Get Your Beauty Box at Ashka Salon Spa

Beauty Box

Monthly subscription boxes of any type seems to be all the rage lately. At Ashka Salon Spa we have jumped head first into that trend! We now are offering our own “Beauty Box”. Although most of these types of products change monthly, ours goes as long as supplies lasts. I have seen multiple of my guests fall in love with new products this way! Its an awesome way for people who want to try out Aveda products but don’t want spend a lot in case they don’t like it.

Beauty Box
Beauty Box

What Can I Expect To Find in a Beauty Box?

Each time we come out with a new “Beauty Box” it is different! We have had two now. One was Damage Remedy themed, and now we have a Smooth Infusion box.

Currently in our Smooth Infusion Beauty Box you get:

  • Smooth Infusion Shampoo Sample
  • A Sample of Smooth Infusion Smoothing Masque
  • Smooth Infusion Style Prep Sample
  • A Sample  of Smooth Infusion Nourishing Styling Creme
  • $5 COUPON for product at a FUTURE visit

Would you believe me if I said you get ALL of this for ONLY $5? Well you should, because it is!

What is the Beauty of a Beauty Box?

I think the coolest thing about Ashka Salon Spa’s Beauty Boxes is that it gives you a chance to sample the Aveda products. I have said it before, and I will continue to say it, I TRULY believe that Aveda products are the best choice for your hair. However, living on a budget myself, I understand that it is scary to invest in something you don’t know for sure. By giving this affordable option to dive into the Aveda world, Ashka Salon Spa is making it much less frightening.

Give it a try! I promise you won’t regret purchasing one of our Beauty Boxes.

Until Next Time,

Josie 🙂

 

Aveda’s New Thermal Dry Conditioner – Now In Canton!

Thermal Dry Conditioner

Dry Shampoo has been my absolute favorite product when it comes to saving my hair and my sleep schedule. The only thing that I don’t like to about dry shampoo is that after a day or two it really feels like it has dried out my hair. When Aveda said that they were coming out with a Thermal Dry Conditioner, I was ecstatic.

What is Thermal Dry Conditioner?

Thermal Dry Conditioner
Thermal Dry Conditioner

“Instantly conditions, detangles and softens hair in between washes while a calming aroma with 25 pure flower and plant essences naturally refreshes all hair types and textures.”

This product gets rid of that “dry shampoo feel” in my hair. I love the way my hair feels after I use it! I haven’t tried using heat tools after it yet. Others have curled their hair after using it and swear it makes a huge difference. It has a heat protectant in it so that you are safe from the added heat!

The Aveda website says that it contains “a blend of certified organic jojoba and sunflower oils” that “conditions and detangles hair in between washes”. Everyday I hear more and more people talking about how long it has been since they have washed their hair. It is important to adapt our products to these types of trends and that is exactly what Aveda is doing with the new Thermal Dry Conditioner.

Thermal Dry Conditioner on Extensions

Jessie, one of our Extension Specialists at Ashka Salon Spa, has found that she really likes using the Thermal Dry Conditioner on hair extensions. Since your natural oils aren’t going all the way down to your extensions, they can end up drying out a little. By adding this dry conditioner, it will keep your extensions feeling fresher, longer!

I promise you won’t be sorry if you invest in the new Thermal Dry Conditioner!

Until Next Time,

Josie 🙂

 

Benefits of Drinking Water

Drinking Water

I found myself thinking “water is life” earlier this week. With my new year resolution this year being to really focus on drinking water, it has been on my mind a lot lately. While I have always been told that drinking water is amazing for you, I realized that I have never actually looked into it myself. I did a little bit of research and this is what I found:

