HairBoutique Blog

Of course I can’t speak for all Public Relastions folks (PR) in the Hair and Beauty World.  I can only speak about my own experiences over the past 12 years as CEO/Founder of HairBoutique.com.  Since the very beginning of HB I have received press releases from a wide range of PR sources regarding the latest, greatest products.

To be fair, some of the press releases, especially in the old days, were brilliantly written and offered compelling information.  Many years ago there were PR agencies representing companies who also offered gorgeous images of the hair and beauty related products (Goldwell, Redken, Aveda) or services being offered.  Many even provided samples for review, although it seems like decades ago now. (more…)

I recently blogged about my entry into the fascinating world of Twitter from my hair related perspective.  In that post I mentioned the importance of lurking or hanging back before jumping onto Twitter with both feet.  Even with some pre-Twitter research and careful thought, I still somehow managed to stumble and bumble along as I made obvious Twitter mishaps.

Once I realized there were lots of things about Twitter not readily obvious to me, I decided to do what I always do when I’m stumbling and bumbling.  I buy a book by a subject matter expert and try to suck up all the knowledge I can, as quickly as I can, before charging back in whatever fray my mind and/or body has wandered into.

Julio Ojeda-Zapata - Twitter Expert, Author, Pioneer

Julio Ojeda-Zapata is a Twitter expert and he has very recently written a book (first printing - November 14, 2008) on the subject titled ‘Twitter Means Business’.  As soon as I got wind of Julio’s very recent book release I started following him on Twitter and proceeded to order my copy online from Amazon.com.   It arrived licketedy split and I immediately locked myself away in a back HairBoutique office and read the book cover to cover.

The book is easy to read and a quick page turner.  Once I started reading I couldn’t put it down because I wanted to make sure I didn’t miss anything which sometimes happens when I try to read a book over a period of time.

Whew! Julio’s book instantly opened my eyes to some of my most recent Twitter faux pas.  After a few moments of retrospective blushing I vowed to do better now that I realized the error of my ways due to Julio’s clear and precise explanations. (more…)

Scottish Poet Robert Burns has a quote that often applies to me - “The best-laid schemes of mice and men / Gang aft a-gley” (often go astray).

Such is the case with me and my original attempts to participate on Twitter - the Web 2.0 microblogging platform.  I first checked out Twitter back in late 2006, shortly after it was first launched.  I mentioned it to my web guys at HairBoutique.com and they literally rolled their eyes at me.

Note: To get started on Twitter go to http://www.twitter.com and create a new free Twitter account by clicking on the Join The Conversation button to register.

Why?  Not because they thought Twitter was fodder for their eye rolling, but because I always bite off way more than I can ever chew in this lifetime.  (more…)

I must confess I’m a closet nail freak. The only reason I don’t rock 24/7 nail polish is because they last about 10 seconds on my overworked digits. Since I spend most of my life at one of my various keyboards tap tap tapping away I manage to destroy manicures (pro or otherwise) faster than you can say second coat streaks.

My toe nails are a whole other matter. If you’ve been following me (@HairBoutique) on Twitter you know that my goal for 2008-2009 is to wear flip flops all year round.  While TV’s Ellen DeGeneres has tennis shoes I have signature flip flops.

Luckily I live in Dallas where it’s not uncommon to see a dizzying array of flops nestled onto feet all over town, for all types of occasions, in all types of weather. The constant exposure to environmental elements quickly destroys my most carefully applied polish.

Even though I don’t personally have much luck with nail polish, I love it almost as much as I love hair products and accessories. As a result, I am addicted to any topic remotely related to nails which ultimately led me to the All Lacquered Up Blog. I was immediately enchanted and addicted.  Just like a frenzied kid in a newly discovered toy store. (more…)

How many times have I talked about the importance of good nutrition to develop, grow and maintain healthy tresses? I say it so often I probably mumble about it in my sleep along with other hair tips.

Regardless, it is pretty cool to find a blog with healthy recipes and tips that a finnicky eater like me can embrace.

My father was barely born on US soil. His parents were Irish born and bred. As a result, my dad - Michael Joseph O’Connor - was a big meat and potatoes man. Which is exactly how he raised his own Irish Catholic family. Yes, we had corn beef and cabbage (especially on St. Paddy’s Day) with a bit more focus on the corn beef rather than the cabbage. We also had lots of red meat (steaks, roast beef, pork chops) and potatoes (mashed, baked, boiled) with just about everything. (more…)