The Lancôme Boutique
The Mall at Short Hills
1200 Morris Turnpike
Short Hills, NJ 07078
973-258-0790

Renée Rouleau

Shannon: Most women are familiar with 3 skin types–normal, dry, combination–but you educate people via Twitter, your blog, your website and your spas that there are in fact 9. How did you discover the other 6 and how do they differ from the “baseline” 3? 

Renée Rouleau: The standard dry, normal and oily skin types that are so common only relate to how little or how much oil your skin produces. They don’t encompass the true problems that people may have; rosacea, hyperpigmenation, fine lines and wrinkles, adult acne and so on. Being an esthetician for 22 years and working with skin “hands on,” I learned long ago that everyone’s skin is unique and often times have a myriad of skin concerns. At Renée Rouleau, it’s based on nine different skin types so you’re sure to get the perfect fit for your skin’s individual needs…including the results.

Shannon: Many women (and men) will complain that it is their skin care products that are causing them problem skin. Would you say this is true or is it due to improper skin care or a combination of both?

Renée Rouleau: Yes and no, it really just depends on the problem they are experiencing. I always tell my clients to ‘listen to their skin’. If you’re using a moisturizer and it feels too heavy and greasy, it is too heavy for you. If you use a cleanser and it makes your skin feel dry and irritated, then it is too harsh for your skin. Don’t use products that don’t feel right! Your goal is to find a routine that makes your skin feel really good and give you realistic results.

Renée Rouleau and Melissa Rycroft

Shannon: What is the biggest myth in skin care that you feel is still propagated among the press that women believe and why isn’t it true?

Renée Rouleau: Where do I even begin? There are so many myths out there. One that comes to mind is that using a toner is unnecessary. Many toners still contain alcohol, which is extremely drying and irritating to the skin. So many experts will say to avoid using a toner because they are too harsh and irritating. While there is some truth in there, they need to understand that many toners on the market are alcohol-free and offer many skin benefits.

1. They give your skin a drink of moisture (when left damp before applying serum or moisturizer)

2. They remove drying chlorines and minerals found in tap water

3. They normalize the PH in the skin

4. They can enhance the results of your skin care program

5. They support your skin’s protective barrier

Alcohol-free toners are a must!

Renée Rouleau and Ali Landry

Shannon: I know you were inspired to be an esthetician because of your grandmother, what is the one thing that she taught you that you still hold onto?

Renée Rouleau: Not only did she love making others look beautiful (she was a hairdresser who owned a beauty salon) but was also a very smart, strong business woman. She was my role model growing up and loved that I followed in her footsteps of being a beauty entrepreneur. She was a single woman with a family to raise and she taught me the value of working hard.

Shannon: Are there any new products in the works for 2010?

Renée Rouleau: I’m currently working on a new mint-based, sulfate-free cleansing gel which launches this December. In 2010, I will be come out with mini starter kits for all nine skin types and a product that fades post-breakout red/dark marks. I’m headed to France next week and will be meeting with some of the labs there. I’m always working on new and exciting products to give our client’s the beautiful, glowing skin they deserve!

Where you can find Renée Rouleau:

Website: www.ReneeRouleau.com
Blog: blog.reneerouleau.com
Twitter: www.Twitter.com/ReneeRouleau
Facebook: www.Facebook.com/ReneeRouleauSkinCare

Nonie Creme

Shannon: Describe your first encounter with nail lacquer; how old were you, the color you chose, etc.? 

Nonie Creme: When I was in the fourth grade I discovered that I had a steady enough hand to create elaborate nail art on my INSANELY long nails. (My mother pretty much let me do what I liked, inappropriate hooker nails and all) I would arrive at the school bus stop every single morning with a fresh paint job. Purple checker boards to match my first ever Vans were a big hit. I spent a lot of time in the Principal’s office anyway, so figured I may as well look cool.

Shannon: What prompted you to start butter LONDON with the 3 Free concept, as well as hosting your salons exclusively in airports?

Nonie Creme: The standard for cosmetic safety is much, much higher in Europe. When we began to look for a USA manufacturer to work with, I was horrified at their suggested formulations. It was clear that someone needed to address toxicity in nail polish, and that the someone should be butter LONDON! 3 Free is a way of life for us.

Although we still own and operate our beautiful SeaTac airport store, we are really moving away from the store model and strictly into product research and development. It is truly my dream job.

Shannon: We keep hearing more and more about butter LONDON being the nail brand of choice at many of the runway shows for Fashion Week, it must be an absolutely amazing experience. Can you describe how you felt when chosen and when finally backstage?

Nonie Creme: I began my career as a session manicurist, and have always worked The Shows. After 14 years on many different backstage teams, being able to rock up with my own team using products that I had personally created is an all-time career high! Backstage is where I get most of my inspiration. butter LONDON products are truly fashion accessories, and the range really resonates with people on that level in a way that nail polish never has before. (Well…..OK, apart from Chanel damn it!)

Shannon: If there is one designer you could work with to complete the look for their Fashion Week show, who would it be?

Nonie Creme: Dream collaboration? Alexander McQueen. British, Rock n Roll, subversive but beautiful. Oh, how I love him.

Shannon: What’s next for you and butter LONDON?

Nonie Creme: I have just wrapped up design and development of S/S 2010 colours, and you are in for a treat! They are heavenly and you will drool – can’t say more! I’m also thinking about doing the London shows as well as NYC next season. I’m super homesick and want to soak up some London street fashion for next F/W.

Where you can find Nonie and butter LONDON besides a runway at Fashion Week:

Twitter: @NonieCreme
Website: www.butterLONDON.com

Shannon: Your passion for the hair industry is so apparent in all that you do from your newsletter to your salon to your academy; what drives you to educate and create innovation among salon professionals?