Drinking Water

What I Found to be the Top Benefits of Drinking Water

  1. Improves Skin Complexion
    – Another one of my New Year Resolutions is that I want to be more consistent with my skin care. As an esthetician, I recommend drinking water to my guests regularly. While I knew that water is great for your skin, to hear that it helps get rid of wrinkles and is “the best anti aging treatment around” sold me.
  2. Puts You in a Good Mood
    –  How can anyone be mad about this benefit? If all I have to do is drink more water to be in a better mood; sign me up! No one wants to be a Debbie Downer and this could be a simple solution!
  3. Increases Energy and Relieves Fatigue
    – One of the sources I found brought up the point that our brain is made mostly of water. When we are fully hydrated, we are able to focus better. This is something that I can personally struggle with since I have been diagnosed with ADHD. If this will help me buckle down on what I need to, I am 100% down to try it.
  4. It’s FREE!
    – Have you ever noticed how much of a difference that coke or wine makes on your bill at the end of night? If you are only drinking water, you will definitely notice it in your wallet over time. I don’t know about you, but I would much rather spend my money on other things.

And there is multiple more benefits! All in all, drink more water! You, your esthetician, and your wallet will thank me later.

Until Next Time,

Josie 🙂

Shake those Winter Blues at Ashka Salon Spa

Winter Blues

Everyone can agree that we have been having the most beautiful winter weather this past week here in Michigan! I can’t get enough of these 60 degree sunny days. It is going to hit me really hard if it doesn’t last. As someone who definitely suffers every year from the “Winter Blues”, Michigan winters can be long and hard for me. I know I cannot be the only one who gets a little more pep in their step at the first signs of spring.

Winter Blues
Winter Blues

What Are the Winter Blues Exactly?

The winter blues is something a lot of people of experience. Even in my own friend group I feel like I have this conversation multiple times a year with many different people! Of course everyone experiences this differently but I lose a lot drive during the winter months. The rest of the year I am more likely to want to try new things, work longer hours, and just overall be in a better mood. I am definitely guilty of packing on my winter layer with carbs, even more than I normally do. 😉

The more official term for winter blues is “seasonal depression“. From my research, I found that the farther away you live from the equator the more likely you will suffer from seasonal depression. With the lack of vitamin d from the sun in the winter months, our brains are forced to work extra hard to produce melatonin. Melatonin is the hormone that helps to regulate your sleep pattern and also is linked to depression.

To help regulate your seasonal depression, there are “sunbox” lights that replicate the beneficial effects of the sun!

Luckily the actual sun starts coming around more often just in time for spring!

What Helps Me Shake the Winter Blues in Time for Spring?

Once the sun starts to break through the clouds on a regular basis, I try to start focusing on myself. I try to get exercise into my daily routine in someway. I always get on a “I need to drink more water” kick right around springtime too. Last, but not least, I almost always need a hair change! 🙂

My favorite thing to do in the spring is start to lighten up my hair again for the summer. I love that it can be subtle, or dramatic depending on how I’m feeling that year. And how big of a pick me up I might need. 😉 As a stylist, spring hair is one of my favorite yearly transformations as well. I just cannot get enough of it.

Winter Blues

Highlights and Balayage all around! Call today to set up your appointment.

Until Next Time,

Josie 🙂

Di Biase Hair Extensions Class

Hair Extensions Class

Jessie and I took an hair extensions class last month and it was such a great experience. We took our class through Di Biase Hair Extensions. While we were there we were certified in 2 different types of extensions: fusion, and sticker hair. We were there all day long and I mean ALL day. We started class around 9:30 am and did not leave until after midnight. While it was a super long day, I felt like I truly understood every concept we had covered that day.

Hair Extensions Class

What Did We Learn In Our Hair Extensions Class?

Class started with us talking to Dale, one of the owners, about the business behind extensions. He taught us about how Di Biase hair is “ponytail collect”. This means that when the hair was cut from the head it was put into a ponytail first. This keeps the hair all in the same direction that it grew out of the head giving you “remi” hair. If hair is not ponytail collect, they have to remove the cuticle from the hair and then create a fake one to simulate remi hair. If the hair is not remi, fake or true, it will literally fuse together because the cuticle is all different directions.

