haircut

The 5 Best Stay-At-Home Haircare Essentials

Chrissa Hardy — Mon, 18 May 2020 20:07:42 +0000

The worst part of being stuck at home is the inability to get your regular haircuts and colors. And even though that's a major inconvenience, it's not worth breaking quarantine early. Besides, there are hundreds of products on the market that can help you maintain hair health until the salons reopen.

Whether you're looking for a dry shampoo to extend your style, or a root cover-up to hide those grays, you can find all the products to meet your haircare needs and have them delivered right to your door. (See also: The 5 Best Home Hair Dyes)

Top 5 Stay-At-Home Haircare Essentials

Crave Naturals Glide Thru Detangler Hair Brush

The Crave Naturals Glide Thru Detangling Brush is a best-seller on Amazon and is ideal for any hair type, including adult’s hair, kids’ hair, fine hair, and even extensions. It easily detangles hair, adds shine, minimizes split ends, and improves hair health. The brush has firm, painless bristles that massage the scalp, smooth the follicle layer, and increase circulation, which may help increase hair growth. The unique cone-shaped plastic bristles work to separate the hair sideways instead of down, gently gliding through even the toughest knots and tangles.

The brush is available in a wide range of colors and is backed by over 7,000 four-star reviews on Amazon.

Currently $11.88 at Amazon.com

amika Perk Up Dry Shampoo

amika Perk Up dry shampoo was voted one of the best dry shampoos by several publications because it can help improve hair health with each use. The ultra-lightweight, talc-free mist is formulated to clean and refresh hair, absorb excess oil and dirt, add volume, refresh the roots, and shape without buildup. The nutrient-rich, vegan, dry shampoo contains sea buckthorn berry extract, which is high in antioxidants, vitamins, and healthy fatty acids. This helps repair split ends, impart shine, and strengthen and nourish hair.

This dry shampoo is perfect for when you want to extend your style an additional day without washing. It's ideal for all hair types, including color treated hair, and does not leave any powdery white residue behind. It also has over 1,000 five-star reviews on Amazon.

Currently $25.00 at Amazon.com

L'Oreal Paris Magic Root Cover Up Gray Concealer

The L'Oreal Paris Magic Root Cover Up Gray Concealer will be your new best friend while stuck at home. If you're sporting a new crop of grays that you wish to hide temporarily, this is the product for you. The gray concealer spray comes in a variety of colors to match your current color. It's fast-drying, water-resistant, ammonia and peroxide-free, and leaves no residue. It's also good for all hair types.

And it has over 7,000 four-star reviews on Amazon.

Currently $8.19 at Amazon.com

Garnier Fructis Sleek & Shine Leave-In Conditioner

The Garnier Fructis Sleek & Shine Leave-In Conditioning Cream is ideal for frizzy, dry, and unmanageable hair. The frizz-fighting formula will leave your hair smooth, shiny, manageable, and renewed without weighing it down or leaving it feeling greasy. In fact, it promises to provide you with smoother hair that will stay sleek for three days, even in 97% humidity. This cream has a powerful combination of vitamins, and argan oil from Morocco that soaks deep into the hair to smooth each strand. It's also paraben and silicone-free.

It is backed by over 3,000 five-star reviews on Amazon.

Currently $2.99 at Amazon.com

Equinox International Professional Barber Hair Cutting Shears

The Equinox International Professional Hair Cutting Shears are your best bet if you're itching to trim your hair at home. These shears are made from Japanese stainless steel and tempered with precise blades and hand-sharpened cutting edges with an easy grip handle design to evenly trim hair. At just 4.8 ounces and 6.5 inches long, they are lightweight enough for anyone to use.

They're backed by outstanding online reviews, including over 5,500 five-star reviews on Amazon.

Currently $23.97 at Amazon.com

And those are our recommendations for the best stay-at-home kitchen essentials. As always, be sure to check Wise Bread's Buying Calendar to learn when and how to buy just about anything!

