Twila's Blog

How brite is your smile?

When someone meets you for the first time, what is one thing they are sure to notice about you?  Yes!  Your smile!  Have you thought about professional teeth whitening only to dismiss it due to the time and money it takes?  Come on, we all know the stuff you get at the drug stores will only do so much.  Plus, we now know, repeated use of that stuff can eventually destroy the enamel on your teeth!  That's a pretty high price to pay for a brighter smile, don't you think?

Linda Gutzkow, the permanent make up artist at Fantasia, offers teeth whitening with the BriteWhite Teeth Whitening System.  This is a safe, quick affordable alternative with revolutionary technology which can lighten yor teeth 4 to 11 shades in less than 1 hour, without sensitivity.  And, all at a price which is about 1/3 of what the dentist are charging!  How is is done you ask?  Its a NEW concept for Professional Teeth Whitening using Cool Blue LED (Light Emitting Diodes) whicfh activate the gel and attack the discolorations of the teeth.......quickly and safely.  BriteWhite whitens the teeth, removes years of built up discolorations without softening the enamel, causing corrosive problems or distrupting the soft and hard tissues.  So, you can be on the cutting edge with BriteWhite teeth and the next time you meet someone new, they will be dazzeled by your brite smile!  Call Fantasia today to schedule your teeth whitening appointment with Linda or contact Linda directly @ 763.439.7279.

Win a $100 Gift Card.......

You can win!  If you are a salon customer, we would like your email address.  In the near future, we will be doing promotions via email and would like to keep you informed about what's going on at Fantasia.  So, if you will provide your email address and drop your card in the bowl, you have a chance to win a $100. Gift Card.

There are many wonderful things going on at Fantasia.  Several of the stylist are preparing to attend training in Chicago the weekend of March 1st.  They will come home excited and ready to try new techniques so call now to schedule your appointment.  That same weekend, Fantasia is teaming up an Isagenix Associate to host a booth at the Body, Mind, Life Expo at the Minneapolis Auditorium.  Our terrific permanent make-up artist, Linda Gutzcow will have a booth there as well so, stop by both booths say "hi" and register to win "Happy Chocolates" and a Pedicure.  Someone will win, it might as well be you! 

Yes, "Happy Chocolate", that's what I said!  What is it?  A new Isagenix product which is incredible!  It's an adult supplement which supports brain chemistry.  When taken on an empty stomach, at least 2-3 hours after protein is eaten, it will reduce hunger and enhance mood.  And yes, it's perfectly natural and legal.  You just put it in your mouth and enjoy the creamy,  luscious chocolate while pondering....does it get any better than this?  And for those of you using the Isagenix products, you can indulge with chocolate on Cleanse Days.  Incredible!

Fun things going on in the Fantasia "nail" room.  The girls have perfected the colored acrylics.  If you don't really need nails but are tired of always having to polish, consider a colored acrylic overlay.  Your nails will stay nice for 2-3 weeks before you need to come in for a fill. 

Heather, one of our newer Creative Specialist has been practicing "nail art" and has become quite an accomplished artist!  If you have an occasion coming up where you want to dazzle them, think about a manicure with nail art.  Krista has a special on pedicures.  If it's been awhile, call and schedule an appointment for you and a friend with Krista and Heather.  It would be a fun time for all!

NEW, NEW, NEW!

Happy New Year!  It's a time for change and New Year's resolutions.  If you have resolved to look and feel better in 2008, Fantasia can help! We are celebrating NEW YEAR, NEW YOU! For the month of January, we are featuring Isagenix products which are all about cleansing the body for health and fat loss.  Thursdays in January are "demo days" where you can taste test some of the Isagenix productss.  The Fantasia Staff is having their own Biggest Loser contest so we are joining you in gaining health and losing fat!

Along with the "New You, how about a new look?  From January through the end of Febrauary, it's NEW YEAR, NEW LOOK!  You will receive a FREE HAIRCUT with a full-head highlight service.  Call TODAY to book your appointment with participating stylist ONLY.

We have lots of cool things coming up at Fantasia for 2008.  Please check back often to see what's new and exciting!

'Tis The Season for Twila's Christmas Cookies

 

Each December when clients call to schedule their appointments, they ask "Has Twila started serving her Christmas Cookies yet?"

At Fantasia Salon it wouldn't be the holidays without thousands of Christmas cookies baked for the customers. That's right. Twila bakes thousands of cookies every year.

In fact, Twila along with her aunt, spend an entire week baking the cookies that have become symbolic of Christmas and Hanukkah at Fantasia Salon.

The assortment includes: turtles, Russian tea cakes, spritzes, macaroons, chocolate haystacks, peanut butter crunch, white chocolate dipped appricots, unbaked coconut cresents, and many more.

Stop by the salon. The coffee pot is always on, The cookies are out. Gift Cards are available and the salon is featuring some delicious specials.

