New Year’s Eve is just around the corner - that means it’s time for glitz and glamour. If you plan on going out for a night on the town to watch the ball drop and celebrate with friends, you can guarantee there will be lots of pictures taken to ring in the New Year. Look your best with an updated haircut, color or style.

A great way to achieve a trendsetting updo is to visit your local beauty school and have the "professionals in training"—that is, the students—style your hair. Not only are you helping these students master their skills, you are getting an amazing deal at amazing quality. Who doesn’t like looking gorgeous for a very small price? For the price of a regular haircut at a top salon in your area you can get a haircut, color, style and have your makeup done, all for around the same price! Austin’s School of Spa Technology in Albany, NY is a top beauty school in upstate New York and the only school to offer Cosmetology, Barbering, Esthetics and Nail Technology.

All services are performed by our professionals-in-training and supervised by instructors who work in the field. Try it out for yourself this New Year’s Eve!

The holiday season is upon us and you know what that means; time for parties and events with friends, family and co-workers. Don’t forget about the most important person on your holiday shopping list this year — You! This is the perfect time to pamper yourself. The holiday season can generate a lot of unnecessary stress and frustration. Take an hour or two out of your day to relieve some of that stress with a relaxing massage, facial, or hair service.

Want all three but can’t afford it? Visit your local beauty school in Albany, NY and check out the low prices for services performed by students training to become cosmetologists, barbers, estheticians or nail technicians. These professionals in training perform services on clients at extremely reduced prices versus a high-end salon. The results are the same and you are helping a student gain the experience they need to become certified in their industry. All services are supervised by instructors who have experience in the field. Stop by Mirror Images Spa & Salon at Austin’s School of Spa Technology in Albany, New York and see all of the amazing services that they have to offer.

Decorating your nails can be both fun and creative. There are so many different ways to decorate your ten digits this year. Conservative nails are no longer in and it makes way for a more dramatic, artistic approach. Many women like to use animal prints, such as zebra stripes or leopard spots. Any floral elements you can tie in are great too.  Bright colorful flowers on any nails will definitely draw attention.

You may also want to add some glitter or rhinestones to your nail design. These tend to add more of an artsy look as well. Who doesn’t like a little glitter, especially in cold months when everything seems to sparkle with the winter snow and holiday decorations.

To make things a bit easier for those of you who may not be artistic or just want to get it done fast, there are things like nail art foils, rubber stamping tools and peel off stickers.  You can apply these over your nail color to make them more beautiful. It is much quicker than painting anything onto your nails freehand and they look just as elegant.

There are so many techniques you can use to get the design you want and you really do not have to set aside hours to obtain these great looks. Try some out today and you just might surprise yourself. Visit Austin’s School of Spa Technology in Albany to have a Nail Technician demonstrate some of these great new techniques.

As the seasons change, so does our need to change our appearance.

New fall colors and shades that we love, we use to accent our features. First, keep in mind skinny brows are out this season. Having strong, thick defined brows can help add attention. Then, you can use a little metallic eye shadow which will help to make your eyes stand out in a crowd. For a fresh look stick with neutral shades, such as a light brown eyeliner and shadow. This helps to bring out the eyes without overpowering them. You can finish that look with a simple peach colored lipstick. Most girls want to have fuller lips or even just appear to. Add some lip gloss to enhance the lips and add shine.

Dark colors are in this season, especially for lip color. Shades in dark red, burgundy and wine are the colors we will see this season. Also, when it comes to eyes, remember, smokey eyes never go out of style. Instead of using a basic grey color for the look experiment with other colors like purple and green.

If you are the type that is not into bold or bright colors, you can try a classier look using a neutral eye shadow. Tan, taupe and beige colors are ideal for bringing out your eyes without feeling like you have overdone it.

There are so many ideas you can come up with when using makeup. Try to be unique in your own way and never feel afraid to express yourself. If you’re not the best at makeup application visit a beauty school in Albany, NY like Austin’s School of Spa Technology to have an experienced student apply new makeup ideas for you at the student clinic.