Nick Arrojo: I love the business that I’m in; my work is a labor of love. And I’m very fortunate to have such a varied, rewarding and successful career. This gives me a sense of duty to use my knowledge, experience and skill to raise standards in the whole hairdressing craft. It’s also something that has been instilled in me from my early days in the industry. I’ve worked for top-notch companies like Vidal Sassoon, Wella, and Bumble and Bumble. At all these places the commitment to education and excellence is strong, and this helped me see that the best chance of success for you and those around you is to continue to grow, innovate, inspire and improve. I take ownership of what I do for the benefit myself, my business, and those around me. And if I do that, it means I’m contributing to a stronger, more dynamic hairdressing industry, which is exactly what I want to do.

Shannon: Which do you prefer, styling hair for celebrities or styling hair on the everyday person?

Nick Arrojo: I get asked this all the time and the only answer is there is no answer. I don’t prefer everyday people or celebrities. To me every client is as important as the last, and the next. Whoever the person in my chair may be, my goal is to do the right thing for the individual––make them feel special, and make them look their sensational best.

Shannon: In your book, “Great Hair,” you say you can tell someone’s texture and hair shape in 30 seconds. Do you often find when you are out and about in New York City that you are sizing up everyone’s hair and thinking up their perfect style and cut?

Nick Arrojo: No. In the book I was talking about when a client first sits in my chair and I’m assessing their hair so I can understand how to achieve the best style for them. But when I leave work I’m good at switching off and not worrying too much about the hair of people around me. I don’t feel it necessary or appropriate for me to give advice to every head of hair; but if a person asks my advice, be it in the salon or on the street, I’m happy to help. Otherwise the only time I give a style a close inspection is when I see something that looks really creative, new, innovative or different (in a good way). In New York City you do see some fantastic hairstyles walking around the streets, and I like to use this as inspiration for my own new ideas.

Shannon: What do you feel is one of the biggest myths about hair care and why do you think people still believe it?

Nick Arrojo: There’s quite a few and they do make me laugh. I’ll give you two of my favorites, which are closely related. First: Hair grows faster if you trim it. I’m sure this myth is born out of the idea that trimming ends makes your hair look healthier. True, because you’re cutting off all those nasty split ends, but hair grows at the same rate no matter how often you cut or trim it. Second: The notion cutting your hair short makes it look thicker. No, cutting hair short gives the illusion of thickness. When hair is on the longer side, the extra weight pulls it down, making it appear fine and thin. Conversely, when cut short, hair lies on top of each other and with it comes the illusion of thicker hair. For anyone conscious of fine or thinning hair, a shorter style might be just the ticket.

Shannon: What’s next for you now that you have passed on the reigns of What Not to Wear to Ted Gibson? New Products? Building up your academy?

Nick Arrojo: Yes, I want to continue to grow and improve all the elements of my business: the salon, the advanced education academy, the cosmetology school, and the product company. My commitment to education is a huge part of my business. We’re already booked for the five major hair and beauty trade shows in 2010 and we’ll also be at Intercoiffure in October. My plate is full, just the way I like it!

Places you can find Nick Arrojo:

www.arrojostudio.com
www.arrojoproduct.com
www.arrojoeducation.com
www.arrojocosmetology.com
@ARROJO

(And yes! That is me with Nick back in March! If you are interested in seeing my transformation checkout my makeover with Nick Arrojo.)

Shannon: Everyone knows you as the uptight and orderly Angela Martin on “The Office”, how does it feel to now be cast as “Gigi“, Nice ‘n Easy’s new go-to-girlfriend for hair color? Do you feel those that love Angela will equally love Gigi as these “roles” seem to be so opposite?

Angela Kinsey: I love playing the super stuffy Angela Martin but playing Gigi is such a fun departure! I get to be more like myself, a quirky ‘girlfriend’! Gigi is that friendly, vibrant and relatable girlfriend that loves to be there through it all. I mean who doesn’t have a girlfriend you turn to and ask for beauty advice, especially with things like hair coloring?

Shannon: Everyone has a home hair color disaster story whether it was spritzing lemon juice into their black hair hoping to turn blonde or over processing their color with a home dye kit. Do you have a story you’d be willing to share about your experience when you were a teen or college student attempting to color your hair?

Angela Kinsey: Ha! Well I once put hot pink streaks in my blonde hair. I didn’t do a very good job and they bled over into the rest of my hair but only in the front around my face. It was a bit of a disaster. That’s another reason why I was excited to play Gigi and show women how goof-proof it is to find your right color with Nice ‘n Easy.

Shannon: What do you think are the biggest mistakes women make when it comes to coloring their hair at home?

Angela Kinsey: I think one of the biggest mistakes women make is choosing their shade. One of the first things I learned by playing ‘Gigi’ is how to pick the best shade for you. Make sure you choose a color that’s within two shades of the color you have now.

Shannon: Let’s say Gigi walks into Dunder Mifflin to surprise Angela Martin with a makeover. What tips do you think Gigi would give Angela Martin to transform her look?

Angela Kinsey: Well, there would be a lot of them for Angela Martin! Gigi would definitely tell Angela to ditch all the grey in her closet, not every day is a funeral! Work some pretty pastels into that drab wardrobe! And as far as her hair? Gigi would probably suggest a sexier cut with a few layers, maybe with some cute bangs and add more depth and dimension to the color.

Shannon: You’ve really had so much success with The Office and now becoming a spokesperson for Nice ‘n Easy, do you have any other projects you are working on that you can tell us about?

Angela Kinsey: I am in a fun family movie called Furry Vengeance that will be out next year and I am writing a pilot for TV that I hope to sell for life after The Office.

Be sure to check out Angela on Nice ‘n Easy’s website for videos and hair color tips from Gigi.