This article is from Chrissa Hardy of Wise Bread, an award-winning personal finance and credit card comparison website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread:

Bookmark This: How Much to Tip in Almost Every Situation

Paul Michael — Fri, 21 Jul 2017 09:00:12 +0000

In some countries, tipping is not required or expected (in most situations) — China, Korea, Switzerland, Australia, Belgium, and Brazil are just a few examples. And if you tip in Japan, you may actually be insulting the person you give money to. (It's like saying "Here, use this to get some training, the service wasn't very good.") (See also: 7 Countries Where You Don't Have to Tip at Restaurants)

However, the U.S. is a tipping nation, and you are expected to leave some kind of a tip in dozens of service scenarios. So, here's a handy guide to follow.

1. Hotels

You'll be expected to provide tips to several different employees in your hotel. The bellhops should get at least $1 per bag, as should anyone else who takes your luggage. The housekeeper should not be left a handful of loose change, but instead, figure on around $3 to $5 per night, depending on the location. You can choose to leave the tip daily, or at the end of your stay. If you rent a car on your trip, it's customary to tip a few bucks to anyone who helps put the bags in your car. You don't have to give doormen money every single time they open the door, but if they hail a cab, or help you in some other way, it's appropriate to provide a buck or two.

"I don't expect a dollar every time I open a door," says Steve S., a doorman at a large Denver hotel. "But if I go out of my way to get you a cab in the pouring rain, then carry your luggage to the trunk, I think a few bucks is worth the effort."

You can tip the room service attendant $1 to $2 when they bring you your food, but they don't expect it every time. The concierge, however, should also receive a generous tip — anywhere from $3 to $10 — if they go above and beyond. For instance, if they arrange show tickets, reserve tables at restaurants, or make special arrangements for your room.

"One time, I was asked to sprinkle rose petals all over the king suite, and have a bottle of Champagne on ice with two flutes on a silver tray," says Abigail L., who works in downtown Chicago. "It was a Valentine's Day marriage proposal. I got a $50 tip, I was blown away! And… she said yes."

2. Restaurants

Sometimes a waiter will strike gold and get a $100 tip on a $20 check. But all too often servers will get barely 5 percent of the total bill as a tip. On occasion, the tip is a big fat zero, made as a statement against the tipping policy in general. That's just wrong.

Waiters usually make way below minimum wage, with the average hourly wage coming in at just over $5. That means some people are earning just over $2 per hour before your tip. So please, tip your server at least 15 to 20 percent of the bill. And to avoid some ruthless restaurant owners pocketing the tip from a credit card slip, tip the waiter in cash.

Oh, and when it comes to buffets, or restaurants that have minimal waiter assistance, leave at least 10 percent as a tip, as they still have to clean up after you. (See also: 10 Ways to Be the Perfect Customer)

3. Bars, pubs, and clubs

Let's start with your bartender. It's customary to tip $1 per round, and this can be done with every round, or totaled up and added onto the bill at the end. Or you can calculate the tip as a percentage of the check. Twenty percent is the going rate, but if your bartender rocked it, give him or her more. If they were rude, give less. However, if you want to be the recipient of the "healthy pour," tip generously early on in cash.

"If I get a $10 or $20 at the start of the evening for one drink, I treat that customer well for the rest of the night," says Nick C., a bartender in Santa Monica. "I'll make sure that guy or girl gets service as soon as they approach the bar, and yeah, they'll get the heavy pour now and then."

4. Taxis (including Uber and Lyft) and valet parking

As a general rule, you should be putting down a minimum of 10 percent of the total fare as a tip, after the gratuity that has already been included automatically. If the driver goes out of his or her way to get you there faster — legally, of course — then tip more. When it comes to Uber and Lyft, find a way to tip. Lyft offers the option to tip as part of the transaction on your app.

If you're paying by card and there is no line for a tip, do it in cash. If you have no cash, you can actually use PayPal to send money, and it's free if you do it from a bank account. For valet parking service, $2 to $5 is customary once your car is returned.

