LC's Glam Squad

At the risk of sounding like a self-important, conceited bitch (but what the hell, this is MY blog, after all) people ask me everywhere I go, “Who does your hair?”

I admit to spending a great deal of time and money on the beautification of Lorraine. I wish I could say I am one of those women who gets their hair cut every six months at Supercuts and just doesn’t give a shit (okay, I DON’T EVER want to be one of those women, who am I kidding?) But if I could find a way to write off “hair expenses” and “beauty treatments” on my income taxes, trust me, I would.

Barack Obama, by the way, this is something to look into. Pretty sure Michelle is not getting her hair done by just any random Joe at a cheap, back alley salon specializing in cornrows and weaves. Let’s make one category to itemize expenses for salon visits. Stimulating the economy, one hair appointment at a time. Barack Obama, you said it yourself, honey, it’s time for change.

These are the people who keep me looking and feeling like a million bucks, otherwise known affectionately as my 'glam squad.'

My List of the Crème de la Crème when it comes to BEAUTY PROFESSIONALS:

For Amazing Hair (if I became a celebrity tomorrow, I would hire him to be like Ken Paves, Eva Longoria’s hairdresser, who travels from movie set to movie set doing her hair. Yes, he’s that amazing):
Lethan Olvera
Toni & Guy Salon San Tan Village
2200 East Williams Field Road, Suite 119
Gilbert, AZ 85295
(480) 812-1955

For Incredible Color (only she could take me from Salma Hayek brunette to Jessica Alba honey blonde in a matter of months with no damage to my hair):
Dani Craig
Toni & Guy Salon San Tan Village
2200 East Williams Field Road, Suite 119
Gilbert, AZ 85295
(480) 812-1955

For a fantastic haircut, and the best blowout of your life (he worked for Dolce Salon for years, and he’s not only talented, but a total sweetheart):
Brent Poarch
Sheila’s, Globe, Arizona
(Message me for the number)

For the best waxes, facials, and a great selection of skin care products:
Fuschia
Val Vista & Baseline at Dana Park Village
480-813-7465
1854 S Val Vista Dr # 108, Mesa, AZ

For a great spray tan, or tanning packages that are reasonable, and a fabulous staff of tanning pro’s:
Sunchain Tanning
Power & Baseline
(480) 654-1220

For a fantastic manicure or new set of nails, treat yourself at Addicted to Nails. Ask for Sheera, she’s not only professional, but she’s the friendliest and sweetest person and one inspiring lady.
950 East Pecos Road
Chandler, AZ 85225-2401
(480) 753-3920
www.addictedtonails.com


Visit all these salons and professionals today, and tell 'em LC sent you. You might not be able to write off the expenses on your taxes, but there's no price you can put on looking and feeling fabulous.

The Creme de la Creme of Hairdressers

So, I started the blog Dreaming in Dior because I wanted to write about fashion, shopping, celebrities, beauty products, stores, services, restaurants, and all the best places to shop or get pampered.

Initially, I started my blog because I was mistreated at a local salon, Dolce Salon and Spa, at the front desk. The girls who were working there were totally hateful every time I’d go in the salon. They once lost my cashmere cardigan that I had bought at Bloomingdales, and didn’t even apologize. In fact, they looked almost happy that they had misplaced it.

And although I was getting exceptional service and quality hair cuts and color from their stylists, the fact that anybody could be so hateful and abrasive to clients in a customer service oriented business baffled me. Especially in these troubled economic times, superior customer service is not only a standard, it’s a necessity.

I used to get my hair done in my early twenties (which, yes, my friends, I am now in my late twenties) by a male hairdresser named Lethan. I absolutely loved every time he’d do my hair. My aunt would tell me my hair looked like “soap opera” hair, because I looked like a woman from the soaps.

Time passed, and I’ll admit, in my early twenties, monogamy was not something I was known for. I was NOT the girl to date if you wanted a serious relationship, because I probably would’ve gotten bored with you and sabotaged the relationship intentionally (or maybe not so intentionally.) I was not the girl who stayed with one boyfriend for months, or years. I wanted to be free, and that included my choices with just about everything: even my hairdressers.

I was not faithful to one hairdresser. I tried them all. I probably have visited every notable salon in the Phoenix metropolitan area; I even had my hair done by a fantastic hairdresser in Globe, a man who used to work for Dolce, in fact. Still, I was not committed to one stylist.

