Wedding hairstyles are intricate and beautiful and they look best when you cut back on the hairspray and let your hair have its natural shine and smoothness. That, however, can pose a problem for the longevity of your hairstyle and can cause the style to unravel any time. The last thing you want to happen is your gorgeous hairstyle falling apart as you walk down the aisle or when you’re taking your wedding vows.

A hairstyle that will last you through the entire wedding day is important but most wedding hairstyles are vulnerable to falling apart. If you want to save yourself from the embarrassment of a bad hair day on the arguably most important day of your life, here are some key things you should remember.

Up-dos vs. Wearing Your Hair Down

Up-dos like knots and buns with braids are classic for any bride but if you’re not a fan of them you could always wear your hair down to give yourself a younger look. Normally up-dos are generally more long-lasting than wearing your hair down in a complicated braid. So if your hair is soft, thin and doesn’t hold well, perhaps wearing you hair up will last your style longer.

Hairspray it But Don’t Overdo it!

It’s a common fact that hairspray helps to hold your hair in place but too much hairspray can wear your hair down and give it a greasy look. If you’re wearing your hair down, you want to make sure you don’t overdo the hairspray and if you do, clean out that oily look with some dry shampoo. On the other hand, hairspray on up-dos can be used more generously.  

Bring Out The Bobby Pins

There’s no such thing as too many bobby pins. Sure they can be frustrating to remove but they will help hold all those stray strands of hair in place. Even if you’re confident your up-do can hold without bobby pins, you still want to add some just in case. Hairstyles that are worn down need even more bobby pins to keep the stray hair in place.

Before you make your final choice on your wedding hairstyle, make sure to try it out once or twice before the actual wedding day. Alternatively, if you’re not confident about your styling skills then hiring a professional to do your hairstyle can save you from the worry of your hairstyle falling apart.

Purity Hair Design is your local bridal and hair makeup artist in Albany and serving the Greater Capital Region!  Give us a call today!

The stress of your wedding can take a toll on your skin and take the shape of pimples and acne. But when you’re a bride and under deep scrutiny by everyone around you, you need to make sure that doesn’t happen. Wedding skincare is essential for every bride. While a good dose of makeup can hide the marks, it still can’t give you the natural, clean and fresh look you’re searching for.

Taking care of your skin prior to your big day can require patience, consistency and hard work but when you walk that aisle looking beautiful with a clear skin, the hard work and patience will be worth it. Here’s how you can prep your skin for the perfect look on your wedding day:

#1: Book Facial Appointments at Your Favorite Salon

Even if you’ve never had professional facials done before, it’s high time you do if your wedding is a few months away. Facials include a deep skin massage to stimulate circulation that can leave your face glowing. Professional salons will always have the best products to apply on your face for the best facial experience. A few facial sessions and your face will look clean and smooth in no time!

#2: Exfoliate and Tone

Use exfoliators, face scrubs and toners to remove the inbred dirt and dust from your skin. You want to make sure your pores are clean and have no black or whiteheads stuck in them and the only way to do that is through vigorous, consistent exfoliation. Use an oil-free moisturizer at the end of your routine to give your skin some relaxing, breathing space.

#3: Choose the Right Foods

It’s important to monitor what you’re eating before your wedding and not just because you don’t want to gain extra calories but because the right foods can help make your skin glow. Cut back on processed food and carbs. Instead, go for super foods like green, leafy vegetables, tomatoes and cucumbers.

#4: Stay Hydrated

Drinking adequate amounts of water daily can really show on your face. Staying hydrated is important for all skin types whether you have oil or dry skin. Eating foods with high water content like watermelons is also a good option if you can’t drink eight glasses of water everyday.

Looking for a local Albany bridal and hair makeup artist?  Look no further & call Purity Hair Design today!

There’s one thing all brides long for on the biggest day of their lives – flawless makeup. Flawless, however, doesn’t come easy or cheap. Even if you’re used to putting on your everyday makeup and know your way around the basics, you’d still want a professional makeup artist to do the job for you on your wedding day.

Oh no, no. It’s not because you aren’t good enough at your makeup skills yourself but there are a lot of different factors to consider that will help you make the decision of hiring a professional makeup artist for your wedding day. Not sure what they are. Here’s a few:

#1: Experience Matters

Makeup artists make a living out of grooming brides. They know exactly what shade of lipstick will complement your olive skin tone or eye shadow technique will bring out your hooded eyes. Makeup artists also know the latest trends in the aesthetics industry so you won’t have to worry about getting a tacky makeup look done if you hire a well-known makeup artist for the job.

