Win: Soft Silky Hair with Silky Colouration

Having colour treated and chemically treated hair, I always have to battle dullness, dryness breakages and the dreaded split-ends on a daily basis.

Thankfully, the hair care and styling products have come a long way to make my daily grooming so much easier, allowing me to have hair that looks healthy, is full of lustre, and shine, I looked like I have just gotten a blow wave from a salon.

Two of my favourite hair care products I've been using on a regular basis the last 2 months are from Silky Colouration.

Silky Colouration is an Italian professional hair care brand that is relatively new to the Australian market and already going to make waves with its amazing products.

Silky Hydrating conditioner – This leave in conditioner can be used on wet or dry hair and I spritz itin between washes on dry hair before styling/brushing to re-hydrate hair, give it softness, and shine. It’s a two phase solution with silk amino acids and hydrolysed proteins to help strengthen hair – something that I need given the damage on my hair and abuse I put it through.

Hydrating Conditioner ingredients

Silky Crystal Serum – this finishing product is not just another hair serum. It gives maximum shine without weighing hair down at all. In fact, this light watery fluid is more effective than Morrocan Oil at taming my fly aways, and giving me gorgeous mane with a mirror shine. I definitely am looking at repurchasing on this bottle when I’m finished with it.

Crystal serum ingredients

Silky Colouration products are available at great hair salons. Visit here for stocklist details.

Win A Luscious Silky Colouration Pack

Do you want to have soft and silky hair and a chance to try out Silky Colouration products? Then you’re in luck as I have 2 great Silky Colourations haircare packages values at A$98 each to give away.

The prize pack consists of

• Silky Nutrix shampoo
• Hydro herb Mask
• Nouvelle Double shot
• Silky Nutrix serum
• Silky Zero crystal serum

 All you need to do is like the Silky Colouration Australian&NZ Facebook page using the Rafflecopter widget below. 

You can get extra entries by liking the Things I Love Facebook page and by tweeting about this giveaway.

And for those of you who don't do Facebook or Twitter, then subscribe to this blog via email and comment in this post that you want to win this great Silky Colouration prize and include your subscribing email address in the comments for validation.

Good luck everyone!

P.S - this give away is  open to Australian and New Zealand residents only as per the promoter's request.

Gaga over KMS California's FreeShape range & the Real Project Competition

Top hair-care and styling brand KMS California decided to celebrate its 30th anniversary with a makeover!

Not only have the packaging been updated to bright bold block colours on its existing product lines, but it has also introduced 12 new products and brought out the latest hair technology called technology nature by fusing natural ingredients in advance formulas.

This now brings KMS products lines to a whopping 52 products across 9 ranges in the growing collection to cater for any individual style and hair condition.

The most exciting news of this newest additions for me was the Freeshape range - this heat activated styling and protectant line is something I need daily as I subject my hand to the constant abuse of blow drying, curling, colouring and chemical straightening.

So it was a good thing I was lucky enough to try first hand some of these items in the latest range and let me tell you, my hair would be humming happy tunes all day long if it could sing!

1. FreeShape Quick Blow Dry - 200ml RRP A$39.95
I have very thick hair - I get it thinned out every time I get a cut but there is still alot hair left on my head. So when this stuff promised to cut drying time by half, I wanted to be all over it.

And guess what? It really does work! My blow dry time is reduced by 40-50% depending on the humidity of the day, a saviour on cold nights when I dread washing my hair. This 2-phase product needs to be shaken to mix the solution before being sprayed onto damped towel dried hair and not only will it speed up the drying time, it will also provides anti-static properties to reduce friction between hair and gives it extra conditioning properties to leave hair more manageable and fly-aways tamed without any added weight.

2. FreeShape Hot Flex Creme - 150ml RRP A$39.95
I wouldn't ever go near a curling tong/ wand or straightening tong without this product on hand any more. This must-have light-weight creme gives hair a layer of production, especially ends which normally gets fried during extreme heat styling sessions.

