Shave, Sir?

Two years ago, men's Hairdresser Marshall Hall introduced  his unique take on the traditional shave to the Sunderland market, leading to a resurgence of interest in male grooming.  As a result, his client numbers are growing constantly. 

During 2013 the traditional shave has been one of the most popular services available at the salon.

“The new mens salon at Herrington has been a resounding success as it provides men with the right type of environment for a haircut or shave, and we are developing new ideas all the time to improve comfort and ensure that men enjoy their salon experience” says Marshall.

Last Chance to Purchase CACI at a Special Price

Its fair to say we’d all like to look a little slimmer, a little younger and feel a little healthier. Our celebrity friends seem to do it with ease- surely they can’t be that perfect? Just what is their secret?.
Nicola Caffery, Head therapist at Reds in East Herrington can shed some light on the subject, and you don’t have to be rich or famous to enjoy.

“CACI facials tone your skin and help many of our celebs to look younger, many of my clients feel a great boost in confidence after a CACI. Its also the perfect time to try CACI as we now have our best ever CACI facial offer available at the salon, - its perfect for clients looking to start a course of CACI or to use as their monthly maintenance CACI”, said Nicola.

A course of 10 CACI courses is reduced to only £298 for a limited period, and the offer ends on September 31st. To book a course of CACI or an initial treatment, please call Reds on 0191 5110288.

Style Guru Inspires our City Centre Salon

Always at the cutting edge of fashion, style guru Alexa Chung’s new look is inspiring the women of Wearside to experiment with colour.

“Alexa’s style is always a good indication of what’s trendy”, suggests Amelia Hall, Manager of Reds City Centre. “Her use of dip dye inspired thousands of women across the country to follow suit, and I certainly expect her latest style to be in high demand.”

The new look, used by L’Oreal to advertise their Autumn/Winter collections, is much more subtle than last year’s severe dip dyed look. “Instead of a clear demarkation between colours, Alexa has chosen a much more subtle graduation of shades”, explains Amelia. “However, because there are a number of shades involved in producing the final look, it loses none of the impact of the dip-dye process. Lowlights are used throughout the hair to add movement and depth, and the finished look is both on-trend and subtle enough to wear to work.”

Alexa herself is thrilled with the look. “The style is matched incredibly well to my natural colour, and it’s only made the appearance of my hair shinier, so that’s a bonus. My stylists used L’Oreal’s INOA colour to make ribbons of colour which makes it look natural- it really is a style which is versatile enough for a modern lifestyle,” said Alexa.

“For those ladies who shy away from wacky, bold hair colours, Alexa’s latest look is classic and subtle enough to put them at ease, and ladies will look as good in the office as they do on a big night out,” continues Amelia. “In my opinion, the key to a good hairstyle is its flexibility, and Alexa’s natural style ideal.”

To discuss how to achieve Alexa’s new look, call Amelia on 0191 510 8126, or pop into Reds City Centre Salon in St. Thomas Street, Sunderland, for a full consultation.

Going to Great Lengths

With Frankie Sandford and Rita Ora both now sporting brand new hair extensions, the ever-popular service shows no sign of dropping out of the celebrity world.  Yet, for those wanting to add length and volume to hair at a salon, many of the current bonding methods can be quite aggressive- bad news for those who favour a subtle, natural look.

However, a brand-new treatment offered by Reds believes Great Lengths hair extensions are the answer.  Unlike many treatments which involve welding, waxing or knotting to the hair, Great Lengths invented a process which was much more kind to the hair.  “The extensions are attached through structures which are actually very similar to human hair,” explained Natasha.  “When these structures are activated, the extensions become securely bonded, and they’re also easy to form and gentle to the follicle.”

Somewhat of an extension expert, Natasha has been fully trained in the revolutionary system, and is impressed with the results.  “Great Lengths extensions have the most natural effect of any system I’ve seen,” said Natasha.  “Great Lengths use fine quality virgin hair cut from Indian womens' heads in religious ceremonies prior to their weddings. So it's real, and therefore looks extremely natural when used to augment hair.”  Furthermore, the similarities don’t end when it comes to appearance:  “The extensions can also be curled or straightened as normal,” explained Natasha. “If you leave it to dry naturally it will have a natural wave and texture to it - just like your own hair.”