#2: They Have The Best Products

As a normal consumer of makeup, you might not have the top quality makeup brands in the market. In fact, you probably bought your current eyeliner when you were low on budget or perhaps your mascara is already drying and flaky. That’s not how makeup artists roll though. They have the freshest, most expensive products to treat your skin the right way.

#3: Camera-Ready Skin

What’s a wedding without a bridal photo-shoot? If your makeup is floppy and unprofessional it will most indefinitely show in your wedding pictures and it will remain as evidence for centuries to come that your makeup was just not up to the desired standard on your wedding day. Save yourself from the embarrassment of trying to explain the story of your runny mascara to your future children and hire a makeup artist to perfect that camera-ready makeup look.

#4: Stay Stress Free

You already have a lot of pressure on your shoulders on your wedding day. The worry of your makeup not turning out well shouldn’t be one. Stay stress free and confident about your wedding makeup look and hire a professional makeup artist to do the job for you.

Purity Hair Design provides professional and affordable bridal hair and makeup services in Albany and the surrounding Capital Region.

Your eye makeup can make or break your wedding look. A perfectly done eye makeup can leave the crowd stunned and your husband falling in love with you more than ever before. While a poorly done will still probably keep your husband’s heart but it will show on your wedding pictures and make people whisper about it behind your back. Therefore it is crucial to rock the perfect eye makeup.

But how in the world do you do that?

If you’re not a makeup guru and don’t even know how to blend in your eye shadow, maybe hiring a professional makeup artist can save your day. Even if you are going that road, you still need to make sure the makeup artist hits all the important points of your eye makeup that give it that wow effect.

Curious to know what those are? Read on!

• Make Your Eyes Pop with Some White Eyeliner: White eyeliners in your waterline can bring out your eyes and make them look bigger and fresher. You want to look awake and ready on your big day so make sure to pull out some white eyeliner.
  
• Go Easy With The Eyeliner: If you’re a fan of thickly applied eyeliner, just remember it’s your wedding day and not a Halloween party. Applying a thin line of the liner can groom your eye makeup beautifully all the while keeping a natural look to your face.
  
• Use Some Eye Drops: Celebrities use it on the red carpet so why can’t you on your wedding day? Putting in a few eye drops can give your eyes a smooth, sensational look that your husband will drown in when he says his vows.
  
• Don’t Forget the Eyebrows! Eyebrows are the key to framing your entire look so don’t forget them to give them proper attention. Remember: thick, neat eyebrows are trending so don’t pluck them to look dangerously thin.
  
• Get a Little Fake – it’s okay! Sure you want to have a natural makeup look on your wedding day that doesn’t look too extra and retains a dash of elegance to it but adding a pair of false eyelashes can enhance your eye makeup in all the right ways.
  
• Light it Up: Use an appropriate amount of highlighter under your brows and in the tear gland, inner eye area to give that final glow effect to your overall eye makeup.

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If your are considering hiring a professional bridal and hair makeup artist in Albany, give Purity Hair Design a call today!

High quality hair and beauty products have always proved to be beneficial to your hair and skin. Thanks to the standard ingredients that make the products so highly effective. The better quality formulas and the right blend of moisturizers, conditioners and surfactants make the salon quality shampoos and conditioners worth the purchase.

Though there are grocery stores and departmental stores where there are several hair care products which are made with cheaper ingredients available at quite affordable rates because it targets the mass market, but salon products are specifically created to solve the particular hair or skin issue thus the results are highly effective and satisfactory. People who are more concerned about their hair and skin would not mind paying higher price for the quality ingredients that go into the making of salon quality shampoos and conditioners.

The fact about our hair is that we are unable to produce similar results like the hair stylist does at the salon. The professional hair stylist does suggest using salon quality shampoos and conditioners but only 30% of the clients do follow the suggestion. Though we all completely rely on them when it comes to hair styling, hair coloring and other treatments, but when it comes to hair care products, we make our own choices.

