Blue tips – The colour of water and sky is super summer friendly. Bring out your inner mermaid with blue tips just on the ends and add waves for emphasis.

Pale peach – There are so many tones of peach, from rose, to copper, to gold. Surely you’ll pick a peach that compliments your complexion. In addition to different placements of the shade, there are also tons of variations on it, from the lightest pastel sorbet to natural looking strawberry blond or even ginger.

Pink – As a highlight or an all-over hue, get a flattering shade of pink. With pink hairstyles, you need to consider the shade of you skin. Tan to dark skins are the luckiest because any shade looks amazing on them. Women who have lighter complexions tend to look stunning in bright or pastel shades.

Copper ribbons – Brunettes can have a change and shine on with shimmery copper highlights. Copper highlights make for the perfect transitional style which just so happens to look pretty fantastic all hair colours. Keep hair healthy while getting your glow on by placing this tone creatively on select strands.

Face framing hues – Play it safe but still look chic with face framing highlights. Face framing highlights are a colouring technique that brings out your most attractive features.

With hairstyle trends nothing is ever really out. There are looks that naturally come and go, especially when it comes to hair colour. With the rise of at home hair styling this year, there’s no time like the present to reinvent yourself.

The post Summer Hair Colour Ideas appeared first on The Hair Diaries.

Effects Of The Summer Sun On Your Hair

• The UV rays can penetrate the hair cuticles, causing damage like dryness, brittleness and weathering.
• The heat from summer sun can turn your hair lifeless and limp.
• Summer can be harsh on your scalp, causing dryness and sunburn.

How To Protect Hair In Summer

1. Avoid Too Many Cosmetics – Coloured hair can show significant changes from the effects of heat. Make sure you use less chemical hair treatments during this period. If you want to colour your hair for summer, try and do it a month or two before the sun hits hard.
2. Use Conditioner – While the sun is drying out your hair, make sure you help restore some moisture and life to it by using a rinse out conditioner.
3. Shampoo With Care – Too much shampoo can dry up your scalp and hair even more. Use a mild shampoo that is especially good for summers. Using regular shampoo after swimming can help reduce hair damage from the chlorinated water.
4. Use Sun Protection – You can use a leave-in conditioner with SPF. If you’re in the sun often, use hair products that contain a good amount of SPF.

Simple DIY Hair Care Masks

1. Egg And Mayo Mask – Used to care for dry and damaged hair. Egg and mayo contain protein that is needed for healthy hair. The protein in these ingredients can help replenish hair strands.
2. Deep Conditioning Masks – Brings back moisture and shine. Olive oil can help condition your hair and reduce hair loss and damage. You can use mayonnaise, olive oil and egg yolks to make a hair mask.

Home Remedies To Repair Sun Damage To Hair

1. Aloe Vera – Helps reduce hair loss and stimulate hair growth. It protects the hair from radical damage and UV rays.
2. Honey And Olive Oil – Excellent emollients. They hydrate dry hair and make it healthy.
3. Yogurt – Nourishes your hair and repairs hair damage. One of the simplest home remedies to repair damaged hair.

It is important to avoid over exposure to the sun and take measures to protect your hair while outdoors. Sun damage to hair can be a little difficult to reverse, but it’s not impossible. Use the right remedy for sun damaged hair that suits you, and you will see results eventually.

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Hairstyles :

Double Dutch Braids – Music festival hairstyles are popular and this style is perfect by staying put while dancing during dry, hot and dusty conditions. Above all, looks stylish and can even be created in a triple or quadruple variation. If you sleep with the braids isn you’ll have beautiful heatless boho waves for the next day.

Double Bubble Pigtails – The most popular hairstyle worn, this look is really fun and interesting. It’s the perfect way to get your hair off your neck in the summer heat. You can style it differently by adding different pom poms or scrunchies.

Space Buns – Space buns are the perfect way to add a little carefree fun into your style. There are different styles for short hair and long hair to do this style. There’s the 90’s Space Buns that has come back into trend, low space buns and braided or classic half-up half-down space buns.

