by William McAllister | Apr 28, 2016 | hair
Beach Body? Check. Swimsuit? Check. Beachy Hair? Hmm…
While winter 2016 in Miami Beach saw the height of the lob trend (we loved every second of it, don’t get us wrong!), with summer quickly approaching, lengthy locks are about to see their moment in the limelight. Perfect for tossing into a pool-ready braid, or sporting effortless, beachy waves, long strands are on every lady’s warm-weather wish list. Only issue? Waiting for hair to grow can make watching paint dry seem like an exciting activity by comparison. Not to worry! We’ve tapped our our best hair stylists to provide five fool-proof tips guaranteed to grow locks to luscious lengths by summer – sayonara, hair envy!
Fool The Eye with Styling Tricks
There’s no denying that the “growing-my-hair-out” stage can be (very) awkward. Load up on decorative accessories including eye-catching hair bands, chains, pins and wraps and get creative with a few new transitional styles. We love these styles for a seamless transition!
Trim Your Hair and Trim It Often
Your hair’s ends have been put through the ringer and all that styling, coloring, and more can take a serious toll. Prevent ends from splitting and breaking prematurely by seeing your hair stylist for a trim every six weeks. The longer you wait, the more visible the damage to your hair, and – consequently – the more length you’ll have to chop off.
Color With Care
Calling all hair color junkies – you too can grow your locks to luscious lengths thanks to Olaplex. Where traditional hair color penetrates the shaft and alters the bond structure of the strand, Olaplex, a color additive used at McAllister’ Miami Beach, utilizes polymers (similar to those used in transplant surgery to prevent rejection) to maintain bond structure throughout the process, leaving hair strands in their natural state from start to finish. The result? ZERO damage and longer-lasting hair color.
Show Your Scalp Some Love
Dirt, oil, and dead skin cells congregate and form a barrier on the scalp (yuck!), making it difficult for new hair growth to break through. Shampoos with peppermint and tea tree oil create a tingling sensation to stimulate blood flow promote hair growth. Alternately, a daily two-minute scalp massage has a similar effect and is equally effective at promoting scalp health and increased circulation.
Pop Some Pills
Proper nutrition is the key for a healthy, shiny, and strong mane. While a well-rounded diet provides the majority of your body’s necessary vitamins and minerals, added supplements have been proven to fortify and accelerate hair growth. Our Miami Beach hair stylists recommend stocking up on these three key players:
• Folic acid – stimulates scalp cell turnover and hair growth
• Biotin – promotes healthier texture by protecting against dryness, scalp flaking
• Keratin – increases elasticity of the hair’s cortex to prevent breakage
So Let’s Book Something!
Are you ready to get started on your hair growth journey? McAllister’s top stylists and best hair colorists are available on demand to answer any and all of your questions. Request an appointment online here or schedule a live stream consultation here.
More than a decade ago, William McAllister hatched an idea to disrupt the beauty salon industry in Miami Beach. He contemplated what salons once were in years gone by. He yearned to recapture their unique contributions to both personal beauty & community. In the past 10 years, he’s forever changed the industry, and according to him, he’s just getting started! He draws from a unique background – encompassing everything from neurophysiology, business to firefighting- and built South Beach’s busiest & most reviewed beauty concept in South Florida.
by William McAllister | Apr 20, 2016 | News
Mother’s Day is Around the Corner…May 8th!
Mother’s Day is upon us – have you planned anything special for the woman in your life? If not, no worries! We’ve put together the Ultimate Miami Beach Mother’s Day Spa itinerary to take the guesswork out of the equation, starting with several of our best salon services coupled with a few amazing spa treatments.
Mother’s Day Starts at McAllister Spa This Year
For all the days spent taking care of others, Mother’s Day is the perfect opportunity to treat mom to a day of “taking care of” herself. McAllister Spa is offering an assortment of salon and spa packages perfect for the loved one in your life:
Mother’s Mini Retreat, $84
Get mom glammed up for a day full of Mother’s Day Spa fun with the ultimate trio of treatments. This package features McAllister’s classic manicure and pedicure and a blowout in our StyleLab, Miami’s best blow-dry bar alternative. (2.5 hours)
Mama’s Meltaway Massage, $148
For the mom in need of some serious me-time, Mama’s Meltaway package is the play. Mom start off by enjoying McAllister’s 75-minute signature aromatherapy massage, a personalized sensory journey, featuring powerful essential oil blends to leave mom energized and refreshed or at peace and balanced. After her massage, she’ll receive a blowout in our StyleLab and be out in no time to enjoy the rest of your heart-fully crafted day. (2.0 hours)
The Hot Mama, $214
Super moms deserve the best of the best. Treat mom to The Hot Mama which combines two of our most popular treatments. The day kicks off with a Skinceuticals Vitamin Sea Facial, a 60-minute treatment able to hyper-focus on specific skin concerns, including wrinkles, hyperpigmentation, rosacea, redness, acne and skin sensitivity, specifically using marine-derived ingredients. Up next is the Ultimate mani/pedi combo, in which McAllister’s seasoned nail technicians will treat mom to a gentle exfoliation using Ambito No Moshio, some of the world’s rarest sea salts from Japan and her choice of exclusive essential oils. The treatment finishes with a relaxing massage of the forearms, hands, calves, and feet, a lavender paraffin treatment, and callus removal. (3.0 hours)
…And Gift Cards Are Always Available
If after reading the gift ideas listed here, you are thinking “I have NO idea what my mom would do in a spa or salon!” – not to fear, you can always pick up a gift card packed with whatever denomination you choose and she can carefully select the perfect combination of services and retail products.
