Hey everyone! What a strange time we are living in right now. I hope everyone is staying safe and well while we get through this tough period. As we all know, non essential businesses cannot operate until at least April 30th, including salons. Hopefully things will start to look up by then.

I’ve recently moved back to a salon studio in the north DTC area as of March 3rd 2020. I decided, after trial and error over the last couple years that a private space is much better for me and my clients. It enables me to maintain a low chemical environment and retail organic products that coincide with the hair color I use. This is great news for clients with allergies and/or concerns about toxic chemicals.

New location: JP Organic Hair (inside The Modern Salon Studios) 8000 E. Quincy Ave. Ste. 121; Denver, CO. 80237

Given, as far as we know, I won’t be able to take appointments until May, feel free to reach out if you’d like to get on the books then. In the meantime, I will be offering custom color kits for root touch ups to get those of you through, who generally go to the salon for frequent visits. I can also customize glosses/toners as needed, and will have retail of hair care available. Details, pricing, and delivery options will be addressed in the next post.

As always, thank you for your continued support and for those of you who’ve reached out and checked on me. Let’s all try to stay positive through this time and help each other as needed. Be well and I’ll see you all in the not so distant future.

Man, 2019 went by fast and to be honest, I’m glad that year is behind me. I’m not entirely sure if I believe in time markers or if it matters. But for some reason I think this year will be better. Now, I’m not saying it was all bad. Let’s just say I’ve been working on personal growth, learning some big life lessons, all the while navigating the ups and downs. I switched locations back in May, and decided to rent a chair at Fuel Salon (Highlands Ranch location), after trying out a salon suite for a year. Both scenarios have their trade offs, but this makes sense for me right now.

As far as goals for 2020? I’d really like to refine my craft and perhaps try some new things (extensions?). I want to build my business. I want to put the majority of my energy back into my career and myself. I want more self care and less distraction. For the first time in a long time, I have no one but me to focus on and have no more excuses. For me, it’s death to stagnate, and I’ve been stagnant career wise for over a year. Mind you, I needed that part of my life to pause so I could grow on other levels. But when does pausing turn into procrastination? We can’t always wait for motivation. Sometimes we’ve got to just show up and do the work.

I suppose the point of me writing this right now is to put the intention out there. Plus, it’s been too long and my website needs some love ;-). I wish all you good folks out there a wonderful 2020. Here’s to showing up and making positive changes!

Now, here’s some of my favorite work from the year:

Here I am again, a few months since my last blog post, some more trial and error, and coming to the conclusion that I need to simplify my work life between here (Denver) and New York. I knew going in to renting a whole studio that it would be risky, given I had just a small following. As I approached my year anniversary, I decided to re-evaluate if things were working financially maintaining the studio here in Denver, and the frequency of my work trips to NYC. The conclusion I’ve come to? Basically, I need to cut back on the frequency of my time going to New York, and scale down here until I build up more business. That means I’ve decided to rent a station part time at Fuel salon in Highlands Ranch, and I’m now offering home hair services (house calls), to compensate for the limited schedule I’ll have at the salon. This makes the most sense to me economically, at the moment, and it enables me to sort other areas of my life out (been quite a year!). Other than location, my pricing and the color lines I use will remain the same. Some of you may find a house call ideal if you usually struggle finding a baby sitter or you work from home. If you have questions about what that entails, please text me! And know that I appreciate everyone who sticks with me through these transitions, because I couldn’t do it without you. My goal this next year is to build my business more in Denver, so my trips to New York are less frequent and more of a bonus rather than a dependency. Thanks for reading and happy Spring!

Text me for an appointment at (559)-313-6545.

New location:

Fuel Salon: 9579 S. University, Ste. 400C, Highlands Ranch, CO. 80126

Hey everyone! A little real talk here given it’s been awhile since I’ve posted. But first, I’ve been really happy with Original Mineral COR color these past few months, that I’m expanding on that color line as my primary color line. A few key notes about this color are:

• ø No Ammonia
• ø No PPDs
• ø No Resorcinol
• ø No Gluten
• ø No Soy
• ø No Animal Ingredients

The lighteners are fantastic too, and don’t do as much damage as traditional lighteners.

https://www.simplyorganicbeauty.com/organic-salon-products/original-and-mineral/cor-color/ (for more information).

..and now for some musings.

I have to be honest, the last 6-7 months have been rocky on most fronts, personal and work related. On the work related end, as far as Denver goes, I had maintained but hadn’t really expanded. Part of why I haven’t blogged here since April. I was highly considering moving back to NYC, while my marriage was slowly falling apart. I do believe that I was putting more energy into my New York work trips than I was here in Denver. And yes, my marriage has ended, and it is unfortunate that things turned out the way they did. But rather than uproot my life yet again, I’ve decided to give Denver and what I’ve established here a fair shot. And what’s not to love? Beautiful weather, really nice people, awesome clients, and everything I like doing is available here. Plus, I’m able to have my own little salon studio (which I’m incredibly grateful for). While life has thrown a few wrenches at me since I moved to Denver almost 2 years ago, I can definitely see how things can be great. I just need to put a little more positivity and intention towards it (and I’m working on that even as I write this). I’m looking forward to growing here in Denver and I embrace this new chapter.

To all the clients who continue to support my business, you have no idea how important you are and I thank you. To the new clients that come my way, I truly appreciate you choosing me for your organic color needs. I hope you all have a wonderful holiday season!

