How To: Care For Long Hair

Maintaining long and glossy locks is one of my daily tasks, after that second day hair is looking a little drab, there's something resembling a rats nest formed by the hairs at the back of my head and dry ends are starting to show. 

My haircare routine is constantly changing but there are three things that remain constant. My use of heat protector, hair oil and a hair mask. These three firm favourites have been helping my hair repair against damage and have proved to be quite a killer combination.

First up is the newest out of the bunch, L'Oreal Paris Elnett Heat Protect Styling Spray (post here). I'll always make sure my locks are protected from the daily dose of heat and this protects up to 230 degrees while adding that extra hold. There are three formulas that I'll mix depending on what look I'm going for that day, normally I'll lightly mist straight throughout my hair and volume at the roots. As well as protecting my hair they also help tame frizz and fly aways!

The weekly hair mask is a chore I've learnt to love, so many appear in my stash but none will ever compare to Philip Kingsley Elasicizer Extreme. I've got this to thank for my hair, it may not produce the same instant results as others but produces the best over time with constant use. One of my holy grails I will never be without! 

To tame frizz, add shine and gloss I'll douse my hair in hair oil. Not only is Ojon Rare Blend Oil beautiful and smells amazing it does its job and more. After shaking the bottle I'll run it though my ends on damp hair and again once blowdried. Even though I'm nowhere near finishing this I've stocked up on backups just in case. 

When it comes to hairbrushes there is only one that can get through the horendous knots that I come home to is the Michael Mercier Detangling Brush. Unlike the Tangle Teaser this has a handle making trudging through those knots much easier. It gets the job done (and fast) with minimal breakage. 

As hair is most sensitvie to damage when it 's wet I'll be sure to brush it when dry, I'll use a really gentle brush like Mason Pearson as it doesn't tug or pull. I've noticed bad quality hair brushes causing a lot of breakage on my hair so I made sure to invest in a decent hair brush.

How do you look after your hair?

Destination: Bespoke Detox Hair Treatment @ Daniel Galvin Jr, London

I recently headed over to beautiful salon, Daniel Galvin Junior for a bespoke treatment aimed at dry and damaged locks. Made from a combination of Keratin, Vitamin C and argan oil along with others for a high protein detox mask. 

The treatment has multiple aims, deeply cleansing the hair, removing product build up, adding volume and smoothing the hair cuticle. I started off having a supplement applied to my wet hair for 10 minutes, followed by having the mask massaged into my scalp and combed through my hair from root to tip. I was then left under a relaxing steamer for 20 minutes which allowed the hair mask to deeply penetrate into the hair. 

This relaxing treatment was then followed with a blow-dry and left me with shiny, soft and glossy locks! Very impressed with the finished result and will definitely be returning for another treatment! 

Straight after Daniel Galvin Junior Bespoke Detox Hair Treatment

Daniel Galvin Junior appointments can be made on 0203 416 3116

Destination: Aveda Invati Hair Treatment @ Aveda London

I recently popped over to the Aveda Institute for an Invati Scalp Detox Treatment. Apart from using a clarifying shampoo once a fortnight to get rid of any buildup of product in my hair, my scalp had never really gets any special treatment so I was really interested in seeing if it would change the condition of my hair...

 

The treatment aims to detoxify and revitalise the scalp by exfoliating it and removing any build up that can affect the health of the scalp. The lovely Jay at Aveda started off by choosing a specific oil for my scalp and running it through, massaging it in. After washing the oil out of my hair, Jay applied the protein treatment through my damp hair. The protein in the hair treatment comes from the food quinoa and helps stop the hair from being so porous, aids all the cuticles to sit nicely and helps give the hair more strength which stops further breakage. The treatment took around 10 minutes as the protein treatment behaves like a hair colour and penetrates through the hair quickly, without the need for steam or heat.

After having Jay blow-dry my hair (while getting a hand massage!) and seeing the difference in shine and texture I would definitely return for another treatment. My hair felt a lot less heavy, had much more volume and felt much smoother. The ends looked less straggly and dry and in general much more swooshy!

Jay was so so sweet and took into account my hair type, what I use on a regular basis and what I would like to achieve. I think my hair speaks for itself!

For more check out their website here! 
 