After the Spa Day, where to brunch on Miami Beach?
Mother’s Day simply wouldn’t be Mother’s Day without an A+ brunch. Impress mom with one of these festive feasts:
Matador Terrace at the Miami Beach Edition
For the mom who appreciates a good view, the beautiful outdoor Matador Terrace will host Mother’s Day brunch from 11am to 4pm with a seasonal selection, including huevos rancheros, poached eggs with roasted mushrooms, coconut pancakes with grapefruit and lavender maple syrup, and crunchy Mexican-spiced French toast with apples – to name just a few.
Seagrape at Thompson Miami Beach
For the cocktail aficionado, Chef Michelle Bernstein has crafted a special Mother’s Day cocktail, pink bubbles, made with Absolut Elyx, cranberry juice, fresh lime, simple syrup, and Veuve Cliquot rosé and garnished with a fresh mint leaf.
Tongue & Cheek
An entire weekend celebration, Tongue & Cheek’s Mother’s Day brunch is the perfect choice for the low-key mama on the hunt for elevated comfort food. In addition to FREE mimosas and coffee, the Cheek will offer brunch items like fried chicken ‘n’ cheddar waffles, lemon ricotta pancakes, and Key West pink shrimp ‘n’ grits.
…Or Perhaps Finish the Day with Family!
At the end of the day, quality time with her children is all mom really wants. Here’s a few suggestions for family-fun the whole crew can enjoy:
Sundown Beach Picnic
Cap off the perfect Mother’s Day with an evening, sundown picnic. Bring an assortment of your favorite sweets, a family-sized beach blanket and a fully-charged iPhone for sunset selfies.
Try Something New
South Florida boasts endless opportunities for outdoor play. Take mom to experience a new adventure together. Whether it’s airboating through the Everglades, sea kayaking through Biscayne Bay, or finally biking the MacArthur causeway, today’s the day!
More than a decade ago, William McAllister hatched an idea to disrupt the beauty salon industry in Miami Beach. He contemplated what salons once were in years gone by. He yearned to recapture their unique contributions to both personal beauty & community. In the past 10 years, he’s forever changed the industry, and according to him, he’s just getting started! He draws from a unique background – encompassing everything from neurophysiology, business to firefighting- and built South Beach’s busiest & most reviewed beauty concept in South Florida.
by William McAllister | Mar 28, 2016 | skin and body
Body Scrubs and Facial Peels to Prep Your Complexion for Bikini Season
While a huge congratulations isn’t necessarily in order, you’ve officially survived another South Florida winter! As temperatures are on the rise, it’s the perfect time to give your skin a well-deserved seasonal overhaul – a “spring cleaning” perhaps! Cooler weather, natural aging and lack of exfoliation are to blame for the lackluster complexion you experience this time of year – winter after winter. As dead skin cells clog up pores and the dry air has sapped your skin of its natural moisture, skin tends to lose its natural glow, appearing dull and grey. The first step in sloughing away winter skin? A good exfoliation to peel old layers and clear the pores. While at-home treatments, peels and scrubs scratch the surface, a professional service is guaranteed to go deeper and achieve better results. Have we peaked your interest yet? Here’s a few of our most popular exfoliating treatments designed to have you sporting beach-babe status skin in no time flat…
Peeled to Perfection: SkinCeuticals Alpha-Beta Peel
One of the most effective means for brightening up dull, dry winter skin is a chemical peel. The SkinCeuticals Alpha-Beta Peel at McAllister Spa employs strong acids and enzymes to slough away dead skin cell layers, stimulate collagen production, and instantly ramp up your skin’s radiance. The Alpha-Beta treatment is an intermediate peel, ideal for a wide range of skin types. And according to our Facial Specialist Jeanette Gonzalez, in addition to brightening, these non-medical peels effectively “minimize the appearance of surface lines, smoothes out rough texture, aids in clearing acne and helps fade hyper pigmentation.”