Smoothed over from the mid lengths down to the end of damp or dry hair before using your heat tools for lustrous protected strands. Results are non-product overloaded glossy hair with plenty of natural movement.

3. FreeShape Hot Flex Spray - 200ml RRP A$39.95
If you are after some hold in your heat protectant to give your style some shape, then you can't go past this heat protectant. Natural curls are easy-peasy to achieve with the help of this spray. Just sprtiz on the section of dried hair you are working on for shine, medium hold and protection. The end results are beautiful bouncy curls that still moves naturally as it's not weighed down by heavy products which also means your shape holds for longer - score!

I'm gaga over these three heat-protecting styling products; they will be staples on my hair care regime and I can't wait to try the other FreeShape products in the lineup. If you haven't fallen in love with KMS California yet, I guarantee you will when you try the latest FreeShape range.



KMS The Real Project Competition

KMS California is kickstarting its latest product relaunch with a competition called The Real project to celebrate self-expression and individuality - the core philosophy of the brand.

Just submit a 15 second video of who you are and what makes you unique and you could be in the running to win awesome KMS prizes and become a TV stars.

The 15 most popular videos as voted by social media will be used in KMS' next tv campaign. And if you need any further encouragement, the first 100 entrants will receive a KMS California Gift Packs worth over $100, plus there are 20 Sony Bloggiecamerasto be WON!

Get involved in this great competition now before it closes on 10th November!


Products featured have been provided for consideration.

How To: Soft Romantic Waves for Spring

With Spring in the air for most of the Australian southern cities, it's time to look at let your hair down and get ready for the warmer weather and there no easier way to do that than by adding some waves into your look.

The loose wave is quick and easy to do and is soft, wispy and romantic - perfect for the longer days as well as evenings for a bit of socialisation with friends. This looks works best with hair just past the shoulders as those loose curls will just fall softly around the face to delicately frame it.

Today I have expert tips from Wella Styling Ambassador Travis Balcke to walk us through how to achieve the look in next to no time.

1. Start with freshly shampooed and conditioned towel dried hair haired. If you are like me and have coloured your hair, make sure to use a colour-saving product (try Wella Care's Brilliance Shampoo and conditioner or if you feel you need extra conditioning powers, up the treatment level with the Brillaince Mask). 
2. Apply a good amount of styling primer to prepare hair (use Wella Professional's Velvet Amplifer to coat and prime hair to give it more manageability and improve structure and hold during styling).  Then mist with Perfect Setting lotion at the roots to get hair more volume and shine. (If you don't have these products you can try working some light hold mousse through the roots of hair for similar results). 
3. Proceed to crank up the hair dryer and blast hair dry upside down- to give maximum volume at the roots. 
4. Take a 4cm section of hair from the top of head and using a hot roller, start to roll hair up in a brick pattern and secure hair to roller with a bobby pin. A brick pattern rolling technique is basically a technique used to roll or perm hair. Rather than straight rows, the sections are offset from the rods in the row above like how a brick layer would lay their bricks to minimise any gaps in hair and false lines and parties created for a more natural-looking wave pattern. 



visual of the off-setting rollers in the brick lay technique

5. Work your way down and roll the rest of the hair. Don't worry about being too perfect as the the curls will be brushed out later. 
6. When the rollers are cool, take the rollers out and brush with a wide bristled hairbrush to tease the hair into soft loose waves.  Spray some hairspray to set the style and if required and finish off with some shine serum. 

the finished look - large soft waves

Products used:

*Wella Care Brilliance Shampoo and Conditioner 200ml - RRP A$24 each
*Wella Care Brilliance Mask 150ml - RRP A$25
Wella Professional Velvet Amplifier Styling Primer 50ml - RRP A$24
Wella Professional Perfect Setting Lotion 150ml - RRP A$24
Wella SP Exquisite Gloss Shine Concentrate 40ml - RRP A$37.00
Hot rollers
Bobby pins
Round bristle brush

What hair looks do you feel like rocking this spring season?

