StyleVise Blog

The other day, I shared Part I of my interview with celebrity stylist and colorist Mikael Padilla. Continue reading Part II of my interview below.

What is the biggest mistake people make when caring for their hair?
The biggest mistake I see is when women (and men) spend a lot of money to get their hair cut and colored, but then don’t invest in the product they need to properly care for it afterward. They will often purchase shampoos and conditioners that are high in sulfates, which strip the color and moisture from the hair. I also commonly see women with colored hair buy “volume” shampoo and conditioner. It’s important to use a color-protecting shampoo and conditioner on colored hair to keep the color brighter and lasting longer and to prevent the hair from drying out. Then, for volume, I recommend using a styling product or mousse.

Why is it important to use hair products that are low in sulfates?
Sulfates strip the color and dry the hair. It’s especially important for those living in dry climates such as Colorado to use sulfate-free hair products to retain moisture in the hair.

How do I know if a product is high in sulfates?
Most shampoos and conditioners that easily lather are higher in sulfates. Before buying a product, read the ingredient label to determine if sulfates are listed before most other ingredients on the label. This indicates that the product is high in sulfates.

Are there any drug-store shampoo and conditioner brands you’d recommend using?
I’d recommend L’Oreal’s Garnier Fructis. I believe it’s much lower in sulfates than many other drug-store brands. The key is to read the ingredient label. It’s best to look for a product with few ingredients overall and no mention of sulfates.

What’s your signature look?
The “Victoria’s Secret” look. I like that sexy, beachy look. I believe hair should look very natural, and the color should be well blended. I always say, “If you were on a beach for a month, what would your hair look like?” That’s the natural look I like to create. I don’t like the “stripy” look (like Kate Gosslin’s hair). It looks disconnected to me.

What’s your philosophy on hair?
Keep it looking like it wasn’t done in a salon. Whether it’s blonde or brunette, it should look natural and have dimension and depth.

What do you like most about your job?
I love making people feel good – and beautiful. I also love meeting new people.

What do you like least about your job?
The drama that comes with working at a salon.

What advice can you give for young stylists starting out?
Set goals. If you want to be a celebrity stylist, move to NYC or Las Angeles. Educate yourself and continually be open to new learning opportunities. More often than not, I prefer to work with younger stylists who are starting out because they seem more eager to learn and easier to teach.

Lastly, what do you enjoy doing when you’re not behind the chair?
Spending time with my wife and our dog (a weimaraner). I also teach pilates and enjoy jujitsu and martial arts.

Two weeks ago, we introduced you to Mikael Padilla, a new StyleVise member and celebrity stylist and colorist. To get to know the man behind the chair, we sat down with Mikael over coffee  and asked him some questions, from how he got started in the biz to his must-have products to his craziest celebrity story. Continue reading Part I of my interview with him to see what he had to say.

Q. When did you first become interested in hair?
I was bartending in Denver, and many of my friends were going to beauty school. I thought it’d be something I’d like. After beauty school, I moved to New York City. It took two months before I landed my first position as an assistant at Garren. I happened to be at the right place at the right time. I also assisted Christopher John at Garren for two years, which is what sparked my passion for color.

Q. You recently relocated to Denver but are still working one week each month in L.A. Who are your current clients?
Fergie, Sandra Bullock, Naiomi Watts, Jennifer Coolidge, Rachel McAdams, Christian Bale, to name a few.

Q. Can you recall one of your most memorable, craziest stories working as a stylist?
I was in NYC working as an assistant at the time. We were coloring a celebrity’s hair (I won’t mention her name). She appeared to be “on something” and was continually falling over in the chair. As the assistant, I had to hold her head up while we worked. Then, she needed to use the restroom. We took her in the restroom, pulled her pants down for her and left her in private. After only a few moments, we heard a thump. She had completely fallen off the toilet. We had to put her back together, get her back in the salon chair and finish her color.

Q. Which celebrity is one of your favorites?
Probably Sandra Bullock. She’s very down to earth.

Q. Which celebrity are you closest with?
I’d probably have to say Fergie. I went on tour with her for eight months (her first solo tour) and styled her hair every day.

Q. How do celebrities most commonly tip?
It depends. If the celebrity pays for it, they will generally tip 20%. But in most cases, celebrities don’t pay for it. Typically, we will bill it to the studio with a 20% tip included. Most celebrities know they can get it their hair done somewhere for free.