5. Take out or food delivery

If you ever pick up food from a restaurant, you'll see a space for a tip on your receipt. Most people draw a line through it, because they don't believe anyone did any work for them. Well, that's not true. The people manning the front of house, taking orders, washing dishes, cooking, they all get pretty mediocre wages. So put a 10 percent tip on there. When it comes to food delivery, do the same, but tip your driver a few extra dollars in cash. If it's pizza delivery, $2 to $3 minimum is the rule of thumb, adding an additional $1 for every pizza over three.

However, if the pizza is late, find out why. It may be nothing to do with the driver, and he or she should not be penalized for it.

6. Beauty services

Whether it's a hairstylist, spa treatment, manicure, pedicure, or anything else in that industry, the expected tip is between 15 to 20 percent. However, it seems to fluctuate greatly depending on the service received, the interaction between the customer and the service provider, and the end result.

"I've had people tip me $50 for a $25 shampoo and style," says Sheena B., a stylist at Great Clips. "But I have a friend who works in a high-end salon, and often gets $10 tips on a $100 style. You just never know!"

7. Moving, landscaping, contractors, cleaners, and manual labor

When it comes to moving, judge the situation by the complexity and load. The average is $10 per mover for half a day, and $20 for a whole day. But if you have a ton of heavy, awkward furniture, and the movers have to remove doors and windows to get things in and out, then go beyond the usual rate. And make sure you hand out tips to each mover, not just the foreman. As moving.com points out, it's a bad idea to give the movers beer for their hard day's work. It raises way too many liability issues.

For landscaping, cleaning, contracting, plumbing, electrical work, painting, and other services in this bucket, it all depends on the cost of the service, the amount of work put into it, and how the job was completed. Many plumbers and electricians don't expect any kind of tip, as their hourly rate is quite high. But for people working in your garden, or fixing doors and light bulbs, you can tip a percentage — usually between 10 to 15 percent of the total cost of service.

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This article is from Paul Michael of Wise Bread, an award-winning personal finance and credit card comparison website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread:

Sitting Pretty: How to Get Salon Services for Free

Mikey Rox — Wed, 15 Aug 2012 10:36:43 +0000

I’m probably alone on this, but I think I should get my first haircut from a new-to-me stylist for free.

Every time I move someplace different, I have to find someone competent enough to cut my hair. The problem is, there’s a lot of trial and error (mostly error) involved in that process.

I’ve had so-called hair care “professionals” spray water in my ears, use the wrong clippers, take my sideburns too high, and square off my forehead. Once a lady cut my ear open with a pair of scissors. Totally not making this up — and if I leave the place bloody, I shouldn't be expected to pay.

If you feel the same way I do and are looking for free salon services, consider these methods to score no-cost haircuts, massages, manis, pedis, and more. (See also: Dye Your Own Hair Without a Beauty Disaster)

Ask Friends

This is an easy avenue for guys who keep a close cut because they can hand their friend a pair of clippers and just let the friend have at it. Anybody who wants a style, however, will need someone who’s knows what they’re doing. Perhaps you have a friend who has graduated from hair school. If that’s the case, ask them for a quick cut. But only ask if they're a good friend, and don’t ask often. Your friend may be eager and willing to help you out, but you don't want to take advantage of their kind gesture.

Barter

I make melt-in-your-mouth cookies and pastries, and I have a friend who owns a spa. Coincidentally, he has a sweet tooth, and I enjoy a relaxing massage every now and then. Once or twice a year we swap services — I deliver him a basket of delectable treats, and he gives me a brief massage in return. This barter system works for us, and it could work for you too if you have a service or skill to offer that someone you know in the beauty industry can use.

Be a Model

Depending on where you live, you may be able to get a free haircut or style by offering to be a model (i.e. guinea pig) for a local salon. Salons sometimes need willing participants to teach employees new techniques for cuts, color, perms, etc. These sessions are supervised by a professional, so you can rest a little easier, but it’s important that you’re aware that there’s potential for this experiment to go awry. To find these opportunities, ask your stylist if the establishment you frequent ever needs models and volunteer, or check your local classified ads.

