Category Archives: Cosmetology

Margaret Vinci Heldt Creator of the Beehive Hairdo

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I recently read the obituary of Margaret Vinci Heldt, the creator of the infamous Beehive hairdo. I love to commemorate the trail blazers of the Hairdressing profession.

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Margaret Vinci Heldt had been a salon owner when she won the National Coiffure Championship in 1954. The editors of Modern Beauty Shop Magazine asked Margaret if she would create a new hairdo for the up and coming season.

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While trying to be inspired in creating her new trend, Margaret Vinci Heldt spotted a hat of hers and got the inspiration she was looking for.

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Working on her mannequin, she teased and lacquered an updo in the shape of her hat and for an extra adornment she added a stick pin she had of a bee.

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When a reporter saw the final hairdo, he told Margaret that the hairdo reminded him of a beehive and asked if she minded if he called her new creation that.

In this photo taken Jan. 19, 2011, retired hairstylist Margaret Vinci Heldt, 92, is seen at her apartment in Elmhurst, Ill. Heldt developed "the beehive" hairdo when Modern Beauty Shop magazine was looking for a new design, something new and different to feature in its February 1960 issue. The black velvet hat on the table was the inspiration for the hairdo. (AP Photo/Caryn Rousseau)

The beehive today is still popular and worn by many celebrities. Later the beehive was also called the B-52 because of the resemblance in silhouette to the conical nose of the Boeing B-52 bomber airplane.

Margaret was one of the Cosmetology icons that deserve the remembrance and respect that she worked so hard for throughout her career.

Judy DeLuca’s Latest Novel

Towel Dry and a Good Cry is about a young girl, new to the hairdressing business, that learns all too quick that there is more to standing behind the chair than just cutting hair.  A story full of laughs and tears lies and fears with characters you’ll love, hate or will leave your jaw hanging open!

Available at your favorite ebook store

www.youtube.com/toweldryandagoodcry

www.facebook.com/judydelucaauthor

Follow me on Pinterest for more beauty info and tips.

 

 

 

Choosing The Right Shampoo For Your Needs And Budget

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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!

For more beauty tips follow me on Pinterest.

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

Towel Dry and a Good Cry is about a young girl, new to the hairdressing business, that learns all too quick that there is more to standing behind the chair than just cutting hair.  A story full of laughs and tears lies and fears with characters you’ll love, hate or will leave your jaw hanging open!

www.youtube.com/toweldryandagoodcry

www.facebook.com/judydelucaauthor

Protect Your Hair Against Heat Damage

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Protect your hair against heat damage. 467

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.7899909999

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.

Follow me on Pinterest for more beauty tips.

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

Towel Dry and a Good Cry is about a young girl, new to the hairdressing business, that learns all too quick that there is more to standing behind the chair than just cutting hair.  A story full of laughs and tears lies and fears with characters you’ll love, hate or will leave your jaw hanging open!

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

http://www.facebook.com/judydelucaauthor

A Hairdresser’s Christmas Story

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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.

Judy DeLuca’s latest novel:

Towel Dry and a Good Cry is about a young girl, new to the hairdressing business, that learns all too quick that there is more to standing behind the chair than just cutting hair.  A story full of laughs and tears lies and fears with characters you’ll love, hate or will leave your jaw hanging open!

www.youtube.com/toweldryandagoodcry

www.facebook.com/judydelucaauthor

 Follow me on Pinterest!

Excerpt From Towel Dry and a Good cry

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I was sweeping the hair from Phoebe when I felt a tap on my shoulder. I jumped. It was Wendell.

“Jeez, Wendell, you scared me.”

He grabbed me in an embrace, broom and all. “I finally found you,” he said in a tone that made me want to barf. “I finally found you.” He smelled like he’d bathed in cheap cologne. I got an instant headache.

“You should’ve called me. I had to go back to your other salon and finally, someone told me where you went.”

He bent his knees slightly and made a quick ball re-arrangement, never taking his psychotic eyes away from mine. Son-of-a-bitch, he caught me off guard. I looked down. I felt the heat of his gaze, but I didn’t look up. I focused on the floor.

“I figured word would get around.”

“This is a beautiful place, Josie.”

“Let me show you where to get shampooed.”

“Okay. Do you mind if I leave my book here?”

I pointed to a clear spot.

