TIPS Nail Bar takes on Toronto's West End!

East end girls needing their manicure fix don't need to hoof it to the east end anymore - TIPS Nail Bar has just opened a west end location at 1243 Dundas Street West!

Owner Leeanne Colley has done good with the new location - all sleek and funky with black and white decor and a very fun feature - Toronto's first permanent "Mani-Cam" so you can snap a pic of your amazing new manicure and e-mail it to yourself or anyone else you want to make jealous! You can see it in the middle picture above along with my mani-cam snap on the left as well as a close up of my cherry blossom nail art on the right.

The TIPS girls never disappoint - from a simple polish change to complicated nail art they can turn a vague explanation of what you think you want into exactly what you had in mind - and don't worry if you have a fave nail artist at the Danforth location but prefer the new Dundas shop - the artists will be rotating between locations so you will still see their friendly faces in the new space!

Make an appointment for your spring mani or any of their other services that include facials, microblading and waxing at 416-405-8477 or online at tipsnailbar.ca.

- Lisamarie -

Brow customized just for you with Ritual browWOW!

If your brows haven't been wowed lately, then are they ever missing out on something! Luckily this oversight is easily remedied at Ritual Hair Skin Beauty on King Street West in Toronto:

Ritual browWOW - $30 - is bespoke eyebrow tailoring involving waxing, threading, tweezing and tinting to achieve a precise shape that maintains brow fullness and fully complements your face and features.

For some extra WOW, you can add on a Microcurrent Brow Lift for $15 - performed with the Nuface hand held device and emits a low level electrical current which lifts and tones the muscles in the forehad an brow while stimulating collagen and elastin production in the skin. Results are immediate and cumulative and you can expect them to last a couple of days for one treatment - so a great thing to have right before a special event!

The service is completed with the Beauty by Ritual browWow Palette to enhance and highlight the brows and includes 3 products including: a brow enhancing powder in a choice of 5 shades - to fill in any sparse areas of the brows and accent the shape; a cream highlighter - is applied under the brow bone and helps the defined shape of the brows pop; and a shimmer accent shadow - can be applied over the highlighter cream and in the inner corners of the eyelids to make eyes glow.

Claudia had a go at my brows:

Here they are before...

and here they are after, they don't look crazy different, just fuller, better defined and more polished! The chestnut tint she used is perfect with just a touch of red in it so they match up with my hair.

You'll find Ritual Hair Skin Beauty at 789 King Street West in Toronto - 416-306-0040 - www.ritual.ca.

- Lisamarie -

Schwarzkopf Professional Igora Royal offers high definition colour!

Schwarzkopf Professional Igora Royal offers true colour in high definition with great coverage, ultimate colour intensity and excellent durability under any styling conditions. It delivers 100% reliable results in every situation, meaning: true, vibrant and lasting colour - even on damaged hair. The updated Igora Royal assortment includes 111 exciting new shades which means there isn't a colour you can think of that it can't deliver!

I was recently had the opportunity to try Igora Royal myself with the help of Schwarzkopf Professional Essential Looks Artist, Joey Marchese who changed my drab and faded copper into a rich and vibrant medium auburn!

What makes it different then some salon colours - there is absolutely no scalp burning, stinging or tingling and although I had a bit of a cold so can't confirm this for sure, I'm told there is no harsh smell - and since the colouring did not clear out my sinuses the way I would normally expect it to, I have to believe it!

And check out the results:

I especially love all the dimension my new colour has - this is strictly a one step process - no highlights were added!

You can get your own Igora Royal colour in all Schwarzkopf Professional partner salons - for more info or to find one visit www.schwarzkopf-professional.ca and if you're in Toronto you can find Joey at the Bob + Paige Salon at 239 Danforth Avenue - 416-850-9719.

- Lisamarie -

Treat your dry, winter-weary hair to a mask from Goldwell!

Winter is finally over (knock on wood) and I don't know about you, but my hair is showing the effects of this long, cold season!