CHI hair care products have fast become a household name because of their commitment to the environment with ammonia free, peroxide free and PPD free hair products. You can find them anywhere from Mirror Images Spa & Salon in Albany, NY to local salons and drug stores.

CHI Ionic permanent shine hair color is infused with an anti-face color lock, aloe for sensitive scalps and silk oil for long lasting shine.

CHI Chromashine conditioning demi-permanent bold color is a product that will give you intense, strong color without harmful peroxide or ammonia. Chromashine is available in Pale Yellow, Real Orange, Pure Pink, Hot Fuchsia, CHI Red, Vibrant Violet, True Teal and Rich Blue.

With Halloween right around the corner this could be a great way to get the look you’re going for without the damage caused by traditional hair colors. Have a stylist in training help you achieve the look you’re seeking for a low price at one of the top beauty schools in Albany, NY like Austin’s School of Spa Technology.

This has been an exciting year, filled with all different types of clothing styles, makeup haircuts and colors.  Warm color tones were very popular. Bold, vibrant shades such as purple, blue, red and green were also big in the hair color market. This color trend will continue, especially if celebrities are seen sporting them. Katy Perry is among the few that are into off the chart colors.

Many people have requested 2-4 different shades of color to create more depth to their hair.   Since hair coloring has become more and more popular, it is also important to use products that are both safe for people and the environment.  CHI is a fantastic product and styling line to use. They produce 100% ammonia-free colors and low EMF electrical appliances.  Their hair color is longer lasting and creates a richer, more radiant color experience.

As far as hairstyles go, the bob, for example, will never go out of style.  It just gets re-invented every year and is why there is something called the square bob now. Undone waves, has been another popular trend. It consists of smooth waves and it works best on medium to long hair. Another easy to do, beautiful style is the hair twist.  It can be done in so many different aspects and is popular because of its simplicity.

Men are also trying new hairstyles and colors. The Punk hairstyle, briefly textured hair and extreme, eye catching colors have become popular among teenagers.  Popular movies and magazines have become inspiration for us all.   If we see a celebrity flaunting it, then most of the time we would love to try it out. Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez are among the few.

Choose whichever style that appeals to you best. Inspiration from others can help and be important.  Consider one that suits your personality and unique self and do not be afraid to try new and bold designs. Make sure you have fun with it and you can never go wrong.

Local beauty schools are a great place to experiment with your hair in their student clinic if you don’t want to pay top salon prices.  Check out some of the top beauty schools in NY, visit them and try your new look.

Have you ever seen someone walk down the street, with bright pink highlights or ruby red dipped hair, and wished you had the guts to try it? Now you can—commitment free! Chalking is the new hot fall trend of 2012.

Chalking is a fun new technique that allows bright hues to temporarily tint your hair and then washes out when you want it to. No need to worry about what people at work will think of your crazy and fun weekend hairstyle. Chalking works best on lightened areas of hair but does work on darker hair for a more subtle look.

Once you’ve dampened sections of hair, simply rub sidewalk chalk on the area to create a fun new look. Use as many colors as you want! Use a flat iron or curling iron to set the colors. You can brush and style your hair any way you’d like once it dries. Don’t like it? Wash it out and try a different combination of colors.

Ombré hair is another hot fall trend for 2012. This trend is now being seen all over Hollywood from celebrities to their stylists. Ombré hair is when color fades from dark at the top to light at the ends of the hair, or vice versa. This hair color style is also perfect for chalking.

For best results, visit your favorite stylist and have them highlight sections of your hair. This natural glow will look great as is, which will be perfect for weekday wear. Ask your cosmetologist to show you how to create the chalked look you’re seeking.

If you are really interested in perfecting these techniques visit your local beauty school to learn more. The top beauty schools in NY that train cosmetologists, stylists, barbers, estheticians or nail technicians often offer continuing education classes that will teach you these techniques.

Welcome to the Austin's School of Spa Technology blog.

Austin's School of Spa Technology is a beauty school in Albany, NY offering programs of study in Cosmetology, Barbering, Esthetics and Nail Technology all under one roof.

Austin's School also offers continuing education courses for licensed professionals.