How To: Ballerina Hair Bun

Much easier than it looks, the quick ballerina bun has been a total saviour for me when getting out the enrapture totem styler (post here) as well as sorting out my lifeless bangs seems like a bit of a chore. 

The star of the show is Superdrug's extremely massive doughnut ring, which makes the whole process a breeze - it helps give my bun a perfect shape that remains throughout the day. As my hair is quite thick using regular sized rings don't hold up my long locks, so if you're someone with shorter hair a regular sized ring would probably be best. The only other items I use here is a hairbrush to tuck loose ends into place and a couple of hair ties.

Firstly I pull my hair up into a tight ponytail and secure it with a hair tie 

I then go on to sliding the doughnut ring round my hair and securing it at the top

Separating my pony tail in half and wrapping the hair round the bun so it's completely covered

Lastly I secure the bun with another hair tie

If I want to make it a little messier I'll run my hands backwards through my hair, pulling out loose strands for a messier effect. The final step is spritzing with some hairspray to ensure everything stays in place!

Greasy Hair Saviours

The same problem I always have after summer holidays is the increased oil production in my roots. After jumping around the sea and pool having to wash my hair daily, going back to my usual routine of a couple of times a week doesn't agree with my hair.

No surprises here, I rely on dry shampoo to give my hair a little boost and soak up all the oil. For this good old Batiste is what I reach for and on extra volumizing days, it's Tresemme Volumising Dry Shampoo (post here) Sprayed in my roots and massaged in works perfectly at disguising oily hair helping pro-long my hair for that extra day!

To get rid of any build up clarifying shampoo is a total saviour. It leaves hair squeaky clean and fresh, really giving hair a good vacuum and getting rid of any excess product. Philip B Peppermint & Avocado Shampoo is what I use on a bi-monthly basis and on a more regular basis Ojon Volume Advance seems to be doing a good job at clarifying without stripping.

 ...and if all the above should fail - I wear a hat! 

New In: Ojon Rare Blend Oil

Ojon Rare Blend Oil £29

There was a moment at the Ojon HQ where this beautiful pot of sunset colours made me smile. It was applied to half my hair and after looking in the mirror at each side of ends, one dreary and dull and one shiny yet not greasy looking and almost glowing. It was a serious transformation!

Ojon Rare Blend Oil includes 7 natural oils that have whole host of claims like 'nourishes, repairs and transforms' dull or dry hair, making hair instantly look 'glossier, shinier and silkier' & as far as claims go I definitely agree. My hair was shiny, light & soft.  

3 coloured layers of oil that need to be shaken to create one beautiful sunset colour. In terms of application I apply it on damp hair before blowdrying and after blow-drying to add shine. I recommend  sniffing it, even if you don't buy it. The smell is heavenly! 

The consistency differs to the likes of Kerastase Elixir Ultime and Moroccan Oil as it's much much lighter in texture and less thick, not as light as the Ojon Damage Reverse Hair Serum however.  Lighter hair oils tend to be the formulas that I favour as they don't weigh the hair down full of sillicones but it's all a matter of preference.

I really would have liked to see this with a pump or a pipet as scooping out oil into my hands always ends up being too much/little product and I can never get the amount right!

Did spy this wonder bottle in Sephora in France so picked up a couple more as its not out till October in the UK. It will be available from John Lewis, Harrods & Fenwicks. 

How To: Big Voluminous Hair

Following my post reviewing my high-end volumzing products (here, low-end to come!) here's a little tutorial on how I go about using them. As it's mainly in the roots of my hair, as that's where I need a bit of lift I tend to mix different sprays and mousses together causing a little concoction in my hair!

After washing my hair I'll start by running a 10p size amount of volumizing mousse through the crown of my head on my scalp, massaging it into damp hair. When it comes to blowdrying I tend to flip my head over and blow-dry upside down for some extra oomph. After I've styled my hair, usually with Enrapture Totem Styler (post here) I'll go in with a volumizing spray. My Favourite being Oribe Dry Texturizing Spray,  which I use in combination with a backcombing brush.

