The Spa's Secret BTC Agent's List: 05/22/20

Friday, May 22, 2020

Salon

Why Salon Owners Should Care About Canada’s Emergency Wage Subsidy

Posted: 22 May 2020 09:11 AM PDT

While more salons are beginning to reopen across Canada, the financial burden associated with the COVID-19 pandemic will not suddenly disappear.

Trudeau announced earlier this month that the federal government will be extending the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy program until August in order to prevent additional layoffs.

"As businesses start up again, this shouldn’t become a barrier to growth," said Trudeau. "You have some runway to catch your breath as you get restarted, so please, bring back your workers."

The Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy (CEWS) is eligible to businesses of all sizes who have suffered from a revenue decrease of 30 per cent or more due to the pandemic. It covers 75 per cent of the business' payroll—a maximum of $847 per employee, per week.

The program was originally set to expire in June. Now with the extension until August, businesses still have a chance to receive the subsidy or apply for it.

According to Trudeau, the purpose of this program is to keep as many Canadians employed as possible, rather than having a majority of the population rely on the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB), which offers $2,000 per month.

Based on our own survey, many salon owners and hairstylists have applied and received the CERB funding, but very few were able to benefit from the CEWS since many salons were forced to completely shut down due to the pandemic.

As more salons prepare to reopen, the CEWS may provide some much-needed financial assistance to owners, especially since some salons have been now closed for more than two months. Applying for the CEWS may allow salons to keep all or most of their staff, as they slowly get back on their feet.

Organic Spa Magazine

Travel the World with Global Beauty at Home

Posted: 22 May 2020 01:28 PM PDT

Just because all of your upcoming travel plans are on hold, doesn't mean you can't travel the globe with beauty. Every location has its own unique color palette inspired by its landscape, art, culture, people, fashion, food and music. Today, we're going to Morocco.

Close your eyes and picture a gorgeous sunset in shades of gold, pink, and orange. You're walking through a crowded outdoor market with bold turquoise and red pottery on display, on your way to meet new friends, who share their culture with you over mint tea and Sellou (Moroccan pastry). Every new experience is rich with different tones and colors.

Now imagine that you can find the shades of a specific country and culture in an eye-shadow palette. Every product from Nomad Cosmetics (primarily eye shadow) was inspired by a destination and designed on location. Nomad's owners, Felicia and Antti, have lived all over the United States and Europe and have traveled to over 70 destinations.

Image by Monica Volpin from Pixabay

Here is an eyeshadow tutorial to help transport you to Marrakesh.

We start with the Nomad Marrakesh Eyeshadow Palette, with its vibrant colors and fine pigments infused with argan oil. The 15-color palette ranges from warm nudes to intense blues. All Nomad Cosmetic products are infused with unique natural ingredients found in the country the pallet is named after. They are vegan and cruelty-free.

The first rule for this pallet is to not be afraid of color! Let the child in you come out and play.
Start with a matte neutral shade all over the eye and under the brow. (This will be your brow defining shade. Use a flat brush for this. The shade Hammam is a great choice.)
Pro-Tip: If you would like the brow area brighter, use a white eyeliner pencil on top of the shadow. A great choice is Snow by ZuZu Luxe.
Next, try a rich shade like Spice Market or Henna in the crease. Don't forget to blend, blend, blend.
Pro-Tip: If you are new to working with intense colors, use blending brushes since they will not apply hard lines, that might be difficult to blend later

Next, let's work on the eyelid (where you want to add the drama). Play with colors like Golden Mosque and Desert Sands. Accent the outer corner with a pop of color like Oasis of Riad, Palmeraie, or Oasis.

Play with the placement of the colors in relation to your unique eye shape, eye
color, and skin tone. The beauty of a palette like this is that it inspires you to play
and get out of your normal routine (which most of us are out of right now).
Pro-Tip: Normally, you would do the lid first and work upward. I like to do the lid last when I'm applying several different shades of intense color to the lid.

There is no right or wrong. You are the artist, create at will.

photo and makeup by Karim Orange

After your makeup is done, why not put on a beautiful free-flowing dress and make some traditional Moroccan tea? Stephine For, the founder of Around the World Beauty, has shared this Moroccan tea recipe.

Traditional Moroccan Mint Tea
Start with mint, green, or Chinese gunpowder green tea. (The secret to Moroccan tea is sugar and mint.) Wash your mint and other herbs in a bowl full of water, let it soak for just a minute, and drain.

Grab a generous quantity of fresh spearmint leaves. In Morocco, they also use aromatic herbs such as sage, wild thyme, and wild geranium.

Bring water to a boil. Next, add the tea to mix with the water.

Moroccan mint tea is famously sweet, so do not forget the sugar, three tablespoons of granulated sugar per cup. Yes, we know it a lot, but it's the Moroccan way. Of course, you may alter this recipe to taste.

Image by cheongmokyeon from Pixabay

Around The World Beauty is a boutique travel company that unites women and forge cross-cultural understanding through the lens of beauty.Through their journeys, they explore world markets for ingredients, beauty meccas for the latest spa treatments, and talk to real women who share their most sacred beauty recipes and rituals.