*Envy Hair Studio- Organic Color Systems

 It's fair to say that most of us, have jumped in the deep end by giving ourselves a complete re-vamp, by switching up our hair colour and it's no wonder, when the media floods our intrigued eyes with luscious locks that dare us to be different! From Rihanna red to the ombre explosion, more and more of us are looking for a re-style but of course, it's not just our bank accounts that pay for it, it's our delicate tresses... Organic Color Systems is an innovative, nourishing hair colouring brand that delivers long lasting, high quality colour whilst looking after your hair in the process! 

So, how does it work? Each product, from the range, is specially formulated with minimum chemicals (no nasty ammonia or parabens!) and packed with organic certified ingredients; proven to improve the condition of your hair. Their natural reconstructing shampoos gently open the hair cuticles, so colour is more easily absorbed. The nourishing conditioners then, completely close the hair cuticles, locking in colour and restoring the hair to it's natural PH level. So, it appears, there really is a way to achieve long lasting, beautiful colour, without damaging your beloved locks!

I visited Envy Hair Studio, for an 'Organic Color Systems' deep conditioning treatment and was greeted with a warm welcome, from a team of happy and knowledgeable stylists, who were very informative and open to answer any questions I may have. The salon itself, oozed positive vibes and self expression; you can tell they genuinely care and look after their clients, as well as truly believing in their brand and the products. My lovely stylist, Rebecca (salon owner) began by completing the reliable 'stretch test' on my hair, to determine which products were needed, to restore my hair to it's best! The verdict? 'Power Build'.

Power Build includes the best natural ingredients, such as sunflower seed, lemon, apple and green tea extracts: proven to repair hair and replenish strength, as well as restoring shine and suppleness. The conditioner and deep treatment, not only enhances colour retention, but also contains essential protein and vitamin B5, to significantly restore damaged hair and split ends. Rebecca used the Power Build shampoo and conditioner, followed by 15 minutes of relaxation, whilst the organic Power Build treatment restored the quality of my hair from root to tips. It smells delicious and didn't feel sticky or heavy at all...I love the concept of using natural ingredients and strongly believe, the results are incomparable with products formulated from synthetic ingredients.

Surprisingly, unlike other brands I've tried, the treatment didn't weigh my hair down at all and I left the salon feeling confident with (what felt like) brand new locks, with a voluminous bounce and healthy shine! It's been a few days, since the experience, but my hair is still feeling softer and healthier than it's ever felt! It's safe to say, I fully trust Organic Color Systems products and would recommend them to anyone, who's looking to colour their hair, or simply after a nourishing treatment. Thank you Envy Hair Studio! 

TRESemme Botanique's Nourish & Replenish

When it comes to hair care products Aussie and I have always been inseparable but there comes a time when a beloved shampoo must be interchanged to prevent build up. I must admit I'm not great at following this rule and quite often find a lot of other brands don't appeal to me or don't benefit my hair in the way Aussie does. However, after stumbling across TRESemme's Botaniques range I was intrigued. The bottles instantly caught my eye with it's pro-natural appearance and the clearly stated 'silicone free' (a common nasty ingredient in many cosmetics) I love any product with minimal ingredients, free from synthetic chemicals and when the bulk of the product has been made with a natural substance, it's instantly appealing to me. In this case, the main ingredient is coconut milk/ oil and aloe vera (yum!) Coconut oil is renowned for it's wondrous beauty benefits, especially in the hair department. This little gem is famous for powerfully hydrating thirsty ends and taming frizzy locks into silky smooth tresses that you just can't help but run your fingers though; personally I don't think anything compares to it! The aloe vera is well known for it's health benefits as well as improving skin condition and promoting healing which is why it effortlessly moisturises the scalp, prevents dandruff and restores natural shine, what more could we want?!

The Nourish Replenish Shampoo is completely transparent and quite runny. At first I was a little disappointed as I thought it would affect the sud-factor. Well I couldn't have been more wrong! The shampoo lathered quickly producing zillions of bubbles which surrounded my senses with a coconut scent that wasn't sickly or overpowering. As I was massaging my roots I really felt like the product was cleansing my hair thoroughly, so much so I didn't feel the need to repeat. The Nourish Replenish Conditioner carried the same heavenly smell and a small amount coated my ends well and left plenty of 'slick'. I deliberately didn't apply any of my usual leave-in products, when I blow dried my hair because I wanted to see it's raw effects and the result certainly lived up to my high expectations. My hair wasn't weighed down at all, was shiny and smooth, felt hydrated and soft and even had a little bit of bounce.  As an added bonus, the lovely coconut scent lasted for days!

I would definitely recommend this combo to anyone looking to improve the condition of their hair, without using heavy/ thick products. I found after just a few uses the overall condition of my hair had improved and surprisingly my hair has been less greasy, it really does nourish and replenish!

Neeks ☯

The Hair Chronicle #2- Growing Long Healthy Hair

Aloha!

