L'Oreal "Century Of Beauty"

As L’Oreal marks its centennial lets take a look at one of the beauty industry’s biggest success story. At the beginning of the 20th century Eugene Schueuler, a young French Chemist, created the first synthetic hair dye and registered it as Black and Gold. He later changed the name to L’Aureale meaning golden crown, a name inspired by a hair style fashion at the time. Shortly after the company name is changed to L’Oreal, which has its roots in the Greek word “orea” which means beauty…thus L’Oreal was born.

It’s been said that beauty is universal and that the quest for innovation is limitless. In 1909 working from his two bed room apartment Schueuler manufactures products at night, sells them to Parisian hairdressers in the morning and makes deliveries in the afternoon. Several years later he gains the much needed backing of an accountant, enabling him to advertise his products via the trade journey “La Coiffure de Paris” and by 1920 is exporting his hair colorant throughout Europe and over time to every point on the globe.

As fashions change, women begin cutting their hair short, requiring shaping and coloring products and L’Oreal responds by creating “Imedia Liquide” the first commercial liquid hair color. Seeing a hugh potential for hygiene and toiletry products L’Oreal launched “Belle Color”, the first mass market shampoo colorant and “Oreol” a cold wave lotion. By the mid 20th century hair color had become hugely popular signaling the start of a world wide hair color culture. To address the demand L’Oreal introduces Preference the first premium priced mass market hair color line and the advertising campaign “Because I’m Worth It”.

To expand its reach into every corner of the personal care market, over the next fifty years and into the 21st century L’Oreal went on to acquire leading beauty companies, Lancome, Garnier, Maybelline and several American professional hair care brands (Redken, Matrix, Kiehl’s, ARTic and PureOlogy). With 23 global brands in 2003, L’Oréal announced its 19th consecutive year of double-digit growth. It has operations in over 130 countries, employing 50,000 people and operates 42 manufacturing plants throughout the world. Over the past 100 years, L’Oreal has worked diligently to meet the aspirations of different cultures around the world, which has broadened the concept of beauty and made the company what it is today. Its obsession with quality and a passion for innovation are two trademarks that continue to make L’Oreal a world class 21st century beauty company.

The Amazing Magic Hair Styling Wands

As long as people have had hair, they have needed some way to tame tangles and most importantly, show off their personal style. Curling and straightening irons have been around for thousands of years but changed dramatically in the mid 20th century with the introduction of electricity, space age plastic and ceramic material. What started out as a very basic implement, the styling iron has morphed into a highly specialized styling tool. One example is the CHI Auto Digital Ceramic “curling and straightening” hair styling iron.

The early hair styling iron used to curl or straight hair was somewhat dangerous with fluctuating temperatures that made it difficult to manipulate hair without burning it. We have moved on from the metal rods heated by hot coals or heating on gas stoves. The mid 20th century electric curling iron brought ease and convenience to hair curling and shortened the styling time dramatically.

Today’s heat styling wands are equipped with easy-glide ceramic barrels and a verity of shapes and sizes making it possible to create loose tumbling waves, tousled curls or smooth straight styles with added bounce and volume. Leading the way is the CHI Auto Digital Ceramic all-in-one “curling and straightening” styling iron. Now with one styling tool you can straighten, curl, flip, and bend the hair to create a multitude of styles and styling effects with ease. You might say it’s the world’s most versatile styling iron and it’s made in America with space age technology.

This streamlined beauty comes with all the “bell’s and whistles” you’d expect in the 21st century. The ultra light slim, pro-style handle is ergonomically designed to reduce wrist strain. Tourmaline crystals inside the iron barrel send out negative ions (good stuff) to seal the hairs surface layer and control frizz. Its auto digital thermal control micro chip technology lets you control the heat to safely create unlimited styling effects with ease. Simultaneously, the easy-glide ceramic surface and far-infrared heat preserves moisture inside the hair shaft for a super shine and further speed styling time. And if time is money, then this bad boy says….ca ching!

