It's been a while but I am happy to report I've been keeping very busy for the past year and a half. I had stepped into a salon management role while working behind the chair, served a retirement home as their resident stylist, and was still working part-time in distribution. While managing a salon was a dream I always had for myself, after reevaluating my professional and personal needs, I decided to accept a full-time position back in distribution with one of the most reputable and well-known names in the industry while continuing to work part-time behind the chair as a stylist. I could not be be happier, I am fully immersed in the industry, receiving amazing education on the beauty industry's latest trends throughout the week and then having the opportunity to put it into practice over the weekend behind the chair.
Due to this decision, as you can imagine, the way I've decided to structure my business has changed, scheduling included. I am available Friday mornings and evenings and Saturdays (both days on rotation). If you are an existing client looking to get in and don't see something available please do not hesitate to reach out so I can find a way to accommodate you although I am booking out weeks in advance. Unless you are a referral I will not be able to accommodate new clients but will be happy to refer you to another talented stylist. Thank you for your continued support. I have grown very quickly in Metro Detroit and it is all thanks to you!
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Hi all, I am here to share some news. I am currently accepting new clients in Michigan! Also, my Instagram page was hacked last summer so I am planning to create a new one showcasing my work. My online booking should also be up and running soon in case you would like to set something up. I appreciate your patience in advance and I'm looking forward to meeting you.
Hello, readers! I just wanted to put a statement out since here we are one year into COVID and some of you may have found yourself on my page wondering whether or not I'm currently operating at a salon. The answer is that while I am still working in the industry I am not working behind the chair. Until conditions improve and more Americans have been fully vaccinated I have decided to stay closed to the general public. I am operating on a house-call only basis. Please check back at a later date for an update regarding a potential location.
For more details please keep reading: Last year I found myself recently relocated to a new city during the beginning of a pandemic. Once salons finally re-opened I took a job behind the chair only to find weeks later that the location planned to close suddenly due to low profitability. Despite searching for another salon I was unable to negotiate something suitable so I took an opportunity working for LOreal managing one of their retail distribution stores. I still get to be an integral a part of the beauty community and learn a different side of it all while using the latest and greatest products the experts come out with! I feel confident that once we have obtained herd immunity I will be working at a salon on a part-time basis. This pandemic hit hairstylists, estheticians, nail-technicians, barbers, and massage-technicians HARD (especially my associates out in California - who had to close 3 TIMES!!) and changed a lot for many of us in ways we could have never imagined. I appreciate your interest and your patience and encourage everyone to be kind to one another. Due to COVID19 everyone in my industry has found themselves without work as salons have been ordered to stay closed until further notice. During this uncertain time I ask for your patience while I navigate finding a new salon to call home in a different city. I hope everyone stays healthy and safe! Please stay tuned.
After a year and half of living in Jackson, Wyoming, one of the most gorgeous places in the country, my partner and I have decided to move back to The Midwest in order to be closer to their family. When the salon I was working at changed ownership very suddenly in the beginning of the year, my position was absolved, leaving me without a place to work besides an on-site basis. After much consideration (and with my cosmetology license being up for renewal in April) we decided that it would be the best choice. As of 3/14/20 my books are officially closed to Jackson. This was the first time I ever lived outside of my home-state of California and felt so welcomed by the community. I'm incredibly grateful to have had the opportunity to work and live in this little resort town as the area has allowed me easy access to all the wonderful outdoor activities it has to offer. It's been an honor working on locals, seasonal employees, J1s etc. and getting to know each and every one of my clients. You've all helped me grow as a professional and as a person. Thank you so much for showing this city girl how to live remotely. Until next time, Jackson. If you need your color formula please do not hesitate to reach out.
