MoroccanOil PK Tidbits

The AE team arranges Product Knowledge Classes at least once a month. We offer a lot of great products in our salon; we each have our favorites, and sometimes we forget about others ones. PK Classes (as we call them) refresh our memory. They keep us up to date on products and help us learn about new ones. The guest educators offer new insights, such as unexpected ways to cocktail products to get great styling results.  


This past Tuesday Michelle from MoroccanOil came by. We thought we'd share with you a few things that we learned!

About Moroccanoil 
For those who are not familiar with the brand, MoroccanOil is a mosturizing treatment line.
MoroccanOil is named after argan oil, produced from the kernels of the argan tree, common to Morocco. This oil is valued for its nutritive, cosmetic and numerous medicinal properties. A powerful antioxidant and UV protector, Moroccanoil's proprietary argan oil blend is rich in vitamins and natural elements that fortify the hair. It includes Vitamin F (Omega 6), Vitamin A to improve elasticity, Vitamin E to protect against free-radicals, and Phenols to shield against environmental stressors. The Moroccanoil products restore shine and softness, are not tested on animals and contain no animal ingredients.


MoroccanOil is one of the top brands, currently, and is in high demand. We regularly have visitors to SF come by and buy a basket full of them to bring home!


A new discovery: Frizz Control

This is an example of a product that we forgot about. "Ignored" might be the better word, if we can be honest. When it was released it fell through the cracks, and none of the stylist ever got around to playing with it. Michelle properly chided our team, and got them to test it out.

Frizz Control, like the name suggests, is for hair prone to frizz. It's good for any type of hair, whether healthy, dry, curly or straight. It's a weather-resistant formulation, so it helps keep your hair smooth and manageable in damp or dry environments.

Once they got to play with it, our stylists were pretty excited by Frizz Control. It's a good styling aid, and helps hair maintain a smooth texture longer.

How to apply:  Frizz control only requires 3 to 5 pumps applied to clean, damp hair. Hold the bottle about 10 inches (25 centimeters) away from hair. Comb through and then style your hair like you usually would. Or let dry naturally.




The MoroccanOil Treatments

These are the products that started it all. If you're looking for a hair that's silky, healthy and full of shine, you owe it to yourself to try these out.

It's a versatile oil that can be used for all types of hair as a conditioning, styling and finishing tool to nourish and moisturize your hair.

Its formula brings back lost proteins for strength, fatty acids, omega-3 oil and vitamins for shine, and antioxydants for protection.

First, a use we already knew about: 

Protection and shine: Apply a few drops to dry hair, to protect it from damage caused by sun, wind and other harsh environmental factors.

And then a use we didn't:

Styling and finishing: Apply a few drops to your palms and work through damp hair after shampooing. This boosts the health of your hair. It also helps hair dry faster! The oil pushes water away from the hair follicle, reducing blow dry time.

Another clarification Michelle provided us during the class, is that the regular MoroccanOil Treatment is for all types of hair. The Light MoroccanOil is ideal for bleached and colored hair 

Over 15 products for each type of hair and needs
MoroccanOil has developped over 15 products designed to repair and protect both your scalp and hair. Most of its products are made with natural and essential oils. Many are sulfate-FREE, phosphate-FREE and paraben-FREE.


Atelier Emmanuel carries the entire line and absolutely loves its unique aroma and properties. So do our clients!

San Francisco Symphony Black and White Ball

by David Reposar

Styling & Photo by David Reposar

A tradition since 1956, the San Francisco Symphony hosts its Black & White Ball this Saturday, June 2. It's an evening of music, food, and dancing in San Francisco's War Memorial Performing Arts Center and City Hall, benefiting the San Francisco Symphony's nationally acclaimed music education programs.

The Atelier Emmanuel team is available throughout the week to add some color to your party palette. Skin care and nail services can be done ahead of time to prep for the event. Hairstyling and color services can spiff up your look beforehand as well. On the day of, we can style your hair and apply makeup to complete your look (make sure to book ahead!).

We look forward to taking care of your beauty needs and set you up for the lights and glamour of the Ball!

Francois Miglio : French Artist Painter and his multidimensional world

We are exhibiting paintings by Francois Miglio, a French painter at our salon. 


Please visit his website: www.miglioart.com to view his paintings and learn more about his approach and philosophy.