So when I was recently asked to come in to The Colour Room in Toronto's Bloor West Village to check out some new Goldwell products and treat my dry, winter-ravaged tresses, you didn't have to ask me twice!

If there's anything better in the world then a scalp massage, I don't know what it is! If you could see my face in this picture - that is what bliss looks like! Marlene has magical fingers I could have sat there all day!

The nice thing about the Goldwell Dualsenses 60sec Treatments is that - well they only need to stay on for a minute so if you are pressed for time you can still use it during your shower but if you have more time apply it and pop a shower cap or plastic bag over your head to help it heat up and soak in - when you rinse it off your hair will feel like silk - take that Old Man Winter!

Once Marlene had blow dried and styled my hair you wouldn't have known it was the same head of hair I came in with - it was super-soft, sleek looking and so shiny!

Goldwell Dualsenses Rich Repair 60 Sec Treatment - 200ml - $18.95 - adds healthy shine and silky smoothness to dry, damaged or stressed hair with a repair system including Pashmina Silk Proteins and an instant microfluid technology.

If you're in Toronto be sure to check out The Colour Room and get your own deep conditioning mask and head massage or avail yourself of any of their other services including styling suited specifically for each client. You'll find them at 14 Jane Street in Toronto - 416-762-6814 - www.thecolourroom.ca.

Available at The Colour Room and wherever Goldwell products are sold - check out www.goldwell-northamerica.com to find a salon near you.

- Lisamarie -

Kérastase offers new products for a salon experience you can have at home!

Fans of Elixir Ultime Serum will be thrilled to know that Kérastase has expanded the brand and added a couple of new products to complement it:

Elixir Ultime Sublime Cleansing Oil Shampoo - 250ml - $40 - a silicone and paraben free cleanser for hair that feels rich to the touch and incomparably light.

Elixir Ultime Beautifying Oil Mask - 200ml - $58 - offers a deep infusion of precious oils and lipidic compounds for extra nourishment resulting in incredible softness and shine.

They both contain the Oléo-Complexe - a unique combination of corn germ, camellia, argan and pracaxi oils that offer protection, nutrition, shine and resistance for your hair.

And if you really want to boost the effects - mix a pump or two of Elixir Ultime Serum to your mask before applying...

Elixir Ultime Serum - 125ml - $52 - the luxury conditioning hair oil comes in 4 different types: All Hair Types - for hair that is protected shiny and smooth; Fine and Sensitised Hair - for hair that feels delicately nourished and shiny; Colour Treated Hair - for hair that is glossy and radiant; and Damaged Hair - for hair that is replenished and beautifully conditioned.

Of course seeing is believing so feast your eyes on the results of mixing the mask and the serum - I went with the one for colour treated hair. Just mix and leave on for 10 minutes and voila...

The touch-o-vision is broken so you'll have to take my word on soft, but this does show you smooth and shiny!

It's easy enough to do yourself at home but I will admit that the fine folks at the One To One Studio in Toronto took care of it for me this time. If you haven't checked them out you really need to. Their wash stations have these big reclining chairs that vibrate - I could have my hair washed all day in one of those!

If you want a chance to sit in the vibrating chair and have your own Kérastase Treatment ($35) you'll find One To One Studio at 506 Eglinton Avenue West, Toronto - 416-483-1212 - www.one2onestudio.ca.

You can also pick up your Kérastase products there or at any other participating salon.

- Lisamarie -

Test Driving Goldwell Salon Colour at Salon M Squared!

As a (fake) redhead I'm well versed in colour - red fades fast and needs to be redone often. On occasion I get it done at the salon but most of the time I just do it myself at home and I've never thought much about the difference between home and salon colour.

All that has changed after a pampering visit to Salon M Squared for a cut and Goldwell colour and I'll tell you what the big difference between home and salon colouring is besides the actual colour - the consultation! When you go to the drugstore, if you're lucky you get a cosmetician who knows what she's talking about when it comes to hair colour but sadly, most of the time they just seem to be reading the boxes too and even if they do know colour, there is a limitation to shade choices and unless you're really skilled and don't mind picking up a few boxes to frankenstein yourself then the pickings are slim - especially with reds!