I was lucky enough to be interviewed by SD Voyager Magazine earlier this fall:
SD Voyager Magazine: Meet Christa Cascolan! Exciting news, everyone!! After three long years working at Salon Styletto in La Mesa I will be taking 20 days off work to travel (3/15-4/3) and beginning work at Dragonfly in Normal Heights on Adams Ave. when I return. Please message me via email or Facebook business page while I'm away as I will not have cell phone service. I am sad to be leaving my hair family, I feel privileged to have worked with two talented professionals the past few years but I am also excited to try something new!
I am frequently mistaken for a much younger age, which is then followed by the next two questions: "How old are you?" and "What's your secret?" While it helps that I'm Mestiza and burn just a minimal amount in the sun, (my grandfather reigned from The Philippines), I also take certain steps that allow my skin (the body's largest organ) to keep looking good :
1. SUNSCREEN. Like a religion. Every. Single. Day. Before I leave the house. SPF 30-50. Applied to face and neck. I should really be applying SPF to the tops of my hands as well. 2. WATER. New studies show your body is comprised of 50-75% water depending on your age and gender. I drink plenty of water every day and try to avoid both caffeinated drinks and alcohol, which dehydrate you and your skin. The more water I drink, the better I feel and the more my skin glows. 3. TOBACCO-FREE. I used tobacco for almost ten years and finally decided to give it up in 2012. There are many disadvantages to smoking but the main reason I quit was because I could tell it was beginning to take a toll on my skin. Since ditching the 'cigs I've seen a vast improvement. If you're a smoker and you aren't ready to quit thats fine. You'll quit when you're ready, but until then your skin, body, and wallet will suffer. 4. PRIORITIZE BEAUTY SLEEP. I realize this is a hard one for parents. Sorry, I'm not a parent so you're on your own on that one if you are! Listen to your body, but that whole saying about "Beauty Rest" I've found to be completely true. I always make sleep a huge priority but on those few and far between nights when I get less sleep, it always shows on my skin...especially under my eyes. When I've had adequate rest, my skin glows. I recommend 6-8 hours a night. 5. YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT. Consuming fruits and vegetables, that contain Vitamin C and grains, nuts, seeds etc that contain Vitamin E help defend your body (and skin) from free-radicals. If you've gone to the store and it looks like your fruits or veggies are going to turn cut them up and throw them in a freezer bag and then defrost them yourself later. It's far less expensive than buying them from the store pre-frozen. Avoid processed and GMO foods. Fresh, organic is best, I've noticed when my diet is good, it shows on my skin. 6. DON'T FORGET TO BRING A HAT AND SUNGLASSES. Like a true California girl, I'm an outdoors enthusiast. I love the beach, mountains, and desert. So you'll likely find me spending my days off hiking, running, cycling, snowboarding, camping, swimming, exploring etc. and like most of you, I like to hang out at the pool when it's warm out. The second thing I always pack besides SUNSCREEN is a hat and sunglasses. 7. A GOOD SKIN-CARE REGIMEN. Since skin-types vary (dry, oily, combination), a visit to your esthetician or dermatologist is the most informative. They are trained professionals that can properly identify your skin-type and prescribe a regimen that's best for you. There is a link available for a great esthetician on the LINKS portion of this site. Personal favorites are: Dermalogica, Murad, and Bioelements. Along with using sunscreen religiously, I wash, tone, exfoliate (three times/week), hydrate with a non-SPF-before-bed moisturizer, use a mask (once a week), an eye cream (daily) and also a glycolic peel (once a week). I hope these tips are helpful, thank you for reading and feel free to share! Healthy hair begins at the scalp so as you could probably guess a quality shampoo and conditioner is going to be your best bet when it comes to healthy hair and protecting your color investment. Pravana's Nevo line is packaged using biodegradable bottles, is 100% vegan, sulfate-free, paraben free, phthalate-free, gluten-free, DEA/TEA free. 5% of proceeds are donated City of Hope (cancer-research). Moisture Rich Shampoo and Conditioner are infused with elements from the depths of the Amazon, engorges dry hair with moisture from oil extracted from some of the most nourishing nuts in the world. Reparative Shampoo and Conditioner are saturated with exotic oils and ultra-hydrating properties, that quiets frizz, creating a smoothing effect that is both instantaneous and cumulative. 