Hair Rings – Music festivals are the perfect place to go nuts with hair hair accessories. Add hair rings to your braids for an edgy way to spice up your look. Theres no better place to experiment with glitter and hair jewellery. It doesn’t have to be expensive and it can always be homemade, starting your own style could make it even better.

Some trends are more difficult to achieve than others. However, there’s a different look for everyone and great styles to experiment with. Fabulous hair is nothing short of a necessary accessory at festivals, and styles range from classic to wild – and is the best experience.

The post Festival Hairstyles appeared first on The Hair Diaries.

In short, here are a few shampoo brands for different hair types :

Shampoo Brand For Dry Hair : Moroccanoil Hydrating Shampoo – Colour safe, sulphate free and gentle for all hair leaving it soft. Dry hair is no joke, when left untreated it can potentially lead to damage and breakage.

Shampoo Brand For Dry Frizzy Hair : Frizz ease daily nourishment is formulated to fight frizz and change hair texture for the better. Frizz hair is beautiful, buy using a correct shampoo can hydrate the hair.

Best Shampoo Brand For Blondes : Olaplex – Bond Maintenance Shampoo, bond repairing treatment that brings life back to damaged bleached hair. Blonde hair is high maintenance, other than using purple shampoo to maintain the colour this shampoo will repair damaged hair.

Best Shampoo Brand For Fine Hair : Living Proof PhD Shampoo – Gentle enough to remove excess oil and dirt without weighing you down, leaving behind a shiny residue. Using a correct shampoo for fine hair will give you the volume boost you need.

The Shampoo Brand For Curly Hair : DevaCurl – It’s super hydrating and sulphate free washing away build up and excess oil without totally drying out your texture. Products that have moisture and frizz-reducing ingredients are essential for curly girls to achieve healthy curls.

Best Shampoo Brand For Oily Hair : Hair And Scalp Detox – healthy hair starts at the scalp and rebalances scalp oil.

It is also important to buy the matching shampoo and conditioner. As a result, shampoo is the first step in a quality hair-care routine. In other words, there’s one for every hair texture, style struggle, and scalp issue.

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Healthy, happy hair will be yours with the best shape, conditioner and treatments. Buying the best hair products that will work with your hair type can sometimes become expensive. Here are a few home remedies to try.

Hot Oils: Olive oil is one of the most popular home remedies for dry hair. You can also use coconut oil, castor oil and almond oil. All of these are rich in vitamin E and antioxidants and help to seal the outer hair layer or cuticle with moisture repairing the damage.

Using Good Hair Care Products Specific To Your Hair Type: More often than not the secret to a good hair day starts with the type of products you use. Try using gently, sulphate-free shampoos and hair conditioners.

Coconut oil – Has a soothing and moisturising effect when applied to the hair. People can prepare a simple hair mask by boiling curry leaves with coconut oil for 2-3 minutes and leaving it to rest in a cool place for a few days. When the mixture has cooled, it can be gently messaged into the hair and scalp with the fingertips and covered with a warm towel.

Home Remedies :

Using Egg And Mayonnaise-Based And Mixtures : Eggs and mayonnaise contain lots of protein, which helps to strength the hair and restore moisture brittle or very dry hair. There are different ways to to make this mixture and different ways to apply it.

Make Dietary Changes – Eating healthfully and including omega-3s and antioxidants to a diet can make hair look healthier and shinier. The following products are rich in those beneficial compounds. You can include them in their diet such as salmon, tuna, oysters, blueberries, tomatoes and walnuts.

Take Preventive Measures: making some lifestyle changes and taking preventive measures can help dry hair. Avoid overuse of hair styling products, such as curling iron and flat irons. Avoid excessive sun exposure, apply a weekly moisturising hair mask. Use cold or tepid water instead of hot water when washing hair.

Natural hair trends have moved from being a trend and fashionable to being the standard. Everyone wants healthy hair so it’s important to be using the right hair products.

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Here are some healthy hair habits you should practice :

Feed Your Hair – Healthy hair starts within, include healthy fruits and veggies in your diet and drink lots of water. Blending up a smoothie is an easy way to get your daily dose. This will give your hair follicles the nutrients needed to help your strands thrive.

