Kate Middleton's Beautiful hair!

The Secret to Kate Middleton's Hair

If Kate Middleton isn’t the best real life example of Cinderella, then we don’t know who is. She’s got it all—the svelte body, the flawless skin, the harmonious asymmetrical teeth, a handsome prince for a husband…oh, and did we mention the hair? We talked to leading professionals in the beauty industry to find out how she gets those luscious locks.

First, let’s talk color. We spoke with Lake Mary, FL, celebrity colorist Sherry Ratay to find out how to get Kate’s milk chocolate color. It turns out, it’s really simple to copy her color when someone is naturally a brunette. Ratay would simply add a gloss to enhance the natural tone and add shine. However, blondes have to be cautious not to add too much warmth when going darker. The same goes for dark brunettes that try to go a shade lighter, you want to avoid turning your hair an orange color. The way to do that is to talk to a professional hair colorist to determine the best plan of action.

Rainbow Ombre'

Hair Trend to Try Now: Rainbow Ombre Highlights

At the same time, I’m always looking to play with the next hair trend. Is it an all-over rich brown? Bold all-over highlights? Or the newest evolution of the bright hair trend – pastel rainbow ombre highlights?
To find out the latest trend, I met up with Orlando-based Sherry Ratay, an award-winning colorist whose work has been featured in the likes of Vogue and Modern Salon.
Meeting at Ratay’s home away from home, Gavert Atelier in Beverly Hills, we decided to update my highlights (formerly pink, gold, and copper turn neon orange) to something ultra trendy. Pastel rainbow ombre highlights essentially means a gradient of colors down the shaft of your hair. It’s different, edgy, and compliment’s this season’s bright floral prints so perfectly! Not to mention it’s also right up my alley.
Sherry Ratay Busy at Work
Ratay whipped up four colors for my rainbow – violet, burgundy, red, and yellow. The colors are washed out to pastel shades so it’s subtle enough for a working professional. The process takes a while as Ratay has to carefully and artfully apply three to four colors on every section of hair to create that perfect ombre.
To finish my hair off, Ratay blended my roots with my ends, creating an all over dark brown to light brown fade. Finished color and cut! Gloria with Mika Fowler, Style Director of Gavert Atelier, and Sherry Ratay

How To Get Beautiful Red Hair!

 

                          How To Get Beautiful Red Hair and a Perfect Cut                          

Last week I had the pleasure of meeting two of Hollywood's top stylists, who helped to revitalize my bedraggled red hair (which, to my horror, had become an orangy, yellowish blond).  I was amazed at how they took the time to work with me, and not just focus on what they wanted to do with my hair. We have all had those trips to the hair salon, where you thrown into a chair with a brisk "trust me, you'll love it", and left sobbing with a trendy haircut that you can't manage.

This was different.  They asked me in depth questions about my lifestyle, how much time I spent on styling, and what hair colors caught my attention.  They were both thoroughly detailed and took time "interviewing" me, before even touching my hair.  The result was a cut and color that suited me (and my lazy hairstyling skills) perfectly.

Of course, I asked a thousand questions, and jotted down a list of tips and tricks to take with you to your next salon appointment.  

My first appointment was with Sherry Ratay of acclaimed Salon Ratay gives this advice to colorists (or when you are interviewing a new colorist for yourself!). 

• Before you start your coloring…. interview your guests. If they bring in a picture, have them identify the parts of the hair (the highlights, depth, or roots) that they like the best.
• Take into consideration their skin tone, eye color, personality, lifestyle, and most defiantly commitment to the salon.  You would never want to give a guest a color service that will bring them back in needing touch ups every 3 weeks if they were planning on a 12 week cycle. 
• Just because they would look GREAT as a platinum blond doesn’t mean they HAVE  to have it.  
• Hair color should always compliment the client. Beautiful hair never overpowers a face.
• Make sure they rinse the foils in sections, so that the colors and highlights don't bleed into each other. 

“How To Get Beautiful Natural Red Hair”

• 1^st Step- Enhance Natural Reds:  Use Joico Basebreaker on bottom base of the hair. What this means is its going to lighten your hair one level or less. One level is about four shades, it is not to be confused with bleaching the hair. It makes lighting the hair easier and faster than ever before. Let sit for 10 minutes. It enhances natural, high and low lights when coloring hair.
•  2^nd Step- Highlights and Low Lights.:  Use two different shades of red to create soft red on red shapes. For the highlights use a softer apricot shade,  when coloring look at the way the hair lies before coloring. This will give you a better idea on what hair strands will be showing out the best. Make sure to wrap in foil and let sit for 20 minutes under heat. Next for low lights. Use a darker hue of red. Again make sure look at the way the hair lies before coloring. For the low lights try to keep the color on the tail ends of the hair. Make sure you wrap the low lights in foil as well and don’t let them touch the apricot pieces. Let sit for 20 minutes under heat.
• 3^rd Step-Finish with a opaque gloss:  The gloss will extend your hair color by sealing the cuticles. It also conditions and adds luster to the hair.

To keep your vibrant look visit your colorist every 3-4 weeks for touch up.  Follow up every 12 months for your dimensionals.
Recommended Products from Joico to preserve your color!

• Joico K-Pack Moisture Intense Hydrator
• Joico K-Pak Color Therapy Shampoo
• Joico K-Pak Color Therapy Conditioner

My next stop was to meet with hairstylist to the stars, Mika Fowler. She was soft spoken, and weaved her scissors through my hair with a gentle, precision touch.
Joico professional Mika Fowler from Gavert Atelier gives this advice:

• Have your hairstylist cut your hair while dry so they can watch the flow of the hair and concentrate only on the dry split ends, without taking off excessive length. 
• Always try to avoid a scissor happy hairstylist (oh my, haven't we ALL experienced this!)
• Find a hairdresser who will cut your hair based on your lifestyle, not a trend. 
• A haircut and style should be a process.  Grow with a hairdresser, and let them mold your hair. Sometimes, it is small changes for the first few times.

Thank you to Celebrity Make-Up artist Christina Farrell 

  http://www.themakeupblogger.com/celebrity_makeup_artist_c/2012/05/how-to-get-beautiful-natural-red-hair-1ststep-enhance-natural-reds-use-joico-basebreaker-on-bottom-base-of-the-h.html

Fitness for a Cause

http://thelosangelesbeat.com/2012/05/fitness-for-cause/

On the Santa Monica Beachfront the morning,  the LA Beat joined Refine Mixers, Equinox, and This Shirt Helps for a day full of fitness in support and benefit of the charity Waves For Water.  We began with Jennifer Pastiloff’s  early 9:00am Manifestion Yoga Class, which then lead into various fitness classes by top of the line Equinox trainers- Greg Cohen lead the ViPR and METCON3 class, and Aimee taught  Body Bootcamp. (Of course, after yoga Elise and I headed straight to the hair braiding station, which we always seem to end up at these events! This time our fabulous braider was Sherry Ratay from the Gavert Atelier Salon, where she flies in weekly from Florida. Be sure to check her out.) All guest donations went directly to Waves For Water which we are happy to report was a success!