However using what they recommend is always beneficial due to these reasons:

• Salon products are made from high quality ingredients. These products contain gentle cleansers or surfactants, the products are concentrated and give better and actual results. They use ingredients made from natural products like extracts from plants and flowers. There are no harmful preservatives too. The dangerous chemicals like paraben, sulfate etc. are not used in its making thus maintaining the quality and authenticity of the products.  
• Cheap brands are diluted: Generally the common hair care products bought from stores are cheap and come in higher volume, but the truth is that these products are diluted which increases its volume and does not provide better results too. Whereas salon quality products use high concentration of best quality ingredients which provide noticeable results on your hair.
• Environmental risks: High quality salon products do not pose risk to the environment. These products abide the safety measures during its making so that it does not cause any type of serious and adverse effect on the environment. The packaging material is recycled and environmentally safe. The natural ingredients use to make salon quality products make it safe for the environment. Moreover, since there are no harmful chemicals and preservatives, these are completely safe.
• Results: Depending on your hair texture and thickness and your lifestyle, the hair stylist will suggest you the most appropriate shampoo and conditioner which will definitely give you the desired results. However you won’t get any such guarantee if you use the store bought hair care products.
• You know what you are paying for: Though salon quality products come with a bigger price tag, but to make sure if your investment is really worth, you can read the ingredients of the product. Whereas in cheap hair care products, you do not really know what is inside the bottle. Since salon products are sold only by the authorized people and thus you cannot buy salon quality products from anywhere. This way the authenticity of the product is highly maintained.

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Looking for a new hair salon in Albany?  Give Purity Hair Design a call today!!!

With the increasing craze for hair color trends, there are various hair color techniques implemented by professional hair experts all over the world. One such French hair coloring technique is Balayage which is gaining a lot of popularity amongst women who want to try the latest trends happening in beauty and cosmetic industry. This hair coloring technique was developed in the 1970’s and gaining popularity even today. The color is applied on hair with hands rather than traditional methods like foil or cap techniques used for highlighting. Women with shortest hair, bob style can also go for Balayage but it looks great for women with shoulder length hair and below.

You can choose from a wide range of effects, from natural to soft to strong and funky. Due to its low-maintenance, it is getting the most adopted trend. Everyone wants to look stylish and flaunt around their best looks with the latest hair color, however they do not have time to go for regular touch-ups to a salon every couple of weeks, so this economical and effective hair color technique is widely accepted by most of the fashionable crowd. Most models and celebrities have got this look done by experts. The hair professional divides your hair into several sections and with a brush, paint the upper strands in a sweeping motion, just like he would choose to do the highlights for that section.

This technique creates a subtle and sexy look! This coloring technique requires expert skills and professional equipment. It is better to pay a professional than try your hands on and regret forever. A mistake could cost you more than what you pay a professional for the job.

Though balayage looks fabulous on curly hair, it is incredibly great for straight hair too. There are no harmful effects if you get your hair straightened too. The harsh color lines do not impose any harm to your hair. Irrespective of the length or texture, this technique is suitable for everyone. You can get the highlights on narrow sections or pick a big chunk of your hair, the choice is all yours! It totally depends on how confidently you carry it. The sun-kissed beachy look looks great on women with curly hair. It gives them a soft natural look. However, for women with straight hair, balayage with some highlights and natural tones worked on it to avoid the harsh line between colors which looks incredibly great.

​This technique gives better results on layered hair, so balayage with straight hair looks much better if the hair is cut in layers as it adds a bit of movement. Since balayage has nothing to do with the roots, this technique starts with part way down the hair length to provide a different color on the ends that does not look like that on the top.

If it is really so confusing to determine if balayage with straight hair will look great or not, an expert advice is a must. A professional hair consultant will give you right advice along with different hair cut options for you to choose from for the best balayage look!

Looking for a great Aveda hair salon in Albany?  Give Purity Hair Design an opportunity to earn your hair, we mean, business...

Are your eye lashes thin? Do you want it to look darker, longer and thicker? Are you always yearning for dreamy eyes with long and curled lashes? Well, you can apply good mascara or false eyelashes, but it is a long process. Using eyelash curler is yet another issue. Moreover, girls who are always on a rush and want a quick touch up on their eyes just do not have patience for applying mascara or false eyelashes as it takes time. Thus, eyelash extensions is the perfect beauty solution for that quick makeover for your eyes. Long beautiful eyelashes make you look younger and healthier. You look attractive and appealing.

Whether you want the natural look or want extra volume, you can choose from various options. At a professional salon, the eyelash extension technician is well trained and highly knowledgeable to do his job perfectly and flawlessly. He will discuss about your choices and will customize the eyelashes that meet your expectations and look great on you. The technician is trained enough to apply eyelash extensions that feel just like your natural ones. You can go swimming, take a shower or perform exercises, your eyelash extensions will stay intact. These last for 4 to 6 weeks till they actually wear out like you natural ones. Since the life of your natural ones is just 4 to 6 weeks, you need to get regular refills and touch ups done every 2 to 3 weeks so that the quality and thickness is maintained.     

