Festoon News

HELLO TWENTY-TWELVE!

New Years is always a time of reflection and gratitude for me. It also brings the opportunity to enliven my hopes for the coming year and to prioritize the projects I will focus on. So here’s a note of thanks to the year we’ve left behind and a hopeful welcome to the year ahead!
2011 was a year of holding my breath (not a good idea) and waiting to see what the world would bring me. But whether I held my breath or not, the year unfolded as it was meant to: We had fun, we supported each other, we were grateful, and we learned.

Highlights…

• Festoon moved its headquarters from SF to Berkeley – two doors down from our salon on MLK Jr. Way.
• We launched a new color & retail line, Davines – a luxury, results-oriented, European line from Italy at a great price point for our clients.
• We promoted 2 amazing stylists – Congratulations Kristy and Carmen!
• We created BECCA makeup bars in both salons and added a whole new dimension of beauty to Festoon – now you can get your hair done AND leave completely made over.

Personally…
• I watched my kids in wonder – growing and becoming so uniquely themselves.
• I’ve started juicing every morning – a great start makes for a great day.
• I got an iPhone – finally.

And a few of my favorite things from 2011:
• Persimmon Pudding from Chez Panisse (luckily I have a tree of my own).
• A magnifier and light app on my iPhone, so I can read a menu.
• Zara kids went online. I love their clothing options for children. Great style, great price. Great quality too.
• Davines Authentic Replenishing Body Butter mixed with their Authentic Nourishing Oil, this combo is the only thing that keeps me moisturized…and it really does smell like heaven in a bottle. The oil can be added to your bath, and also put in your hair (brush through, then shampoo.) Hair will be glossy and beautiful. You can get both of these at Festoon salon the next time you stop by.

Festoon’s Holiday Gift Guide

Our favorite gifts for your favorite people; These are a few of my favorite beauty products for giving…or for keeping all to yourself:

Something Special For Your BFF
If She Likes To Be Pampered: A Series of 3 (or heck, even 5) Blow Outs with our Stylists.  Our Gift Cards make great stocking stuffers!
If She’s a Volumista: Dry Texturizing Spray by Oribe.  Bigger, better, full-on glamorous hair. This invisible dry hair spray builds in incredible volume & sexy texture. Patented polymers absorb oil at the roots, leaving you with just-styled hair for days (and nights). $39

Treats For Your Boyfriend
Naughty: Oribe Rock Hard Gel. A modern cream gel for intense hold, architectural styling & shine. Hair does exactly what it’s told – whether spiked or slicked – and stays that way. Work through wet hair, comb if desired, style. Sets quickly; stays hard. $33
Nice: Oribe Gel Serum. Forget what you know about gel. This magical, gold-flecked potion with active moisturizing agents brings sophisticated hold with shine rather than stiffness. Gorgeous. Work through wet hair. Air dry, blow out—your call. $58

Gifts For the Jetsetter
Get the Green Light at Airport Security: GoToobs – The best travel bottle sized for airplane carry on! Squeeze every last bit.   Easy to use & very convenient!  Comes in three colors. $9.50
Ward Off Weather: Anti- humidity spray from Oribe for those blustery December evenings.   Helps keep moisture to a minimum and adds great texture.  Will keep that holiday blowout looking great! $38

For your Boss
To Get Them Out Of The Office For An Afternoon: Caretrico Custom Hair Treatments – Revitalize, restore & protect. These in-salon hair treatments are mixed by our stylists at the time of your service in order to meet your specific haircare needs. $30-$40

New Year’s Eve;  All Glam, All Night

Solid Gold: Oribe 24K Gold Pomade. Sleek back your hair with super-rich gold highlights for instant lustrous glamour. Excellent for use on pleasure craft, in convertibles or anywhere a little 24-karat seduction is needed. Smooth onto wet or dry hair and style sexily. Rock all night and into the day.  Add string bikini and dark glasses for your after party.  Warning: Might shine your clothes, too. Undress with care. Shampoo thoroughly (maybe even twice). $49
Pucker Up: BECCA’s Butter Balm, infused with a nourishing emulsion of natural Tahitian Vanilla, Cocoa Butter, Shea Butter, Honey, Vitamin E  and SPF 20 is the ultimate lip conditioner, protecting lips against aging and sun damage while delivering moisture and softness. Wear it alone for transparent shine or as a base under your favorite lip shade. You’ll get rave reviews after that midnight kiss. $20

New Year’s day; Recover in Style
For The Deeply Deprived: Oribe Signature Moisture Masque. A super-rich indulgence—for you and your hair. This crème de la crème deep-hydrating masque transforms even the driest, most over-it hair, leaving it supremely soft and irresistibly touchable. Thick hair may splurge daily; others will love as a weekly soak.  Massage, indulge (for as long as you want), rinse. $59

Paris in the Fall

I love Paris! I love the design and architecture of the city; all the pretty, shiny things; and the endless stream of inspiration found simply walking city streets among the people. Paris is a place I can return to again and again for a dose of beauty, fashion, food and culture.  The city manages to keep its charm while always being fresh and new. For these reasons I decided to plan a trip to Paris with a dear friend for a week during the beautiful month of September…and my husband agreed to stay home and hold down the fort, taking care of the kids and Festoon.  (Thank you John!)

Here are some highlights of our trip and a few recommended musts:

STAY: We rented a chic apartment in the Marais – the fourth arrondissement – a very fine area of Paris. It was quintessentially Parisienne with bustling street life situated in the historic area (think medieval) of Paris which includes Notre Dame and the Ile St Louis.  You can see our apartment here. Mention “Festoon” when you call to make a reservation and save 50 Euros.