At my Salon M Squared visit, I lucked out and received my consultation from the incredibly knowledgeable Mary Minaudo who is a Field Education Manager for Goldwell - who took into account my natural hair colour, eye and skin colour and what sort of shade result I wanted in order to pick something that was tailored just to me!

I could bla, bla, bla all day about it but seeing really is believing, a picture is worth a thousand words and what ever other situation appropriate cliche you can think of...

This is the Goldwell Colour and I am so happy with the result - she did a brighter copper on top and then darkened the colour towards the bottom to give it some depth as well as adding some strawberry blonde highlights in the bangs to brighten up my face! Together with the chic little bob that my stylist Halina gave me, I look perfectly polished!

And here are the pics from the last time that I did home colour - I dumped a box of colour on my head and crossed my fingers that the colour would come out close to what it showed on the box. At the time I thought the colour was pretty good but comparing it to the salon colour, there's no contest - and of course the salon did a much better styling job!

I know what you're going to say, it's much cheaper to colour from a box then it is to have it done professionally and I can't argue that - and until I win the lottery I certainly can't afford to have someone do my hair every month but I do think I'm going to try to have it done professionally every few months and then I can touch up the colour myself at home - having a pro base should give me much better home results!

I should also share with you the products that Halina picked for my fine, volume-challenged hair: KMS California Add Volume Styling Foam to add body to my hair and KMS California Hair Play Dry Wax to add a bit of texture and definition to my layers. I have never used a spray wax before and it's amazing! Not at all sticky or heavy and you don't have to get your hands all gunky to use it!

 If you are looking for someplace hip and friendly in Toronto for Goldwell colour and/or a cut or to pick up your KMS California products, I totally recommend the highly regarded Contessa Award winner Salon M Squared - 186 Wilson Avenue in Toronto - 647-346-6454 - www.salonmsquared.ca.

- Lisamarie -

Beautylicious makes Yorkville just a little more wonderful!

Toronto spa lovers, It's almost Beautylicious time again and this year, it's bigger and better than ever!

For those not familiar with what it is, many of the salons and spas in the Bloor-Yorkville area offer consumers set value-priced packages and services for a set period of time. There is a wide array of hair, spa, skin and health & wellness service packages available at four set prices - $30, $50, $75 and $125 in four categories: hair (hair/colour/cut/style); spa (includes massage and/or facial and/or mani/pedi); skin (non-invasive procedures including Botox, Restylane or chemical peel); and Health & Wellness (nutrition services, dental, chiropractic services)

There are too many packages for me to even begin to tell you about but you can find all the event info at www.bloor-yorkville.com with details of all the participating spas and salons as well as the packages available.  But I will share with you a few of the ones I have my eye on as well as a few that I have tried already and can recommend:

Avenue Skin Care - 110 Cumberland Street, Suite 200 - 416-962-3351 is offering $50 Microdermabrasion followed by a mud mask - instant radiance! Read all about it here.

Happy Foot Spa - 70 Yorkville Avenue, Unit LR4 - 416-962-1500 has a $75 Reflexology and Back Massage deal - revel in my pain and pleasure here. 

Skin Vitality - 11 Yorkville Avenue - 416-969-9669 is offering $125 Fraxel, a non-surgical skin resurfacing procedure which helps correct wrinkles, pigment, acne and surgical scars as well as improving tone and texture - you can read all about my fun with Fraxel here.

Jeanet Spa & Salon - 140 Yorkville Avenue, 2nd Floor - 416-921-2996 has a $75 Oriental Body Glow which sounds awesome - I tried the Enviro-Recovery Vitamin Infused Facial last year and it was great! You can read about it here.

Marc Anthony Salon - 38 Avenue Road - 416-413-1521 has an amazing $125 offering of an all-over colour, deep conditioning treatment, haircut and style (for new clients only).  You can read about my haircut there with Byron here.