"You're like, a salon whore," April told me one day. For some reason, this pulled at my heartstrings. It was time to settle my ass down. No more salon hopping for me.

In a few days, I will turn 28 years old. I realize this is still relatively young; but I also know that in the past few years, I have changed. I’m no longer like the girl I was in my early twenties. Now that I know what works for me, I’m willing to be more devoted to products, stores, brands of jeans, but most importantly…hairdressers.

In July, I ran into Lethan again at his salon, Toni and Guy in Gilbert, Arizona, at San Tan Village. I was there with April for her hair appointment, and he asked if I’d be his hair model. When this guy offers to do your hair, you don’t say no. He’s just that good.

I was his hair model, and after that, I continued to visit him, faithfully, every six weeks. And every time, my hair looked amazing. Every minute of your hair appointment is blissful, beginning with the shampoo bowl (when he shampoos and conditions my hair, I seriously think my eyes roll back in my head.) (And for the record, that doesn’t happen very often to me. Which doesn’t say a whole lot for the guys I’ve dated.) He already knows what to do with my hair before I even say a word. He listens, and is conscientious, and he makes an effort to be personable and congenial with everyone who walks through the door, and especially with his own clients.

“HE looks like HE could be on a soap opera, he’s so damn cute,” my adorable Aunt told me one day.

And while he is, in fact, easy on the eyes, he’s also a class act. He’s funny, considerate, and treats his staff well, and as a beauty connoisseur, I must say, that quality is a hallmark of any successful store or salon. Just like you can tell a lot about a guy based on how he treats his mom or his sisters, you can tell a lot about a salon based on how the person in charge treats their employees.

“You have a blog?” he asked me. “Why haven’t you written about ME?” he joked the last time I was in the salon.

I guess I hadn’t really thought about it, which is ironic, since I started my blog with the intention of highlight ONLY the crème de la crème, and since I have not only discriminating taste but impeccable taste…I can guarantee you that Lethan really is the crème de la crème.

From the haircut you will receive, to the customer service, you’ll be impressed, time and time again.

And if you’re like the flaky, inconsistent girl I was in my early twenties, you might just become monogamous with one hairdresser from here on out.

You might not be committed to your boyfriends, but after your first appointment with Lethan, you’ll be faithful to your hairdresser.

P.S.--Adam Sandler in The Zohan (see photo above) is not nearly as cute as my hairdresser. See for yourself, make an appointment today. Tell them Lorraine sent you.

To make an appointment today, call (480) 812-1955. Toni & Guy is located at San Tan Village in Gilbert, right across from Forever 21. The staff is incredible, and the salon is full of energy. You can thank me later. ;)

Queen for a Day

“How do you want your hair to look, Lorraine?” my hot hairdresser asks me as he massages in volumizing product and leave-in conditioners, and as I inhale their aromatic loveliness. He hovers over me, since he is, after all, at least a whole foot taller than I am. As I look back at his reflection in the mirror, he is making faces at me in an attempt to make me laugh (as usual) and I say, “I just want full, pretty, sexy hair.” He laughs at me, because I sound ridiculous, probably, but also because he is an anomaly: a straight, good natured hairdresser with good looks to match, and as a man—he knows how to define sexy for himself. I don’t even need to explain to him what that would look like—he knows what wants sexy to look like. So sexy hair is exactly what I get—as he round brushes my hair, I notice he has sprayed something in my hair: the fragrance wafts through the air and I am intoxicated by the scent (about as intoxicated as I was in the shampoo bowls as I sat and had my hair shampooed and conditioned. If heaven is better than this, God is unbelievably good.)

When I say I want “sexy” hair, what I mean is, I want big, Bridgette Bardot-inspired hair; hair that is reminiscent of the same sexy film siren people have used as a fashion muse for decades. I'm talking about hair that attracts attention, hair that stops traffic, hair that looks one part naughty and one part lovely; hair that prompts men to think of thoughts like Victoria’s Secret lingerie catalogs, sex hair, and hair you want to run your fingers through (or whatever your heart desires.)



