Ooh la la Lips!

A little over a year ago, the beauty world got a whole lot fancier. The legendary Shoe Designer, Christian Louboutin, launched a decadent range of lipsticks. The range includes sheer to matte formulas, and colors from classic nudes to bold reds. When I saw the packaging, my jaw dropped. I had never seen such a stunningly beautiful lipstick bullet in my life. They look like a beautiful blend of a pendant and a weapon. But, in a good way! The packaging is obviously a stunning home run, but what about the actual product? After all, this is a lipstick that retails for $90... yea, 90 buckaroos! That price tag scared me, shocker, but I was able to get my hands on a couple this past Spring. So, I gave them a spin.

Christian Louboutin Silky Satin Lip Colour in Tutulle

Christian Louboutin Silky Satin Lip Colour in Tutulle

I figured that if I was going to splurge on a lipstick, I should get a shade that I'd really use. So, I went with an everyday nude, Tutulle. Tutulle is a balanced, true nude with just a touch of pink. I don't even need to line my lips when I use this because it's so creamy and melds into your lips beautifully. The silky satin finish is creamy, and extremely comfortable to wear.

Tutulle is perfect, easy everyday nude.

Tutulle is perfect, easy everyday nude.

And, because sometimes I'm daring, I also picked up the famed Velvet Matte Lip Colour in Rouge Louboutin.

Christian Louboutin Velvet Matte Lip Colour in Rouge Louboutin

Christian Louboutin Velvet Matte Lip Colour in Rouge Louboutin

Hubba Hubba, am I right? This classic red shade mimics the iconic "red bottoms" of the Louboutin heels. This shade is a balanced red, in my opinion, meaning that it's not overly warm or cool. Which means that it can be flattering for most complexions. The velvet matte formula isn't drying at all, like a lot of matte lipsticks can be, and is actually quite creamy to apply. I would recommend wearing a liner with this shade and formula, because even though the velvety texture makes it comfortable to wear all day, you could notice a little bit of feathering toward the end of your day.

Velvet Matte Lip Colour in Rouge Louboutin

Velvet Matte Lip Colour in Rouge Louboutin

So, I'm sure you're asking yourself "But, are they really worth it?" And, the honest answer is... Yes. The quality of the packaging, and ingredients is superb. And, truthfully, I feel like a glam Boss Babe when I put either of them on. But, it's not a necessity, if you're not a lipstick junkie these may not be for you. However, if you're a makeup lover and are in the mood to "Treat yo Self" go for it! Makeup should be fun and make you feel bold and beautiful, and that's exactly what the Christian Louboutin Lip Colours do!

A Few of My Favorite Things

The month of April has not only brought some beautiful weather to North Carolina, but has also brought me a huge amount of creative and business inspiration. I wanted to share a few things that I've been loving this month that I've found motivating and, of course, a few makeup gems that I couldn't keep my hands off of.

My first favorite has to be British Vogue's YouTube series The Future of Fashion with Alexa Chung. This series explores the backbone of the business of fashion, and really shows the science behind the scenes of major fashion houses in the industry. It's a beautiful documentary that shows how important hard work is and that things don't actually happen over night. Success of any type takes time and hard work.

On a much lighter note, I have pulled out my In The Balm of Your Hand palette again. This palette is the perfect full face palette, it contains stunning shimmering eye shadows, blushes and a killer bronzer. My Third love for this month has to be the Too Faced Better Than Sex Waterproof mascara. I love the slightly hourglass shaped brush and the gorgeous volume that it gives my lashes without being clumptastic. It's the perfect mascara for the hot, humid days to come.

My last two favorites have to be these fabulous sunnies from Ray-Ban. I like the Erika style because its classic, but the slightly oversized shape gives them a little glamour.

As I stated in the beginning, I've found a lot of motivation creatively this month. One of the blogs that's helped with that is Career Girl Daily. This blog covers all of the bases for female entrepreneurs. Whether it's what to wear to an interview, tips for finding creative inspiration or how to wind down after a busy work week, they have you covered.

