Hair: 15 new hair-raising ideas

Test plant neo-coloration

Even though it has been around for many years, the formulators have never stopped improving it and, this time, we are finally reaching the goal! Namely a result that is no longer random and even borders on tailor-made. And if this vegetable coloring does not make it possible to lighten or completely cover white hair (we "shade" it by coating it, and that's already a lot), it's all over with approximate mixtures, shades that change after a few days and unwanted red reflections. "Vegetable coloring is becoming glamorous," laughs Christophe-Nicolas Biot, one of the pioneers in the field. The only fault that we can still find in it is the duration of the operation: a minimum of two hours for professionals and one to three hours at home. But it's worth having a little patience!

To read also: At each age its coloring

In the living room

Unpublished at L'Oréal Professionnel, the technique is based on three plants that the colorist will mix to create a unique result, from light blond to dark brown. Patrick Canivet, Technical Director of L'Oréal Professionnel, explains: "While the ingredients are not new – henna, cassia, indigo – what is is to be able to certify an always identical concentration of pigments and the absence metallic salts, devastating for the fiber. In addition, we have combined vegetable powders with coconut oil to make them less volatile and facilitate mixing and rinsing. With, as a bonus, a shine effect on the hair. » Botanea, from €49. Proof of the craze for vegetable coloring, the brand Biocoiff ', a specialist for ten years, is opening its fifth Parisian address. From €100. Also try the three new shades (dark ash, golden wheat and sable bond) from Atelier BioT for tone-on-tone reflections. Botanic Color by BioT, from €70.

At home

There too, it moves. The kits are more accessible, simpler, with mixtures dosed according to the desired shade, even if it will be less personal than in the salon. If you follow the recommendations, especially regarding the quantities and temperature of the water, you will not be disappointed.

Colors Herbalia, Garnier, 10 shades. €12.90.

Vegetable coloring, Aroma-Zone, 8 shades. 6.90€.

Rejuvenate your scalp

This is where it all happens: the hair follicles produce the hair there. But it is, like any other part of the body (or even more so), subject to aging. “Scalp cell renewal is the fastest: it's an ultra-sensitive area,” explains Patrick Canivet. However, the skull is subject to combing and chemical attacks of all kinds. Not to mention that "our recent studies have demonstrated a real impact of sun exposure on the aging of the scalp", says Antoine Duhamel, director of the Ducray brand. Admittedly, it is partly protected from UV by the hair, but mainly when it is dark and thick, and not at all when it is white (it is the melanin which acts as a sunscreen). Conclusion: in summer, nothing replaces the hat. And, all year round, we include in our routine treatments reserved for the scalp to soothe, protect or stimulate it. Like the face...

Read also: What care for my hair

The presence of vitamin B5 restores the protective barrier of sensitized scalps. Scalp Genesis, Soothing Serum, BC Bonacure, Schwarzkopf Professional, €26 for 100ml.

Thanks to a mixture of Ayurvedic herbs, the scalp is reboosted and stimulated by the massage performed during the application. Invati Advanced, Scalp Conditioner, Aveda, €65 for 150ml.

In the event of a temporary hair loss, B vitamins and creatine stimulate growth and improve density. Creastim, Hair Lotion, Ducray, €39 for 30ml.

Gently massaged three times a week on a dry or damp scalp, it restores strength and shape to the hair. Phytodensia, Plumping Serum, Phyto, €39 for 30ml.

Customize your mask

Tailored

We adopt the "multimasking" as for the face, and we combine the formulas (detox charcoal, purifying clay, nutritious vegetable oils) on the scalp, the lengths and the ends, according to our needs.

The Circle Chronicles (5 formulas), Davines, €9.90 for 50 ml.

Long duration

Ultra-concentrated in royal jelly to restructure the fiber, they can only be used once every three shampoos, after the conditioner. A promise of intense and lasting repair, thanks to a sheathing resurfacing polymer, capable of trapping beneficial active ingredients.

Royal Jelly Repair, Dessange Professional Competence, €13.70 for 4 single doses of 15 ml.

Effortlessly

Great for saving time! Before going to bed, apply a nut of this night care on dry hair and spread over the lengths. You don't even have to rinse the next morning! Regenerated during the hours of sleep, the hair is silky, disciplined, easy to comb. As a bonus, the gelled texture leaves no residue on the pillow!

Night Hair Mask, Blue Lotus Peony, Massato, €24.50 for 150 ml.

