Judy De Luca

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Latest Addition To Judy DeLuca’s Photo Museum of Hair History

Posted on February 11, 2014 by judydeluca

This was the tool that Barbers used to do bloodletting with.

Barbering is one of the oldest professions going back six thousand years. A barber, back in the day, performed other things besides cutting hair and shaving. It was common for a barber to pull a tooth or surgically do a bloodletting. They were known then, as Barber Surgeons.

To learn more visit my blog post on The Barber and the Barber Pole.

If you are interested in old barber and hairdressing tools visit my Photo Museum of Hair History

Judy DeLuca’s Latest Novel

Available at your favorite ebook store

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Choosing The Right Shampoo For Your Needs And Budget

Posted on February 4, 2014 by judydeluca

Speaking as a professional in the hairdressing business, I always recommend professional products because of quality ingredients. There are plenty of professional products out there of many different price scales that can be good for your hair and purse, if you are aware of just a few things.

Choose the best brand you can afford and make sure it suits your specific needs, colored treated, volume, smoothing, etc.

Cheap shampoos have harsh detergents that are not formulated for the specific needs of your hair and have low grade ingredients. Sulfate free shampoos are being advertised everywhere. So, what is the difference?

Shampoo in the past was always made with Sodium Lauryl Sulfate which was used to form a rich lather. In reality it was an inexpensive grease cutting detergent which made the hair dry because it roughed up the cuticle of the hair, the outside layer of a single hair that under magnification looks like shingles.

So basically, sulfate free shampoo means, without harsh detergent. It should be top on the list of things you’d want to look for in choosing a shampoo for your needs. Another tip for choosing the right shampoo is keep in mind that clear shampoos are more lightweight than creamy ones which make them better for oily hair or baby fine hair. Creamy shampoo is the best for dry damaged hair.

It’s always good to adhere to a few other tips for healthy looking hair. Always use a conditioner, dry damaged hair should also use a leave-in conditioner as well, don’t towel dry vigorously, blot instead, use ‘thermal protection’ products when applying heat to your hair, don’t use the highest setting on your irons and most of all, get your hair trimmed regularly. The only cure for damaged trashed hair is to cut it off!

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Judy Deluca’s latest novel, Towel Dry and a Good Cry.

http://www.youtube.com/toweldryandagoodcry

Natural Facial Scrub For Oily Skin

Posted on January 28, 2014 by judydeluca

Honey and almond flour mixed together into a paste is an excellent scrub for oily skin because of honey’s antiseptic properties and high levels of vitamins they both contain. It’s graininess makes it an excellent gentle exfoliator, and you can make it yourself!

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Judy DeLuca’s latest novel, Towel Dry and a Good Cry.

http://www.youtube.com/toweldryandagoodcry

Tricks For Using Velcro Rollers

Posted on January 21, 2014 by judydeluca

Velcro rollers provide soft curl, root lift and can be used on damp or dry hair. The beauty of the Velcro roller is that the hair is not subject to heat abuse and is a quick easy way to spruce up your hair, especially if you don’t want to wash your hair. Velcro rollers can be applied to dry hair and sprayed with hairspray and left to set while applying makeup or dressing.

Another choice, especially for fine, curly or dry brittle hair is to wind the rollers on dry hair before taking a shower and the steam will help set the curls for a long lasting, conditioning style when you remove them.

For a loose long hair style, put hair up in a high pony and roll the ends up.

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Judy DeLuca’s latest novel, Towel Dry and a Good Cry.

http://www.youtube.com/toweldryandagoodcry

Men’s Hairstyles of the 90’s

Posted on January 14, 2014 by judydeluca

Hairstyles for men in the 90’s came a long way after the ever so popular mullet of the 80’s. After surviving the 80’s as a hairdresser, I was glad styles for men made a drastic change. Here are some of the hairstyle trends that were popular for men in the the 90’s.

The Caesar

Curtains or the long fringe front

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Long side burns

Shaved sides and back with a mop top or the swimmers cut

Crew Cuts

The Quiff, half pompadour half flattop

Spikes

And thanks to the Grunge era, a variety of Mohawks and colored Mohawks were also trendy men’s hairstyles of the 90’s

When I wrote my novel, Towel Dry and a Good Cry, I chose the 80’s time frame because it really was the most outrageous time for hairstyles and a time before electronic devices.

Protect Your Hair Against Heat Damage

Posted on January 7, 2014 by judydeluca

Protect your hair against heat damage.

