As humans our lives are directly impacted by our belief systems and ultimately, the energy we put out to the world. These belief systems are imprinted deep within our minds and bodies, often beginning at the start of our existence on earth. These belief systems which turn into energy and intent can stem back to upbringing, social programming and self-judgment based on our own perceived reality. Belief systems can be progressive, stagnant or quite toxic to our development. Ultimately, these thoughts will translate into the energy you exude every day.

My journey down this path began about five years ago, when I began to work with a life coach with a background in kinesiology, a science which uses muscle testing to determine what is really going on inside your body. Dr. Rose Backman enlightened me to a realm of consciousness allowing me to trust my body’s messages and effortlessly get over my ‘stuff’.

Personally, my self-sabotage took its toll on my hair, which I deemed to be genetic at the time. I noticed I was losing hair rapidly and could not understand why, especially at the age of 22. This physical ailment stemmed from beliefs I formed at the age of 8 about not feeling good enough, emotional stresses and nutrition. In order to stop the cycle I had to recognize this wake up call (or as I like to call it ‘a universal 2x4’) and break free of my beliefs and refocus the intentions of my energy. With this emotional work, I needed to recharge my body with natural whole food supplements.

Often times, we blame our physical, emotional or even financial state on circumstances, people and genetics because it is the only way we have been taught to cope. Genetics may influence your looks, the colour of your eyes and hair, but you and you alone can control your thought patterns and the influence you will have over the experiences of life. Do you have it in yourself to let go of how you have always done something or thought about something in order to move forward at unbelievable speed? It requires you to acknowledge the overwhelming ego we each have and know that your biggest critic is reading this right now. It’s you.

To begin to reach a state of harmony within our lives, we must make a commitment so that everything we experience is a lesson. Instead of making an emotional response at the spur of the moment, a small amount of inner reflection will allow us to see the truth behind the experience. We may find statements or actions we engage in relate directly to something we are starving for on the inside such as attention, acknowledgment or love. We each have the cure for these feelings. We can claim our power and learn how to give ourselves what we need.

Hair loss for me was a much needed wake up call. It taught me I need to acknowledge my progression, feed my soul and show myself true love. I credit this mindset and law of attraction to my decision to grow and learn from every moment in the day. Gone are the days of the blame game or dark shadows or sorrow. There is no place for those in life. We each need to accept life’s lessons, learn, be grateful and enjoy.

We all know about ‘The Secret’ or ‘The Law of Attraction’ but are we practicing it every moment of the day? This is my challenge to you: step aside and enjoy success and progression in life.

Nothing is more wondrous than enhancing the features of a beautiful face with make up. Gone are the days of harsh lip lines and pancake style foundation - unless you are a drag queen. Trends today are simple, elegant and celebrate the beauty in each woman’s face. This holiday season acknowledge that super model within - it’s time for you to glow.

After working on hundreds of faces for countless events my obsession always returns to the perfection of well cared for skin. You may think this is an odd fetish, but never do I have to ‘spackle’ full coverage foundation on someone who practices a few simple steps:

Good Nutrition: Your skin is the largest organ of your body and its appearance often tells the tale of what is going on inside. I suggest eating fresh, unprocessed foods to obtain the maximum amount of nutrients. Of course you can have that burger on Sunday, but stick to natural foods your body can recognize as fuel during the week.

Rest & Relaxation: Notice this is number 2 on my list. That means it’s important. With the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, ensure you are obtaining no less than 8 hours of sleep. Did you know that your IQ can actually drop throughout the day if you don’t?

Water Intake: This is a biggie. Without the proper hydration your body will take it from wherever it can. Ever wonder why your brain hurts after a night of vino with the girls? Dehydration signs are easy to spot: dry lips, dry flaky skin, parched mouth, cracks on your tongue and premature wrinkles. Please remember to drink one glass of water after each alcoholic beverage to maintain a consistent level of hydration.

Fresh Air & Sunshine: Nothing beats nature. Those big gulps of pure oxygen you take when you walk from your office to your car are not enough! Allow your body to enjoy fresh air daily, and since our valley is notorious for no sunshine, hit the tanning bed for a quick flash of UV rays…this will kill your winter blues too!

Our lifestyle directly impacts the image we see on our outer surface. Of course you must also take the appropriate skincare steps to maintain your healthy lifestyle, but don’t worry it can be done in 3 simple steps:

Cleanse and Condition: Such a simple step, this is also known as washing your face. Put down that bar of soap and use a pH balanced cleanser from the spa. If you use anything else you jeopardize the natural oils and acids your body produces to maintain a healthy balance.

Hydrate and Tone: Toner returns your skin back a 5.5 pH level to remain resistant to bacteria. Cleansers often strip the acid mantle of your skin, and a toner applied on a cotton swab before your moisturizer evens out your level of acidity (pH).

