Aspiring Cosmetologists

The Cerritos College Cosmetology program is one of the many quality programs offered by this campus.

Students who decide to join the cosmetology program can learn how to cut, color, perm, straighten and braid hair.

Students will also learn manicuring, pedicuring and skin care.

With this programs students will be able to take advantage of all of the amenities that the school has to offer.

Amenities such as, counseling, financial aid, clubs, and health aid.

Cesar Garcia, a junior in the cosmetology program is giving his client, Victoria Salas a layered trim haircut.

Cosmetology student, Emanuel Gutierrez had a head start as a barber before joining the cosmetology program.

“I got into barbering first because I liked being in an easygoing environment of being in a shop/salon and working with people,” Gutierrez then discovered the numerous options the cosmetology program could offer.

Upon taking the program Gutierrez discovered his passion for cutting hair, hair color and doing nails.

One of the challenging obstacles Gutierrez faced was having to start from scratch because other students had some experience when it came to certain haircuts and up dos.

“The routine is kinda tough we’re here from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday which can be a bit tiring, so everyone is anxious for summer break,” Gutierrez mentions.

The senior cosmetology students come back for the second summer session to finish up everything they need to graduate.

During the fall some of the students will be back to have extra preparation when applying for the state board test that will allow them to receive their cosmetology license.

“Everyone says that the state board test is easy, that the hardest part is theory, but I know if  I study everything will be fine,” Gutierrez expresses his concerns.

During the next spring semester the program will held a graduation ceremony for their students.

One of Gutierrez’s goals upon graduating and licensed cosmetologists is to start a job as soon possible to be able to put his skills to work.

“Ideally another goal would be to have my own station right off the bat at a barbershop and do what I have been doing. That way I could work at a salon and basically start off as an apprentice,” Gutierrez mentions.

Usually newly graduated cosmetologists start off their careers working as an apprentice or as a stylist’s assistant to be able to learn the ropes of working at a salon.

These paid internships will last about 6 months to 1 year depending on the salon before being able to have your own station.

Jacob Espinoza, a junior in the cosmetology program, is practicing a style of braids on a mannequin.

Cosmetology student, Jacob Espinoza grew up loving everything that had to do with the beauty world.

“Cosmetology is something I care about a lot, this is what I want to do for the rest of my life so its a pretty big deal for me,” Hair, make up, and everything cosmetology related is Espinoza’s biggest passion.

Having known early on in his life Espinoza knew that having his license in cosmetology would facilitate being able to accomplish his goals and dreams.

Espinoza did not hesitate to get a head start in the business.

Having started a side journey many opportunities opened up for Espinoza.

“The way I started working on the side was having business cards, business cards go a long way. Even though they seem old school because everyone uses social media, word of mouth goes a long way too,” Espinoza mentions.

Espinoza has been able to create his clientele which has allowed him to be able to do make up, and up dos for weddings, quincerellas, and graduations in which he brings his equipment to.

Recently Espinoza has been presented with bigger gigs that has helped him expand career.

“Doing a photo shoot in LBCC I had the fortune of meeting with a fashion director that liked my work and offered me an opportunity. I was able to do a photoshoot with him and meet many photographers and models that really put my name out there,” Espinoza happily mentions.

Espinoza was later given another opportunity with the same fashion director to do hair and makeup for another photoshoot.

“I was very surprised and humbled that he called me again, this time the gig was much more editorial. I was able to work with celebrity fashion designer Sue Wong which came out in the L.A. Times,” One of Espinoza’s proudest opportunities.

White feminists; is it really feminism?

White feminism primarily includes white feminists that are only worried about the struggles white women face.

White feminists do not include the struggles of women of color, non-straight women, trans women, and women that pertain to certain religious or cultural minorities.

Which means these women basically ignore current race-related issues.

White feminism is everywhere, in stores, television, movies just to name a few.

Its a shame that so many non white women have to deal with this daily in some way shape or form.

If you go to a store looking for a new shampoo from the end cap to down an aisle all of the products are targeted for white women.

You will be considered lucky if you find a small section with shampoos that are for women of color that targets their needs.

What is even worse is that small section is probably labeled as “ethnic hair care”

This basically alienates other women.

Are we not all women?

Why should we have to alienate other women simply because that have different hair that is not “traditionally” like every other white women out there.

If you look at today’s fashion world, most of the “top” models are mostly white women.

The scarcity of women in the modeling world of color and of Hispanic women is quite large.

This is not to say that “white feminists” should completely shut up about certain issues.