Dare the spring barrettes

Views on the spring-summer fashion shows: the bar to be fixed above the ear, on one side only in a sober version or on each side of the head in a rather bling-bling style.

Parade style. Enamel flower, Biguine, €12.

To dare everything. Barrette in gold metal, Claire's, €3.50.

Do any of the linguists on here know how to write a squib? After some googling, I found that the Wikipedia/dictiona… https://t.co/bQNmv6XUmS

— Penélope Stuart Mon Dec 14 06:01:34 +0000 2020

To be multiplied on one side. Metal wick holder, Franck Povost, €3.60 for 16.

Read also: 12 pro tips to boost your hairstyle

Adopt express scan

Let the one who has never given up on a sweep to avoid spending three hours at the hairdresser raise her finger... And immediately schedule an appointment for this unprecedented technique which lightens (up to six tones, anyway) in less than Fourty-five minutes ! Explanation: the colorist applies a mixture of oxidants and protective cream to about ten locks (never more than fifteen) pre-selected and slipped between two sheets of professional aluminum. Then, without pause time, he applies a specific smoothing plate to each one. The more passages there are (thirty seconds maximum), the more blond it is: it is the gentle heat (140°C) that activates the lightening. Of course, we do not try at home! Instant Highlights, at L'Oréal Professionnel hairdressers, €45. Flash Lift Express Blonde, at Redken hairdressers, from €35.

Dreaming about the end of white hair?

When you don't accept them, it's hard to imagine any solution other than coloring. But there may be another option and some brands are now looking into the matter. Like Phyto, with this brand new treatment for daily use. Its formula contains a peptide that boosts the production of melanin while reducing the production of hydrogen peroxide, the depigmenting enemy. Two truly innovative anticanities effects that allow white hair to grow back colored. The promise: get 30% less gray hair. To follow closely!

Phyto RE30, Anti-White Hair Treatment, Phyto, €49 for 50ml.

Read also: White hair: 15 stars who proudly wear them

Revisiting embossing

Gone is the 80s vibe! "This season, we just emboss a few strands around the face to give it relief, without running the device over the entire length of the hair, but on small areas", advises Delphine Courteille, L'Oréal Professionnel hairstylist. Here are two more stylish ideas.

Smooth…

Her hair, tie it in a ponytail, crimp a few small locks below the elastic.

Emboss…

At the roots (it gives volume to those that lack it) and on the lengths, then texturize the hair with a salt water spray for a wavy effect. The ideal? Use an embossing iron with optimum temperature and wide plates.

Contour Embossing Iron, GHD, €149.

Read also: Hairstyle tutorial: 3 ways to crimp your hair

Revise your routine

Spacing out shampoos is often the dream of those whose hair grows greasy too quickly. To mechanically regulate excess sebum, follow the advice of Olivier Lebrun, creator of the Olab salon.

Brush them morning and evening

This not only removes dust and pollution residues (which particularly attack fine hair), but also transfers sebum to the ends, which need it, far from the roots, which it suffocates.

Every other day, replace the shampoo with a rinse

with clean water in the shower. We will still have the impression that the hair is cleaner, without intimating the order to the scalp to remanufacture sebum (which it "understands" when you shampoo it, because it excites the sebaceous glands). At this rate, “pH regulation takes place in four to six weeks. Enough to then be satisfied with a wash every three days, ”promises the professional. Come on, let's get started!

Wash a la carte

Classic shampoo, co-wash, dry, solid… we vary the pleasures. But we favor formulas without sulfates, less detergent, especially if we wash our hair often (and if they are colored). In troubleshooting, if time is short, we are interested in the two-in-one formulas of co-washes, treatments in which washing agents are integrated, or dry shampoos, provided you do it well. “Spray 15 centimeters from the roots, then brush upside down, blowing cold air from the dryer to remove excess powder,” recalls Olivier Lebrun. As for solid shampoos, they are perfect when travelling: no risk of leaking or being confiscated at the airport. Provided, again, to use them well. We never rub directly on the hair, but we lather between the hands before applying them to the scalp.

Based on vegetable charcoal, this shampoo frees the fiber of anything that weighs it down and dulls it. Sulfate free. Go Detox, Jean Louis David, €14 for 250ml.

Enriched with argan oil, it makes hair stronger, reduces frizz and preserves color. Sulfate free. True Soft Shampoo, Maria Nila, €27 for 350ml.

Two anti-free radical marine extracts in a shampoo for damaged hair. Sulfate free. Beology, Repairing Shampoo, Schwarzkopf, €7.99 for 400ml.

