My First Keratin Treatment at Keratin Lounge by LASIO

 

About three weeks ago, I got my first ever, Keratin treatment at the LASIO Keratin Lounge   in NYC.  These hot, humid, months always are always a challenge for dealing with thick, curly hair, and word on the street has been keratin treatments are a great alternative. 

Keratin treatments have been around for a minute, but LASIO's technique is unique to their salon.  A LASIO certified stylist evaluates your hair and creates a specialized "Keratin cocktail" that caters specifically to your texture.  

 

My stylist suggested a treatment that would reduce 90% of my curl and all of my frizz.  It sounded a little drastic at first, but after further discussion, she pointed out that things like sweating and using the wrong products can make it fade out sooner.  The treatment is designed to last about four months (with proper maintenance), and fade out evenly from root to tip.  Which meant, I didn't have to worry about my roots growing out funny and making time for a touch up.  So, I figured, why not go all the way?   

My stylist washed my hair first with clarifying shampoo and then again with conditioner.  After blow drying out the moisture, thus began the keratin application.  She spritzed on the mixture from root to tip, eventually drying my hair again, and running over it with a flat iron.  The flat iron sealed in the formula, completing the process.  The advertised time is 90 minutes start to finish, and I was stunned to see I actually was done in 90 minutes.  

End result?  I love it and wish I had done it sooner.  Doing my hair is soo quick and easy now, and for the first two weeks, I walked out the door au natural.  No flat iron, no hair spray, nada.  I loved the subtle body and bounce.  It was such a refreshing change not to have to worry about what I was gonna do with my hair in the humidity.  My hair is the softest, silkiest and shiniest it's ever been.  

LASIO also recently released the Keratin Protector to help prolong the treatment's life span and increase performance by 40%.  It is great for summer because it protects against salt water and chlorine damage, but you can also use it as a daily leave in treatment.  I spritz it on every morning, especially before hitting the beach and then wash it out when I get home, and my hair is holding up nicely.  The price of the treatment varies from person to person.  Mine was complimentary, courtesy of the salon, and would have run around $400.

 

Before

The Keratin application..

   

After

 

 

End result 

Joshua Beamish/ MOVETHECOMPANY Debuts "The Masque of the Red Death" at The Joyce Theatre Ballet Festival

 

 Last month, the Joyce Theatre hosted its annual Ballet Festival, which showcased performances by various dance companies, including internationally known, Joshua Beamish/ MOVETHECOMPANY.  The New York based, contemporary company made its return to the Joyce stage, this time with the world premiere of Beamish's new full length work "The Masque of the Red Death", inspired by the Edgar Allan Poe short story.  The piece explored the different color palette, moods, and social context presented in Poe's Gothic tale. 

 

The work embodied the fantasy essence that is Poe's Red Death story.  Through a mixture of spoken and recorded texts from opera signer Jessye Norman, "The Secret Lives of Color" by Kassia St. Clair, and "Chromophobia" by David Batchelor, the audience was transported into a realm of darkness.  The piece was full of award worthy theatrics.

 The costumes and lighting played heavily into the ambiance.  While dark in tone, vibrant colors also shone throughout.  The dancers created abstract shapes and images against bright blues, greens, orange and a blinding white towards the end.  Sections with the spoken text sounded muffled at times, and I couldn't help but wonder if it was intentional.  It added a distinct, underlying menacing element to the performance that fit the narrative eerily well.

 I have been moved by performances in the past, but this was different.  Watching Beamish's "The Masque of the Red Death" felt uneasy and unsettling, in a great way.  The unexpected trepidation, and anticipation of what would come next was a new and exhilarating experience. 

Photos courtesy of PR

 

Bindner Spencer Partners Host Discussion About Design of Schools

 

 Last month, Matt Bindner and Jack Spencer of the design firm Bindner Spencer Partners (BSP), hosted a conversation alongside Publicolor with the Department of Education on "the design of schools".  Publicolor is a nonprofit that works to fight poverty by addressing the alarming dropout rate and low levels of educational attainment and youth employment in New York City.

The panel included BSP's founder Matt Bindner, Publicolor's Founder + President Ruth Lande Shuman, Executive Superintendent for Renewal Schools Aimee Horowitz, and Dattner's Daniel Heuberger. The four panelists examined their take on designing spaces. The event was held in AYR SoHo's flagship at 199 Lafayette Street, which BSP designed.

Ruth Lande Shuman also explained Publicolor's Summer Design Studio (SDS), a 7-week program in which students will re-design educational spaces such as classrooms, libraries and cafeterias. Shuman told the audience "This summer, Publicolor will be challenging students to redesign spaces in their school – notably classrooms, cafeterias and hallways. By engaging students in critical thinking and creative problem solving, it encourages collaboration and positive attitudes. This is an example of how we immerse our students for seven weeks in the summer in literacy and math through product design. Thereby resulting in a highly effective antidote to summer learning loss, which is the greatest contributor to the education gap between high and low-income students." 

 Matt Bindner concluded the panel discussion.  "Our youth are filled with creativity." he said "so it's important for them to understand their agency to change their environment through design. By teaching the children of today a way to see the world through the lens of design, we will have a more exciting world tomorrow".  Afterwards, guests mingled over wine donated by Conorníu Raventós and shopped the AYR clothing collection. 

Free Beauty Events July Giveaway

  

FreeBeautyEvents.com is back this month with another amazing giveaway.  For anyone not familiar with FBE, the site is a great tool for all beauty addicts.  It helps you stay up to date on the latest beauty happenings in your area and serves as an awesome way to snag killer free samples. Each month the site gives away a bundle chalk full of the industry's best must haves, and this month's bundle totals a whopping $125 value!  Let's check them out..

This month's basket includes industry favorites from Love Beauty and Planet, Maybelline, Yes to, Coppertone and more!  The contest runs from now through 7/31//18, winners will be chosen on 8/10/18 and notified by 8/15/18.  Entering is simple!  Visit FreeBeautyEvents on Facebook (don't forget to like them!) or enter directly on their website.

Besides the monthly giveaways, the site also offers great beauty advice and product reviews on their blog.  Like any of the products you read about?  Keep your eyes open for your chance to stock up!  Easy as 1-2-3, just enter your zip code into the site's search bar to find out which locations in your area might be handing out samples.  It's a helpful way to keep up to date with the beauty events happening in your town.  

  

Get more FBE info here

Have you attended a past event listed on the site?