Glamming your hair up for all the holiday season parties and gatherings is a lot of work, not to mention all the extra heat abuse our hair takes from more frequent use of, blow dryers, curling irons, flat irons and hot rollers.

As a professional, I always recommend a thermal protection product before you blow dry, curl or straighten. The conditioners and polymers in the product will protect your hair from scorching. Be sure to have your hair trimmed every 4-6 weeks and ask your professional hairstylist which product would be best for your hair.

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Judy De Luca’s latest novel is Towel Dry and a Good Cry.

View the book trailer: www.youtube.com/toweldryandagoodcry

New Year’s Resolutions

Posted on December 31, 2013 by judydeluca

I’ve never understood the New Year’s Resolution thing. So much pressure we put on January first to lose weight, quit smoking, drink less or whatever it is that we tell ourselves we have to do on that date. New Year’s Day comes and we stop our old habits cold turkey. Aunt Mary stops by with her famous pecan pie; Uncle Joe brings a bottle of wine. You eat another feast, because it’s a holiday, and you can’t refuse the pecan pie or the wine. Ten minutes later you are off to the convenience store to buy a pack of smokes. By nightfall the guilt sets in and you eat everything in sight and smoke twice as many cigarettes as you did before. So you try again the next day, and the next day, beating yourself up every time you cheat. Why do we set ourselves up for depression!? I say, quit whatever it is when you’re ready, take a little pressure off!

Judy DeLuca’s latest novel is, Towel Dry and a Good Cry.

View the book trailer: http://www.youtube.com/toweldryandagoodcry

A Hairdresser’s Christmas Story

Posted on December 17, 2013 by judydeluca

A Christmas Story

By: Judy De Luca

The slightly stooped woman left a Christmas gift on the hairdresser’s station on her way out of the salon. “Put it under your tree,” she had said. But the hairdresser opened the gift her longtime client gave her as soon as she got home.

The woman was old school, brought up by immigrant parents who valued life, loved their neighbor and went to church every Sunday. She had always been an active member of her church and raised her own children in the strict moral values her parents instilled in her.

And when the Lord took her soul mate, her last memory holding his hand while he took his last breath, she fought the loneliness that gripped her by doing even more volunteer work for her church, taking pleasure in helping others. The ladies sodality collected toys for under privileged children in the community every Christmas and she was elected chairperson this year.

The woman, not being an extravagant woman in any way, chose her Christmas gifts carefully, choosing the perfect gift, in her eyes, for the person she was buying for. Her grandchildren were easy, and so were the women, it was the men she had a hard time with. Her hairdresser was fun to buy for and she never forgot her at Christmas. Her hairdresser was responsible for her hair looking good not to mention, that poor girl listening to her cry and cry over the husband’s death and all her other woe’s throughout the year.

The hairdresser, at it for ten years, had many clients she felt were like family, a unique bond brought on by her profession. She was good at what she did, had the real talent, and was also good at talking and pampering her customers, creating herself a little empire of loyal followers at one of the better middle class salons in the area. A single girl, trying to make it on her own, was a little down on her luck this Christmas season. While her friends were out partying and spending money, she stayed home and saved hers, purchasing a three room condo six months ago. It was her pride and joy, her little place to call home and she had earned it with her hard work. Most of her tip money went into fixing her little place up. But life kept getting in the way for the hairdresser. First it was the horrific toothache that led to a root canal, an expense she wasn’t counting on and a week later the alternator went in her car, another expense that put her budget behind and now the mortgage was about due. The hairdresser loved Christmas time because it is the busiest time of the year and the time of year that she made the most money. The extra tight bookings couldn’t be helped with all the up do’s and blow dry’s for Christmas parties and that meant more money along with Christmas gifts and extra tips. She was hoping to make the extra money to pay the mortgage and to buy her parents and brother a Christmas gift.

She ripped open the wrapping paper in her hurried excitement, tore through the tissue paper, to reveal a chrome rimmed sink strainer. She allowed the barest chuckle and smiled to no one but herself. Then her eyes became tearful as she pictured this sweet, practical woman walking down the aisles of the five and ten looking for a gift especially for her, chosen out of love. The hairdresser’s soul filled with the Christmas spirit as she laid the gift under her tabletop ceramic Christmas tree her mother had given her.

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Christmas Tree Tidbit

Posted on December 10, 2013 by judydeluca

I recently learned something that I thought I’d share in the light of the Christmas season. Each year, 3.5 million American families bring real Christmas trees into their home. This custom was first introduced in the United States in 1842, by Charles Minnegerode at Williamsburg, Virginia. His tree was described as “splendidly decorated” with strings of popcorn, gilded nuts and lighted candles.

