Lipstick Powder N Paint

Today is all about hair colouring, the history, why we do it and what you can use at home.

WHY DO WE COLOUR?
I colour my hair to brighten up my complexion and to cover those unsightly grey hairs. Some people may wish to copy a celeb’s locks, some may wish to see if blondes do have all the fun; the reasons for changing their hair’s colour are varied. Why do you colour your hair?

A BRIEF HISTORY
The earliest known hair dyes were made of ingredients such as henna, indigo, sage and chamomile, and could only darken the hair.

It is said that from as early as 500 AD, people were wishing to lighten their hair and tried many solutions. Ingredients such black sulphur, alum, and honey, or saffron and onion skin, were painted onto the hair and left on in the sun.

Around 1860, hydrogen peroxide first came into use as a hair bleaching agent. Sometimes combined with ammonia and soap flakes, hydrogen peroxide was commonly used to lighten hair through the 1930s. The process was quite harsh on hair, and it was not uncommon for hair to break off during the bleaching procedure.

Two of today’s most well-known hair colouring products got their start in the early twentieth century. In 1907, French chemist Eugene Schueller developed the first safe commercial hair colourant, a synthetic formulation based on the chemical Paraphenylenediamine (Paraphenylenediamine or PPD, and its chemical derivatives are key dye components for hair colourants, most widely used to create dark shades such as brown and black) . Schueller originally called his product Aureole, but it was later renamed L’Oreal.

In 1932, New York chemist Lawrence Gelb developed a hair color product that penetrated the hair shaft, and started a company called Clairol. In 1950, he introduced the first one-step hair colouring product, Miss Clairol Hair Color Bath.

Things have changed quite a bit since the 1950′s and there are now hundreds of different hair colouring products on the market. We have an amazing choice of colours we can pick from, and several different hair colouring treatments that can provide us with permanent colour or something fun just for an evening or two.

HOW LONG DO YOU WANT YOU COLOUR TO LAST?
Temporary Colour
Comes in the form of mousses, shampoos or even hair mascaras. Some are in bright hues and are fun for parties; most are designed to brighten natural hair colours. They wash out after a few shampoos.

Semi-Permanent Colour
These products coat hair with colour that washes out after 6-12 shampoos. Unlike most temporary colour, semi-permanent dyes bond to the hair. However, the pigment molecules in temporary hair colour are too large to penetrate the hair shaft, so that hair is still “coated” with colour rather than fundamentally changed. Since the dye sits at the surface of the hair, this type of hair color is generally used to achieve brighter, more vibrant shades that may be difficult to achieve with permanent hair colour. Semi-permanent products do not contain ammonia or peroxide so they are not able to lighten hair.

Demi-Permanent Colour
This option will last twice as long as semi-permanent colour and is perfect if you wish to enhance your current hair tone or blend away that grey. Like semi-permanent dyes, this type of colour contains no ammonia and thus cannot lighten hair, only add colour to it.

Permanent Colour
The longest-lasting of hair dyes, permanent colour cannot be washed out. It contains both ammonia and peroxide, which raise the cuticle of the hair in order to allow the tint to penetrate to the cortex and lighten the hair by breaking up the melanin that gives hair its natural colour, fundamentally changing the shade of the hair.

Highlights
This process lifts the colour in individual strands of hair to heighten the level of lightness in your hair. Your kit will include either a cap and hook, which is better for short hair, or a special application brush that lets you “paint” on the highlights, perfect for long hair. Highlights are permanent and use peroxide, bleach and/or ammonia to lift the hair pigment from the cortex.

Lowlights
This process consists of taking strands of hair and darkening them at least 2 shades darker than the rest of your hair. Lowlights are often the best option for individuals who wish to blend away gray hair in a natural looking way. The application is the same as highlighting, using a cap and hook or an application brush.

HOME COLOURING SUGGESTIONS
Herbal Essences Color Me Vibrant

An at-home colouring kit with results that last up to 8 weeks. The Color-Amplifying Conditioner helps to preserve and enrich the colour.
Available in 27 shades

www.clairol.ca www.clairol.com

Clairol Perfect 10

This colouring kit works in only 10 minutes providing high speed, high gloss permanent colour. and helps to repair damaged hair -it even leaves your hair soft and smelling delightfully fragrant. Six weekly treatments of the ColorSeal Intensive Conditioning Crème keep your hair glossy and your colour from fading.
Available in 15 shades

www.perfectcolorin10.com

Superior Preference Dream Blonde Color & Care System

Launching in April 2008, Dream Blonde delivers a new spectrum of brass-free shades that are clean, clear and bright. With the help of the Pre-Color Moisture Infuser, Blonde Supreme Shampoo and Conditioner, and the Continuous Shine Crème, even the most delicate blonde hair is safe with this colourant.
Available in 10 shades

www.lorealparisusa.com www.lorealparis.ca

The Mixer

A salon-quality root touch-up that will cover those nasty roots with permanent colour without being messy or needing to pre-mix – just point, push, apply and leave on for thirty minutes, shampoo and condition. It even blends in perfectly with any brand of hair colour, so no worries if you’re concerned about a conflict with another product.
Available in 6 shades

www.colour-revolution.com

Academy Awards presenter and soon to be yummy mummy Jessica Alba, radiated on the red carpet with her makeup look perfected by Revlon’s Lauren Anderson.

