Skin Care for Brides: Q & A With A Pro
The Brush King: Alan Sporn
I was 15 years old when I was first introduced to Spornette brushes. I was working at a salon in my hometown and was in charge of setting appointments, welcoming guests and selling beauty products and tools. The Spornette round brush display sat on the shelf next to the thermal sprays. Women would check out with me, hair full and luxurious, purchasing whatever their stylist recommended, including the round brushes. I thought, how are they going to do that at home? Those round brushes look complicated and frightening.
Fast forward 6 years later and I am working at a salon using Spornette round brushes on Beverly Hills housewives (BHH).
Truth be told, I was never really good at blow-outs, but damn, those Spornette brushes saved me every time. Trust me, you don’t want to piss off a BHH with a bad blow out. The quality of the Spornette brush is unparalleled. It’s no wonder why they’ve been an industry leader for more than 60 years.
When Alan Sporn and I first connected on Facebook, I was like, who is this guy? I dug a little deeper and discovered he’s the owner of Spornette. It was exciting to me to know the person who creates the beauty tools that I’ve used for the last 22 years.
I had the privilege to interview Alan, and since it’s his birthday today, I thought it would be a good day to publish it.
Happy Birthday Alan! Thank you so much for all that you’ve done for our industry.
Q. 60+ years in business, that’s a long time. What do you attribute your long running success to?
A. My father, Walter Sporn, started the company in the early 1950s. After meeting an engineer who was making eye liner and lip brushes for a large cosmetic company, my father convinced the engineer that if he could implant plastic handles with nylon bristles, then making professional hair brushes should be easy. The engineer took his suggestion and several months later, The Walter Sporn Company launched 2 items – the no-name 5 row and 7 row nylon bristle, plastic-handled brushes – to the professional beauty supply/distributor industry.
Our family has always been very dedicated to our customers. Our customers will ask, do you have xyz brush? And if we don’t, we find a way to make it for them.
Q.Tell me why you’ve liked working your family.
A. Who can you trust beside your family? It’s a pleasure to see them and work with them. We’re building a future together.
Q. When have you been most satisfied in your life?
A. Different stages in life rings change, I’ve been to 58 countries, I’ve met people from all over the world.
I can’t change history, it has happened, and I have made peace with it.
Only worry about the things you can affect.
Q. Tell me about a project or accomplishment that you consider to be the most significant in your career.
A. Hard to say, certain brushes, when they are well received is very gratifying. Recognizing what’s leading edge before another competitor is satisfying.
Q. If Spornette didn’t exist, what do you think you would have done instead?
A. I would have been a business management consultant for small companies – or doctor – no peds or geriatrics-a research doctor.
Q. What advice do you have for an aspiring entrepreneur?
A. Practice flexibility-not everything is going to go your way. If a door is shut, don’t be discouraged, don’t give up. Very few things are Earth- shattering that can’t be overcome.
Q. What positives do you think social media, like Twitter has on a company’s success?
A. It’s changing the industry- I connect with customers and vendors from Israel, Ireland, Korea— you couldn’t do that in the old days. The Internet provides more exposure and more opportunity.
Q. What do you think about the latest craze of blow dry bars? Here to stay or passing fad?
A. They have a few more years. It’s a function of location. They have to be near populated areas or shopping areas.
Q. What’s your favorite brush and why?
A. The Italian Collection. I value my relationship with the people in Italy who make them. I designed the brushes and the Italians make them with care and precision. They are top-of-the-line.
Q. I get so many beauty questions about tangled hair, whats the best brush for it?
A. The Feel Good Detangler and the Air Motion brushes.
Q. Tell me about Marche makeup brushes. What makes them different than others?
A. They are 100% sable and have a great price point. It has given us an opportunity to expand our brand.
Q. Favorite vacation spot?
A. Lahaina, Maui. I love London, I love driving around the UK. Sydney, Australia.
Spornette hair brushes and makeup brushes can be found at Sally Beauty Supply and Ulta or online at http://www.spornette.com. Spornette’s Deville 100% Boar Rounder brush ($21) was recently featured in People StyleWatch magazine paired with one of my favorite Thickening Creams by Living Proof ($26 at Sephora).
Beauty 911: Your Face for under $75
I recently received this Beauty 911 message from a former bride of mine:
I have $75 to spend at Sephora. What do I need? It’s the simple life these days. Mascara, blush, eyeshadow, maybe liner if I feel fancy. Help!