Be Careful With Heat – Heat can often lead to damage and eventually won’t revert back to its natural state. Also too much improper use of heat on your hair can lead to dry, brittle dry, breakage and split ends. When using a heat tool use low or medium settings at most and use heat protection sprays or serums.

Use Fingertips When Cleansing – A dirty scalp full of buildup clogs pores and follicles and essentially slows down hair growth. When washing your hair using your finger nails to scratch your scalp can cause damage. Use your fingertips with a bit of pressure for a thorough cleanse.

Curly Hair – Curly hair needs lots of TLC. When getting the tangles out, start from the very ends, then slowly and gently work your way up to the roots to cut down on breakage. Continuing the process, applying product to your hair while it’s still damps the most effective way to retain moisture.

Get Regular Trims – Some may find this counteractive to growth, but trimming your hair gets rid of broken and split ends that could lead to more damage. A trim is always needed to give your hair a fresh look and will keep hair at its healthiest.

The health of your hair is more important than how short or long it is. If you want your hair to grow faster, focus on the health of your hair and before you even realise it, the length will come.

The post Healthy Hair appeared first on The Hair Diaries.

Whether you have curly or extremely thick hair, looking for the best quality flat iron or hair straightening brush. There are many factors to consider when buying a styling tool. Wanting the best can also cost a lot so you should always research before buying for something within your budget.

HSI PROFESSIONAL GLIDER The HSI professional glider is a popular choice of ceramic flat irons with a great amount of reviews. Other than being a reasonable price, the hair straightener smooths the most unruly texture and leaves hair looking professionally styled. The HSI professional glider comes with a mini argan oil leave-in hair treatment to boost your hair’s shine and softness, making sure you look after your hair.

REVLON ONE-STEP HAIR DRYER AND VOLUMIZER If you’re in a rush and don’t have time to straighten or style your hair, within 20 minutes, the Revlon One step dryer comes in handy. With having a brush and dryer in one makes styling easy and simple, the dryer works with any hair texture, giving it a look that has volume or straight depending on your hair type but leaves your hair looking great. It comes with two heat settings and one cool setting. The feedback of customers says the one-step dryer gives you salon results at home!

BABYLISS PRO NANO TITANIUM If you have thin or fine hair it may be too powerful for your needs. For those with rough, thick or curly hair will find the BaByliss flat iron is a miracle worker. The Pro Nano are one of the expensive straighteners but is reviewed as one of the best. The ionic titanium has wide titanium plates which are longer than normal , making them ideal for long, thick hair. Titanium is the best material for releasing negative ions, which helps reduce frizz and can repair previous damage.

GHD MAX STYLER The Max styler is a wide iron, meaning its perfect for those with thicker and curlier hair. This hair straightener wouldn’t be suggested if you’re after ones which can curl your hair too, but these are perfect for sleek styles and everyday hair straightening. The styles can bring smooth, high-shine styles to the thickest, longest, curliest hair with minimum of time and effort. The Ghd max steer is costly but has many good reviews.

For better results it is important to also have good hair products to apply on before or after. To refrain from having your hair static or dry, a serum or a spray should be used. For hair protection there are also many options you can pick from some prevent breakage, repair dry hair by making it look glossy and healthy, taming frizz or Ghd’s heat protect spray and you can find one that works best for your hair.

The post Hair Styling Tools appeared first on The Hair Diaries.

While women with straight hair think about how to make it wavier, women with curly hair are dreaming it silky straight. There are tricks you can try to straighten your hair without frying or burning your hair with heat

What to try :

1. Correct hair washing products

• You won’t get a good hair do without a good shampoo and conditioner.
• make sure you choose a product that contains Keratin, it is known for good straightening properties.
• Use a towel made of highly absorbent material to dry your hair. Dry your hair very gently with the towel to avoid hair damage, rub the towel along the length of your hair to remove excess moisture.

