Braids For Spring

Braids are SO hot right now!

The talented Andy Lecompte of the Andy Lecompte Salon (and Madonna's mane man) gave me a few quick tips on one of my favorite hairstyles for spring (below).

Click here to check out the dish at Hollywood Life.

How Beauty Banter Saved My Blonde

The fashionable Annelise Peterson, known to most as the West Coast Director of celebrity services for Alberta Ferretti (and formerly a NYC resident), recently moved to LA LA Land.

Here's a testimonial, in her own words, on the painstaking battle for the perfect Cali blonde hair:

"As a New York transplant to the city of Implants, Hollywood!, I learned the hard way that finding a good dye doctor takes as much R & D as determining the perfect plastic surgeon. In LA, nothing says Heffner hussie more than an over-processed Hue.

I'm a fashion finder. Beauty bantering is not my beat. I've been a loyal to my lady lock in New York, Astrid at the Warren Tricomi salon, for years. Yes, five years of foils. But my allegiance to Astrid has its physical limits: flying 6 hours for blonde and a blow just doesn't seem on trend with fashion economics. In New York, economically savvy has become more chic than Chanel.

Although I've never been one to trust my tresses with just anyone, I took the advise of a friend and visited a popular Beverly Hills salon for highlights (which will remain nameless to protect the identities of those involved). I put on a smock and after a few hours of foils,
I walked away realizing that all Beverly Hills barbers are not created equal. In Los Angeles, foil is a four letter word. Beverly Hills is all about the balliage. In one foil sweep, my thirteen years of New York sophistication had been stripped away leaving me dull and over processed. In a culture where perception and reflection equal reality, I had become completely one-dimensional; a wash-out. Crisis! What WAS I to do???

Acts of God often arrive in unconventional ways through the most unexpected vehicles. In this case, Beauty Banter has become my new religion.

So, how did Beauty Banter rescue my ridiculous roots and hideous hair? She sent me see LA's founding father of blonde balliage whose oval bowl resides at the Andy Lecompte Salon on North Almont Drive. George Papanikolas.

I hung my head with shame as he looked at my bleached head of hair. "It's going to take a few visits, but we will get your hair back to basics worth bantering about."

Three hours later, I had been transformed. My terrible tresses had become beach blonde bombshell. Ridiculous Roots? Eradicated and replaced by golden locks not unlike Repunzel's.

There is a new shade of loyalty in Los Angeles. Don't be foiled by impersonators. If blonde is your ambition, there is only one place to go, one process to use, and one person to see: Andy Lecompte. Balliage. George Papanikolas.

Amen.

Yours Truly,
Annelise Peterson, the Fashion Finder that has a lot to Banter about."

You're so very welcome!

Madonna's Hair Stylist Opens His Own L.A. Salon!!!

Andy Lecompte, the man responsible for the fabulous manes of such celebrities as Madonna, Penelope Cruz and Lindsay Lohan, has opened his very own West Hollywood Salon, Andy Lecompte Salon.

(Andy's handy work on the cover of Elle Magazine)

Andy worked at another famous Beverly Hills salon, Chris McMillan, up until last week. On Tuesday, The Andy Lecompte Salon opened its doors to the neighborhood.

Our personal favorite hair maven, Jen Atkin, also made the move! We can't wait to check out the new boutique salon!

Here's a sneak peak:


Very New York loft meets West Hollywood chic! Tres gorgeous!