Dear Fancy Face,
Spending only $75 at Sephora is no easy feat. That’s like trying to only buy two things at Target. Per your request to ‘keep things simple’, I suggest the following:
This 6-minute $75 easy breezy face consists of Beauty Balm, Blush, Bronzer, Liner, Mascara and Lip Balm.
Boscia Beauty Balm Cream—This is a 5-in-one-product that self-adjusts to complement your skin’s undertone. It will hydrate, prime, cover, firm and protect your skin. $18 for the 1 oz size.
NARS Blush and Bronzer Duo— my favorite bronzer, Laguna, is paired with the blush color of your choice. Use the bronzer as a contour shade (under the cheekbones, around the hairline, jawline and neck) or use it to give you a sunkissed glow (a little on the forehead, high cheekbones, tip of the nose, chin and neck). Apply the blush at the apples of your cheeks and sweep upward. Choose the pocket size for $24. Limited Edition.
Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Double Ended Eye Pencil —Use the lighter color at the lash line and flip over and use the darker color on your upper waterline (the fleshy skin under your lash line). This is called double lining and will give you the ultimate definition.
Tip: You can smudge the light color upwards to create more color on the lid in lieu of an eyeshadow, then go over it again with the same color at the lash line. $16.
Benefit They’re Real! Mascara— this really does what it says. It gives length, volume, lifts and curls your lashes all in one fell swoop. No smudging and no clumps. $10 for the .14 oz size.
Smith’s Rosebud Salve in a Tube— the cure-all for all things that need some TLC. Put it on your lips, your elbows, your butt… (it minimizes diaper rash). $6 for .5 oz.
Voila! $74.00! Now you can’t come crying to me that you’ve spent too much money at Sephora and don’t have any thing to show for it.
Xoxoxo,
Julie
An Excerpt from my Upcoming Self-Enhancement Book: The Gratitude Chapter
Gratitude
“Begin each day with a grateful heart” -Anonymous
I believe that being grateful is key to living a fulfilling and peaceful life. When you’re grateful you tend to focus on the things you have rather than the things that you don’t.
It takes Perspective and Introspection to get to a state of true gratitude.
Perspective
This is your attitude and view of the world as it relates to your own existence.
Introspection
This is the ability to consciously examine your thoughts and feelings so you can use that self-knowledge to become self-actualized (realizing your full potential).
By taking inventory (perspective) on what you have in life and then examining how you feel about it (introspection) you can become clear on what you value-what really matters most to you.
It’s amazing how much making gratitude a daily practice can change your life.
It draws upon the law of attraction where like attract likes.
When you make it a habit of being grateful you’ll attract more things to be grateful for.
A former boss and mentor of mine taught me the value of writing random thank you cards. He told me it’s best to do it when it’s not expected. I started writing cards, letters and sending random gifts of gratitude not just to my employees, but to everyone I knew. My personal relationships strengthened, I felt more interconnected, and at work, I attracted really amazing team members.
On my busy weekends when I have five weddings which equates to five brides that expect me to perform at my best, I start my day by meditating. I think about how grateful I am for the work, for the opportunity to be a part of the day, and for the physical ability to do the hair and makeup. It’s important to me to bring the best intention and energy into a room on a bride’s wedding day.
Your daily practice of gratitude can be as easy as waking up thinking, I am grateful for all that I have.
You can expand on that by creating a gratitude journal, giving more sincere compliments, lessening complaints, volunteering your time to a cause you care about, and practicing present-moment gratitude.
List 5 things/people you are grateful for right now
List 1 gratitude practice you can begin today
Write about a moment you were filled with gratitude. Be very descriptive of the experience.
Additional Resources:
Book- A Simple Act of Gratitude by John Kralik
Website/Blog – http://www.tinybuddha.com
Mobile App- Gratitude Journal by Happy Tapper
Eye Creams: Broken Down and Simplified
Scott Wolf (Bailey) and Why Children Should Do Yoga
I have had the opportunity to work with Amira Gaynor, Founder and Owner of Namaste Kid, an award-winning Children’s Yoga DVD company. I was hired to do the hair and makeup for her DVDs. I was also hired to promote the DVDs at various award shows like the Golden Globes and met such hotties like Scott Wolf.
Me + Scott in the Golden Globes Swag Room
Amira is one of my heroes. She’s an amazing entrepreneur with a solid vision– to help kids develop core strength, balance, and confidence. Her DVDs have already won ‘best of’ awards and have gained the attention from several children’s groups, publications, and celebrities that I am not allowed to namedrop.
