6 Hair How-To's with Aussies NEW Styling Products.

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Now that Summer is gone and we are into Fall, an easy way to quickly change up your style is to change up your hair. I'm not talking anything drastic like a cut or color, I am suggesting trying a new hairstyle, which can be achieved by using a few different, or new hair styling products. It's easier than you think, especially when Aussie celebrity stylist Sarah Potempa tells us how to create the most spot on styles for Fall - which incorporates Aussies six new styling products, for effortless beauty.

In addition to an Anti-Breakage Spray, Heat Protecting Shine Spray, Spray Gloss and Split-End Protector, Aussie’s newest collection includes an Anti-Frizz Cream and Smoothing Serum, both of which protect your style against frizz for up to 24 hours, so you don’t have to worry about touch-up’s while on the go.

Not only are the some of the products brand new, the look is updated too. I love the chic, stylish salon-look of the packaging, all in Aussie's signature purple.

 

Now, onto Sarah Potempa's hair how-to's.

Style: The Easy Breezy Braid, for a simple yet feminine style that takes seconds to create and keeps hair secured all day long.

  1. Brush hair from ends to roots to smooth out knots
  2. Spritz Aussie’s NEW Anti-Breakage Spray over damp hair to help prevent styling damage and keep it long and strong
  3. Separate hair into three even sections 
  4. Repeat pattern—right over middle, left over middle—to create a loose braid 
  5. Secure braid at the bottom with a clear elastic

Style: The Anti-Frizz Aussie Twist. It reates a boho chic look perfect for keeping your hair out of the way and frizz-free all day long.

  1. Wrap hair around a one-inch curling iron to create loose waves
  2. Apply Aussie’s NEW Anti-Frizz Cream to styled hair to control frizz for 24-hours
  3. Take top two sections of hair above the ears and wrap one over the other for the perfect summer twist
  4. Secure by criss-crossing two small bobby pins 

Style: The Straight Shine ‘Do will make a lasting impression on a night out with sleek, sexy strands.

  1. Shake the bottle and spritz Aussie’s NEW Heat Protecting Shine Spray on damp hair to help shield it from heat damage
  2. Follow the line up from your nose to create a perfect center part
  3. Loosely blow dry hair downward
  4. Separate hair into two-inch wide sections and flat iron down
  5. Turn wrist towards face for volume at the ends

Style: Soft Half-Moon Waves. If you’re already prepping your locks for the post-summer months, try this quick and easy fall trend that takes beachy waves to new heights.

  1. Allow hair to naturally dry
  2. Using the flat iron, create “c” shapes in alternating directions down one-inch sections of hair to create waves
  3. Once you have completed the waving, apply Aussie’s NEW Smoothing Serum to smooth down your style and protect against frizz for 24 hours

Style: The Perfectly Protected Blow Out. You’ll be the center of attention at holiday gatherings this picture-perfect smooth style.

  1. Massage Aussie’s NEW Split-End Protector throughout damp hair to help prevent split or damaged ends
  2. Loosely blow dry hair until it is 80 percent dry
  3. Separate hair into six medium-sized sections
  4. Using a boar bristle and nylon combination flat brush, blow dry each section parallel to the brush

Style: Shiny Locks with a Lift. For a look that lasts all day, so you won’t have to worry about touch-ups while you’re out celebrating a special occasion.

  1. Set your hair in large, two-inch Velcro rollers (over direct the roots for extra volume!) and blow dry
  2. Remove rollers and run your fingers through the style
  3. Spritz Aussie’s Spray Gloss for shine that won’t add that unwanted sticky feel

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Why I Will Never Color My Hair at Home Again.

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Why will I never color my hair at home again? For a quick answer, look at the pictures. Then read on for the whole story.

First, I must say that I have gone back and forth in deciding if I should write this post or not. I am all about pointing out the best in beauty, and luckily have had very few situations when a product just hasn't worked for me. Well, this hair color not only did not work for me, it basically ruined my hair and I thought that important enough to write about. The fact that I have reached out to the company through it's website on their contact form, an email to them, a phone call to their customer service phone number and publicists with no response, (except for we will get back to you, which was over 5 weeks ago) makes it even more evident that this post needs to be written.

I need to preface the story with the fact that I color my hair. I have been coloring my own hair at home for over 25 years. I consider myself an at-home pro, as I often help friends and family color their hair too. I have lightened hair color, darkened hair color, frosted hair, highlighted and low-lighted. I love to experiment. I have never, ever had a reaction to any hair coloring products, nor have I ever had a disastrous result. Sure, my hair might have been a little more gold or brassy, a bit lighter or darker than I expected, but nothing that I have never been able to fix or pull off until now.