Wella Care and Professional products are available at selected salons nationally. Call 1300 885 002 for your nearest stocklist.

Products marked * were provided for consideration.

Review: Goldwell StyleDesign Melting Diamonds

Given that this is part of this week's giveaway prize pack, there isn't a more opportune time than now to take a closer look at this product.

Goldwell StyleDesign Melting Diamonds 50ml 

• Newest addition to Goldwell's styling range it's not just another glossing serum, but a beautifully scented that gives hair shine in the light and controls frizz and fly aways. 
• Colour safe and in fact provides lasting protection for colour treated hair with vitamin E and bamboo extract.
• You only need the tiniest amount of this light dimethicone fluid in the palm of your hand to smooth through hair ( I like to work at the ends first and a light coating near the scalp for those pesky short fly-away pieces for silky soft finishes. 
• suitable for normal to thick hair (fine hair-types may find this too heavy and weighing on hair).

Always handy to have, this serum will have your hair sleek, glossy and shining like it's coated in diamonds all day long.

Ingredient listing

dimethicone, trisiloxane, dimethiconol, diethylhexyl carbonate, alcohol denat., trimethyl pentaphenyl trisiloxane, ethylhexyl methoxycinnamate, isopropyl alcohol, tocopheryl acetate, phytantriol, benzophenone-3, bambusa vulgaris (bamboo) extract, PEG-8, fragrance/parfum

RRP A$22.95 at selected salon nationally.
This product was provided for consideration.

How to: Get it on with the Side-Part Pony Tail

Winter's windy and cold weather outdoors and heated dry conditions indoor not only wreak havoc on skin but is also very damaging to hair.

And if you find that your hair's looking shabby (as mine currently does) and you don’t have time for a cut, then the current trend of a sleek pony tail will give your hairstyle a new lease in life as you can easily hide the messy hair.

Other than using a great hydrating shampoo and conditioner, you will also need to up the anti on your styling products to keep your hairstyle looking in tip-top condition in the colder months. 

My current product of choice is the Wella SP Elegant shape Body Mousse 300ml - RRP A$33.50 as it adds a flexible hold to hair, gives it a bit more structure and adds body and volume to the roots of hair.

Applied to towel dried hair and you not only have something to work with on your hair, you're also giving your hair some heat protection from hairdrying and also has UV filters to protect again from sun rays.

Now back to the pony tail style -  it's easy to achieve and looks great on anyone any age, it’s elegant, classy, chic, seductive, hide bad hair and was all over the run way at the Marc Jacobs Fall Winter 2011/12 show.

Nars for Marc Jacob NYFW 2011

For a something a little different though, try the sleek side parted pony tail which Lucy Liu sported when she stepped out for the NYC Kong Fu Panda 2 premiere last month. The side part works as it's more wearable and helps to diffuse attention away from an uneven hair line.

image credit: John P Iblis/jpistudios.com

To get the look:
Start with straight dried hair and create a strong side part with a comb and then brush hair down. If you have curly hair, you might want to use an anti frizz serum like before hand to smooth the hair down first.

Brush hair back towards the back of the head and make sure to brush out any bumps on the side. Depending on how high your front hair line is (the higher your hairline, the lower your pony tail should sit to balance it out at the back), fasten hair with a hair tie and then smooth down flyaway bits with hair spray.

Smooth some Gloss Shine Concentrate at the ends of the ponytail to make your hair shiny and prevent frizz during the day/night

Products used:
Wella SP Perfect Hold hairspray 300ml - RRP A$33.50  
Wella SP Exquisite Gloss Shine Concentrate 40ml - RRP A$37.00  
Medium tooth comb and round paddle hair brush

What other styles do you use to hide bad hair days?

Additional image credits: Google images
Wella SP products were provided for consideration. 

