While January should be the first month to kick off the exciting new year full of possibilities and adventures, really it's the month that you need to get through in order to get yourself back on track after a Christmas of indulgences and over-spending.
Whether you've started a new fitness regime or curbed your spending, it can be a dreary month, but now that it's over and you've hopefully saved up a bit of cash if you embarked on 'Dry January' it's time for a treat, and what better way to give yourself a boost than with a whole new hair-do?
It may seem a little shallow or frivolous, but a new hair cut is the perfect way to start afresh and give yourself a surge of confidence.
This week I popped into TONI&GUY on Clarendon Street to change things up a bit and I'm delighted with my results. My stylist Nadine always knows what will work and what won't, and it's great when you find someone whose judgement you can trust!
I knew I wanted to do something with the colour, while keeping as much length as possible, and I wanted a change, but nothing that was too out-there. Nadine suggested that we go a lot lighter with the ends and bring more blonde tones around my face, which was something I was sceptical about because I've always had dark hair, and even with my balyage, there was always darkness framing my face.
There may be rumours going around that balyage is over, that's it's time to move on to a new craze, but according to Nadine, it's still the most popular colour service they perform because it suits everyone. It can also be used as a way of contouring your features depending on where the highlights or lowlights are positioned so if you want to make your face seem longer or add definition, talk to your stylist and they might have some suggestions!
In terms of length, last year it was all about the long, shaggy bob - this season it's time to let them grow out, and healthy looking, shoulder length hair is what it's all about. I decided not to chop inches off, though I must say I was a bit tempted! Instead Nadine took as much as she needed to in order to keep my ends healthy and fresh.
I'm a fiend for over-using heat stylers and colouring my hair definitely doesn't help matters. Having only started to colour my hair in the last 12 months or so, I haven't really settled on a specific shampoo and conditioner combination that works for me - there are just so many out there! Because my hair tends to be quite dry at the ends, I need something that will repair, protect and nourish, without weighing down my roots and making the rest of my hair look greasy. While I was in TONI&GUY I asked for some advice on which products would work best for me, and I picked up some Kerastase shampoo and I've already noticed improvement in texture after just one week. I've also changed conditioner, I'm now using an Argan Oil of Morocco conditioner that smells incredible and feels great.
The products you use are so important and it's always very important to know exactly how much you actually need to use. For my shampoo, it's a 2 euro-sized blob, and if you make sure your hair is soaked through before lathering up, it spreads really well. For conditioner, it's about the same, focussing on the ends.
In terms of pre-styling, I use Pureology Colour Fanatic because it helps to prevent colour from fading, while also strengthening the hair fibre and reducing frizz. This is a product one of the girls in work recommended to me and I have loved it ever since. Hairdressers have even commented on how well my colour lasts between treatments and I'm putting it down to this little beauty. It comes in a spray form so I usually do about four squirts, focussing on my coloured ends.
After Colour Fanatic, I use Kerastase Ciment Thermique before going near any heat stylers. I find this product not only protects from damage, but it's great for toning down frizz and keeping my hair somewhat behaved, and since I've started using it I've had to crack out the GHD a lot less. When I first bought this I was told that the bottle should last a whole year, as you only need a 20 cent coin-sized blob.
