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

Add groovy blonde to your 'do, dude!

FREE Shampoo

when you add groovy blonde to your 'do

Nobody wants to feel like their stuck in a hair rut, so to help you follow the trend for lighter, brighter Summer hair we're giving away a FREE full-size KMS Blonde Shampoo to everyone who adds blonde to their 'do throughout June.

Full head tint, foils or a few slices through the fringe can give a real lift - ask your Bravo stylist for suggestions.

Blonde doesn't necessarily mean bleach - from soft toffee blondes through medium gold and beige to cool ash and icy whites, theres a blonde to complement many natural shades.

5 tips for storm-proof hair

It's not just my garden fence taking a battering this week. Take a look at these five tips for appearing less like you've been dragged through a hedge!

1. Condition
Moisturised hair looks less frizzy and flyaway so treat your hair to a high-quality leave-in conditioner before you apply your styling product.

2. Leave it alone!
The more you move your hair around while it dries naturally, the more frizz you'll get. If you're caught in a downpour don't faff with your hair while it's drying, let it dry completely then work finishing product into the hair to revive your style.

3. ...or dry it properly
It's not practical to carry a hair dryer around with you, but a little of your fave styling product is worth keeping in your glove box. Apply a little then find a loo with a hand dryer with an adjustable nozzle. No I'm not joking. Blasting hair from root to tip smoothes the cuticle and fights frizz, but his doesn't work with the funky new Dyson Blade dryer. Trust me.

4. Go with what you've got
This isn't the weather for spending an hour straightening your curls or curling your straight hair. Focus instead on moisturising and defining your natural texture and save the heat styling for better weather.

5. ... or change what you've got
Take a look at the new Bumble and Bumble smoothing service to fight frizz and flyaway for weeks at a time. Mention this blog when you're booking to save £50 in May too.


Phil xx

Five tips for fab summer styles

Here comes the sun, and don't we all feel better? It's not such a great season for hair though, and in the soon we see more condition damage and colour fade almost as soon as the temperature starts to rise. Follow these five tips to keep your hair looking great this Summer.

1. Moisture, moisture, moisture! Even when humidity is high, soaring (or even just varying) temperatures can leave hair looking fried and frizzy. Lots of conditioner, especially leave-in conditioner helps here.

2. Don't over-lighten. You remember the neighbour in "There's Something About Mary"? That over-brown leathery skin and bleached hair? Not a great look. Luckily, this season's blondes have more tone - don't be afraid to soften with golden blondes or even light brunettes which will flatter tanned skin.

3. Give your hair a holiday. Treat your style to a break from heat-styling - yes, I know it can be tough, but your hair will thank you for it when the sun shines.

4. Use protection. Lots of styling and finishing products have UV filters which can help prevent damage and fade and some manufacturers have sun-specific ranges too. Remember to reapply after swimming. On a budget? Get a hat: a physical barrier between hair and sun is the best protection possible.

5. Don't get the runs. Hair is naturally dryer at the ends, and styling and colouring don't help. Get dryness trimmed ASAP to prevent splits running up the air shaft - it'll be more than a trim if you wait!

Have fun in the sun
Phil xx

5 Steps to Shiny Hair

I've come to the conclusion that there is no good time of year for hair in Britain. The weather is either cold and wet, warm and wet or warm and humid - not exactly conducive to glossy, groomed locks.

It's almost impossible to eliminate all frizz from hair all the time, but these tips should help your lok your best:

1. Get off to a good start. A conditioning treatment will get your tresses looking glossy – time it with your cut to get rid of dry ends
2. Moisture = Shine. Make sure your shampoo is moisturising and condition EVERY time
3. Always dry your hair pointing the dryer from root to tip – this keeps the cuticle (outermost layer) of the hair closed to reflect light
4. High hold products don't tend to have much shine. Swap hair spray for a shine mist or serum for a glassy finish
5. Straight hair shines more: consider Kerastraight straightening for shiny hair every day, or use GHD straighteners sparingly to tame the frizzies.

Phil x

Here comes the sun . . . and there goes my colour!

Why does hair colour fade in the sun??

Annoying isn't it? Beautiful subtle tones all reduced to a washed out mess with shades of orangey gold.

Synthetic dyes are made of clever things called polymers. By the time they're in the hair the polymer molecule is relatively long and stable. Then comes nasty UV! Think of the polymer as a type of plastic, then picture what happens to plastics when they are left in the sun: they fade, go brittle and eventually break. This fading and breaking of the molecule is exactly what is happening to your hair colour. Add the fact that the cuticle of the hair opens in the heat resulting in loss of moisture: your lovely shimmering tones don't stand a chance!

What can you do?

• Work on maintaining the condition of the hair EVERY wash
• Wear a hat?!
• Use a UV protection hair product whenever there's a chance of exposure to the sun. Check the labels - there's UV protection in a wide range of specialist products AND a lot of general styling products too
• PERSONAL OPINION - Reds tend to fade quicker in the sun, so maybe avoid them for the summer months and bring them back into your style for the autumn
• Factor a little fade into the equation - made reds or coppers slightly richer or more vibrant, browns a little deeper and don't be afriad of a little gold in your blonde.

Enjoy your summer!

Phil x

10 Tips for Wedding Hair

Bravo's Ten Tips for Stunning Wedding Hair

1. Book your wedding hair appointment, then work backwards. I recommend a colour about a week before the wedding (more than that, your roots will start to show, less and the colour can look a brash). Your last cut should be about two weeks before to get rid of dead ends and give the cut time to soften.

2. Look like you! If you have beautiful curly hair, use it. If soft and gentle is your style, avoid sleek up-dos. He's marrying you - it would be nice if he recognised you.

3. Condition, condition, then condition some more. Ask your stylist to work out a programme of salon treatments for you. Buy a weekly treatment for home use (and actually USE IT!). Your hair should shine on your wedding day - not give a halo of frizz.

4. Have a trial - a hairdresser who styles your wedding 'do' without a trial is either lucky and psychic or careless and lazy. Insist on a dry run, bring ideas and any accessories you'd like to wear, and . . .

5. Choose your dress first. High backed dresses lend themselves to glam up-dos. Plunge backs are better for half-up/half-downs. A plunge back with an up-do leaves a lot of skin and is best left to the brave!

6. Look at the big picture. A sleek vampy up-do may look great on you, but you'll look like a plum stood next to three bo-peep bridesmaids.

7. Keep it simple - or at least classic. You'll be looking at these photos for the rest of your life - Gaga-esque hair will date quickly and cause cringes later.

8. Train your bridesmaids. Make sure they are present when you're hair is styled - they should be equipped with a mini can of hairspray, hairgrips if needed and some sort of shine product for retouches. If you're having a veil or tiara make sure your bridesmaid knows how to take it out without wrecking your style.

9. Less really is more. A detailed dress, flowers, tiara, diamante grips and a veil will leave you like an ivory Christmas tree. Choose a tiara OR a veil for all but the fanciest weddings, a few pretty grips OR some small-bud flowers are fine. Bear in mind that fresh flowers can look jaded by the first dance.

10. Relax - hair will move! A few strands loosening as the day wears on is natural and actually looks rather lovely.

Phil x