Taz Hair Co. - 11 Yorkville Avenue - 416-922-6060 has a great $75 or $125 package involving colour and/or highlights - snag Susan if you can, she's great and they use the INOA colour there which has to be experienced to be believed!  You can read my review here.

Pure + Simple - 41 Avenue Road - 416-924-6555 - is offering a Deluxe Aquabrasion Facial for $125 - I've had the deluxe sea salt microdermabrasion which is wonderful so I'm intrigued by this!  You can read the review here.

and don't miss out on seeing Dr. Cory Torgerson - Facial Cosmetic Surgery - 70 Yorkville Avenue, Suite 31 - 647-343-0207 - who has special promotional prices on Botox. As well he is offering a complimentary consultation and 3D photo image session - check out what you could look like after a bit (or a lot) of work!  I did it and it was fun, you can check out the post here.

What I also think sounds interesting :

Esthetics of Lara - 112 Cumberland Street, Suite 202 - 416-927-7227 - has a Liquid Gold Anti-Aging Facial for $75 - how can you pass up a gold facial for heavens sake?!

OxyBeauty - 14A Hazelton Avenue, Suite 304 - 416-929-4597 - has an OXYjet Intact Perfect Lip Filler Treatment with intensively nurturing concentrate for beautiful full lips for $50 and who doesn't want that?!

Robin Barker Hair'Sociates - 84 Yorkville Avenue, 3rd Floor - 416-960-5545 - $30 will score you a wonderful massaging shampoo, deep conditioning treatment and blow-dry with a salon stylist - they had me at massaging!

Check it out at www.bloor-yorkville.com  and if you're going to book, do it soon, they book up fast and it only runs October 25-November 4!

- Lisamarie -

Find your Blyss and Exit bad hair in Yorkville!

Two great Yorkville salons - Exit and Blyss have joined forces to form a powerhouse alliance and bring fabulous hair to Torontonians! After 10 years of running the busy Exit Salon, Rob Pizzuti decided to take his colour expertise and the best of his staff and join up with Blyss Salon owners Angie Trovao and Lesley Kernan at the existing Blyss Salon location.

I recently had a chance to visit the newly expanded salon - which I was expecting to have that swank and somewhat stuffy feel that Yorkville salons tend to have but instead found something that would have been just at home on trendy Queen Street West with just a dash of swank thrown in so you knew you were still in Yorkville!

I met with one of the owners, Lesley for a cut and she made it an entirely painless experience for me. I'm a bit of a wimp when it comes to my hair - I've had so many bad haircuts that new places tend to be an ordeal for me. Note to all hairdressers out there: a new client is not the time to demonstrate the wonders of a pixie cut on her shoulder length hair or prove that perms really are coming back!

Lesley wowed me an improved version of the cut I already had and had said that I liked but as an added bonus, the most awesome bang trim that I have ever experienced. I like my bangs thick and perfectly straight which seems to be an impossible task judging from the number of times this actually happens, but not for her! In less then 40 minutes I was out the door with perfectly shorn, shiny and healthy looking hair - it's my understanding that Rob does fabulous colour so he will need to be my next visit!

While you're there, be sure to also check out their haircare line of choice - Davines - an Italian line that smells divine!

Have your own Blyss-ful experience at25 Bellair Street in Toronto - call 416-921-7860 to set it up and you can visit their website at www.blysssalon.com.

- Lisamarie -

Pretty In The City Lash & Beauty Bar has something new that will allow you to throw out your eyelash curler!

I've had lots of different treatments in the name of beauty but before Pretty In The City, I'd never even heard of a lash lift before - I mean there are a lot of things that I expect I will have lifted in the future - my boobs, my butt, my face, even my spirits but I never even considered lifting my lashes!

You aren't totally out of it if you haven't heard of this treatment either - it's popular in the UK but a new thing in Canada and I don't expect it will remain a secret for long!

