Autumn aesthetics: not only leaves change colors in fall

Autumn is slowly approaching in Denver, and I couldn’t be happier. The air has been more brisk, trees are being speckled with yellow leaves, and the hours of daylight are slowly waning before we “fall back” on November 2. 

What fall means to me personally, is red wine; classical music; pumpkin spice scented candles; snuggling up with my dog and a good book; and working on various art projects. 

What this means to me as a makeup artist, is eye shadows in smoldering browns, coopers, crushed gold; dark burgundy shades sitting atop brown eyes; plums, deep reds, and neutral colors on lips; and turning in coral and pink hues of blush for tones in dusty rose, and warm nutty browns. 

I’m always a fan of matching the colors on one’s face to the colors surrounding them. It’s nice to channel the season we are all experiencing, and represent its colors. Not only is it visually appealing, but it’s a nice way to connect with, and complement, your surroundings. 

Autumn also encourages us to swap our perfume scent for the season; switch up the fabrics and colors in our wardrobe; and change our hair to incorporate shades of brown, red, copper, and blonde. Lots of our female clients have been going back to dark, and adding low lights in rich, warm tones. It’s fun to get back to deeper shades – a change that always makes the eyes pop! Combine this change in hair color, along with different eye shadow tones, and boom: instant autumn makeover! 

So, dig through your makeup bags and look for fall colors to wear throughout the next couple months. Look at the colors around you to find inspiration for your next hair appointment, and call us to help get you started. Not only can we change your hair color, but you can book a color consult for makeup to play around, and get advice on which fall colors are the best for your specific skin tone.

Turn heads at Burning Man with these hip hair tips

Burning Man takes place in the Black Rock City, Nevada August 24- Sept 1 and, while I personally have never been, it seems like a fun experience to get dirty in the desert and let your freak flag fly. Our stylists Ysabel and Ashley have gone multiple times and have suggestions on looks and hairstyles that are both outgoing and appropriate for the conditions. 

Color Bugs 
An easy way to make your usual look more funky, would be to take along a color bug by Kevin Murphy. The salon has a variety of colors – pink, purple, neon orange (my favorite, it looks more like coral or neon red), neon yellow, copper (which adds shimmer to brown or red locks), and white (to make blondes look more platinum). The colors mix and match well, so you can be as creative as you'd like. 

Feathers 
We carry a variety of rooster feathers, both natural and colored, and even a few smaller strands of peacock feathers. While this trend was more popular a few years back, Burning Man provides the perfect opportunity to fly away with this look. You can add a just a few for a touch of color, or go crazy and create a mohawk of feathers. The choice is yours! And they are guaranteed to last all week without falling out. 

Carvings 
For those who are interested in more permanent embellishments, Ysabel, our very own gypsy soul, can shave a segment of hair, and carve a one-of-a-kind design into that section. Let her go wild with her clippers and she will create beautiful abstract lines that are sure to get attention. 

Bright colors, pastels, and neons 
If you're craving a little color for this adventure, we have many of shades of Pravana and Elumen that can provide a look as daring or subtle as you'd like. You can ombre a fun color into your ends, add a few peek-a-boo highlights, or even do your entire head. And, the neons even glow in the dark! 

Braids, and cornrows, and dreads 
Finally, texture work – such as braids, cornrows, or dreads – are a low maintenance option for a week in dusty Nevada, plus they look awesome! Seeing as bathing isn't really an option, and since the dust and wind is so intense, this is an easy way to keep tidy amidst slightly chaotic conditions. 

The SU sun care line from Davines 
Since long days exposed to the elements are damaging to the hair, the Davines sun care line would definitely be beneficial to those attending the Burn. We have SU Sun Oil and SU Milk to defend the hair from UV rays in advance; and also a mask, shampoo, and conditioner to replenish and renew your locks afterwards. 

If you need help obtaining any of these looks or products, we're the salon to get you there! By combining your ideas and our expertise, together we can create a look that's both striking and suitable for a week-long party in the desert. 

