L.A. CONFIDENTIAL
This updo from Sonya and Christopher Dove was created with Wella haircolor and styling products at their salon in Santa Monica, CA, to show that short hair can be just as sexy as long hair.
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BACK IN BUSINESS
Being on your feet all day can take its toll on your back, but massages may not always fit into your schedule—or your budget. Luckily, Wisconsin-based licensed massage therapist Kathleen Lee has developed ComfyCreations, a line of microwavable heat products meant to relieve pain, strain and stress. The mid-size back relief pack is filled with organic lavender flowers, essential oils, flaxseed and rice. The pack is designed in four sections to hold ingredients in place for even heat distribution. When you buy the set, you'll also get a contrasting eye pillow, perfect for headaches and general stress. comfycreations.etsy.com —L.M.
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GEORGIA ON OUR MIND
We're crazy about California artist Georgia Fletcher, whose substantial pieces have caught our eye recently. While she's known for her work with vintage beads and rosaries with medals and charms, she's been moving in another direction lately. This necklace is an example of her newest work. Traffic in Los Angeles and Wendy Foster in Montecito, CA, carry her jewelry. E-mail [email protected] for information. —M.D.
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LOOK AND LEARN
If you missed Sam Villa's The Aspire Tour, not to worry. Villa has just released a new DVD that teaches you how to cut The Convertible, a versatile look he taught on tour that's perfect for clients who are growing their hair longer and don't want to have a grown-out look. When pulled into a ponytail, the mid-length cut looks like a bob. By using texturizing cutting techniques like disconnection, stylists can disconnect while making looks appear blended. samvilla.com —M.D
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Tea Time
At his Manhattan salon, Tela, Philip Pelusi offers Tea Hair Therapy treatments that enhance the depth of color in highlights and brighten the shine and tonality of color-treated hair. Mix the teas with a deep conditioner and apply to the hair for an in-salon spa treatment that can help clients stretch the time between haircolor services, something they'll thank you for in this tough economic climate. For brunettes, Pelusi recommends a combination of black tea with elderberries, blackberries and raspberries, while classic chamomile tea does wonders for blondes. —M.D.
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Tea therapy treatments can enhance the depth of color in highlights and brighten tonality.
In the Flesh
When it comes to nail color this spring, watch for opaque flesh tones, like CND Cocoa, which elongate hands and match clean faces, to be a huge trend. —M.D.
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Heart to Heart
Hold your heart in the palm of your hands with the new Fromm Heartbreaker Kit, which includes a 5 ¼-inch shear with a heart-print design, a comfortable arm holster and a sheet of temporary heart tattoos—perfect for Valentine's Day. Made from Japanese steel, the shears feature hollow-ground convex blades for sharp cutting, an ergonomic crane handle design and a detachable finger rest. 800/323-4252 —L.M.
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Fromm will make a donation to heart disease research for every Heartbreaker Kit sold.
The Power of Three
Angus Mitchell demonstrates a three-pronged approach to haircutting using triangle-shaped sectioning in the new Paul Mitchell Angus M Volume 3 Trilateral Collection DVD, available this spring. The DVD, which also features DJ Muldoon, Colin Caruso, Jay Small and Noogie Thai, includes instruction on creating four geometric haircuts in various lengths and textures, color techniques and styling options. paulmitchell.com —L.A.
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DUTCH TREAT
Celebrity stylist Candy Shaw Codner shot her Spring '09 collection in Holland nearly 55 years after her father, Jamison Shaw, won the Grand World Supreme Championship of Hairdressing in Amsterdam. Codner worked with famed Dutch photographer Rob Peetom, the former artistic director for Intercoiffure Mondial. The photos were shot in a glass-encased penthouse studio on the ocean outside of Amsterdam, capitalizing on Holland's amazing natural light. —M.D.
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TO A TEA
Want to enjoy the sweet life without feeling guilty? The Tea Forté Dolce Vita collection offers delicious teas that are filled with antioxidants, nearly calorie-free and include naturally sweet ingredients like cinnamon, raspberries and cacao beans. Tea Forté teas, created by acclaimed Museum of Modern Art designer Peter Hewitt, come in unique silken infusers that let water flow freely to brew more intensely flavored teas. teaforte.com —L.M.
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ARM CANDY
MAQUEL CHRISTOPHER is a work-at-home mom who designs and produces sterling silver bracelets that can be worn by both mothers and daughters. Many of the bracelets can be personalized with a child's name, a symbol or a favorite phrase. Inspired by her daughter Kate's friendship with her cousin Emmie, Christopher named her company, Emmie Kate, after them. Tori Spelling is a fan. emmiekate.com —M.D.
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WHAT'S ON YOUR IPOD?
We asked Claudia Acevedo, a stylist at Salon Marc Harris on Boston's fashionable Newbury Street, what she's been listening to.
"Being a Girl" by Van Hunt. "I love this artist. This song is soulful and it feels like a warm day."
"Heartbeats" by The Knife. "It sets a mood without intruding on my mood."
"Back to Black" by Amy Winehouse. "I can tease a mean beehive to this entire album."
"20 th Century Boy" by T. Rex. "When this song is on, I can't help but feel a vibe from a revolutionary era in music and fashion."
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Beauty From the Inside Out
Renowned beauty nutritionist Lisa Drayer is spreading the word that when it comes to looking good, what you put in your body is just as important as what you put on it. In her new book, The Beauty Diet (McGraw-Hill, 2008), Drayer lists 10 "beauty foods"—wild salmon, yogurt, blueberries, spinach, kiwis, tomatoes, oysters, sweet potatoes, walnuts and dark chocolate—that she says can improve your skin, hair, teeth, eyes, nails and overall health, as well as help with weight loss. Drayer, a health reporter who has appeared on CNN Headline News, The Today Show and Good Morning America, also provides an easy-to-follow eating plan accompanied by simple recipes. —L.M.
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