​"What I do, as a stylist, is defined by something I learned while studying at Paul Mitchell the School - that I'm a day-maker. Or, as a popular internet meme reads, 'Stylists touch more hearts than hair.'" Mendes continues, I find that it's not even the end result of the cut that makes the difference, it's when these people, who often feel forgotten or invisible, are touched by another human being and treated with dignity. I want my students to see each individual as an individual, worthy of respect. I want to give the people we volunteer for the opportunity to tell their stories, know that they are being heard, and that they are cared for. And it's important that my students see that, and it reminds me and my colleague to be grateful and humble. Someone once pointed out that we are all just 7 paychecks away from being homeless."

Mendes brought team member, Jessica Xhuti, of Watertown, CT, with her across the Governor Mario Cuomo Bridge into Rockland County to join her. "I really enjoy doing this. I like to meet new people and learning their back history, what they've been through," as Xhuti explains why she is willing to drive 2 hours each way for this event. "I like to give back because not everyone has the same opportunities as I do, and I don't want to take anything for granted. So, the 2-hour drive is nothing to me in comparison." Xhuti is a four-time veteran of providing cuts for the homeless.

Between the two stylists, Yaffa Beauty by Rica attended to and pampered over a dozen individuals Tuesday night. Continuting to give back, Yaffa Beauty by Rica will be shaving heads at O'Neill's Irish Pub's St. Baldrick's Fundraiser from 3-7:30 on Saturday, March 9, 2019. For more information, go to https://www.stbaldricks.org/participants/mypage/999737/2019.

How many times do you find yourself with 30, or even 15, minutes to get ready for a big event because life happens? As a professional stylist, we face this issue all the time. With practice, you can achieve a styled look in 15 minutes!

Step 1: Style Dry Hair Only: Don’t waste your time or arm strength on trying to blow out sopping wet hair. We work smarter and not harder by rough drying your hair to 70-90% dry before we even consider using a round brush. Use a highly absorbent towel and squeeze as much moisture out of your hair.

Step 2: Use a Primer Product that Cuts Time: Whether you shower right before you get ready, or wash your locks the day before, use one of these primers and cut your dry time by 30%. Paul Mitchell’s Super Skinny Serum is the epitome of a little goes a long way. A pea-size amount applied from the ends of your hair up to a couple of inches away from your scalp will smooth, condition and seal strands, leaving hair silky, shiny and frizz-free in any weather. Awapuhi Wild Ginger MirrorSmooth High Gloss Primer primes the surface cuticle of the hair for a smooth, shiny, polished look and controls unruly texture. KeraReflec blend with Abyssinian oil and thermal protectors restores moisture, adds shine and helps shield hair. Apply a small amount to clean, damp hair and style as desired. Using one of these products, even if you airdry your hair, will get it ready for the 15-Minute Finish! Then, add a styling foam, like Awapuhi Wild Ginger Hydrocream Whip Styling Cream. It hydrates and smooths thirsty hair while delivering a long-lasting, crunch-free hold with an elegant silky finish. The Awapuhi extract and light conditioners balance moisture all while creating healthy and gorgeous-looking volume. The product is paraben free and color safe. 

Step 3: THE Curling Iron:  Even if you have day-old hair, the use of the right hot tool can make it look like you just stepped out of the salon. My go-to is the 1-1/2" HOT TOOLS Professional Extra-Long Barrel Curling Iron.

​With the cold weather hitting us hard, our hair and skin suffer. Don’t give in to the damage and let us keep your locks bouncy, healthy and bright!

This simplest way to refresh your hair is to get a haircut. We offer haircuts for men, women and children of all ages. At Yaffa Beauty, we recommend that clients with longer hair, even when you want to grow your hair out, haircuts once a season. If you don’t cut off dry ends, they behave like runs in a stocking - once they start, they will continue to run up the hairshaft! A haircut with a wash house experience (shampoo & scalp massage) and blow out is $60. In a hurry? Try our $40 shampoo, cut and rough dry!
​

Swapping your wardrobe from warm summer to winter isnt reserved for your clothing! Consider coloring your hair for winter! Feeling dreary and missing sunshine? Perhaps some blonde highlights will keep your hairstyle from hibernating! Feeling the spirit of the season? Cranberries, reds and other rich tones can help you from feeling washed out.