As well as adding natural length to hair (Great Lengths Extensions can add up to 60 centimetres to the length of your hair) the extensions work well to enhance thickness.  “If your hair is thinning, perhaps with maturity, or is inherently thin, fine and lank, this is a good way to give it more volume and swing,” adds Natasha.

It has to be said that hair extensions often have a poor image thanks to the treatment's association with the unnatural-looking bleached blonde tresses favoured by Z-listers.  “I think customers will be surprised,” suggested Natasha.  “When they are done well they are a very effective boost for hair. Cameron Diaz and Kate Beckinsale are two fans of Great Lengths, and they’re hardly chav-tastic!”

Lighten Up!

Now that the wet weather seems to have subsided, we're met with bright skies and blustery winds.  No longer forced to cover our hair with a hat or pin back into an all-weather bun, it's time to turn up the heat in the Spring style stakes.

Highlights are one of the most popular Spring treatments, and if you want the most natural-looking highlights possible, it’s important to get colour applied in salon. A professional hairstylist has a much better chance of mimicking how the sun hits your tresses than you do squinting into the mirror, trying to smear a mascara-style brush in the right places.  Although it costs more to have highlights applied professionally, the results are worth it, particularly when a visit includes a full consultation process to define your perfect look.

All salon colourists use basically the same formula for hair highlighting: a mixture of peroxide (which opens the hair cuticle) and persulfates- salts derived from persulfuric acid which strip the colour. Peroxide does damage hair, but it’s very important to visit a good salon to limit the amount of damage- too long a development time by an inexperienced stylist could lead to frazzled follicles!

When it comes to applying the highlights, it’s all about location.   In a treatment such as a half head of highlights, the colourist focuses on the areas where the sun would naturally hit, like the top layers, around the face, and the crown.  And, if you often wear your hair up, tell your colourist- they’ll also place a few streaks on the bottom layers, above the nape of the neck.

Regardless if you're a rich brunette or a dark blonde, using foils is the most efficient way to apply bleach to the hair. Your colourist will brush on a highlighting formula, and then wrap the strands in pieces of foil until they reach the proper shade.  While you're sitting in the chair, the metal is reacting with the chemicals in the bleach to create heat, which helps strip out colour more quickly and deeply- perfect for those who have more pigment to begin with.

After the peroxide has lifted the right amount of colour, a good colourist will apply a toner to remove brassiness and blend the bleached areas. Toner will affect only the colour of the lightened strands, leaving your base colour intact.   However, it’s still important to maintain your colour at home.  Personally, I recommend L'Oreal Professional Serie Expert Silver Shampoo: a great product to prevent those brassy tones from sneaking into the hair.

Equally, it’s important to keep your lightened locks shiny and natural-looking by visiting the salon for a touch-up every 6 weeks or so. And, when wet weather returns and the sun fades away, you can always let your blonde streaks do the same!

Here Comes the Sun

Having endured the coldest Spring since 1962, the team at Reds have spent every available opportunity basking in this week's spring sunshine. However, it’s important to remember the drawbacks of the outdoors on the hair- it needs to be 100% dry to fight the frizz.  Spending time outside creates curl and volume in naturally curly or wavy hair textures and leaving the house with slightly wet hair is going to add to the problem. Yet, everything’s not lost- using a pair of GHDs to smooth the cuticle down even further is a double whammy in the fight against frizz. You can also add dry shampoo to the scalp to help absorb perspiration or humidity before it causes the hair to frizz.

Exposure to the direct sunlight we’ve experienced throughout this week can also cause excessive

dryness, so continue your deep-conditioning regimen from winter, and don’t forget to dab a little extra on the ends.  Personally, I recommend using moisture-enhancing products from wash to styling and, as ever,  make sure you’ve got the right haircut. Whilst you can condition your hair and have the right styling products to seal your style, but without the right cut your hair won't fall in the most flattering way.