Salon Hours:
Monday 9a to 6p
Tuesday 9a to 8p
Wednesday 9a to 8p
Thursday 9a to 8p
Friday 9a to 8p
Saturday 9a to 6p
Sunday 11a to 5p

Say No To Bridal Stress

Photo by Tara Arrowood, Arrowood Photography

Before you say “I do”, say “I will” to arranging your beauty bridal services with an AE Bridal Team. 
—David Reposar, Stylist

Planning your wedding is going to be one of the most rewarding tasks of your life — while also creating a good amount of stress! We love to do our part for every wedding party to ease that stress. 


How do we do that? 

By offering a one-stop shop for your beauty services in a professional, relaxed and attentive environment. My colleagues and I at Atelier Emmanuel are at the top of the industry for hair and beauty services. We’re also fortunate to have a venue that can accommodate a full bridal party while still keeping our approach intimate.

“Beauty is simple reality seen with the eyes of love” 

We’re a salon which sees you with eyes of love — which is exactly what you want when preparing for your wedding day!

As a stylist, I feel that bridal hair is an art form. Not every stylist can do it, and many updos fall short, looking like something from back in school… and no bride wants to look like she’s going to her 8^th grade prom! I am about creating a personalized style, shaping an updo that suits you, and makes sense with your dress.  I have a vast background in the industry, with a range from New York glam, to runway and beyond. But I always create within your comfort zone. 

Photo by Tara Arrowood, Arrowood Photography

One-stop Beauty Shop

One of the advantages that I have working with Atelier Emmanuel is that I can team-up to get a bride ready. Being able to coordinate skin, nails, and makeup services makes for a unified look for the bride, and a much less taxing, more efficient experience. 

We have many stylists trained in bridal updos, as well as multiple providers of our other beauty services. This makes it easy for us to host groups and can make the whole experience more festive for you! Below I am going to mention a few co-workers, to start introducing you to our team...


James | Styling and Makeup
James produces flawless, glamorous results with makeup. He has the ability to bring all of your best features to the forefront. 

April | Nails and Waxing
Your ring finger is going to need a little attention before your Big Day. April suggests getting a Shellac Manicure a day or two before your rehearsal — the finish can last all the way through the Honeymoon, giving you one less thing to do.

Alisa | Skin Care
It is quite common for brides to neglect skin care as part of their preparations. I heartily recommend that you see Alisa for a series of facials starting 6 weeks before your wedding. This will get your skin glowing, counter the stress of your planning, close your pores and prep your skin for makeup. A Soiree Facial on your wedding day will revitalize your skin without creating any redness.

Alisa and April also mention getting your brows shaped. This will help frame the face and ensure symmetry.

Margarita | Bodywork

Another neglected service for brides is massage. Now, I don’t want to overemphasize the stress in planning a wedding, but there’s a lot going on, isn’t there? A massage is like getting an extra night of sleep to help reset and rejuvenate you. It should be the first thing you do at the salon, on the day of your wedding! 

Quick Case Study: How a bob became an upstyle!

Miki Walsh has been a long time client of mine. When she approached me to create her bridal style, we had a challenge in front of us: she had very straight hair, and a relatively short A-line bob. In the end we were very happy with how well the hair held the curl. Curling the hair in this case was crucial to get an up look from the bob. "My hair completed the look I had envisioned for my wedding day," reports Miki.


We invite you to get one of our packages. You'll save on your services, and get to enjoy a professional bridal beauty day by making Atelier Emmanuel your Bridal Beauty Team.


Bridal Package 1  | $395

Trial Updo & Make Up | Bridal Updo | Make Up | Manicure

Bridal Package 2  | $460

Trial Updo & Make Up | Bridal Updo | Facial | Makeup | Manicure


Bridal Package 3  | $530

Trial Updo & Make Up | Bridal Updo | Facial | Makeup | Manicure | 60 minute Massage

Yours Truly:  Atelier Emmanuel Bridal Squadron

Photo by Tara Arrowood, Arrowood Photography

David Reposar joined Atelier Emmanuel in 2012, but has been in the industry over 20 years. 
Former owner of our sister business Chateau 1508, David recently returned from a creative sabbatical in NYC.

Atelier Emmanuel ACADEMY

Atelier Emmanuel has always had assistants who were also apprentices, seeking to improve on what they learned in school. Claudia and Paul are two of our current stylists who first began with Atelier Emmanuel this way. What was initially an informal process has gradually become more organized. With the move to 415 Stockton, we are now able to more formally offer an Academy and an apprentice track.

Current Apprentices, clockwise from top right: Paul Pu, Audrey Kral, Anthony Tanno, Edgar Carubio, Nicole Siri

What does it mean to be an apprentice and take part in the Academy?

Essentially it's for new stylists who wish to have a deeper relationship to their profession as they begin their career. It's for stylists who want to produce work of a higher caliber.