Since I'm always game to try something new I headed to Pretty In The City last week to have my lashes lifted by the lovely Ana.

The Lash Lift isn't like traditional eyelash perms which use sponge rods and curl the lashes backwards and have the downside of possibly creating inconsistent curls or can make your lashes look short and stubby, instead lashes are lifted upwards creating illusion of longer lashes which opens up the eyes dramatically giving you a wide-eye look.

Here's their promo before/after shot:

The treatment itself wasn't the least bit uncomfortable - a silicone pad was used to lift each lash individually. The solution used is similar to a traditional perm solution so it doesn't smell the greatest but they give you a mask to block out most of the smell so the whole procedure is very tolerable, takes about an hour and will set you back $65.

One thing to note if you have blonde tipped lashes like me - I was told at first  that I wouldn't have good results with the lift because my lashes are too short - of course they aren't short just really light so I made her take a second look - this would have been a good reason to have the tint first!

They recommend that along with the lift you have your lashes tinted which can be done 2 days before or after the lift (the lift and tint are $80 or $25 for just the tint). If I had been smart I would have gotten the tint first so you would be able to see my lashes in the before pic and have gotten the full lift effect in the after - but I'm not that smart so I pulled a before pic from one of my Mascara Monday posts.

 And below is after the lift and the tint:

Pretty awesome right? For the next 4-6 weeks I can look forward to extra time in the morning because unless I want a more dramatic look, I can totally skip mascara!

Pretty In The City also offer lots of other services including Eyelash Extensions, Brows, Waxing, Manicures, Pedicures and Makeup Applications. Find more info at www.prettyinthecity.ca or book an appointment at 416-482-8688. You'll find them at 2369 Yonge Street, 2nd Floor in Toronto.

- Lisamarie -

Test Driving Kérastase Ritual Treatments!

Go ahead, admire my soft, fluffy hair! Intrigued about how I got it? Then read on...

In the past few weeks I've made a couple visits to the Solo Bace Salon at 860 Yonge Street in Toronto for a Kérastase Ritual Treatment. If you've never heard of  it, it's a dual-action 10 minute treatment that works deep down in the hair fibre and scalp. If you're an instant gratification kind of person then you will like the amazing results achieved in such a short space of time!

What results will you achieve? Well they will actually be very individualized to your own particular hair needs/problems, when you go in for your treatment they will assess what it is your hair needs - the more damaged your hair the more often they recommend you come in until it is looking/feeling healthy again - after that you should get a in-salon treatment once a month or every time you visit your hairdresser for a cut as well as use the line of at-home products to help keep up the results.

My treatment consisted of a wash, then a strengthening treatment was sprayed into my hair and left for 3 minutes followed by a masque that was left in for 7 minutes. Honestly though the best part is what happens while the treatments are sitting in your hair - can you say head massage - only my 2 favourite words in the English language! While waiting, or maybe even to help the product penetrate, I was treated to the most amazing and relaxing head massage - the kind that I could have fallen asleep to - heaven! After the masque they rinsed me off and after a blow out by the lovely Shaareen, I was left with the soft, silky, shiny flippy hair that you can see in the first and this pic.

Speaking of which, these photos were taken by the very talented Josh Fee - you can check out his work at JoshFeePhotography.com  - he also does weddings and when asked will tell you horrifying stories of weddings gone very, very wrong!

Here are some of the at-home products available to help enhance the results of the spa treatment:

Kérastase Résistance Bain de Force - 250ml - $36 - reinforcing and resurfacing shampoo for weakened and damaged hair that reinforces the hair and resurfaces the outer layer of the fibre with a protective film.

Ciment Anti-Usure - 200ml - $44 - reinforcing and resurfacing treatment for damaged lengths and ends to fortify the hair's internal structure and resuface the external layer of the fibre.

Fibre Architecte Renovating Dual Serum - 30ml - $44 - a leave-in serum that helps repair very damaged hair and split ends

Masque Force Architecte - 200ml - $57 - a reconstructing masque for brittle, very damaged hair and split ends.