As my hairdresser finishes drying my hair, I open my eyes to see a new and improved LC. I have better-than-sex hair, thanks to my new volumizer by TIGI, Queen for a Day, which, after sprayed through my strands, plumps up my hair and gives me the same Bridgette Bardot hair that has been the fantasy of men for generation after generation. I am now confident, polished, and ready to hit the pavement in 4 inch heels and enviable locks. One stylist, blow dryer, TIGI Queen for a Day, and a round brush later, I am transformed; I have swag in my step. There’s nothing sexier than that.

To purchase "Queen for a Day" from TIGI, or for sexy hair of your own, visit San Tan Village Toni & Guy (all of their stylists are amazing, but my family sees Crystal, Dani, Megan, and Lethan.) You can buy products from the entire TIGI collection there, and they have just about the friendliest staff in town. To make an appointment, call: 480-812-1955.

I'll Keep You, My Dirty Little Secret

Sometimes I like to keep my beauty secrets to myself. I once went on a few dates with a guy who had really beautiful skin. When I asked if he had any particular trick to getting his skin so glowy, he said he read Cosmo and that he learned he had to massage in baby oil immediately after his shower, before drying off with a towel. I don’t know if I was more disturbed that I felt like he had stolen MY beauty secret, or that he, too, had read it in an issue of Cosmopolitan Magazine. Helen Gurley Brown herself would have scratched her head and wondered if she should lose the guy’s number after that date.

That being said, even though I blog and I like to mention all the latest beauty finds and steals out there that I unearth on my shopping ventures, I also keep some little tricks of the trade and tools to myself—call me selfish, if you will. This one, however, is totally worth sharing.

I work out about 5 days a week, and in the summer, I was clocking 6 days a week, 2 hours a day. (Please don’t ask me why my body doesn’t look like Heidi Klum’s yet; I ask myself the same damn question every time I strip down to my Victoria’s Secret lingerie everyday of my life in the full-length mirror.) Nevertheless, that is one hell of a lot of sweating going on, and my hair of course sometimes gets drenched, but mostly at the roots and around the crown of my hair.

In an attempt to salvage my hair and keep it long and healthy, I didn’t want to have to wash it everyday, but I also didn’t want hair that smelled like a man’s locker room. To that end, April recommended I buy dry shampoo, and ‘save the environment.’ Quite honestly, I’ll admit my selfish motivation—I wasn’t thinking about eco-friendly solutions, it was much more about me, not having to wash my hair on the daily. But, two birds, one stone, right?

Tigi’s Dirty Little Secret Dry Shampoo, part of their Rockaholic collection, not only has chic, sexy packaging, it smells good, neutralizes the smell of your hair and gives you volume at the roots; it also allows you to extend your shampoo and blow out another day, which, yes, April, saves water, but also saves you time and energy, which we all could use a little more of.

I’m very good at keeping things in the vault; I hold more secrets that people share with me than Fort Knox. But this one isn’t CIA status; it’s so good, I have to share it with my people, so run out and get dry shampoo for yourself.

And when your hair is looking fab the day after a major sweat session at your spinning class, I won’t tell your tool of the trade. It will be our dirty little secret. ;)

To purchase Rockaholic products from TIGI, especially Dirty Little Secret, check out select stores like Ulta or Trade Secret, or hit up San Tan Village's Toni and Guy Salon, where you can buy any of the TIGI products and get helpful, friendly service (the ladies in my Glam Crew highly recommend this salon, so put it on your priorities list, babe.)

My A-List Hair from a Star Status Salon

All my life, since I was a little girl, I dreamed of being a Hollywood star. I wanted to be an actress more than life itself. At 18, before I went off to ASU, I begged my Mom to let me move to Los Angeles and pursue an acting career; she said education was more important and that I would be broke and penniless in LA and at the time, that scared me so much that I pursued other paths. Still, I often wonder what might have been; I think that feeling is quite possibly one of the most atrocious feelings one can ever have, which is why in my present life, I refuse to let anyone keep me from chasing dreams, however impossible they may seem.

One of the perks, no doubt, of being a Hollywood starlet is to have a team of experts and professionals at your beck and call; having stylists to the stars and colorists that are so exceptional, they travel with the A-List. Because I still try to live a glam life, even on the budget of a single woman who is purchasing her first home, I would like to think that I have my very own "glam squad" to keep me on top of my game--although at this point, I'm not certain I have a "game" to be on top of, or "game", period.