Merry Christmas. Happy Hanukkah and a safe and wonderful New Year!

Holiday Nail Trends: Nail Art

It's fun. It's festive. Even if you don't typically wear nail art, the Holiday Season is the one time of year when even the most conservative hands decide to add a bit of holiday cheer to their nails.

From Santa to trees to ornaments, Fantasia's expert nail techs can add  the perfect touch to your manicure.

Shelly Torniainen an OPI educator who also provides nail tech services at Fantasia says this holiday season the colors are deep, rich and jewel-toned. " We're looking at colors that are almost into the browns and raisins," says Shelly. At the same time, Shelly says  pink and white two-toned "French-styled nails" are still in demand and fashionable.

If you want to wear the number one selling color for the season, be sure to ask for OPI's "I'm not really a waitress." According to Shelly , " I'm not really a waitress," has held the number one spot as the most popular nail color since 1997. That's 10 years running!

Wish there was a way to prevent your polish from chipping?  Shelly says try  using colored acrylics. You can have any OPI color created into an acrylic...even the ever popular "I'm not really a waitress."

The Synergie Lifestyle System -- for women who want to reduce the appearance of cellulite

To listen to ladies talk about the benefits of Synergie Treatments, you can't help but think of Victor Kiam - the entrepreneur who became a household name in the '70s or '80s because of a commercial he ran for Remington Razor in which he said, " I liked the product so much I bought the company!"

This non-invasive service provides optimal stimulation, stretching and pressure to subcutaneous tissues, and offers a type of therapy not easily achieve through traditional massage techniques.

The device is FDA-approved for the temporary reduction in the appearance of cellulite. Presently, Amelia Wong. is our chief Synergie Technician.

Questions About the Synergie Lifestyle System™

1. What are the benefits I can achieve while on The Synergie Lifestyle System™?
Although each individual experiences different results, most lose weight, inches and feel great during and after the treatments. Most notice a difference in the appearance of themselves (i.e. smoother thighs, tummy and arms) after being on the program for a recommended length of time.

2. What are the common "Trouble Areas" focused on by the program?
Hips, thighs, abdomen, legs, arms and buttocks.

3. What does The Synergie™
Treatment feel like? It feels like the best massage you ever had, is very relaxing and is never painful. It consists of a gentle pressure/suction.

4. Can anyone have Synergie™ Treatments?
Most people can, however, like for most procedures there are certain conditions for some which may preclude treatments.

5. Should I be concerned about modesty during the treatments?
Absolutely not! Treatments are given while our clients are clad in a special Synergie™ Body Suit which is comfortable and re-usable. Treatments are administered always "one-on one".

6. How is the Synergie™supervised?
A medical history and evaluation is conducted by Amelia W., an Estetician, to determine your needs and any contraindications for beginning treatment. She or one of her closely monitored spa technicians will provide the treatment.

Should you stop taking Propecia while trying to conceive a child?

Over at the Balding Blog, Dr.William R. Rassman has a series of posts dating back to 2005 on the issue of whether its safe to take Propecia while trying to conceive.

"Officially, you can continue taking Propecia while trying to conceive a child. From the official Propecia.com’s Possible Side Effects page: “Contact with the semen from a man being treated with PROPECIA is not a risk to the unborn child of a pregnant woman.”

However, some doctors and patients are still cautious about using Propecia when trying to conceive. Because of this, some doctors recommend you temporarily stop taking the medication during the fertile period when you are trying to conceive with your partner and best to stop for only a week when your wife is fertile. You can also stop taking Propecia for two weeks and I doubt it will have any significant negative impact on hair."

A couple of years ago Dr. Rasmussen answered a question from a reader who wondered if he should bank his sperm before going on the treatment. At that time Dr. Rasmussen said,

"Propecia is out of your system in a few days after stopping the medication. Therefore, banking your sperm is probably not needed if you are worried about retaining the medication in your sperm. If you want to conceive children while on the drug, there is no official contraindication for that, but some doctors are suggesting that you go off of the medications for 1 week/month while your lady is in her fertile stage."

Say goodbye to sparse stubby eyelashes

It's called Revitalash and it's becoming one of the most popular beauty secrets in Hollywood. Recently, Dayna Devon of EXTRA decided to test the product to see if its really worth the $150 a tube.

You can see for yourself in this video that tells you everything you need to know about Revitalash.  Click here to see the entire video.

You can purchase Revitalash at Fantasia.

Kevyn Burger's Breast Cancer Blog

  "Blogs" have become a staple for many reporters and radio and TV personalities.Kevyn Burger, radio host on FM107.1 in the Twin Cities, is no exception.

However, about the time she decided to launch her blog she also learned she had breast cancer. So while some people struggle with what they are going to blog about, Kevyn's blog is about her journey with breast cancer.

