Balayage

                                                        WHAT IS BALAYAGE?

Balayage is a freehand highlighting technique originating from France, meaning "to sweep". It's the hottest trend right now, a favourite with all the celebs. You name it; Gisele, Sarah Jessica Parker, Lauren Conrad, they ALL have it!

                               

Balayage is effortless, it's unstructured and natural giving depth and dimension to any hair - men or women's. Not only does this technique achieve low maintenance, sun kissed hair, it is ultra economical due to less regrowth. 

                                       

The key element of this look is the "face framer" - The front hairline is lightened to achieve that "just been in the sun look". 

                                   

In June, Kerry attended a Balayage masterclass with colourist to the stars and Balayage expert Jack Howsrd. She learnt how to achieve the most natural yet glamorous Balayage and is now ready to provide this A-list service at Melanie Richard's a Hair Boutique. Prices starting from £15!

Training at Sassoon Academy

Hello all, Talia here! Guess what?! I've just graduated from my 4 week Sassoon's course in London with a shiny new diploma! I'm so grateful to be give the opportunity by my bosses Melanie and Richard. I am so pleased to say that I have completed the course and have learnt so much. 

     

   

Whilst being on the course I've gained so much more confidence and precision in cutting hair. I've learnt ways to personalise and give each client a cut that is easy for them to manage and love at home as well as a new way of blow drying hair in a way in which is easy to do for you at home. I've learnt a whole new way of cutting hair to create new shapes and creations, I can't wait to put the new techniques that I have learnt into use and create stunning hair!

                   

    

After passing my assessments and exams I am now ready to bring back everything I have learnt to the salon and give people even more fabulous haircuts at only £23 so why not come in and see me!

Call 01733 553600 for appointments :) 

                           

Holiday Hair

We're coming up to holiday season; sun, sand, chlorine and sea.. All the elements that result in dry, colour faded hair, follow our holiday hair guide to keep your locks healthy in the sun.

A couple of weeks prior to jetting off to sunnier climates, book yourself a hair appointment. A trim before you go will keep split at bay and ensure they won't worsen or dry out more whilst you're away.

A month before, start getting into the routine of applying regular treatments to your hair - locking in moisture and preventing colour fade.

Whilst your on holiday you will probably be washing your hair even more frequently, so be extra kind to your hair by taking our top 5 holiday hair essentials with you.

In the salon we have 5 holiday hair essentials we swear by. Add these to your list of items to pack and your hair will be looked after and protected.

HAT - Keep your hair and scalp protected from the extra strong sun and avoid the risk of sunburn to the scalp - ouch!

WELLA SUN SHAMPOO - This brilliant shampoo not only removes chlorine and salt from the hair, but replenishes any moisture lost.

                     

     

MOROCCAN OIL MASK - This amazing mask is a life saver. It repairs, adds shine and moisture, improves the elasticity of the hair and leaves hair more nourished and manageable.

                    

  

POTION 9 LITE - A weightless leave in treatment made up of 9 natural oils giving individual benefits to the hair. Not only does it treat the hair, it also contains SPF 15 to protect as well. 

                                            

     

TANGLE TEEZER - This clever detangler will get through even the knottiest of hair. It's light and even comes in a compact size, perfect for your hand luggage. 

        

    

Once your holiday is over, carry on the routine of treatments, book in for a top up colour (sun can fade the colour out of your hair) and a trim to maintain good condition. 

Remember your hair 'burns' in the sun just as much as your skin.

The Truth About Sun Beds

So why Tan ?? 

Its supposed to be bad right ? 

Well according to several scientific studies there are strong indications that a sun bed session has more benefits for you and your body than just giving your skins healthy colour. Since many of these benefits of ultraviolet light are underexposed, we have listed them to inform you about the positive effects you will gain from responsible tanning.

So read on to find out more.....

                                   

        

      

1. RECIEVE VITAMIN D!

Responsible tanning increases your natural level of vitamin D, which is produced by the body when your skin is exposed to ultraviolet light. Vitamin D is proven to offer protection against Inflammatory Bowel Disorders (IBD) and according to the scientists reduces the risk of developing Diabetes and Multiple Sclerosis (MS)

2. IMPROVE BONE STRUCTURE!

Vitamin D, which is being produced during a tanning session, helps the body to absorb calcium. Calcium strengthens your teeth and bones and helps to reduce your risk of osteoporosis and needless fractures. 

3. REDUCES HEART DISEASES!

There are strong indications that responsible tanning increases the total metabolism, which causes blood pressure and the level of cholesterol to decrease. This also indicates that the heart will be able to pump more blood, which will lower the risk of recieving a stroke.

4. FEEL GOOD!

Responsible tanning can be used as anti-depressive therapy since it increases the feeling of well-being. It boosts serotonin levels, the bodies happy hormone. The warmth also relaxes the body and mind and therefore is an excellent tool against stress and exhaustion.

5. HELP LOSE WEIGHT!

Higher levels of serotonin in your body not nay make you feel happy, but it also suppresses the appetite, so you will eat less in warmer weather and after a sun session.