Q. What are some of your favorite products you use?
For color, I really like Wella or L’Oreal. As far as shampoos and conditioners, I prefer Kerastase. I use Bumble and Bumble styling products.

Q. What products do you recommend all women own?
Mouse and leave-in conditioner. I recommend using mouse to add volume and support styling. However, keep in mind that most drug-store brands have many chemicals and high alcohol content. I also recommend  always using a leave-in conditioner. It’s important to apply a leave-in conditioner to wet hair before blowdrying to protect the hair from heat.

***Stay tuned for Part II of my interview with celebrity stylist and colorist Mikael Padilla.***

Two of my girlfriends and I made a trip to Sephora yesterday. The primary purpose of the trip was to pick up some BareMinerals foundation because one of my girlfriends had ran out. But after chatting with two wonderful Sephora makeup artists (thanks Gina and Jan!), we all left with a Sephora bag in hand.

Two of us bought the Smashbox Eye Shadow Trio in Headshot ($28) after trying it on in the store. According to Gina, it’s Smashbox’s best-selling eye shadow trio. It contains dusty pink, soft ivory and soft brown shades (see photo). Formulated to be long-wearing and hypoallergenic, it blends easily and is crease resistant. This color combination makes for a very soft and natural every day look (but can also be applied more heavily for a smoky eye at night). Next time, I hope to try the NARS Eye Shadow (if I can find a combination palette to experiment with as Sephora didn’t have one) or Dior 5-Colour Eyeshadow in Earth Reflection. None of us girls really wanted to shell out $60 for eye shadow today.

The other day, I bought four bottles of Sally Hansen Hard as Nails Xtreme Wear nail polish without ever trying it. How could I not? Each bottle was only $1.29 at Walgreens (down from only $2.59 originally), and I fell in love with the colors. I bought four shades of the polish (see photo): Sun Kissed, Plum Powder, Emerald City and Gunmetal.

With little time left to paint my nails dark, wintery colors, I experimented with Gunmetal first (see photo to the right). When I first started painting my nails, I was skeptical as to how they’d turn out. The nail polish didn’t apply as easily as I expected, but I bared with it. Three coats later (not including the topcoat),  I was very happy with the final result. The color was vibrant, and the polish was even and smooth. The polish lasted almost five days before showing any signs of chipping (the photo was taken four days into my manicure) and was very easy to remove. I’d say it’s definitely a budget-friendly polish worth grabbing.

This week, I’m wearing Emerald City on my nails (a great winter/spring polish) and Plum Powder on my toes (which can be worn year round). As for Sun Kissed, I’m saving it for spring/summer.

BellaSugar finds and shares beauty salon signs that will make you go, “Huh”? I’ve posted three of my favorites below. Click over to BellaSugar to see more!

Photo: Flickr User rensenbrink78

Source: Flickr User CosmoPolitician

Photo: Flickr User daryl_mitchell

If you’re in dire need of some winter gear, hit up Patagonia’s Winterfest Sale!  Specifically, check out the women’s coats and jackets. The Women’s Ice Field Jacket (see photo) in bittersweet chocolate is my favorite winter coat, and it’s now on sale for $240.00 (reduced from $400). This insulated hard-shell jacket is super warm, waterproof and breathable, providing protection from rain, wind and extreme cold. You’ll find me wearing it on the slopes snowboarding (paired with my charcoal Burton snow pants) or walking the streets of Stockholm, Sweden in January. I also love the fit and length of the jacket – it’s both flattering and comfortable, and not bulky like many winter coats.

Anything from Patagonia will last you a long time (making it well worth the price), so get your much needed winter gear now while it’s on sale and wear it for the remainder of this season, as well as the next five or more seasons to come. The sale ends Tuesday, February 16.

One of my favorite, most comfortable pairs of boots that I bought last fall (and wear several times a week) are now 50% off (originally $160 and now only $79.99). Does that mean that spring is approaching? Well, I guarantee that I will continue to wear my Aerosoles Sarasota boots well into spring.

Not only do I love the look of these knee-high suede boots with a 1″ wedge, but the cushioned footbeds are extremely comfortable and they fit perfectly around the calves. Last I checked, there were only a few pairs of the grey boots left. However, they’re also available in black, blue and brown.