How To: Milan Fashion Week - Hair from Antonio Marras Show

I've been keeping my eyes on in the recent Autumn/Winter (A/W) '11 Fashion Shows held in New York and Milan and often find myself staring at the amazing makeup and hairstyles as much as I am at the amazing gowns that are gracing the catwalks. 

Apart from the bold colours and pale skin as the trend for makeup this upcoming season, it seems sleek and well sculpted hair that maintains its fluidity and delicate textures also feature heavily. 

Case in point: The "Clip Art" look created by Wella Global Creative Director Eugene Souleiman from the Milan's Antonio Marras show. 

I so love the multi-dimenional look of this 50s inspired style that is strong and angular when viewed from the front, yet soft and feminine when viewed from the back.  

The Makeup: 

Lips take centre stage here and it is the brighter the red, the better. Try Illamasqua Box or Elizabeth Arden Red Door Red. Remember to use a lip liner for more definition and ensure the colours stay inside the lips. 

Keep face fairly neutral with nude/naked colours on lips and cheeks. Think naked palette colours of soft browns and light shades that complement your complexion. One coat of mascara is more than enough here. Blush is kept to minimum or if you dare, forgo it all together. 

The Hair - how to:

1. Apply Wella Professionals Sleek Wonder (straightening balm) on freshly washed hair and blow dry hair straight with a round soft bristled brush. 
2. Create a side parting then take large front section from the short side parting (right side on the model), give it a spray of Wella Professionals High Hair Crystal Styler for a sleek shiny finish then lift the entire section, pull up tight and give it a tight lift by pulling the hair in upward direction with a round brush while heating it with a blow dryer. 
3. Then spray this section of hair with some Wella Professional High Hair Finishing Spray and back-comb the roots of hair with a fine tooth comb for some texture and volume.
4. Wind the hair around a chopstick or stick to create a tight roll before sliding out the stick and clipping the hair in place on the side with some bobby pins. 
5. On the other side of the parting, brush the hair flat and square against the heard and back behind the ear. Use a large contrasting colour hair clip to hold hair flatly in plate. 
6. For the back, pull hair into a side low ponytail then twist, while pulling towards the nape of the neck at the same time to get it tightened around the around the base of the head. When the complete section of the hair is twisted, pin the hair in place using a bobby pin inserted horizontally and another vertically to form a cross to secure it. 

You dont' have to be too precise with the ponytail twists as flyaways and loose hair form part of the wispy soft look. 

Eugene back-combing the curled side part

Products used: 

• Wella Professionals High Hair Sleek Wonder RRP A$23.50
• Wella Professionals High Hair Crystal Styler RRP A$23.50
• Wella Professionals High Hair Finishing Spray RRP A$23.50

Available at Wella salons nationally.

What do you think of this look? Love it or leave it?

Review: KMS Dry Shine Styler

If you live in Melbourne, you’ll know how humid it’s been lately despite the mild weather and lack of sun.

And that can only mean one thing for me – frizzy flyaway hair.

I knew I had to do something about this to prevent a bad hair day and am so glad to have this great little product on hand.

KMS Dry Shine styler

• Limited Edition product developed in consulation with KMS California International  Session Styler &Artistic Director Clive Allwright
• The Perfect solution for taming frizz as well as enhancing shine on-the-go. 
• This stuff is truly a handy little tube to have around.  Easy to carry in the handbag and packaged like a glue stick (remember the one you used back in high school?), with a twist at the base, the product out and then just gently swipe some across your hair to combat the dreaded flyaway and frizz and any bits of hair that is just not plain behaving (yes, I’m talking about those small bits of hair that just won’t lie flat on top of head along the parting line).  
• Just remember not to leave this in your handbag inside a car parked in the open sun if you don’t want a melted styling stick.