Me + Amira
Recently Amira asked me if Evan would like to be part of a photo shoot for the DVD cover(s). I told her that Evan has an enormous head and a Dumb and Dumber haircut, but she could give him a try. Turns out she liked his photos and he’s on the back cover of her new DVD, Sport Yoga ($15.49), and the inside panel of the new 3-disc DVD set ($39.99).
Evan on the Yoga Motion 3-Disc DVD Set
I am not going to lie to you. My son Evan does not do yoga on a consistent basis. I’d love to tell you that we practice sun salutations in the morning before we get dressed, have a healthy breakfast and talk at length about how excited we are for the day. On the contrary, my mornings usually consist of frantically trying to find him clean underwear, asking Evan for the upteenth time not to pee on the toilet seat, and reminding him that breakfast gets served at school (but still pouring him some low sugar fruit juice to hydrate him because I am slightly anal about the amount of fluids he consumes).
However, we do practice Pranayama yoga breathing often. Whenever he gets worked up or upset about something we take deep breaths in and out, focusing on the quality of our breath. The name Pranayama, according to linguistic sources, comes from the words “prana” (life force) and “yama” (control). This type of breathing is also useful when Evan can’t slow his mind down at night and has trouble falling asleep. I lay in bed with him and guide his breath until he is relaxed and falls asleep.
It is a goal of mine to introduce Evan to the poses of yoga to add to his breathing exercises. Yoga is so beneficial for children. Here’s a few (of many!) of the reasons why:
Children’s Yoga Helps With-
- Concentration –moving from one pose into another teaches children how to control their focus and attention.
- Flexibility, Strength and Balance- children are born with an innate flexibility and by doing yoga they are able maintain their flexibility, while developing strong muscles and balance.
- Self-Esteem-yoga does wonders for a child’s belief in his/her abilities and sense of self.
- Present Moment Awareness- yoga helps children focus on the here and now. It teaches children not to dwell on the past or worry about the future.
- Cultivates a calm and peaceful mind – Savasana or resting pose, allows children to understand the importance of being still and one with their breath (aka quiet time for mama).
- Encourages Imagination- children’s yoga teachers and DVDs often follow a story- being on a farm, a safari, or acting like a certain object. This sparks the imagination, allowing children to be creative and expressive.
- Reduces Stress- children experience just as much stress as adults do. Yoga provides an immediate outlet to reduce stress. It produces good endorphins. And whether they are aware of it or not, yoga helps children gain perspective. By slowing down the mind and body, they are able to process things (life) more clearly, without judgement, fear or negative emotion.
- Feeling Connected- doing yoga alone or with people helps children feel more connected to themselves, others and the world around them. It’s a great family activity!
Namaste Kid DVDs can be purchased at Amazon.com or local children stores. For a full listing of stores visit their site, www.namastekid.com.
Coming Out With It: My Opinion on Botox
The topic of aging has always been a taboo subject for me. I generally keep my opinions to myself as to not stir up any controversy or have Plastic Surgeons sending me hate mail. But I have been approached by several people in the last few weeks with skin care and aging questions that it’s high time that I ‘come out’ with my beliefs and opinions and be done with it.
I believe the process of aging is a beautiful one where the lines on our face, the grey hairs on our head, and the many ‘blemishes’ on our body are a testament of a life well-lived. To be so (falsely) preserved is like living a life with no seasons, no change, no wisdom gained. I DON’T BELIEVE IN INVASIVE SKIN CARE TREATMENTS LIKE BOTOX AND PLASTIC SURGERY.
Growing up I had a skin condition called Eczema. I went to a dermatologist who prescribed a topical cream to relieve the itching and irritation. I overused the cream to the point it destroyed skin and caused deep scarring on the back of my leg. I was 12-years-old and mortified to have such a huge imperfection at such a young age. I was embarrassed to wear a swimsuit and I wore clothes that would cover it up. After a couple years (in my teens) I had a realization that I could either let my imperfections control me and my self-esteem, or I could accept them as being a part of who I am. Now, when I see the sun spots on my face, I am reminded of my carefree youth in Los Angeles. When I see fine lines beneath my eyes I am reminded of all of the sleepless nights when Evan had colic (FOR A WHOLE YEAR!) and smile because he is so worth it. When I see my aging hands I think about the thousands of women I have serviced and am grateful to have had the ability to do so. All of my ‘imperfections’ mark a time in my life that I am fond of and proud of.