After we talked with Dale for a while, Vicki, the other owner of Di Biase then taught us how to do the sticker hair. I have already taken a couple classes on the sticker hair so it was more of a review for me.

We then moved on to the fusion extensions. As Vicki showed us how to do these, she made them look super easy. Jessie and I both were thinking, “Okay, we got this!”. We practiced on mannequins first and it was definitely harder than it looked. We probably put 20 to 30 bonds in the mannequin before we switched over to doing Jessie’s hair.

Jessie was my model and I was hers. It was an absolutely amazing experience and hair extensions class. If I don’t say so myself, I’d say we did a pretty good job too! Call the salon today to set up your complimentary consultation!

After Our Hair Extensions Class

Hair Extensions Class
Jessie’s Before and After
Hair Extensions Class
Josie’s Before and After

Until Next Time,

Josie 🙂

Scalp Benefits at Ashka Salon Spa

Scalp Benefits Line

When I was talking to Jessie the other day about our favorite shampoos she said, “I feel like AVEDA’s Scalp Benefits is a real hidden gem”. It really made me stop and think. I personally had not ventured into that line at all. She said that she normally has a very oily scalp and since she started using the line, she has been able to extend the amount of time in between shampoos!

After our conversation, I was talking to my manager about possibly writing a blog about the Scalp Benefits line. She immediately said it was a great idea and that Jessie was exactly right. My manager uses it for her hair as well and loves it just as much.

Scalp Benefits Line
Scalp Benefits Line

What is Scalp Benefits?

Aveda’s website describes the shampoo as a “daily shampoo that cleans hair down to the root and removes excess sebum and other build-up, creating the ideal foundation for healthy hair”.

The conditioner is described as a “daily conditioner that hydrates hair and soothes the scalp, creating the ideal foundation for healthy hair”.

The last product in the scalp benefits line is the Scalp Benefits Dandruff Solution. It is a “daily leave-in treatment that relieves itchings, reduces flaking by up to 41% in one week and helps prevent the reoccurrence of dandruff to promote a healthy scalp”. This statistic was determined by a one week clinical study which of course, like all AVEDA products was done only on humans. 🙂

The point of the scalp benefits line is to help balance your scalp’s pH. It will help with both dry and oily scalps!

I Tried Scalp Benefits for the First Time!

Something that amazed me about this line was that both Jessie and my manager swear by it. Even though they both have very different hair! I was super excited to try it out myself.

What I found was that my hair felt extremely clean after shampooing. I shampooed twice, which I normally do, but I still couldn’t believe the difference.

I am a conditioner hoarder. There is no other way to put it. I mean, I know for a fact that I use way more conditioner than is needed. I just can’t stop! Being nervous about not having my SUPER conditioning Damage Remedy for the day, I pushed through with my experiment because I needed to know how it worked.

Much to my surprise, my hair felt so incredibly silky! I still am blown away with how much I really liked the Scalp Benefits shampoo and conditioner! I did not try the Dandruff Solution simply because I am fortunate enough to not have to worry about that.

Moral of the story is that I HIGHLY recommend getting your hands on some of these products, no matter what your hair is like!

Until Next Time,

Josie 🙂

Wellness: Vision Boards, Intention, Breath, Sound

Sound Healing Wellness

As I have said in the past, one of my new year resolutions is to be very tuned into my yoga practice. An overall sense of wellness throughout my life has become super important to me. Shardae Sanchez from West End Yoga Company held a workshop called Art of Intention, Breath, and Sound Bath in mid January. I challenged myself to sign up for it. I knew this would help to push myself in the right direction of achieve my goal. In the workshop we were going to make vision boards and learn about the importance of intention.

Vision Boards Wellness

We started our workshop with talking about the importance of intention. There is scientific proof that by thinking about something, you are sending that out into the universe. I believe what you send out into the world is what you receive. This is the exact point of making a vision board. It has been proven that you are more likely to achieve your goals, if they are written down.

