Sine Qua Non

Hi beautiful people :) 

The other night I had the pleasure of attending a special preview night at Sine Qua Non Salon of a new program they are trying to start called “Sine Style Bar.”

With all the new blow dry and syle bars coming out, Sine saw this as an opportunity to show clients that even a full salon is capable and happy to provide styling services for your night out! 

The event was for industry professionals, bloggers, and writers. It was an example of the new weekly events they plan to host. 

So let's get down to it, here's my experience of the Sine Style Bar. 

Upon arriving I was greeted with smiling faces. Everyone was buzzing and super friendly. I was also greeted with a glass of cava- which I love! 

From there, I had my appointment set with Jac- a super cool chick and incredible stylist on their team for the past 2 years. 

I got to choose from any of the following styles... 

Of course I love the loose, beachy wave look, so I went with "The Hillary."

I told the receptionist that my hair was going on day 3 of no washing and was styled from the previous night before, so I wasn't sure if they'd be able to do anything with it! Of course he suggested a braided style, but then he also offered a wash and blow dry! 

So of course, I opted for the blow dry :) 

Jac, my stylist, was super sweet. She took the time to sit me down and figure out what I liked. She shampooed me and gave me the BEST head massage. EVER. 

From there, she gave me a blow out and followed in with an iron to get those beachy waves. 

Jac introduced me to a new hair product line that only Sine Qua Non is carrying in the city right now! It's a line called R&Co and from what I could tell- it's pretty amazing. It smelled great, it felt great and I am definitely going to buy some the next time I go in!

Aside from R&Co?  

There was this incredible new dry shampoo from Bumble and Bumble that blew my mind. It's called Dryspun Finish. 

Photo c/o Bumble and Bumble

You can put this invisible spray all over the hair, not just at the root. Point being?! 

It can give your hair that texture it needs to hold curl. Which my limp, straight hair, desperately needs!

The End Result... 

Obviously very happy. My hair felt and smelled amazing :) 

It didn't feel product-y, or stiff, I could run my fingers through it, and it lasted for 2 days :)

On my way out the door I was given a little gift bag full of product goodies. 

In the bag... 

A bunch of new hair products for me to try and a Sine Points card-- Works just the same as getting points at Sephora! You can earn points with new referrals, purchases and even check ins! From there you can earn some cash for your next appointment :) 

All in All, it was a super fun event and with lots of very cool people. Everyone was so welcoming, and easy going, and all the ladies leaving the event that night looked pretty amazing. 

Please go check out Sine Qua Non Salons (several locations in Chicago) the next time you're looking for a place to go! And keep an eye out on their website and blog for updated information on the next Style Night

www.sinequanonsalons.com

Springtime Events!

Hey lovelies,

I have had the pleasure of both attending and hosting some great events in Chicago recently! I wanted to share a couple of the experiences as I'm so excited to see artists coming together--it's all about the community! 

Last week, I attended an open event at Goldplaited: A Finishing Salon. 

I'd never heard of a finishing salon before, so I was curious to check this place out. My friend and fellow artist, Mel Wilson, was the one to pass the invite to me. It called for free bubbles and snacks as well as a complimentary *Trend Style.* 

Trend Style?! Finshing Salon?!

So off we went! 

The salon is in a great location in Lincoln park, and it's adorable. Everything is in gold! I had the chance to meet and chat with the owners, Mal and Corinna Strong. They are sisters who transplanted to Chicago with a love of makeup, hair and making women feel good-- every day. 

They were both so welcoming, and friendly! I thought the salon was adorable. They even have a little back room for clients to reserve for private parties. Probably not a bad idea for a birthday or bachelorette?! 

So what is a finishing salon? 

Think Blow drys, dry styles, and quick makeup applications. 

No cuts or colors here- Just final touches. 

What is a Trend style? 

Ever circulate Pinterest and come across some awesome trendy hairstyles that were just too hard to pull off at home?! And then by the time you master it, the next trend has popped up?! Well, you can come to the salon and pick a trendy style (type of braid, updo, or curl/wave), and have a stylist do the work for you. 

It's a quick easy stop if you're headed to dinner, the theater, or just wanna feel awesome for a day. Goldplaited's goal is to make women feel good all year round, not just those occasions you would expect to get hair and makeup done. 

Who this is good for: 

The woman that needs that weekly blowout! 

Last minute date you want to look fabulous for!

A quick pick me up when you feel blah! 

Who should skip this: 

Brides- Hire a freelancer to come to you the day of- saves you time, energy and gives you that luxury of being truly pampered with a very specific look created just for you. 

www.nikavaughanbridalartists.com

Women who want more of a one on one, specific look!

GoldPlaited 

2803 N. Sheffield 

Chicago, IL 

 Photos C/O Goldplaited's Yelp Page

Another great local event that recently took place was the Enzo Milano Seminar hosted by Chicago Beauty Exchange. I am a co-partner of this super awesome group! To read more about what we do, follow the link --> CBE

Enzo Milano is a pro hair tool company, known to be the first to introduce the clip less iron. We coordinated to have one of their stylists, Sara Jean Stevens, come to host a seminar for the group. Sara Jean is a hair and makeup artist based in Chicago. We have actually known each other for years, so I was thrilled to hear that she was happy and willing to help connect us to Enzo for this event! 

Enzo Irons lined up for demos!

Sara Jean, demo-ing one of the popular irons. 

The "Enzo Wave."

Sara Jean showing a demo on CBE founder, Nika Vaughan. 

 The seminar consisted of product information, styling tips/tricks, instruction on how to properly use the line of tools (as they are a different type of heat source, therefore a different approach than your traditional irons). All the artists who came to the event were also signed up to get a *Free* Iron retailing at $130! 

After Sara Jean showed her demos, all the artists were invited to try the irons themselves either on the model, the mannequin head, or even each other! 

It was a great event! Thank you to Sara Jean for coming out and sharing her knowledge of the products. Thank you Enzo Milano for the free irons! Thank you to Tsubo Salon for letting us use the space! Also a BIG thank you to all the lovely artists who came! Nika and I are trying to create a safe space for artists to meet, connect, share and learn from each other. 

To read more specifically into the event from an attendee first hand, feel free to check out Jocelyn Morris' blog HERE. 

If you'd like to keep up to date about Chicago Beauty Exchange with upcoming classes, seminars and networking events, please feel free to like us on Facebook, HERE. 

Have a beautiful day!