Here is how to achieve her look:

We always think about shampoos, conditioners and styling products, but what about the hair brushes? Here are the facts…

Why Do We Brush?
Daily brushing is essential for maintaining good hair condition and keeping it glossy. Brushing stimulates the glands in the scalp to distribute oils. This process tends to normalize an oily scalp as well as a dry one and subsequently enhances the overall appearance of the hair.

The other reason is, of course, because we are want to create a certain hair style and look fabulous!

What Brush?
The Round/Barrel Brush
A small to medium round brush works best on shorter hair and will give it texture and curl. Big round brushes are great for blow-drying medium-length to long hair.

The Half-round Brush
Suitable on both wet and dry hair for all types of grooming, styling and blow-drying.

The Vent Brush
Designed with holes in the base, allowing the air to circulate through the hair while blow-drying. This speeds up the drying process and boosts volume.

The Paddle Brush
A large flat, square surfaced brush. This is the brush you want if you have medium-length to long hair and are looking for that smooth look. They are also good for detangling.

Bristles
Natural Boar
Good quality boar bristles have a natural stiffness to brush thoroughly yet “give” as they are drawn through the hair. They maintain good hair condition by keeping it clean, stimulating the scalp and distributing oils for a healthy, glossy look, without ever damaging it or causing split ends.

Synthetic
Synthetic bristles are either singular or tufts of multiple strands known as “fill”, and are made from nylon or stiff plastic. It is important that synthetic bristles are round and smooth at the tips to avoid tearing the hair.

Ball or Epoxy Tipped
Bristles are ball tipped or feature a tiny ball of resin to ensure hair is not damaged while being brushed.

Wire
Stronger than boar or nylon, wire bristles are perfect for thick, coarse or curly hair. They are embedded in a pneumatic cushion so that they “give” as the brush moves across the contours of the head.

Clean Your Brushes
Use the end of a tail comb to lift and loosen hair.
Soak brushes in warm water with a bit of shampoo.
Rinse in clean, clear water and remove any remaining hair.
Shake or pat the brush with a towel to remove excess moisture, then place the brush cushion-side down on a towel and allow to air-dry.

Brush Suggestions

IM Beauty
I have had a set of these brushes for almost a year now and really like them. They have the most comfortable handles and make styling my hair a breeze.

These brushes are not for the gal that wants one brush only. These are for those of you that want to achieve those runway looks. Each brushes has a fabulous ProPlasmium gel grip handle, colour protective bristles and ceramic and tourmaline infused barrels.

There are three collections within IM Beauty:
- Start: Detangle & Dry
- Style: Volume & Curl or Volume & Straighten
- Finish: Smooth & Shine

www.studioim.com

GOODY
The Styling Therapy Collection caught my attention recently. I have not personally used them but they suggest that they will reduce dandruff, add shine or protect your colour. Sounds great to me!

Reduce Dandruff
These brushes are infused with copper plated bristles, a natural bactericide, which kills up to 88 percent of bacteria and fungi that are the leading cause of dandruff.

Add Shine
The Add Shine brush is infused with jojoba oil, rich in Vitamin E to condition and hydrate the hair. It replaces moisture lost during shampooing, and smoothes the cuticle to add shine and stop those dreadful fly-aways. What a smart brush!

Protect Color
Boar bristles infused with questamide, an ingredient that mimics ceramide, which is found naturally in hair, is what you will find in the Protect Color brushes. When brushing your hair, questamide is deposited onto it and closes the cuticle to prevent fading. It also smoothes hair strands to enhance shine and reflect vibrant colour while hydrating and conditioning to prevent daily damage.

Whether you’re a brunette, blond, or red head, these brushes will help keep colour locked into your locks.

www.stylingtherapy.com

RAINCRY
At the Holidays I gave my mother a Raincry brush from their Care Series. She was thrilled. These brushes are made in France and engineered to help recondition and enhance the hair in between salon visits.

Boar-bristle Brush
This brush is designed to be used on wet or dry hair, and helps to reduce split-ends, decrease static and restore the hair’s natural elasticity.

Detangling Brush
Gently removes tangles while decreasing the likelihood of breaking thick and unruly hair. The soft cushion design helps to massage and exfoliate the scalp, increasing vital blood flow, while comfortably contouring the bristles to the shape of the head.

www.raincry.com