How to avoid an awkward beauty moment

Awkward Beauty Moment – and the Fix

Visit to the hair salon went awry

Let’s say you were planning to drastically change your look. Perhaps you’ve decided on a new haircut or new hair color. You’re waiting in anticipation for the big salon day to come…only to find out it was not all you had hoped for. You end up leaving the salon with a new cut that’s not what you asked for, or the new hair color you asked for came out much too light or too dark.

The fix: Call the manager of the salon you went to and explain the situation. Most salons and hairstylists are willing to work with their clients to achieve the look that they wanted in the first place. Haircut and color corrections are usually free of charge, but if you go back to the salon and leave happy the second time, be sure to tip the hairstylist 15-20% of the original price as a thank you. This will build rapport with the hairstylist, and you may be inclined to go to them again now that they know what your needs are.

If your haircut is not fixable because too much hair was cut off, consider spending a little extra time each day for styling. Straightening your hair can make it look longer, and clip-on hair extensions can create the look of longer hair. If you fell victim to a hairstylist’s artistic vision and hate the final result, you may want to consider going to a different hair stylist for a fix. Just be sure to have an open conversation about the haircut with the person cutting your hair before they start snipping away. It helps to bring pictures of the look you want. Keep in mind that hair does grow back. If you ended up with a bad haircut, it’ll grow back within a couple of months.

You’re left with sparse eyebrows

Have you ever looked in the mirror with a pair of tweezers, determined to get the best eyebrow shape possible, and then 20 minutes later end up with sparse and patchy eyebrows? If your answer is yes, just know that you’re not alone. Many people attempt to pluck their own eyebrows and end up over-plucking. This could even happen when you visit a professional to get your eyebrows shaped. I’ve personally had a few instances where I’ve visited a professional to get my eyebrows shaped, and ended up leaving the salon with uneven or thin eyebrows. Poorly shaped brows can become a focal point on your face and won’t create a frame for the eyes.

The fix: First thing to do in this awkward beauty situation is to back away from your tweezers. Growing your eyebrows back to their natural state will take time and patience. It could be weeks, even months to get back to your natural shape. Thankfully we live in an age where technological advances in beauty can quickly fix awkward moments like this. If you find yourself with sparse brows, look for a brow booster to help eyebrows grow out faster. While your brows are growing out, you can take the attention away from your barely there eyebrows with the help of cosmetics. You can thicken things up with an eyebrow pencil that closely matches your eyebrow color. You can also use an eyebrow powder, or a combination of a powder and pencil.

Your relaxing spa day turns into social hour

Busy schedules, overflowing inbox of emails, overwhelming commute… A quiet massage sounds like the perfect way to get some relaxation, but you end up with a massage therapist who is a chatterbox.

The fix: If your spa professional is speaking to you during your hour of relaxation like you’re close friends catching up over dinner, be direct and say something. A massage is a service that’s all about you. If you want quiet time, just ask for it. It could be as simple as, “I’ve had a stressful week, and I was really looking forward to quiet relaxation.” He or she may seem surprised at first, but most times they will quiet down and let you relax. Generally speaking, massage therapists are trained to enhance relaxation, so they would appreciate knowing what makes their clients happy—whether it’s chatting or keeping quiet.

Smudged manicure

You’ve indulged in a fabulous manicure only to find yourself with a giant smudge within minutes of leaving the nail salon. It’s an unsightly situation, but it happens all the time.

The fix: If you’re not too far away from the salon, it’s worth making a trip back to fix your smudged nail. Many nail salons understand that mistakes happen and will fix the polish on your smudged nail. If you’ve already left and can’t make it back to get it professionally fixed, you’ll need some nail polish remover and your chosen nail color. If you don’t have that particular nail polish, a similar color will suffice. Lightly dab nail polish remover on the area of the smudge. Apply your polish and make sure it’s layered thickly enough to match the rest of your nail. To avoid this beauty blunder, next time you indulge in a great manicure, give yourself an extra few minutes to make sure your nails are completely dry before leaving the salon.