60 Deep Treatment is a rich, creamy weekly or daily treatment formulated with natural polymers to drive strength from quinoa and soy proteins and moisture from the Drops of the Amazon deep to the interior of the hair strand, rejuvenating hair from the inside out in 60 seconds. Verb Styling Cream smoothes and refines hair, tames frizz and provides subtle hold. The lightweight formula protects from heat, leaving hair with a soft, satin finish. Verb Volume Spray amplifies fine hair for a full, flexible finish. The weightless formula boosts any style, leaving the hair with an all-day soft and touchable hold. Verb Curl Cream provides memory and light hold to all types of textured hair, keeping curls shapely and buoyant. The lightweight formula activates curls and controls frizz for all-day, touchably soft hair. Verb Ghost Oil™ is a vanishing daily restorative that revitalizes hair from roots to ends. This integrated moringa oil blend enriches the hair shaft with essential nutrients that naturally smooth frizz and promote radiant shine for all hair types. It's the early evening, it's been a long day, and you're tired. Now you need to go to the grocery store to get something to prepare for dinner and think to yourself, "I'm out of shampoo". Guess you should head to the beauty isle and pick up a bottle of whatever they told you to buy on TV...think again!
This situation could have been avoided if you had bought that bottle of shampoo your stylist recommended at your last appointment but it was a few dollars more than what you're now reaching for on the shelf...how come? Well, when you purchase store-brand product whether that be shampoo, conditioner, styling paste, mousse, whatever... you're buying a diluted product full of fillers (cheap, unnecessary & harmful ingredients) which means you can look forward to: 1)Your hair looking/feeling nice for a couple weeks before it inevitably begins to dull from buildup and/or dry out and 2)Taking another trip to the store to replace that bottle very soon. 3) Being exposed to chemicals that cause cancer and other conditions. When you purchase professional hair-care products from a licensed cosmetologist you are paying for concentrated, quality ingredients that are guaranteed to work when used properly and suitable for your specific hair-type...finding it unnecessary to use as much of the pro product vs whatever you got from the store, which means voila! Cost-effectiveness. Your stylist is happy to educate you and match you with the correct product for your hair-type, style and daily routine. Many of us have extensive training and experience behind the chair...the shelving at the store won't be so helpful. So in the grand scheme of things would you rather spend a little more up-front on a bottle of professional product that will last you several months? Or would you like to pay less for a bottle of fillers you'll have to replace in 4 weeks? This leads me to my second topic regarding diversion: So now you're standing there at the store, thinking, "I don't wanna go home with that not so great product, I want the good stuff." You begin checking out the selection before you notice they carry what your stylist recommended. Not so fast! I'd like to preface, this scenario also applies to online product purchase. There's a very good chance its expired and counterfeit. Did the store get it from an authorized distributor? Does that company still make the line of product? Do they even package it in the same style? For how many weeks, months, or years do you think all those bottles were sitting in a hot warehouse somewhere before they graced the shelf? Here is an article I found to be very informative regarding the issue of diversion. Your stylist picks up fresh products first-hand from authorized distributors guaranteeing authenticity and quality. When it comes to the debate of store-bought products vs. salon-bought products the answer is clear, buy in-salon from your hairstylist. There's a reason the bottle reads: "Only guaranteed to work when purchased from a professional". Happy shopping. Beauty Tip #1: SUNSCREEN is like a religion to me, I wear it every day under my makeup as a moisturizer. Keeps skin looking young and feeling great. Aveeno can be found in the store, is natural and environmentally conscious. If you are wanting something more high-end I'd recommend Dermalogica. For Swimmers: Before you get in the pool wet down your hair and apply a thin layer of the Fade Proof Fluide. It will protect your hair from the chlorine. I also recommend a good clarifying shampoo for swimmers followed by a rich moisture mask: |