Aveeno Shampoo/Conditioner

I'm sure most of us are more familiar with Aveeno's skincare products.  Their hair products must be new since I don't recall ever seeing these around before.  Anyway, I've been using this for...about over a month now.  I was actually surprised when I saw this down the haircare aisle.  To start off, I loved the packaging.  It was earthy looking. yet slim and it looked simple and classy.  Something I can totally see being in a earthy themed washroom and looks great as a product accessory (pretty random, I know).  Moving on...I was absolutely excited to use this product for the first time.  Initially, I was slightly disappointed...I dispensed some product, and once I applied it, I didn't feel like it lathered very much.  Normally how I apply shampoo is I apply it to the roots/crown of my head, create a lather, and use that to work my way downwards and towards the ends of my hair.  With it not lathering as much as I hoped it would, it was hard to distribute the rest of the product all over.  At this point I'm thinking, okay, maybe my hair is exceptionally oily today, I'll give myself a second shampoo...there wasn't a difference in the amount of bubbles/foam it created.  (I quickly checked to ensure I wasn't just being blind incase the bottle indicated that it was a lather-free shampoo).  So first initial uses, it was hard to get it to lather, but I don't what has changed (maybe my hair is starting to get used to the product), its starting to create more lather and it actually feels like it cleans more (must be a psychological thing).

As for the conditioner, I had similar problems.  With other conditioners, after applying it to my ends, any product left over in my hands I run it through the roots.  Only problem, there was barely any I could transfer over to my roots.  It's started to work now, but I've decided after applying it to my ends and thoroughly massaging it in, I grab it (my hair is fairly long) and kind of gentle twist and squeeze excess product from my ends and work it through my hair.  Not a fan of just simply grabbing more conditioner since this is what usually runs out the fastest, so to avoid that I tried to make the most out of what I put on my ends.  

However, overall it does feel like it moisturizes my hair.  Hair feels clean, soft...I'm not particularly fond of how the product feels when it touches my hair, or more like how it works through my hair?  But it does do the job.  Not sure if it's because my hair routine has slightly changed, or if it was the product...but after I shower, I like to wrap my hair in a towel.  Followed by releasing the hair and dabbing it dry and then instantly blowing.. instead I've left my hair sit wrapped up for about a good 10 minutes (until 50%-60% of the moisture has been absorbed onto the towel), and my hair feels super soft after a blow-dry, and feels silky.  So I'm not sure if that's the product doing the work, or the fact I'm exposing less heat to my hair and blowing drying my hair at a more invulnerable stage.  Could be a combination.  Anyway, hope that helps those who has considered being this product or want to and haven't had a clue how it works.

Image courtesy of:  Aveeno

Coloring Your Hair

So I'm sure for those who have been to their local Sally's Beauty Supply store may be familar with the hair coloring aisle.  If you've never heard of this store, basically they sell professional beauty supplies that are catered to the public.  Normally when hairstylists at the salon use professional products, they have to go to specific beauty supply stores that require you to have a license, especially if you're purchasing hair color.

Now, I'm sure everyone is aware of the drugstore box colors from Loreal, Garnier, etc.  You've probably heard it before if you colored your hair, but do not use box dye.  It may be the cheaper alternative, but in the long run, it's eating away at your hair.  An ingredient often used in color box dye is henna or sometimes metallic dyes.  They tend to change the texture of your hair with overtime use.  The difference between box dye and professional color is that box dyes only coat the cuticle of the hair, so the outside, while professional color actually penetrates through the cuticle, into the cortex and the medulla.  This is why most of the time when it comes to lightening the hair/bleaching your hair in the salon after coloring at home (often using box dye), its extremely hard to remove.  It's like paint on a wall.  So that's a little bit of knowledge about hair, now onto the main point.

Now in box dyes they usually come with 2 things (sometimes 3, but I'll use the typical 2 items to avoid complicating things).  Pretty much what I'm showing above, a bottle of peroxide (much smaller than above and comes with an applicator) and a tube of color.  All you simply have to do is mix the two together, shake, and apply (peroxide is usually 20 volume so that it by default helps lift the color by 2 levels with never been colored hair/virgin hair).  Most of the time people have read the back for a little guide to see what color they will end up with after using the color, with the existing color they have already.  Now here is the trick...what if your hair has unevenness of color?  Say you colored it pitch black, and you had your roots growing in but you had a dark blonde color, and a few highlights here and there prior to the black, and now you want to go light?  That's where you start to complicate things.  To use these products, unless you're just simply depositing color (going light to dark), you could probably get away with the results.  However, hair color is pigment...so unless you remember your color principles from elementary, you're gambling with the results.  To get maximum results with these, you need some knowledge with hair coloring (and not just applying, actually mixing the mediums for the situation you're dealing with).

I've tried Color Brilliance before, and I wasn't too happy with the results.  I had chosen a 4N, so rather dark, almost a black?  I colored my sisters hair with it, and it gave me 2N instead of a 4N.  Rather than trying to achieve a natural dark black brown, I got an artificial looking black.  So I double checked the second time I used the color when I went back to the store, got the same one, thinking could have been a mistake on my part looking at the wrong color swatch.  Again, same problem occurred.  So I've learned that Color Brilliance turns out darker than the color it says it'll give.  So I turned to Wella since I've used this line in a salon I've worked at, except it was Color Perfect.  This one I have at home is Color Charm, and it works great.  This is all I've used on my sister's hair since, and I've lifted her hair from a 4N slowly to about a level 6 with copper tones without bleaching her hair.  Mind you I also tried Loreal highlight line (not sure of the name, but it allows extreme lift without bleaching, meant for virigin hair) prior to coloring her hair copper, and it turn out fine, however it may not work for everyone as the texture and porosity of each individual differs.

So if anyone is similar to me, hasn't gotten their hairstylist license yet, or has the knowledge about color hair and needs some suggestions where to get color/peroxide, I would highly recommend Wella Color Charm's from Sally's Beauty Supply.  

Link -- Sally's Beauty Supply http://www.sallybeauty.com/

Hair

Being a hairstylist apprentice (just need my license now), there is just too much I want to share. From hair care, to products, and even the tools! Like many other things, plenty left for me to learn still, but I want to take this opportunity to take what I've learnt to help you guys out. So be sure to check up and look foward tips, tricks, and advice on hair in the future. :)