I had my hair colored this weekend at Toni & Guy in Gilbert, at San Tan Village. Dani, a colorist for T&G, gave me THE best color I've had in ages, and made it shiny, healthy, conditioned, and looking like a million dollars. Sometimes I feel like Jessica Simpson with her personal hairdresser, Ken Paves, giving her the star treatment no matter where she goes. Dani & the crew at this salon are so awesome, you'd want to take them along with you as you jet-set across the globe on publicity tours, too.

If I was a celebrity, you can bet your sweet ass that I'd have my very own "glam squad" assembled & set to make me look red-carpet ready every single star-studded day. And even though I'm not in the lens of the paparrazzi's cameras, my hair is ready for a close-up, and yours can be, too--so see Dani at Toni & Guy, and get celeb worthy hair that won't break the bank.

Tell 'em Lorraine sent you, and be sure and mention that you read it here first, on Dreaming in Dior. First time clients usually get extra perks, so see what they can offer. My hair professionals are Dani for color; Lethan for cuts--and he is seriously THE best,too--so make those appointments, honey. Crystal is April's stylist but she's done my hair before, too, and she's amazingly talented. And no matter who you see at this salon, I can tell you that the staff at Toni & Guy at San Tan are professional, personable, and totally A-List.

I live and die by the quote "It's never too late to be what you might have been." Although I took a different path at 18, my 15 minutes may someday come...and at least when the cameras flash, and I'm in the limelight, one thing's for certain: I'll get the award for best hair.

Call Toni & Guy today to book an appointment: (480) 812-1955. They're located in the San Tan Village Mall right across from Forever 21, close to Harkins Theatres. Every person in that salon is incredibly friendly; you'll get the best customer service, every time. Tell 'em Lorraine referred you. :)

Gotta Treat Me Right...

I don't know about all of you, but if I'm having a bad hair day, it seems like it throws off my entire day. That may sound vain (and it is, I'll be the first to admit it) but my hair is important to me. I've been growing it out, and I refuse to get a short haircut. (I even made it through the whole Posh Spice trend without even considering cutting off my long locks, which is a good thing, because everyone and their MOM got that haircut, seriously.) Yes, I've spent a small fortune at salons through the years, and had a whole colorful assortment of hair professionals come in and out of my life. The ones who I somehow always go back to, I refer to as my "glam squad," because they keep me polished and put together, always on point, which is just part of the magic that is LC. ;) But up until very recently, nothing I seemed to try was helping my hair. Because I spent an entire year of my life with the whole Jessica Alba look going on in my hair, I had also severely damaged my mane, trying to be honey blonde, & as soon as I'd cut it, it seemed like I'd keep getting broken, split, ugly hair a week or two later.

I was in a somewhat hopeless situation with my hair until about a week ago, and was completely frustrated and unsure of what to do with it. I felt like I was having a bad hair day, and my actual life, incidentally, seemed to mirror what was going on with my hair, too. For those of you who laugh and think I'm overdramatizing, I'm totally not.

My cousin, Priscilla, was getting her hair done, and I went with April to have dinner at Gordon Biersch. When we went back for her, I got asked to be a hair model by a hairdresser who had done my hair for awhile a few years ago. Because he's such a nice guy, I was obliged to say yes, though I admit I was a little nervous at first. But at the same time, I had total faith in his talent, so I knew my hair would be in good hands.

Two days later, I walked out of a salon with an amazing haircut; healthy, shiny hair, and enviable, effortless curls. The miracle product that my stylist used on my hair? A fantastic little product that delivers big results: "Treat Me Right", which is part of the TIGI hair collection. This deep conditioner not only smells fresh, pepperminty, and clean, it also strengthens and softens even the most hopeless of hair.

You can pick up Treat Me Right, as well as the entire Tigi collection of hair products at stores like Ulta, but I'd recommend paying a visit to Toni & Guy Salon at San Tan Village in Gilbert, where you can not only find Tigi products, but also get a fantastic new haircut, color, or other beauty service with a hair professional that will give you a beautiful new 'do. This salon's filled with helpful, friendly, and attentive salon professionals--April's gone here for years, and she's even more picky and selective than I am, if that's possible. :)

Sometimes all it takes is a pick-me-up to lift us out of a slump, whether it's with our hair, or in our lives. Check out this product for yourself, and visit the T&G salon at San Tan Village...where I have no doubt they'll treat YOU right, too.

To book your appointment today: Toni & Guy:(480) 812-1955.