FOUR TIPS TO LASTING COLOR

You step out of the salon feeling revived and ready to conquer the world. You want to keep this feeling forever --- not to mention the look and depth of your new exciting color. Before you lose that great feeling and color don’t fret. You can keep looking and feeling sensational with these few quick tips:

Protect your hair: If your going to be out in the sun, always wear a hat to protect the life of your color and the condition of your hair.

Don’t over wash: Most people are very active these days which will contribute to over-washing your hair. If you feel that you must wash your hair every day, opt instead to wash and condition one day, and then just rinse and condition for the next day or two. This method will help prevent the hair from drying out quite as much. My best recommendation to all my clients is to wash only once a week. If you over wash your hair it not only fades the color, but it will cause it to dry out and upset the PH of the hair.

Try a glaze between color: Another Idea to extend the life and shimmer of your new color is to try a glaze. Hair glazes, which come in either clear or colored versions, add brilliant shine to existing color. It will help to seal color and prevent the dull look that we all dread between trips to the salon.

Use quality Products: Using a quality shampoo and conditioner that is created to lock in color will make a huge difference in the health and look of your hair. I recommend trying D. Laudati’s “Delizioso ” shampoo and conditioner which is perfectly PH balanced and also contains UVA protection -- or Aquage’s “Color Protecting” shampoo and conditioner which contains marine extracts. These products not only help to enhance the condition of your hair but help to maintain a healthy shine.

Most people have the opinion that color-treated hair takes too much effort or special treatment to keep it looking fresh. However, simply washing your hair less often and using quality products will keep that salon fresh look and excitement just a little longer.

Don’t Let the Recession Get You Hair Down; There are Some Easy At-Home Bailouts

According to an article in Elle, “After polling 600 mid- to high-range salons nationwide, the National Cosmetology Association found that more than 70 percent reported seeing a drop-off in customer spending.” Of course, I want my clients to be able to see me for regularly scheduled touch-ups and trims, but the reality is there are some things you can do at home to stretch out those visits a bit. One caveat: unless you’re coloring your hair within a shade of two of your natural color, you must see a professional. As a Master Colorist. I have had to correct some truly frightening home jobs.

But you can do the little things, like trim your own bangs, or have your long hair cut with interior layers that you can style to create volume and wait much longer between visits. We offer our clients free bang trims, but many feel uncomfortable coming in for a free service when it’s been a long time between visits. This article has a couple of good videos showing a terrific long style and a tutorial on trimming your bangs. Soon, things will take a turn for the better, and you can get back to your regular love affair with your stylist.

Bring Out the Rocker Chick for a Night of Fun

With clients asking us for lowlights, darker shades and edgier cuts for Fall, this style is the perfect looks-casual-but took-some work typical of the rock n’ roll genre. The male version would actually be Kristen Stewart’s co-star in Twilight, Robert Pattinson.

The stylist saturated damp hair with a combo of matte hair wax and glistening styling gel to create texture and shine. Her hair was then combed back with fingers while blowdrying to keep the look deconstructed.

To finish the look, he pulled the back layers of her hair into a twisted ponytail, fanning the ends out and pulled out random pieces for an edgy “vampy” vibe. For the whole story, see InStyle.