2. Comb your hair

• Round brushes shouldn’t be used because they’re made to curl the hair, especially the ends
• The correct brush to use is the wide tooth comb, its great for untangling hair. To brush your hair with the comb in he shower while the conditioner is in will also help the process.
• Let you hair dry naturally, comb every 5 minutes, part your hair in several sections and slightly pull each section so that your hair is straighten and doesn’t lose form.

3. Cosmetic Straightening

• Straightening creams and serums, these products from UV rays and damaging and overheating of the hair structure. The hair products should be applied along the length of your hair and left to dry.
• Sprays and smoothing oils, can be put on both wet and dry hair. Using hair masks on a regular basis will make your hair look silky and smooth. When hair is healthy on the inside it’s gorgeous in any style and hair masks are made to nourish and moisturise hair on its internal structure and outer.
• You can also use an Olive oil mask, which you make by heating 3 tablespoons of olive oil and applying it gently to your hair. Cover your hair with a plastic wrap for about 30 minutes.

Or :

4. Apple cider vinegar

• Apple cider vinegar can be used as a natural hair straightener
• mix 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar and one cup of water and put it in a spray bottle.
• Spray on your washed hair over the whole length, leave it on for a few minutes and then rinse with warm water.

5. Blow dry with cold air

• If you’re in a rush or simply don’t like waiting for your hair to dry, you can use a blow dryer but with the cold air setting.
• Make sure that your blow dryer is moving continuously from the root to tip, while keeping the dryer away from your hair while you dry it.

Or Try :

6. Plastic rollers

• The thought of using rollers to straighten your hair seems contradicting, but its a great way to help flatten your hair while you sleep.
• To work perfectly make sure you use large wide curlers and roll them very tightly so you straighten out all curls.
• Start by spraying the entire length of your hair with straightening spray.
• Make sure that your hair stays damp for the entire process for perfect results.
• Divide your damp hair into medium sections and roll the rollers into your hair before you go to bed. If you don’t want to sleep with it on, leave the rollers on for 4 hours before taking it out.
• Gently remove the rollers and brush your hair to make them look shiny and straight.

7. Hair wrapping

• Hair wrapping is one of the oldest and most reliable technique for no heat hair straightening.
• While there are different methods for different hair textures and lengths, the basics are the same.
• You’ll need long bobby pins as well as a scarf or turban to wrap your hair.
• Start by separating the top sections of your hair from the spot you part your hair, using a fine-toothed comb, comb the entire length of your hair flat.
• Hold your hair straight and tight and bring one section of your hair to the opposite side of your head from where it naturally falls and pin it tightly to the side of your head.
• You’ll repeat this method for each section of your hair, secure your hair with a turban or scarf before you sleep.

As well as :

8. The elastic method

• Start by combing out tangles from wet hair and apply frizz-free product.
• Put your hair in a ponytail low enough to avoid any pulling. Section the ponytail with additional hair ties in small increases of spaces.
• Make sure you use soft elastic hair ties to avoid breakage

9. Milk and Eggs

• Take 1 cup milk, 2 eggs and whip it slowly for a minute.
• Dip as much of your hair into the mix for 10-15 minutes.
• It’s going to be smelly, but squeeze out the mix from our hair and tie it in a bun.
• Cover your hair for an hour and wash with a milk shampoo for better result.

10. Hair products that can be bought

• Marc Anthony – bye bye frizz Blow Cream
• Marc Anthony – Bye Bye Frizz Keratin Smoothing Shampoo and conditioner
• Keratin Comples’s Infusion Keratin Replenisher
• Tresemme Keratin Smoothing Serum

Getting hair that looks straight, gorgeous and healthy doesn’t have to be mission impossible. While no two textures are exactly alike, experimenting with different ways to get your hair looking glossier and straighter can be a fun way of getting to know yourself better.

The post 10 ways help straighten your hair appeared first on The Hair Diaries.

What to look for when shopping?

You’re going to want to find a hairdryer with an adjustable heat and speed setting. An added plus is if the hair dryer comes with a cool shot button that can help close the cuticle of the hair and lock it in place, which preventing frizz once you’ve finished drying your hair. Make sure the different attachments fit your hair: they really make a difference in textures as they affect a hair dryer’s airflow.

