Category: Hair

BEAUTY Q&A: HOW MUCH SHOULD YOU TIP YOUR HAIRSTYLIST?

Published on by Lee1 Comment

Your hair appointment shouldn’t be shrouded in fear of tipping the wrong amount. Cutting your hair too short? Maybe. Making a huge mistake by getting bangs in the middle of summer? Definitely. Dealing with the pressure of wanting to leave the salon looking like your best damn self (even though the whole thing is kind of out your hands) is enough to deal with without factoring in tipping-related stress. So if you’ve been preemptively wondering how much extra cash you should bring with you to your appointment, quit Googling and stopping asking your friends because everyone’s going to have a different opinion. To answer this ever-so-popular question once and for all, we reached out to New Jersey-based hairstylist Jennifer Geoghan.

“Twenty percent of the cost of your service is a good rule of thumb for tipping,” says Jennifer. Simply plug the price of your haircut right into your phone’s calculator and multiply it by .20 to get the dollar amount you should give your stylist. For example, a $50 haircut will lend itself to a $10 tip; a $100 haircut $20, and a $200 haircut $40. “Hairstyling is a work of art,” Jennifer adds. “A stylist’s price depends on their education, skill, number of years in their careers, continued education and keeping their tools and products up to date. Keep in mind when paying for a service and tipping a hairstylist, you are paying for their history, not just the service itself.”

And what about the washer or assistant who had a hand in the whole thing? “Tipping the washer or assistant is ultimately up to you, but $3-$10 is always helpful and appreciated,” says Jennifer. “Even though it may seem that the assistant or hair washer isn’t doing much in the scheme of things, their wages aren’t super high, mostly because they are barely getting hours. So, the assistants and hair washers really rely on their tips. Plus, they’re helping out the hairstylist a lot behind the scenes to ensure you have a calm, successful and happy appointment. If you know that they played a big role in making your hair fabulous (say, washing it or blowing it dry) consider tipping, so they know their work was appreciated.

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Tone It Up: DIY Avocado Hair and Face Mask

Published on by Lee5 Comments

Love reading articles from, Tone It Up! We’ll be sharing Tone It Up’s best fitness and healthy living tips. In today’s, Serena and Katrina will be showing you how to add shine to your hair and a glow to your skin with two of their favorite DIY mask recipes:

Hi everyone, it’s Katrina and Serena here from Tone It Up! Today we’re excited to be telling you about two DIY masks you can make for your hair and face. They are both so easy to make and for when you are in the mood for a relaxing evening at home. Plus, they will freshen up your pretty locks and clear your beautiful skin! The key ingredients in both of these masks are avocado and apple cider vinegar, both of which will make your hair shiny and soft and add a glow to your skin.

Here’s how to make them (be sure to pin the image below to remember it for later!)…

To recap, here’s how to make these masks:

Avocado Hair Mask

You will need:

  • 1 banana
  • 1 ripe avocado
  • 1 tsp olive oil

Instructions:

  1. Blend all the ingredients together and massage into your hair from roots to ends, covering thoroughly.
  2. Let sit for 30 minutes.
  3. Shampoo well, then rinse with apple cider vinegar.


Avocado Face Mask

You will need:

  • ½ ripe avocado
  • 1 tbsp of honey
  • 1 tsp of apple cider vinegar

Instructions:

  1. Blend the ingredients together or mash in a bowl.
  2. Apply to your face and leave on for 15 minutes. Focus on your breathing and relax while letting it set.
  3. Rinse off with cool water and a damp cloth.

We love the avocado in these masks because it helps to moisturize and rejuvenate your hair and skin. The healthy fats act as an all-natural and super hydrating moisturizer. And let’s not forget about the apple cider vinegar (one of our favorite elixirs). You might remember us talking about the benefits of apple cider vinegar here on BeautyLeeBar.com couple weeks ago. Not only is it good for your body, it’s great for your hair. It closes the cuticles, allowing your locks to lay flat for shinier hair that’s easy to style. It also acts as an astringent that clears your skin as well.

Now that you’ve read a bit about two of our favorite masks, we want to know…

Will you give our DIY avocado hair and face masks a try?

Let us know how they work for you in the comments below! And don’t forget to pin the image above so you will have it for later 🙂

XO Team BLB

P.S. If you liked this post, be sure to check out last week guest blog about apple cider vinegar by clicking here.

Ask Lee: How To Know If You’re Ready for the Chop

Published on by Lee2 Comments

As all of you know, I keep shaving off my hair. It was my first real haircut in years, so it was a big change. But I’ve got to say, I’m loving my short haircut so far! I’ve received a lot of compliments on my hair from followers, family members, and strangers. There have been a few messages on my Instagram asking me why I did it and how I felt before and after the chop. Today I wanted to address those questions in my latest Ask Lee post. Here are the things to consider before getting a major haircut…

Is everything else in your life stable?

I understand the instinct to chop your hair off right after a breakup or other major life change. But as nice as it is to start fresh, you’re also more likely to make a rash decision you’ll regret. So if you’re considering making a big change to your look, try to do it when everything else in your life is status quo.

To some, it might seem I woke up one morning and just shaved off my head but,  in reality, I thought about it for a least 2 weeks. Sometimes I do things without thinking and with my hair, I put a lot of thought into it. If you know me, you know growing up I hated getting trims. Always felt like they cut off too much. It was never a good time until now. I still don’t trust anyone with my hair but my aunt Jillie who went to cosmetology school and her specialty was haircuts shaved my head for me. After looking into my mirror, I knew I made the best decision for me. 

Can you take it slow?

When I told my hairstylist Jillie that I wanted a shave, she kept asking me am I sure. The reasons I wanted to shave off my hair was because I had dead ends and because I wanted to be free.

But I would suggest you cut a little bit off first and get used to playing with your new texture and length before really going for it. It will make the transition a lot easier and also gives you a chance to change your mind. 

Are you prepared for high maintenance?

It’s a big misconception that shorter hair is easier to care for. Yes, you might save a little time shampooing. But it takes more time to style shorter hair, and you will also have to get more frequent trims (every 4-6 weeks) to maintain your shortcut. I now wear wigs whenever I just want to switch it up or don’t feel like dealing with my short hair. 

But I will say, I’ve been using Curls, Elasta QP and Orshaircare for months now, maybe even for a year and my short hair has been easier to handle and to take care of especially when my hair is under those wigs. I now shave my own hair with Wahl Corded Color Pro Color Kit. The kit has everything I need and more, I feel like a real barber.

If you answered yes to all three questions, then you are ready for a short haircut!

I know it seems silly to put so much thought into getting a haircut, but as anyone who has ever had a bad haircut knows, it’s best to really be sure about these things! Plus, if you anything like me, then you will want to make sure you have the best barber and tools for your hair. Also, make sure you in the right frame of mind to make this type of big decision that can change your life forever.

Are you considering cutting your hair?

I hope my advice helped!

XO Lee