Your website should reflect a current design featuring a balance of form and function (beauty and information).

As artist, photographer, hairstylist, writer, web designer and internet marketer, I use the palette of my skills in concert with valuable team members to provide a full-service self-promotion vehicle that will give you the edge required for you to compete in this challenging market.

There are still opportunities out there… position yourself to be selected!

Lets review several fundamentals to the art of successful self-promotion whether it be via the internet or print. Without question, a professional photo is the best attention-getting device. The tone should be inviting; the subject should be well lit and naturally posed.

For the face, facial expression and hairstyle are your most important features. Your eyes and mouth are the communication centers of your face. What is the unspoken message you are trying to convey to your viewers? Your hairstyle acts as a frame for your face and should be one that is most flattering for your age, facial shape and vocation; a painting is not complete without the perfectly selected frame.

The words and images you choose to advertise your product or service must leave a lasting impression. The text should be clear and to the point, yet clever and compelling. The images should tell a story without words, and your logo should be a memorable image that can be easily identified.

A youthful appearance is multi-dimensional. Genetics are predetermined, but there are dynamics that we can control in the artful composition of ourselves. Design elements combine to perfect the outward aspect of vitality. But we can never forget the role healthy diet and exercise play in achieving energy and wellness.

 Youth exudes warmth. Both hair and skin become drab-toned as we age.  Putting the sparkle back keeps us glowing.

 The number ONE way of maintaining a youthful appearance is with properly executed professional hair color. The choice of tone and depth is essential. It is not enough just to cover your gray hair. The color must have the multi-faceted, translucent sparkle of nature and youth. Hair that is overly blonde, flat in tone and looks like hay is missing the mark.

Let’s explore beauty myths and falsehoods of our parents’ generation, and see how much we have evolved.

Mature women should not wear black:

Wrong! Could you imagine eliminating black from you wardrobe. LOL. Why was that? It was because they did not color their hair. Skin tones appeared drained, dull and sallow due to mousy grayish-brown hair, white hair, or the drabbing-with-age blonde.

Should hair color be lighter as we age?

For some, this is true, but not for everyone. When hair is too light and lacking depth and dimension, it will be more aging, less flattering and wash out skin tones. My personal skin tone is suited to having darker hair. If I were to go too light, my skin would appear less creamy and I would look sallow. But again, we go back to that vibrant sparkle issue. Warmth is also a key factor. Of course there are limits; I cannot wear the jet black hair color that I wore when I was nineteen either.

 What about Red or Gold tones in the hair?

Old-school beauty attitude had a fear of warm gold and red tones in the hair. Women sought “drab” tones in their blondes and browns. EEK!  That is exactly the opposite of what we need. Youth exudes warmth. And that’s what our coloring, both hair and skin, loses as we age. The largest problem I see in Los Angeles is women going too blonde. Think of adding honey toffee and caramel when it comes to blondes.

Do women need to have shorter hair as the get older?

At age 50, my hair is longer now than it has been in two decades. But it is about a modern and flattering shape with the cut and style that is customized to your features and lifestyle needs. Bouncy volume, flat-iron smooth, or soft waves are popular.  Try my VAPOR HALO a feather-weight volume and hold mist.

 What about Makeup?

Don’t wear too much makeup, especially lipstick and brow color. Think about the older women you have seen that break this rule, they look like drag queens. This is a lip gloss generation, intense lip color can age you.  Don’t do deep and smoky eye shadows and pencils around eyes that are prone to dark circles. This can also make eyes appear more sunken. I use blush and a natural lighter-than-my-skin-tone color for eyes. And I have always preferred a fine line of liquid eyeliner.  I like a blue on the top lid and a light brown on the lower lid. It is not just about black.   Think accent and enhance.

 Be cautious with fragrance. Some women enter our personal space with their order cloud of too much makeup and cologne. It is helpful to know that our sense of smell can diminish with age. I suggest finding a trusted source to tell you if you are overdoing the fragrance factor.  Be cautious of artificial and perfume-y fragrances. I strictly endorse skin and hair products that use essentials oils.  My line of Saving Grace Styling Products have yummy, light and pleasant scents. Also, use makeup that is unscented. Contact me for personal recommendations on these products in the salon, by phone or email.

Proper skin care should include gentle exfoliation of dead surface cells and proper moisturizer. Use a dewy light foundation or mineral powder to even out skin tones.  My favorite foundation is a great protective barrier. Most foundations have some SPF, but it is advisable to use sunscreen. Actually, it is imperative to use sunscreen.

I work with clients in my salon from a holistic perspective, and can make recommendations for their entire image. That now has to include their web image as well.

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As a hair stylist with a career spanning four decades, I have been an emergent resource for thousands of women and men of all generations and walks of life. I have journeyed a perpetual orbit of changing styles and trends in culture and counterculture. My knowledge and wisdom is a synergistic sum of all those I have guided and likewise learned from.

In that regard, Saving Grace is the true definition of a salon. While sitting in my chair, clients share their latest and greatest tips concerning makeup, health, nutrition, weight maintenance, exercise, dental work, plastic surgery and dermatology. It is my passion to make this information available to you via this site.  For more about my Hair color expertise go to http://www.savinggracesalon.com