Conditioning treatments are a must in this weather. We provide any number of treatments, including Paul Mitchell Tea Tree Special Scalp & Hair treatments that condition and exfoliate your scalp & hair, Paul Mitchell Keratriplex & Hydratriplex treatments, which strengthen and condition, or strengthen, condition and hydrate, as well as Paul Mitchell Tea Tree Lavender Mint Clay Mask treatments, which infuse the hair with moisture, and more! Each conditioning treatment includes a wash house experience and a blow out.

To that end, throughout the month of December, we are offering your choice of a FREE haircut or Paul Mitchell ColorCraft Conditioning treatment, which can enhance or temporarily change, your haircolor while making it silky and soft, with any regularly-priced hair color service $90 or more*!

We are also happy to let you stay snuggled up in bed with our Concierge Services. For a modest travel fee, we pack up our salon essentials for haircuts, styling and makeup services, and come to you! Call or email us for details.


*Cannot be combined with other offers.Valid only with appointments held in the month of December.

I strive to make sure that my clients get the best take home products to maintain their hair for the best price I can offer. Well, it's that time of the year again - Paul Mitchell is having a Liter Duo Sale. 

I will be keeping stock of duos in-salon for as long as I can, however, if you want to make sure to take advantage of this wonderful sale, please feel free to use my exclusive link to purchase directly from my supplier. This is not a third-party, but you will be receiving legitimate product from the same source I use.

Most of these products will also qualify for my refill program, so if you run out, call or text me, and I'll let you know how much more you'll save by refilling at the salon.

​Happy shopping and happy new year!

The likelihood of your hair looking like the folks above are slim to none, but the damage caused from the bitter cold winds is no joking matter! Even the healthiest of hair takes a beating during winter, and this past week, it's bitter.

Whether your hair is damaged from over-processing, naturally thirsty and dry or somewhere in between, Awapuhi Wild Ginger® offers a targeted professional treatment with dramatic, instant results. In 30-45 minutes, you will love how your hair looks and feels (and smells!).

82% softer, more manageable hair*
​*Compared to untreated hair. Product was tested by an established, independent third-party laboratory.

Paul Mitchell's HydraTriplex™ Treatment features triple action hair technology to hydrate, bind and seal the hair with moisturizing ingredients. Included are proven hair-restoring ingredients such as amino acids, vegetable proteins and nourishing oils to make dry, frizzy hair softer and more easily manageable. This advanced technology achieves hair that is luxurious, polished and silky-smooth. We can revive your hair with a single shot of HydraTriplex Treatment. It works on three levels to instantly nourish and soften parched strands, as well as improve hair manageability. The cream formula penetrates the hair to hydrate, bind and seal for a long-lasting, silky smooth feel.

If it's strength you need, we can transform broken, brittle strands into pillars of strength while protecting hair from future damage. This liquid formula of isolated proteins is virtually identical to the keratin found in human hair. A single ampoule of KeraTriplex® Treatment rebuilds fragile locks, helps prevent color fade and improves shine, while Keratin Intensive Treatment® restores their super-soft texture.

Call 203-842-8388 today to schedule your treatment against the cold and help your hair survive the cold!

Not only does this cost quite a bit less than a full single-process color or highlight service, but it will nourish your hair, give it more shine, and let you sneak in a few more weeks before you need to retouch! Think of it like getting a top coat for your manicure - it seals in the color, protects it, and keeps your hair healthy.

Exfoliate, exfoliate, exfoliate!