When I came back from directing him to the shampoo station, I glanced at his book. The Joy of Sex.

Haven’t read Towel Dry and a Good Cry, yet? You might want to check out the book trailer: http://www.youtube.com/toweldryandagoodcry

likehttp://www.facebook.com/judydelucaauthor

Hairstyles For Women Over 40

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As a hairdresser, I try to encourage my clients in their late thirties to grow their hair long before they get too old to wear it like that again.  When a women gets to be in her late forties early fifties cutting their hair a little shorter can give her an instant facelift. Cutting doesn’t necessarily have to be a pixie but bringing up the length can give a woman a younger look instead of the long hair dragging her face down. Professionally speaking, that’s the last thing a woman in her fifties wants a hairstyle to do. This is a little gallery of some hairstyles that I think would flatter a woman in her fifties.

For more beauty info and tips follow me on Pinterest. Have you read my novel, Towel Dry and a Good Cry, yet? If you’ve ever stepped foot in a salon, are a hairdresser or Italian, this is a must read. Prepare for lots of laughs and tears in this heartfelt story. Check out the book trailer: http://www.youtube.com/toweldryandagoodcry

http://www.facebook.com/judydelucaauthor

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The Right Makeup For Your Shaped Eye

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eyes 4CLOSE-SET EYES

To create the illusion of more space between the eye, attention must be away from the center. To achieve this, apply a light eye shadow from the inner corner to the iris and darker shadow from the iris out toward the edges, blending well.  Eyeliner must be drawn as close to the lash line as possible, from the outer edge of the iris to the outer corners of the top and bottom lash lines and smudge slightly.

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WIDE-SET EYES

To make eyes look closer together, apply a dark liner on the inner corners of the eye and blend.  Eye shadow should be applied starting at the inner corner of the eye, but let it fade out before the outer edges.

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DEEP-SET EYES

Light colors come forward, and dark colors recede. To bring eyes forward, sweep a light shade of eye shadow on the lids from lashes to the brow.  Don’t use too much it should barely look there.

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ROUND EYES

To lengthen the eye, line the outer two-thirds of your upper and lower lash lines and join the lines at the outer corners turning up just a tiny bit. Apply mascara to the outer lashes only.

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DROOPY EYES

Line the top lid along the lash line pulling up slightly at the outer corners. Apply eye shadow on the top of the line or smudge it to look softer.

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NARROW EYES

To make eyes look more open, curl lashes with an eyelash curler and apply mascara first to middle lashes, then apply it on the diagonal.

Follow me on Pinterest for more beauty info and tips.

Judy DeLuca’s latest novel

Towel Dry and a Good Cry is about a young girl, new to the hairdressing business, that learns all too quick that there is more to standing behind the chair than just cutting hair.  A story full of laughs and tears lies and fears with characters you’ll love, hate or will leave your jaw hanging open!

www.youtube.com/toweldryandagoodcry

www.facebook.com/judydelucaauthor

 

 

 

 

A Story For Hairdressers

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I thought I’d share one of my salon experiences. I know this is going to seem like a story out of my book, Towel Dry and a Good Cry, but it’s something that really happened to me at my salon, years ago.

A photo of a redhead in this month’s Launchpad magazine made me think of a client I hadn’t seen in a very long time and brought back a horrifying memory of the time she had a seizure in my salon. I mean, foaming at the mouth, full-blown seizure.

I had worked her in first thing in the morning, before my day got crazy and before my employee’s got there. I was alone with this woman, having a seizure, and her eight year old daughter that accompanied her.

It’s amazing how many thoughts run through your mind in a split second. Besides screeching and running to the telephone I was thinking I was glad I had taken a CPR class and how I’d never  forget my first experience of putting my lips on a blow up corpse and then giving it compressions!

Her eight year old daughter took charge and raised her hand up to me, meaning to wait a second. And in a second, it was over. Obviously, this was part of this little girl’s life because she was so calm about it.

I’ve worked in plenty of salons that didn’t even have a First Aid kit. All hairdressers can relate to some time or other having to scrounge around the salon for a Band-Aid after you’ve cut yourself!

As many people as hairdressers see a day I’m thinking it’s not a bad idea to take a CPR course.

Hairdressers, are you familiar with my enovel, Towel Dry and a Good Cry? I wrote it for us to show the world there is more to hairdressing than just cutting hair.

