Bella Bethesda supports Inner Beauty

As Bella Bethesda prepares to mark its fifth anniversary, we will celebrate our most creative and collaborative runway show and charity benefit to date.  The October event will provide an opportunity for Bella’s stylists to showcase their talents while supporting the salon’s commitment to giving back to the community, this year to Look Good…Feel Better.


Our staff began our commitment to Look Good...Feel Better on Monday, June 11 when 15 stylists participated in a half-day training session at the American Cancer Society. The American Cancer Society’s Look Good…Feel Better program provides support for women with cancer to look and feel beautiful again, empowering them to regain their self-image and the confidence to face the challenge of a lifetime. This nationwide program offers free workshops and educational resources that address hair and skin changes and concerns, and offers lessons on the following:

Wig Wear - Learn how to pick a wig that's right for you and how to take care of it.

Beauty tips - Discover a 12-step make-up guide that will give you a gorgeous glow.

Skin and nails - Find methods for dealing with discolored nails and dry skin.

Head wrap - Learn how to cover your head with a stylish scarf or trendy turban.


The workshops are facilitated by 14,000 volunteer beauty professionals in more than 3,000 locations nationwide. During the past 22 years, the program has served more than 750,000 people with cancer in the U.S. and more than one million people with cancer around the world.  Now that our volunteered staff have completed the certification training, they are entered into the American Cancer Society's database and noted as an active LGFB volunteer for our area.  The program is made possible through a national collaboration of the Personal Care Products Council Foundation, the American Cancer Society, and the Professional Beauty Association/National Cosmetology Association.

Another unique opportunity for our stylists will be a nationwide cut-a-thon on October 10, where Look Good...Feel Better has partnered with Sexy Hair, a beauty product line.  A portion of our total sales will be donated to Look Good...Feel Better. Sexy Hair can now add their name to many legendary beauty brands that have teamed up with Look Good...Feel better such as Revlon, L'Oreal, Arbonne, Elizabeth Arden, and Avon.

Our staff is committed to this partnership and look forward to the upcoming challenge.  We are dedicated to improving the self-esteem and quality of life undergoing treatment for cancer and proud to help make a positive impact on the lives of men and women who are fighting this disease.  For more information about this organization please visit http://lookgoodfeelbetter.org/.

Weekly Trend: The Messy Chignon

Bella Bethesda Expert: Amanda

Say "oui" to a classic French hairdo that is the epitome of effortless style. The chignon is one of the easiest updos to achieve and is perfect for every occasion, from running errands to walking down the aisle! A saving grace for hot, humid weather and bad hair days, the bun can be styled to be slick and modern or soft and romantic. This updo is appropriate for any age group but works best on thick, long hair. To get the look, follow three basic tips from Bella Bethesda stylist, Amanda:

1. Tie your hair back into a ponytail. Separate the ponytail into two even sections and spray each with hairspray.

2. Pull the right section around the ponytail toward your left ear, loop under and secure with bobby pins.

3. Repeat Step 3 with the left section and secure with bobby pins and finish with hairspray.

You don't have to always start with a regular ponytail at the back of your head. Try a side ponytail before creating your chignon and you have a charming updo perfect for special occasions.
And for a more dramatic and modern look, Bella stylist Brittany recommends the top knot. To get the look, slick hair back into a high ponytail to create a bun that sits close to the top of your head. If you don't have thick or long hair, hair filler or extensions can be added to intensify this mod style.

Weekly Trend: Blunt Fringe

Bella Bethesda Expert: Megan

Full, dramatic bangs offer an instant dose of cool to any haircut. This style is replacing softer, side swept fringe and is certainly not a look to hide behind. Bella Bethesda's fringe expert, Megan, is a huge fan of this fresh cut and recommends it for clients with straight or wavy hair. Just beware: those with curly hair or hair with unruly growth patterns should stay away from this style. Megan also says it is crucial you consult with your stylist about which type of fringe is right for your face shape. In general, wide, blunt bangs work best on the following face shapes:

Oval: Since this is the most symmetrical face type, it is the perfect canvas for any type of bangs!

Long and Oblong: Blunt, wide bangs are your best friend if you have a long, narrow face. This cut will add width and balance to your features.

Square: This face shape should embrace a full bangs that are cut narrower in the middle.

Straight across, wide bangs can draw attention to the widest part of heart shaped and round faces and should be avoided. Instead of trying this trend, opt for longer, side swept bangs that hit below the chin to create the illusion of a longer, more balanced appearance.

Bella Bethesda stylist and makeup artist Tania shows off edgy bangs with straight hair.

Weekly Trend: Voluminous Blow Dry

Bella Bethesda Expert: Jenn

Let your hair down and embrace the timeless look of the big, bouncy blow dry. This look adds tons of volume and is appropriate for any age or occasion. Even if you are not genetically blessed with the tresses of Kate Middleton, you can easily boost locks by knowing the proper blow drying technique.
Bella Bethesda Salon's stylist, Jenn, shares her tips for getting a straight from the salon look at home:

1. Evenly distribute a volumizing product such as Phyto Volume Actif throughout clean, damp hair. Rough dry about 80% of your hair motioning downward with small sections.