Gorgeous gray hair is not just for grandmas

One day I was sitting at my desk, and a somewhat older lady with a shiny, beautiful silver bob walked past. I ran out the front door of the salon and called after her, "You have beautiful hair!" which occasionally I do, like some sort of complimentary Tourettes. (I call it a drive-by compliment.) When I see a gorgeous woman with silver hair, I simply have no choice but to commend her; while a lot of women feel this look ages them, the color is quite striking. So striking, in fact, that I would argue that silver/gray is the new it-color this summer. And it’s a hue that is difficult to replicate. After bleaching the hair to platinum, it takes the perfect blend of blonde, ash, and blue to create silver locks. Plus, with light hues, such as pastels, the color typically fades quickly (especially if you wash your hair often, and dare to use warm water.) 

I bet many women who are hiding their grays would be baffled to discover that women are standing in line to add silver streaks. I wanted to attempt this look last year. However, since I have black hair (level 1) — and would therefore have to lift my color all the way to the other side of the spectrum (level 9-10) before I could deposit a silver/gray tone — I decided to keep my hair a dark and raven-esque blue/black. A color correction such as that would take a lot of work. Although, with patience, it could definitely be done without damaging my hair. 

So whether you have silver hair naturally, or have to go about it the hard way, rock those grays with pride. Perhaps by the time I’m fully gray, the color will be as popular as red, blonde, or brown. At this rate, it’s possible. 

May’s Employee of the Month: Valentine!

1. 

We love our little birdies, and will be starting to acknowledge the overall awesomeness of one employee each month. Our first pick was easy, our salon welcoming committee: Valentine!

Nick Names: Billy Ray Valentine, Valentino, BRV, Tino, Teeny, Billy Baloney Pupperoni, Pupperones, and Bob Barker (on more vocal days).

Fun Facts: Wire-haired pointer griffon mix; adopted from Denver Dumb Friends League in 2009; best friends with Sarah Bee.

Specialties: Giving kisses; making people’s day; begging for food.

“I like working at 3 Little Birds Salon because I get to spend all day with my mom. But my favorite part is that I make new human-friends every day, and my many dog-friends from the neighborhood come visit me all the time. I’m one lucky pup!”

Stop in today and meet our team! We’ll welcome you warmly, and make you look and feel fabulous and ready to take on the weekend! 303.861.2333

A Q&A with artist Johanna Mueller

FeverishART, which is currently gracing the walls of 3 Little Birds Salon, features the handiwork of artist and print maker, Johanna Mueller. Her work spans the gamut, residing in museums, galleries and the walls of fine folks homes -- as well as hand printed greeting cards, posters, and affordable art. All in hopes of spreading ink, beauty and her love for the time worn art of engraving across the country. We asked Johanna a few questions about her work in anticipation of her art opening on Friday, August 1st. View Johanna Mueller's Majestic Menagerie at 3 Little Birds Salon through the end of the month. 

3 Little Birds (3LB): "So, do you live in Denver?" 

Johanna Mueller (JM): "I was born in Denver, went to East High and Metro State before leaving for my Master's Degree outside of Washington, DC at George Mason University. Right now, I am living and sharing a studio with my partner in crime and fellow artist, Stan Scott., in Fort Collins. But I am in and out Denver often, and still think of it as my home turf." 

3LB: "Denver has a special spot in my heart as well, its such a great community for music and art. How long have you been producing art?" 

JM: "I have always been creative, artistically inclined since I was a kiddo, but didn't take myself seriously until college. I was also a business lady from early on, from walking dogs to painting soda can tabs as necklace charms for a $1 in high school. I love being my own boss and sharing what I do best with the world." 

3LB: "That's the dream isn't it? To do what you love, and answer to no one? Sounds like a good gig. What is your process for creating these images? Are they hand-drawn, or do you engrave images?" 

