HAIR CONTOURING

Now that the ombre trend has officialy been branded as "last season", there have been plenty new hair color trends popping up. 

Question is, are they truly different or are they basically the same thing wrapped in a different paper?

Ombre hair has been the most wanted hair color of the past four years. In all sizes and colors people started experimenting with the style. From blunt transitions to subtle sombre to crazy colors… It has all been tried and errored.

But as the subtle variation “Sombre” sounded a little too familiar, AND at the same time makeup countouring became a massive thing, it was only a matter of time someone came up with the term Hair Contouring.

So what exactly is it?

It basically is a technique where hairdressers play with light and shadow to create a flattering result for the face. Dark shades are used for shadows, highlights  are used to create space. This technique allows you to slightly change your face shape and accentuate the best features.

Some examples:

You have a long face and want to make it look fuller. 

Go for dark roots with highlights around the jaw line. This will accentuate your cheeks and jaw, the broadest part of your face.

Sarah Jessica Parker

You have a round face and you want to elongate it. 

Add highlights all over the head, starting from the roots. Add some dark balayage close around the ears.

Chrissy Teigen

A pointy chin asks for more balance at the top of the head. 

Back to basics, classic ombre is the way to go in your case. You want to narrow the top of your head and widen the chin and jawline. Keep the top of your head dark and everything from the jaw down light. 

Sarah Hyland

I really like this new technique that takes personal facial features into account. 

Just like not each eye shadow matches every eye color, not every hair color matches every face shape. 

A customized hair style instead of everybody following the same dyeing method is definitely a trend I'm rooting for in 2016! 

x x x

PASTEL HAIR - HOW TO GET IT AND MAINTAIN IT

The lilac/pastel hair trend is still going strong and seems to have a hold of many experimental celebs! It's a pretty risky hair change that can't be pulled off by everyone, but some fashionistas in the fashion and blogger industry get away with it very well. 

Most recent Miss Nicole Richie has put the lilac locks trend to the test. The mother of two has tried out many hair styles in the past and here's another one she can cross off her "to try out" list. 

Nicole said she isn't the only one who loves her pastel hair change, her kids love it too. It reminds them and their friends of the Disney movie "Frozen". How cute!

Blogger and YouTube star Evelina Barry has died her locks lilac, and later pink, as well.

Kelly Osbourne was one of the first ones to try out the lavender hair color years ago and got a lot of backlash for it, especially from her own mother! But is now considered a trendsetter thanks to her bold hair makeover.

Lauren Conrad looked like a completely different person showing off her lilac locks on her blog, too bad it was only an april fools joke! The former reality queen is still rocking her trademark beachy blonde shade.

If you want to try out the lilac hair trend yourself I have some tips for you before you get started! 

First of all, consider the risk of it going wrong. Lilac hair is not a natural hair color, so you might not like it at all. It can clash with your skin tone and can be hard to adjust to. Also inform at your school or work if they will make a problem of your changing look. The last thing you want is to waste money and time on your new hair color and having to change it back after one day... If it is a problem, find a better time to try it out for example during a vacation! 

Still scared to go completely lilac? Dip dye your tips first! You get used to the bright color against your face and it is already a fun change. 

So still ready for the change? Here's how to achieve the look!

First you need to bleach your hair as light as possible. It's very important to get your hair as white as possible, the pastel color will look brighter and prettier on white blonde hair than on golden blonde hair. Since bleaching is a pretty tricky process to do at home, I wouldn't recommend anyone trying it. Especially when you're going for a completely pastel head. If you only want the pastel dip dye, you can probably get away with a box dye at home. But always read the instructions carefully, you don't want to end up with fried purple hair! 

Once your hair is the required blonde shade, you can start with the fun part! Pick out your favorite pastel hair dye and a white conditioner. 

Some good hair dye brands are: Directions Lilac (Pastel Purple), Directions Lagoon Blue (Pastel Blue), Pinks by Stargazer (Pastel Pink). 

