Expert Blonding: Do Not Try This at Home!

It was that time again... the time to raise the color bar a few shades lighter. There was only one man for the job, one man I trusted: John O of Antonio Prieto Salon in New York City. Born a natural brunette, I've always experimented with my hair color. In 8th grade I sprayed the infamous Sun-In to lighten my locks to a penny- copper color I was never really satisfied with.   In high school, I played with different brands of do- it- yourself highlighting kits which gave me countless shades of auburn and strawberry brown. It wasn't until Junior year of high school that I went to a professional to lighten my locks to a achieve those golden hues I had longed for.  Expert blonding is hard to come by.  Really hard.  I mean, even pros don't always get it right.  But, I have to say I'm a lucky gal to have found John O at the Antonio Prieto Salon in New York City who has taken my hair color to a whole new level.  Poor John spent practically the entire day on my mass of hair, but the end result is spectacular!  I have incredible dimension, color and light framing my face... and it all looks super- natural!  I went in and was like "yeah so I want lighter hair like this Victoria Secret model I saw, but I don't have her picture, but I'll try to describe it..." and POOF... the perfect shade of blonde for me!  You won't get results like this from a bottle people.  When it comes to dramatically changing your hair color, it's best to seek out the pros, especially with blonding!  Not everyone knows hot to get a perfect hue of blonde for your unique coloring.  The same goes with the perfect cut, but I'll save that story for another post ;)  If you're in New York, go to John O at the Antonio Prieto Salon, and tell him I sent you.

Super Saver Manicure

I actually hate getting manicures.  It's pretty time consuming and quite boring at the same time.. that combination for me alone, is enough to keep me away from my local nail salon.  But then there's the price to consider while also taking into consideration that your manicure will probably chip in a day or two....PLUS bacteria laden tools- YUCK (unless you bring your own)!  I prefer to give myself a 15 minute manicure at home and save a few bucks while I'm at it!  After you get into the hang of it, upkeep is about 10 minutes flat!

Tools:

• Orange Stick
• Nail clipper
• 3-Way Nail File (the kind that has 3 different textures to shape the nail)
• Base Coat
• Quick Drying Top Coat (my absolute fave is Poshe)
• Nail polish
• OR get quick drying nail polish with a built- in topcoat like I used here. *pictured below

Remove any old polish with nail polish remover, clip and file nails to desired length and shape.  Square is the easiest to do and maintain.  The roughest texture of the filer is best to trim down the size of the nail, while the finer textures are good to shape edges.  Next, apply your favorite hand cream to hands and use an orange stick to push back cuticles gently.  With a cotton pad, remove cream residue from nails with nail polish remover.  Apply one coat of base coat, one coat quick dry nail polish (or 2 coats of regular), and one coat of top coat if you applied regular polish.  That's it!  

*Sally Hansen Insta- Dri Fast Dry Nail Color in Mint Sprint #28  

This product is great deal because you get polish and topcoat in one, and you only need 1 coat.  Plus, the  brush is a flat rectangle, mimicking the shape of the nail bed, making application super- easy.

Have beauty questions?  Email me.

Gia: The 20/20 Interview (original)

Gia Carangi Interview with 20/20 during her prime years. This gives you a tiny insight on how ferocious the Fashion and beauty industries can really be.

Mom Makeover with B.Youneek

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New mom Roxanne from Staten Island, NY gets a makeover with the Baratta sisters of B.Youneek.

To Tan or Not to Tan

To tan or not to tan!  That IS the question!

Hey ladies, I just wanted to bring up a question that’s been in my mind these past few weeks with this beautiful weather that we’ve been having here on the east coast!  Do I tan in the sun?  Do I fake and bake at a tanning salon?  Do I use smelly self tanner?  What do I do?

If you want that sun kissed glow this summer but are not sure what to do, here’s what I suggest!

With all the sun bathing articles, and skin cancer articles that I have read, I have come up with a solution that will make everyone happy, and keep your skin safe and beautiful!

1.     Sit in the sun for no more than 15 minutes a day!

A little sun IS good for your skin because it provides the best source of vitamin D for your body, which help boost your immune system, and help you fight off free radicals.  However, too much sun can cause, sun damage, ugly sun spots on the skin, make you age quicker, and God forbid, cause skin cancer!  So, what I suggest is balance!

15 minutes of sun everyday IS good for your skin, but after that I would lather on a sun block of SPF 30 to give your skin a good amount of protection!  I also recommend applying a lotion of aloe vera and vitamin C, which will soothe your skin, and again, fight free radicals which damage skin!

2. Apply Aloe vera, vitamin c lotion and Spf 30 everyday after tanning for 15 minutes if you plan to be outdoors at all (that includes walking to the grocery store!).

*If you want an extra glow, I suggest adding a routine of Organic self-tanner!  Look for one that is free of parabens and has sun block protection that way you get two for one, kill two birds with one stone! But we like birds here at B.Youneek, so we don’t suggest killing anything.  We’re just saying.

Anyway, once you get in your 15 minutes of sun, and your organic self tanner, you’ll be glowing!  You can also add a good mineral bronzer to help you along the way until you achieve the look you want!

3.     A mineral bronzer is a great add- on to apply color exactly where you need it, until you achieve the color you want!

4.  Drink plenty of water, the more hydrated your skin is, the easier for it to heal itself, and the better it looks!

That’s it! Four easy steps!  Remember, it’s not worth spending hours in the sun, because in the long run, you may look like a leather handbag, and you don’t want that! Put in the extra work, protect your skin, love it, feed it, and feel beautiful!  Until next time kiddies!

Your fashion expert,

Liana of B.Youneek