Browse the Web

Craigslist is the best resource for getting free salon services that run the gamut. Students in training are often looking for willing participants to practice their hair-cutting, massage, nail care, and other skills. Just like being a model, you need to understand that these are students who are trying to hone their craft — they’re nowhere near perfect — so you’ll need to roll with the punches.

Visit the Mall’s Makeup Counter

Whenever my girlfriends have a big event they want a makeover for, they head straight to the mall’s cosmetic counter where eager attendants are happy to paint any face that walks in — for free. These folks will absolutely try to sell you product after the makeover is complete — and it’s not a bad idea to buy something small to show your appreciate for their time — but try not to get suckered in if you don’t know how to say no and mean it.

Go to a Beauty School

Beauty schools are always looking for models, so it’s worth a call to your local school to ask if there are any upcoming spaces available.

Sign Up for a Rewards Card

You’ll have to purchase a certain number of services initially, but many places offer a free service after you’ve reached a goal. For instance, get five manicures, get the sixth free. If you’re always in the joint, the rewards card is absolutely worth it. Besides, you should be rewarded for your loyalty, and everyone likes to be pampered every now and again.

Do you have other ways to get salon services for free? Let me know in the comments below.

This article is from Mikey Rox of Wise Bread, an award-winning personal finance and credit card comparison website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread:

11 Things That Are Worth the Money

POPSUGAR Smart Living — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 11:24:17 +0000

Tough times have made us all a bit more cautious about whipping out our wallets on a whim. When it comes to spending with discretion, it's important to have priorities about things you think are worth the money, and those items or services that are not. Here are 11 things that I think are worth it.

RELATED: 11 Things Not Worth the Money

1. Insurance

We need insurance to protect us from paying even more money should the unexpected occur. At the very least, car, homeowners (along with certain incidentals like fire and earthquake), and health insurance are well worth their premiums. However, keep in mind that not all insurance policies are worth the money. Check out these seven insurance policies you can live without.

2. Culture

Excursions like visiting museums and monuments serve as entertainment and they give you a dose of culture. It's easy to get trapped in your own little world, but observing other people's accomplishments can open your eyes.

3. Going to the Doctor

Your co-pay is nothing compared to the cost of health surprises. Keep your doctor's appointments to avoid future problems and live the healthiest life possible.

You can always opt for a Flexible Spending Account where you can use pre-tax dollars to pay for your co-pay for even more savings. Remember, to use up your FSA dollars before the end of the year with these ideas!

4. Education

Consider education an investment in yourself and your career. Taking classes that can improve your sense of industry or make you think differently about the path you've chosen are worth your time and money.

Even if you're done with your student days, you can always keep on learning. Take a look at our seven suggestions for community college courses.

5. A Good Haircut

You don't have to visit the most posh salon in town to get a good haircut, but spending money on a good cut will polish your appearance and you'll save yourself from having to pay even more to get a botched cut fixed.

6. Your Well-Being

You don't necessarily need a gym membership to work out, but if it's the only thing that will get you moving, by all means join a local club. Exercise reduces stress and makes you sharper. And when you're grocery shopping, get your hands on healthy food that will keep your body working the best it can.

Here are eight more ways to improve your well-being.

7. Home Maintenance/Repair

Ignoring a problem only makes it worse down the road. When something in your home needs fixing/cleaning/maintenance, do your best to take care of it as soon as possible.

8. A Sharp Interview Outfit

As I always say, your ability to earn an income is your biggest asset. You need a quality interview outfit to make the best impression and make you feel more confident — two big factors in having a successful interview.

9. Well-Made Shoes

Saving up for a quality pair of classic, well made shoes is a smart move in my book. They'll last for years, especially if you take care of them and get them resoled when needed. Get a pair that goes with everything, and you won't need to shoe shop for quite some time.

