My new friends at Salon Duarte invited me to come in for a complimentary Keratase treatment.  Salon Duarte happens to be in my favorite neighborhood, Franklin Park.  Above the Birds restaurant hides this little salon.  Besides the fact that the staff is incredibly talented, the great part of this salon is that its out of the way.  I personally don’t like establishments that are in high traffic areas.  Trendy doesn’t equate to great service or beauty treatments.Salon Duarte offers discount treatment packages and  discounts for advanced bookibg and referrals.

Salon Duarte

My hair is seriously abused from all of the ironing and product manipulation that is a side effect of my line of work.    Balancing my dry split ends with my healthy roots is a challenge.  I don’t dy or process my hair so I’m not overly dammaged. Moving from VERY humid Michigan weather to SUPER dry LA weather has changed my hair compleatly.

The Keratease treatment made my hair look and feel amazing!!!  There are 4 Keratase formulas that treat different hair issues.  A 3 step process of shampooing, masking and a conditioning treatment transforms hair.  The hair mask is the longest step.  After apply the mask to freshly shampooed hair, the mask should be heated for 15 minutes. Cool hair then rinse.  Fallowed by conditioner hair is like new.  Eva Diaz is the head stylist and performed my Keratase trreatment along with her assistant Erica they hgave me the best blow dry I have had in my whole life.  I was extreamly inpressed with their work.  My hair was the best I have ever seen it and I have been working in fashion and beauty for 9 years.

SALONDUARTE.com

5927 Franklin Ave

Hollywood, Ca 90028

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There are few times when the photographer, MUA or art director are out of ideas.  If you’re new to the game you will run out of ideas quickly.  To avoid drawing a blank while shooting, keep clippings of hair or make up ideas you like.  Magazines and web ad’s are good for this.  If you are doing a shoot for your own personal portfolio or  comp card.  Preplan your hair, make up and styling.

Know which colors you will have for lips, cheeks and eyes.  Start simple and gradually go more dramatic.  It is easier to build on existing make up than to take it off and start over.  Premoistened facial cleansing wipes or baby wipes are a life/ time saver in this situation.  They make it easier to cleanly change eye looks.  Your make up should showcase you, not the other way around.

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When you can say that you have changes and prepared for a show in any place imaginable you know you have modeling experience.  Fashion shows are particularly tricky.  You never know what to expect.  I have gotten dressed in garages , kitchens, tents of all shapes and sizes, hotel and mall bathrooms.  Hair and make up anywhere else can be even more tricky.  You should always be prepared for the worst.  NEVER leave home with out anything you could ever need.  Show up ready to do you own hair, make up, styling, shoes and accessories.  You never know when somebody will be late, not show or just plain fuck up.  You should come to any job (unless specified) as a blank canvas for the client to make you into what thy want you to be.   In the event that something goes wrong as it always does.  Be prepared to make your self the finished canvas to the clients specifications.

If there are not enough people to go around, make sure you’re covered.  If you have to beg and borrow do it.  Help  when you can.  However I don’t recommend lending things for more than a second.  In addition to that note keep our things together and out of the way.  If you keep organized and an eye on your things the less likely it is that your things will not get broken or stolen.  Bitches take shoes and accessories that’s just the way it is.  Girls will throw things everywhere.  No place is your personal area.

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These guys in the photo are great and an absolute riot to work with.

I recently had a whole week full of dirty MUA’s.  I shoot several days a week.  I have a different MUA everyday ( other than when I work in T.V. or film) .  Dirty brushes, nasty foundation ect.  The number one NASTY thing a MUA can do is not use disposable mascara brushes.  You can acquire EXTREAMLY bad eye infections.  Infection to the point of damaging your sight.  It’s incredibly important to pay attention to what your MUA is doing to your face. 

The smell of Laura Mercier brush cleaner is my favorite smell in the world.  If you do not see or smell brush cleaner…… RUN!!!!  Unclean brushes can be responsible for awful break outs and again eye infections.   Nobody likes the thought of exchanging face oils with other random people.  A good MUA cleans the brush before it is set down to use the next utensil.

The chosen product of a hair or MUA is also something to pay attention to.  Some MUA’s are sponsored by a cosmetic company.  If all of the product in their kit is MAC, SmashBox, Make Up Forever or others.  They are probably sponsored.  If they have a Hodge podge of product, they are most likely not.   MUA’s fresh from school generally still use the color palates and product there school taught them on.  Beware of this their foundation and concealers shouldn’t be goopy and oily. 

You can always suggest your own personal product.  If you have sensitive or problematic skin then you should alert the MUA.  I always bring my own eyelash glue because of traumatic experience.

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