The fourteen president of the United States, Franklin Pierce, was the first president to set up a Christmas tree in the White House.

Judy DeLuca’s latest novel

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Dry Chapped Hands

Posted on December 3, 2013 by judydeluca

We all know as soon as the cold weather comes our hands take a beating. Being a hairdresser, my hands are always chapped and dry as a bone. My cure-all in these winter months for dry chapped hands is using a salt scrub followed by an intense moisturizer.

When your hands are dry and chapped the main goal is to slough off all those dead skin cells. A salt scrub is a cleansing, exfoliating product of basically salt and oil that will make your hands (and body) softer and healthier. Be careful if you are using a product such as this in the shower, the oil can make your shower very slick and slippery.

Salt scrubs generally run around thirty dollars but there are many homemade recipes to make your own. There are three ingredients in making your own salt scrubs, sea salt, almond oil and a few drops of essential oils. If you tend to have sensitive skin you can replace the salt for sugar.

So, if you have dry chapped hands and want them silky smooth you might want to try this.

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Judy DeLuca’s latest novel

Holiday Fruitcake

Posted on November 19, 2013 by judydeluca

This is the time of year I start seeing Holiday Fruitcakes out in the stores and they make me think of my late mother. Not that I don’t think of her everyday but, my mother had a holiday fruitcake recipe she loved to bake (and eat) around the holidays, called Holiday Jewels. They were shaped like bonbons. She was quite the baker, one of many talents she had. Even though I didn’t particularly like holiday fruitcake, I looked forward to having one of those Jewels right out of the oven every year.

If you love fruitcake and want a different way to make it, this is a great recipe. My mother would be mortified if she knew I was posting her original hand typed recipe, typo’s and all, for the public to see!

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Minestrone Soup

Posted on November 5, 2013 by judydeluca

Judy De Luca

Fall is upon us. Crisp mornings and cool nights are the beginnings of bunkering down for the approaching winter. A change of weather, different harvest, different foods. Makes me think of an afghan, a good book, a hearty soup and a hunk of Italian bread.

This authentic recipe for Minestrone Soup comes from an old woman who brought this way of cooking over with her from the Old Country. Her generation would be similar to Josie’s grandmother in my novel, Towel Dry and a Good Cry, a recipe that Josie would pass down to the next generation, for sure.

La Minestra

1 cup white navy or pea beans

1 fresh prosciutto bone with meat attached

½ pound pepperoni cut in chunks, or 2 pigs’ feet, drained, rinsed well

7-8 garlic cloves, crushed

1 large Savory cabbage, outer leaves removed, quartered

½ cup olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

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Halloween Game for Children, Witch’s Brew

Posted on October 29, 2013 by judydeluca

This is one of my favorite Halloween children’s game, Witch’s Brew.

This is a fun Halloween game to play at parties.

All you will need is: straws, construction paper and bowls.

Each child needs to cut out ten Halloween shapes such as, ghosts, bats and spiders on construction paper.

Have several templates ready ahead of time so the children can trace them out on the construction paper.Each shape should be the size of a tennis ball.

When the children have finished cutting out their shapes, place them beside a small bowl.

Using the straw as a vacuum, each player tries to pick up a shape and place it in the bowl to create a Witch’s Brew. The first one to get all ten in the bowl the fastest wins the game!

I hope your children enjoy this Halloween children’s game as much as mine did.

Judy DeLuca’s latest novel

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Bobbing For Apples

Posted on October 22, 2013 by judydeluca

Who thought of Bobbing for Apples, anyway? It’s such an odd game, don’t you think? Halloween has always been associated with the bobbing for apples tradition.

It seems, when the Romans conquered Britain, they brought with them an apple tree as a symbol for the goddess Pamona. She was regarded as the protector and watchwoman of the fruit trees.

Pamona represents a flourishing of the fruit trees, fruitful abundance. The Celts’ believed Pamona was also known as the fertility goddess and over time the two beliefs were combined.

When an apple is cut in half, the seeds form a pentagram. The Celts’ believed the pentagram was a fertility symbol. They believed the apple could determine marriages during the harvest time. Young unmarried people tried to bite into an apple floating in water. The first person to bite into an apple was said to be the next one married.

Weird as this game is, the tradition of bobbing for apples has lived on and is still played today at Halloween parties.

Judy DeLuca’s latest novel