This three minute task is one of the simplest habits you can adopt to positively impact your happiness.

2. Stop Talking About Your Exes or Unrequited Crushes

Stop talking about them with your friends. That’s a good first step.
It’s hard to totally erase them from your mind, but if you stop talking about it, it helps. Plus I’m 100% sure your friends are sick of hearing about it, anyway.
Also, stop talking about your exes in future relationships. You don’t have to be secretive, but I’m pretty sure the other person doesn’t want to hear about it.

3. Call At Least One Friend or Family Member Every Day 

You can do this while you clean, while you make the bed, or while you walk your dog. Texts and emails do not count! Make an actual phone call to a loved one, just to chat and catch up. We humans are social beings and studies show that even when we don’t feel like it, even if we are naturally introverted, socializing with our loved ones makes us feel better.

4. Shake Your Booty

Any kind of physical exercise helps to clear the stress hormones and adrenaline from your bloodstream.  How? Get your heart pumping through some old fashioned exercise.

5. Laugh

Watch a YouTube video that cracks you up. When we laugh, blood flow increases, bringing more oxygen and nutrients to our organs and tissues, and the stress hormones decrease.

6. Read a Positive Quote or Story

Spend a couple minutes every day reading a positive quote or passage from your favorite specs everyday to get your positive mental attitude right.

7. Listen to Your Favorite Music

Yes, sometime music does make us feel happy and put us in a good mood instantly. So listen to the music that makes you happy.

8. Rid Yourself of a Nagging Task

Deal with that insurance problem, purchase something you need, or make that long-postponed appointment with the dentist. Crossing an irksome chore off your to-do list will give you a rush of elation.

9. Act Happy

Fake it ’til you feel it. Research shows that even an artificially induced smile boosts your mood. And if you’re smiling, other people will perceive you as being friendlier and more approachable.

10.  Learn Something New

Think of a subject that you wish you knew more about and spend 15 minutes on the Internet reading about it, or go to a bookstore and buy a book about it. But be honest! Pick a topic that really interests you, not something you think you “should” or “need to” learn about.

Amber

Paige

If you’ve been into the salon in the last six months, you’ll know that we made the switch a while back from Redken/Pureology to Evo.  Now that we’ve been using it for a while, it seems like a good time to better acquaint those of you who haven’t experienced it in action yet.

Evo originally hails from Australia, the land of kangaroos and sweet accents.  We chose Evo because their mission paralleled our own: to be innovative, to tell the truth, and keep the beauty industry honest.

Evo has lives up to all kinds of social responsibilities, from buying government accredited carbon offset credits to 100% recycled packaging.

Its formulation speaks straight to our hippies- it’s sulphate, paraben, DEA, TEA, and propylene glycol free.  They include as many natural ingredients as possible to make our days a little bit safer.

As far as the products themselves go, they are separated into 6 families to make your purchase as simple as possible so that you can make an educated guess on where to trust your $24-30 without requiring years of knowledge.

Kyle

On March 10th, I was re-certified in SoCap extensions.  From then, a few stylists at Melrose & McQueen will be providing this service!  So get ready for long, luscious, voluminous, and mermaid-esque hair!

Right now, I’m going to answer a couple common questions about what extensions are, how much they cost, and what they do.  We will also have information available in the salon via consultation or in print, but I figured I’d save you some time if you already had some interest.

Here we go!

Q: I’ve heard extensions can damage your hair and I’m really trying to grow mine out.

A: Welllll first of all, I can give you a million hairscriptions to help speed up growth and prevent future split ends.  Make sure to ask me about them!  To answer the question, though, hair extension ARE NOT damaging in and of themselves.  Any horror stories you’ve heard are likely due to lack of commitment to maintaining them at home.

First, even if two products have some of the same ingredients, they may be in varying amounts, which can create different results.  Some popular brands contain silcones and waxes that can, in time, weigh down and dull your tresses.

Second, hair has a natural pH of 4.5 to 5.5 (on a scale of 0-14).  That means your hair is slightly more acidic than water, which has a neutral pH of 7.  A pH higher than 7 is alkaline, and anything under 7 is considered acidic.  Shampoos can have a pH range of anywhere from 4 to 9.  So what do those numbers mean for your hair?  Well, a product that is slightly less acidic than your hair will work to close the cuticle.  One that is alkaline will open the cuticle.  Now, the beautiful thing about hair is that, even if you use a product with a pH higher or lower than the natural pH of your hair, it has the ability to normalize (return to its natural pH) in time- sometimes within minutes- depending on the health of your hair and the difference in pH.  Does this mean you can use whatever you want on your hair, and it will return to sweet perfection in a matter of minutes?  NOPE.

