Romy Raves

With a name like Hairroin (get it?), I just couldn’t resist including the word addiction in the title of this post So here’s the scoop: I recently had the opportunity to visit the hip edgy Hairroin Salon in Hollywood, California and was treated to cut and color session with owner and celebrity stylist Janine Jarman.

Janine is a seasoned and established Los Angeles based stylist who has worked with many of Hollywood’s top stars including Britney Spears, Fergie and Scarlett Johansson to name a few; and she was also the official hair stylist for the Pussycat Dolls and has worked on many television shows, print campaigns, and runway shows. Janine also gained national recognition for her creative hair inspirations on Bravo’s popular TV series, Shear Genius.

With a plethora of expertise and credibility, Janine opened Hairroin Salon in 2005 to showcase the industry’s most talented, creative and in-demand stylists. Given the success of the salon, Hairroin recently moved across the street to bigger and swankier new digs at Space 15 Twenty Retail Center in Hollywood (Right next to Umami Burger and Urban Outfitters.) I love the new edgy urban chic industrial space, it feels modern and welcoming at the same time. Hairroin also has the distinction of being the only Sebastian Professional Flagship Salon in the Los Angeles area, hand-picked for its trendsetting work. Janine also currently serves as the West Coast spokesperson for Sebastian Professional and is a member of the national Sebastian Design team.

So with this glowing resume, I was more than thrilled to put my hair in the skilled hands of such a tenured artist. And let me tell you, she did not disappoint! Janine is adorable, spunky, confidant, DTE and a true artiste. I didn’t come into the salon with a preconceived idea of what I wanted, I just left it up to her (because honestly, when you are in the hands of a master, let them do their thing!) Janine wanted to shape up and freshen my style by giving me some sexy layers, and she also wanted to kick up my hair color with some warm natural Balyage highlights. I was super excited because I have yet to try Balyage, which is more of a painting/free hand style of highlights without paper or foils, where the stylist strategically paints highlights onto your hair the way the sun would naturally fall and lighten your hair. It may sound/look easy, but this is a technique that takes talent and experience to get just right. This is what Balyage looks like while it’s on (glamorous, don’t ya think?)

And here’s what my hair looked like afterwards (sorry for the blurry iPhone pics)

I absolutely LOVE it! The color is warm, sexy and much more natural looking than traditional highlights. Janine also told me that Balyage lights grow out much more naturally than traditional highlights which allows you to go much longer between touch ups, which saves you money in the long run. I love the sexy flattering color and the flowy movement of my hair, she got it just right!  (Note: I am thrilled with the way Janine’s Balyage lights have grown out, the natural color is so gorgeous and gets even better with time!)

I was beyond thrilled with Janine’s work, her easy going style and her masterful Balyage technique and I will definitely be visiting her again soon.  If you are addicted to hair like I am, I highly rec making an appointment with Janine at Hairroin for your own hair ‘fix’.

Hairroin Salon 1553 N. Cahuenga Blvd. Hollywood, CA 90028 (323) 467-0392

Disclosure: I was invited to Hairroin Salon for a cut and color service with Janine Jarman for editorial consideration. The sexy hair and opinions are my own.

Greetings Beauty Mavens! This coming Monday, December 12, 2011 from 7-8pm PST, on behalf of LaserAway Tattoo & Hair Removal Experts, I will be hosting a fun and engaging discussion on the LaserAway Facebook Fan Page about laser hair removal, laser skin treatments, injectables, fillers, beauty trends and tips and any other beauty topics that may come up. Please come to the party with all of your thoughtful laser hair removal, beauty and aesthetics questions and I will moderate the discussion, answer questions/get answers to your questions and share information about this superb California based company. I have had a couple of treatments at LaserAway and I am really impressed with their top notch state-of-the-art equipment and highly skilled technicians, and I am excited to tell you all about this great local resource.

I hope you will take the time to join me for this fun Facebook event! And here’s the best part: Each registered participant that asks thoughtful and engaging questions will be gifted with a certificate for ONE Laser Hair Removal Treatment (valued at up to $300!) at one of the numerous California LaserAway locations. Plus other great prizes will be given out throughout the party including: One laser hair removal package valued at over $500 and 1  Latisse eyelash growth serum kit valued at over $100!

So what are you waiting for? Get on the list and RSVP right NOW for this not to be missed event HERE

I look forward to ‘seeing’ you at the party and chatting about all things Beauty!