I don't care if you have skin like an oil slick or as dry as the Sahara on your face, you need to exfoliate in winter. Whether it's with something as basic as a daily cleaser with exfoliant, like Mary Kay's TimeWise 3-in-1 Cleanser, or going deeper 1-3 times a week with Mary Kay's Microdermabrasion, you need to slough off all that dead, dry skin, expose the fresh, supple skin, and treat it before it dies off too quickly!

The same goes for your hands! Don't forget to take care of your mitts before you put on the mitts. Satin Hands does the trick. This three-step process will pre-condition your hands, then exfoliate and cleanse, and finally moisturize and protect your hands from chapping, cracking and from feeling unpleasant.

Don't forget those lips!
Lips get chapped in the winter. This is no surprise. But, get ready to have your mind blown. You know that Chapstick you live on in winter? The one you slather on all the time? Ever wonder why you have to keep slapping that stuff on all the time, yet your lips still chap? Easy. You're coating dead skin with stuff that just coats your lips, it doesn't treat the dryness. Guess what you need to do? Exfoliate. (Sound familiar?) The BEST option for this is Mary Kay's Satin Lips set. The masque will deep condition and exfoliate the dead lip skin cells, and the balm will moisturize and protect the fresh, supple skin.

Moisturize & Strengthen

This is a great time of year to come in to get a conditioning treatment. The dry air your hair is subjected to due to the lack of humidity outside, the cold, and the dry air generated by heating systems blasting through interiors will suck the life out of your hair, leaving it brittle and weak. Consider coming in for a conditioning treatment! Depending on your hair's specific needs - from repairing breakage to adding moisture - there are several options available to you. In addition, you get a fabulous scalp massage and some quiet relaxation.

Cutting & Maintenance

Broken ends are like a run in a stocking. If you don't address them while they are small and just starting, they will shoot up and ruin everything. Even if you are growing out your hair, coming in for a trim is essential in dry, winter weather. It allows me to cut off those dead ends, make your hair look alive again, and you don't have to lose a lot of length! Remember, your hair grows about 1/2" per month, so even if I cut 1/4" of an inch, you're still ahead of the game!

Color Change

Sometimes, the colors we rocked during the summer just don't suit winter. Why? Well, the light in the sky is different, not to mention the fact that it gets dark so much earlier! You may find that the haircolor that looked radiant in the summer sun, and with your seasonal tan, just washes you out now, or certainly doesn't do anything to compliment your winter skin tones. Consider coming in for a consultation and service to take a look at some options that may suite you for the winter months, but still look fabulous for all those holiday parties and events!

Here's how it works! Everytime you refer someone, you AND your friend get a discount. So if you refer one person, you and that person will get 10% off of your service (provided your referral books and holds their appointment). If you refer two people, the second person and you will get 20% off! If you refer 3 or more people, you and your friends will get 25% off!

Now, that's a pretty good deal. (And very generous, if I say so myself.)

BUT... it gets BETTER this November!

The person who refers the MOST new clients who book and hold appointments* in November will get their choice of a FREE SERVICE PLUS a FREE makeup application in December! You will get to choose from one of the following:

• Haircut, blowout and curls/smoothing iron service
• Single color process
• Root touchup
• Partial highlights

All you have to do is get your friends to book and hold appointments in November and make sure that they mention your name when I ask them how they heard about Yaffa Beauty by Rica! That's it!

So, feel free to send a text message to your friends, call them, post to Facebook - whatever you want to do! Tell your friends to text or call 203-842-8388 to book their appointments!

* Referrals must book regularly priced services. Referral discounts will apply. Referrals that purchase and/or use a Groupon do not count towards this promotion.

Not to sound like a yenta, but when I say that I've known Sarah since she was >>>this<<< big is no understatement - I sang at her baby-naming. Now, a college graduate with an artistic flair, and recovering from the typical college-student playing with haircolor experiments, we decided to give her a professional Unicorn overhaul.

And we finally landed here - with a stunning photo shoot in Pound Ridge, NY.