Emmanuel trains stylists in what we call an Old World manner. You apprentice, and graduate when your mentor sees that you have achieved a certain mastery of the skill. This could take 6 months for one person, 2 years for another — and it doesn't matter, because apprentices undertake this process out of passion for the craft and respect for their teacher. 

However long it takes, our apprentices come out of it with natural ability and the bearing of a real professional. 

Training with Emmanuel starts Karate Kid style —learning the "wax on wax off" of embodied movement— before moving on to proper shampooing, hair and scalp treatments, blowdrys, styling, cutting and coloring.

This approach is in contrast to most schooling where as long as you fulfill a certain amount of time, you graduate. Emmanuel has seen over and over that the classes on a resume and even the years in the business do not necessarily guarantee true skill. This is often a result of insufficient real world experience, or because the student were given recipes for cutting hair without either understanding the reasons behind the recipes or how to adapt them to each person. Sometimes, it's because the stylist thought that what they had learned at school was enough and never tried to deepen their craft.

The biggest shift since moving to 415 Stockton, is that the Academy is now a full day training, permitting the apprentices more time to study, train and work on clients. Supplemental product knowledge classes and creativity workshops happen Tuesday evenings (when the old trainings used to be) with the rest of the team.

In addition we've created a progression where apprentices will gradually add to the menu of services which they can offer the public. The result is that by the time they graduate to Junior Stylist, they will have developed a clientele.

The Academy is very much in the spirit of the standard we uphold as a salon. You should know that a Junior Stylist who graduates from our Academy is going to offer services of a higher quality than most regular stylists.  This means that you can get top-shelf hair services at reasonable rates.

The Academy currently includes:

Paul, Junior Stylist

Nicole, Senior Apprentice (and about to graduate to Junior Stylist!)

Edgar, Apprentice

Anthony, Apprentice

Audrey, Apprentice

For pricing and available services, please click on individual links.

To schedule a session as a model for the Academy, please call the salon (415 362 8063).

Training Prices:
Hair Cut + Style $10
Blow Dry: $10
Color Service: $20

Can I massage my way into that new bikini?

By Margarita Camarena, CMT

Ooh, I wish I could say yes! I can definitely say massage helps, though, by improving your workouts and boosting metabolism. People often forget that massage isn't just for relaxation, so read on for an overview of how massage is a great vehicle to tune up your body to perform better at many levels in different areas of your life.

Here are key ways that massage can complement exercise:

Aids weight control

Increases flexibility and range of motion

Speeds up the body's recovery process 

Reduces the risk of injury

Improves muscle tone and tissue elasticity

Reduces muscles adhesions and scar tissue formation

Helps to eliminate lactic acid, wastes and toxins

Improves blood circulation and lymph flow

Increases tissue permeability and nutrient absorption

Many clients come weekly post-workout because they see the benefits that massage brings them physiologically and psychologically. Most broadly, you should think of massage therapy as a way to keep the body performing at its optimum level. It addresses the negative byproducts of exercise, clears up obstacles to performance that accumulate, and helps prevent injuries.

Massage keeps you working out, and working out better.

Flexibility for higher performance
I use stretching and mobilization, Myofascial Release Therapy and working Trigger Point to increase flexibility and restore mobility to restricted joints. Even a few sessions will release fascia, break up scar tissue and muscle adhesions, and unbunch muscles. Restoring mobility keeps you in the game and actually helps muscle development. When you free up the muscle, you get to use more of it, and more of it can develop. 

Circulation for better absorption and elimination
Massage stimulates blood circulation, helping to remove waste products and lactic acid and encouraging the intake of oxygen and nutrients. The blood vessels dilate, allowing fresh blood to flow in and waste to be flushed out. This regulates water retention and helps to get rid of accumulated fat cells throughout the body.

Healthy blood circulation also benefits the heart. You can help the blood circulate, for example, with  Swedish massage. This increased circulation serves to massage the heart. Swedish massage also helps the lymphatic system perform better. When it's sluggish, so are you. Some of that tiredness you feel could be because your system itself is bogged down and backed up. 

Prevent injury and alleviate muscle pain
Removing muscle fiber adhesions and increasing your flexibility allows fluid, natural motion. The body stops fighting itself with a conflicting effort to both perform and protect itself. There is the mechanical side to this, the adhesions themselves, for example. There is also the more pernicious patterning which the body develops around these adhesions as well as around injuries. This "holding" is self-protective, but can become obsolete. The movement and joint mobilization work that I offer helps the body recalibrate to what it can actually do, rather than what it 'thinks' it can do. I can focus sessions in this direction, helping to also reeducate the movement, resulting in fluid, natural motion.