Moisturize and Revive: It’s time to enhance your look with even more moisture. Your moisturizer is going to replenish nutrients lost from sun exposure, dry winter weather and free radicals.

Take care of yourself while you are enjoying the glitter and magic that makes this time of year so special. The beauty of balance is yours for the taking with simple commitment to your own health - because really, who wants to wear full coverage foundation to hide a skincare disaster? Not me!

Many people ask me the difference between professional hair colour versus colour bought in the fluorescent lit aisles of your local drugstore. There are a number of variances in this comparison, the largest one being that it is one most challenging colour correction scenarios for any salon professional. Now that I have your attention, put down that box of colour you just bought and stop playing Russian roulette with your hair!

Without boring you with molecular make up of colour the biggest concern we have in the salon is exactly what has been applied to the hair. This is because professional products may react with commercially sold product which in turn jeopardizes the health of the hair strand. Before any sort of salon service can commence we must determine whether the colour was permanent, semi or natural botanic vegetable dye. Do you know the answer to that question?

A huge mistake many guests make when they are attempting to cover their line of tinsel (grey) darker and darker shades are chosen to obtain maximum coverage. This repeated application of overlapped colour on the mid-length and ends of your hair will create a drab build up. This build up will ultimately translates into hair that is monochromatic, too dark and lacking shine - especially if you have a longer style.

If I haven’t scared you enough yet, let’s talk about the one type of colour that will send most professionals running for the hills: henna dyes. Understand that, true henna creates a seal (kind of like the wax I use on my hardwood floor) which makes it impossible for salon products to penetrate. Okay smarty pants, I know you just Googled that to see if I was lying and discovered modified henna products - these will actually cause added heat that can damage your hair or turn it green!

Before a colour change process can begin to take place your stylist is going to have to determine the number of times a product has been used and your history of colour and chemical services going back one-to-three years (depending on hair length). Once he or she determines this it is crucial to perform a strand test (a test of salon colour on a strand of your hair) to ensure the integrity of the hair will not be damaged. At this point I will always under-promise and over-deliver during this time of correction.

Understand that the celebrities you are reading about in magazines have a professional stylist who changes their colour every time. Yes, this is more costly than purchasing a box from the drugstore but what happens when you mistakenly choose the wrong undertone? Or chance overlap that could result in breakage on fine textured hair?

The lesson today ladies, is that there are certain things we can do ourselves in the comfort of our home like grooming your poodle. But when it comes your hair don’t break the basic rule of colouring: don’t colour your hair at home. Leave it to the professionals.

The mindset you have developed in order to take the plunge into changing your look requires more commitment than you may think. Since the publication of my previous column, I have observed that many who grace my chair are more open to change. However, few are acknowledging the follow-through steps in order to maintain their recently changed style.

Did you know that there are only four main haircuts in the world? It is crazy to think that every new collection that every company debuts holds true to the elements of four modern classics. These are fundamental shapes that are built into the haircut further elements (such as texture) are added to update and personalize the look. What does change every season, is the method in how the shape is finished and styled which generally, is not obtained with a magic wand.

Every finished look that you see on television, in magazines and on your ‘lunch break’ google search of new styles, is created with the help of a home styling team. I have mentioned this team before, just to recap: they are every product and tool recommended by your stylist to replicate your sassy do every single day. Remember in your initial consultation, you expressed how much time you want to spend on your hair? That is when your stylist decided what look would best suit your needs based on your commitment.

When working with professional products you will notice their ability to be layered over top of one another. Manufacturers have developed them this way in order to maintain soft, touchable hair while providing you with the hold or control that you need. These products are also highly concentrated so less, is always more. Here’s a classic recommendation anyone with over four inches of hair should utilize:

Leave-in Treatment: Determined on your hair sensitivity, I would use a hydrating treatment to replenish moisture lost by environmental, chemical or thermal damage.

Foundation Aide: Determined by our chosen end result, I would utilize a mousse for volume or a smoothing cream for control on towel dried hair to prep before your blow out.

Texture Aide: Upon completing the blow out (the foundation of your daily style) a texture aide will assist in adding definition, shine or further control. These are your putties, pastes and glosses.

Spray: To complete your look and hold it in place use a spray (which come in varying strengths for those afraid of cement hair). These sprays can also add additional UV protection and anti-humectant properties (so you don’t turn into Seinfeld’s Kramer in the rain).

If this information sounds like a foreign language to you be sure to quiz your current stylist the next time she is applying those mystery products to your hair. It is the responsibility of he or she to ensure you understand what to use and how to make it work optimally.

Every look you desire is yours for the taking but I can’t stress enough that your stylist is not a fairy godmother. Your haircut is simply the foundation to your style. Yes, it will aide in your success but without working with a blow-dryer and at home styling team you might as well be getting dressed in the dark.