And with so many new hair products launching right now, you can wave goodbye to bad hair days for good. From foolproof DIY hair colour to the permanent blow-dry in a bottle, home hair care is now more professional than ever. Here’s ELLE’s top picks…
The new-look range
VO5 has relaunched its whole range. There are seven new shampoo and conditioner combos, from £1.99 each, designed for your hair’s differing needs whether you want it super glossy one day or volumised the next. The brand has also bought argan oil to the high street with its new Miracle Concentrate, £4.99, while EBT love the heat-protecting Miracle Mist, £4.28, (it smells of holidays!). Finally, VO5 has also rejuvenated its styling range that includes an ingenious product, Instant Oomph powder, £4.08, which means you’ll never need to backcomb again.
The new brands
It’s definitely the season of hair, proved in part by the fact that two new brands have launched this month alone. Shan Rahimkhan is somewhat of a hair styling icon in Berlin and lucky for us his haircare range has just gone exclusively into Harvey Nichols. It tackles the three big hair issues - Shine, Colour and Control. Interestingly there are no wash-out conditioners, just leave-ins treatments, from £28, that aren’t at all heavy, but simply work to keep nourishing the hair all day long.
Brand number two is Electric, born out of the salon group of the same name (also exclusive to Harvey Nichols and Electric salons). Masterminded by award-winning hairdresser Mark Woolley, who has spent two years formulating the range. Like Shan’s it is simple and streamlined with shampoos and conditioners for hydration and colour only while the styling products tackle frizz, protection and shape with a serum, smoothing cream, intensive masque and paste. From, £14.50.
Click here to buy Shan Rahimkhan products...
The new colourants
Hair colour this season is vibrant: icy blondes, ravishing reds and deep, dark brunettes. Not everyone can afford regular trips to the salon to keep such high maintenance shades looking their best, so this is where the new generation of at-home hair colourants come in to play.
First up, Avon has launched permanent home hair colour, £6. What sets this apart from the others is its pre-treatment step. You need to cover the hair in the nourishing primer that works to even-out the porosity of the hair so you don’t end up with a different shade on the older ends compared with the baby roots. The results are startlingly professional.
Second, Garnier Nutrisse’s new Ultra Color, £5.49 (out May), delivers the colour deep into the hair shaft, while your hair is conditioned with nourishing grape seed oil. The conditioner contains avocado oil, which is super hydrating (it’s so moisturising scientists even believe it can reverse sun damage and reduce sunburn and inflammation, according to a study published in the journal Archives of Dermatological Research). Healthy hair is the key to long-lasting colour, which is why the new Ultra Color home kits keep your coloured hair looking vibrant for longer.
Visit Avon's online shop, here...
The new styler
Bumble and bumble’s newest product is a versatile cream that works to get guts into fine hair, ideal if you want your up-do to keep going as long as you do (watch hairstylist James Pecis use it to create a romantic up-do, here). On thicker hair, work a small amount through the mid-lengths and ends to get that matte, beachy, tousled look. A summer essential.
Bumble and bumble Texture, £21 at Space NK
The new shampoo
Tommyguns is the ultra cool London-based salon collective where stylists rent a chair to work from, so there is no overarching salon concept and the feel is refreshingly laidback. It also means your stylist could have been backstage at a show the day before and off to a shoot the day after; they’re at the frontline of fashion hair styling. The products are just as ingenious with mouth-watering natural ingredients (blueberry, fig, honey and pomegranate, to name a few) and styling products you need (Weather Protect Dew Drops Serum, £6.50 is an EBT favourite). The newest additions are the Jasmine and Wild Nettle shampoo and conditioner, £5.50 each, formulated to hydrate even the most parched tresses; they work a treat especially on super bleach-blonde hair.
Visit the Tommyguns site now...
The problem solver
Lady Gaga recently admitted suffering from a chemical haircut, thanks to her over processed styles. If you want to bleach your hair, have it chemically straightened or ply it with hair extensions you can, but it means you have to combat the damage by nurturing your tresses even more. Redken has just launched Intra Force, a range especially targeted to preventing hair thinning and loss. It works in three ways to strengthen hair and promote growth. Text books at the ready, here’s the science part: Aminexil® prolongs the hair’s life cycle and increases growth by 8 %; Arginine, an essential amino acid, promotes microcirculation to ensure nutrients get to the follicle; while Zinc PCAS helps maintain a healthy scalp environment, so your hair follicles stay happy.
The key to the range is treatments which make up a lot of the three part regime. There is an in-salon treatment; an at-home system for natural or coloured hair, including shampoo, toner and treatment, from £39.95; as well an intense treatment course, £93.50, (also for use at home) to really kick start hair growth. Speak to your hairdresser who will advise you on exactly what your hair needs.
Click here to visit the Redken website...
The straightening product
While permanent blow-dries are marvellous for taming frizz and nourishing the hair, they don’t come cheap, which is why we knew it wouldn’t be long before someone bottled it. John Frieda’s 3 Day Straight, £6.99, works in a similar way to the in-salon treatment – you simply spritz it onto damp hair, blow-dry and then straighten the hair (exactly the same as the salon process). It works because polymers containing keratin protein wraps around each strand, sealing it straight; the sleek effect lasts until you next wash your hair, genius. It’s not as long-lasting as the professional version (which can work for up to three months), but it is a lot cheaper.
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