Christmas gifts from Brown Sugar

We love Christmas here at Brown Sugar. It is the time of year for giving back to your nearest and dearest and saying thanks for just being you! we have some fantastic opulent gifts which are sure to make all the women in your life feel special.

Our gorgeous gift set boxes are sure to put a smile on anybody’s face, and whats best is you get to decide what goes into the box! We have a great choice of products ranging from our very popular Kohl make-up collection including make-up applicators, to great hair elixir treatments and other fantastic L’oréal products. The vast amount of choice is boundless, making our gift boxes thee perfect choice for surprising that special person in your life!

Another popular gift choice available from Brown Sugar is our gift vouchers. Surprise that special someone with a voucher redeemable for any of our services in either of our salon’s. We love to treat every client so you can ensure that your special someone will be  pampered as if in a spa retreat.

If you would like to go that extra mile with your gifting and make it memorable, we are offering you the chance to pre-pay for a year worth of blow-dry’s with Brown Sugar, a gift the receiver is sure to never forget.

For more information on obtaining any of the above gifts, drop by either of our salons, or contact us on (01) 6169967.

This seasons hottest trends

We have been keeping a watchful eye on all of the hottest hair trends popping up on the catwalks and red carpets! One that has appeared everywhere this season is the side-parting and side-lined up-do.

This look is easy to achieve, easy to maintain and makes for an instantly glamorous look. The fabulous side-parted up-do is a great alternative to the safe curly blow-drys, which we’re always fond of in Brown Sugar, but like to mix up and experiment with every now and then.

This little gem would be best saved for a special event you might have looming, like a Christmas party? Want to stand out in the crowd? Then change your style up with this eye-catching hair style.

Charity Fight in aid of Cystic Fibrosis

In aid of the Cystic Fibrosis Association of Ireland, Brown Sugar owner Mark O’Keeffe and  senior stylist Christian Shannon are taking part in the Saoirse Dunne Thunderbolt fight night on Sunday the 4th December to help fundraise for this very worthy cause.

Mark and Christian will be stepping into the boxing ring to fight it out, and raise as much money for the cause as they possibly can. Tickets to the event are €30 and can be purchased directly from Brown Sugar.

All donations are welcome and can be made through the links provided. Any donation no matter how small is hugely appreciated!

Mark’s Link: http://www.mycharity.ie/event/mark_okeeffes_event/

Christian’s Link: http://www.mycharity.ie/event/christian_shannons_event/

Here is a little bit more about the Cystic Fibrosis Association of Ireland:

The Cystic Fibrosis Association of Ireland, which is totally dependent on fundraising and voluntary donations, is the body responsible for the provision of a wide range of services to the Cystic Fibrosis community in the Republic of Ireland.

They provide:

• Assistance, financial or otherwise, to persons with cystic fibrosis and their families.
• Funding for medical research into the cause and cure of this incurable disease.
• Funding of specialist multidisciplinary posts in hospitals throughout Ireland.
• A domiciliary physiotherapy service to children with cystic fibrosis.
• Campaigning and lobbying at political level for improved treatments and facilities for persons suffering with cystic fibrosis.

Cystic Fibrosis is Ireland’s most common genetically inherited disease, yet there is currently no cure. We have the highest incidence of the disease in the developed world, with every 1 in 19 people being carriers of the recessive CF gene. It is when two carriers of the recessive gene parent a child together, that there is a 1 in 4 risk of the child having the disease.

Meet…

            Debbie Blake Carr – Senior Stylist – Brown Sugar, South William Street

Debbie began her career in hairdressing at the young age of 15, when she started as a trainee. Hairdressing wasn’t Debbie’s first career choice, however once she began working in the industry she knew it was for her. She went on to become a fully qualified hairdresser aged just 17, when she become one of the youngest qualified hairdressers in the salon which she was working in at the time.

Debbie began working in Brown Sugar when it opened six years ago, and is now a senior stylist in the salon. She previously worked with salon owner Mark O’Keeffe in one of Ireland’s leading hairdressing chains, and has now worked with Mark for almost 18 years.

Some of Debbie’s clients have included Samantha Mumba, Bláthnaid Ní Chofaigh, the Seoige sisters and The Original Rudeboys to name but a few. She has also done some work for RTÉ’s fashion programme Off The Rails. Some of the previous Brown Sugar photo shoots have showcased Debbie’s handiwork including the up-coming images of our most recent shoot, which Debbie was on hand to lend her expertise to.

Debbie has perfected her craft of hairdressing over the years, and is going from strength to strength in her career. While Debbie excels in cutting hair, she love all aspects of hairdressing; “In recent years I have really enjoyed up-styling and dressing of hair.”

Top-Tip from Debbie: “It is really important to look after the condition of your hair and it is imperative that you trust in the recommendation from your stylist. Some people might shy away from salon products as they can get a cheaper version in the local supermarket, however once salon products are used properly, they can work out much cheaper and more beneficial.”

Debbie’s favourite product is the Kératase Elixir hair treatment which she describes as the “Champagne” for hair. This product is a deep conditioning, nourishing treatment, that works really well especially for people who have coloured hair or hard-to-manage hair

Statement make-up!

Lady GaGa may have chosen to be a satellite dish at Sunday’s MTV Europe Music Awards but dressing up as space equipment isn’t the only way to make a dramatic fashion statement! We love Lady GaGa here at Brown Sugar, but we wouldn’t be using her as inspiration for our next ensemble. We do however have some great advice on how to make a dramatic make-up statement which is Christmas party friendly!

Dewy, natural make-up, has been a big hit this season, however it might not be the right fit for your all-important Christmas party. Subtle, barely-there make-up has taken a back seat for the festive period, in favour of a more dramatic make-up trend which will give you a full octane glamourous look.