The Lunch-Hour Pick Me Up: Dermalogica Microzone Flash Exfoliation
When your skin needs a timeout but you have little time to spare, the Dermalogica MicroZone Flash Exfoliation treatment is the ultimate solution. This cost-effective, express treatment takes just minutes in the hands of McAllister Spa’s own Dermalogica Expert, Nafsika Karavasili, and it is ideal for targeting dull skin in between your 60-minute full-service skin treatments. This MicroZone treatments are also great for spa newcomers wanting to ease their way into professional exfoliation. Our Dermalogica Flash Exfoliation treatment offers an immediate, profound impact on your skin fitness. The treatment works to gently resurface skin to reveal a soft glow in just 30 minutes.
The Head to Toe Treat: The MoroccanOil Body Ritual
Show your body some love – it is your temple after all. This 75-minute MoroccanOil body treatment, found only in a select few North American spas, kicks off with a thorough dry brushing session to remove dead, dry skin. This process immediately improves your skin’s appearance and allows the MoroccanOil Intense Hydrating Treatment to be more easily absorbed as it is lightly massaged across the body. Once skin is refreshed, MoroccanOil Body Buff is used to gently exfoliate and soften winter-worn hands and feet – an ideal preparation for flip-flop season. The spa treatment concludes with a thorough scalp massage using Moroccan Oil Scalp Treatment, which – while it won’t contribute to a glowing complexion – does feel pretty darn good!
Ready to treat your skin? Request an appointment online here or schedule a live stream consultation here. To see additional skincare and facial offerings, check out our spa menu here.
More than a decade ago, William McAllister hatched an idea to disrupt the beauty salon industry in Miami Beach. He contemplated what salons once were in years gone by. He yearned to recapture their unique contributions to both personal beauty & community. In the past 10 years, he’s forever changed the industry, and according to him, he’s just getting started! He draws from a unique background – encompassing everything from neurophysiology, business to firefighting- and built South Beach’s busiest & most reviewed beauty concept in South Florida.
by William McAllister | Mar 24, 2016 | hair, News
Cop Their Cut This Spring Season at Miami Beach’s Best Hair Salon
From the runways to the red carpets and from the offices to the spring break beaches, the Spring 2016 hair scene is awash with new cuts and styles, including a few revamped versions of classic favorites. Pulling inspiration from a few of our favorite style superstars, McAllister’s seasoned stylists predict the four “must-have hair cuts” of the spring season. Which is your favorite? Tell us in the comments below!
Fierce Fringe
Looking to freshen up your style for spring around South Beach? Bangs are the quickest way to instantly revamp your look with minimal effort. A welcomed evolution from the mod, blunt bangs of yesteryear, this season’s fierce fringe features styles that skim the eyelashes, framing the face and accentuating your fabulous cheekbones. Fiercey fringe lends itself to a “grown-out” feel and should seamlessly blend into long, textured layers. For a universally flattering look, try a bang that’s shorter at the centermost part, and gradually gets longer toward the temples. Not ready to commit to full-on fringe? Try a clip-in pair to test drive the look before taking the leap of faith.
Textured Bangs
Curly girls, rejoice – textured fringe is in! While textured fringe is a sexy way to embrace your natural hair and add an instant “cool girl” element to your look, it’s important that you talk to your stylist here at McAllister, voted one of Miami’s “Best Curly Haircut Salons,” about wearing your bangs naturally before making the cut so he or she can manipulate strands in a way that will be flattering for your face shape. For curly girls especially, this can mean not cutting hair like an actual bang section at all.
Single-Length Bob
Short hair is having a major moment in 2016, with a cheekbone-grazing crop weighing in as the “It Girl” cut of the season. The versatile style can be worn on a multitude of textures. A blunt bob styled sleek and stick straight reads modern and high-style, while a natural wavy texture offers a nod to the romantic, beachy styles seen gracing the Spring/Summer 2016 runways. The key to crushing this cut is making sure ends are in tip top shape. Keep strands healthy with a routine trim (every eight weeks is recommended) and a weekly deep conditioning mask. We recommend KEVIN.MURPHY HYDRATE-ME.MASQUE (available in-salon), which contains Kakadu Plum, Seaweed and vitamin-charged treatment capsules, which explode on contact to deliver hydration and moisture. To use, simply apply treatment to freshly washed hair, massage into hair below the ear, leave for 5-10 minutes and rinse thoroughly. Or if you prefer to leave the treatments to the pros, book a customized hair conditioning treatment with one of our New Talents in the StyleLab (also recently voted Miami Beach’s best blow dry bar experience).