DO: Ride bikes. Check out Velib bicycles. I recommend riding on a Sunday when many of the roads are closed specifically for cyclists.  Fewer cars and people on the road makes for a pleasant ride! Ride along the Seine and let yourself get lost.

On/Off boat on the Seine. I love taking tours. Yes, I am a tourist. How else would I learn that the Eiffel tower was only supposed to last 20 years? Or that the smallest bridge on the Seine has fallen 11 times? The On/Off boat is great because you can go from the boat to sight seeing on land and back on the boat to the next attraction.

Hammam and Massage. I am lucky to know people in the spa business who have turned me onto some great spa options. I highly recommend going to Themae spa. It is an intimate and beautiful spa with a great hammam. I have serious jetlag when going to Europe so I try to visit Themae as soon as I arrive (although they are booked usually a few days in advance!) I schedule a hammam – which is a beautiful sauna based on the rituals of a Turkish Bath – then an aromatherapy massage. It restores and prepares me for some avid sightseeing…and shopping!

Take the Metro. Save your feet. Paris has a great public transit system, easy to use and much more accessible than finding an elusive Parisian taxi.

Go for a run. When you’re waking up at 5 or 6 in the morning because you’re jet lagged, put on your running shoes and watch the sunrise. Paris is a late city. By starting early, you’ll have the Louvre to yourself. It really is magic.

SHOPPING: Whenever I travel and wherever I go, I always bring back something for my home.  This time I bought the most beautiful linen curtains at Le Monde Sauvage; a Parisian boutique known for amazing textiles. My friend even came home with her own set of linen sheets.  They are irresistible!

Zadig & Voltaire is everywhere in Paris. But even most Parisiennes don’t know there is an outlet in the middle of the city! Yes, the style is rock and roll fashion but if you like their stuff it’s worth checking out. I got a great leather jacket. Zadig & Voltaire Outlet: 4^th Arrondisemont on Rue de Bourg Tibourg (it’s a tiny street)

INSPIRATIONS: Girls piling their hair in knots all over the head – some on top, some on the side – very unstructured and undone in a messy, sexy way.

All different lengths of hair, never too done or overly polished.

Boys looking like they just woke up and men’s hair that was all grown out.

Every version of flat shoes.

Pants were full and soft or skinny, skinny, skinny.

Preppy blazers.

Denim everywhere.

Motorcycle jackets.

A general lack of labels, diamonds and Uggs!

What’s my takeaway?

Yes, Parisiennes care about how they look but not in a cookie-cutter way.  Each has their own special take on fashion and hair. It’s not perfect and it’s not manicured, it’s just theirs.  The French saying “Etre bien dans sa peau” comes to mind, or to be comfortable in one’s skin.  Being in Paris made me own that je ne sais quoi that makes me, me.  And it inspired me to come back and help my clients find, celebrate and own their own unique beauty too.

-Melissa

Oribe Does San Francisco… Festoon-style!

Few people are true legends. Oribe is a legend. An icon. And last week we had the pleasure of spending time with him again. Fresh off a plane from Ibiza where he had just wrapped a Vogue photo shoot, he arrived in San Francisco for several days of hair events that sparkled with his personal class and style.

Festoon’s unique relationship with Oribe and his team put us front and center, starting with an intimate cocktail party for a handful of select salons who carry the Oribe product line. The following day we had an amazing hands-on opportunity with Oribe and 60 other talented stylists at Dogpatch Studios – a great event space! Oribe did three demos full of inspiration, drama and technique which our own Festoon stylists, Breegan and Daren, then recreated using their own interpretation and finesse during an afternoon training session as Oribe observed their work, making suggestions and offering advice.

On Wednesday morning, Festoon hosted a private media event at the San Francisco salon for local beauty and fashion editors to get up close & personal with Oribe. He charmed and delighted everyone not only with his amazing skill, but with a kind word to everyone he spoke with.

Oribe is a man in motion and as soon as the press walked in the door, he had them in his chair – explaining his philosophy, styling their hair, showcasing product and showing everyone a great time. Rarely have I gotten so close to someone as legendary in our industry – and in the fashion world as a whole – as Oribe. And I am continually amazed by his intelligence, curiosity, humility and passion for hair.

-Melissa

A Great Day for Peace

Wednesday, September 21st, was World Peace Day and Festoon – in partnership with Peace and Caretrico distributor, VJPeace; and the immensely talented photographic artist & activist, Lisa Kristine – honored this global move towards all things good with a unique fundraising event supporting Free the Slaves – an international lobbying group whose mission is to abolish the practice of modern slavery. Ten percent of all proceeds from retail and service sales collected at both our San Francisco and Berkeley salons on 9/21 was sent to support Free the Slaves. Featured Peace and Caretrico products do double duty – VJPeace matched our 10% donation of all Peace & Caretrico items sold this day. And, a great big thanks to our awesome stylists who stood behind this important event…donating 10% of their services to the cause!
Exclusive to this event, Festoon also had a limited amount of Lisa Kristine‘s groundbreaking and riveting book Slavery for sale, as well as her deluxe collector’s edition set which includes a signed, boxed book plus a framed print. 100% of the book proceeds go to ending slavery. Kristine’s collection of photography documents the indomitable human spirit even in the face of dehumanizing conditions, offering us all a glimpse of hope and resilience. You can preview the unique collection here, and also read her recent interview on Huffington Post.
Thank you to everyone who took this opportunity to get beautiful and be beautiful on the inside and out – and indulge in a little bit of inner peace.