Caring For Dyed Blonde Hair

Since going blonde, maintaining my new hair colour has been a top priority so I thought I'd share some of the products I've been using lately.

I was especially excited to find the UK brand Pro:Voke Touch of Silver at my local London Drugs when I went on the hunt for a purple toning shampoo. The star of the line, Touch of Silver Twice A Week Brightening Shampoo, deposits violet colour pigments on the hair to neutralize brassiness (it's basically a temporary hair dye) and really does leave my hair noticeably brighter and blonder. However, because overuse can result in a weird purple tinge, I've been alternating with the Daily Maintenance Shampoo to prevent fading/dullness and the Intensive Treatment Conditioner to help add moisture back into my bleached hair.

Every few weeks, I apply the Fekkai Technician Color Care Luxe Color Masque (also available at London Drugs). As the masque is very rich, I concentrate on the ends of my hair to avoid weighed down/greasy roots and leave the product on for 3 minutes before rinsing.

Styling-wise, I have still been doing my typical waves most days. To add volume, I spray on OSiS+ Volume Up and set my curls with OSiS+ Session Extreme Hold Hairspray. This hairspray is awesome because it doesn't leave my hair feeling crunchy and the formula protects against harmful UV rays, which can wreak havoc on colour-treated hair.

When I'm going for a straight look, the John Frieda Sheer Blonde Brightening Oil Elixir adds some much-needed shine while also acting as a heat protectant. This product was recommended to me by John Frieda's new Stylist Selections Tool, which I had the opportunity to play with at an event last week. If you're confused about what products you should be using, give the tool a try -- it custom recommends a product combination to take you from shampoo/conditioner all the way to styling.

OSiS+ Wax Dust

Think about this concept for a second: a hair wax that is actually a powder. Whaaaaatttt? Ever the innovators in all things hair, Schwarzkopf Professional recently launched OSiS+ Wax Dust ($23.50 CAD), a new product that is kind of incredible.

Like the popular Dust It, Wax Dust comes in a small 15 g shaker bottle. However, the powder inside is formulated to transform into a light creamy wax consistency in the palms of your hands. This means you get all the benefits of a wax while maintaining a dry, texturized style that's remouldable and without the heavy buildup.

To use it, I typically sprinkle a small amount of powder directly onto my hair and use my hands to work the product through, twisting strands to create texture as I go. It's important not to use too much product as it can get a little sticky -- particularly at the roots if your hair tends to get greasy. Wax Dust also has no discernible scent and blends in easily despite being white in colour so you don't need to worry if you've got dark hair like me!

OSiS+ Session Label Salt Spray

Summertime means lots of time spent at the beach, and even when I can't get down to the sand, I want to make sure my hair still looks the part. As such, beachy waves have been my go-to hairstyle this season.

To get the look, OSiS+ Session Label Salt Spray has been my current salt spray of choice. It works over damp or dry hair though I personally use it on dry hair that's just been curled for extra volume.

The product dries matte and adds some nice grip to the hair, leaving it feeling thicker and fuller. It also doesn't impart a sticky residue which I've noticed certain other salt sprays do. Unlike those other salt sprays, however, there is no distinct "beachy" scent. In fact, it doesn't really smell like anything to me. Guess this could be a good or bad thing depending on what you're after!

P.S. If you're interested in seeing exactly how I add texture to my stubbornly straight/fine hair using salt spray, be sure to check out my beachy waves tutorial for step-by-step instructions.

Sleek & Shiny Hair with OSiS+ Session Label

Some of you may recall that I worked with OSiS+ last year, sharing tutorials and reviews on some of their fabulous styling products. Well, I'm pleased to announce that I'll be partnering with Schwarzkopf Professional (the parent brand) again... but this time focusing on their new OSiS+ Session Label line.

To start things off, I thought I'd share two of the products I've been combining to achieve super sleek and shiny hair: OSiS+ Flatliner and OSiS+ Session Label Silk Shine Cream.

First, I start off by spraying Flatliner onto my wet hair. Next, I towel dry completely before running my trusty ghd Candy Styler through a few times for ultra sleek hair. Flatliner is great because it acts as a heat protectant and holds straight styles in place all day (perfect for those of you who might have more frizzy hair).

Next, I work a small amount of Session Label Silk Shine Cream into my hair with my hands. This product has a non-greasy consistency and provides a silky clean shine with a super smooth finish.

NYE FOTD: Lise Watier Jardin de Givre

NYE is the perfect excuse for some super glittery makeup that might otherwise seem a bit overdone any other time of the year and thankfully Jardin de Givre by Lise Watier, is here to deliver. When I received this Winter 2013 collection in the mail last month it just screamed "New Years" to me.

The collection contains a range of absolutely gorgeous products encased in frosty white packaging and adorned with sparkling peacock feather designs. The two stars include the Palette Jardin de Givre, which features seven shimmering eyeshadows (including a very sparkly silver glitter) and a silky black cream liner, and the Jardin de Givre Illuminating Powder, which can be dusted on the face and décolleté for a luminous glow.

Here's what I used to create my NYE FOTD (see here for the full range of products in the Jardin de Givre Collection):

Palette Jardin de Givre, Jardin de Givre Illuminating Powder 

Rouge Sublime Lumière Lipstick in Rouge Satin

To complete the look, I decided to put on this jewelled headband from mark. (c/o) that matches my eye makeup perfectly. Ever since my recent haircut, I've been wearing my hair in its natural straight state more often so I opted for that as opposed to my typical curls. To get a sleeker look, I spritz my hair with OSiS+ Blow & Go Smooth ($21 CAD) which is similar to the Blow & Go Thick used in this post except it calms the frizzies rather than adding volume.