1. Firstly I'll section off pieces of hair and clip them away from my face

2. Using a volumizing spray I'll give my roots a little spritz, making sure the product is focused at my scalp and roots of my hair

3. I'll then backcomb my hair using little forwards and backwards motions causing some messy texture and volume

4. I'll then spray the backcombed hairs to keep them in place and add extra texture

5. I continue doing the above three steps in different sections of my hair, focusing the most product around the front as that's where I desire the most volume

5. On the next section of hair repeat step 2 - spray! 

6. Repeat step 3 - backcomb!

7. Repeat step 4 - spray again!

8. I repeat the three steps on each section until I've reached the top of my hair, which I let fall on top of the volume

I then repeat on the other side!

The same applies to any other spray I use, Bumble & Bumble Surf Spray, Ojon Volume Advance Styling Spray (post here) and the list goes on!

I hope this was helpful! How do you get some volume in your hair?

The Reviews: Volumizing Hair Products

Let's face it big hair rocks, I'm definitely someone that thinks when it comes to hair, the bigger the better! That said, getting volume in my long thick hair is something that doesn't come without the help of products. From left to right here's my thoughts on what I've been using (not all at once of course!)

Warning: You'll probably read 'apply it through the roots of my hair' about 50 times in this post, but what did you expect! It is a volumzing post after all and that's where I apply all the product to achieve some volume in my unruly locks...

Ojon Volume Advance Volumizing Styling Spray £20 (post here)

If you've seen my previous posts you'll know this is a winner for me, I use it when hair is dry and styled, solely in the roots for some added lift as well as an all over hairspray. It has the ability to lift my hair without making it feel overly crunchy. It's exactly like backcombing hair in a bottle!

Oribe Dry Texturizing Spray £18/£38 (post here)

One of the most luxury purchases but one that I know I won't be without for its amazing effects! Sprayed throughout dry hair after styling creates instant lift without feeling gritty. It's for good reason this is applauded by beauty editors and stylists, what I would describe as volume and texture in a can!

Bumble & Bumble Extra Strength Holding Spray £17

A recent purchase after my hairdresser used this and I saw how amazing the effects were! Sprayed throughout wet hair, only along my roots crown of my hair and I could feel the texture it created. It also can be used as a finishing hair spray as it has amazing hold.

Bumble & Bumble Thickening Hairspray £7/£21.50

Again, I applied this throughout damp hair before styling all through my roots in the crown of my hair. I didn't notice too much of a difference when using this, perhaps I'm a little too used to 'feeling' a lot of product in my hair and this was practically weightless, or perhaps it didn't make too much of a difference on my already thick hair. Bumble & Bumble online do have mini bottles available for purchase which is perfect if you're interested in testing products out, which is why I'm a little relieved this is only a small size that will now be going to my friend who has much thinner hair!

Kerastase Volumactive Volume Expansion Spray £16.10

Another product I didn't notice too much of a difference when using, perhaps I'm too used to thick creams and sprays but I didn't feel as though this made any difference to my hair or helped give it any lift when used on wet or dry hair.

Bumble & Bumble Surf Spray £8.50/£20.50

One of my favourites of the bunch, named a salt water spray that I spritz a couple of sprays throughout the crown on damp hair before styling as well as on dry hair for instant lift and texture. All in all giving a beach babe hair effect. Unlike a lot of the other volumizing products this I felt lasted all day and even two without changing the oil levels (aka making it more greasy!)

Fekkai Full Blown Volume Styling Whip £20

Firstly the nozzle is the perfect size for running throughout the crown at the roots of wet hair, which I then follow by massaging in and blowdrying upside down. A little goes a long way so I would be careful not to over apply in fear or hair clumping together or feeling crunchy. Unlike other mousses I've tried I didn't find this to alter the state of my hair. It didn't leave my hair sticky, make my hair greasy or look unwashed. After blowdrying my hair would actually be huge! It gives such amazing amazzzzing lift!

Bumble & Bumble Texture Cream £9.50/£21.50

What I would describe as a volumizing, texturizing and holding cream which formula reminds me of thick PVC glue. A little goes a seriously long way with this stuff, I tend to use about a 5p dollop and run it through the roots of damp hair and run my hands through the lengths of my hair with whatever is left over for a messy toussled look.

I tend to favour products with formulas I can actually feel in my hair causing some grit and friction which is probably why I didn't get on too well with the Bumble and Bumble & Kerastase as I didn't feel it in my hair like the Bumble and Bumble Surf Spray or Oribe Dry Textuizing Spray. 

