Lindsay Kaplan

Recently, some of the lovely ladies of NaturallyCurly.com made a trip to José Luis Salon in Austin, Texas, to experience a Shu Uemura Hair Ceremony.

What is a Hair Ceremony, you ask? Well, it is a balance of Eastern beauty mixed with Western glamour that is inspired by the Japanese tea ceremony. There are three ceremonies you can have the pleasure of experiencing. The Purifying Ceremony is a clarifying treatment that cleanses and purifies the hair while adding moisture. The Haircare Ceremony is a customized blend that adds shimmer, moisture and volume all while replenishing the hair. The third treatment is called the Complete Ceremony which is a combination of both the Purifying Ceremony and Haircare Ceremony.

It was a completely relaxing experience and exceptionally beneficial for any type of hair. From the minute you sit in the chair and they hand you a warm towel, you feel pampered. After massaging oil into the scalp, they take you back to the shampoo area where they give you a blanket and an iPod with tranquil music and massage moisturizing potions onto your hair and scalp, complete with Shiatsu massage.

“It was an incredibly peaceful experience,” said NaturallyCurly co-founder Michelle Breyer.

Shu Uemura was founded by Mr. Shu Uemura in the late 1950s. He is most widely known as the “first celebrity make-up artist” during the 1960s and for his famous Tokyo Lash Bar. In 2007, Uemura ventured in to the “Art of Hair” and now has a huge following in the hair world.

Shu Uemura has some amazing products out there for us curlies. My two favorites are the Liquid Fabric, which is designed to accentuate the beauty of curls, and the Cotton Uzu, which is a lightweight fiber cream that adds a unique texture to the hair.

If you are ever in the Austin area, I highly recommend stopping by José Luis Salon and getting a Hair Ceremony for yourself—you are going to absolutely love it!

Little Bo Peep seemed to have made an appearance at John Galliano’s Spring ready-to-wear show this season.

Galliano has always been a show stopper, mesmerizing his audiences with wild fantasy-like creations. There is no fear when it comes to being avant garde — in fact, it seems like he strives for it day to day. The creations that come out of this man’s head are truly a spectacle for the eyes, yet they are still so practical to wear.

Galliano enjoys mixing colors and patterns with soft and hard textures. Silk ribbons are paired with coarse wool knits and pastel dresses are combined with bright blue hair teased from root to tip. He even went as far as creating a sort of papier-mâché helmet for one of his models.

Although I don’t recommend jumping on to this new hair trend right away, it is certainly a well-thought-out visual display that compliments his ready-to-wear outfits beautifully.

Soft flowing curls were the rage at last week’s Spring 2010 Fashion Week held in New York’s Bryant Park. Both celebs and stylists donned luscious curls and designer outfits. I had the pleasure of going backstage and watching Rodney Cutler and team work their magic and create some great curly ‘dos.

Cutler stylist Jenny Balding and I sat down together and she walked me through how to get next season’s “it” hair do. First, you start with a partial blow dry; just enough where the hair is still kind of damp. Add Cutler’s Specialist Volumizing Spray and a bit of Cutler’s Curling Cream, then finish drying. Add a dime-size amount of Cutler’s Specialist Definition Cream for Texture and Shine to prevent frizz. Back brush with a Mason Pearson brush for light airy volume, twist and pin in a low messy bun; it’s easy but yet oh-so stylish.