Put the white conditioner into a bowl and mix in the pastel dye. Add as much as you like until you achieve the right color. Keep in mind that the color you see in the bowl will also be the color your hair will look like in the end. 

Wrap your hair in a shower cap and ley the dye develop for 30 to 45 minutes. 

Wash your hair with lukewarm water and condition as usual. Dry your hair and check for uneven spots. If necesarry, you need to repeat the dyeing process again. 

How to keep your lilac locks pretty? Lavender, pink and lilac are difficult colors to maintain because they wash out very quick. If you notice your hair color fading just mix a smidge of hair dye in your conditioner and leave it in for 10 minutes. this will give your hair color a boost. 

Also nurture your locks very well! You've put them through a lot, bleaching and dyeing is very damaging, so make sure to use conditioner, hair masks and serums! 

Good luck! 

x x x

GARNIER NUTRISSE CREME CHESTNUT - REVIEW

A couple of weeks ago I wanted to freshen up my hair color to match my new Bellami hair extensions better. Since I ordered the chestnut brown ones, I needed to add some warmth to my current hair color. I found the Garnier Nutrisse Creme hair dyes in the drugstore and picked out two shades.

I planned on only using the light chestnut brown (n°54) dye, but if it would turn out too light I would use the cold chestnut brown (n°4.15) to add some lowlights. 

As you can see on the box, n°53 is a very warm color with red and orange tones. 

I took some strands of my hair and wrapped them in foil, so they wouldn't get dyed and would serve as highlights. I followed the instruction and let the dye sit for about 30 minutes. (I always start counting when I'm completely finished applying the product.) 

Before

After

This is how my hair looked like right after I dyed it. I just let it air dry, I didn't do any styling to it, so it does look a bit dry and messy. 

This is how my hair looks like now, two weeks after I dyed it. 

As you can see, it turned out a warm medium brown color.

What I like about the Garnier Nutrisse Creme Chestnut:

The smell of the dye and the conditioner. Amazing sweet and fruity scents that stayed in my hair up to two days after. 

The shine and softness. It really did feel like my hair had been nurtured. Of course dyeing your hair is never healthy, but it didn't feel as damaging as other box hair dyes I have used. 

The color is long lasting. After two weeks the dye has lightened a little bit, but overall the color is still holding up pretty well.

What I don't like about the Garnier Nutrisse Creme Chestnut: 

The color came out too dark and not warm enough. The picture on the box shows a reddish warm color, this is why I bought this shade. Unfortunately I couldn't find enough warmth in my after color. I also thought the color would turn out lighter than it did. 

Would I buy the Garnier Nutrisse Creme Chestnut again? 

Yes, I would buy another Garnier Nutrisse Creme hair dye again because I like the quality of the hair dye. It makes your hair feel healthy, smells nice and the color is long lasting. However I wouldn't buy the chestnut shade again. It's a couple of shades too dark on my hair. 

I hope you found this review useful! Good luck if you're trying out a new shade for the new year!

x x x

KIM KARDASHIAN GOES BLONDE

New mommy Kim K. has turned over to the blonde side! The "Keeping up with the Kardashians" reality star and sisters are well known for their curvy bodies and brunette manes, but Kim decided to give herself a little makeover and went blonde for autumn.

She was seen leaving a friend's barbecue where she debuted a slightly shorter do with black roots and blonde lenghts.

It isn't the first time Kim ditched her trademark brunette locks, in 2009 she lightened her hair as well. She first fooled her fans by wearing a blonde wig and looked almost unrecognizable. At the Teen Choice Awards later that year she revealed the real thing saying "This time it's for real guys! I went blonde!!".

It was a change that left her fans divided, some loved the sunkissed look on Kim, some thought the blonde manes took away her exotic and mysterious appeal.

Later on Kim proved that blondes do have more fun by rocking out some crazy blonde wigs to fool the paparazzi and to dress up for Halloween.

