5 Hair Resolutions you won't want to break!

5 Hair Resolutions for 2014

Be kind to yourself.  We're too hard, too critical, too quick to judge ourselves harshly.  Do your best and look for resolutions you can actually enjoy keeping!  Here are my suggestions.

1. I will visit my salon regularly.  "Regularly" doesn't have to mean every four weeks, but a little maintenance on a regular basis saves time, reduces bad hair days and can save you money too.  If you don't believe me compare the "regrowth" price on your salon's price card to the "colour correction" one!
2. I will pay for the best I can and expect the best in return.  Your hair is the part of your outfit you can't take off.  You know good shoes make all the difference: great stylists do too.  That said, don't put up with second-rate service if you're paying first-rate prices.  You deserve better!
3. I will buy a few good quality products and use them.  One of the reasons your hair doesn't look as good as it did in the salon mirror could be the shelf full of crusty mousse and 3-for-2 hairspray you're using.  Detox in January and bin the lot (trust me, you'll only feel bad for a day) then buy one or two good quality styling products and use them as directed.  It will make all the difference.
4. I will see my hair with a fresh pair of eyes.  New Year is a great time to review.  What do you want your hair to say about you?  What is it saying right now?  If the two aren't the same start moving towards your goal.
5. I will make a plan and stick to it.  Set your hair goals, work back from big events and holidays, make your appointments and stick to them.  I'll bet that leads to less stress and less frantic phone calls two days before that family wedding where you simply CAN'T have 2" roots.

That's got to be easier than dropping 20 pounds and living off lettuce hasn't it?

Phil xxx

phil@bravohair.com
Bravo Hairdressing, 57 Cheap Street, Newbury, Berks.  RG14 5DH (01635) 552323

Why hairdressers LOVE ravers!

Why hairdressers LOVE ravers!

The very best stylists from the most magnificent salons with the very highest levels of customer care STILL lose clients.  As a rough estimate I'd say between 3% and 10% of clients disappear from a stylist's appointment page each year despite being delighted with the salon and service.  That hits any stylist working on commission HARD.

The reasons are diverse: clients relocating, reconciling a drop in income or even unfortunately dying, or a stylist's change in working hours or promotion to a new grade.

Whatever the reason the biggest favour you can ever do a stylist is to RAVE about them!

This isn't such a big ask any more: check in on Facebook when you're in the salon, or send a tweet or pic of your new 'do.  It shows the world that your stylist is fab (and if they're not why are you still with them?) and it makes a real difference to how busy a stylist is.  What's more they feel good about their work too.

Some salons also offer a more structured recommend-a-friend scheme which can earn you money off or free products and services.  In my experience, few clients do this well but those that do tend to do an awesome job at it.  I even have two lucky clients who rarely pay for any services in my salon!

So ...

IF YOU'RE HAPPY AND YOU KNOW IT

TELL YOUR FRIENDS!

Phil xxx

phil@bravohair.com
Bravo Hairdressing, 57 Cheap Street, Newbury, Berks.  RG14 5DH (01635) 552323

5 tips for going blonde this summer

Every year we get a mini-flood of customers who want lighter hair for the summer. This year is no exception: in fact the hotter weather has made our customers more sociable and even more eager to lighten!  Here are 5 tips for those thinking of going blonde this year.

1. Plan ahead

How much commitment do you want? Is this a "just for the summer" lightening or a long term affair? Look at ultra-trendy ombré and balayage techniques if upkeep might be an issue. 

2. Condition, condition, condition

Beach blondes rock, knackered or salt-frazzled locks do not. Condition before you lighten to get hair in its best shape possible, the condition after every wash to maintain moisture and shine levels.

3. Change you routine

Lightened hair needs extra care - you may need to change your shampoo, conditioner or both. 

4. Use protection

Protect lightened hair from UV with a good leave-in conditioner or styling product and protect from heat damage during styling. Frizzy blonde is ALWAYS awful!

5. Choose your tone

Very dark hair will look better with caramel and toffee blondes. Lighter hair can take ash, light beige and white blondes. Check against your skin tone too - very tanned against very ash blonde can look trashy.

Enjoy the sunshine and yes, blondes really DO have more fun!

Phil xxx

Rinsing your hair in cold water WON'T make it shiny!

First, a bit of science.

The outer layer of the hair is called the cuticle - rows of little tiles that open and close. Things that make them open include heat and alkaline products (perm lotion, hair colour, bleach etc.)  Things that close the cuticle are cold and acid products (vinegar, lemon juice, pH balanced conditioners etc.)

So why won't cold water make your hair shiny? Well, it's true that the cuticle will close with cold water - but then what? Unless you're an otter, your hair is going to need drying at some stage. Either you're going to rough up the cuticle with a towel, or your going to apply heat in the form of a hairdryer, or both!

So how do you get hair to shine?

1. Products. There are a ton of shine products for all hair types.

2. Condition. Parched hair is prone to frizz, flyaways and will never look glossy.

3. Colour. Artificial colours, especially semi- or demi-permanents bring bags of shine. That said, you'll struggle more with shine on lighter shades and blonde due to the way colour pigment lies in the hair.

4. No colour! Ask your stylist about a clear glossing service. It's literally a clear shiny coating for the hair.

Be kind to your hair, and enjoy warm water!

Phil xxx

phil@bravohair.com

Bravo Hairdressing, Newbury, Berkshire

(01635) 552323

KMS's New way to combat frizz

You'll forgive us for being a little cynical about KMS's new Tame Frizz range. We've always thought of KMS as a high-performance but pretty comprehensive range and we already have a range for curly hair and one for smoothing. In the end it took our rep, Goldwell Dave, to promise us a sale-or-return deal before we placed the order. 

Surprise number one was the price. Manufacturers often use a new product launch to bump the prices, but this all sits comfortably within the existing prices (all products under 15 quid).  There's an intro box of shampoo, conditioner and oil for less than £30, but stocks were ridiculously limited so you'd be lucky to grab one. 

Surprise number two was the size of the range. This is not a massive array of products to hold.

   1. Shampoo and Conditioner. Both lightweight but creamy, good comb glide and delicious fragrance. A promising start and a basin area winner. We give them 7/10. 

   2. Smoothing Lotion. Very light leave-in, great detangler and heat protection too. We'd have liked a little more hold. 6/10, or 8/10 if you use it instead of conditioner. 

   3. Taming Creme. This is the daddy. We trialled it on Cara, a gorgeous girl of dual heritage with tight curls and tons of frizz. It blow-dried like a dream and our stylists give it a whopping 9/10!

   4. De-frizz Oil. We like this but it's a tough sell, especially on clients with fine hair. Clients expect a gloopy, sticky serum which this definitely isn't. To be honest we prefer to use a touch more Taming Creme to finish with. 6/10

All in all, we're impressed. If the scores seem a little low, that's because we're tough to please. We shouldn't be surprised that KMS could come up with a winning was to fight frizz - after all both KMS and John Frieda of Frizz-Ease fame are owned by the Kao Corporation. The only sad note is that this may be the final nail in the coffin for the troubled Silk Sheen range - though the products are different they're pitched at the same market and we've decided to discontinue the whole range. 

Tame Frizz is available at Bravo Hairdressing, Newbury, now. 

Phil x