10. Travel

Living to work is no way to live at all, so get out and see the places that interest you. There's no price you can put on memories and special experiences, but don't go into debt for the sake of worldly education. Spend and save wisely, and you'll have the means to make your dream trips happen.

Remember, there are lots of ways to save when planning for your dream trip or you can also take mini trips that are close to home.

11. Visiting Family and Friends

Buying plane tickets or filling the gas tank to visit family and friends who live far away is a necessary part of life. Those people are a part of you, and maintaining those relationships is something you can't afford to not do.

Even when you're cutting back, making room in your budget for these 11 things will help ensure a happy, healthy life.

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This article is from POPSUGAR Smart Living of Wise Bread, an award-winning personal finance and credit card comparison website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread:

3 Cheap Ways to Win Over the Ladies (by Looking Better)

Troy Hadley — Fri, 30 Mar 2007 17:48:51 +0000

I used to be a slovenly brute. OK, not so much slovenly as... average. My morning routine including a shave, shower, and deodorant. I figured that was all a guy had to do to look good. My chiseled features and bulging muscles didn't hurt, either.

By the way, just scroll down to the bottom if you don't want to read my justification for man-grooming. I do feel the need to explain, but if you are just looking for tips, they're at the bottom.

Any guy who has ever spent more than 30 minutes near a woman knows that most gals spend a good part of their morning getting ready. Not all women are like this, obviously, but I'd say that the majority are. There's a vast discrepancy between the genders when it comes to grooming rituals. That's probably a good topic for another blog post. My point is that women go to a lot of effort to look nice, even if it is artificially nice, whereas men, to quote Dave Barry, pretty much feel that they are always "about 2 push-ups from sleeping with Cindy Crawford." Such was my situation.

So, I always thought I looked nice enough until I got into a relationship with a gal named Lisa. Lisa was really well put-together. She explained to me that she didn't have time to mess with most of the beauty stuff on her own, so she outsourced it all. Every week, she'd treat herself to the whole barrage of beauty treatments while she listened to books on tape - nails, hair, massage, waxing. It seemed excessive to me, but whatever. Women, you know?

Anyway, after we'd been dating for a few weeks, we had a conversation that could only be described as "honest". I can't remember exactly how it started, but I remember that it culminated with Lisa saying, "I almost didn't go out with you because of your nails." For some reason, my first thought had to do with hardware. My nails? The rusty jar of nails in my garage?

Lisa was looking at my hands.

"Oh! My nails... what the hell is wrong with my nails?"

"It's your cuticles." Then she made a face that conveyed the general idea of "Ew."

"Lisa," I patiently explained, "I'm a man. Men don't get manicures."

"Troy," Lisa sort of sighed, "Lots of men DO get manicures. But you don't have to have a manicure to have decent looking cuticles. You just have to trim back those bad boys until I can actually see the nail underneath."

Fine, I figured. Thoughts of breaking out the Swiss Army knife once I got back home flashed through my mind. I could use the little scissors on that puppy, and I'd be golden.

Lisa must have sensed my plan, because she looked alarmed. Touching my arm lightly, she said, "You know, I'm going to give you a man-over."

"No way!" I think I bellowed this, but it might have come out more as a squeak.

"Look, Troy," said Lisa... and then she proceeded to explain something very explicit. I won't go into details, but let's just say that she let me know that my nasty cuticles and the hands that they were attached to would be getting nowhere near her naked skin at any point in the near future.

That pretty much sealed it.

Lisa told me that the three main things that I needed to take care of were my nails/cuticles, eyebrows, and neck. She said that since I didn't have ear or nose hair hanging out all over the place, I could cross those off of my list. It's obvious that I didn't see any problem with my nails, or my eyebrows or my neck. But Lisa had explained in no uncertain terms what these things meant to her, so I obliged.

It turns out that these things matter to a LOT of women. And because men NEED women, not just as lovers and girlfriends and wives, but as friends and coworkers and bosses, we do have to take their concerns into consideration, even if it strikes us as unnecessary and kind of wussy. I say this to point out that I don't expect guys to go all metrosexual and start getting facials, but there are certain things that we often let slide that women think are downright disgusting. The top three things are actually really easy, and cheap, to fix.