Wellness

We used water colors to paint an “I AM” circle to put on our vision boards. Once it dried, we wrote “I AM” in the center with positive adjectives around it. I choose words like: strong, caring, and enough. You can put any adjectives you want, whether you think you encompass that trait or not. Fake it till you make it! 😉

After we made our “I AM” circles, we went through magazines to create our vision boards. I found things eluding to accepting that I am not perfect, my desire to travel, and my need to wellness.

Breath and Sound Wellness

After we got done doing our vision boards, we did two different breathing techniques. The first one that we did was called the “Bee Breath”. This one is good to help empty your brain. If you are anything like me, you never have an “empty mind”. I really felt the benefits from this breathe immediately. We also did alternating  nostril breathing. This is meant to help balance the left and right sides of the brain.

We also did a short session of sound healing. It was very interesting. I don’t know a lot about it so I am definitely interested in learning more about it. All I really know as of now is that there are 7 bowls that are all specifically designed to create the sound associated with the 7 chakras. We meditated while listening to the bowls.

If you are interested in any of this definitely check out the West End Yoga Company website as well as Shardae’s website Gaia Love. You can also follow both of them on instagram: @westendyogis and @gaia_love_yoga.

Sound Healing Wellness
Sound Healing Wellness

At Ashka Salon Spa we are required to do at least 2 different “personal growth” things in order to receive our bonus. This workshop was the first thing I have down for the year for my personal growth! All in all, I loved every second of it. I look at my vision board daily to help keep me on track.

 

Until Next Time,

Josie 🙂

 

 

New Year Resolution – Wellness Lifestyle

Wellness Lifestyle

It is that time of the year again when the gyms are overflowing, everyone seems to be dieting, and there are endless new ways to try and save money. However, this year, I want to challenge everyone to make their New Year resolution about overall wellness: mind, body, and spirit. While attempting to live a wellness lifestyle, we are slowly making attempts to become more whole.

Wellness Lifestyle – Mind

My “Mind” resolution this year is to read at least 12 books. I really do love reading, however with the craziness of life, it sometimes becomes an afterthought. I am going to push myself to read at least one book a month. However, I am going to give myself the freedom of what I want to read.

Wellness Lifestyle
Wellness Lifestyle

For January I have been reading “Power Your Happy” by Lisa Sugar. She is the founder of POPSUGAR, an incredibly well thought out blog site. This book is inspiring me to take a hold of my own writing and to truly enjoy it every time I am doing it.

For February, I already have Amy Schumer’s “The Girl with the Lower Back Tattoo” on my bookshelf and waiting for me. I have heard this was a hilarious book. I’m excited to read it because it will be a little bit more of a laid back read.

I cannot wait to read more this year, furthering my mind and allowing it continued growth.

Wellness Lifestyle – Body

In 2017, I am dedicating this year to getting a regular skincare routine. I have personally always struggled to stay on top of a routine and continuing it for an extended period of time. I want to incorporate getting facials more frequently and purposefully. With AVEDA coming out with all of these new products and facial protocols, I thought it would be a perfect goal for myself. I always feel great I have a freshly washed face. It is just a matter of doing it!

Wellness Lifestyle
Wellness Lifestyle

Here is my idealistic skincare routine:
Morning:

  1. Dry Brushing and Oleation Oil
  2. Cleanse Face
  3. Tone/Treat/Moisturizer

Evening:

  1. Cleanse Face
  2. Tone/Treat/Moisturizer

Weekly: Masque at home
Bimonthly: Facials

Wellness Lifestyle – Spirit

Spirit is something that I believe to be super personal. This year, to enhance my “spirit” I am going to take yoga classes multiple times per week at West End Yoga in Canton. I started my yoga journey the last couple of weeks in December and I have been obsessed ever since. I couldn’t believe how connected to myself and the earth I felt after my first class. It will help me to clear my mind and have a better sense of what really matters in life.