Hi everyone! So I’ve decided to go for it and rent a little studio space out in Greenwood Village, Colorado. I’m super stoked to be working for myself again and I’m really excited to expand on the products I like to use. I’m calling this the stepping stone to eventually opening up a full salon in the future. First draft pics below (hey, it’s a start).

Located in Lavender Medical spa: 9251 E. Peakview Ave, Greenwood Village; 2nd floor, Suite 15.

This is a link to an older article, but I really appreciate the unbiased comparison between MEA and ammonia in hair color. It also covers the fact that for any hair color that is used that lifts and deposits, there has to be some form of alkalizing agent. No hair color can be chemical free and still work. It’s my personal opinion that MEA based color is much gentler and safer than ammonia based color based on the simple fact of less skin irritation and no harsh fumes.

MEA vs Ammonia: The Unbiased Truth

Hi everyone! It’s been awhile since I’ve posted (I need to be better, I know). There have been some positive changes in the last few months, and I’ve simplified some things with my schedule and location(s).

The first thing to note is as of November 2017, I started going back to New York City to work a couple days per month at Hale Organic Salon, due to client demand. I’m so happy I did and its a great feeling to reconnect with my NYC clients and reconnect with the city from a different perspective. I’ll post future dates and details in a separate blog.

The second thing to note is my location in the Denver area changed as well. I work at Post Hair Company in Greenwood Village 24-30 hours/week and I offer the same ammonia free and herbal based colors at this location. You may still contact me directly for more details and appointments.

I hope everyone has a happy and productive New Year!

Do you have issues with dry scalp, thinning hair, buildup, or just dull hair in general? There are some natural solutions that will help as an alternative to chemical shampoos, conditioners, and clarifiers.

Now that I live in a much drier climate, I’ve had some serious flare ups with my scalp (dry and patchy areas). Although in a pinch, you can use a medicated dandruff shampoo, it doesn’t necessarily treat the underlying problem. You want to take good care of your scalp to ensure hair growth and good condition overall.

Here are a couple of my favorite, natural treatments that you can add to your routine:

Castor Oil

Castor oil is a fantastic scalp pre-treatment (before shampooing). Benefits include; stimulation of scalp (which encourages hair growth), anti fungal, reduced itching and swelling, and general healing of skin disorders. You can apply the oil straight onto your scalp and then shampoo 1-2 times after (condition ends as needed). I generally leave the oil on for an hour or so while I do chores around the house. Since I have finer hair, I shampoo twice and my hair is not greasy after. If you have dry hair, shampooing once is probably enough.

Apple Cider Vinegar

Apple cider vinegar has so many benefits and is one of my favorite hair treatments as a rinse. Benefits include; gentle clarifying (removing buildup without drying your hair), anti bacterial/anti fungal, balances PH, adds incredible shine, stimulates hair growth, and helps close down the cuticle. I usually mix one part cider to 3-4 parts water. Sometimes I add a few drops of essential oils such as tea tree (also anti fungal/antiseptic), vitamin E, and orange oil for a more pleasant smell. I do the rinse after shampooing and before the conditioner.

For more in depth information and other benefits:

http://www.naturallivingideas.com/castor-oil/

10 Reasons To Use Apple Cider Vinegar On Your Hair + ACV Hair Rinse Recipe

Thanks for reading!

Here’s a collection of some of my work from the last few months. I did both cut and color/highlights on all the images below.

I’ve been using organic (herbal based, ammonia free) color for 11 years and haven’t looked back. Why would I if I can achieve the same results without the harsh chemicals of ammonia color? Some have questioned if it works the same or will last. In my personal opinion, I think it works just as well, if not better in most cases.

The problem with ammonia color is that it blasts the cuticle open to accept the color (I’ll get more in depth about this in a future blog). While initially it may seem like the coverage is great, it’s only going to damage the hair over time and oxidize much quicker. In addition to the damage, there’s also the issue of scalp irritation, harsh fumes, and unnecessary added chemicals that may be harmful with continued use. Chemicals like higher quantities of PPD (Paraphenylenediamine), Resorcinol, Parabens, Silicones, to name a few.

That’s why I’ve narrowed my color lines down to those that work well, have the least amount of chemicals possible, while still having a full range of colors and safe lighteners.

Color Herbe (my go to permanent line): is a vegan, biodegradable, ammonia- and cruelty-free herbal hair color gel that contains only very low concentrations of PPD and peroxide. Utilizing vegetal extracts from plants and herbs like rosemary, cinchona, and walnut husk. It’s also Resorcinol, Silicone, and Paraben free. Fantastic grey coverage to boot.

Original Mineral Liquid CCT: is an ammonia-free, vegan, liquid hair color with long lasting, demi-permanent results. Made with nourishing Tasmanian Sea Kelp, Macadamia and Argan Oils, the hair is left glossy, healthy and full of shine. Also free of Resorcinol, Parabens, and PPDs.

O&M lighteners: clay based, ammonia free, lighteners provide gentle on and off the scalp lightening while preserving the integrity of the hair. Nourishing benefits of Avocado and Macadamia Nut Oils and native Australian ingredients Lilly Pilly and Quandong to strengthen and condition through the coloring process.

Now you have an idea of what’s in store if you switch to herbal based, ammonia free color. Fantastic results without the skin irritants and harmful chemicals. Plus healthier, shinier hair. Sounds like a win-win situation to me.