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Graduation Reflections

April 26, 2013
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As I come to the end of my program, clocking in 1600 hours as a cosmetologist, I feel so much accomplishment in myself. As for myself, high school wasn’t exactly the scene for me: homework felt overrated and friends and socializing were more important. But when I started to realize that I was graduating school, cosmetology school popped in my head quite often. So I decided to pursue the career I always loved growing up: which is hair and makeup.

Cinta Aveda has taught me so many great qualities that I plan to take with me to my future career as a cosmetologist and business woman.

Graduation at Cinta Aveda Institute

Cinta Aveda Institute rules are there for many reasons. The main reason is just to teach discipline in the work field. I feel the morals that Cinta Aveda sends out are great and a life lesson into the big world. One of our grades as students is for “being punctual,” which is being on time. Then we have being “professional,” which is your interaction with guests and educators. I feel these traits are followed by in the real world and are very serious so practicing it now will help when going into an interview.

Students who are punctual and have attendance that is outstanding receive a certificate for their accomplishment: which gives us motivation so we have great things to show our future employers. I feel the attitudes Cinta’s educators try and show us are enthusiastic, creative, and understanding, which when working with all types of different people can come in handy.

I have grown up so much during my education and I owe a lot of it to my educators and friends at school. It was somewhat of a wake up call to reality for me. I love what I am doing and I know with the education I have received I will love doing it for many years to come. The hard work does really pay off, even with the good and bad days I will never take back anything I have learned from school.

The most important thing I think Cinta Aveda Institute taught me was to always keep your head high and to never let go of your goals and dreams.

How-To Care: Thick Hair and Hair Re-Growth

April 8, 2013
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As most ethnic women (like me) would say, having thick hair comes naturally for us; volume, weather, and heat are a floating recollection. We use the highest heat to try and flatten out our mane, don’t use product with fear that it will poof out, and steer clear of anything resembling humidity. What we fail to realize is we can’t keep taking our naturally voluminous locks for granted. Poorly treated hair, no matter what the density, is unhappy hair. I’ve noticed the clients of mine who have this trend also have a common complaint, “why is my hair thinning out?”

via Google

Proper hair care comes in all shapes and sizes. First and foremost, if you keep applying heat to a hair follicle that repeatedly gets this abuse without having any buffers to restore the strength, the hair follicle eventually will become damaged enough to not be there anymore. Of course heat damage isn’t the only problem for hair thinning / hair loss. Environment, stress, hormone change and genetics all have effects on your growth. Taken all of this into consideration, I have a solution for you poor souls who feel you’ve gone from fab to drab: PRODUCT! But the right kind.

Aveda is known for being ayurvedic and green. Their products work with the protein (called keratin) your hair is made up of and solves the problem you’re facing in a holistic approach. Quite frankly, it’s the only way to save any problem.

Invati is their new line for hair re-growth. If you’re just having a problem with your hair being thin since birth and want thicker hair, they have their Pure Abundance line for that. Tackling hair re-growth has never been easier than investing in Aveda’s Invati line. Yes, there are many at-home ayurvedic rituals you could research and waste time trying to figure out. Personally speaking, I’ve done it, and it’s draining when you wait those 4-6 weeks to see results only to realize it hasn’t done anything!

Having recommended Invati to my clients, I’ve seen with my eyes the results of fuller, denser hair in 2 weeks time. Don’t be afraid of product: it’s worth the investment, and you can add “thinning hair” to the list of floating recollections.

Why I Chose Cinta Aveda Institute

March 28, 2013
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After completing my college education and working in the stressful world of investment banking I decided it was time for a change. In exploring my next career choice I thought about what I really enjoyed in life, what I spent my spare time doing. I have always been the girl who took extra time finding the perfect outfit to coordinate with my newest pair of heels and lipstick. The girl whose friends always asked for advice on hair and makeup and enjoyed making them up for nights out. A life in the beauty industry was the solution to my problem, finding the right school was my next step.

The Cinta Aveda Institute stood out to me for the following reasons and after completing my program I can tell you I hands down made the right decision.

1. The Schedule: 3 days a week for 10 hours a day

I know 10 hours sounds like a long day but its really only 2 hours longer than a normal work day. Only having school 3 days a week gives you the option to work too. Although cosmetology school can be a full-time job, working in a salon, which I’ve done during my entire time at the institute, has really prepared me for life after beauty school.

2. Working with Aveda:

I attended Chico State University and minored in Business Sustainability. I left college with a strong belief in caring about the world, as well as, what cosmetics I put on my body. Aveda’s dedication to natural products, the world in which we live and giving back to the communities, really influenced my decision to attend. Since being a student, I’ve realized how important my decision to be part of the Aveda system truly is. Beyond their dedication to being a sustainable brand, their name is highly regarded in the beauty and salon industry.

3. The Location: Downtown San Francisco

The Cinta Aveda Institute’s location is perfection. Not only is it easily accessible by public transit but the school has a huge clientele base. You see everyone from young college students, to foreigners on vacation, to professionals working in downtown San Francisco. The difference in hair types, textures and services is exponential. The salon floor itself is beautiful. Its clean and open, with hardwood floors, brick walls, and on the 3rd floor of the building.