Depending on which area of the hair you are using this on, you can either rub some of the product onto fingers to warm the product up and apply it to hair (eg. ends and flyaway) or lightly apply the product directly from the tube (for those individual pesky strands). This beeswaxed based styler will tame your mane quick STAT.

It also adds shine and makes them easier to control and style. As a little goes a long way, I use it sparingly. It’s non-greasy and doesn't add much weight to hair at all – perfect for touch ups throughout the humid day. Given the amount you use, this little tube will last you up to a year.

The best thing is that it smells great– a light sweet honey caramel scent that makes me feel a million bucks again.

Dry Shine Styler ingredients listing

RRP A$19.95  for 18g at all great hair salons or you can try your luck at Hairhouse Warehouse or Petra stores. Given it's a limited edition item, be quick to grab one before it's gone for good.

This product was sent for review.

Going Blonde with Wella Professionals

I've always wanted to go for a change in hair colour just as I would for my makeup or lipstick when the seasons change but I was never quite sure what colour I wanted to change to and I was also afraid of the additional damage I'd be subjecting my hair to (I already get my hair straightened so it's more manageable in mornings)

When I recently had the opportunity to have leading Melbourne Wella Creative Director Marie Uva, 4 time finalist of the prestigious Hair Expo Awards and Creative Director at Rokk Ebony South Yarra transform my hair, I thought it was time to ditch that fear.

Rokk Ebony South Yarra

The stylists at work

Despite the resolve, I was still nervous on the day about my hair colour transformation as I still wasnt' sure what shade I want to end up being. 

Thankfully, the minute I walked into the swanky establishment that was Rokk Ebony on Toorak road, South Yarra. I was immediately put at ease with a cookie and a cup of tea (talk about service here), abundant magazine offerings and the ambient environment of the salon - the place is amazingly beautiful with its high ceilings and modern, streamline decor and importantly, well equipped styling areas. 

See how sleek and chic this place is?

I was even more comforted when I looked over at the window sills which were literally covered with a multitude of awards and trophies won by the talented creative stylists throughout the past few years.

After a few minutes wait, I met my amazing stylist, Marie who has styled many celebrity hairs and have had her creations featured in magazine spreads as well as making guest appearances on TV show The Circle, for styling tips and advice for the latest looks. 

One of Marie's creation for the 2010 Hair Expo competition

The photo above is one of her styling creation for last years Hair Expo Check out her work last year and you can see more here.

We went through what colour I wanted to achieve and what shades would complement my complexion best. She mentioned that for it is better to do 2 sessions of bleaching to lift the colour out for dark hair like mine than to try and bleach it to blond in a single go to mimimise damage done to hair (as well as achieve more accurate colours). In the end we settled on blond foils on top of my crowns with a warm chocolate base to soften the contrast.

With that decided, marie went on to work her magic. This took quite a bit of time as I have a lot of hair and the foiling technique that Marie did was time consuming to achieve the look of diffused highlights. All up my colouring session took just over 2 hours for application and colour development and another 30mins for rinsing and toner application to add depth and remove harsh brassy tones from the bleaching. 

Marie working on the foils - check the trophies in background by windows

My hair was then dried up, styled and given a trim. So what do you think of the results? 

Before Wella hair colouring/cut and after

With Marie after the colour

I'm loving the super subtle blond highlights is amazing diffused throughout my head.

Many thanks to Marie and Natalia, Marie's assistant that day for my amazing hair transformation and for the lovely Wella girls for organising this styling session for me. 

If you're thinking of transforming your hair colour or looking for a change in style, visit Marie at Rokk Ebony South Yarra and you will walk out with amazingly transformed hair.

Marie will once again be entering this year's hair expo competition. Good luck Marie - those style creations I had a sneak peek of are amazing!

How To: Curl Hair with VS Sassoon's Magic Curl

My natural hair is thick and unruly, with kinks and just plain hard to deal with in mornings. I decided to end the pain and make life easier with less styling hassles by permanently straightening it with the Shiseido Straightening system a few months back.