No matter what your age is, eyelash extension is suitable for any age group provided you have natural eyelashes to stick the extensions to. But if you suffer from any kind of allergic reaction or have an eye infection, eye extensions could lead to more eye issues. Women who have undergone an eye surgery or any cosmetic eye surgery must wait till the eye is completely healed post surgery. Make sure you choose a professional salon to get the job done as they have experienced technicians that are well trained and experienced to do the job right. However, post care is equally important to maintain the quality of your natural eyelashes.

Here is how to take care of your lash extensions as well as natural lashes.

• Gently handle your lashes and post-treatment make sure to avoid water contact for at least 24 hours. Also do not touch or rub your eyes. Stay away from pools, sauna baths, steam baths etc. for another 48 hours after application.
• Never use eyelash curler or any other treatment like permming or tinting. This weakens the bonds and your lash extension may break or harm your natural eyelashes.
• Do not wear eye makeup or use mascara on lash extensions and do not apply oil or oil based products, like moisturizers, lotion, cleanser etc. on your eyes after the treatment. Oil based products tend to dilute the glue which may cause your extensions to fall off before time.
• Do not sleep with face down as you may press your lash extensions.
• Do not pluck or pull the loose lash extensions as you might unknowingly pluck your natural eyelash too.

Looking for a new Albany hair salon?  Come see us at Purity Hair Design, we serve all of the Capital Region and are proud to offer organic products and be recognized as a premier Aveda hair salon.

The fashion industry is taking the world by storm, be it clothes, footwear, accessories, hair or beauty. Girls just give in to the latest trends hitting the market. They want to look stylish by wearing the trendiest clothes and footwear in the town with matching accessories. They want to try the hottest hair color and a suitable beauty treatment procedure to enhance their beauty.

Women all over the world love to flaunt their style thus want to try all the trends ruling the market. Right from the hair, to the nails of their toes, they make sure that it is perfectly done. Well, among others, one of the hottest trends flaring the air is hair coloring. When it comes to hair coloring there is a lot of confusion in choosing the best brand, choosing the perfect color and choosing the best hair professional to do the job right. Now in most of the professional hair salons, there are hair artists who will suggest you the right hue to match your skin tone, the perfect product and the after-care tips. Though hair coloring can be fun, you need to weigh the side-effects it carries along.

Will coloring your hair damage your hair? Now this is the most common question that pops up in your mind when you go for hair color treatment. Though the damage may not show up immediately, but over a period of time, maybe in a few weeks, you might notice some effects on your natural hair.

Dry and brittle hair: The hair coloring products contain chemicals like ammonia that loosens the cuticles of the hair and hydrogen peroxide that acts as a color developer.

1. What does ammonia do: To deposit new color into your hair shafts, the color pigment should be able to penetrate into it for which the cuticle needs to be lifted up. The cuticle acts as a protective layer to protect your hair shaft which has to be removed and this is what the ammonia in your hair color does. Once the cuticle is lifted, ammonia elevates the pH level of your hair. The damage is done right there since cuticle should never be lifted.
2. What does hydrogen peroxide do: After the cuticle is split away, hydrogen peroxide, the harmful bleaching agent removes the natural hair color and gives way for the new color. Since peroxide is a drying agent, it adds to the damage caused by ammonia. The natural color protein in your hair is oxidized making it colorless. Now your hair looks like a dry straw.
3. Color Pigment: Now the color plays its part. Since the cuticle is split up and the natural hair color is oxidized, the color pigment bonds over to the cortex. The color is permanent and remains in your hair till you develop new growth. It cannot be washed off your hair.  

Though there are professional salons where the qualified and experienced hair technicians help to reduce the damages caused by hair color, but still you have to be patient and regular with the hair care methods and use professional range of hair care products for the results to last long. Moreover there are other alternatives that are not as damaging, but they either do not last longer or the effects are not as satisfying. However, with proper after-care you can have those shiny locks intact.

Purity Hair design is an organic hair salon serving Albany and the greater Capital Region.

Split ends, a warning sign that proves hair abuse.