You have to remember that lighteners, permanent hair color, perms, and even soaps often have pH levels that are different from your hair, so they can blast that cuticle wide open, removing pre-existing colors or possibly even creating permanent damage to the structure of your hair if not used correctly.  Shampoos and conditioners with a pH of 6 or 7 may open the cuticle too much, particularly for hair that has already been chemically treated.  Even if the pH normalizes after your shower, there’s potential for an excessive amount of color to slip out of your hair during the cleansing process.

How can you know the pH of your products at home? You can get all scientific and buy litmus papers to test the levels, if you like, but I contacted the companies that my clients bring up the most. All but one provided at least a general guide for some of their most popular selections. See the chart below for their responses:

Now, along with their results, Herbal Essences said,

“Even if some shampoos and conditioners differ slightly from the pH of your hair and scalp, they will not damage your hair.  Your hair has the ability to quickly return to its normal pH level after shampooing and conditioning.  As soon as the shampoo has been rinsed away and the hair and scalp are dry, your hair returns to its normal pH, usually within minutes.”

Like I said, damage may not be caused by a slightly higher pH, but there is definitely potential for excessive color loss, which is important to those of us who like our color to last as long as possible.

Okay, but what is the practical reason for using what your hairdresser recommends?  I cannot personally recommend or guarantee that what you buy at a grocery or drug store, or even a beauty counter, will give you the best results for your hair.  If I give you a beautiful hair color, it would be especially in your best interest to use the products that are recommended, to help insure that your results last as long as possible.  The key word there is insure. Your hair and the work you put into it—whether colored, permed, straightened, or natural—is an investment.  Even if you don’t color your hair, you want that perfect cut and style.  I will not recommend any cleansing or styling product that I don’t feel is necessary for you to achieve the same look at home.  If you can’t trust your current hairdresser to provide you with the right tools for greatness, you should probably look elsewhere.

*ahem, cough-cough* haha

XO,

Laura

All over, girls and guys are experimenting with coloring their brows anything but a natural color. This can be done with makeup or by taking that next step and coloring them!

Amber

The planning and execution of your wedding is a magical time in your life in which everyone gets along all the time and nobody fights about anything ever.  Right?  Romance abounds and your mom never has any complaints.

However, there are occasionally some stressful details to deal with.  We at MMQ would love to help you out with all of them if we could, but alas, we are mere mortals.  What we can help you figure out is your hair (surprise)!
Here I’ve compiled a list of tips to help you achieve superlative hair perfection and serenity on your big day.

Choosing a style:

• First, consider the direction you plan to go in with your dress, makeup, and overall event theme; you’ll want to look for hairstyles that will work with all of these things rather than against them.

• If you have your heart set on a certain type of veil (or other hair accessory), consider how that will work with the styles you’re looking at.  Does the style allow for a place to secure the accessory?  If you plan on removing your veil after the ceremony, will the removal disrupt the rest of your hair?  (If you’re not sure, your stylist will be happy to help you figure these things out.)

• Try to think about any other factors that could affect your hair.  Will the weather be humid?  Dry and static-y?  Will you be changing dresses between the ceremony and reception?  Are you going to go HAM on the dance floor?  Is HAM still a thing?

• Find photos.  Photos meaning more than one!  You can’t get on Pinterest without being bombarded by these things (that’s where the ones in this post are from!), so you shouldn’t have too much trouble.  However, it’s best not to be too set on any one style; sometimes there are going to be limitations to what is realistic for your hair or even to what will be most flattering, and until you speak with your stylist, putting all your eggs in one basket may set you up for a bit of disappointment- and believe me, that is the last thing that we (or you!) want.

Getting there:

• Personally, I would recommend trying to use a stylist who is already familiar with your hair if it’s possible- you will likely feel more comfortable with them and they may even already have some ideas about what will look best on you and what your hair can do.  If not, do a bit of research- speak with friends, look at portfolios, ask questions.  Your satisfaction is paramount in this situation, and if you feel like you’re settling… well, that’s just not what weddings are supposed to be about, right?

• CONSULTATION!  Schedule one, especially if you’re going to be seeing a new stylist.  Even if it seems really far in advance, there are things you’ll need to talk about.  If you plan on getting your hair cut and/or colored before the wedding, your stylist can advise you on the best time to get these things done to be properly prepared.

• If your hair is dry, damaged, or suffering from any other ailment, this is the time to start a trim and treatment regimen!  Even if you’re trying to grow your hair out, regular trims can be the difference between shiny, flowing locks and scary witch hair.  (Not that you have scary witch hair!  You almost certainly don’t!… But why take that chance?)