Lately though, the grass seems to be greener on the other side and I've been wanting to have some soft pretty curls, especially after seeing friends getting Japanese perms on their hair and looking super Kawaii.

So to curb my hair envy, I thought I'd try to recreate those soft loose curls for a temporary basis.

VS Sasson Magic Curl Styling Wand

• The newest addition to VS Sasoon's Premiere Collection, the wand-like barrel curler with no clamps in sight promises to deliver curls full of definition and shine with no crimps or kinks to hair.
• The styling wand tapers from 25mm in diameter at one end down to13mm at the other meaning you can create soft loose curls on top of hair that narrows to tighter ringlets at the other end.
• Features a SolTEC™ Ceramic barrel that provides a smoother surface to wrap hair with and make its easier to glide hair off when finished with setting the curls.
• Variable temperature control with 4 different heat settings to suit all hair types so you don't fry your hair to bits when using it.
• Comes with a heat-resistant glove to help your handle the hot wand whist styling your hair.

Magic Curl showing temperature control w On/Off button

How to use:

• Turn on the Magic curl and set it to desired heat setting to preheat it by pressing the +/- button.  The temperature light indicator will remain constant once the right heat level is achieved. I set mine at 170 degrees and found it hot enough to curl my hairs.
• Put on the protective glove on side of the hand you will be using to wrap your hair around the styler with.
• Start by working on hair at the base of your neck and work your way up to the hair at the crown. Take up all the hair and clip the top layers of hair out of the way, leaving the bottom layer free to work with.
• Curl hair from the back first and move your way towards the front.
• Section hair into 2-4cm widths (depending on whether you want loose curls or more defined ones- the smaller the section of hair, the more defined your curls will be) and starting at the thicker end of the wand, wrap hair around the barrel down towards the narrow end until your hair is fully curled around the wand. Hold the hair for 5 seconds to let the heat set it before gliding the wand out of your curled hair.
• You can also half-twist the wand during the style-setting stage to get tighter curls.
• Once the bottom layer of hair is curled, you can let out more hair from the middle layer and repeat the same steps and finally curling the the top layers of your hair until you're all finished.
• After curling hair, spray plenty of hair spray to fix the style and ensure long lasting curls.

Before and after Magic Curl - I went for the loose curls look

How it performed:

• Quick to heat up, I loved the adjustable temperature setting. It gives me peace of mind that I'm not going over-board in the heat styling department. 
• Easy to use - without reading any instruction manual, I found the Magic Curl wand very intuitive to use - it was as simple as taking hair and wrapping it around the wand. 
• The provided glove helped saved me from burning my fingers. Too bad there weren't ear hoods to save my ears which I burnt whilst curling the hair too close to the ear. Hopefully my better techniques after more practice will prevent future burns.
• The on/off button is awkwardly positioned during use. I would accidentally press it while twisting the wand to curl my hair and switch it off, resulting in having to re-switch it back on and reset the temperature again. Next time, I'll use some some tape to tape over the button area once I turn it on to prevent myself from accidental switch offs. Maybe a cover over the botton or a on/off sliding lever design in future models would be more suitable.
• The wand did indeed give soft pretty kink-free curls full of shine, body and bounce and it held its shape well. This did a better job than my GHD for curls (I've given up trying to master curling with that styler).

Styling Tips 

• To practise your curling techniques, try using the magic curl without turning the power on to get used to styling at the back of hair and familiarise the angle you will need to hold the magic curl
• Remember to spritz on some heat protectant before using the styler to prevent hair from being over-exposed and damaged by heat - try John Frieda's Heat Defeat Protective styling spray.

Verdict
VS Sassoon's Magic Curl wand certainly delivered curls that would rival those created by the professionals at any hair salon.
Rating: 9/10. It would have received full marks if the button designs were fixed to prevent accidental switch offs.
RRP A$69.95 at all leading department and electrical stores.

This product was received at the MBBE event.