Back to Basics

It’s time to ditch those hairbrushes as messy hair is officially in.

Messy, elegant messy, slightly messy and casual hairstyles are all the latest rage and they have redefined what is sexy, comfortable and appealing for 2008. 

Celebrities such as Alexa Chung, Kate Moss, Sienna Miller, and Paris Hilton have all be proudly parading their un-brushed locks. Read more

The New Blonde 2008

THE NEW BLONDE FOR 2008

This season, just like the clothes on our backs, hair colour is all about being bright, bold and luxurious. Expensive looking colours are hot right now–such as honeys, golds and ice white blondes that are shiny and vibrant are set to be everywhere, this 2008.

Hair Colour Doctor and Channel 4’s Ten Years Younger hair expert, Lisa Shepherd, who’s also a massive lover of all things blonde says:

“This season is seeing a new blonde on the block! A much lighter, brighter and whiter Blonde says Lisa. “It’s very beautiful, full of shine and can work for a glamorous look (Sarah Harding) or ultimate rock chick chic (Pixie Geldof or Agyness Deyn)

I believe everyone can be blonde, but before you go tearing out a picture of Agyness asking for this colour there are things to consider first!

Blonde is without a doubt one of the most popular hair colours. There are so many shades of blonde available but not everyone manages to get it just right.

Firstly your hair needs to be healthy and in a good condition in order to take in the entire colour.

It’s also worth noting how high maintenance this hair colour is, it’s probably wise to let your hairdresser know how long you’re happy to spend on your hair and how often you want to revisit the hair salon. Then they can give you a style and type of blonde that requires the right amount of commitment from you!

During your consultation, your colourist will determine whether you should go for warm or cool tones to match your skin, this is important and will stop you from looking pale and washed out. Icy white is a very cool colour to go but we’re all aware of how brave it is. This is not a colour to try yourself at home! If you don’t want to go all the way the first time then ask your colourist for a full head of highlights using multi-tonal blondes like ice white, crystal clear and ash.

Blonde can lose its shine and turn brassy, keep it fresh by alternating your shampoo with a toner. Try Schwarzkopf Touch of Silver shampoo (£2.09, Boots), which balances brassy tones.
  Lisa’s quick tips for Blondes:

• It’s important to have regular visits to the salon to make sure your blonde is always looking its best.

• Keep your blonde looking refreshed in-between visits to the salon by using a good colour shampoo specifically for Blondes. Try Schwarzkopf Blonde me range.

• If you’ve spent years dying your hair blonde, then it’s probably prone to being dry and frizzy. Keep it looking shiny and silky with a few drops of serum everyday, I like Clynol’s illuminate smoothing shine treatment (RRP £8.75)

• If you’re finding it hard to keep up with the high maintenance that come with Blonde hair, ask your stylist to run some darker shades throughout your hair. This will make your roots look less noticeable when they start to show.

Big Hair is Back with a Bounce!

After seasons of straightening, big, bouncy hair is officially back.

Big hair from the 60’s & 70’s has morphed into a new style and come back in a big way for the current hair season.  Thankfully big hair now doesn’t resemble anything like the big helmet style beehive of the late 50’s… that was a big no no. Read more

How To Care For Curly Hair - Top 5 Tips

What are the characteristics of curly hair?

Curly hair is nearly always dry hair - this, combined with the fact that light reflects better from straight surfaces than curved ones, means that girls with curls often long for the sleek, shiny hair that they feel they will never have. Curls also have a tendency to tangle and this can result in breaking and splitting. As your hair is already quite fragile, a considerable amount of TLC is crucial if you want to keep this type of hair in the best condition possible. All of this pales in comparison, however; with the ultimate trauma for curly-haired girls - the dreaded frizz. All it needs is a tiny bit of moisture in the air for your sleek curls to turn into tangled webs. But you don’t need to suffer in silence.

How to care for curly hair

Now this may shock you. If you have curly hair, never, even ever wash it every day. It tends to dehydrate the hair and make it more frizzy and unmanageable. Instead let your hair pick up some natural oils to help keep it calm and under control. If you have to wash to feel clean, skip shampoo and just rinse with water, then apply conditioner When you wash, technique is crucial - use moisturising shampoos and leave-in conditioners to add hydrating ingredients. For the best results comb through with a wide-toothed comb (the only way you should comb curly hair). Twice a month use an intensive conditioner or hot oil treatment When drying, don’t rub your hair with the towel. Instead squeeze the excess water into the towel. Apply an anti-frizz styling cream or serum to the hair while it’s still wet and leave it to dry naturally, or at least use a hair dryer with a diffuser and only moderate heat. And never tip the head upside down -you’re asking for frizz.

