A New Summer Do?

Tired of pulling your hair up into a ponytail this summer? How about a new style that's versatile enough to get you through the hot summer days without a pony!  Check out this slideshow from Harper's Bazaar

I like Brit Marling's styles best. Which do you like most?  

Fight the Frizz!

Summer humidity making you look like this? 

Fear not! There are great products out there to help you fight the frizz. Some favorites available at Innovations are the Pureology Super Smooth products.  Pureology Smoothing Cream is fantastic for keeping frizz at bay and smells pretty great. 

Redken also has a wide variety of styling products to combat frizz. You can choose the product that best suits your hair type here, or even better, ask your Innovations stylist to recommend a product that will work best for your hair.   All you need is a little help fighting the frizz and you'll be smooth and sleek all summer long! 

Summer Essentials - Go Faux!

After a long, cold winter and a ridiculously wet "spring," we are well on our way to that season we all wait for...SUMMER!  Summer calls on us to lighen our wardrobe, our hair and state of mind, but for some of us, it calls us to darken our skin tone...tan! Not the "bad" way by baking our skin in the sun, but a fabulous faux tan. 

There are countless products available to bronze your skin, but not all are created equal. Luckily, one of my favorite blogs, Short is the New Black, has done all the grunt work for you and narrowed it down to the five best self tanners.  Make sure to follow the directions because there's not many things worse, or more obvious, than a bad faux tan!

Afraid to go faux? Then get a sun-kissed look for your hair instead. Have your favorite Innovations stylist  give you that glow by adding highlights. Oh and don't forget to book your pedicure appointment at Innovations, too!  

Go "Gatsby" for a Day

Want to go "Gatsby?"  How about a bob for a day? 

The remake of the movie, "The Great Gatsby" based on the F. Scott Fitzgerald book hit theaters this month. Period pieces like "Gatsby" inspire fashion and beauty trends, some fantastic and others less so. What is very prominent in this latest rendition of "Gatsby" besides the fantastic fashion is the hair!  

Carey Mulligan as Daisy 

Bobs are cute, and in the summer heat, very practical. However, if you have long hair like me and are non-committal to the chop, try one of these three faux bobs from Refinery29. Or, visit your favorite stylist at Innovations to go "Gatsby" for a night out or special occasion, or just for fun!

Hey Mom! Did you know...

Hey Mom! Did you know that Mother's Day is this Sunday? You did? 

Oh good, well, did you know that if you go to Innovations this week with any hair service you will receive a FREE Diamond Oil Deep Conditioning Treatment?  

Oh, you did? 

Did you know that Innovations also has gift certificates for purchase in the salon and on the website, http://innovationssalonofnaperville.com/gift-certificates/? 

Knew that too, huh...well, I guess what they say is true, mom really does know best!

Happy Mother's Day from Innovations Salon of Naperville! 

Cute graphic courtesy of KateSpade.com

Precious Jewels for Your Hair - Diamond Oil

Most women I know like diamonds.  As the saying goes, "Diamonds are a girl's best friend." I agree. Diamonds are a symbol of love, commonly used as engagement rings, and are one of nature's most rare and expensive gifts.

So how about diamonds for your hair? Sounds fabulous, right?  Expensive you ask? Not at all! Redken has created Diamond Oil, a suite of product as luxurious as they sound. Diamond Oil products are silicone-free and contain nutrient rich oils to infuse and fortify hair, resulting in brilliantly shiny and incredibly strong hair.

It also smells amazing and is beautifully packaged.  Diamond Oil comes in two levels of leave-in treatment strength: Shatter Proof Shine and Shatter Proof Shine Intense for damaged hair.  Diamond Oil also is available in shampoo, conditioner and a super moisturizing hair masque. Use the entire product line and prepare for some seriously shiny hair.  You can try the entire new line at Innovations Salon.

Learn more about Diamond Oil and related products here!

Spring is in the Hair...Again!

One of the many rites of spring includes lightening up hair color. Vibrant, lighter shades come out of hibernation along with the flip flops and capris. Instead of trying the typical highlights this spring, why not try one of these spring hair color trends? 

Blended Ombre - a little less OMBRE!!! And, much more subtle, so it is a look more women can pull off. 

Buttery Blondes - a departure from hair-damaging platinum blondes, buttery blonde is more golden and kinder to your hair. 

Orange-y Red Heads - hmmmm, can't say that I love this, it's definitely not for everyone, but if you want to go bold, this is the look for you!

Bold Streaks - this is fun! I love the idea of adding bold streaks of color in the hair. Even better, get a clip in extension in a bold color for some temporary fun.

