Forget about the clichés like Annie, Ronald and teenage LiLo – the hottest of celebs are going red, including Megan Fox, Dianna Agron and Rachel McAdams.
If you’re thinking about a change this spring, red is the way to go. But before you take the leap, consider the below DO’S & DON’TS OF GOING RED with tips and product recos from Celebrity Stylist & Matrix Artistic Director, Ammon Carver.
DO: CONSIDER YOUR SKIN TONE
AMMON’S ADVICE: “I go by a basic rule of thumb with red selection: if you have olive undertones in your skin, a cool red shade is going to look the best. If your skin has a pink undertone, then stick with warm, coppery reds. Either way, cool or warm, the reds should look natural and rich – never ‘punk’”.
PRODUCT RECOS:
L’Oréal Paris Féria Power Reds
If you’re looking to amp up your style without breaking the bank, go red in the comfort of your own home. Try the new red shades from L’Oréal Paris Féria Power Reds collection. For added vibrancy, the deep conditioning colour gel in Féria is amplified with a Power Red Color Booster which contains chromatic dyes added to the gel for an extra kick of bold red color. This powerful formula even works on dark bases for an intense red result.
Price: $9.99, Available at www.lorealparisusa.com and chain drug, food and mass market retailers
FOR WARM COPPER RED: R68 (Rich Auburn)
FOR COOLER RED: R37 (Deep Burgundy)
Matrix COLORINSIDER Precision Permanent Color
If going red means a serious color change for you, you may want to see a professional. The process, especially if going lighter, can strip the hair cuticle, so it’s important to make the change with a product that won’t damage hair. Ask your stylist for COLORINSIDER – an ammonia-free, permanent hair color that maximizes high-definition color results with minimum stress to the hair’s cuticle. The innovation comes from the delivery system – it uses oil, instead of ammonia, as the means to physically inject color straight into the hair’s core, which maximizes color impact while minimizing stress to hair, leaving you with vibrant, even shine and the perfect red hue. Visit Matrix.com for salon locations.
FOR WARM COPPER RED: 8GC (Golden Copper)
FOR COOL RED: 4RV (Red Violet)
DON’T: WASH YOUR INVESTMENT DOWN THE DRAIN
AMMON’S ADVICE: “Use cool water when washing your hair, skip days between washes and always, always, always use a color safe shampoo and conditioning system. This is most important with reds, as the key to rocking the shade is keeping it vibrant.”
PRODUCT RECOS:
L’Oréal Paris Advanced Haircare Color Vibrancy Nourishing Shampoo & Conditioner
This duo helps to instantly nourish color-treated hair and shield color from fading, leaving hair protected and color vibrant over time. You can experience up to 8 weeks of color vibrancy and nourishment.
Price: $4.99 each, Available at www.lorealparisusa.com and chain drug, food and mass market retailers
Alba Botanica® Hawaiian Colorific Plumeria Shampoo and Conditioner
Free of Parabens, Sodium Lauryl/Laureth Sulfate, Petrolatum, Artificial Colors and Phthalates
For a more natural approach, try Alba. Take a permanent vacation from the color-stripping sulfates and drying salts in ordinary shampoos and conditioners. This color preserving shampoo is packed with vitamin rich Plumeria, Pinneapple and Papaya, and the conditioner with Jojoba, Kukui and Macadamia to nourish over-processed or damaged hair cuticles.
Price: $10.50 each, available at natural food stores, Whole Foods Market and www.albabotanica.com
Oscar Blandi At-Home Salon Glaze
After every hair color service at the Oscar Blandi Salon, clients are treated to a shine enhancing, color-preserving glaze. This latest innovation reinvents the experience at home. When used weekly, this clear glaze prevents color fading and adds moisture, brightens natural & color treated hair and protects hair from heat damage.
Price: $27, Available at BlandiProducts.com and Ulta/Ulta.com
Drybar Detox Dry Shampoo
For spring, Drybar is launching their first product line exclusively at Sephora. The brands signature Detox dry shampoo absorbs the oils, adds body and lift to leave hair feeling fresh and clean. The Detox blends in well with any hair color leaving no residue like other dry shampoos.
Price: $20, available at Sephora and www.thedrybar.com
DO: CONSIDER THE COMMITMENT
AMMON’S ADVICE: “If your hair is dark, chances are you’ll need to lighten your hair before you color it, which can be a bit more damaging on your hair. Minimize the stress by using moisturizing, repairing and hydrating products. If your hair is light, you’ll likely need what is called a filler, a preliminary deposit of color on your hair that will enable it to hold the final red tone. By filling AND coloring your hair in one day, you are committing to keeping you hair red (or at least a darker shade) for a while, making regular touch-ups important, too”
PRODUCT RECOS:
MATRIX Total Results Color Care Miracle Treat 12™ Lotion Spray
Conditions like a lotion; sprays like a mist. Rich in antioxidant sunflower oil, it provides 12 instant benefits: protects color-treated hair, detangles, helps seal the hair from damage, helps prevent breakage, maximizes natural body, smoothes the cuticle, deeply conditions, helps strengthen hair, delivers instant silkiness, increases manageability, tames frizz and helps restore shine.
Price: $16, Visit Matrix.com for a salon locator
L’Oréal Paris Advanced Haircare Color Vibrancy Dual Protect Spray
A daily, dual-action leave-in spray that instantly nourishes and conditions color treated-hair and helps protect against styling tools.
Price: $6.99, Available at www.lorealparisusa.com and chain drug, food and mass market retailers
Oscar Blandi Pronto Colore Root Touch-Up & Highlighting Pen in Warm Reddish Brown
On average, hair grows 1/2″ per month, making it almost impossible to keep up with re-growth through regular color touch-ups. The Pronto Colore Pen is a groundbreaking solution for seamless color care. There is nothing else like this handy, at-home professional hair color to give your hair that freshly colored look in seconds.
Price: $23, Available at www.blandiproducts.com and www.Ulta.com