Top 5 Tips For Curly Hair

1) If you find your brush is always tangling in your hair; splash out on one made of boar’s hair bristles, which don’t stick.

2) If you don’t want to fork out for that, just use your fingers - they’re better for curly hair than most brushes and you won’t have to spend a penny.

3) If your curls have gone flat overnight don’t think you need to style again. Just tip your head upside down and massage the hair near your scalp in a circular motion.This generates volume at the roots and wakes up your look.

4) To protect curly hair from further dehydration always stop blow-drying just before the ends are completely dry. It’s in the last few minutes of drying that the final water leaves the strands, leading to dehydration and breaking.

5) Curly heads often think they can only have long hair to look good. Not true. Layered, short styles which prevent the hair from spilling outwards work as well as long, heavy locks.

With a bit of love and attention, curly hair can be beautiful hair and 2 celebrities that really know how to pull off a great look are Beyonce Knowles and Sarah Jessica Parker.

Experts say that 2008 hairstyles are showing a return of the curly perm from the eighties, except this time, no frizz allowed! So be sure to follow instructions to care for your curls!

A Sweet End To My Hair Product Spending Soap Opera

As a 26 year old single woman I like to think I live a pretty wholesome, clean living existence. Certainly when I compare myself to the likes of (the extremely talented) Miss Winehouse I am almost nun like, although admittedly I have tried to mimic her vocal stylings in karaoke after a few glasses of red wine.

I do however have 3 addictions, 3 vices if you like. These are (in no particular order): -

1) Chocolate. All types and forms
2) Eastenders (I know…)
3) Spending obscene amounts of money on professional hair products

The first item on the list often collides with the second in a Sunday afternoon omnibus extravaganza, however, as I regularly go to the gym the only thing I really need to worry about from these two are perhaps a couple of spots and a wasted couple of hours of my life each week.

My third vice however is (or was) much more of a problem and I have the bank statements to prove it.

As we all know, there is a tremendous pressure of girls my age these days to look good. Every day I read magazines full of gorgeous super models, telling me how I can achieve the latest celebrity look with a few easy to follow tips and some professional products.

And here lies the problem, we all want to look like our idols, but if we are not careful we can waste hundreds of pounds and more chasing that super model hair style. The good news is, I have learned from experience that with investment in the right products looking great doesn’t have to cost the earth. So what do you really need?

OK, there is no getting away from the fact if you want to create professional styles, you are going to need a good quality, professional straightener. This is where you will have to invest a bit of money and I would recommend taking the plunge and splashing out on a T3 Tourmaline straightening iron. They are not cheap, and will set you back over £100, but there is a simple reason why this will be money saved in the long run… you will save yourself a fortune of “hair care repair” products!

Heat styling is the biggest cause of damage to hair and quite simply T3 are the best irons on the market for minimising that damage. In fact when combined with T3 Boost (worth spending £19.95 on) using T3 irons will actually help to condition and treat your hair as you style.

So, that’s the big purchase out of the way and as you have chosen a high quality iron it will last you for years. What else do you need?

Thermal protection sprays? no
Illuminating reconstructors? huh?

There are 4 more products that you need for perfect hair. A good quality shampoo and conditioner, a deep conditioner and your preferred styling product.

It’s worth investing in a mid range shampoo and conditioner (expect to pay about £10). Don’t use a super market brand to save a few pennies as it won’t be worth it in the long run.

I would recommend any product from Fudge, Joico or Osmo Essence, but do some research and find out which is best for your hair type (i.e. oily, dry, normal). A decent sized bottle (300ml) should last you about 6 weeks, so you are looking at a cost of around £15 a month for your shampoo and conditioner.

Once a month you should use a deep, leave in conditioner on your hair and there are a number of products available that will do the trick. You shouldn’t expect to pay more than about £15 for this and again I would recommend one of the Joico range. As you are only using once a month, this product should last you at least 6 months so you are only looking at an average cost of about £3 a month.

There are an incredible amount of styling products available, but my advice is not to go overboard. Choose a light styling product which will keep your look in place without looking “cardboard”, you want your hair to move. I admit I’m a Fudge girl and I like to use just a little wet wax spray to keep my hair in check, but only really at weekends. My styling product tends to last me for about 2 months, so at an average spend of £10 it works out at a monthly cost of say £5.

So, with an initial investment of £100+ on my T3 straightener my monthly spend is now down to under £25, which even my bank manager won’t be too unhappy about.

Now I can waste the rest of my money on skin care products…

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