I have been a very busy girl lately, testing and trying out a slew of fabulous new beauty products, tough job right? But someone has got to vet the best and most inspired new products coming down the beauty pike and I am always the first one to jump to the front of the line. So with that being said, below I’d like to share with you, nine products that I am currently loving right now and just can’t get enough of! Some of these products are inpsired by the winter holiday season, some combat dryness, and one even has an ingredient that mimics snake venom, but they are all hand tested by me. Enjoy and let me know your thoughts! 

Lather Sweet Lips Limited Edition Lip Balms This is a fabulous trio of lip loving limited edition lip balms in totally addictive seasonal holiday flavors like peppermint creme, candied orange (my fav), and lemon bar. These botanical balms are naturally flavored with essential oils, contain SPF 15 and pure beeswax which forms a nice barrier against the winter elements. I love how emollient, hydrating and yummy these balms are and because this trio is under $20, I think it would make a nice holiday gift for your girlfriends.

Immunocologie Treatment Creme VenoMAX

This is a totally indulgent, luxurious face treatment cream that contains VenoMAX, a proprietary complex that mimics snake venom activity. Specifically, VenoMAX mimics part of a polypeptide found in the venom of the Temple Viper by instantly smoothing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles and protecting against inflammation. This potent cream also has an immediate brightening effect, it evens skin tone and helps erase the appearance of past sun damage. I love how hydrating and yummy this cream feels when I put it on my face and I immediately notice how it tightens and firms my skin, very cool! 

Fekkai Ageless All-Day Hair PlumpThis is an ultra-luxurious, daytime leave-in treatment that plumps, replenishes and retexturizes your cuticle to reveal thick, silky smooth hair. It provides intense, continuous moisture throughout the day by filling and plumping up damaged and roughed up cuticles, which results in stronger, younger and healthier looking hair.  This FABULOUS product has totally changed my hair! I can’t get over how bouncy and rejuvenated my hair looks after using this treatment, I LOVE it!

Braun Satin Hair Active Ion Brush

This is an amazing state of the art hair brush designed with active ionic technology that helps eliminate static, smoothes your hair and boosts shine with the touch of a button.  Once you turn this brush on, the active ion light shines and the ion jet releases a rich stream of ions which instantly changes the texture and look of your hair. I kid you not, this brush is an absolute miracle! It totally eliminates static and frizz, and I especially love using it the morning after a great blowout or after a night out on the town because it refreshes my hair and gets rid of the smoke or any other buildup in my hair.

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I was recently invited to the soft opening of the Rossano Ferretti Hairspa in Beverly Hills for a Shu Uemura Art of Hair Ceremony Treatment and blowout, but little did I know that beyond this relaxing and rejuvenating treatment, I was about to be treated to one the most unique and phenomenal haircuts of my life. Allow me to introduce you to METODO Rossano Ferretti, an inspired and innovative hair cutting technique that focuses on the natural fall of the hair and is designed to emphasize a women’s natural beauty.

Rossano and Lorenza Ferretti developed the METODO brand over twenty years ago in the Emilia Romagna region of Italy. The core philosophy of this technique (and what makes it so different than your typical haircut) is that it focuses around honoring the natural movement of a person’s hair and teaches stylists to move their own body along with the client’s hair, constantly observing and interpreting each section. METODO is a comprehensive approach that incoporates a client’s hair, features, body and personality and uses these visual cues to create a unique and customized haircut every single time. Lorenza captures the essence of the technique perfectly by saying, “What happens when the stylists body is static? It creates static, stiff cuts. So I insist on keeping the body moving, the movement helps us reach dimension, which for us is fundamental, which is the natural fall of the hair.”

The METODO training is exclusively taught at Rossano Ferretti’s School’s in Parma and Venice, Italy to a small handpicked group of top notch candidates who go through a rigorous training program for more than 5 years to hone and perfect this specialized technique. This philosophy really focuses on on the art of hair cutting combined with understanding the attributes that make a person special and then uses this information to create a unique and beautiful masterpiece.

The Rossano Ferretti Hairspa in Beverly Hills is being lead by the adorably sexy and skilled Italian stylist, Michele Finessi, who has been practicing METODO hair artistry for 8 years and was brought to SoCal to share his beautiful gift. And yours truly had the unique pleasure of being granted a mind blowing hair cutting session with this METODO master.