Towel Dry and a Good Cry is about a young girl, new to the hairdressing business, that learns all too quick that there is more to standing behind the chair than just cutting hair.  A story full of laughs and tears, lies and fears with characters you’ll love, hate or will leave your jaw hanging open!

Take a look at the book trailer:

www.youtube.com/toweldryandagoodcry

like me

www.facebook.com/judydelucaauthor

Camouflage a Double Chin With Makeup

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chin 2Want to camouflage a double chin? Brush a bit of rose-brown blush along the jawline. Highlight your chin with light translucent powder. These two techniques will give the appearance of a jawline. Blending properly is key.

Working with foundations darker and lighter than your skin tone can also work with other problem area’s of the face such as, hollow cheeks, receding chin, high bridge nose, narrow nostrils and mouth line as shown below.

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Follow me on Pinterest for more beauty info and tips.

Judy DeLuca’s latest novel

Towel Dry and a Good Cry is about a young girl, new to the hairdressing business, that learns all too quick that there is more to standing behind the chair than just cutting hair.  A story full of laughs and tears lies and fears with characters you’ll love, hate or will leave your jaw hanging open!

www.youtube.com/toweldryandagoodcry

www.facebook.com/judydelucaauthor

Follow me on Pinterest for more beauty info and tips.

 

 

 

Typical Josie’s Mother

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Josie Capelli, the main character in my enovel, Towel Dry and a Good Cry, has an overbearing, overprotective, Italian Catholic mother. This scene was taken from the novel. Two of Josie’s brother’s go at it while they are visiting their parents and her mother takes charge of the situation.  Mind you, the brothers are in their mid-twenties!

“Now, boys,” my mother intervened. “Let’s go in and discuss this.”

“And you.” She grabbed Tony’s ear and proceeded to pull him in the house, “Stop annoying your brother.”

“Oww,” Tony squealed.

She let go of his ear when they got to the steps and slapped him upside the back of his head. He looked over his shoulder at me and rolled his eyes. I laughed silently and pointed my finger at him and mouthed, “Ha ha.” At least someone else but me was getting my mother’s wrath. He gave me the finger behind his back.

If you haven’t read, Towel Dry and a Good Cry yet, have a look at the book trailer and check it out!

http://www.youtube.com/toweldryandagoodcry

Follow me on Facebook and Pinterest for Beauty info and tips.

http://www.facebook.com/judydelucaauthor

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Excerpt From Towel Dry and a Good Cry

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A lot of hairdressers can relate to how it feels emotionally to have to shave a cancer patients hair off. I included a few scenarios regarding this particular subject in my novel because I felt the general public doesn’t have a clue what a hairdresser is enduring as well as the client. Here is one of those scenarios in  my novel, Towel Dry and a Good Cry. Josie, the main character, and hairdresser, goes to pick up her best friend Sadie, also a hairdresser, for an evening out.

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It was a nippy evening. The wind was blowing so ferociously it could blow you across the street. As I rang Sadie’s doorbell, a gust came up and pushed me. I had plastered my hair so much with hairspray it moved in the wind in one piece, like a wig. It was leather weather. This was fine with me because I could wear my favorite leather, a white midi. Sadie answered the door. Her makeup-less face was chalky, and at first glance there was darkness behind her eyes. I felt an instant lump in my stomach because I was sure she was going to tell me something bad.

“What’s wrong?” I said. “Have you been crying?”

“I have. I let it all get to me today.”

“What? What do you mean?”

“CANCER! That’s what I mean. Come upstairs.” She kicked the door shut.

Sadie took the stairs two at a time, and I followed. She sat Indian-style on the chenille-covered bed. I sat next to her.

“What the hell is going on, man? You’re scaring me.”

“I thought I could handle it, I really did, Josie.” Tears spilled from her lower eyelids. “At first, working at the Cancer Institute wasn’t bad. I just had to get over the initial shock of people actually going through chemo and losing their hair. But it’s still a total mind-blower to shave someone’s head. One lady that hadn’t even started chemo yet wanted me to shave her head so it would be her choice, not the chemo’s. Day in and day out, I listen to these sad stories, and it’s killing me. Doesn’t anyone see it’s hard for me, too? I’m the one who has to shave their head and make them feel good, while they are bawling their eyes out, and I’m doing it as their dignity drops to the floor, section by section. I can’t take it anymore.”