JM: "What I am best known for are my engravings, a type of old fashioned printing, no computers allowed, just me and my printing press! All my images originate from my sketchbook, then I piece different sketches together to comprise a pretty complete, detailed drawing in pencil. I transfer the drawing onto a special type of plastic, kinda like PVC but in a sheet form, so it is flat. Then, using little tools, (called gravers or engraving burins) I carve out each and every line of the image. Whatever I carve out is white, and whatever is left on the surface gets rolled with ink. It works like a rubber stamp where the surface of the stamp is the inked surface, and when pressure is applied, in my case about 500+lbs of pressure from my printing press, the image is transferred to the paper. It can take up to an hour to engrave a square inch, which is why my images are so small! They take forever to make! but I think it is worth it!" 

3LB: "That's so cool! What a process. Is this the only medium you use?" 

JM: "It is definitely my specialty. Engravers are a dying breed, but wherever I go, I educate people about printmaking since most are just vaguely familiar with terms like engraving, woodblock or screen print. It is a fascinating world of prints out there and I teach engraving workshops whenever I can." 

3LB: "That sounds like a fun class, both as a teacher and as a student. How else do you get your name out there? Do you have an Etsy account? How are sites like that beneficial to you as an artist?" 

JM: "I do have an Etsy account, my shop is 'FeverishART.' Etsy is a great way to network and get noticed by other artists. As people favorite your items, their network sees their action and word spreads! As much as I enjoy getting noticed on Etsy, I love exploring other people's favorites. I have come upon some great new artists and have bought treasures for myself and others. Having a presence on Etsy is essential, but for 2-D art, people usually buy directly from me or a gallery and never sight unseen. Most people saw something in person, but didn't buy it at the time, so they e-mail me about it or find the piece online." 

3LB: "Have you been commissioned to do any unique pieces? stationary? wedding announcements? concert fliers?" 

JM: "Yes, I have done wedding invitations for most of my best friends and my brother; the logo for Bastrop Brewery outside Austin, TX; designs for dance companies, distilleries, family crests and lots more. And tattoos. So many of my designs are on bodies now! But I only take on jobs that really emanate my style. I don't do humans, multi-color work, or work that feels too 'cute.' I stick to animals and black and white." 

3LB: "Ooh, now I'm inspired to get a tattoo. I adore "Full Moon Fox." I can definitely imagine having that inked on me for life. It's my favorite small piece in the salon right now. Do you have a favorite piece of work?" 
JM: "My favorite piece is usually the last piece I worked on. I just finished the piece 'Aching, Reaching, Re-Aching' for a portfolio show at Bowling Green University. It has some Aztec themes running through it. I was thinking of cycles, how pain is cyclical and we forget about pain so quickly, and the brain science behind our emotion with aching, pain, and moving forward. And the Aztecs were so brutal it seemed to fit. It is a heavy piece, but others, like 'Full Moon Fox' are more lighthearted. I lived in Snowmass, CO for a year and met wildlife on my uphill walk home every night. It was a full moon and I forgot my headlamp and literally almost walked into a fox around a shadowy corner. He made a noise that sounded like underwater growling (what does the fox say? Ha!) So I commemorated the experience with the print. Each one has a story or symbols behind it, they are steeped in modern myth and shared historical human experience." 

3LB: "What an awesome concept. That makes sense. When I was describing your work to someone, I talked about the Native American Egalitarian set of beliefs that see animal, humans and nature all as equals. While some pieces are more dark, and others more playful, a respect for animals is evident. Is there anything else we should know about your work?" 

JM: "It is a labor of love! Each piece is precious, and I hope the imagery resonates. I feel so lucky to be able to create work that is meaningful to me, and others." 

3LB: "We feel lucky as well!" 

Join us on the evening of August 1st (from 7-10 pm) to view Johanna's work, enjoy tasty snacks from Threshold Culinary Events and Consulting, and sip on organic juice cocktails from Juice Mon. 

To view Johanna's work online, visit: www.feverishart.com 

Allergies: Your makeup's worst enemy

The other day I woke up, got ready for work, and walked Valentine the two block stretch to the salon. On my way, I stopped to smell the roses, so to speak. Actually… they were lilacs, one of my favorite spring blossoms. Coming up on the next block, I saw a tree abundant with pale pink cherry blossoms. And, although I was in a hurry to make it to work, I simply couldn't resist. I walked up, sniffed a floral budded branch and instantly sneezed. "Achoo! Ugh! Sniff!" I said to no one in particular, as I wiped the tears from my eyes.