Double Force Multi-Protective Spray - 300ml - $36 - helps protect weakened hair from climate-specific factors as well as provides a controlled hold.

And my particular favourite:


Elixir Ultime - 125ml - $50 - good for all hair types it contains a combination of camellia, argan, maize and pracaxi oils to give you hair that is nourished, protected and enhanced and leaves it feeling light, soft and supple with incredible shine. I have become a big fan of hair oils recently and this is one of the best ones I've tried - I have fine hair so I have to be careful not to use anything too heavy or my hair just ends up looking greasy. This one is light, smells amazing and leaves my hair soft and shiny!

Book your own Kérastase Ritual Treatment at the Solo Bace Salon at 416-962-4250 - the nicest part other than the healthy hair that will result is the price won't break the bank, it's only $26 a treatment. Of course if you're feeling flush, you can treat yourself to a more intensive Kérastase Kerathermie Treatment that lasts about an hour and will set you back $135.

You can also go to http://www.kerastase.com/sites/_en/_ca/store/salon-locator.aspx to find other salons in Canada that offer the treatment.

Feel free to pet me the next time you see me, you know you want to!

- Lisamarie -

Schwarzkopf Essensity helps me celebrate International Women's Day in style (and comfort)!

If there's anything better then spending a few hours at the salon being beautified, I can't think of what it might be! Two weeks ago, I had the great pleasure of hanging out in Yorkville at the Tony Chaar Salon and being one of the first to enjoy the fruits of the relaunch of Essensity Colour from Schwarzkopf Professional.  If you are a regular colour user who is so over the smell and burning you need to check it out - 0 smell, 0 pain, 0 ammonia and 100% grey coverage! Better still, it actually contains  90% naturally derived ingredients!

If you like the scientific crap, here it is: The uniqueness of ESSENSITY Colour is in its innovative patent-pending technology. Changing a natural hair colour to a different shade relies on the oxidative reaction of hydrogen peroxide on the natural melanin pigment. Rather than using ammonia to lift out the natural pigment to make room for the new one, ESSENSITY is powered by AMEA Technology. AMEA stands for the synergistic combination of two very gentle alkalizing agents: Aminomethylpropanol and Monoethanolamine. By combining these two gentle alkalizing agents, AMEA technology is able to breakdown the natural melansome layer, making the melanin pigments susceptible to hydrogen peroxide. Although the lifting power of AMEA is not as strong as ammonia, the lifting power is impressive and it's done in a gentle way, ensuring a vibrant colour every time. In addition, ESSENSITY colour delivers superb colour performance and leaves the hair shiny and in great condition.

So why have I waited 2 weeks to tell you all about it if it's that wonderful? Well, first I wanted to see how much it would fade before I decided how I really felt about it  - and red is the perfect test for this as it fades the quickest of all the colours!  After 2 weeks I am happy to say that while there is some fading - the tone is slightly lighter and the colour is not quite as vibrant as it was to begin with, it's still plenty red so I'm happy!  I also want to mention my lovely hairdresser for the day at Tony Chaar - Fouad - he gave me exactly the colour I asked for even improving on it a bit by adding a little violet to the mix.  Apparently when you add violet to red it will fade more brown then orange - who knew?! Fouad also gave me the cutest little cut - which I am fondly calling my hot Asian chick look - even if he did try to insist that I'm not edgy enough for the cut - that's what you know Fouad - I am too edgy(ish)!
Schwarzkopf also added some new products to the Essensity line:

Essensity Colour Shampoo - $16.25, Colour Conditioner - $17.25 and Leave-in Mask - $24.75 - are formulated to seal in colour vibrancy and to ensure a healthy and radiant shine.  They contain: Acai - know for providing a rich combination of vitamins, proteins, sugars and anti-inflammatory properties; and Fire Tulip - known for having anti-oxidant, astringent, soothing and anti-bacterial properties.

