Top colourists and radiance-enhancing products that received the BAZAAR seal of approval.
Top colourists and radiance-enhancing products that received the BAZAAR seal of approval.
There was a time when colouring your hair either meant covering greys or opting for stark highlights. As techniques and technology improved over the years, new trends have emerged, including dip-dye, ombre and balayage, which give added dimension while remaining low maintenance. And with social media phenomena Kim Kardashian and Kylie Jenner paving the way, going platinum blonde or even donning kaleidoscopic hair colours have become the norm. At the same time, improved product performance also means it’s now easier to condition and preserve the intensity of your hair colour. It’s crucial to invest time in the upkeep of your locks as heat styling and UV exposure are the top reasons why hair colour fades and becomes dull. Be sure to stick to your post-colour care regimen for at least two weeks before alternating with your regular shampoo. This gives your hair colour enough time to stablise so it becomes less prone to fading.
AT THE SALON
Best Colour Service
FDP Contemporary Balayage, from $230, FDP Prestige Hair Care
Everything at FDP Prestige Hair Care will make you feel instantly at ease, thanks to its warm and inviting ambience. Angeline Tan, Creative Artistic Director, carefully selected a blend of pink, lavender, mint and blonde to match our reviewer’s hair colour. The result? The mélange of hues not only accentuated her curls but also helped make her skin tone look brighter. Visit facebook.com/FranzdeParis
Best Colour Customisation
Creative Colour: Melted Balayage, from $300, Chez Vous
Customisation at its finest, the hair directors who attended to our reviewer took into consideration her admittedly unmanageable hair (brassy colour, coarse texture), skin tone and lifestyle; and recommended a trim before deciding on a brown base colour with ashy highlights in a balayage technique. The great service and super useful aftercare and styling tips are a plus. Visit chezvoushair.com
Best Blonde
The Ultimate Colour, from $420, PREP Luxe
Before you think of jumping on the bandwagon, it’s vital to understand that a good bleaching job is all about control. A good colourist should be able to achieve your desired results while keeping scalp irritation and hair damage to a minimum, which is exactly what Den Ng, Director of PREP Luxe, delivered. Our reviewer’s locks went from dark brown to platinum in just one session without any hair breakage nor scalp damage. Visit prepyourhair.com
AT-HOME TREATS
Best Colour Protector
MINU Hair Serum, $34 for 150ml, Davines
This leave-in serum is enriched with polyphenols to help guard against colour fading, and amino acids to strengthen hair structure.
Best Conditioner for Blonde Coloured Hair
Blonde Idol Custom- Tone Adjustable Color- Depositing Daily Treatment, $32 for 196ml, Redken
Designed to cut brassiness from dyed tresses, this releases a customisable blend of colour-correcting and conditioning formulas, so your hair remains vibrant and soft between salon appointments.
Best Organic Conditioner for Coloured Hair
Nurturing Rose Conditioner, $28 for 200ml, Neal’s Yard Remedies
Packed with extracts of maple, rose, calendula, olive and coconut, this deeply replenishes dry and rough ends, and also restores shine to lacklustre locks.
Best Shampoo for Coloured Hair
Flowdia Melty Down Shampoo, $45 for 250ml, Demi
Free of alcohol and silicones that can strip hair of its colour, this lightweight shampoo is also formulated with vitamins and antioxidants to fend off free radicals and preserve colour intensity.
Best Sun Protection
Essence Absolue Oil, $92 for 150ml, Shu Uemura Art of Hair
Concentrated in camellia essence, it is easily absorbed to revive dry, damaged and colour-treated hair. This multi-use oil not only shields against UV rays, it also tames frizz and conditions the hair and scalp.
Best Organic Shampoo for Coloured Hair
Golden Rose Color Care Shampoo, $44 for 400ml, O’Right
Organic foaming agents cleanse hair gently while its plant-based ingredients keep hair radiant, shiny and resilient.
Your hair needs UV protection too. Exposure to UVA rays leads to the degradation of colour pigments while UVB rays weaken hair by causing hair proteins to seep out from the hair shaft.