So clicking upon this post you're probably thinking something along the lines of.. *hair?!* *grow?!* *LONG?!*. Yes this IS what I'm going to be talking about but let's be realistic here.. I hate to break it to you but there is no magic potion that will give you long locks over night (trust me I've tried it all) but there ARE things you can do to encourage hair growth with these simple steps. Remember, I have naturally fine, straight hair that has never been permanently dyed and the below is just what I find works for me and my hair type :) There is a lot of information on this that i could write but I'll try and keep it brief and stick to the point! 

No 1. Bite The Bullet

The first thing you have to do is pluck up the courage to have a good chop! I know, the thought terrifies me too, but it has to be done if you want long, but most importantly, healthy hair. Saying ta'ra to those dead ends will be the best thing you'll ever say bye to because although some products claim to 'fix' split ends, the results are always temporary and the only real way to get rid of them is to cut them off! Otherwise they'll travel up the hair strands, leaving you with thin ratty ends, and we all know that's not a good look. I must admit I'm terrible at getting regular hair cuts but, I myself, trim the ends of my hair every couple of months, bare in mind, if your hair is more damaged, you may need to approach this step twice.

No 2. Have a Balanced Diet

Eat plenty of fruits/ veg and drink lots of water. Healthy hair and growth comes from within so although it's important to look after your hair on the outside, it's just as important to look after yourself from the inside. You can buy supplements but, in my experience, I've not found a supplement that makes a noticeable difference (if you know of any please lemme know!) Remember hair is made from protein and if you lack this in your diet your hair is likely to become brittle so eggs, nuts and red meat will help keep your hair strong! Not only that but iron is also essential for hair growth, as the hair follicle and root are fed by a nutrient rich blood supply so if you become deficient in iron it disrupts this supply and can lead to hair loss and even Anaemia. 

No 3. Stay Away From Heated Tools

I use my ghd's less than once a week, I know many people say they absolutely must straighten their hair every day but try and think of alternative hair styles, up do's, plaits, buns, top knots; the possibilities are endless and you may even discover a new fav hair style! Not only that, but your hair will seriously thank you for it in the long run! John Frieda 3 Day Straight is a great product for those of you that find it hard breaking away from the straighteners and if you are going to use heated tools be sure to use heat protection to prevent any damage; TRESemme Heat Defence is my current favorite, I can't fault it at all, it gets the job done yet doesn't weigh my hair down! Perfect. 

No 4. Give Your Hair Some TLC 

Try and avoid shampoos and conditioners with harsh chemicals and parabens in them, these can have an adverse effect and cause your hair to dry out. Instead use a mild shampoo with an ultra moisturising conditioner. I find Aussie and Garnier Ultimate Blends are the best affordable brands at the moment but use whatever works for you! Try and limit how often you wash your hair, and when you do, shampoo the roots and condition the ends; washing the ends can cause dryness and conditioning the roots can cause greasyness! I usually try and leave the conditioner in for as long as possible before rinsing it out and twice a week I'll give my hair a deep treatment, usually with trusty old coconut oil, it deeply moisturises the hair shaft and restores shine and elasticity. Moreover it's cheap as chips, you can buy it almost anywhere and it will leave your hair feeling soft and smelling gorgeous! It's also good for massaging, this will encourage blood flow to the scalp and stimulate the hair follicles thus encouraging hair growth. 

 Another thing to be careful of is brushing, especially when your hair is wet! When hair gets wet it's weaker than usual so rather than brushing it, spray the ends of your hair with a leave in conditioner and gently use a wide tooth comb to untangle it; remember to begin at the ends and work your way up, this will avoid creating more knots and breakage! 

More on TLC in The Hair Chronical #1 My Current Hair Routine.

No. 5: Time 

Nothing will make your hair grow faster than time itself and to begin with you may feel like you're not getting anywhere, but don't be disheartened, I felt the same. Bare in mind that the average hair growth time is around half an inch a month but the above steps can increase that. Also bare in mind that, based on genetics, your hair has a natural stopping length which means that no matter what you do, it will not grow passed a certain point. For some people it's bra strap length, for others it continues growing until they can sit on it! Find out what your natural stopping length is and when you get to it, have a trim to maintain it's healthiness. 

So I hope that some of you have found this useful, there is much more to talk about on the subject of hair, find out in my next hair post, 'The Hair Chronical #3'

Do you have any tips on hair growth?

Neeks x

Side Blog Gossip

Aloha!

So at the moment, I am juggling working part time, having a fun social life, trying to squeeze in my family, writing to you guys and most of all... studying hair and make-up design at Southampton Solent Uni. May not sound like a lot to some, but trust me, there just isn't enough hours in the day! (especially as I like to have long lay ins)

 As part of my degree, we have to document our lessons and out of lesson work on blogs (1 for hair and 1 for make-up) I'm keeping justneeks how it is, with little life up-dates, reviews and some tutorials but will be putting a lot more 'technical stuff' on my uni blogs. Like, how to apply foundation properly, how to contour and highlight and will also be posting project ideas and inspo. Odd bits and pieces will be transferred onto here but overall it will be kept separate  So if anyone is interested in that here are the links below...

Neeks Uni Diary (Make-Up)

Neeks Uni Diary (Hair)

So I hope you go and have a little read, would love it if you guys could join me in my all things wonderful hair and make-up uni journey!

Neeks x