Nails - $5 Every Month or So

I've noticed lots and lots of men with nasty, overgrown, or infected cuticles since I started taking care of mine, and frankly, I can sort of see why women wouldn't want to be touched by those kinds of cuticles. Not only are they rough and gross, they can make handshakes feel odd and reflect badly on you overall.

I don't mean that women see cuticles as the window to your soul, but apparently they think things like "Well, jeez, if he can't keep those nice, what about the OTHER PARTS OF HIS BODY?". Only they probably think very specific words instead of dumb phrases like "OTHER PARTS OF HIS BODY."

If you already keep your nails short, that's good. If you bite them, dude, learn to stop. Not only do you look like a doofus chewing on the ends of your fingers, but the result is pretty hard to look at.

Lots of people buy cuticle trimmers. Those are fine, unless you are clumsy and end up cutting yourself with them. Lisa introduced me to something even better. It's called cuticle cream, and the best stuff is made by Burt's Bees. It's only $5, and you basically slap it around your nails before you go to sleep. In the morning, you can scrape away the dead skin with ease. Use it on your toes, too, if you plan on wearing mandals or anything. Not that I would. I'm just sayin'.

Eyebrows - One Easy Installment of $14.95!

Eyebrows are tricky. I don't think any man should be trusted to wield a pair of tweezers near his eyes, but apparently some guys do this well. My advice: find a salon that specializes in men. There are lots of places opening up around the country that do this. They feature manly dark furniture, and they call a manicure something like "handshake maintenance". You know, so you don't feel like a pansy while you get your hands dipped in paraffin or whatever.

Get your brows waxed (hurts like a beyotch, do it in the afternoon and evening and don't go anywhere public until the next morning). Make sure that the person waxing your brows doesn't look like Pamela Anderson. Well, she can look like Pamela Anderson, but it's not a good thing if they have Pam's eyebrows. Apparently she doesn't have good eyebrows. I never noticed. This is just what the women tell me.

Anyway, the most important thing to do with eyebrows is to have two of them. Ban the unibrow. Also, the hairs that grow on your eyelids, the ones that hurt like hell to pull out? Those need to go. Men don't need to have arched eyebrows. Just make sure to get rid of the strays. Once you see how a pro does your brows (this should cost $15), you can do them yourself. Don't over-pluck! It's better to have too much hair than not enough. And eyebrows don't always grow back.

Neck - 0% Down! 0 Lifetime Payments!

This is something I certainly never noticed before, even though I'm sure I noticed a unibrow or two before Lisa got ahold of me. But apparently lots of women notice your neck - I'm not sure if this is some sort of sexual thing or not. And even if you don't need a haircut, apparently lots of men need to get their necks shaved every week or so, because they are hairy, hairy bastards. And having hairs crawling out from under your collar makes some women think of spiders. And we know how women feel about spiders. Am I right? Eh? Eh? Anyone? (silence... sound of crickets)

Anyway, I am among the hairy bastards, as Lisa kindly pointed out, so I learned to shave my neck.

You can do this at home. Just don't go crazy. You can use your beard trimmer or electric clippers, or if you are double-jointed, you can use a razor. I use clippers and a couple of well-positioned mirrors. You can also go to your barber and get it done for cheap - some guys will take pity on you and do it for free, just make sure to tip big next time you come in for a trim.

What We've Learned

Not every guy is going to feel like he needs to worry about this, and that's fine. I've just found that women tend to be relieved when we do the things that they traditionally had to take care of, like cooking and making sure that the family walks out of the house fully clothed and presentable to society. And I figure that since women are increasingly bringing home the bacon, the least I can do it make sure that I don't leave bits of bacon stuck in my teeth when I'm out on a date.

Mmmmm. Bacon.....

This article is from Troy Hadley of Wise Bread, an award-winning personal finance and credit card comparison website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread: