Get fabulous hair colour with fewer trips to the salon, and keep your skin soft in harsh weather
Word on the street is that canny customers are adding a week or two between hair appointments to save the pennies. But when it comes to making colour last, some products really earn their keep. You can start the good work before you even leave the hair salon. Mark Doherty of SitStil in Dublin (pictured right) has switched to the Joico range.
He stresses that the initial colour consultation is the most important part of a client's visit. Skin colour, hair type, style, previous colour and lifestyle all play a part in choosing the right shade. Clients can prevent colour fade by using the Joico Colour Endure three-step system. The Colour Endure Violet Shampoo (€12.95) is great for toning blonde or grey hair by neutralising brassy or yellow tones.
Matrix Shade Memory Foam Mousse (€15.70) is a rinse-out foam that gives colour and hold, with moisturising shea butter and high-shine oil to combat dullness and stop colour fading. Use after shampooing to keep your colour rich between salon visits.
There are so many reasons to recommend Colet Colour Conserve shampoo and conditioner: it's 100 per cent natural, 100 per cent Irish, and at €4.99 for a 400ml bottle, it's hard to beat for value. The icing on the cake is that 10 per cent of profits are donated to the Irish Cancer Society. It's perfect for dry and damaged hair, with antioxidants from hawthorn berries helping to soften greys and enhance colour-treated hair. And did I mention the divine coconut fragrance?
Shine, vibrancy and condition are vital to maintaining the appearance of brilliant hair colour. The Kérastase Chroma Colour range (from €19) targets colour fading, loss of intensity and dullness. Highlighted hair, in particular, will benefit from the ingredients which boost radiance and condition.
TAKE YOUR VITAMINS
The sudden drop in temperatures sees winter coats being dragged out before the trans-seasonal jacket has even had its day out. It's time to protect your skin, too. I'm having a bit of a vitamin E moment, using products with the antioxidant skin saver such as Jo Malone Vitamin E Gel (€97.50). Although better-known for her fragrance and candles, Malone began her career as a facialist. This gel is incredibly nourishing and reviving - you can almost hear your skin saying "thank you" - and the next morning, it feels like velvet. Designed to moisturise dry, dehydrated or weathered skin, it's ultra-rich and needs to be used only once or twice a week.
With a high vitamin-E oil content, Fruit of the Earth Vitamin E Firming Facial Mask (€12.50) firms and brightens skin at a purse-friendly price. Gentle enough for frequent use, it leaves skin soft and ready to brave the elements. The mask is a terracotta colour due to the added therapeutic clay believed to have been a beauty secret of the ancient Egyptians.
SPC Vitamin E Line Serum (€58) is quickly absorbed to plump up skin when applied under moisturiser. Smoothing and refreshing, it softens fine lines and leaves skin looking bright and healthy. Tel: 01-6789888 for stockists.
pclarke@irish-times.ie