Living social hits Syracuse

Living social..what is it? Deals deals everywhere!

Read more about it here and then join to learn about deals of the day!

Getting to know you, getting to know all about you...

We've become a member of the Bumble and Bumble family!

After much consideration, a lengthy list of Pros and Cons..and a deal from Bb that we could not refuse..(Thank you Sean Muse - Director of Business Development for Bb) We have our brand new catchy looking Bb shelves stocked, we are setting our date for the launch party and are choosing carefully which stylists will be attending the BbUniversity along with me! This ride will be an exciting one! Joining the culture of Bb will be very rewarding indeed!

Our #1 priority in 2011 is education, education, education! At Bijou we have so many opportunities this year, (Eufora foundations 3 day journey, Sojourn with the best of Sassoon educators, Kim Vo's team) simply with the best of the best. The opportunities are the "pinch me" type! In all honesty this whole journey has been a "pinch me" journey!

Thank you for helping us get where we are today, these opportunities would not be as easy to get had it not been for loyal clients enabling us to grow into the salon we have grown into! Your recommendations and faith in us, coupled with your feedback to help us change what is not working, will make it easy for us to get better and better! Just for you:)

Bijou to the rescue and Merry Christmas too!

I have loved blogs for..oh about 7 years! I've had one of my own for about 4 years..and then my business blog for 2+ years. AND I read plenty, and share with my friends who have never heard about blogs, all the ones I adore!

I've pretty much lost time to read many blogs, usually I catch up quickly about once a month, trying to touch base with my old time favorites. Lately, I read 3 religiously..My "soul sister", my "royal friends" and my "new friend" (that I actually have not spent much time with, but feel like I know her and her daughters oh so well...that's a blog for you, they're amazing:)

It's exciting to be written about in another persons blog, it gives you a funny feeling, something you look at everyday, read each story and then..wait...that's me in that story! Blogs are stories, whatever kind of stories, everyone should have one:)

Cindy's daughter had a little hair emergency, so she blogged about it:) I told her, yippee skippee, I can use your blog post on my, saves me for doing one...(it's my new years resolution for 2011..blog 2x per week, and drink more water, should be simple enough:)


Please click here to read her story and really browse around, you'll fall in love with her writing just as I have:) But if she has open slots for extended family, I get dibs first!

OH yes, and Merry Christmas to you all and to all a goodnight!

What Aveda says about Sulfates!!

Sulfates are a group of ingredients used in shampoos that create lather and help to lift dirt and oil away from hair and scalp. The most commonly used sulfate is Sodium Laureth Sulfate, which has a long history of safe use. It is an effective and mild foaming agent that imparts softness to the hair.

Sodium Lauryl Sulfate and Sodium Laureth Sulfate are ingredients primarily used in cosmetic "rinse off" products. For several years, a rumor has been circulated on the Internet stating that these ingredients are unsafe. This story relayed via the Internet is false and unsubstantiated, and is typical of Internet rumors which spread inaccurate information.

There is no evidence of health risk from either of these ingredients as used in cosmetic products. The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has not found them to be harmful when used for the purpose and at the strength intended. Both ingredients were reviewed by the Cosmetics Ingredient Review Expert Panel (CIR), an independent group of world-renowned physicians and scientists. The CIR also determined that both ingredients are safe.

We do not use SLS or SLES in our shampoos. We do use ammonium lauryl sulfate, coco-babassu sulfate and many other surfactants derived from babassu, palm and coconut. We like to blend our plant-based ingredients to meet the needs of the specific hair type for which we are formulating.

What is the difference in Sulfates? These are all foaming ingredients used for cleansing and so have similar functions and names. The difference is what is used to make these foaming ingredients. The starting materials can be from petroleum, from animal by-products or from plant sources. When the foaming ingredient appears on the label of a product, there is no way to know which starting materials were used. Aveda always uses plant (coconut, babassu or palm) for these foaming ingredients where other companies will use petroleum or animal by-products, but the foaming ingredient name will be the same.

Aveda formulas are specially designed to deliver conditioning properties without drying out the hair.

In May of 2008 a wash fade analysis for color treated hair comparison study was done on Aveda shampoo, conditioner and treatment regimens. The purpose of the study was to explore the extent to which Aveda shampoo and conditioner regimen or Aveda shampoo and treatment regimen caused colored hair to fade. Hair swatches were washed repeatedly and then evaluated instrumentally to measure both color fading and shift.