Designers were inspired both this look too; Dsquared2 paired pillar box red lips with sooty black eyes, while Givenchy teamed orange lips with shimmering red eye make-up. Both are great examples of how to pull off this dramatic high-glam make-up trend.

Your guide to glossy hair…

Healthy looking, glossy hair is huge this season with Kate Middleton, Olivia Palermo, Cher Lloyd and Kelly Rowland sporting this look. With the holiday season almost upon us you won’t need a long salon visit to get this soft, glossy style. It takes just 10 minutes to apply and 20 minutes to develop, meaning your salon visit should not take more than one hour, allowing you plenty of Christmas shopping time.

The new L’Oréal Diacolour range which we use in Brown Sugar is not only ammonia free, but it also gives a great high-gloss finish which will leave you with perfect polished looking hair!

Kate has added some sun-kissed natural looking highlights to her preppy, chelsea-style hair. Good quality home conditioning treatments are perfect for keeping long, luscious locks like this impeccable.

Olivia Palermo has added glossy, caramel highlights to her tresses which will catch the light giving hair an extra sheen.

Cher Lloyd has ditched her street-chic hair for a new polished glossy look, which makes her look chic and sophisticated.

Kelly Rowland dresses up her super long hair with a full fringe which makes it look extra shiny.

Call in and speak to one of our colour specialists for more information on how to achieve your own glossy style.

Brown Sugar has a make-over!

Our South William Street salon has just had a fabulous new make-over! We had our most hard-working elves stop by overnight and revamp the salon.

The salon itself is still just the way you have always liked it, but with some new features such as our sparkling new chandeliers, reupholstered leather seats, and the luxurious gold wall. When you walk through the salon you can feel the difference these changes make. There is spacious vibe, all the while retaining the relaxed, luxurious atmosphere you know and love.

With the arrival of our new in-salon services and introductory offers, the timing couldn’t be better to come in, relax, and receive the full Brown Sugar experience, in the plush new surroundings of our updated salon. If you can’t make it down to view the changes for yourself here’s a sneak peek of our new interior.

Meet…

Elayne Archbold – Senior Stylist – Brown Sugar, Blackrock.

Elayne began her career in hairdressing at the tender age of 16. She has been hairdressing for the past eight years, six of which have been spent working in Brown Sugar. Elayne began working with Brown Sugar when the salon opened in South William Street, although she has since transferred to the Blackrock salon where she has worked now for almost three years.

Elayne entered the Irish Hair Federation competition in her first year of hairdressing, where she took 4th place in the Junior Fantasy category. She then went on to win 1st place for Brown Sugar in the L’Oreal Colour Trophy Next Generation category and has also been a finalist for the past two years in the L’Oreal Colour Trophy Gent’s category.

Some of Elayne’s clients have included Sinead Kennedy, Nadine Coyle, Amanda Brunker, Bláthnaid Ní Chofaigh, Jodie Albert, and Amy Huberman to name but a few. Elayne specialises in up-styles which she thoroughly enjoys and has perfected over the course of her career.

Elayne’s TOP-TIP: “Always trust your stylist. When buying hair products choose well-known brands over discount brands which will cost you more in the long run.” Elayne’s favourite products are Kérastase Elixir which is a deep nourishing, conditioning treatment and L’Oreal Tecni Art Pli which is a heat activated setting spray that will add volume to your style.

Introductory offers at Brown Sugar

With the launch of some exciting new services in Brown Sugar, we wanted to treat you with an introductory offer in our South William Street and Blackrock salons.

Receive 20% off the following services Monday to Friday:

• Gelish Manicure 
• Blackrock: RRP €30, offer price €24 
• South William Street: RRP €35, offer price €28
• HD Brows (including threading and shaping) – RRP €30, offer price €24

We also have some fantastic offers on Lashes:

Corner Lashes – RRP €25, offer price €20

Full Set Rapid Lashes – RRP €50, offer price €40

Full Set of Flared lashes in luscious mink – RRP €60, offer price €48

Mascara Look – RRP €77, offer price €61.60

Full Set – RRP €99, offer price €79.20

Full set of luxury mink – RRP €120, offer price €96

Re-Fills – RRP from €40, offer price from €32 

Mink Re-Fills – RRP from €50, offer price from €40

Look your best for less this holiday season by availing of our new services. Contact our salons on 01 6169967 (South William Street) and 01 2108630 (Blackrock) to book an appointment while this special introductory offer is available.

 

 

Runway to Redcarpet – Our top 4 most wearable hair trends

We have seen many hair trends going from runway to red carpet this season and we wanted to share some of our favourite styles with you. While some catwalk hair styles are high-fashion, others are more wearable. Here are our top four hair trends which we feel can be easily adapted from the runway:

1. Mid-height sleek pony tails as seen on Louis Vuitton’s models, are easily adaptable and work well in unpredictable Irish weather. For best results work some serum through the hair for extra shine.

2. We are loving Gucci’s sleek hair with its deep side-parting, which was unveiled in his A/W 11 campaign. This style is very easy to achieve by parting your hair in a wide side-parting using a comb and brush the rest of your hair around to the back of your head, securing it in a low pony tail.

3. DKNY opted for soft waves at their S/S 12 show at New York Fashion Week. The key to this style is to use a good volumizer, and then blow-dry into the hair. Brown Sugar is renowned for our curly blow dry, so why not let our talented stylists work their magic with this one on you?

4. Chanel’s low-bun is elegance at its utmost. This classy up-style is perfect for the party season – Does it inspire you for an upcoming Christmas party? Have our team recreate the look.

We hope we have inspired you with some of our favourite styles and don’t forget when you book in with Brown Sugar during November for cut and colour you will get a 3 week manicure absolutely free.