To eliminate excess sebum in an emergency, but also indelicate odors. A real troubleshooting reflex. Green tea dry shampoo, Sephora, €5.95 for 75ml.

Also read: 6 dry shampoos tested for you

Aloe vera, natural glycerin and castor oil make this artisanal bread a comfortable formula for washing hair and body. Solid Shampoo, Moisturizing, Christophe Robin, 16€.

Fresh orange and andiroba oils fill unruly hair that needs hydration. Solid Shampoo, Braziliant, Lush, €9.50.

Investing in the hair dryer of the future?

Last year, with its new model, Dyson breathed a breath of fresh air into the dryer market. By its design, but also its high-performance technological approach: temperature control, controlled and increased air flow. And especially miniaturized motor, integrated in the handle of the device and not in the head, for more maneuverability and lightness. Drying your hair faster, without traumatizing it, without effort and without noise: a real difference, especially for those who use it daily... but at a very high price. Today, the competition is mobilizing. Hopefully these technologies will one day become more accessible to everyone.

Continuous control to the nearest degree of temperature limits damage to a wet fiber. Supersonic, Dyson, €399.

Three temperature settings (125°C maximum), two speed settings, a continuous flow blower for more natural styling and an anti-frizz ion generator. Air 3D, Remington, €199.99.

Free yourself from brushing

Or at least have an alternative solution when the lazy wins us! By adopting, for example, a new generation styling brush. It is positioned under the wick, spikes in the air, to smooth and shape. Easy and fast.

A classic attachment for drying and two heads for curling or brushing. Blow-drying and auto-curler brush, Philips, €69.90.

Easy to slip into the toilet bag, to go on a trip. Hot Smoothing Brush, Style Up, Babyliss, €24.90.

Its constant and adjustable heat smoothes even curly and frizzy hair. Smoothing brush, Power Straight, Calor, €49.99.

Read also: How to achieve the dynamic brushing of the Vanessa Seward fashion show

Finally assume the curly square

Very seventies, it has won over many designers this season. Carven, Armani (photo), Lacoste, YSL, Hermès… all paraded girls whose big wild curls barely brushed their shoulders. An assumed natural "that we do not hesitate to rework with a curling iron to increase the bounce tenfold", advises Delphine Courteille.

Try the very short

The Mia Farrow-style pixie cut made a big impact on the Spring/Summer runways. Seen at De la Renta (photo), Prada or Calvin Klein, it charms with its subtle femininity. And, by clearing the carriage of the head, it ensures a flattering look. “To be adopted with hair that is neither too fine nor too thick, and on a face with prominent cheekbones”, advises Delphine Courteille. Knowing that it requires a regular visit to the hairdresser.

Respect the planet

We are not the climato-skeptic type, so we think of the little green reflexes. Choosing recycled and/or recyclable bottles, favoring biodegradable formulas and brands whose plant supplies are controlled and which respect the environment, is already a good thing. Another gesture: come and refill your shampoo bottle directly at the salon. Essential source, L'Oréal Professionnel. And, when you can't do without lacquer, you opt for compressed aerosols which diffuse less propellant gas (30%) and less solvents (60%), for as many uses .

Ultra Lacquer, Professional Lacquer, Franck Provost, €3.95 for 150ml.

Dive into luxury

Spend more than 10 € for a shampoo? We would have laughed fifteen years ago. But obviously, today, some are ready to go even further. “After much hesitation, market developments – very strong growth in serums, masks, and hair oils – and women's growing concern for their hair have finally convinced us,” says Olivia Bordeaux-Groult, Hair Marketing Manager Ritual by Sisley. More specialized formulas, more difficult to develop, with more "noble" ingredients and ultra-sensory galenics (texture and fragrance), the offer is there. To discover… or not!

It gently cleanses, but also provides a full supply of vitamins (B5, B6) and minerals beneficial to the vitality of the scalp and lengths. Volumizing Revitalizing Cleansing Care, Hair Rituel by Sisley, €60 for 200ml.

This featherweight mist with a bewitching neroli scent is nevertheless loaded with natural ingredients that make hair shiny and silky. Use after shampooing on dry or damp hair. Sublime gentle care mist, Philip B., €48 for 150ml.

Created by the catwalk star colourist, this ultra-gentle formula, rich in surfactants of natural origin, washes fine colored hair without damaging it. ShP1 shampoo, L'Atelier Blanc, Frédéric Mennetrier, €31 for 250ml.

Read also: 50 trendy hairstyles in 2018