For more details on my favorite products for the month, check out our latest YouTube video!

Make today amazing!

~Shana

An Evening With Kate

One of my favorite bloggers and YouTube beauty guru's is Kate from The Small Things Blog. She's relatable, and loves sharing hairspiration, and yes, I'm making that a word. The icing on the cake was when I found out that she was based in Raleigh, N.C. I was so happy to see a local hairstylist sharing her knowledge and passion with the rest of us. Last year, she started offering hair styling classes in area salons. When Jamie, my co-worker, and I saw that she was offering an up-do class that fit into our schedules, we signed right up!  This was a perfect opportunity for some quality girl time and some new up-do ideas and tricks. After class, I was able to sit down with Kate and ask her a few questions on life, work and, of course, beauty.

Jamie, Kate and I after the class

Jamie, Kate and I after the class

My first question was "What inspires you creatively?" She humbly responded that she gets much of her inspiration from other creative types in the industry. She gains inspiration from what others are doing, not in a competitive manner, either. Kate truly appreciates that we all have different styles of doing hair and believes that we all benefit from sharing knowledge.

Kate wears many hats as an entrepreneur, blogger and mother, so I asked "How do you set aside time for your family?" She tries her hardest to stick to specific, set work hours, so that when she's not working she can be completely present during family time with her two busy boys and supportive husband. She believes that there is a bit of give and take when finding the right balance to work life and family. Which I'm sure many of you totally understand.

Some may assume that beauty guru's are full glam all of the time, but Kate is busy working mom, too. So, I asked her about her REAL beauty routine. Kate says a must for everyday is under-eye concealer and a cute fabric elastic to tie her hair up into an effortless ponytail. If she has a little more time she curls her lashes and adds a coat of mascara, a fresh lip color, a swipe of blush and a quick fill-in to the brows.

Those of us in the beauty industry naturally have an over-abundance of hair products, and you know what? We love each and every one of them. That's why I love asking people this: "You're on a desert island and you can bring 3 beauty products with you, what are they?" Kate would stay fresh and glam by bringing her Dior Addict Lip Glow in Coral, Benefit Roller Lash, and Kenra25 Hairspray.

Kate using Jamie as her model. Photo by Jordan Maunder

Kate using Jamie as her model. Photo by Jordan Maunder

I loved sitting down with Kate and being able to get to know her a little bit more. And, if you're able, I recommend signing up for one of her styling classes. She's a doll and a very patient educator. No matter your skill level, you'll learn so much and I know you'll love her style as much as I do!

Here are a few more pictures from our class at Parlor Dry Bar.

All of the ladies after our up-do class     Photo by Jordan Maunder

All of the ladies after our up-do class     Photo by Jordan Maunder

Parlor Dry Bar located in Lafayette Village

Parlor Dry Bar located in Lafayette Village

Kate with one of her gorgeous models, Jamie.

Kate with one of her gorgeous models, Jamie.

Ouai To Go, Jen!

As someone who stalks, I mean draws inspiration from, many celebrity hairstylists off Instagram and social media, Jen Atkin has been on my radar for quite a while. She has created stunning looks forChrissy Teigan, Lorde, Jennifer Lopez, and , of course, the Kardashian sisters. I've found her work so inspiring that when I heard she was launching her own product line I had to check it out.

The Ouai line, pronounced "way", is a perfect balance of cleansers, conditioners and practical finishing products.  When the line was launched, I had to try the Volume Shampoo and Conditioner, as well as, the Texturizing Hair Spray. The Volume Shampoo and Conditioner are superb for color-treated, fine strands like mine. My hair and scalp felt cleansed, but not depleted of moisture like most volumizing shampoos can leave your hair. The Volume Conditioner is the perfect companion for the shampoo because it doesn't just detangle, it adds moisture. That may sound a little scary to those with baby fine hair, but that moisture softened the hair, without effecting the hair's style longevity, or making your hair go flat and greasy by lunch. The icing on the cake for me was the scent of these two products... I know, I normally opt for fragrance free products. But, this one might have stolen my heart . It's not just clean, but it's not quite a perfume scent... It smells like rich-girl hair. You know what I mean, it's effortless, captivating, and high-end. I've also been enjoying the Texturizing Hair Spray. This styling spray gives subtle, buildable texture that doesn't weight the hair down. It's the perfect product for creating wearable, undone hair.