The Polished Lob
While the lob is no newcomer to the style scene, this year’s variety offers a completely new take on a classic cut. For spring, textured, tousled waves are taking a hike, making way for an upgraded style, which can only be described as polished, sleek and super sexy. The new lob, defined by its long layers and blunt edges, offers all the sexiness of traditional long hair with an added modern, cool-girl twist. The key to killing the polished lob is maintaining high-shine strands. After styling, lightly mist locks with a finishing spray, like Kevin Murphy’s Shimmer Shine (available in-salon), to instantly enhance shine, and illuminate your hair color.
Ready to Make the Cut?
That new women’s haircut is a click away – so if you’re ready to change it up with a haircut that will take you from Spring Break straight through the season, Miami Beach style, just follow these simple instructions. Request an appointment online here or schedule a live stream consultation here. To see additional information relating to the best haircuts found anywhere in Miami, check out our spa menu here.
More than a decade ago, William McAllister hatched an idea to disrupt the beauty salon industry in Miami Beach. He contemplated what salons once were in years gone by. He yearned to recapture their unique contributions to both personal beauty & community. In the past 10 years, he’s forever changed the industry, and according to him, he’s just getting started! He draws from a unique background – encompassing everything from neurophysiology, business to firefighting- and built South Beach’s busiest & most reviewed beauty concept in South Florida.
by William McAllister | Feb 18, 2016 | nails
This Generation’s Beauty Breakthrough
It’s no secret that style is king along the sandy shores of South Beach. From Lincoln Road to Miami’s bustling Design District, the women of South Florida never fail to maintain a polished appearance from fingers to toes. For the busy moms and boss babes that run this town – we get it! – hectic schedules simply aren’t agreeable with consistently polished pointers…until now.
Arguably one of the most exciting beauty innovations of the last few years, gel polishes like Gelish! and durable nail polishes like Vinylux offer a low-maintenance solution for those unable to carve out time for a weekly mani/pedi. These high-tech hues offer shiny, glossy, chip-resistant pigment, guaranteed to stay put for at least two weeks.
So, how do these high-tech hues work? After cleaning, shaping and prepping nails with base coat, McAllister’s highly-trained nail technicians go to work applying several coats of brilliantly-colored, gel-like varnish from our broad selection of Vinylux and Gelish polishes. After each layer is painted on, nails are flashed with a small Ultra Violet (UV) lamp for several seconds to cure the polish. The nail technician ends by applying a clear top coat to seal and protect the nails.
The Benefits of Durable Nail Polishes
Gel polishes boast benefits that standard nail polishes (even chip-resistant and fast-drying formulas) simply do not. As if you need additional convincing, here’s a few of our favorite features:
Reduced Drying Time
A scenario we all know too well: You’ve carved out “me time” for a lunch-hour mani/pedi, but a mid-lacquer work call, babysitting SOS, etc. leaves you rushing for the door – wet nails in tow. Enter gel polish, the fast-drying solution to end the days of what we less than fondly refer to as the “half-dry and dip.” Thanks to powerful UV technology, gel manicures and pedicures dry as you go. Nails are treated to a 30-second UV zap between each layer to instantly harden lacquer and prep for the following coat. Upon the nail technicians last swipe of top coat, guests are able to get up and go directly from their service. No more 15-minute drying sessions post-polish!
Improved Staying Power
As much as we love to see our client’s smiling faces back in our Miami Beach salon on a weekly basis, we recognize that busy schedules make this a difficult reality. Professional gel manicures and pedicures provide flawless, glossy coverage for a minimum of 14 days, with most applications lasting upwards of three weeks.
Bye Bye Breakage
Whether you’re a mom chasing around toddlers, a student toting books to class or a business woman constantly pounding away on a keyboard, there’s no escaping the fact that nails take a fairly brutal beating on a regular basis. Constant trauma to nail beds makes it hard (if not impossible) to grow digits out to your desired length. Fret no more, busy bees. Gel varnish offers fingers a lasting breakage barrier, allowing nails to grow naturally throughout the duration of polish life. A bi-weekly gel manicure is a guaranteed way to achieve the elegant, natural nails you’ve been lusting after.
Have we piqued your interest? Here’s a few of our recent gel nail polishes done by some of Miami’s best nail technicians….OURS!
[instawp hashtag=”m1301gelish” count=”15″ header=”false” columns=”5″]
More than a decade ago, William McAllister hatched an idea to disrupt the beauty salon industry in Miami Beach. He contemplated what salons once were in years gone by. He yearned to recapture their unique contributions to both personal beauty & community. In the past 10 years, he’s forever changed the industry, and according to him, he’s just getting started! He draws from a unique background – encompassing everything from neurophysiology, business to firefighting- and built South Beach’s busiest & most reviewed beauty concept in South Florida.