With that said, before you think about invasive treatments like laser and botox, consider aging gracefully. I am not saying let yourself go completely. I am asking you to consider non-invasive solutions like customized facials and specialized skin care products. It might take more time and effort on your part, but what you’re doing for yourself is creating rituals of self-care (a.k.a, self-love). And even if you did decide to get a needle injected or go under the knife, you will still need to take care of your skin. There is no treatment that just stops the aging process.
I consulted with skin care expert, Maggie Miley about what facials are best for aging skin. This is what she had to say:
“I suggest working with a skin care professional who will put you on a plan and customize the service to address your specific need. Then it’s important to practice a consistent skin care regimen at home.”
Maggie Miley of Complexions on Carter. Photo by Satori Photography.
In other words, a professional will know the treatment and products to use to help reverse aging and delay the process. This isn’t just a ploy to get people to spend their money at spas, there are clinical results that prove that a facial plan and skin care products really do work.
Here’s a quick snap shot of the a few of the treatments out there and what they can do for your skin:
MICRODERMABRASION- reduces the appearance of scars, fine lines and pigmentation – gives the skin more resistance to aging and stimulates the growth of collagen – leaves skin feeling smoother and gives the skin on the face a glow
PHOTO FACIAL- using intense pulsating light, it evens out skin tone (age spots), shrinks pores and treats rosacea
CHEMICAL PEELS- used to improve and smooth the texture of the facial skin using a chemical solution that causes the dead skin to slough off and eventually peel off. You can choose between a variety of peels, depending on the skin concern you’d like to address
On a budget? Try Boots No 7 Protect and Perfect Intense Beauty Serum $25, found at Target and Ulta. Tried and tested, this anti-aging serum has been heavily and favorably reviewed.
For more questions, visit MN Monthly “Best of” Winner, Maggie Miley at www.complexionsoncarter.com.
Beauty 911: Eyebrow Products
I recently received this beauty 911 alert from a former bride of mine:
My beautiful red-headed mother recently decided to stop dying her hair and let her gorgeous grey shine through. I think it looks great, but one thing that bothers her is that her eyebrows also went grey. They are so light that she almost looks like she has no eyebrows! Do you have any specific recommendations of products for eyebrow pencils and such. She’s never really been a make up maven and doesn’t even know where to start. Any advice would be great, even to just get us pointed in the right direction.
I have found most women prefer pencils to define and shadow powders to enhance . It sounds like her mother has brows (hair), but just needs to add color and enhance them.
Here are my recommendations for brow enhancing products:
The Eyebrow King (Damone Roberts) and Eyebrow Queen (Anastasia), both of Beverly Hills, are my go-to people when I want to learn more about brow art or need to stock up on brow products. Damone’s client list includes Madonna and Beyonce. Anatasia’s includes Oprah and Jennifer Lopez. Their powder shadow colors are foolproof and long-lasting.
Anastasia’s Brow Powder Duo $24, Sephora. Why 2 powder colors? Try the dark color from arch to outer corner and light color in the inner corner. Or blend together to customize the perfect match.
Damone Roberts Brow Shadow, $20, www.damoneroberts.com, Blowdry! Blow Dry Bar or Extrados. Why are there so many shades with an ash undertone? The hair follicle is inherently gray. It gets its natural color from a type of pigment called melanin. The formation of melanin begins before birth (we go “back to” gray over time because we stop producing melanin). Unless your hair color is dyed a darker color with warmer tones (red, auburn) you generally want to use eyebrow powders with your natural hair follicle undertone- ash.
“Girl, I don’t have 20 dollars to spend on brow powder.”
Ok. Then try ELF. The makeup brand found at Walgreens. They have some decent products and their eyebrow kit ($3) is a consumer favorite. One side is wax (applied first) to hold the brows in place, the other side is the powder to add color and set. There are 4 shades to choose from.
Or try NYX Eyebrow Cake Powder, $5.99, Ulta. The wax is clear and it has 2 powders in the kit. There are 6 shades to choose from.
NYX products are often found on Pinterest in the “dupe” category (same for less). Check out Makeup Alley’s Pinterest Dupe Board here.
But Don’t Forget the Brush!
A stiff angle brush with spooly like Anastasia’s, $18, Ulta will make your job easier.
The spooly combs the hair in place and the stiff angle expertly places the shadow in place with little fall out (sprinkle). *The stiffer or denser the brush, the more product it will lay down.*
“Girl, I don’t have 20 dollars to spend on no spooly.”
Ok. Then try NYX Brow Brush, $5, Nordstrom. Similar to Anastasia’s brush w/o the spooly but only 5 bucks.