In honor of Valentine’s Day (and to kickoff New York Fashion Week starting today), I will make a $1 donation to Haiti for every new member that joins StyleVise.com and adds me as a friend between now and end of day Friday (2/12).

StyleVise will donate the proceeds to CARE in support of its short-term and long-term Haiti relief efforts. CARE is a leading humanitarian organization fighting global poverty. It places special focus on working with poor women because it believes, equipped with the proper resources, women have the power to help families and communities escape poverty. Women are at the heart of CARE’s community-based efforts. Click to learn more.

Since the January 12 earthquake in Haiti, CARE has focused on the immediate needs of the 3 million people affected by the disaster. Click to learn more about CARE’s current relief efforts, as well as its future relief and recovery plans. We should also mention that Quiznos (The Quiznos Fund) is matching total CARE donations up to $100,000. Therefore, our StyleVise gift will go twice as far to help the people of Haiti.

Want to help? It takes fewer than two minutes. Click here to join StyleVise.com, look me up and add me as a friend. That’s it!

Feel free to check out my StyleVise page by clicking here.

If you’re an active StyleVise member – that is you’ve logged into StyleVise.com and posted/answered at least one question or recommended one of your favorite beauty professionals or products on your StyleVise profile – click here to send us your mailing address and get your StyleVise flare free.

Show you support the greater cause behind StyleVise by flaunting StyleVise flare on your                                                             scarves, handbags, backpacks, aprons, etc.

Celebrity hairstylist Mikael Padilla has joined StyleVise.com! For those living in Denver, lucky you, as him and his wife have recently relocated to Denver where Mikael will build his name as one of Denver’s top colorists and hairstylists.

Mikael is originally from North Denver. In 1999, shortly after finishing beauty school, Mikael moved to NYC and started working alongside Garren at the prestigious Garren New York Salon, where he pampered such clients as Sandra Bullock, Jennifer Coolidge, Karolina Kurkova and Amanda Peet.

In 2003, Mikael moved downtown to the Sally Hershberger Salon (and worked alongside Sally Hershberger herself). During his time at Sally Hershberger, his clientele expanded to include Naomi Watts, Gina Gershon and Kate Moss to name a few. He also worked on New York Fashion Week  shows such as Marc Jacobs, Anna Sui and Victoria’s Secret. By the way, New York Fashion Week starts tomorrow!

While in NYC, he perfected a fashion and beauty insider highlighting technique called Baliage (or balayage),which creates a more natural, “beachy” effect than achieved with traditional foils (Giselle Bundchen or Sarah Jessica Parker rock the baliage effect!). Mikael colored my hair last week so I could experience his Baliage technique first hand. It really does produce definition, dimension and a more natural look than foils, but there is definitely an art to it. I wouldn’t let any stylist/colorist paint on my highlights unless they were very experienced with this technique, which Mikael obviously is.

From New York City, Mikael headed to Los Angeles to work alongside celebrity stylist, Laurant D, and to bring his innovative Baliage color techniques to the West Coast. Later that year, he returned to his hometown of Denver for a few months (long enough to be named one of Denver’s top colorists by 303 Magazine and the The Denver Post) before returning back to L.A. to join Sally Hershberger at John Frieda. As expected, his clientele continued to grow: Rachael McAdams, Paris Hilton, Fergie and Morgan Spurlock. He became the celebrity colorist spokesperson for Wella Professionals and has been featured in top magazines such as Allure, The Oprah Magazine and Elle.

But more recently, Mikael has officially made the move back to Denver! Well, almost. He is still spending one week each month in L.A. to service his celebrity clients.

Whether you see Mikael in a Denver or Los Angeles salon, on a photo shoot, or answering questions on StyleVise (check out his StyleVise profile here), he is becoming one of the most sought after hairstylists/colorists  from coast to coast. Only on StyleVise.com can you post questions about hair, product or even the Baliage highlighting technique and get answers from Mikael himself, as well as other beauty professionals. Welcome back to Denver, Mikael.

***To get to know the man behind the chair, we recently sat down with Mikael over coffee  and asked him all sorts of questions, from how he got started in the biz to his must-have products to his craziest celebrity story. Stay tuned for his responses to our questions!***