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Hair Styling 101 for the Modern Entrepreness

October 8, 2009 by Arpen T. | Comments (0)

We interviewed Chris Funk, style director at blo blow dry bar in Vancouver.

For a woman who only has 10 minutes to devote to her hair, what hair styling tips do you recommend?
A perfect pony! This style is ultra-modern, sleek, pretty and easy to do at home. To make this style seamless, make sure you wrap a strand of hair around the base of the pony. The real kicker: you only need a hair elastic and bobby pin to master this style!

Check out blo’s how-to videos online to learn how you can create the perfect pony at home.

What is a Blo On The Go?
Blo offers more than just in-house styling, our creative team goes wherever flawless hair is desired or required. Blo is the top of mind creative team in Vancouver. Some recent BOTG’s include both westcoast H&M openings, Aritzia’s corporate fashion show and Vancouver Fashion Week! Other BOTG ideas include spoiling your female staff for a job well done or giving you team the edge before a big presentation – yes, we will blo at your work! More info is available at blomedry.com.

What are your top 3 must-have products for women?
Definitely a spray to hold your style – I recommend AeroGel (unlike most sprays, this is a gel-based spray that not only holds your style, it sets it for the day!) Also, make sure you have a smoothing creme like Silk (available at Blo) to tame frizz and a finishing product, like Blo’s signature Shine, which takes your style to the next level! The best part: all of these products come in mini sizes so you never have to be hair impaired.

Up-do’s- Classic vrs. Modern. How do you decide which one to do?
It definitely depends on the occasion, your outfit and your features! Blo’s Style Menu features a simple updo (think a classic French twist), but we can absolutely cater to your a la carte wishes. While classic updos will never fade, messy side buns are a super cool modern take on the classic chignon.

What is a blo-out? How long will it last? Can women drop by for a quickie on their lunch break?
Blo Out is Blo’s cute term for a wash and style – we do it in about 30 minutes for about 30 dollars. A perfect service for a busy professional on the run! Blo is open as early as 7am for the workaholic set – you may be surprised what you can do on your Blackberry while your hair gets coifed!

A blo out should last between 2-3 days. A great way to make your ‘do last longer is to use dry shampoo in the morning – it not only absorbs natural oils, it also fluffs your hair with volume. And, as we all know, perfect hair equals perfect confidence for those board-room meetings, client pitch sessions and power lunches.

The Fab Five: Our Favourite Vancouver Shopping Districts

October 8, 2009 by Arpen T. | Comments (0)

Erica Lam from The Style Spy put together this great list of shopping neighbourhoods to explore in Vancouver BC:

We love to shop here at The Style Spy, so here are a few of our favourite shopping districts when visiting the beautiful city of Vancouver.

South Granville
A high-end shopping district, South Granville has the perfect mix of fashion, home and lifestyle. One of our favourite shopping spots is locally-owned Misch, a darling boutique with fashion forward brands like Alexander Wang, Vena Cava and Loeffler Randall. If you’re headed to a big party, Blo Blow Dry Bar will get your coiffed and pretty in 30 minutes flat. And don’t forget a quick stop at Meinhardt’s for a bouquet of fresh flowers.

Gastown
One of the hippest districts in the city, you’ll find down the signature cobblestone walkways of Gastown independent fashion retailers like The Block, (212), One of a Few, Dream and Obakki. Mixed in are host of furniture stores, clubs and restaurants – we especially heart Chill Winston, especially sunny days on their massive patio.

Robson Street
The most famous shopping district in the city, Robson street is packed with well-known names like Club Monaco, Aritzia, Banana Republic, French Connection, Lululemon, Roots, Bebe, American Apparel, Guess and Aldo Shoes. Skip one street over to Alberni – aka Luxury Alley for Tiffany & Co., Betsey Johnson and Hermes. For a quick snack, we suggest you go down Burrard street (right off Robson) for the famed Japadog stand, a traditional hotdog with a Japanese twist.

West 4th
The vibe on West 4th is chill. It’s the only spot to get geared up for winter skiing and snowboarding at stores like Pacific Boarder and The Boardroom. For summer, it’s bikini ready at Blue Crush. And with Vancouver’s unpredictable rainy weather, rainboots at Gumdrops are a must. You’ll also find a wonderful mix of home stores and children’s fashion mixed in with salons and spas.

South Main (SoMa) Street
An emerging local fashion district, Main Street is home to independently-owned stores like Eugene Choo, Twigg & Hottie and Smoking Lily. Our fave on the stretch is Front & Co., famed for their amazing window displays, Front has a great mix of new, sample and consigned one-of-a-kind clothing for both men and women, along with a charming selection of gifts – accessories, homeware and quirky objects. A big famished – we’d skip on over to Crave restaurant for their buttermilk fried chicken cobb salad.

Noir Lash Lounge – Meet the Owner

October 8, 2009 by Arpen T. | Comments (0)

As Vancouver’s premiere lash lounge, Noir Lash Lounge is a perfect example where classy meets chic. Located in the heart of Yaletown, Joyce Cajucom, founder and owner, reveals her very own tips and tricks about starting her own business.

How did you come up with the concept of Noir?
Noir Lash Lounge was born out of my own passion and vanity. I LOVE LOVE LOVED my lashes après the extensions and I LOVE LOVE LOVED how it changes the focus of the face. There was nowhere really to go that JUST did lashes – it always seemed to be added onto a list of many other services, almost like an after-thought, when really lashes needed to be front and centre!

What advice would you give women who would like to open their own businesses?
Just do it. Don’t be afraid to take baby steps. Something that starts small can really grow into something greater. And ask other women for help and advice – there are many great and inspirational women out there!

The hottest talk in town is about Twitter/Facebook etc. Have you found Social Media useful for your Business?
Absolutely! I am a member of the Facebook Generation – even before the launch of Noir I was on Facebook 24/7 and now I’m totally addicted to Twitter. I just incorporated Noir into what was already part of my daily routine and it worked out well!

What do you love most about being an Entrepreneur?
The control of seeing your vision come to life. I am a perfectionist and mildly obsessive-compulsive and finally I found something where these traits are OK!

What’s your favorite business book read and why?
Unfortunately being of the internet generation, I didn’t actually read books on business, but did all my research online – business and marketing magazines, reading up on social media and honestly, winging most of it.

Many women in Business find it difficult to balance home and work life. How do you manage to do this?
I have really good time management skills and I learned to delegate early on, although to be honest, home life more often than not falls to the bottom of the to-do list.