2. Start by blow drying the section closest to the nape of your neck. Pull hair in an upward motion with a round brush.

3. Continue to dry your hair as you work your way up the head, section by section.

4. Once you get to the crown of your head, press the "cool" button on your hair dryer and let the hair cool on the brush before pulling it away from the hair. This is called setting the hair. Finish with hairspray such as Phyto Light Hold if desired.

5. For even more body, use hot rollers to create loose, smooth curls.

This look works best on medium to thick hair but is also a great technique to boost limp, fine hair. An added bonus, this blow dry is a fantastic way to work your arm muscles!

Free your Inner Curl!

  

“Free your inner curl” is the motto of best-selling author, Lorraine Massey, who created a product line and an industry haircut called DevaCurl. What is DevaCurl you ask? As the name suggests, the line is designed for guests with curly hair - from slightly curly to very curly – and we are now offering it at Bella Bethesda Salon. Devacurl has less aggressive shampoo, conditioners, and styling products that enhance the curl in the hair to become more natural and bouncy. Best of all, it is a service and technique that teaches you how to encourage the natural curl, starting at the scalp.

First, the proper support product (gel or cream) is used and the hair is softly squeezed into shape.  Even after this initial step you will begin to see a great curl take shape. The curls are then held in place with small clips placed in a circle around the crown area. Now simply allow the hair to dry naturally or use a Deva Fuser (DevaCurl’s own special diffuser) and then remove the clips. Add some shine spray or drops and shake it out. Voila, you now have soft, natural, curly, hair.

Lorraine Massey wanted to launch a specific line that demonstrated why curly hair needed to be treated differently than other hair textures.  Millions of women across the country are praising this line, which is helping them understand why sham-“poo” (not found in the DevaCurl line) has dehydrating ingredients, which are curly hair’s worst enemy.

Last month, our team at Bella Bethesda learned firsthand how this product line and the DevaCurl haircut would change the lives of curly haired clients! We love our loyal curly girls, and want to do everything we can to help them love their hair. During the certification, our trained stylists were asked to think outside the box and try out new techniques.  The DevaCurl haircut requires no tension, no combing and a lot of shaping on dry hair.  “This new technique can be intimidating for the client but they will soon see how their shape can change dramatically without losing length. It will look even better with time”, says stylist Courtney.

Try it for yourself and come let our team help bring out your innermost curly girl! Please stay tuned for our Curly Hair month in August!

Weekly Trend: The Lob

Bella Bethesda Expert: Courtney

Be a cut above the rest with the hairstyle of the moment: The lob (or, long bob). The lob allows you to achieve the classic sophistication of the bob without the commitment to short hair! This haircut is a favorite because it creates the illusion of length and slims down the face. The lob is universally flattering to any group, hair type or face shape. A blank slate for styling options, the lob can easily achieve a variety of looks, from tousled to angular. Bella Bethesda's stylist Courtney, who sports a lob herself, recommends keeping these guidelines in mind:

For a sexy, tousled look, ask your stylist to add long layers to the haircut. Use a texturizer such as Redken Was Blast to create movement.

Try an ultra-modern look with a blunt cut which is refined using a product such as Phytodefrisant. This style adds body to thin hair if the cut is slightly angled from back to front.

Blending bangs into the cut can also flatter this look. Ask your hairdresser to make your bangs shorter in the middle. Side swept fringe is equally as complimentary, especially for those with long, oval shaped faces.

Weekly Trend: Braids All Grown-Up

Bella Bethesda Expert: Kristian

Thank you Katniss Everdeen for bringing the braid back! OK, maybe it never entirely left, but we love that braids are all the rage this summer. They're a great way to pull your hair back on hot days, and they always add a little whimsy to your look. Whether you have short, medium or long hair, Bella stylist Kristian has tips for incorporating braids into your summer do, without looking like you're headed off to recess!

Day-old hair often holds a braid better than just-washed, but you can always add a product that offers hold and texture, like Phyto's Fiber Paste to keep hair in place.

Short Hair: Even though you can't pull short hair all the way back into a braid, you can add playful braids to a down do. Part hair to one side and grab a one inch deep section. Start French braiding or creating a fishtail braid (directions are in "medium hair" below), staying as close to the original one inch deep section as possible as you incorporate more hair. Pin in place so that the pin is hidden underneath naturally cascading hair.

Medium Hair: To us, the fishtail braid screams runway. We love its carefree yet chic feel. To make a fishtail braid, part your hair down the middle, creating two large sections. Pull a thin strand of hair from the outside of the left section over to the right section. The skinnier the strand, the more intricate the braid. Do the same on the other side; pull a thin strand from the outside of the right section over to the left section. Repeat until you reach the end of your hair and secure with an elastic.

Long Hair: You can have lots of fun with braids in long hair. We like creating braids that frame the face and are tucked into messy buns. Try making a side French braid on one side of the head, incorporating more hair as you go along, until you reach the end of your hair. Secure with an elastic for temporary hold, and go back along the braid with your fingers, pulling evenly in various spots to loosen some strands. Then start rolling or tucking the braid into a bun, remove elastic when ready and secure in place with pins.