87/365

Russ and Adilfa

Its time to learn how to use my DSLR and take it off automatic mode. 

Eric got me a Groupon for a 4 hour photography class with Don Polo Photography. 

First of all, I loved the couple that taught the class. Probably because they remind me so much of my parents. This is so cheesy but my parents' love for each other (as well as Adilfa and Russ) is so evident and after so many years of marriage they are still very affectionate...Eric and I will be just like that too :)

Adilfa is hilarious and has been a photographer for 18 years. For the past 10 years her husband, Russ, has joined her in the business so now it's a family affair. Adilfa is from Venezuela and Russ is gringo. Just like my mom, after many years of living in this country, Adilfa has a super thick accent. Their photography is super traditional but they had a plethora of knowledge and I could have listened to them all day. They have mad photography skills and are extremely talented. They can make anyone look good! And man, I've never seen anyone use Photoshop so well. Eric knows his way around the program but I've never seen it used like this. They made brides look thinner in their waist and arms, took away blemishes, added umph to someones eyes, whitened teeth, lightened the appearance of wrinkles. When people said models on covers of magazines don't really look that way, they weren't kidding. I didn't know how they could distort their body until I saw Adilfa work her magic. The before pictures were night and day. She didn't make the brides look like a different person, she just made them look a little better.

Now onto the class. The basics were covered:

-how to use your camera  

-posing

-photoshop

-lighting

Lets just say there is still A LOT I need to learn. We just covered the tip of the iceberg. How to use your camera was the most confusing. I'm still trying to figure out how to balance aperture, shutter speed, and metering. Until then, I'm still using automatic. I really just got a glimpse of how to use my camera and need to figure the thing out. I didn't think it'd be so complicated. They suggested we take workshops and more classes to further our skills. Thinking about joining the Wasatch Camera Club where you can take field trips, workshops, and "learn and grow with other area photographers who take the art seriously".  

600 peeps purchased the groupon and there were 100 people in my class. Most were amateurs, like myself (have a DSLR but don't know how to use it), and only a handful were paid professionals. That's not what I'm aiming for...I love taking pictures and I just want to get better at it. 

70/365

I never posted pictures from my Kerafusion treatment because the product SUCKS! A whole three washes later my soft, fine hair was gone and completely back to normal. It was as if the treatment had never been applied. I called the salon and they said they have never had any problems but to come in so they can take a look. When I showed up at the salon they said my hair didn't look damaged. They said they didn't know why it didn't hold and blamed it on my type of hair...must be the PH balance or something wack-tastic like that. The salon offered to redo the treatment for $50 bucks. Ha, I'm not going to give them another dime. If they backup their product and service, they should do it for free. I ended up walking away with some type of conditioner that I had to pay for. Supposedly it'll do the trick, if it doesn't then they can redo the treatment. I was very disappointed in their customer service and will not be going back to Capelli Salon in American Fork. What a waste of my hard earned money for a less than superior result.

I remembered seeing the Groupon promise on the sidebar of the website once. It says "Nothing is more important to us than treating our customers well. If you ever feel like Groupon let you down, give us a call and we'll return your purchase - simple as that." I figured Groupon wouldn't be too happy about my experience so I decided to give them a call...hopefully they'd be of a little more assistance than the salon. I spoke to a real person and less than 4 minutes later she refunded the full $99. They didn't ask any questions but of course I explained the whole situation. She was very friendly and apologized for my experience. It really was simple as that. I loved Groupon before, but now I'm a customer for life!

Guess I'm stuck with these curls. Maybe I'll look into the Japanese straightening system.

57/365

Today will change my life foreva!

Ever since I heard about the Brazillian Blowout treatment I've been DYING to get it. The blowout is supposed to straighten my hair - like I get out of the shower and it air dries straight, yeah, AH-MAZING! The catch: it only lasts UP TO 12 weeks. Of course, it has a pretty price tag too...a whopping $300. I know once I get it I'd be hooked so I don't think my wallet can afford me to spend $300 4x a year (let alone once a year). I've contemplated whether I should get this treatment for quite some time. 

Until...

Groupon saved the day...and my wallet. For $99 buckaroos I could get something similar, the Kerafusion Keratin treatment (this keratin treatment is popping up everywhere). The second I saw this groupon I bought it. It claims to be better than the Brazillian Blowout because it's FDA approved (the only one of its kind so far) and lasts 3-6 months. Sorry Brazillian, I found something a lot better. To top it off, since I purchased it on groupon, the salon will honor the $99 price EVERY TIME I want to get it done. SCORE!

There's been a lot of talk going on in the news about this Brazillian straightening trend and how it can be harmful to your health. No worries ya'll, I did my research and the Kerafusion has less than 1.3% formaldehyde (Brazillian has 4-12%). California even sued Brazillian Blowout for having too much formaldehyde. I feel good about it and if I don't like, well, then I just have to deal with my uneven curly frizz forever.

Side note: When I buy new clothes, I sometimes like to save them and not wear them right away (depends on the item). Eric is the complete opposite. The second he buys something new he wears it that day if he can. Well, I purchased the groupon back in January. I've been "saving" it until I get closer to summer so I don't have to worry about my frizzy hair at the pool. I decided I couldn't stand my hair anymore and was getting it done NOW. I made an appointment and now I'm on my way to shiny, sleek hair. 

Here are some photos of my curly frizz. Sometimes I can have a good hair day but for the most part it's just not cute. Like the LAST pic, oh my was that a BAD HAIR DAY! It might help if I put some type of product in my hair.

I'm low maintenance. What you see here is au naturale...no product, no brushing, just blah. Although I should, I don't like using product in my hair because I feel like it leaves it greasy. So I just wash n' go.

Just imagine the images below in black and white like you see in the infomercials.

We always want what we can't have. I wish my hair was straight or that my curls were more defined and not so uneven. So I get to the salon and the girl doing my hair says she wished she had my hair, ha, are you kidding?! Gross! She said this treatment won't give me straight hair, it will just eliminate the frizz and make it easier to blow dry/straighten. Hey, I'll take that. 2 1/2 hours later I walk outta the salon with straight filmy hair. Yeah... filmy from the product. They put the product in my hair, blowdry it, and straighten it. I can't wash it out for 24-72 hours.

To add to the torture, I can't wear it in a ponytail or do anything that will put a kink in my hair. These next couple days will be fun. Can't wait to see what it does. Oh, and there were no harsh fumes, my eyes didn't sting, and we didn't need a ventilation system. The product even smelt good. My hairstylist said it's less damaging then dying my hair or getting a perm.