I hope this post helps the ‘no brow’ mama or anyone that is needing a little brow love. For more expert advice check out these local brow experts:
Kae @ Brow Chic, St. Paul
Christina and Brook @ Blink for Beauty, North Loop Minneapolis
Edwin @ Haus Salon, South Minneapolis
My Speech: How Do You Define Success? (includes dramatic pauses for effect)
On Saturday I had the opportunity to be the Keynote Speaker at The Aveda Institute for the Esthiology and Massage graduates. Aside from the paralyzing fear that I would totally blank out or worse, pass out while on stage, I think it went fairly well.
I am writing this blog post to share the gist of my speech, but also to share some really wonderful and inspiring quotes from industry leaders. Thank you Ido, David, Suzanne, Damone, Rudy, and Faatemah for getting back to me so quickly!
THE GIST:
When Aveda asked me to do this I thought, sure, why not, I’ve done speeches before.In fact, 15 years ago I stood on this same stage to deliver a speech at my Cosmetology graduation. I remember talking about how excited I was for all of us to go out into the world and make things happen. I closed by wishing my classmates a successful career. And here I am again, except this time I am wishing you, the class of 2013, a lifetime of success.
But what is success? (dramatic pause)
On paper I’ve had a successful career.I’ve been a hairstylist, makeup artist, salon manager, retail director, educator, business consultant and the last 7 years, a business owner.
But everyone’s definition of success is different- and it should be.
When writing this speech, I asked a few leaders in the industry
what their definition of success is.
Ido Leffler, Co-Founder of Yes To Carrots Organic Skin Care and author of Get There Fast and Do More Good says,
Success = being able to wake up in the morning and realize that your
awesome life is not a dream!
David Wagner, Owner of JUUT Salons and author of Life As a Day maker says,
Life is short and soon to pass, only the things you do with love will last!
Suzanne LeRoux , President of One Love Organics Skin Care says,
Success is living a life that is 100% authentic. When I am true to
myself both personally and in business, I feel content and I feel
successful.
Today I want you to think about your definition of success.
If we had more time I’d have you write it down, but
instead this is your homework.
Go home, write down your definition of success and hold on to it. (dramatic pause) Know that you definition might change over time, and that’s ok.
When I graduated success meant a big title and a big
paycheck. Don’t get me wrong, I still like big paychecks,
but my definition changed over the years.
For me, success is giving yourself the permission to do the things that you’re most passionate about and then encouraging others to do the same.
So how do you get from point A to point B in terms of reaching your
goals and accomplishments?
Hard work, determination, dedication, making connections, and a little luck.
HOMELESS STORY
(I share the story of when I moved out to Los Angeles when I was 21, and couldn’t find an apartment and ending up living out of my car like Jewel the singer, except she had a van.)
That was the most defining moment of my life. It shaped me into the person I am today both personally and professionally. It was then I created another definition of what success is–it’s learning how to dance in the rain.
I tell my homeless (living out of my car) story to illustrate that we all have our roadblocks and set
backs, but it’s during those times when we grow.
You’ll have moments when things don’t go your way, but I encourage you
to embrace them and see them as opportunities. In the good moments,
take time to celebrate-both the small and the big wins. Don’t forget to give yourself a pat on the back.
And always, always, be grateful. Be grateful for the gifts you’ve been given. Be grateful
for your clients, and be grateful for all of those who love and support you.
I’d like to share a few more quotes from leaders in the industry,
Damone Roberts, (Los Angeles) Celebrity Eyebrow Artist says,
Success to me is like beauty… It really is in the eye of the beholder. I believe true success is doing something that comes easy to you, and if your really successful, you get paid for it as well.
Rudy Miles, (New York) Celebrity Makeup Artist says,
I once read a quote that said ” Success is defined by what you have to give up to achieve it.” It is important to define success for yourself, with your own definition and definitely on YOUR own terms. If you measure success by any other intangible external standard, it will always be defined by others.
Faatemeh Ampey, (International) Celebrity Hairstylist says,
Success is knowing your purpose in life and being able to manage fear so it does not hinder the process of receiving the joy that the universe has in store for you. Don’t let fear paralyze you let it propel you towards your goals. Don’t be afraid of failure, failure is our teacher. Be bold be fearless but most importantly be you because YOU are success.
I look at your faces and I get really excited and somewhat emotional because I see so much potential in each of you. I see you as people who deserve happiness, fulfillment and success (dramatic pause) however you want to define it. Thank you for letting me come here and be a part of this moment with you.
Congratulations Class of 2013.