Focusing on Fires: A look into their world

Theresa, one of my Fire friends, is on the left
"I feel more confident and people seem drawn to me when I am dressed in my element."

Fires.  Where in the world would we be without Fires?  You never have to wonder what a Fire is thinking because they typically just tell you.  They think it, they say it.  Some people of the Water Element (like myself) may initially question their, ahem, directness, but in due time every Element can come to appreciate the Fire’s honesty.  My friend, Theresa, attended my very first Element workshop.  At the end, she handed me an itemized list of things I could and should improve on.  Guess what?  No one else would do that, but I am so happy I have Theresa (and other fellow Fires) in my life to do this work!  She also told me recently that a flier I made was not the best and doesn't get my message across. I used to get offended by Fires with their "straight to the point" demeanor, now I have realized I couldn't live without them and I envy their ability to put things quickly into motion where other Elements may have hesitancy. They are better at setting up boundaries than I ever will be and for that I am grateful. They say what no one else will and I never doubt a genuine heart filled with care behind every comment.  

The personality piece is always fun but we don’t (and couldn't)  type people based on a personality quiz.    The true way to determine someone’s Element is to be in person and feel their energy when certain fabrics are next to their body.  We are looking for the color, texture, style that is in energetic harmony with your physical presence.  For a Fire the colors and textures that would be most in harmony would be more of the burnished, rich, and spicy colors such as cinnamon red, copper, a warm brown, an olive green or shelled teal with lots of texture!  Style would be more asymmetrical, v-neck, may be a little closer to the body vs. long and flowy. They have more of a “primal” looking palette including leopard print.  They tend to have angles throughout their body:  calves face, feet, etc.

As I began to learn more about the Elements I learned that we spend most of our lives “hiding” in other Elements for many different reasons:  security, fear of being rejected as ourselves, resentment that we don’t “fit the mold” yet when we try to live in any other Element other than the one we were born into it comes off as inauthentic.  Fires have this stereotype of being witchy-not the case.  They are direct-they cut to the chase….immediately.  But the more they try to “hide” their Fire-ness the ironic thing is they come off as more witchy!

Some celebrity FIRE’s would be Halle Berry, Rachel Zoe, Oprah Winfrey, and of course, my very good friend, Theresa J

Next blog topic:  Uncovering the Earth Element...more than meets the eye

   Going Gray….Is it for you?

“Gray Hair is a Crown of Splendor…” I find natural gray hair-if done right-to be hands down one of the most gorgeous things on a woman or man at ANY AGE.  Due to genetics and other factors some of us will gray faster than our friends, but hopefully knowing your Element will make a difference in whether or not you decide to go gray with confidence once your time is right.  Here is the Element breakdown:

AIR Element:  You will gray nicely but I have seen a slight golden tone to AIRS who gray……usually goes well with their complexion.  AIR’s CAN GO GRAY!

WATER Element:  Just take a moment and please Google the following:  “Helen Mirren Gray Hair” (go ahead this blog will be here when you get back!)….Helen in her light lilac cowl sweater is an example of a WATER going gray…. A perfect example:   WATER’s WILL GRAY BEAUTIFULLY!
Any WATER Wanna-be-Gray” needs to remember:  “blended/subtle”.

FIRE Element:  I am so sorry to be the one to tell you this my FIRE-y friends….YOU ARE THE ONLY ELEMENT THAT CANNOT GO GRAY L  It will actually make any imperfections on your face more noticeable-it will never work for you.  It will make you look old and haggeredly (new word I just made up) compared to stunning like the other three Elements.  You have my blessing to go ahead and buy a lifetime pass at your neighborhood salon.

EARTH Element:  Some of the MOST stunning people to go gray are in the EARTH Element: think George Clooney.  My husband is an EARTH and I get excited with every strand of gray I see on his head.  EARTH’s are the only Element that could also do some contrast like a white piece around the face and the rest of the hair black.  If you are trying to eliminate coloring your hair this will clearly not resolve that problem but man does it look awesome!!  I saw a young lady while traveling in San Fran this past fall with that exact style and she totally pulled it off!  Looks stunning, not old.  Think Stacy London from “What Not To Wear.” L.O.V.E.

Now that we know WHO can go gray, let’s get to the best way HOW to get there: 

If you are a naïve 29 yr old like myself you will just assume you can just stop coloring your hair altogether and bask in your gray-haired glory.  Not the case as I found out in my research.  It will be tough to just wake up and “be gray” unless you are Harry Potter so here are some tips during the transition and how to maintain the gray goodness:

1. Consider getting your hair lightened (either your entire head of hair or by highlighting).  This is most certainly easier and way better looking if you get it done by a professional. 
2. Snip Snip!  It will make it easier (and again look better) to get that mane of yours cut to either shoulder length or higher.  Some people want long gray hair.  That’s great but it will take some time to get there.  Be patient (I am starting to see why this wouldn’t work for FIRE’s J …..inside Element joke)
3. Enhancing the gray by getting a professional to put in blue-toned streaks can make your gray really pop!  Everyone is different thus everyone grays differently –you will know if you need a little “help” and if you cannot tell on your own ask a trusted friend or your spouse assuming they are unbiased and completely direct about what makes you look your best…..like my husband. 
4. Lastly, to maintain your hair throughout the process you will need some moisture.  Lots of moisture actually.  Aveda has a shampoo called Damage Therapy-by stock in this product.  Seriously, use it at least once/week and for daily purposes (or whenever you wash your hair) they have a fabulous blue tinted shampoo/conditioner:  Blue Malva.  Good Luck Going Gray!

Next week’s blog:  Focusing on Fires:  a look into their world

Photo:  Pinterest.com