Good morning! NOW that I have your attention with that blog title.... we can get this "flossing" going.
Hairdressers, like myself, are required to attend hair shows. The way I look at it is.... we get to see the movers and shakers in the hair industry showcase the upcoming trends before the pictures grace the magazines. Along with showing what is the up and coming trend... we get to see (and learn) how to achieve these styles. While most are quite outlandish for the demographic I happen to reside and work in.... it never hurts to learn some new techniques. In fact, being the artist that I happen to be.... there are opportunities to tweak the technique to become applicable in various degrees to regular people that cannot sport such interesting looks. Really, no two people should look identical anyway. Where would the individual's uniqueness shine if you all look the same? There are far too many people that judge by the look of a person instead of really getting to know them. I think that is really sad, but it is quite true.
Well, onward to what I titled this blog for....
Just a couple of days ago, I went to one of the largest (and basically longest lasting) hair shows in Chicago. It was called.... The Midwest Beauty Show. It is now called.... The America's Beauty Show. Basically, in the eyes of a person that happens to be a sponge for learning (thus my blog has been a journey of not just clearing my mind of the mundane, I also try to offer what I learned from the experience. Even though it is more based upon the conclusions I draw from these experiences, but I do happen to see others feeling the same way.)... this hair show is more fluff than substance.
Picture this.... A large building holding a venue that is filled with booths of tools and products for people to purchase, a few small stages to demonstrate techniques, and models wearing either half of something or very little of everything that basically are to showcase that specific product or style of hair. Sadly, I forgot my camera to share the actual look of this, but in all honesty.... this hair/beauty show was more of a one-stop shopping extravaganza for the hairdressing professional. There was no place to sit and focus on one thing to actually learn much. It was loud, crowded, and filled with far too many "shiny" things for people to purchase. What people seem to forget at these venues is that there are some professionals that would rather focus on an item than be distracted with a very attractive and scantily clothed person in your field of view. I have no doubt that there were quite a few people buying things because there was a half naked man holding it with a smile on his face, regardless if they really needed it or not.
Some vendors felt it was necessary to be so outlandish in their presentation of the goods that they were selling.... it was hard to rationalize the reasons behind it. Really, where does a woman in stilts standing between two half-naked men stir up the need to buy a curling iron or blow dryer? Heck, some of these hair models wore stuff that I considered being so tattered that it would be in the rag bin at my house to show off their expertly styled hair. Somehow, this one model made me think.... is she a street walker or so poor that clothes are an afterthought to their hair (meaning: look at my expensive hair style!... So expensive, I cannot afford real clothes!) Heck, I understand that sex sells these days.... look at some of these commercials on TV nowadays.... but is it really necessary to keep lowering the bar?
Trust me, I have no complaints looking at a well-chiseled physique. I saw a fair number of them at the show. Heck, I read contemporary romance novels for Pete's sake! I just did not appreciate feeling struck dumb in the presence of it. Well, fortunately, I had the common sense to look beyond most of it and only bought my much needed tools that I had to replace. I sought out the best deals and focused strictly on my list of those necessities.
The only issue I had... which turned out to be the best decision I ever made.... was how much I spent. I walked in with $100 in my wallet. I figured that would be enough for the few things I needed to get. Apparently, I was wrong, and spent an additional $200 on my credit card that I will have to explain to DH once the bill comes in. The reason it ended up being the best decision I ever made was because of the quality of the items I purchased. I really did not need a new flat iron. I happen to have one that works just fine, but the package deal for the curling iron had a flat iron in it. After receiving a demonstration of how well the flat iron works to tame frizzy hair, of which mine was that day from the drizzling rain, I was sold. Never in my life did I see a flat iron do what it did for my hair! Made it shiny, soft and completely frizz free! Even after leaving the show (in yet again the drizzling rain), my hair stayed frizz free! The promotional special was that you got a flat iron, a curling iron (in the size I needed), and a container of deep conditioner for $150. I will tell you this..... it was worth every penny! I used my new stuff and even had a co-worker play with my new stuff to curl my hair. It worked flawlessly and without added hair products. My hair is still just as curly as I had it done yesterday and that is after sleeping on it, too. There is no hair spray on my hair and it is still holding a curl! What a liberating experience it is to be able to run my hands through my hair that is in soft curls without the feel of hair spray! Even that conditioner that came with this stuff renewed the feel of my hair! What I do find interesting is that the booth where I bought my new irons was at a booth that did not have one scantily clad model in sight. Just a quality product sold without all the fluff and glitter of someone better looking distracting you.
So, the lesson learned was..... look beyond the flash and fluff when choosing what you intend to get.... and.... when quality comes to mind.... it is not the most expensive item, nor is it the cheapest item... it is what works best for you. That iron set I got was not the most expensive, but it was obviously not the cheapest... it just happens to perform in the manner it is meant to be. The 5 year warranty does not hurt, either ;)
Now, to prepare myself for the upcoming scream-fest from DH once my credit card bill comes in.
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