Like I said, spirit is super personal. Some people will take this as religion, and growing closer to God and that is wonderful too. Really take a deep look at yourself and find what it means to you this year.

All in all, I am excited to have a life enriching new year resolution this year: to live a wellness lifestyle. You should join me!

Until Next Time,

Josie 🙂

Tulasara Facial Treatment Update

Tulasara Facial Treatment

Good skin care is so incredibly important. It will help you age gracefully, allows you to apply make up more flawlessly, and in general gives you more confidence over all. As you all know, AVEDA has launched the new skincare line “Tulasara“. With this launch, AVEDA has also updated their facials to a Tulasara Facial Treatment.

Tulasara Facial Treatment
Tulasara Facial Treatment coming February 2017 to Ashka Salon Spa

One of the many perks of an AVEDA facial is that they are completely customizable. One of the updates that continues to follow this motto is that you now are able to customize your Tulasara Facial Treatment aroma. Following “tulasara” we believe that everything, including aroma, affects how you feel and how your body acts. We offer you a choice of 2 to 3 aromas that is meant for whatever your skin type is. You will close your eyes and take a deep breath of each aroma. From there you choose which one you like best! I have done a sensory journey with someone using an aroma for their skin type and one that doesn’t match, and they still picked the one that aligns with them. I think it is crazy to see that first hand.

Tulasara Facial Treatment
Some of the aromas used in the Tulasara Facial Treatment.

I have gone on and on about how much I have been loving my dry brush at home. So much so, that I’m sure you guys are sick of hearing about it! But I am so incredibly happy to tell you about how AVEDA has incorporated dry brushing into our Tulasara Facial Treatment. I know that you will love the feeling of these brushes on your skin and you love how your skin feels afterwards even more!

Sarah, Emily, Adrianne, and I have been training hard to perfect these new techniques for all of our wonderful guests. We are ecstatic about these new products! We cannot wait to share it with all of you. Expect to see the new Tulasara Facial Treatment on our menu starting in February 2017.

Until Next Time,

Josie 🙂

Ashka Salon Spa’s Popular Beauty Gift

Popular Beauty Gift

It is that time of the year again! We all know those people who are great at giving gifts. They always seem to find the perfect thing for everyone on their list. Gift giving can be stressful when you can’t seem to find anything for your loved one, no matter what the occasion. I decided to help make everyone’s shopping lives easier this holiday season by creating a popular beauty gift list! I asked some of the girls in the salon to share what AVEDA gifts they would be giving this year.

Popular Beauty Gift Recommendations

My personal recommendation as a popular beauty gift would be AVEDA’s new Radiant Awakening Ritual. I have been super into perfecting my skincare routine this year. This specific product will make for a great gift because it is good for all skin types! Everyone’s skin can use some exfoliation with AVEDA Dry Brush. No one would ever say they didn’t want their skin to look “radiant”.

Popular Beauty Gift
Popular Beauty Gift

I asked Jessie what she would get someone for the holidays and she immediately said they everyone needs Hand and Foot Relief. Winter is so incredibly drying for so many people. Help your loved ones out this year by giving them the gift of moisture. They will be thanking you all the way until spring because their hands and feet won’t be splitting!

When I asked our Front Desk Representative, Shayna, what products she loves to give as gifts she said:

I’d choose the Beautifying or Stress-Fix Compositions. The compositions are great because they have so many uses! They’re awesome to add to a bath to relax and helps add moisture to your skin. You can also try mixing it with body lotion for even more moisturizing benefits. Another way I like using them is by mixing with the compositions with water and spraying on your pillowcase to help ease you to sleep.

Popular Beauty Gift
Popular Beauty Gift

There are endless amounts of popular beauty gifts for you to choose from at Ashka Salon Spa. Stop in today so we can help your find the perfect one!

Until Next Time,

Josie 🙂