Oil slick hair: The rainbow trend that’s PERFECT for brunettes

Sep 11, 2015

Pastel hair, gray hair and sand art hair… they've been all the rage this year but unless you're blessed with fair locks they involve a LOT of work.

Bleaching every ounce of colour from your hair not only wrecks the strands, but it takes a huge amount of upkeep to keep your roots constantly covered.

Luckily for ladies with darker tresses, there's a new trend in hair colouring that's altogether more brunette-friendly: the oil slick.

I love mixing colors together to create a dimensional effect. This purple and blue ombre reminds me of a blackbird's feather. Cut and color by Erin. #iridescenthair

A photo posted by @todyeforsalon on May 16, 2015 at 4:11pm PDT

Created by celebrity colourist Aura Friedman, the look mimics the appearance of gasoline or oil mixed with water – that purplish, greenish rainbow effect we often see on the ground after it rains.

Creating the oil slick look is surprisingly easy, as it simply involves layering a small number of colours onto the hair. "I find that when you take a dark purple and a dark green and layer them one on top of the other, you end up with this iridescent feeling," says Aura of her creation.

A photo posted by Courtney – (@phyrra) on Sep 10, 2015 at 12:25pm PDT

Using darker tones rather than bleached pastels has multiple advantages. The oil slick trend is "great for people who naturally have dark hair and don't want to go through a major bleaching process," Aura says.

"You don't have to lighten it so much to get it there, so your hair will be in better condition."

A photo posted by Sean Godard (@seangodard) on Sep 12, 2014 at 6:08pm PDT

Plus, darker tones last much longer than pastels and neons, so the oil slick look will see you right through to Christmas.

Win!

HURRAH! Top tips on how to make your hair colour last even longer

Aug 17, 2015

by Amber Saunders

No matter what colour you choose to dye your hair, you are going to spend a good chunk of money getting it right.

Whether you dye your hair a different colour every month or you've had the same hue for years, the challenge is always to make that 'just-done' look last.

However, you actually CAN make that vibrancy hold firm for longer with just a few easy tips and tricks of the trade.

Yes, changing your hair routine in a few simple ways can be seriously effective…

Prep your hair before colouring

This can be done one or two days before you go to get your colour in. Use a chelating or clarifying shampoo to remove styling product build-up. This will stop the colour from fading after you've dyed it and also put some moisture into your locks.

Avoid hot showers

Hot water dries out your hair and also decreases the life of your hair colour. The temperature will open up your cuticle which then releases the hair colour. Try to wash your hair with room-temperature water and then when you have rinsed, blast your hair with cold water to lock in all the moisture.

Swimming caution

Swimming in chlorine can dramatically reduce the time you get out of your hair colour. All you have to do is put in a hair protector with SPF, especially if you're on holidays in the sun. This will act as a barrier so the chlorine won't damage your tresses.

Don't overuse hot tools

Hot tools such as blow dryers and straighteners actually speed up the process of colour fading. Try not to use them every day and use a heat protector spray when you do.

Try a shower filter

These can be bought at plenty of hardware stores. Water coming from your shower head has lots of chemicals, chlorine and minerals in it that can strip your hair quicker. Using these handy filters will stop your colour from going down the drain.

Sand Art Hair is about to become the next summer trend

Jun 16, 2015

by Amber Saunders

People on Instagram are going crazy over the latest hair craze to come along this summer. If you thought nailing that ombré was difficult enough, then you might as well call it quits now.

Dyeing your hair a crazy colour isn't exactly new, Zayn Malik was all over this trend just last week. However, this is high intensity colour burst is a little different, and also a lot more magical.

Taking inspiration from a retro American children's toy (and unicorns, obviously), the rainbow hair style is pretty much a replica of what happens when you pile thousands of grains of coloured sand together in different shaped jars.

The multi-dimensional hues have been spotted on celebs in the past, Kylie Jenner does have a range of hair extensions that offer some pretty highly saturated colour options. Kesha was also famous for sporting a brightly coloured style last year. Now though it's hit Pinterest and Instagram hard.

Rebecca Taylor is the hair stylist who debuted the retro-inspired look on her social media channels, from where it has since taken off. She uses a special in-salon process to ensure the dye doesn't run together and end up a muddy mess. She uses a special technique to achieve that fairytale-type look that is the stuff of Instagram users dreams. To do it, she separates the hair in horizontal zig-zags and colours each of the sections a different shade to get the sand art effect spot on.

Sounds challenging, but the outcome is obviously worth it for fans of the sand art trend as they can't stop posting their colourful selfies online.

It's dramatic, daring and looks like it requires some dedication, it also reminds us of My Little Ponies and their fabulous technicolour manes.

What with the assortment of rainbow locks popping up all over our social media feeds, it looks like this could be a style we see floating around the many many festivals to come this summer season,

Help deciding what colour to dye your hair

Aug 15, 2014

by Amber Saunders

Dyeing your hair is not an easy decision, especially when it is your first time.

So when it comes to deciding on which colour to choose, bear in mind these tips:

Find out your natural look
This can be tricky, especially if you have been dyeing your hair for a long time, but try to remember!

Think about your lifestyle
Before you go too wild, keep in mind how your new look will fit in with your lifestyle – job, college, etc. Don’t go purple if you’ll just end up with a stern warning from your boss – it’s totally not worth it.

Do a tester
If you have finally decided on a shade, try it out before you go permanent. You can pick up a wash out dye kit fairly cheaply and it will mean if the colour really isn’t right you can change it.

Think of your skin tone
Always keep in mind your skin tone when deciding on a colour. If you are pale, avoid going for a shade that will wash you out.

Go a shade lighter
When you have finally decided on a colour, always choose one shade lighter than you want. It will come out darker than the picture on the box.

Kim Kardashian’s ever changing hair colour

Jun 26, 2014

by Amber Saunders

It seems Kim Kardashian has gone blonde again – well, it’s actually a wig – but this is not the first time the reality stunner has changed up her hair.

While she may have always kept her long locks, over the years, Nori’s mum has gone from black to blonde to brown to blonde again.

Teen Choice Awards, 2009

She kind of looks a little like Holly Candy (Flick from Neighbours…)

KUWTK premiere, 2010

A little darker than the previous year. She should definitely consider bangs again – we’re loving them!

True Reflection Fragrance launch, 2012

Simply stunning.

Post pregnancy blonde, 2013

After giving birth to gorgeous Nori, the mum-of-one went a little lighter.

Her wedding to Kanye, 2014

Definitely our favourite colour on her.

It looks like Britney Spears has gone to the dark side

Celebrity

Feb 10, 2014

by Amber Saunders

Britney Spears has ditched her trademark blonde locks in favour of a much darker shade.

The Work B**ch singer shared her new look on her Instagram account and while we loved her blonde, the Baby One More Time hitmaker does make a pretty brunette.

She captioned the photo: “Spice up Valentine’s Day by getting ‘Naughty & Nice’ ((pun intended))”

We’re thinking the Instagram snap had more to do with promoting her new perfumes, Fantasy Britney Spears the Naughty Remix and Fantasy Britney Spears the Nice Remix, than her hair though.

This is not the first time the 32-year-old has gone brown and it seems February is her favourite month to change her hair colour; the mum-of-two was spotted sporting a new brunette “do” at Elton John’s star studded AIDs Foundation Academy Awards Viewing Party in February of last year.

We are loving the new hair, Brit – although the Toxic star can do no wrong in our eyes.