks.  It’s pretty much dry hair to the extreme.  Once again, this is caused by factors such as chemical processing, heat, and the elements.  One of the best preventative measures is getting regular ends trims.  Once hair begins splitting, left uncut, the hair will continue to split down the shaft.  You don’t want that.  The part that sucks is that it doesn’t take much for hair to become damaged.  One thing I will tell my clients to prevent damaging their hair is to avoid putting their hair into a ponytail while it’s still wet.  Take care when combing your hair out when you get out of the shower, as wet hair is vulnerable and tends to stretch.  The easiest thing to do is comb from the bottom up.

Once again, I stress to you especially in this case to go see your hairstylist about your damaged hair.  They will be able to analyze it and suggest to you what to do about it.  My top suggestions for shampoo/conditioner for damaged hair include the following:

-Redken Extreme

-TIGI Urban Antidotes Resurrection (#3)

Also, if you bleach your hair, I highly suggest you use TIGI Bed Head’s Dumb Blonde line, which is designed especially for lightened hair.

As an additional treatment, I suggest Redken Extreme Anti-Snap, which is a leave-in treatment that prevents breakage and provides heat protection.  A dime-sized amount should work.

Speaking of heat protection, I should point out that prevention IS the best cure.  For those who are in love with their blow dryer or flatiron, it’s imperative that you use a thermal protective product (usually a spray or serum) prior to heat styling.  There are many out there that are pretty good and do the job.  My personal favorite being CHI Iron Guard for those who flatiron.

Lots of luck, and remember…PLEASE see your hairstylist FIRST.

OK, y’all.  I’ve moved from Blogger to Tumblr in hopes that someone might actually READ my blog.  It’s possible.

So here’s what you can expect from this blog:

-Bragging about the awesome hair I do

-Lamenting about when I screw it up

-Awesome hair tips for all!

-Interesting stories and bitchings about my pathetic attempt at dating

So…Enjoy!  Or at least pretend to.