My top picks would be the below, if the above ramble hasn't given that away already!

Fekkai Full Blown Volume Styling Whip
Bumble & Bumble BB Texture Hair (un) dressing creme
Bumble & Bumble Surf Spray
Orible Dry Texturizing Spray

After using Fekkai Full Blown Volume Styling Whip & Oribe Dry Texturizing Spray

Expect a separate post on lower end volumizing products shortly! In the meantime, do share... Any you recommend?

Tanning While Hair Masking

I've always tried to use the sun to my hair's advantage, even since I was a little girl I would sit in the garden with lemon juice on my hair trying to get my naturally very dark hair a shade lighter (as if). Since then my discoveries have progressed, I've applied hair oils and let the sun works it's magic on them but my most recent discovery to do while I tan is this mask from Ojon, Damage Reverse Restorative Hair Treatment.

Of course it doesn't have to be used in the sun but it works best with heat, this could also mean using it in conjunction with a hairdryer but as I've been sitting in the sun this week I've been multitasking and giving my hair some nourishment.

I'm a sucker for hair masks, this post here would've told you that by the bazillions I've been hoarding, but this is my latest favourite. With products like hair masks you can almost instantly see results. If it's made hair softer, appear shinier and overall if hair feels more hydrated. All of which is something I felt Ojon Damage Reverse achieved in one use.

Unlike any other hair masks I've used, its solid but melts in your hands and becomes an oil, which I rub throughout my hair from root to tip. I then sunbathed for around an hour, as I mentioned,  it's activated with heat. Ojon recommends applying gentle heat from a hairdryer for very dry hair, which I like to think the suns rays did for me! 

It's not the cheapest hair mask around at £32.50 for 100ml but like I always mention when it comes to talking about hair products, they are one of those things I'm more than willing to splurge on! This is a mini sample size and when it runs out I will definitely be purchasing the larger tub!

I'm really loving Ojon at the moment! First Volumizing Styling Spray (post here) then Ojon Dry Recovery Conditioner (post here) now this! Any other products I need to try?

Budget Buy: TRESemmé Volumizing Dry Shampoo

Quite honestly I don't know where I would be without my trusty dry shampoo. My hair can get a bit on the oily side of things so to prolong my blow-dry for an extra day I normally reach for good old Batiste. Recently I've been using TRESemme Volumizing Dry Shampoo, which pretty much does the same thing while adding a little volume to my roots adding a bit of life back into my flat hair. One thing I'm not too keen on with Batiste is that sandy feeling it leaves in my hair which I found TRESemme to have much less of, it actually felt quite cooling! 

TRESemme Volumizing Dry Shampoo is £4.79 as opposed to £1.45 for Batiste. Have you ever tried TRESemme Dry Shampoo or do you just stick to Batiste?

Destination: Brazilian Blowdry @ Nevilles Hair & Beauty

I'm the first to admit my hair goes a bit crazy in the humidity, I'm not talking as bad as monica from friends but something similar. For the third year in the row I've popped over to Rosa at Neville Hair & Beauty Salon on Pont Street for a Brazilian Blowdry.

Rosa is amazing, she totally understands what I want to achieve as well as assessing the texture of my hair before applying the treatment. The process starts with getting my hair washed and semi blow-dried, followed by applying the treatment, which is (and smells of) vanilla and chocolate.

This is followed by straightening my hair over the treatment and leaving it in for 48 hours, hello hair that looks like it hasn't been washed in a week! The scent of the treatment is very strong and does linger around for a good week or so afterwards.

After washing out the treatment my hair is now dead straight, no frizz! Which is exactly what I wanted - something I don't need to fuss over when coming in and out of the pool this summer. Rosa did mention if I wanted volume at my roots it was best to apply less treatment and heat there but I opted not to as I can just add that in with a bit of my trusty Oribe Dry Texturizing Spray (link to post here) or Ojon Volume Advanced Styling Spray (link to post here)

In the picture above you can slightly see the difference between the left side of my hair (no frizz) and the right (slightly frizzy)

All together the whole procedure takes around 2 hours on my hair and does last around 6 months. As always I'm really happy with my Brazilian Botox treatment (hence why I keep going back) and would definitely recommend it to anyone interested!

Post treatment hair!

