The word LOVE sometimes gets tossed around so easily -  yet it always holds so much power.  Even though it may vary in degrees of satisfaction from “I love my hair” to being the three most important words you express to someone, it always holds the same potency.

Some my argue that the word love has become too generic, because we use the word on an everyday basis as part of our pop culture.   However, we all know that “I love those shoes” can never equate to a statement like  “I love you.”

My feeling is we all need some type of love in our life , whether it be a tangible item, a best friend or your soul mate.  I am happy when my clients say they love their hair,  thrilled when my daughter tells me she loves me and smile every time  my spouse says “I love you.”  So work the word LOVE into your vernacular as often as you can.  Feel the power of the word and smile when you say it or it’s said to you.

If we examined our lives,  we might find that we don’t pay enough attention to our personal happiness as we do to the happiness of those around us.  If we feel that the way we look plays an integral part in our self esteem, why then don’t we break out of the mold from last year?  Maybe introduce a new color in our wardrobe -  this year the “in” color is purple!  A shot of deep, dark purple/violet can be sexy and if it is a light purple/grape can reflect fun.  Sometimes do something different can shake off the cobwebs of last year.  Start anew with a fresh style, a different color or work in a few highlights.

My personal goals are to lighten up,  both literally and figuratively. . .  I’ve added some extra girth, but hey more to love.  Mentally, laugh more and always be the person I am with my daughter.  Plus, now that Crowned Studio is blossoming into the salon I’ve always envisioned; I may take some time off, possibly some long weekends or maybe a even week off to travel with my family.

I wish you all a happy New Year and some personal time for reflection.  Find your own voice and live life the way you really want!

What we do have is plenty of beautiful sunshine, heat and on very rare occasions a bit of humidity! We protect our skin with sunscreen, but seldom do people add a layer of protection to their hair. During these summer days, hair loses natural moisture with the heat. Chlorine and sea salt also have an adverse affect on hair. Basically, summer tends to dry out our hair causing split ends and dulling color.

All these summer hair woes can be easily avoided by ‘Summerizing’ your hair!

- Our stylists recommend 4 to 6 weeks in between cuts and color depending on your hair type. By shortening the time in between visits, even by one week it will give your stylist the opportunity to address splint ends and refresh your color.

- In between visits there are ways to protect your hair. Our hair requires products that have UV protection and add moisture. Even if you don’t color your hair, having a products with SPF protection helps both your natural color and scalp. Adding moisture back to the hair is vital in reducing brittle hair and breakage. Ask your stylist for recommendations on the right type of product for you.

If your tresses have already been lashed by summer, Crowned Studio is proud to introduce our new professional treatment system. Designed to repair, moisturize and add shine! We also have a treatment to give volume to fine or limp hair. We know summer is relentless to our hair, which is why we are introducing our professional treatment system at half price, $25*. Sit back, relax with a scalp massage while your locks are transformed back to their original beauty!

*Regular price is $50 per professional salon treatment. For a limited time these treatments are $25.

POWER HOUR

-The first thing we did was take out those old florescent bulbs in our ceiling fixtures and replace them energy efficient ones! Plus, we didn’t just throw those old ones out back, we recycled them. To find out the best place to recycle your old fluorescents visit Earth911.

-From the start we only used ENERGY STAR® qualified bulbs in our chandeliers. They not only last longer but use 75% less energy.

-All salons need a washer and dryer, this keeps everything sanitary, the towels, the smocks and etc. We couldn’t think of any better way to be green than with the front-load ENERGY STAR® compliant Washer and Dryer. The washer uses 66% less water and 82% less energy. We did our research and decided on a gas dryer, which can be up to 50% more efficient than an electric dryer. Plus, we opted for one with temperature and moisture control which can yield an additional conservation of up to 15%.

RECYCLE

-YES WE DO! We recycle everything we can – paper, bottles, cans and some plastics! Furthermore, we had a professional water filtration system installed in the refrigerator in order to reduce our consumption of plastic bottles.

-Our Kevin Murphy® line of products features a bottle or tube that can be recycled, we encourage you to recycle those bottles after use! Kevin Murphy, an Australian owned company, believes in reducing global pollution. A key part of their business is focusing on how to “find cleaner, more sustainable methods of doing business.”

We are not stopping here, at Crowned Studio we are constantly exploring ways to become greener. As we make changes and improvements, we’ll be sure to update you!

Studies have shown that the way you look has a direct impact on how you feel, so it is only natural that we spend money on the things that we deem give us the look we want. The question becomes, what yields the value for your dollar? The answer is your hair.

If you have $150 to spend new shoes and you wore those shoes everyday of the week for six weeks then the cost per day would work out to approx $10.71. Now, let’s say you wear them every day except for weekends the price jumps to $15.51 per day.

If you take that same $150 and have your hair done over that same six week period it works out to be $3.57 a day that’s cheaper than a venti latte! Why? Because your hair is a round-the-clock accessory, it’s the only one that goes with every outfit and works for any occasion.

A few other ways we’d never cut corners¦

Airplane travel - Let the crew have time off to sleep. Two international flights in a day…no thanks!

Deodorant – Need we say more?

Plastic surgery – We’ve all seen what a budget face lift looks like!

Hair Plugs – If you can only afford 10…skip it.

Tattoo – It’s a permanent marking. Don’t haggle the guy or gal.

Shampoo and Conditioner – Cheap hair products often have the same detergents as dish soap and typically are not as concentrated as professional products. In the longer run, you can use less of a professional product and have your hair in better condition.