This look was also my most recent FASHION Magazine Beauty Panel submission. Be sure to check out that post for the full list of products I used. Oh, and...

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Hair Styling with Mint Hair Lounge and OSiS+

A few weeks ago, I was lucky enough to be treated to a hairstyling session at Mint Hair Lounge in Port Moody thanks to Schwarzkopf Professional (the salon is linked with the brand and carries their full line of products). Upon entering the establishment and being introduced to my stylist Matthew, I quickly realized that this was unlike any other salon I've ever been to. It felt very hip, and everyone was so friendly and joking around with each other - while still being professional, of course! 

After washing my hair, Matthew started by spraying on OSiS+ Blow & Go Thick ($21 CAD). This product is a blowdry spray that helps hair dry faster while adding body. To make sure it doesn't clump up, the trick is to spray it in a downwards direction then scrunch at the roots. Next, Matthew blowdried my hair with a round brush, concentrating on the roots to add lift and body.

We could have left my hair like that (it was already looking quite voluminous), but we decided to add some bouncy waves. For this, Matthew showed me his patented way of getting effortless curls. First, he sectioned my hair into four pigtails around my head and then curled smaller sections of each pigtail with a flat iron. Then, he removed the elastics and had me turn my head upside down so he could comb through the curls with his fingers. It looked a bit funny but it worked! Lastly, we finished off with some OSiS+ Magic Finish Anti-Frizz Shine Serum and OSiS+ Session Extreme Hold Hairspray to keep my hair in place.

You may actually recognize the finished hairstyle from my most recent outfit post. I loved how effortless and bouncy the waves ended up looking and feeling. 

Port Moody is a bit of a ways from Vancouver but if you're in the area, Mint Hair Lounge is definitely a place I recommend checking out. It has a great unpretentious vibe and Matthew was a ton of fun to talk to. In fact, I'd say the salon is worth the drive.

Location: 2337 Clarke Street, Port Moody, BC
Website: http://www.minthairlounge.ca


P.S. Hope you all had a wonderful Christmas! I certainly did :)

OSiS+ Thrill

Have you been following along with my OSiS+ reviews and tutorials? If not, be sure to check out my other posts here! Today, I'm sharing my thoughts on OSiS+ Thrill ($23.50 CAD), a strong control fibre gum that can be used to add style and texture on short to medium hair.

Way back in the day when I had super short hair that I spiked up in the back (this was when I was "punk rawk" obviously!), Thrill would have been the perfect product for me. The fibres are fun to work between your fingers and you can easily define sections of hair for a piece-y look, adding shine without looking greasy. Plus it smells so good.

Unfortunately my hair is much too long for products like this now so I've only been able to use it for taming flyaways. However, if you have shorter hair or a more edgy haircut, I highly recommend it. It's also great for guys - I've passed my tin along to my boyfriend who is just loving it.

OSiS+ Dust It

After my first foray into OSiS+ hair styling products with Refresh Dust, the next product on my to-try list was Dust It ($23.50 CAD), a mattifying powder texturizer.

Not many companies make powder texturizers so the concept may be new to some of you (as it was to me). Essentially, a powder texturizer is a dry powder that adds volume and texture to your hair. It may have some mattifying properties, as is the case with Dust It, but it isn't a dry shampoo, which is more for leaving your hair feeling clean/fresh between washes.

Dust It comes in a tiny shaker bottle with a twist-off lid that you tap gently, applying product to your roots. Next, you use your fingers to rub it in, lifting to create volume and running through the ends to create texture. The powder is white but very finely milled so it blends in even on dark hair.

Overall, I was pretty pleased with the amount of volume and texture I was able to get using this. It worked particularly well on my "bangs" which separate easily and tend to get greasy by the end of the day (note: I don't really have bangs but the front of my hair is side-parted in a way that resembles them). However, the powder did leave my hair feeling a little weird... kind of chalky and gummy. If that doesn't bother you then I do think this is a really cool product to try, especially if you have fine/limp hair that needs a little oomph. It will give you the look of teased hair without all the damage!

Tutorial: Volumized Hair with OSiS+ Refresh Dust

I'm super excited to announce that I will be working with OSiS+ over the next few months sharing tutorials and reviews on some of their fabulous hair styling products! For those of you who aren't familiar with the brand, hopefully these posts will give you a little insight into the products I recommend and the different ways you can use them.

First up is Refresh Dust ($23.50 CAD), a light control dry shampoo that adds volume and texture. The sprayable powder also refreshes hair between washes thanks to its mattifying properties and clean, fresh scent. Plus, unlike many other dry shampoos, it doesn't seem to leave the dreaded white residue which is often a problem for those of us with dark hair.

After testing Refresh Dust on second day hair, I was pleased to find that it worked pretty well in terms of absorbing oil. However, my hair gets greasy no matter what so I still prefer washing it everyday in order to avoid looking like a hot mess. Instead, I have been loving this product for work days because it doesn't take much time to add some volume to my otherwise straight/limp/fine hair ("before" examples here and here). Here's how I do it:

1. If your hair is freshly washed like mine, blowdry to ensure it's completely dry. Refresh Dust doesn't work well on wet hair.

2. Shake the can well and lift sections of hair, spraying the product directly on the roots. I also like to spray a bit on the mid-lengths of my hair to add more texture.

3. Using your fingers, fluff and comb through the hair to work in the powder. You should be left with perfectly volumized, texturized hair!