Trial run:

• If you take nothing else from this post, please take this:  a trial run for your bridal style is essential.  I once saw a bride get her wedding hair done with no prior trial and a stylist she had never met before, and I promise you, it was not a good day for anyone.

• We typically suggest booking your trial about 2 weeks before the wedding.  You won’t want to do it too much further in advance; it’s ideal for your hair to be about the same as it will be for the real deal in order to get the most accurate look.

• If you can schedule your makeup trial for the same day, do it!  The closer you get to what will be going on for the wedding, the better idea you’ll get of how everything will look.  Bring any hair accessories, veils, and earrings with you, as well.

• Give your stylist any feedback that you have: if it feels too tight, too loose, or if there’s just something about it that isn’t quite working for you.  We are human people with feelings, yes, but you will not hurt them by speaking up!  It’s our job to make sure that your hair is beautiful and perfect and that you are overjoyed when you see yourself in the mirror.  We kind of want you to happy cry.

• This is also the best time to pick up any products that your stylist suggests having on hand for touch-ups.  It will give you some time to familiarize yourself with them, plus it’s one less thing to worry about on the day of the wedding.

Wedding day:

• Come to the salon (or venue, if your stylist is meeting you on location) on the big day with your hair however your stylist recommended- clean, next day, whatever they suggested to give them the best starting point.

• Wear a button-up shirt or whatever else will give you the ability to change clothes without messing up your hair.

• Look beautiful!  Get married!  Have the best day ever!

I’m sure there are plenty of other little things that may come to mind if you find yourself in wedding planning mode, so don’t ever be afraid to ask if you have a question!  You can give us a call at (404) 909-5245 or shoot an email over to mmq@melroseandmcqueen.com any time!

We’re here for you, bro.

‘Til death and/or hair loss do we part,
Georgia

The first thought that I had when I saw this collection? The classic Nickelodeon show Aaahh!!! Real Monsters.  I mean, come on, clearly this man was inspired by something hiding either under his bed or in his closet… and I don’t hate it.  I don’t hate it at all.

The second thought that came to my mind?  Goosebumps, the series of children’s horror books written by R.L. Stein in the 90’s.  It’s evident that Scott looked to all things childlike and 90’s for the inspiration for this collection.  It is an ode to the fantasy world we all lived in before the corruption that is adult life.

Despite the collection displaying a wide variety of textures and colors, it still remains undeniably cohesive.

Sweaters, sweatshirts, nylon hi-lo windbreakers, thigh high furry boots, graphic tees- if one thing is apparent it’s that this “ready-to-wear” collection isn’t so ready to wear for the meek or the mild.

–
Rachael Dornellas

First off, flakes can be caused by several things.  Most of the time, when I find clients wave the dandruff flag, they just have dry scalp.  But what exactly causes that?  Well, some people have dry skin by nature, and the winter weather ups that level for everyone.  Do you take scalding hot showers?  Do you overuse clarifying shampoos?  Do you use good, rich conditioners?  What styling products are you using?  I can’t provide specific tips for you without checking your hair out, but these could all be factors you should look into.  A little tweaking to your morning routine may be all you need!Product buildup can also cause flakes.  Some of us, including yours truly, do not shampoo every day (and most people don’t NEED to, contrary to popular belief); however, you should still be brushing, rinsing, conditioning, and massaging your scalp regularly!  Rinsing very well and giving your scalp a good scrub, even without that sudsy goodness, can still break up the excess oils and products, leaving your hair a little fresher, without stripping too much moisture from your scalp.

Those are the easy solutions!  There are trickier ones, though.  It’s true that clinical dandruff could be caused by a number of conditions.  You can tell the difference between the first issues I addressed and true dandruff in that dry scalp normally results in dry, white/transparent, and normally small, flakes.  True dandruff is actually a little more scaly in appearance, more oily, and can vary from white to yellow.  Psoriasis, though it normally occurs on joints and the torso, can sometimes occur on the scalp, causing thick scales.  Seborrheic dermatitis (irritated, oily skin) can be red and oily in appearance and also have scales.  If you see any sort of discoloration on your scalp that accompany whatever flakes you may have, I recommend that you pay your dermatologist a visit.  They can prescribe whatever you need to help soothe and heal your scalp the right way.

Over-the-counter dandruff shampoos can be useful at times, but for some people, they make the problem worse.  They are typically very astringent, and can dry your scalp even more (which is terrible if that’s what’s causing your flakes in the first place).  So if you’re going to use these, again, I recommend a good discussion with your hairdresser and/or dermatologist.  We have your best health and beauty interests at heart.

Here’s to fearlessly wearing that black sweater!
XO,Laura