As I walked into 3 Little Birds, I took off my sunglasses and caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror. Yikes! Mascara-laced tears had welled up and dried beneath my eyes and two grey streaks ran down my face from my eyes to my lips. I was wearing a face only a clown could love, and after all that effort I had spent on my makeup too. What a shame.

Upon entering the bathroom, I grabbed a tissue and tried to gently wipe the misplaced makeup from my face. However, once the grey was gone, two faint snail trails remained, where my tears had erased my face makeup. My day hadn't even started yet and I looked like a wreck. Screw you, allergies! What did I ever do to you? You tempt me with your pretty flowers and fragrant smells… and for what? A stuffed nose and a smeared face? Damn, Spring… I thought we were friends.

Since allergy season is upon us, I've decided to change my makeup routine. I've come to terms with the fact that my eyes are going to water and, although primers are helpful, I prefer to not pack on several layers of makeup. Plus, they aren't necessarily miracle workers. With this in mind, I've switched my makeup routine in an effort to keep things low maintenance.

In lieu of black liquid eyeliner, my go-to for years and years, I've been playing up other features. Lately, I like either a bright orange/red or deep berry lip stain, paired with strong brows and a subtle eye.

I use a vanilla matte shadow that matches my complexion, and barely any mascara in case I tear up. At night, I'll apply lightly black pencil eyeliner just around the outside top and bottom lash lines (from the outside edge to the top and bottom centers of the eye) and smudge it. That way my lashes look fuller and I can wear eyeliner that isn't going to smudge much further if a testy tulip makes me cry.

I apply BB cream all over my face, and also my lips when I'm going to apply a stain, as it serves as a primer. If you want to rock a nude lip, just apply rosebud salve on top; if you want to avoid getting it on your lips in the first place, apply rosebud salve before.)

A bright lip and strong brows make for a light springy look that is both striking and simple to achieve. Plus, if allergies take over, you only have to worry about a runny nose. Your liquid eye liner will be ready to make an appearance again in May.

November First: The Day the Beards Died

I woke up the day after Halloween and was admittedly a little out of it after the previous evening's excitement. I left my house, and after having walked just two blocks, I became scared I was stuck in a nightmare. "Is this a prank?" I thought to myself. "Am I still dreaming?"

As I walked into Watercourse, I saw that a number of men I knew had shaved off their manly, sexy, beards and were walking around with pale, innocent, baby faces. The time had come, it was November first: the day the beards died.

I've heard the saying "never bring a mustache to a beard fight," but in November (known also as Movember) it is the mustache that does the fighting. Movember is a month-long mustache growing charity event, in which the participants raise funds and awareness in an effort to combat prostate and testicular cancer.

According to the Movember global charity, "Using mustaches as a catalyst, we want to bring about change and give men the opportunity and confidence to learn and talk about their health more openly and take action." The goal is for men to shave their faces on the first, and grow it out over the course of 30 days. Participants register their mustache online, and ask friends and family to donate to the cause. The end goal is to raise money for programs that increase awareness and education about men's health, and, in turn, increase the life expectancy of men.

In addition to providing registration and information, the Web site also offers participants different styles of mustaches to try and accomplish throughout the month, a fun way to make a statement. Styles and personas men can try while promoting men's health include "the rock star," "the undercover brother," "the trucker" and so on. I was surprised; however, to see that "the Ron Swanson" was not a listed option, as Nick Offerman's character on Parks and Rec maintains one of my favorite mustaches in show business.

Woman might be wondering how we can participate in this charity event. Well, for one we can donate and support a Mo Bro, as they are called. We can also register on the site and attempt to gain donations just by getting the word out. But, I'm thinking the best way for a woman to support Movember is to take one for the team, and give some lovin' to a mustache-wearing guy.

 I bet that fewer men get laid in November than any other month in the year. Consider it a charitable donation; support someone who supports the cause. Otherwise, these thoughtful men will have a very long month ahead of them.

It's not too late to join the fun! For more information or to donate or register, visit us.Movember.com.