If you’ve been stuck in lockdown, with maybe your salon shut down or you don’t feel safe heading there, doing your own coloring, letting split ends fray, wind and cold damaged, you’re probably a little panicked about people to see your ‘do again. Plus, bleaching/lightening is bandage dress of hair presentations: if you’re not in shape, you’re going to look a hot mess.
Short of time travel, how can fix your hair so that it doesn’t look like Cousin It’s or Kelly Bundy’s? Two lines, Kerastase and Olaplex, are the latest and greatest in distressed tress repair. So conveniently for all of your beauty needs and desires, Fragrance.com has the goods for your hair, too! I was happy to be hosted to experience it.
The Kerastase Blond Absolut collection has products for every kind of blond from dark to light and even bleached. Most of the products have ultra violet pigments, which work to neutralize yellow and orange tones that pop out after hair coloring oxidizes. You may have seen these type of products in many other ranges, but Kerastase is a true luxury line: their version is demonstrably superior. Many other brands are too blue or too pigmented, so that your hair ends up looking like a taupe colored wren. With Kerastase, the pigments are the right blend of violet and blue tones, in a correct proportion to not kill the blond, along with antioxidants and hyaluronic acid, which pulls moisture from the atmosphere to help hair from looking dyed and fried.
Bain Ultra Violet is one of the shampoos of the collection. Their instructions state to leave it in 2 minutes or until the neutralization is completed. It has a rich, elegant scent, both floral and a touch of tropical fruit, to my nose. I left it in for two minutes and was pleased with the results — even though I had started with that rusty water tint!
Cicaplasme hair primer is a thermal protectant, detangling serum and leave-in treatment: the instructions in English describe how to use it in styling, but the instructions in French also suggest leaving it in for the night. It has the same scent as the shampoo and comes out of a pump. It really helps give that cool blonde look and refreshes your color.
OLAPLEX is a line based on a patented ingredient that works to repair torn hair cuticle bonds. So, this is more than the traditional fix of applying oil on top of oil.
No. 4 Bond Maintenance shampoo is very, very rich, yet still has a bit of lather to it. It reminds me of a substantial honey bubble bath in consistency. The shampoo has a substantial tropical fruit scent. Ingredients include many fruit extracts and nut/seed oils. Even before using any conditioner, it helps with detangling.
No. 6 is a reparative treatment/styling cream/heat protectant up to 450 degrees. It’s said to be beloved by celebrities such as Drew Barrymore, Margot Robbie, Chrissy Teigen and Kim Kardashian. It was designed to be used every day. It has a lighter version of the shampoo’s scent, with the texture of a rich body cream. However, it absorbs into hair instantly, without weighing it down. I use an amount the size of a peanut, emulsify it in my hands and use it mid-shaft to the ends.
Luxe & Down-Home Cuisine/Culture/Travel/Style 