Yes!  You are actually damaging and abusing your hair by choosing harsh hair treatments that contain harmful chemicals thereby causing intense damage to your hair. Split ends are caused as your hair has undergone a lot of brutality and harshness. Don’t you use hair styling products like hot irons, blow dryers, hot tongs etc. to style your hair? Don’t you go for hair treatments like straightening and smoothing to make your hair look straight and smooth? Don’t you use hair colors that contain harsh chemicals and colors to look trendy and smart? How well you handle your hair can be seen by its quality, that is, the way you handle it like brushing, using cheap shampoos and bad quality conditioners, drying etc. But you are totally ignoring the harmful side effects that these treatments, chemically treated products and mishandling leave on your hair. One amongst the most terrible side-effects is split ends. Once there is no moisture left in your hair, it becomes brittle and eventually causes split ends.

Well now the question arises, should you chop them or treat them? Mostly spilt ends are spread all over your hair hence chopping would not be preferred by many who have always wanted long hair.

Here are a few methods by which you can get your split ends removed without actually reducing the length of your hair.

• Twisting: It is the easiest method to do away with split ends without much trouble. Take a thin hair strand and twist it, you will see hair with split ends coming out from the twisted strand. Now grab a pair of sharp scissors and chop off the split ends. Repeat the whole process for your entire hair and clean away the bad and unhealthy ends.
• Split ender: You can now remove all the dead and unhealthy ends of your hair by a split ender. Once you are done with your split ends, your hair starts growing and retains its lost shine too.
• Use a wide-toothed comb: Make sure that you hair does not have any tangles as it results in hair fall and also reduces the beauty of your hair. Use a wide toothed comb and comb your hair when still wet. This way you can shed away the dead ends.
• Stay away from harsh hair styling products and hair treatments: If possible reduce the usage of hair styling tools that usually involve heat to style your hair. Moreover, hair sprays and gels contain chemicals that are definitely harmful for your hair in the long run. Also avoid hair treatments as the products contain chemicals that cause your hair to lose its health and natural luster causing dryness and split ends.
• Use professional hair care products: In order to maintain the quality of your hair, make sure you use high-end hair care products like shampoos and conditioners that provide enough moisture to your dry and dead ends. Professional range of hair care products not only help restore the quality of your hair, but also helps to maintain its texture and shine.
• Eat healthy: What goes inside, shows on the outside. Hence eating healthy is key to beautiful skin and hair. Ensure that you eat balanced diet rich in all the essential minerals and vitamins.  

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Looking for an organic hair salon in Albany?  Give Purity Hair Design a call today.

We all envy those models in hair product advertisements with the perfect, luscious locks of thick hair. Most of it is Photoshop but a woman (or man) can dream, right? If you want naturally healthy hair, there are some simple things you need to take care of.

Can I Make My Hair Thicker?
Hate to rain on your parade but if you have naturally thin hair you’re probably not going to get the thick hair you’re looking for. Hold up – that’s not the problem.

If you have thin or thick hair, that’s because it’s in your genes. But neither of those categories can qualify your hair as automatically healthy. Whether it’s thick or thin, you need to take care of your hair to keep them healthy.

Cut Back On the Washing
Unfortunately, your favorite brand of shampoo or conditioner can be your hair’s worst enemy. If you really want to keep your hair from damaging, don’t wash your hair every day. In fact, once or twice a week is fine as long as you can use a dry shampoo to make the oily, slick look go away.

When you do wash your hair, make sure you wash it in a medium heat to cold water. Also, drying your hair with a towel is never a good option. Let your hair dry naturally or if you’re too much of a water phobic, then simply pat a clean cotton cloth on your hair.

Regularly Trim Those Split Ends
Allowing you hair to grow naturally and unattended can result in the formation of split ends. These split ends not only make your hair look thinner and ashier from the ends, but they also restrict further growth of normal hair.

Rule of thumb: trim your hair (or get them trimmed from a hair salon) once a month.

Steer Clear of the Heat
While occasionally using a hair dryer or a straightener won’t damage your hair, using these products too much can definitely bleach out the color and even burn your hair. So cut back on the heat if you really want to protect your hair.

Use Essential Oils Frequently
Oils like Coconut and Olive Oil are great for the hair. I’d recommend a good massage to get the blood flowing in your scalp along with the oil treatment. Keep your hair oiled overnight for the best results.

Pampering your hair takes time and patience but in the long run, it’s all worth it. Forget dry, dull hair and start grooming it now to get that flawless supermodel look.  Got questions or want to come by for a visit?  Come see Purity Hair Design, we are your number one Aveda salon in Albany!