What is important is that they should educate themselves about everything that goes on with other women that are not just white.

What they can do is make the transition of becoming an intersectional feminist.

An intersectional feminist fights against oppression of all people who face racism, sexism, homophobia, ableism, xenophobia, and classism.

Why Henna is the way to go!

For centuries, men and women all around the world have dyed their hair or beards to enhance their beauty.

Before the days of boxed dyes or dying your hair at a salon, there was and still is a natural way to dye your hair.

This natural alternative is called Henna.

You are probably thinking henna, the body art used by many different cultures is used to dye hair?

The answer is yes!

Henna comes from a tropical plant which proper name is Lawsonia Inermis can be used to decorate the body and dye hair naturally.

The leaves of this particular plant can release orange and red pigments once it is turned into a powder.

Once its turned into powder it can be activated with hot water just as chemical hair dye is activated with a developer.

Once the Henna is completely dissolved with the hot water it is spread onto clean, dry hair.

The hair dyes out on the market today are filled with harmful chemicals that can cause short term and long term damage to hair its shafts.

Chemical hair dyes have even been known to increase the risk of certain cancers.

Alas, Henna dye comes to the rescue!

Henna does not damage your hair instead it actually helps one have healthier hair.

Amazing right?

Henna naturally binds with the existing proteins in your hair which helps improve hair texture and strengthens the hair shaft.

Within 48 hours of having dyed your hair with Henna the color will reach its maximum peak.

Since it deposits orange and red pigments in your hair you are probably asking yourself, what if I do not want red/orange hair?

There is a natural solution for that as well!

Henna alone produces red/orange hues, but when it is mixed with indigo which is also a plant (commonly used to dye jeans) it can create darker colors.

To achieve the colors brown or black, indigo must be applied after a coat of henna.

Just as regular hair dyes the application can be a bit messy, so be sure to have an old shirt and gloves handy!

Sephora; A one stop destination

Beauty products galore!

Behold the mother load of all beauty stores; Sephora.

Sephora is known for selling high end beauty products from makeup, skin care, hair care and even fragrances for both men and women.

Sephora stores can be found in malls across the U.S. as well as Canada.

Inside these stores there are many gondolas of different high end makeup brands.

In the middle of the store there is a gondola at which certified makeup artists can help customers with any beauty related questions they may have.

Towards the back end of these stores is where the skin care and hair care are set up.

Have a question regarding skin care or hair care?

Licensed estheticians have got you covered!

If those perks do not have you sold yet, Sephora has more.

Everyone knows that high end products can be quite pricey and Sephora understands the struggle, so have no fear samples have come to the rescue!

Everybody’s skin reacts to beauty products differently so being able to sample and try products before breaking the bank makes all of the difference.

Beauty Insider.

You are probably asking yourself what on earth is that?

Sephora offers a free membership card called the Beauty Insider, that works off of a point system.

A free membership that offers free beauty classes and a free birthday gift, how much better does it get than that?

The free beauty classes target just about every technique makeup beginners can think of.

From finding your perfect foundation shade, to brow shaping and even learning how to apply false lashes, the list goes on!

Taking your membership to the next level by becoming a VIB which includes a free birthday gift, free beauty classes, seasonal savings, 2-day shipping and much more!

What is the catch?

One gets to enjoy all of these perks by spending a small price of $350 per calendar year.

Although it might sound like a lot, lets be real here you can never spend too much for amazing makeup, skin care and hair care!

 

Sulfate Free v.s. Sulfate Shampoos/Conditioners

Shampoos and conditioners can be found in nearly every store, from pharmacies, beauty supplies, department stores and even super markets.

While they can be found nearly everywhere and at reach that does not mean they are all necessarily good for your hair.

So what do these shampoos and conditioners all have in common?

They all carry at least one of these two similar ingredients; Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLS) and Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLES).

Now in hindsight one may think, well these shampoos and conditioners have been on the market with these ingredients for so many years so how bad could it be for my hair?

The answer to that is Sodium Laureth Sulfate and Sodium Lauryl Sulfate are both surfactants that are used in many cosmetic and cleaning products.

Most people associate a proper “clean” when a product lathers or foams up which is what these two surfactants do.

Sulfates can strip your hair of its natural essential oils as well as drying out your scalp.

If your hair is dyed you can forget about having long lasting color with these two ingredients as it also strips that too.

Already suffer from frizzy, fuzzy and split end hair?

Well sulfates can worsen that too!