This time however the dye wasn't a complete surprise, Kim has been hinting on Twitter that she missed her blonde hair and her "Threw Back Thursdays" referred to pics from her golden era.

Besides, Kim isn't the only sister who went blonder this year. Khloe has been seen with ombre hair for quite some time now and went even blonde past summer.

Older sister Kourtney decided to add some highlights to her black manes, and even added some bangs.

Are The Kardashians starting a new blonde trend? 

They are certainly stepping out of their "long black hair extensions" comfort zone, since starting their reality adventure.

So what do you prefer on Kim? Do you like the blonde change? Or should she keep her trademark dark locks?

x x x

HOW BAD IS DYEING YOUR HAIR?

Dry and damaged hair can be the result of a lot of things. Using heated tools like straighteners and curling wands without applying a heat protectant first, a lack of vitamin B in your diet, scrunching your hair up in a bun, dyeing your hair,... But how much damage does hair dye bring to your locks? Is it really that bad to change color or freshen up your color on a regular basis? I did the research and I'm sharing my findings with you in this post!

The amount of damage from a dye job depends on a couple of things:

1. Health of your hair

It is possible your hair is already damaged even before it's ever been touched by a drop of hair dye. Hair can get easily damaged by not taking care of it properly. Here are some tips to improve the state of your locks:

Condition after every wash

Use a hair mask at least once a week 

Use a heat protectant before drying or styling your hair with heated tools

Get a regular trim, every two - three months to get rid of split ends. Even when you're growing your hair out it is a necessity! 

Be careful combing your hair when it's wet, your hair is more vulnerable wet. You can damage it by combing or brushing too roughly. A great tool to comb wet hair is the Tangle Teezer, a brush made completely out of plastic with flexible pins. 

2. Chosen color

In the mood for a drastic change? Going from jet black to platinum blonde to try to cope with a life crisis? Been there! But not exactly what your hair is waiting for... A drastic color change can damage your hair and cause terrible breakage, which WILL lead to you needing to chop off a big chunk of your hair. Stripping and bleaching hair is especially bad because it will always dry out your hair. So keep in mind to opt for subtle hair changes, work with highlights and lowlights or colors that are two shades lighter or darker than your current hair color. This might be a slow process to get to the color you want but it will limit any possible damage. 

3. Type of hair dye

There are natural and artificial kinds of hair dye. The artificial ones, think of L'oréal and Garnier, will damage your hair more than the natural ones. Many of the permanent and semi-permanent hair dyes that are available at the drugstore contain ammonia, which is known to dry out and damage hair. 

More and more hair salons have been working with ammonia free and natural dyeing products, so that is a plus!  

Plant base hair dyes are considered permanent to semi-permanent, depending on a person's hair type. The most famous example of a natural type of hair dye is Henna. This plant can be used to achieve orange, red and auburn hair colors, depending of which ingredients you mix it with. 

Another natural hair dye is Indigo, which creates brown and black colors in the hair. 

These natural hair dyes often provide more shine and a longer lasting result, but after using a natural hair dye on your hair, you won't be able to use artificial hair dye (for example bleach) until your hair has grown out. Your hair will literally break off when you do (plenty of horror stories on the internet!). So keep that in mind! 

4. Repair & rest

When you did take the plunge and changed your hair color you will most likely love it or absolutely hate it and want to get rid of it immediately!!! First of all: DO NOT PANIC! The worst thing you can do right now is run to your local drugstore and buy 10 boxes of hair dye and hope at least one of them will work. Using a different kind of hair dye on your freshly dyed hair will 100% for certain damage your locks. Wait at least 14 days to use another hair dye on your hair, just sit it out and use plenty of nutritious masks and hot oil treatments. In a couple of weeks, months or years, depending of your sense of humor and amount of self-mockery, you will laugh about this awkward orange or blue phase, while combing through your shiny locks.

Hope you enjoyed this article and will keep these tips in mind! 

x x x