I'm #Ouai happy that I was able to try these gems from Jen's new line. It's a nicely curated line that makes styling your own hair effortless, yet makes you feel glamorous. All I have to say is "Ouai to go, Jen!"

Looking Back & Looking Forward

In 2015, I can safely say that I explored more makeup and hair products than ever before. I even dabbled in the world of laser skin treatments. What can I say, I'm a pretty wild lady. As I looked back on my top beauty picks for 2015, it was nice to see a few longtime loves were still in the mix. My Philosophy Purity face wash and MAC's Syrup were two of my first high end beauty products and they continue to be in my daily routine. It is nice to spice things up, though, and that's why I'm so glad that I discovered the Glo Minerals Liquid Ink Liner and the AG Hair Sterling Silver Shampoo and conditioner. The Liquid Ink Liner is an amazing long- wearing, satin finish eye liner that makes winged liner a breeze. I, also, went more cool-toned with my color this year by trying a demure version of "Granny", or grey hair. The Sterling Silver Shampoo and Conditioner helped moisturize and beautifully maintain the strong violet tone I was rocking. I loved it so much that I even brought it into the salon, because I knew that all of my blonde clients would love it, too. Its the most effective toning shampoo I've touched in years. For the full list of my Top 15 Beauty Products of 2015, check out the latest video on our YouTube Channel.

Going forward into 2016, I would like set a few beauty goals. The First is (1)to take off my eye makeup each night. I'm pretty good about removing my face makeup, but I often can't be bothered to remove my stubborn waterproof eye makeup. As I get closer to 30, and fine lines are presenting themselves each minute, I know it will help dramatically just by adding this step into my nightly routine. (2) The Second goal is to use up products before repurchasing a similar one. This will help me to not be wasteful, and maybe save a little cash by asking myself " Do I need this?" (3) My Third goal is to take a little better care of my skin by doing a weekly at-home spa routine. I want to use a purifying mask to purge the nastiness out of my pores, and then follow it with something super nourishing, like a hydrating sheet mask. What are your Beauty Goals for 2016?

The beginning of something new...

The concept of something "new" can evoke an array of emotions.  A new pair of shoes can be so exciting that you create an outing to wear them to.  A new friend can make you laugh and warm your soul.  On the other hand, a new position at work could create a little anxiety and stress.  In either case, something new is an opportunity for change and even adventure.

Here at TheHueLifestyle.com I'm excited about exploring this new adventure.  After standing behind the chair as a hairstylist and makeup artist for over 10 years, it's time for a little change.  I love helping my clients learn to recreate styles for themselves.  I love when I'm able to help a client find a product that makes them fall in love with their hair again, or make their morning routine just a little bit easier.

TheHueLifestyle.com was developed to help clients of Salon Hue, and virtual clients around the world, with their hair needs.  I wanted to create a one-stop shop where you can learn about products and techniques and be able to purchase the perfect kit of products for your needs.  And hopefully you'll find some inspiration for something "new" in your life too.

And that brings us to where we are now, the beginning of something amazing and new.  TheHueLifestyle.com... it's not just great hair, it's a lifestyle.

August 2015 Favorites!

Want to know what products we're loving in the salon right now?  Check out our August 2015 favorites video and see!

Plus, we're doing a product give-away!  Just subscribe to our YouTube channel and like @salonhue on Instagram for your chance to win a prize pack of products from Alterna's Bamboo line.