Darker Accent Strands - another edgier look that can be tamed. Darkening the under layer of the hair for accent when the hair is pulled up or braided (braids are still HUGE this spring). Wear your hair down for a less bold look. 

See all these looks here! Ready to try one of these looks? See your stylist at Innovations! 

Bold Streaks
totalbeauty.com

Spring Accessories Report, What Would You Wear?

Harper's Bazaar is so chic and organized. they provide all the season's best trends in a photo slide show. Of course other publications do this as well, but Harper's gives the trends the best names. 

For spring 2013 accessories, Harper's gives us, "See it Through," which has lucite, plastic and mixed materials in shoes and handbags, not a fan. Then we have, "Fringe Benefits," which is lots of tassels and fringe details, not my style, but to each their own as the saying goes. "Roman Holiday," can best be described as gladiator sandals gone wild, if you have the confidence to pull this look off, go for it! "High Contrast," is black on white accessories and very fun!  "Heavy Metal," features lots of big gold and silver. "Gypsy Soul," has heavy Bohemian influences, especially in hair accessories and is very cute and fun! "Totes Amaze," is my favorite name for the spring trend of really great big handbags to fit everything! "Block Party," is all about shoes with chunky or odd shaped heels...pass! And, finally, "Shady Lady," features ridiculously big sunglasses, think "Jackie O" on steroids.

"Gypsy Soul" by Dolce & Gabbana. Love this look, minus the earrings.

See the slide show here. Which is your favorite? 

Spring is in the Hair

The weather is beginning to cooperate. There is finally no snow on the ground, mercifuly the sun is up earlier and stays up longer, and brids can actually be heard.  It's safe to now say that spring is in the air, and...in the hair! 

There are always a bevy of spring trends in fashion and lately there are nearly just as many in hair. Harper's Bazaar has a great spring hair trends slideshow Spring hair trends. The magazine breaks them into several categories:


"Tying the knot," features neat, elegant low buns. Ralph Lauren's version is my favorite. "Making the braid'" includes braided hair in a variety of ways, all beautiful. "The new low pony," is not my favorite as it is boring and not all that sftylish to me. "So sleek'" is kind of greasy looking. "Rock n roll waves," was more elegant than rocking, but pretty.  "Topping it off" features bold hair accessories. Louis Vuitton and Dolce and Gabbana have adorable bows and sleek hair wraps which are my favorites. And, finally, "Undone updos," look effortless and chic. 

Do you have a favorite spring look? One of the talented stylists at Innovations Salon could help you recreate it or create a new one! 

Empire State of Hair

A group of seven stylists from Innovations Salon traveled to New York City to participate in Redken's 5th Avenue Exchange training courses. This intense training is taught by the expert Redken educations who travel the globe instructing stylists on the best techniques in color and style.

Dan, Nicole, Betsy, Vicki, Steve, Lisa and Jackie participated in the four-day, 9 to 5 trainings. The hands-on experience and lectures given by industry leaders provided basic refreshers as well as advanced techniques providing inspiration for clients back home in Naperville.

Some techniques covered included color placement to enhance face shape, new highlighting patterns, how to achieve more consistent color and shaping to create flattering looks. "These courses inspire us to try new looks and give us ideas on what to suggest to our clients," said Dan Rubino.

It wasn't all work for the group of seven, they took time to view the popular attractions that the Empire State has to offer...be sure to ask Dan about the deli!

Ready to try a new look for spring? Ask your favorite Innovations stylist to use their new techniques and ideas to give you your best look yet!

Spring! Are you here yet?

On a snowy early March afternoon, it's hard to think of anything other than "when will this ever end," but there is comfort in knowing that after March, comes April, then May and ideally spring weather! And, although the snow is still falling here in the Midwest, the stores are filled with spring fashions, mocking you and yet giving you hope at the same time for the season to come.

Fashion magazines, department stores and boutiques all provide handy "spring fashion trend" guides, but typically they are too wacky for me. For example, I will NOT wear a leather dress in the spring, nor will I a "shorts" suit, and I cring at the thought of wearing colored sunglasses. However, these are some of the trends for spring fashion this year.

What never goes out of style, however, is great hair! Maybe if the models paid a visit to Innovations, those short suits, leather dresses and weirdo colored sunglasses would look better?

Check out some of springs most "wearable" trends according to Glamour Magazine here and let me know what you'd wear!

Welcome to the new Innovations Salon blog!

A lot of new exciting things have happened in the last several months at Innovations Salon of Naperville. In the fall, the salon moved to a beautiful new location adjacent to the old one, created a fabulous new website http://innovationssalonofnaperville.com/, and now a new blog! 

Check back here often for regular updates on salon happenings, the best trends in fashion, hair and makeup, and salon specials. 

 We hope you love the new web site and blog! Cheers!