Help For Beauty School Students at JP McCaskey High School In Pennsylvania.

I want to share with you all an amazing  experience I had with a class of students at a beauty school program at JP McCaskey High School in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Their teacher, Andrea Fitzgerald contacted me asking if I could direct her to someone that could help with supplies like hair brushes, blow dryers, curling irons, etc. so the students could get the proper training. She further expressed interest in more education for the students, but did not have the budget. 

Having attended a similar program (West Valley Occupational Center) in Los Angeles for my beauty school education, I related to the challenges they faced.  The first step was to get supplies donated. Having never done anything like this before I knew it would be a challenge, one that I was happy to take on.

The first company that came to mind was T3 Micro.

You see, T3 has been a regular sponsor for some of our favorite shows during Mercedes Benz New York Fashion Week.

I love their products so it was a natural choice for me. I explained to these wonderful people at T3 the situation at the school and my willingness to help. I also told them that I would personally take the products to Pennsylvania, they were game!

Last week I traveled 3 hours  to Lancaster  with the donated equipment.

Here's a video which further explains my initial interaction with the Mrs Andrea Fitzgerald and our plans. 

Once at the school I saw the excitement in the kids faces. The workshop started  with an introduction of myself and my journey through the beauty industry. We discussed the the important things to do while in school that will help them after graduating. The simple things like constantly practicing on their mannequins hairstyles they see in magazines, or cutting the hair for family members and friends as soon as they can.  We talked about the importance of not losing your individual creativity. Beauty school training can be a standardized and rigid training process with so many "do's and dont's" being taught as guidelines to create a cut.

Here are images with the excited students with their new tools. They were beyond ecstatic!!!

 I followed this by doing a haircut and style using T3- Microfiber tools.

 I closed out my visit with a surprise bonus from Orlando Pita, who graciously donated gift baskets to the top two students, Michelle Gonzales & Nghia Nguyen with the best attendance. 

The students wanted to say a big thank you to T3 ...here they are!!

Already I've received feedback from Ms. Fitzgerald saying, "The kids are super excited and anxious for my return!"

Well since my visit I'm even more committed to helping those in need. For those who are interested in seeing how they can help out, please contact me.

I want to once again thank Ms. Fitzgerald for contacting me and having faith to ask for help. And a big thank you to T3 for their incredible donation to the school program. And lastly a special thanks to Orlando Pita for his gifts to the two students who had the best attendance.

Alyssa Edwards : Drop Dead Gorgeous - Music Video

After not feeling inspired to blog for a month, I saw this video and I gagged!!!!!! Alyssa Edwards, thank you for a funny, fierce and tasty video baby!

Daenery From Game Of Thrones And Her Hair

With the surge of big budget TV shows captivating larger and larger audiences, I had no choice but to give in to curiosity and check a few of them out. I kept hearing about one show in particular, Games Of Thrones....and within five minutes of the first episode, I was hooked. Not only is there scandal, sex and sweet drama, but the costumes and hair are definitely worth checking out.

I've grown to love one character in particular, Daenery. She is a beautiful blond princess who, as a young beauty, was taken advantage of, but manages to rise from the fire (literally) to become a strong, brave leader. With long blond, textured hair, her look also really adds to make her character one of the most interesting on TV today. Her hair actually reminds me of a look from one of my favorite music videos, Bedtime Stories by Madonna, (hair done by Orlando Pita.) Here are images from both beauties...see the similarities. 

The show's stylist is Kevin Alexander and he's in charge of all the hair styles for each character. Great job Kevin!

Well as we all know, fashion and hair trends tend to repeat themselves and will continue to, with highly talented people leaving their individual mark.

Amen to great hair!

The show's hairstylist is Kevin Alexander and he's in charge of all the wigs for each character. Great job Kevin!

Well as we all know, fashion and hair trends tend to repeat themselves and will continue to, with highly talented people leaving their individual mark.

Amen to great hair!

And if you were not born when this master piece was created, this is for you!

Volunteering For Kids

One of the great things about teenage girls is their love of anything to do with hair and makeup. I recently experienced this excitement at a homeless shelter in our very own Brooklyn.

As I walked into the room, many of the young ladies greeted me with big smiles. We jumped right in to why I was there, discussing the pressures and frustrations they face to look a certain way. How daily the press and media backed by advertising, preaches their idea of whats beautiful . We then explored how each of them defined beauty and why. 

We also discussed the importance of individuality and ways to express it while understanding its importance.

In a world where women are encouraged to look like someone else, it is important to show these young ladies the importance of looking like themselves...with an added sparkle.

I showed them realistic practices on how they can look after their hair and skin along with the tools they can use. And we discussed the false advertising that the beauty industry sometimes promote. Afterwards I presented each girl with a gift bag of amazing hair products and tools. They loved it!!

A special thanks to Orlando Pita and Mr. Casson for their very generous gifts and to Melissa of Sweet Elite Cakes in Brooklyn. I called Melissa without and asked if she could donate cupcakes for the workshop and she responded right away with a gracious yes! Needless to sat, they were divine!

I look forward to the following workshop with the girls on March 25th. If anyone would like to know more about what I do please feel free to contact me. These smart beautiful girls deserve our support.

Love to all!