In some extreme cases sulfates in shampoos and conditioners have been known to cause swelling of the hands, face and arms.

Now think about the cleaning products you have in your house, most of them are filled with chemicals that are toxic to us.

Most of these cleaning products contain one or even both of these ingredients that can cause irritation to the skin and eyes.

Would you still want to use shampoos and conditioners that contain these two ingredients?

Of course not!

Luckily, there are alternatives.

That is where sulfate free shampoos and conditioners come to the rescue!

Most of these sulfate free alternatives also target specific hair and scalp types which can help everyone’s needs.

If shampoos are not your cup of tea, cleansing conditioners are also helpful alternatives.

Have no idea where to start looking?

Here is a list of sulfate free shampoos!

Veterans Resource Center

 

The Cerritos College Veterans Resource Center is available to all veteran students who need assistance in their academic journey.

Many of the veterans that attend Cerritos College find comfort in knowing that they have place that is there to help them out.

The Veterans Resource Center is located in the ISC building that is near the Student Center. Open from Monday through Wednesday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and from 8:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on Thursdays. It is closed on Fridays.

Services offered at the center are  the Orange County Vet Center Mental Health counseling, financial aid, food assistance, career services, book loan and library, just to name a few.

“We have our own academic counselors which is one of the bigger pluses because we do not have to wait in long lines most of the time,” Veteran Luke Jones, an English major appreciates the services provided by the center.

The Veterans also have access to their own computers and printers, which is beneficial because it saves them time.

“Cerritos College is good, the Veteran Resource Center is really great. As a veteran there is a certain disconnect between you and the other students on campus,” Jones expresses.

“Being a veteran its comforting to be like minded individuals who have experienced certain things that many have not experienced so it makes the learning environment a lot more comfortable, it’s a positive experience that helps make the transition a lot easier,” Veteran Gaylean Currie speaking on the positive transition he has had here at Cerritos College.

There is also free tutoring services that is available to students during office hours.

These free tutoring services provided cover about every subject that the Veterans could need help with.

ASCC Presidential Elections

ASCC presidential elections are at full bloom right now with candidates and their supporters campaigning away hoping for the best.

A campaign table in front of the student activities center was held for presidential candidate Joseph Fierro and vice presidential candidate Ryan Kang.

Megan Kim, a Cerritos College student and a political science major is one of the supporters that were helping out with today’s campaign.

“Joseph and Ryan want to do assessment tutoring so that students can be tutored into classes that they need after taking the assessment test to save time and money,” supporter Kim explains.

Marinello Schools of Beauty closing

Marinello Schools of Beauty announced that they will be closing 56 of their campuses after the U.S Department of Education discovered that Marinello’s was improperly using federal student aid money.

Many of the campuses including 21 in California and two in Nevada were asking for aid for students without a valid high school diploma.

Instead of submitting evidence that could help the school continue receiving aid, Marinello’s decided to shut down.

With the closing of these schools, a positive outcome comes afloat for future cosmetology students.

Many community colleges offer a cosmetology program as well an esthetician program.

Cerritos College’s Cosmetology program has had more opportunities open up for them ever since Marinello’s closed down here in California.

Cosmetology Department Chair, Nina Motruk has felt thankful for the opportunities that have presented themselves because the students get to receive more practice.

“We got a call to help with an event at Mildred Children’s Hospital in Long Beach on May 6 for a Mother’s Day event because the Marinello Schools of Beauty closed down”, Motruk mentions.

During this event, students will be able to do makeup and manicures for the mothers in bedrest and with new borns in ICU.

After the mother’s are ready there will be a photoshoot held for them so they have their first Mother’s Day gift.

Students are given the opportunity to put their learned skills to work by outreaching in the community.

“We try to teach our students to outreach and volunteer to the community as much as possible and with doing that they receive more practice for their future careers,” Motruk mentions.

Future students will have more opportunities to choose from more community colleges that off excellent programs that will have the safety of not having to worry about fraud.

By going to a program like this at a community college students will have many resources available to them.

Resources such as a financial aid office, counselors and professors that will help them every step of the way making sure students are well prepared.

Community colleges that offer a cosmetology and  esthetician program is the way to go.

ASCC presidential election campaigns

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Saul Lopez, an ASCC presidential candidate and supporters held campaign booth to show him support during his presidential campaign.

The campaign will be held in front of the student center on April 5 and 6 from 9 to 2pm.

Aldemar Sanchez, a previous Cerritos College student and communications major came to show his support and help out with Lopez’s campaign.