This at-home hair coloring disaster started back on Labor Day weekend, as I was getting ready to go to New York Fashion week. My few grays needed to be covered and overall, my hair needed a bit of "toning down" as it was quite blonde from the Summer. Couture Colour had sent me their new hair color, LUXEBLEND Creme Hair Colour ($30) earlier in the season. I thought this was a perfect time to put it to the test. The publicists for the brand sent me the LUXEBLEND Creme Hair Colour in Light Golden Blonde. After looking over their website and seeing that it was actually the lightest color in their range, and the fact that I usually select a light or medium golden blonde shade when I color my hair, I thought I would be fine with the color selection.

photo credit: Sephora.com

I mixed the color, developer and their hair oil into a bowl. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary. I ignore any color that comes from mixing a hair color. They are never indicative of a result, so nothing set off any alarms.  I applied the color using the brush-on technique (which I am very familiar with) as described in the instructions, applying it for all-over color, as directed per the instructions in the box. I set my alarm for 30 minutes as I started to get some things ready for my upcoming trip to New York City. My husband came into my room at one point and mentioned something about my hair being very dark. I quickly glanced in the mirror and didn't pay any attention to it. Again, I have colored my hair for over 25 years, and I know that hair looks much darker when wet and during the coloring process than it actually is. After my alarm went off, I rinsed my hair in the sink, and used a bit of conditioner. I towel dried my hair. When I took off the towel and looked in the mirror, I wanted to cry. As I blew my hair dry, I did cry. In looking in the pictures above, you can see how dark my hair became. What you cannot see (as I pulled my bangs back because I thought maybe if I just got my bangs color-corrected, I would be okay) was that my bangs were orange. As in a pumpkin. The overall tone of the dark, dark brown hair was orange too.

Because I had this trip coming up and time was short, I decided to do nothing. It looked beyond my expertise and knew I would just have to make an appointment with the salon owner (of a very reputable local salon who cuts my hair) on Tuesday. Luckily, Oksana took me in that morning to try and color correct. She first lightened the shade.  It turned my hair bright orange. Not blonde. She was concerned.  She toned it down. She added on another lighter color, toned it and deep conditioned it, which I think she did 3 times during the process. She did another hair color process, where she painted on different colors to try and color correct all of the different and stubborn colors in my hair. She highlighted and low-lighted. I spent over seven hours at the salon and spent several hundred dollars. Finally, Oksana had to cut off some of my hair that was beginning to gum up as we went along and decided she needed to stop before damaging my hair even further.  You see the end result. My hair was a very white, almost gray color. It was awful. I was miserable.

I contacted the publicists. Being that the product was sent to me to test, I did not want to make a big deal out of it from the start. I thought, someone will get back to me right away and help me figure out what went wrong and make this right. I thought that they would want to know about my experience and learn from it. I wanted my questions answered. I never heard back. When I was pitched THREE TIMES about the product and asked if I could tell my readers that they would be selling on the Home Shopping Network (basically asking me for a free ad) I responded with, "did you get my previous email? I was told "Yes! I am sorry. We have forwarded it along and are checking into it.".  Like I said, I never heard back. That is when I contacted the company though the various ways I listed above, and still have heard nothing. From anyone.

Was the wrong color put in the box? Did I get a bad batch of color? Was there a problem in the formula itself?  A light golden blonde color should not color a hair that shade of brown. It never has on me and I honestly do not know what happened. I do not have answers. Because I do not know what happened and because of the subsequent damaged caused, I will never color my hair at home again.

I know many people do color their hair and home and I look forward to bringing you expert tips to help make this process as easy as possible, so that you may never have to endure the results I had. I thought about the average woman who colors her hair at home. She probably does not have the time or money to go to a salon, or even access to a fine salon. It then had me think that many of these same women probably would not have the extra several hundred dollars or time to go get color-corrected.  I never want any one of you to go through anything remotely as bad as this experience.

I need to thank those publicists from other hair color brands and brands that did come forward to me offering advice, help and free services to me (which I did not take) when they read about my hair disaster on twitter. They are true professional brand representatives and have great customer service, which Couture Colour obviously did not.

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Pre-Shampoo with Leonor Greyl Huile de Palme.

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I finally have succumbed to the pre-shampoo ritual. What is this you ask? Let me explain.

A pre-shampoo is a mask or oil that you apply prior to shampoo-ing. Some use them as an alternative to deep conditioning treatments by leaving it in for hours, but always prior to shampoo-ing, thus called a pre-shampoo. Some of these pre-shampoos are simply used on dry hair a few minutes before a shampoo as well. Using them either way is not wrong, it just depends on the actual product and the need of your hair. Also, either way will produce a better result than just shampoo-ing alone.

I could not be more thrilled with the results and am so happy to have found this amazing pre-shampoo treatment from Leonor Greyl called Huile de Palme.

This beauty will become a regular part of my hair-care routine. Why? This rich treatment with botanical oils smells divine and works to repair my hair. My color looks more vibrant. My hair is much more soft and manageable. The ends of my hair are not frayed all over the place. Huile de Palme is also a protectant. It almost seals in the oils (though you would not know it as hair it not weighed down after using and rinsing out) to protect it from the harsh effects of the sun and the rest of summer fun. Chlorine and salt water are no match for the formula as hair is protected while using.

All I use is about a dime sized amount on my dry hair for a few minutes before I get in the shower to shampoo. This is a product I would probably use once or twice a week depending on my hairs condition at the time. Someone with extremely dry and damaged hair might want to use it every other wash to keep hair in tip top shape.

Huile de Palme is definitely one pre-shampoo you will want to check out. Like I said, this pre-shampoo is now a part of my regular hair care routine. I can't wait to sit by the pool with it in my hair all day for an extra special treatment too. I hear all the lovely women of St. Tropez walk around with this in their hair while beaching it. That is pretty much all the testimonial I need.