The stand out product for me is the:
Natural Shine Serum - $21.25 - a feather-light serum that gives a natural velvet shine to the hair surface.  Smoothes the hair while leaving it feeling naturally soft and touchable.  Tames and controls frizzy and flyaway hair without weighing down even the finest of hair and is formulated with natural UV-filters, which provide additional protection.  Contains: Sesame Oil - known for a high content of Vitamins A,B and E and Calcium.Both nourishing and smoothing, it contains a natural antioxidant system that can significantly reduce the rate of oxidation and increases longevity of the colour.  Also acts as an anti-humectant which prevents the hair from absorbing moisture from the atmosphere; and Linseed Oil - known for being a rich source of Vitamins A, E and F (an essential fatty acid) which helps improve the quality of hair.

The products are all 100% free from artificial fragrances, colorants, silicones, PEG's, paraffin/mineral oils and parabens.

You can check out the website to find a salon near you that carries the line:
http://www.schwarzkopf-professional.ca/  and if you're Toronto feel free to go see my friends at Tony Chaar Salon - 11 Hazelton Avenue, Unit 9, Toronto - 416-920-9965 - tell them the very edgy Lisamarie sent you!

- Edgy Lisamarie -

Relax on Avenue Road at Marc Anthony Salon and Pure + Simple Spa!

Is there anything better then a day of pampering?  I can't think of anything so last Saturday I spent the day in Yorkville going from salon to spa, it's a rough life but someone has to do it!

First stop was the Mark Anthony Salon at 38 Avenue Road - it looks exactly the way I would imagine a trendy Yorkville salon should look: white and polished with glass and chic people everywhere!

I filled out a form, was offered a drink, a complimentary manicure and then it was off to meet the person who would have my life (okay fine, hair) in his hands...

The very charming Byron was my stylist - he sat me down to have a look at my hair and chat about what I was looking for and then he sent me off with Silva to get washed - and all I can say is OMG!  There has only ever been one other place where I have had such a great shampoo (a little Asian place in Markham where nobody spoke English and I finally had to stop going to because we didn't understand a single word the other one was saying and I kept ending up with weird haircuts because of it, but damn, I miss those shampoos!) Silva used the perfect amount of pressure, gave the most wonderful scalp massage and didn't get any part of my body wet that wasn't supposed to be!  It was also quite luxurious because while I was being washed, Mizuki the manicurist was doing my nails, and continued to work on them during the cut - that's what I imagine it's like to be rich, you just laze around while teams of people work on you!

So here's my issue with hairdressers, and I've had this problem constantly since moving to Toronto - you go, they ask you what you want and 75% of the time you leave with something entirely different then what you asked for.  I think the problem is they either don't listen, don't understand, can't do what you want or are drunk.  Options 1 and 2 are most likely but I won't discount option 4 in a couple of instances...  For this reason my favourite part of my cut with Byron was he really listened - I told him that I needed a cut that was low maintenance and didn't require any styling to look okay and that's exactly what I got - it's almost disappointing how well he listened because he didn't even style it fancy like they usually do at the salon, you know the style you can never replicate yourself at home?  I both hate and love that they do that!  The other great thing is that the styling product that he used was the same as the Marc Anthony products that you can buy at the drugstore, which is nice because then no one is hitting you up to buy fancy products when you are done! 

If you are shopping for a new hairdresser, I would totally recommend Byron, not only is he a good stylist, he's cute, he's straight and he flirts (not that there is anything wrong with gay hairdressers but flirting with them is like giving a blind man a subscription to Playboy - it's a nice thought but it's pointless).

Hair cuts for women start at $65 or $45 for men, colour starts at $70 and I was very interested to notice that they offer INOA for a $10 service charge.  They also offer extensions, highlights, perms, a blow dry club where you can purchase a package of blow outs for a reduced price, formal up-dos as well as bridal services.  You can get the full price list and info at www.markanthony.com  and if you're more of an uptown girl, Mark Anthony has another location at 1918 Avenue Road - 416-789-1212.