Article of Inspiration: Antoinette Beenders

March 23, 2013
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Antoinette Beenders is Aveda’s creative director. She has been for years and continues to grow the Aveda name with her strong belief in education and perfection. She was premiered in the latest issue of Behind The Chair on paper. For those of you who aren’t aware of this magazine, it’s a must-have if you are in the beauty industry.

via behindthechair.com

There is an intimate article about her start in life as a hair dresser, emphasizing that her journey was not easy and it took determination and hard work to get where she is today. She never accepted ‘no,’ and never accepted anything less than perfect. As a young Dutch woman she moved to London without knowing how to speak English. Not really having a plan other than to surround herself with successful people, she achieved her goal and worked with industry leaders. Later, becoming a platform artist and accepting a position from the owner of Aveda.

Boudicca via behindthechair.com

Her decision to accept this job from Aveda didn’t come easy, but she was ready to make a name for herself and be a part of world that she was less familiar with. This article was inspirational for me as a student at Cinta Aveda institute. I take pride in knowing that Ms. Beenders worked so hard to get where she is now, she’s a perfectionist, and created an Aveda curriculum that ensures haircuts to be articulate and mindful.

Boudicca via behindthechair.com

I connected with her, because there was a point in her career where she didn’t get to spend any time with her husband. She decided that life’s too short to not spend it with the people you love, so her husband goes everywhere she does so they can spend as much time as possible together even on business trips. I admire this thoughtfulness, because it is difficult to spend time with the people I love, and I haven’t even graduated school yet. Her success is inspiring and I’m proud to be a part of the Aveda family.

Eyebrows and Face Shapes!

March 13, 2013
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Let’s talk about something we all have (though some have better ones than others): EYEBROWS!

Some people have naturally gorgeous, full, shaped eyebrows (go ahead and take a moment to dislike them), but some of us need more help with them than others. I will say personally, I am an eyebrow fanatic! I am always on the lookout for outstanding eyebrows, whether it be the shape, color, length, or what have you, and I have absolutely no problem telling the person attached to them how good they look. But on that note, some of us need help with our eyebrows and need to take more time focusing on them. I am the second one.

While I do have a good natural arch (toot toot!) I have to work everyday to keep good looking brows. On almost a daily basis I have to tweeze, trim, fill-in with a powder and look for symmetry to achieve the look I need to frame my face. That’s right, I said frame my face because that is what they do.

Have you ever seen anyone without eyebrows or imagined what you may look like without them?

Russell Brand with and without Eyebrows

Weird right?!

So why not take the extra few moments in the morning to put them on if you need them? Below I have a picture of basic guidelines to achieve the most fitting brow to frame that gorgeous face of yours.

 

 

Hold your eyebrow brush or pencil just resting right by your nostril straight up, this is where point A, or the head of your brows, should start. Now keeping it in the same place, just resting by your nostril, slowly angle it to line with your pupil. This is where your arch should be, or point B. Again, keeping it in the same place, angle the brush to the end of your eye, this will tell you where the end or tail of your brow should be, or point C.

Now that you know where your face wants your eyebrow to be, with some help of course, you have one more choice to make:

What kind of shape do you want?

Do you want the head to be more rounded off or more square?
Do you want the angle to be harsh or soft? Rounded or flat? Curved or square?
What shape will go best with my face shape? Do I know what face shape I have? How can I figure out my face shape?

Who knew so much went into such a small area of hair?! Below is just a quick little sketch of face shapes and a slight idea of a shape.

 

 

Oval

Forehead is wider than the chin
Prominent cheekbones
Face gracefully tapers to a narrow oval chin

 

 

 

Round

Face is almost as wide as it is long
Face is widest at the cheeks
Long

Forehead, cheekbones and jawline are all about the same width
Can tend to have a prominent chin
Has an elongated appearance

 

 

Square

Forehead, cheekbones and jawline all about the same width
Squared jawline is the most obvious feature

 

 

 

Heart

Similar to oval but the chin tapers to a point.

 

 

 

 


Diamond

Not as common as the other face shapes
Typically the face is highly angular
The forehead is somewhat short
The face is widest at the temples

 

 

I hope this helps you out, best of luck to you and your brows!

Cinta Aveda Institute Educator: Chelsey

March 8, 2013
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In my whole 14 months of being at the Cinta Aveda Institute, I have never met a someone quite like Chelsey. I fortunately was privileged enough to have this beautiful woman as my teacher for my last half of Alpha and the last half of Gamma. Where do I even begin to describe her?

CAI Educators & Students having a laugh

If you have ever met her, you will never forget her ever-so-vibrant hair! I’ve never seen someone so drastically change their hair color and have it look so FABULOUS! Her hair always looks so effortlessly flawless! It’s dumbfounding at times. Not only will you remember her hair but there’s no way you can forget the overcoming feeling of joy and happiness that she instills in every soul that she encounters. Even the most harsh and cold people could never resist that feeling. She is one of the few people that I have ever met that will never take out her bad days on others. She has such a motherly quality to her that just makes you want to hug her and let her soothe your troubles away. Not only is she the sweetest lady you’ll ever meet, but she is HILARIOUS! She knows how to make anyone laugh even when it’s a rough time. Her energy is just so contagious.

Other than her beautiful qualities as a human being, her teaching skills are unlike anything I’ve ever seen. Chelsey has the perfect balance between education, discipline, and fun. I’ve learned more from her not only in education but she is so insightful on different tips to help us shape and personalize our own techniques and make things easier on us as we learn. She knows how to break things down for her students so that we fully take in what she is giving us. I think my favorite thing about Chelsey is that she never, ever talks down to us. She is gentle, friendly, and when she has to discipline it’s never angry or hostile. She knows how to perfectly show us her authority without being “the bad guy.”

She makes me feel confident in what I am doing and when I don’t, she does everything in her power to help me fix that. She is an amazing woman and I will never forget her. Love you Chelsey!