In the blog world, this falls into the genre of  Naked Blogging -- sharing intimate details about your life, thoughts, hopes and dreams.  It is a must read for anyone who wants to get a better understanding of what its like to get the diagnosis,and go through the treatment.

I"n my ever-more-inked-up appointment book, you now find the jotting "PT."
I will have ongoing physical therapy for my right arm and shoulder. Because of the surgery, the removal of lymph nodes and the reconstruction, my upper body is about as stiff as I figured I'd be at 90. I often continue to feel a deep ache that stretches from my chest wall into my very center. Nerves and muscles were altered or cut by the surgeon's scalpel and my innards, as we hicks say, have been disrupted.
To add insult to this injury, I now have a bona fide Jiggly Grandma Upper Arm. (Let me quickly add only one of them--the right arm--has gone all old lady on me.)
     The good news is that with some focused attention, it should all go back like it used to be."

On learning about her diagnosis:

"In my news career, I had the reputation of being one who never buried a lede. Meaning, I got the the heat and heart of the story pronto, toot-sweet, out front.
So here it is:

            I have been diagnosed with breast cancer.

I had a routine screening mammogram they day after I did the Walk for the Cure.The only remarkable incident about that day was that I locked my keys in the car. What a drag, huh? I had no idea!
I expected to get that 'see ya next year' postcard in the mail. Instead, a call, the need for another look, the need for an ultrasound, the need for a needle biopsy.
And then the diagnosis: invasive ductal carcinoma. In two places.
The good news is that this cancer has not moved to my liver, bones or lungs.
The bad news is that I actually have two lumps and they are perilously near my lymph nodes.
I am scheduled for surgery at the soonest possible date. I will have a full mastectomy on June 2 at 9:30 a.m. This will be followed by immediate reconstruction. I will recover for a few days at Abbott Northwestern, then come home, recover some more, and begin chemotherapy and then radiation."

On Getting Some Good News:

"Race for the Cure, 2057
     I'll be 100 years old.
     Looks like I got a shot at it.

Right from the moment I saw that dense cloud in the middle of the mammogram, I've had a bad feeling. A brick moved into my chest, in between the sternum and the lump. It kept swelling and getting heavier. My fear, my dread.
     I'm not fatalistic by nature. Quite the reverse. I'm naturally bouyant. But always a realist.

When I came to after the surgery, I remember my questions leading me out of the fog. What was it? Did they get it? Did they get it all?
     I thought I would know right away.
Surgery was Saturday, June 2. The surgeon reported the sentinel node was positive. How far had the cancer cells been able to wander through my body? What else had the barnacles attached themsmelves to?
     We had to wait. The report from pathology wouldn't arrive until Tuesday night.
My husband and I were in my room when my surgeon arrived to give us the news. She had a piece of paper in her hand that she waved as she burst through the door.
     Ten nodes removed. Only one positive.
     Margins clear.
     A stage two cancer.

     At last. Some good news. I saw my husband smile the first genuine smile in recent days.
     "You're going to make it, baby," he said.
     He is a man of reason. He does not tell lies. He relies on evidence.
     I allowed myself to feel the first spurt of hope. It is a real thing."

 

Everything you want to know about Waxing

While the most common waxing application is still for eyebrows and the upper lip, the "Brazilian" gets lots of attention thanks to Sex in The City and some unfortunate photos of Britney Spears.

If you have been thinking about a Brazilian but are not sure it's for you, here's some things to think about.

'Avoid showering and making the hair wet prior to waxing. Hair absorbs the water making it soft and less likely to adhere well to the wax. Tough hair is easier to pull off.

Be sure to test a small area of skin first to make sure there is no acute sensitivity or allergic reaction to pubic hair removal using waxing.

Hair should be at least 1/8 inch long. If it isn't wait until it reaches this length.

Be sure to wash the skin thoroughly and dry it well beforehand to remove any lotions or oils which may prevent the wax from adhering closely to the skin."

From Wikipedia

Waxing of the genital areas has been prevalent in many societies around the world for centuries,[citation needed] in Ancient Greece, Rome and Egypt but especially in arid or desert, predominantly Muslim and Arab countries.

Arab, Turkish, and Persian women as well as women from the Albanian culture and Mediterranean regions have for centuries been waxing in the genital areas. The waxes used were often sugar-based and made with lemon; however present variations include oils and scents to lessen the discomfort. The reasons for genital waxing in these regions have not necessarily been for cosmetic reasons throughout history, as it is in the case of North and South America as well as Europe, but instead these cultures mentioned above have generally practiced waxing for centuries more for reasons of personal hygiene and/or religion.
As a result, in many of these cultures, body hair of any sort on women is considered socially unacceptable. However, waxing the genital area completely is relatively new to modern Western cultures, developing mostly in the 20th century. In the United States, for example, the habit of waxing or even shaving the pubic area did not become common place until the 1990s.

Fantasia offers a full line of waxing services.