I tried to comfort her. I realized then this was a completely new torture of the trade. When a woman suffered the trauma of hair loss, the first place she turned to was her salon—her trusted hairdresser.

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I’m not going to tell you anymore because the next part is so heart wrenching I think the reader needs to read it themselves.

I have an excerpt from this scene in my video book trailer.

www.youtube.com/toweldryandagoodcry

Next week I’m going to post another excerpt, this time it will be funny, I promise!

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www.facebook.com/judydelucaauthor

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When Fingernails Turn Yellow

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Many nail polish brands contain the adhesive nitrocellulose, which can turn the fingernail yellow when exposed to sunlight. One way to avoid the fingernail turning yellow is to apply a topcoat that contains cellulose acetate butyrate (CAB) over your nail polish. This will prevent your nails from discoloration.nails

A few of my favorite products to prevent yellowing of the fingernails are: Seche Vite Dry Fast Top Coat, Orly Sunscreen for Nails and Essie Nonyellowing Topcoat.

A fast fix for fingernails that have yellowed or have been stained is, use a teeth whitening strip applied to the nail or mix two tablespoons of lemon juice in a cup of warm water, soak for five minutes and wipe vigorously with a soft cloth.nails 3

For more beauty tips and info follow me on Pinterest.

Judy DeLuca’s latest novel

Towel Dry and a Good Cry is about a young girl, new to the hairdressing business, that learns all too quick that there is more to standing behind the chair than just cutting hair.  A story full of laughs and tears lies and fears with characters you’ll love, hate or will leave your jaw hanging open!

www.youtube.com/toweldryandagoodcry

www.facebook.com/judydelucaauthor

Follow me on Pinterest for more beauty info and tips.

 

 

 

Fashion Accessories of the 80’s

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I don’t think anything will surpass the styles of the 80’s! The fashion accessories of the 80’s, the clothing and the hair were crazy.  As a hairdresser in the 80’s I lived through it all and thought it was a great time frame to set my novel, Towel Dry and a Good Cry, in.  If you’re a hairdresser or have ever stepped foot in a salon or lived through the eighties this is a must read.  If you’re Catholic or Italian, prepare for a lot of laughs. Join Josie Capelli, the main character, in this heartfelt story of truth, trust and love.

Here are some great fashion accessories of the 80’s:

80's 180's 280's 380's 480's 580's 680's 780's 980's 1080's 1180's 1280's 1380's 2880's 25bannana clipbendersFor more 80’s memorabilia or hair and beauty tips follow me on Pinterest.

Judy DeLuca’s latest novel

Towel Dry and a Good Cry is about a young girl, new to the hairdressing business, that learns all too quick that there is more to standing behind the chair than just cutting hair.  A story full of laughs and tears lies and fears with characters you’ll love, hate or will leave your jaw hanging open!

www.youtube.com/toweldryandagoodcry

www.facebook.com/judydelucaauthor

 

Facial Cleansers And The Loss Of Hydration

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face wash

Have you ever washed your face only to find your skin feels tight and about to crack?  That taut feeling is caused by the removal of all the hydration in your skin causing the skin to shrink.face wash 2

Try switching to a more moisturizing cleanser that will cleanse the skin and moisturize at the same time.  Always follow with a moisturizer for your skin type with a sunscreen.

Follow me on Pinterest for more beauty info and tips.

Judy DeLuca’s Latest Novel

Towel Dry and a Good Cry is about a young girl, new to the hairdressing business, that learns all too quick that there is more to standing behind the chair than just cutting hair.  A story full of laughs and tears lies and fears with characters you’ll love, hate or will leave your jaw hanging open!

www.youtube.com/toweldryandagoodcry

www.facebook.com/judydelucaauthor

Bangs Are In For Spring

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bangsBlunt bangs are the statement for spring!  If you are not daring enough to cut them, clip-in bangs are a great option.

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Follow me on Pinterest for more beauty info and tips.

Judy DeLuca’s Latest Novel

Towel Dry and a Good Cry is about a young girl, new to the hairdressing business, that learns all too quick that there is more to standing behind the chair than just cutting hair.  A story full of laughs and tears lies and fears with characters you’ll love, hate or will leave your jaw hanging open!

www.youtube.com/toweldryandagoodcry

www.facebook.com/judydelucaauthor