“We are here to support Saul and Enrique Rodriguez [vice presidential candidate] and let everyone know what they stand for and what they want to bring to the Cerritos College campus,” Sanchez explained.

Lopez, is working on having more book accessibility for students as well as vice presidential candidate, Rodriguez.

Rodriguez is also having local elementary schools to come on campus to see what a community college is to show what the campus has to offer.

The main goal with these tours is to remove the negative stigma of community colleges receive to encourage students to not be discouraged if their only option is to attend a community college.

“Community colleges are really great and you can get somewhere by attending one. I know there was a recent tour with 4th and 5 graders that were shown the engineering department and were shown the 3D designs which left the students really impressed,” Sanchez weighing on the recent student tour.

Janet Parga, a Cerritos College graduate wanted to come back to campus to help Lopez campaign.

“I wanted to come back and help with Saul’s campaign for both days because I really do believe he is a qualified candidate. He has a lot of support from some of the most successful student leaders that we’ve had on this campus,” Parga mentions.

Many of the campaign supporters want to really spread the word and inform students about the student government to help them become more involved.

Lopez’s and Rodriguez’s supporters really want to spread the word on what these two candidates have and want to accomplish.

By doing so students can see that these candidates not only want to help the Cerritos College campus with their ideas, but the surrounding communities as well.

 

 

The Cerritos Cosmetology Program; the department that never sleeps

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The Cerritos College Cosmetology Department is a program that never sleeps and is always looking for new ways to help better prepare its students.

The Cosmetology Program is always looking to be a part of new events to help get their students out there for practice that can help them when they become professionals.

The Cosmetology Program is going to attend a make up fashion show in Cypress, California on Saturday, April 2.

The event begins at 6 p.m., but the students will head over to the location at 1 p.m. to begin preparations.

These sixteen students will not be in the fashion show itself, but will be helping backstage.

The students will attain more practice by doing the models makeup and hair, the models will have the option of choosing their looks.

The students are preparing for this show by working on the clients that come into the salon during the salon hours. For further practice they are practicing doing updos and curls on mannequins.

On Friday, May 6, the students will also be attending Miller Children’s Hospital in Long Beach, California for an early Mother’s Day event.

The students will be providing make up and manicures to the mother’s who have a bed ridden pregnancy and mother’s who have their babies in the intensive care unit.

After their makeup and manicures have been completed a photographer will take photos of the mothers as a Mother’s Day keepsake.

“We are teaching our students the importance of outreaching to the community by volunteering their services to be able to give back,” Department Chair and Professor, Nina Motruk.

Jacob Espinoza, a junior in the Cosmetology Program, has had his share of time on the salon floor practicing his new found skills on many clients.

On March 29, Espinoza performed a retouch of roots on his client and explained the work that goes into such process.

Firstly, one has to greet the client and take them to the salon chair and begin to discuss what the client has come in for to be able to begin the work.

Since the client only came in for a root touch up the process for Espinoza was an easy one since he had done this previously on different clients.

Espinoza than proceeded to split his client’s hair into four parted sections to be able to apply the dye with ease.

With the protective creme placed on the outer edges of the client’s face and the dye mixed to perfection, Espinoza was ready to start.

25 minutes later and the dye was fully applied to the client’s roots to assure full gray hair coverage.

After the dye is placed the processing of the hair dye begins which can take up to 45 minutes to an 1 hour.

“During this process sometimes my clients fall asleep, like this client fell asleep because they have nothing else to do while they’re waiting. Its somewhat of a relaxing process for them,” Espinoza mentions.

Cesar Garcia, a junior in the Cosmetology Program has also had the chance to perform his skills on the salon floor.

On March 29, Garcia had to perform a trim and fringe alignment on one of his clients.

Firstly, Garcia began to spray his client’s hair with water in order to begin his masterpiece and transform his clients hair.

“Wetting or shampooing the client’s hair helps the hair become more manageable because its clean and free from any dirt related particles,” Garcia explains.

This particular client had previously tried cutting her own hair which resulted in a crooked fringe which provided Garcia with an exciting challenge.

“The client wanted to have the fringe aligned, but also wanted to remove about 2 inches worth of hair damage while still maintaining her hair at a long length,” Garcia mentions that it was an exciting challenge to complete.

Garcia takes pride in taking his time while working on his clients, he likes to make sure that he gets as close to perfection as he can to fully be able to satisfy his clients.

With every craft that is begin learned one saying is always certain; practice makes perfect.