Have you ever had a Brazilian Blowdry? What do you think of my hair?!

Neville Hair & Beauty Brazilian Botox For Locks treatment starts at £200 pounds and are contactable on 0207 235 3654 for appointments. 

Liana Beauty Award: Ojon Volume Advanced Volumizing Styling Spray

Getting volume in long, quite thick hair is something I really have trouble with on a daily basis. Especially if I haven't gone through the hassle of blowdrying my hair upside down (a great tip for getting volume!) and applied some volumizing mousse. On a day to day basis, I reach for the finishing products that just add a bit of oomph to my hair, making it look less flat. Oribe Dry Texturizing Spray being my favourite, but a pricey one at that. I wrote about it in more detail here, but it's just absolutely incredible at adding volume to flat hair. 

Another alternative is Ojon Volume Advanced Volumizing Styling Spray, which pretty much does the same thing as the Oribe, adds lift and life into my hair, but does give that feeling of having sand in my roots. In terms of application, I create small sections in the roots of my hair, and apply the spray mainly in the roots. Another use is as a finishing spray, which personally I wasn't too keen on as it left my hair a little too crunchy but smelling lovely!

A big bottle will set you back £20 for 200g. I've had mine for a pretty long time and it doesn't seem to be finishing anytime soon! 

Ojon are a brand I'm becoming really familiar with at the moment, I've been trying out some of their other products so I will keep you posted! What are your favourite products for getting some volume in your hair? Have you tried anything from Ojon?

Budget Buy: TRESemmé Heat Defence Styling Spray

Being someone who regularly uses straighteners, curlers and a hair dryer I'm a definite culprit of damaging my hair by applying a lot of heat. To counteract the damage I cause to my hair I apply a really nourishing hair mask, the Fekkai Advanced Technician Rapid Results Moisture Mask (link to post here) and a lot of hair oil. To prevent the damage before applying the heat I slather on a lot of heat protector - the problem with this is it can make hair very crunchy and uneasy to style especially when applied to dry hair!

In general I prefer heat protector sprays as you can direct the product to a specific area whereas with creams it's harder to distribute it evenly. TRESemmé Heat Defence Styling Spray is fantastic as its really easy to use, lightly mists your hair and the actual spray is so watery it doesn't alter the hair texture so it's easy to use while styling. It ensures protection up to 230 degrees and the packaging ensures its locked so no worries about spilling while travelling.

TRESemmé Heat Defence Styling Spray is £4.69 and available from boots here

Destination: Rosano Feretti London

Recently Rosano Feretti added to his collection of hair salons in 23 countries around the world with one in London. Rosanno Feretti salons have been around since 1993 and recently I've luckily been to visit their salon in London. Four floors, private rooms, only 14 exclusive stations and so much space...Probably the most luxurious salon I've ever been to! What I liked the most was it doesn't feel like a salon as theres so much room, it's very quiet and relaxing. Bruno Lotufo recently worked his magic on my locks making them so beautiful I was actually lost for words! I'm definitely a big hair girl who loves a bit of volume and Bruno really understood what I wanted out of the blow-dry, a lot of volume with some soft curls.

First was the wash with shampoo and conditioner, which was done in a private room with a lovely relaxing head massage, a change to what I'm used to sitting in a row of people getting our hair washed surrounded by a lot of noise. It was very calming and I felt as though I was in the comfort of own home. 

After the lovely long head massage Bruno took me to the station where he started working on my hair. He gave me some great tips on making my hair less dry like using my hair oil on my dry for half an hour before a wash to make it extra soft and nourish it - which I did the other day and loved! Here were the final results...

Bruno used Kerastase Bain Force Architeche, Bain Force Architecte and Shu Uemura Essence Absolute Oil on my hair to wash & groom it. What I loved was he told me about each product he was using, the best way to use it and how it would work best on my hair. To say I was extremely happy with my blow-dry is an understatement! I absolutely loved it and it is exactly what I wanted, really big and swooshy. Someone even came up to me on the street and asked where I had got my hair done! Luckily I had Brunos card in my bag which I gave her      

What do you think? My hair looks much more bouncy than normal no?

Rosano Feretti is located on 17 St George Street in W1 and reservations can be made on 0207 493 0555. Prices start at £55 for a blow-dry and £140 for a cut.