If you’re shopping around for a new styling iron or thinking about to trade in your old fashion iron you’ll no doubt be confronted with a wide range of choices and prices. From inexpensive drug store brands made in China that cost ($25-$50) to the top of the line professional brands ($75 - $200+). While these are geared toward repeated use by professionals, they can be beneficial for personal use as they will no doubt last longer and give you professional results. If you are willing to pay the price the all-in-one CHI Auto Digital Ceramic hairstyling iron made in the USA is well worth the investment.

The World's Most Versatile Hair Brush

As long as people have had hair, they have needed some way to tame tangles and most importantly, show off their personal style. Hair brushes have been around for thousands of years, but changed dramatically in the mid 20th century with the introduction of space age plastic, synthetic fibers and blow dry styling. What started out as a very basic implement, the hair brush has morphed into a highly specialized styling tool. One example of its evolution is the three-in-one  Studio Styling Brush and comes with all the "bells and whistles" you'd expect in the 21st century

While working at my hair styling studio and motion picture sets I found the need to use several types of styling brushes to create a finished hair style. I thought why not design one hair styling brush that could do all most everything. If necessity is the mother of invention then imagination is its father. So I set out to design a "adjustable styling brush" that combined “three basic hair brushes with a built-in comb” and functioned like our hands and fingers. With technology being what it is today, I discovered a unique heat resistant flexible “rubber-like material" used in the aerospace industry that could make the design and functions required possible.

The Studio Styling Brush adjustable design combines a “paddle brush, shaping brush, straightening and volumizing brush” with a "built-in comb" for teasing and "air flow net"  to make blow-dry styling safe, quick and easy. And if styling time is money, then this bad boy says….ca ching!

As you can image it’s my favorite styling brush and comes with all the “bell’s and whistles” you’d expect of a hair styling brush in the 21st century. The ultra light slim, pro-style handle is ergonomically designed to "reduce wrist strain". Simply squeeze the adjustable handle open or closed to “lift hair for volume, pull to straighten, crimp and wave, scrunch, spike or turn hair under and over.


Its the perfect brush for blow dry styling and offers unlimited hair styling effects for both professional and home use making the Studio Styling Brush... the world’s most versatile hair brush.  To see a demonstration visit http://www.hairflex.com/

The "Hot Air Round" Hair Styling Brush

As long as people have had hair, they have needed some way to tame tangles and most importantly, show off their personal style. Hair brushes have been around for thousands of years, but changed dramatically in the mid 20th century with the introduction of space age plastic and synthetic fibers. What started out as a very basic implement, the hair brush has morphed into a highly specialized styling tool. One example is the “hot air round styling brush".

Blow dry hair styling can be a time-consuming and awkward process involving holding a hair dryer in one hand and styling brush in the other. The hot air round styling brush combines a hair dryer and round styling brush making it easy to handle and shortens the drying time without damaging the hair. The effects are the same as using a round brush and hair dryer, though not nearly as challenging. Hot air blows out from the center of the round brush barrel, drying and styling your hair at the same time. Independent heat and speed settings with 1500 watts of styling power and round brush attachments adjusts for any hair length providing endless styling options.

The hot air round brush is one of my favorite hair styling tools! The ultra light slim, pro-style handle is ergonomically designed to reduce wrist strain. This streamlined beauty comes with all the “bell’s and whistles” you’d expect in the 21st century. The Tourmaline crystals inside the dryer’s round barrel send out negative ions (good stuff) to seal the hairs surface layer and control frizz. Simultaneously, the ceramic far-infrared heat preserves moisture inside the hair shaft for a super shine. The air flow is increased by 40% while the ionic generator breaks up water molecules to further speed drying time. And if time is money, then this bad boy says….ca ching!

While the top of the line hot air styling brush is geared toward repeated use by professionals, they can be beneficial for personal use as they will no doubt last longer and give you professional results. If you're willing to pay a few extra dollars a professional hot air round styling brush is well worth the investment.