Michele carefully assesed my hair, asked me what I wanted, and told me he thought my hair was out of balance and he could definitely make it look much better (and it sounded SO much better in his thick, yet quiet Italian accent.) Now this is where it gets really good and my description of what I experienced is just not going to do justice to actually seeing the METODO technique in action, but basically Michele skillfully moved and grooved around my hair, dancing, bouncing, bending and actually flowing with the movement of my hair. It was WILD, different, cool, and mesmerizing to watch. He was actually connected with my hair, and it was like nothing I have ever experienced before. And I LOVED it.

The Rossano Ferretti Beverly Hills salon is modern elegance, I loved being around Michele’s quiet skillful confidence, and it was amazing to experience something so unique and special. I know, I know, you are thinking ‘it’s just a haircut!‘ but honestly it was a profound experience. And once I saw the finished cut, I was blown away by how fabulous and sexy it looked, what do you think? 

This was definitely the best haircut I have ever gotten, the compliments have been endless and I am now hooked and will definitely be visiting Michele for another METODO haircut soon. FABULOUS!

Rossano Ferretti Hairspa Beverly Hills, 345 North Canon Drive, Beverly Hills, CA 90210 (310) 598-6780; Haircuts with Michele are $200 and worth every penny!

Disclosure: I was invited to Rossano Ferretti Hairspa for a hair treatment and blowdry plus a haircut, but little did I know how profound this experience would be nor how amazing my hair would look.

I recently had the absolute pleasure of visiting the Neil George Salon in Beverly Hills and sitting in the chair of Master Colorist Kazumi Morton who is known throughout Hollywood for her expertise in creating beautifully seamless ombré hair color. Kazumi is an artiste and a seasoned professional with years of experience and hair color is her passion. 

Kazumi’s gift is her ability to transform your hair color while respecting and complementing your skin tone and natural beauty. She has a knack for knowing exactly what colors will flatter your looks, skin tone, face and hair–and for this Allure Magazine (my beauty bible) crowned Kazumi a ‘Brunette Master’ because she creates the most gorgeous sun-kissed highlights for brunettes. Typically, brunette highlights can turn red or too blond, but Kazumi reaches for colors that are more “woody” in tone as opposed to metallic, such as butterscotch and caramel. The challenge is to find a balance between warm tones, which reflects light, and ash tones, which absorb light.  

I instantly liked Kazumi’s energy, beauty (she has the most gorgeous hair IRL) and total confidence in knowing exactly what my hair color needed to look fresher, more modern, youthful and most importantly what color combinations would flatter to my face. She felt my current deep brown color was too inky, harsh and unflattering. She suggested lifting my base color a couple of notches and then adding some warm (but not red) carmel highlights to soften my looks, flatter my face and work perfectly for the summer. I totally loved the sound of that!

I also appreciated Kazumi’s sensitivity to the modern woman’s budget concerns as well maximizing the health of the hair. She told me that her highlighting technique allows the lites to grow out really naturally and which meant that I would only need to redo the lites every 3-4 times (typically it’s every other time), and I really appreciated that because regular highlights can get expensive. I also liked that she was respectful of not damaging the hair (I currently have a Brazilian Treatment on my hair too) and did not use bleach to lift the color so as not to further damage my hair.

In a matter of a couple of hours under the skillful hands of Kazumi, I emerged with the most gorgeous shiny, natural sun kissed highlights on my brunette mane. I wasn’t blond, overly light or red, but rather I was a lightened up, refreshed, dare I say sexier version of myself. I typically don’t get highlights because I feel they tend to wash me out, but Kazumi’s lites didn’t do that at all, instead they really brought out my best features. I instantly LOVED this subtle transformation! And over time (with a little help from the summer sun) it looks even better. Natural, warm, flattering and a nice change of pace! Here are a few shots of my finished highlights (none which capture the color as perfectly as I’d like), what do you think?

If you live in or near the LA area or come to visit, I highly recommend going to Kazumi for the most gorgeous and masterful color experience. You will not be disappointed.

Neil George Salon 9320 Civic Center Drive, Beverly Hills, CA 90210-3604 (310) 275-2808

Disclosure: I was invited to the Neil George Salon for complimentary highlights with Kazumi, little did I know how much I would love her work nor that would I become an ongoing client.