Relax to build and regenerate
Stress raises cortisone and hormone levels, leading to water and fat retention. Massage, like sleep, eases you back into a relaxed, parasympathetic state. In some cases, massage does this better than sleep, if you are too stressed.

Basic things to remember for your next workout

• Always stretch after any workout to remind your body to stay agile.

• Drink water throughout the day not just during your workout to keep your fascia and collagen layers hydrated and flexible.
• Get a good night's sleep! 

• Get a massage after your workout to increase your performance! 

The next time you go to the gym, think of massage as a post-workout complement to help you get the most out of your session and enjoy the benefits just in time for bikini season.

Looking forward to seeing you at Atelier Emmanuel!

Margarita has been Atelier Emmanuel's lead massage therapist since 2007. A constant student of massage, she is also a keen educator for both fellow practitioners and clients. See her menu here. 

Spring/Summer Makeup Selection

Makeup services are becoming a more prevalent part of our offerings. We asked makeup artist and hair stylist Clifford Hashimoto to share a list of makeup products that every woman must have for Spring/Summer 2012. 

The products below are a top 10 for me. They suit almost every complexion, and will help any woman look her best and on trend this season. Out of the many products I might use when doing a makeup session, I selected these because they work very well together. Together they give you a natural glow that is dewy, healthy and youthful — very appropriate to Spring and Summer!

Clifford Hashimoto recommends —

Luminous Silk Foundation - Giorgio Armani. Available in 18 shades, this foundation smoothes out skin and fills in fine lines instantly, so that blush and concealer seamlessly blend into skin - resulting in a gorgeous finish! www.giorgioarmanibeauty-usa.com

Undercover Pot Concealer - Laura Mercier. This concealer formulation is the perfect texture and comes in several color combinations. Find the one that best suits your skin tone. To help create a flawless face, apply a small amount with ring finger, patting – then smoothing – under eye and around sides of nose, to brighten and help cover dark spots. www.lauramercier.com

HD Microfinish Powder - Make Up For Ever. A translucent finishing powder. That can be applied over foundation, or simply worn alone. It comes in one universal shade for all skin tones. An Allure ‘Best of Beauty’ award winner! www.sephora.com

The Book of Nudes - Laura Mercier. This sophisticated palette features eight classically neutral eye colors, one universal black/brown cake eyeliner and three sunkissed cream veil shades for face and cheeks. www.sephora.com

Powder Blush - NARS. Nars blushes provide a healthy glow which flatters any skin tone. My two favorite shades are Deep Throat (peach with shimmer) and Orgasm (Peachy/Pink with golden shimmer). www.narscosmetics.com

Eye & Lip Pencils - NARS. My favorite NARS eyeliner pencil is Black Moon. It opens the eye – with a strong solid line, or with a blurred/smokey effect. For lip pencils, check out Fantasia (soft peach) and Roseland (rosy pink). And, for a true red, you must get the Velvet Matte lip pencil in Cruella (scarlet red). www.narscosmetics.com

Lip Lacquer - NARS. NARS has the best glosses. I love the Lip Lacquer that comes in portable pots. They provide a sheer, subtle color for naturally glossy lips. It comes in three shades – all fabulous – Babydoll (cotton candy pink), Chelsea (nude beige) and Eros (raspberry rose with shimmer). www.narscosmetics.com

DiorShow Mascara - Dior. This is the best mascara on the market – a cult-followed mascara that leaves lashes ultra thick, long and curled. Also available in a waterproof formula. www.sephora.com

You can find most of these products on-line or in stores like Sephora, Saks and Bloomingdales.

Got a makeup question? All our makeup artists are happy to consult with you!

Clifford’s celebrity roster includes Jennifer Lopez, Heidi Klum, Elizabeth Banks, and Kate Bosworth. His work has been featured in Town & Country, Vogue and Glamour. In addition to being a beauty expert, Clifford is a hair color specialist.

Nail Art

Our lead receptionist Meredith moonlights as a model. We weren't a part of putting this photoshoot together, but thought the images were fantastic, so we wanted to show them to you!

The shoot was organized by owner Sindy Mark to advertise Wild Orchid Studios. The first photo below was selected and just appeared in the May edition of Nails Magazine.

Credits:
Nails: Sindy Mark, Wild Orchid Studios
Hair: Kao Vey Saephanh, Salon Kaovey
Makeup: Hang Le
Photography: Charity Cardiasmenos
Model: Meredith Micheaux-Harris