Hairspray

People have used natural compounds such as (clays, wax, tree sap, sugar, starch and gums) to hold their hair in place since antiquity. The early 20th century hair fixatives used a resin-like substance made of alcohol and shellac was dispensed from an atomizer bottle. This proved unsatisfactory because the nozzle would clog, soaking the hair making it stiff and almost impossible to remove. The lacquer in the spray was so sticky that the floors of beauty salons became quite tacky. By 1950 a clog free value was designed for dispensing gases under pressure and the first aerosol hairspray was born.

In 1950, Helene Curtis became the first to use the generic term "hairspray" for its newly developed aerosol product called Spray Net. By the end of the decade, aerosol hair sprays had inspired the creation of hairstyles that would have been impossible without them. The Beehive and Bouffant hairstyles involved teasing the hair on top of the head to keep its full and puffy looking. Hairdressers spent hours creating these towering styles and used tons of hairspray to keep it rigid and in place for a week or more. As a result hairstyles and hairspray sales soared.

By the late 1960s and 1970s the arrival of much more natural hairstyles saw hair spray sales dropped as stiff bouffant styles fall from fashion. At the same time, environmentalists began to discover that chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) used in aerosol hair sprays were damaging the environment. This did not stop the beauty manufacturers, which quickly found alternative approach. In 1977, Alberto VO5 Hair Spray became the first nationally advertised premium brand to introduce an aerosol free of CFC.

The popularity of hair spray revived again in the 1990s with the popularity of structured and textured hairstyles and has remained a part of many women's hair styling routine through the twenty-first century. In the last 50 years researchers have improved both the quality of hairspray ingredients and the aerosol packaging used to deliver them. Modern hairsprays have come a long way since the day of rigid, untouchable hairstyles. Today hairsprays deliver a light even spray that leaves no build-up, stickiness or weight. They are fast drying, and create an instant flexible hold to complement today’s hairstyles. Aerosol hairsprays have now become a delivery system for a wide variety of styling products (spray gel, spray wax, spray pomade) and account for 50% of all personal care sales. It appears that with all its ups and downs hairspray is "hair" to stay.

Style Icons / Making Waves

A modern version of the 1940’s fashions has been showing up on the red carpet and all over the runways. Even the style bibles (fashion magazines) seem to have jumped on the band wagon. All are packed to the brim with models sporting equally beautiful cascading waves. When it comes to couture, the 40’s glamour style seems to be favored by Chloe, Gucci, Valentino and many others. The ultra feminine hairstyles with soft flowing waves were made popular by Hollywood style icons Veronica Lake, Lauren Becall, Reta Hayworth and Jane Russell.

Spear-heading the trend are current cinema beauties Keira Knightley, Scarlett Johansson, Amanda Yesfried, Nicole Kidman, Reese Witherspoon, Megan Fox and Madonna. It’s not a surprise that these classic hairstyles are making a come back as face framing waves soften aging facial features and suit most face shapes. A quick blow dry and a few twists around a styling iron or a hand full of hot rollers give this classic a contemporary look. Long hairstyles with face framing waves have always been characteristic of youth, and send a message to men of femininity; sensuality and innocence making these up-dated forties styles a trend to watch.

The Ponytail / World's First Hairstyle

The statuique Greek Goddress with her high flying Ponytail and sophistacated Chinon reminds us of the staying power of this simple classic hairstyle. The reason for its longevity is that the vast majority of women (75%) prefer wearing long hair and this simple up-do is suitable for any age, face shape and hair texture. The ponytail style is often the hairstyle of choice for many time challenged celebrities and fans alike. Stars such as Sarah Jessica Parker, Scarlett Johansson, Kate Beckinsale, Angelina Jolie, and many more have been seen with this classic hairstyle in one form or another on the red carpet in recent years.

Its such a classic style that it never grows old and its versatility is endless. As a hairdresser, I love the fact that Ponytail styles can be messy, sexy, creative, sleek, knotted, frizzy, braided, rockin, casual, romantic, sporty, or even seductive looking. You might say it’s the “work horse” of all hairstyles thus it has been appropreately named “The Ponytail”. It’s a great look for anyone who’s short on time and when arranged for a dressy look is suitable for any occasion. If you’re looking for an easy any time hairstyle that’s always fashionable and never out of style, pull your hair back (high or low) and your good to go.