You can contact the downtown salon at 416-413-1521.

Then it was across the street to 41 Avenue Road to be pampered at Pure + Simple which is totally serene and relaxing inside and of course it smells amazing, just the way a spa should!

I was there to have the deluxe sea salt microdermabrasion.  I have never had it before but knew it was good for refining your skin, reducing the appearance of fine lines, pores, scars and pigmentation. My esthetician was Tahlia and she assured me it wouldn't hurt - which it didn't, it's an unusual sensation, a combination of light suction and a cat licking your face! Along with the micro, there is also a more traditional facial with cleansing, steaming, extractions, lotions, potions and my favourite part - facial massage!  Tahlia was great, even the extractions didn't hurt and most importantly, she did them by hand, not with something metal (which you should never let them do during a facial - fingers only)!  By the end I felt thoroughly cleansed, refreshed and relaxed.  And here's the really great part - my skin looked terrible the day I went, I was all broken out on my chin and around my mouth - by the next day I had started to clear up and within 4 days, my skin was beautifully clear.  Tahlia did warn me that I might see some flakiness right afterwards, which I did, and now that it's a week later, my skin really does look great - I will most certainly be going to have another treatment.  Some places recommend you have a series of treatments a couple of weeks apart but Tahlia recommended it be done once a month.

Once you are done your treatment, you can check out their Aladdin's cave (room) of products - Pure + Simple has their own line (made right here in Toronto) and an extensive line it is!  Every product for every skin type/issue you could think of, it probably has!  They also carry lots of other lines including: Dr. Hauschka, Jurlique, Jane Iredale Mineral MakeUp and Kiss Me.  Better yet, they will make you a sample of anything you want to take home and try!  Right now I am totally in love with the Pure + Simple Collagen + elastin Serum, it goes on silky smooth and makes my skin feel that way too!

As well as the microdermabrasion, Pure + Simple also offers facials, Intense Pulse Light Photo Facials, LED Light Treatments, LumiLift Facials, Skin Renewing Peels, Intense Pulse Light Hair Removal and waxing.

They also have 3 other locations if you aren't a downtown girl:  2375 Yonge Street - 416-481-2081; 725 King Street W - 416-366-8558 or 348 Lakeshore Rd. E, Oakville - 905-844-4900.  You can contact the 41 Avenue Road location at 416-924-6555 and if you want more info and pricing check out the website at www.pureandsimple.ca.

- Lisamarie -

Review: Kevin Murphy's Luxury Hair Care for Thick Coarse Hair

Despite Kevin Murphy's credentials: a stylist for Vogue, Harper's Bazaar... and the exclusive hair care for Melbourne Fashion Week,  I had never heard of this Australian brand before. So when, a few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to try Kevin Murphy's hair care products at the Blonde salon's event in Toronto, I decided to give it a go. First of all, these products are paraben and sulphate free - which is good - but I was particularly interested in the Luxury line since it is especially designed for thick, coarse hair. And God knows, if my hair was any thicker, I would probably be a horse!

Anyway, the stylist from Blonde first used the maxi.wash shampoo ($25) to remove all the crap hair product residues from my hair, followed by the luxury.rinse conditioner and my hair was so smooth that I made Lisamarie caress touch it (and she liked it).

This time, I tried the smoothing shampoo (luxury.wash, 250ml, $25) which contains mango butter and Buriti nut oil (a source of vitamin A) as well as the restoring conditioner (luxury.rinse, 250ml, $25) which contains Kukui nut oil and Murumuru butter... again I had never heard of these nuts before (testing beauty products can be educational, apparently) but the scent is gorgeous without being overpowering and I have to admit the results are great. My hair feels clean, soft, and most of all combined with the phyto defrisant - once flat-ironed, my hair stays smooth and frizz-free for days!

The downside? $25 is not exactly cheap... but if you've got thick, frizzy hair, you should give this luxury duo a try!

Kevin Murphy products can be found at select salons across Canada..

 -Christelle-