As well as an effective shampooing and conditioning routine, combat that dryness with L’Oreal Professionnel’s flagship product- Mythic Oil- a nourishing treatment that it is also one of the most effective styling products on the market.  Infusing the hair with both shine and volume, the silky smooth serum doesn’t weigh the hair down. Instead of lying on top of the hair and making it limp like most treatments, the oil is absorbed quickly and nourishes from the inside out. Therefore, even though the product gives shine, it feels matte, avoiding the greasy feel of many oil-based treatments.
But the talents of Mythic Oil don’t stop there. Formulated to interact with the heat of hair dryers and straighteners, it also protects the hair from heat damage and makes it more pliable for styling- perfect for the textured looks that have featured so heavily in Summer collections.

Even if your hair is in tip-top condition, your follicles require the same treatment as your skin, so be sensible and cover up!  Whether it’s with a headscarf, a hat or one of our popular UV filters, it’s important to prevent those harmful rays from damaging the hair.  Kérastase Soleil Micro Voile Protecteur is one of my favourites.  Formulated with Filtre Photo-Defense, it provides the hair with mineral oils, reducing the effects of humidity and protecting the hair follicle from any damage.

As well as using regular conditioner, I always recommend a specially formulated masque to give you that red carpet finish.  L’Oréal Professionnel’s Lumino Contrast Masque does more than just condition the hair- it enhances the brightness of highlights so that your style shines with brilliance. This deep-acting treatment strengthens and conditions by replenishing the lipids in the hair, making it the ideal antidote to the stresses of the sun.

Susan x

Blondes Have More Fun

Love it or hate it, we can’t escape from the fact that permanent hair dye damages the hair.  Ammonia, a chemical that has been used in colouring treatments for decades, is the main culprit. The smell seems noxious – it burns our noses when inhaled, and our scalps if left on too long.  The process dries out our tresses, too, and makes it more vulnerable to splitting. But those of us who do it regularly just plug our noses and bear it- another small price to pay for highlights or covering grey.

However, beauty editors and my stylists alike seem to sticking to their guns about L’Oreal’s INOA (short for Innovation No Ammonia) ammonia-free hair colour.  It’s been the hot topic of beauty magazines worldwide, and the darling of many a colour technician, but is by no means the first ammonia-free dye to be used in a salon. 

With ammonia-free products having been established for many years, it takes something revolutionary to create a buzz in the world of hair colour.  INOA created just that- it was the first 100% ammonia-free odourless permanent colorant with Oil Delivery System technology and is completely exclusive to L’Oréal salons. It heralded a change in modern hair colouring- from its advanced technology to its sensorial in-salon experience.

Until now, however, blondes haven't been having more fun, as ammonia has been a vital ingredient in achieving great high lift permanent colour results.  Yet, through months of intensive research, L'Oreal have created INOA Ultablond: the first ever high lift blonde ammonia-free hair colour designed to offer women the blonde they’ve been dreaming of.

This breakthrough formulation is called ODS2: an oil base that drives the colourant into the heart of the hair fibre without the need for ammonia and provides greater respect for the hair and greater scalp comfort.

After application, hair is left with a smooth finish, a softer touch and a radiant shine and even more importantly, protected.  With some hair colour, the more it is applied the more damage it can do to your hair if you don’t really look after it, but INOA helps to maintain the hair’s natural levels of essential amino acids and lipids which is, in simple terms, all the natural good stuff in your hair!

With many ammonia dyes, the range of colour is a legitimate difficulty in achieving a natural look and feel, since some colours contain more chemicals and are harder to sustain. Whilst many brands produce ammonia free dyes, they are offered in a severely limited number of colours, simply because they don’t hold to the hair.  Now featuring a portfolio of hues with the ability to lighten up to five levels, darken hair and perfectly cover 100% white hair, INOA offers intense colour results and the most true and predictable shades of any hair colouring. Never has our copper been so radiant, blonde so pure and brunette so rich.

From natural shades through to fashion colours including neutralising cool tones and vibrant, warm hues, INOA is worth trying, whatever your style. It can lighten up to give levels and promises perfect even coverage from root to tip, whether you want a full colour change; to cover your white hair; or to simply update your look.