6. REDUCE RISKS OF CANCERS!

Although over exposure to the sun increases your risk of skin cancer, Vitamin D provided by sunlight can actually help to significantly reduce your risk of other types of cancer, like breast or colon cancer.

7.PREPARE FOR SUMMER!

A tanned skin is the body's own protection mechanism to limit the risk of over exposure of the sun during the summer and for open-air sports.

8. RELIEVE PAIN!

Responsible tanning makes muscles more flexible and eases stiffness, it works as a pain reliever in case of rheumatism and muscular pain.

9. BOOST YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEM!

Responsible tanning stimulates the production of white blood cells that fight bacteria and viruses, which causes the immune system to improve significantly.

10. CURE SKIN DISORDERS!

Responsible tanning is used for treatment of skin disorders, such as psoriasis, certain allergy types and acne.

For more information about sunbeds and their benefits give us a call on 01733 553600

We have both stand up and lay down beds available at Melanie Richard's Hair Boutique. So if you wanna give it a go come on in and check them out for yourself. 

                                      

     

SALON VS. SUPERMARKET PRODUCTS

After searching on the Internet for an answer to the question salon vs. supermarket shampoo, it seemed everything pointed in one direction.

On price difference, the salon and supermarket shampoos and conditioners were pretty much the same, even though a supermarket shampoo was about the fifth of the price of a salon shampoo, you only need to use about a fifth as much due to the concentration.

                                     

The main ingredient in most products is water, but salon versions use a small percentage in the overall product. This is why you will use a much smaller amount of the salon product.

When it comes to quality of a product, the salon version contains much higher concentrates of the right active ingredients. These are the parts that will do the most good for your hair, the main ingredients are sulphates, which are the cleanser and foaming agents. Salon shampoo s contain higher quality sulphates and some are sulphate free. Cheaper, lower quality sulphates can cause colour fade if they are too harsh and can be found in higher concentrates in supermarket shampoos. 

                  

     

If you're tempted by supermarket shampoos and conditioners with big names such as L'oreal or Herbal Essences, bear in mind that these are cheaper because of the lower quality of ingredients and the lack of concentration and higher water content.

If you use cheaper shampoos and conditioners, you will probably experience build-up after a while, making your hair dull and less easy to style.

As a last thought, if supermarket brands were as good as salon versions, wouldn't salons be using the cheaper supermarket brands too?

                        

     

       

DIY Hair Colour CHALK THIS WAY

The hot new hair trend that will make your 2014!

Are you thinking of going for dip-dye or adding some bright/pastel colours to your hair?  Are you limited on colour because of your job and want some colour in your life? if you are just wanting to experiment with the latest catwalk inspired tones but are worried about the commitment then ‘Chalking’ is for you!

                          

This ultra cool and modern hair trend gives an instant splash of colour to any hair colour. Although home hair colour is a definite NO NO from our team, this technique is a great way of adding colour to your hair and keeping bang on trend! Lets have some fun ACCESSORISE YOUR HAIR!

                                        

So how do you do it? Lets Chalk about it! 

Wipe on and it'll wash out! 

STEP ONE is to purchase youre favourite dalzzling colours from our salon 

STEP TWO Take your chosen piece of hair with one hand and have your chalk in the other and gently wipe it on 

STEP THREE straighten over your chalked hair (not forgetting heat protector of course) and finish your style with some hairspray then BOOM! A non damaging colour phenonmenon! 

What colours can you have? PINK, BLUE, PURPLE, ORANGE, CORAL, GREEN!

ONLY £11.99 EACH!

Why not add some excitement to your working day, stand out from the crowd on a night out or simply add a bit of colour to a dull day, especially in time for Spring/Summer 2014! Even celebrities such as Katy Perry, Lady Gaga, Ke$ha, Beyoncè AND Nikki Minaj are using the chalk, if its good enough for them - its good enough for us! 

  

Look at the girls rocking it! CHALK THIS WAY INTO A FABULOUS NEW TREND! Any further queations? Give us a call on 01733 553600!

                                     

                                           

                                           

Photoshoot FUN!!!

Earlier this week Richard and Talia went off to Caster to create some fabulous photoshoot hair for Peterborough's premier ESP magazine! 

They created three 'spring fling' looks, inspired by the 60's, to get everyone ready for the new season. Obviously, we can't tell you all of the backstage gossip, but our blog will provide you with a sneaky peak of what went on behind the scenes and hopefully a bit of hair inspiration.

The first look we created was a sexy loose beach wave. We used the GHD stylers to give a natural looking curl which we then dressed out with our fingers. For our second look we pulled the hair into a high volume ponytail, this involved back combing through the top and securing with pins to get the desired height and shape. Both of these are simple styles you can try at home to get you looking and feeling springtime sassy! Our final look was an even higher updo, full of volume and shape. VERY 60's!! If you're feeling creative you could try something similar, creating a unique retro style to suit you! 

Be sure to get your copy of the ESP magazine in March to have a read up and see our fabulous work! 

If you fancy having a 60's inspired 'do, call us on 01733 553600 come in and see us, we'll get you looking  glamorous!