The results were all of the products tested either faded less or equally to water alone. There was no ‘stripping’ observed.

Aveda has created exclusive technology with organic Coco/Babassu Sulfate and organic Babassu Betains sulfate-free options. All of these options feature a combination of plant-based protecting extracts, beautifully aromatic, functional essential oils, and plant based conditioning agents. This combined with specific ingredients for a particular hair need protects and will not strip the hair.

Sulfates don’t strip hair, bad shampoos do.

Using Aveda’s exclusive Babassu Betaine technology, Aveda has offered sulfate-free shampoos since 1996. Why should some shampoos contain sulfates and some do not? There are different foaming characteristics. Sulfate based foam will have large, ‘lacy’ bubbles. Non-sulfate based foam with create a denser, richer foam. They provide a different feel on the hair and offer different rinsing and spreading characteristics. Although they are different, one is not better than the other.

Aveda currently offers 4 sulfate-free shampoos.

• Scalp Benefits Balancing Shampoo

• Damage Remedy Restructuring Shampoo

• Dry Remedy Moisturizing Shampoo

• Men’s Pureformance Shampoo

Aveda currently offers 9 sulfate-free skin cleansing products.

• Caribbean Therapy Body Wash

• Green Science Perfecting Cleanser

• Enbrightenment Cleanser

• Outer Peace Foaming Cleanser

• Personal Blends Smoothing Body Formula

• Pure Comfort Eye Makeup Remover

• Botanical Kinetics Purifying Crème Cleanser

• Botanical Kinetics Purifying Gel Cleanser

• Smoothing Body Polish

"Hey, you've got some spinach in your teeth"

You might be wondering why in the world I have put a photo of a woman with spinach in her teeth?

This was used as a metaphor, that to me, was purely poetic! Here, let me tell you.

First let me say that since opening this business, I have recognized the value of client feedback. This is something that I am truly grateful for and knowing that has made me speak up in a nice way when I am receiving a service or visiting a place I care about, and share with them..my feedback.

Only once this bit me, but I am reasonable enough to know, everyone is not like me and does not want to know the good, the bad and the ugly.

Most recently I had a great experience in doing this with one of my most favorite places ever. My family went their for dinner and it just didn't measure to the other 3 times we went for holidays, I reflected on it for days...Do I, don't I? Well I decided to write a note to the general manager and was so happy that I did, he took it as I would have and for that I was pleased, I hope my words were useful in some small way to them.

Have I mentioned I love Karma. A week later I received a letter from a wonderful client who shared an experience with me about a service that was slightly less than. While reading the letter and how she was sharing with me such VALUABLE insight to my salon, I was practically jumping up and down in my chair, feeling completely grateful that she took the time and cared enough...yes cared enough, to say..."Hey guys, you've got some spinach in your teeth"...true friends do that and for a client to do that, this makes me somehow proud, grateful..honored..so many feelings, I just can't name them all!

In her letter she started by saying this :Kim,

I have debated emailing you regarding my recent Bijou appt since last weekend. I didn't want to come off as a hard to please whiner and was just going to forget about it, but now I am thinking that (as a business owner) you probably would want to hear the good and the bad. So, before I change my mind again, I am writing.

She told me in detail the good, the bad and a teensy bit of ugly. And she ended it with: You are NOT going to lose my business over this. I LOVE coming to Bijou for my hair, my kids hair.
PS: How funny is it that I am sitting here hoping this email doesn't ruin your mood?!

I replied to her how grateful I was and how important her feedback was to us, (I had showed all the girls the note and they all took it as an extremely fortunate letter, all feeling exactly the same way as me..I love that about my Bijou girls) she replied with this: I am glad my feedback fell on such wonderful ears. What a relief that you took my email the way it was intended (my timing ended up being right with your experience). You could understand I wasn't blasting the salon or looking for a refund /redo--- just pointing out some spinach in the teeth of a beautiful woman. : )

So do us and your favorite places a favor, be a friend and tell us when we have spinach in our teeth, or toilet paper on our shoe. My favorite saying (ha..one of them..I have SO many) that I tell my kids and the girls at work...You will learn more from doing the wrong thing at times, than doing things right all the time.

Thank you again Karen, this one was for you:) and for my Bijou girl Sam, who politely reminded me that it's been some time since I blogged, your little nudge inspired me, so you see, always speak up, never worry about reminding me to do my job:)