Diffusers

Diffusers are ideal for those with curly hair as they move air to the ends of the hair while spreading the air-stream from the hairdryer to avoid frizz, which can add extra bounce and volume to your hair.

More on diffusing curly hair here

Concentrator nozzles

For different purposes, they come in different sizes:

• Broad, extended concentrator nozzles are for larger hair sections and are useful for thick, long hair as it drys faster.
• Thin, narrow concentrative nozzles provide a smooth blowout to curly and frizzy hair, as their strong flows are great to remove frizz.

Best Budget Hair Dryer

The Bennet Read 2600W Professional hair dryer is a powerful budget dryer. It comes with 2 speed settings, 3 heat settings and a cool shot function. Selling for only R509 on Takealot.

Best Value Hair Dryer

The Parlux 3000 1810W Hair Dryer is durable having a long life motor and impact resistance casing. It comes with 2 speed settings, 4 heat settings, instant cold shot button and 2 nozzles one for styling and one for quick drying. Selling for R1600 on Takealot.

Top Performing Parlux Hair Dryer

The Parlux 285 Power Light 2150W Hair Dryer, another Parlux product which means the quality is top notch. Much more powerful then previous Parlux product and it is eco friendly. If you have the extra cash I would go for this one. This Hairdryer comes with 2 speed settings, 4 temperature settings and comes with 2 nozzles one for styling and one for fast drying. Selling on Takealot for around R3000.

Best on Takealot and in top 10 in the world

The Dyson Supersonic is recognised internationally as one of the best hair dryers you can purchase. Comes with multiple attachments for all hair styles, 3 precise speed settings, 4 precise heat settings one being constant cold. If you want top of the range this is for you. At the time of posting this the price was R6400 on Takealot.

What is your favourite hair dryer? Share your thoughts in the comment section below!

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I don’t know about other women, but I love trying out new curly-friendly shampoos and conditioner every time I run out. Today I’m reviewing the Not Your Mothers Naturals Tahitian Gardenia Flower & Mango Butter Curl Defining shampoo and conditioner. There is also a detangling spray, hair masque and combing crème in this collection, but I will not be reviewing these today. You can find the entire Not Your Mothers Naturals range at selected Dischem pharmacies.

The ingredients

The Not Your Mothers range of products are free from sulphates, silicones, gluten, parebens and dye. When I saw the ingredients “Sodium Lauroyl Methyl Isethionate” and “Cocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine” it set of a red flag, but rest assured, its actually plant derived making it safe for your hair. Another plus, is that the products from the Not Your Mother’s range are NOT tested on animals. I love a good cruelty free company, don’t you?

The packaging

The bright pink bottle reminds me of something out of a teenage movie, it definitely caught my eye in the shampoo aisle. The pump bottle makes it easy to control the amount of shampoo/conditioner needed for your hair. The pump on the shampoo and conditioner bottle are black and white respectively. I’m not sure if that was done intentionally, but it really helps me differentiate between the two products. There have been times where I accidentally poured out conditioner when I wanted to use shampoo instead, so this small little design change helps me avoid that mistake. the generous 473ml bottle really does last a long time, making the price of the product very worth it.

The texture

The shampoo is a semi-sheer cream that has a thin, almost runny texture. It suds up quite well, I was surprised as most sulphate free shampoos don’t offer me the suds, which I admit, I really like. The conditioner is also quite thin in texture. I appreciate a thicker conditioner, but that’s my personal preference.

The smell

This stuff smells so friggen good! It’s like a tropical explosion of scents on your hair, as if your hair took a trip to the Bahamas. Even after rinsing, the smell still sits in my hair. Only down side is that it’s not that long lasting, by the end of day 2 the smell has disappeared but this isn’t a deal breaker for me.

The wash

This stuff left my hair feeling super clean, which is something I appreciate in curly-hair shampoos. Sometimes these curly shampoos leave my hair feeling greasy with the intention of not stripping the hair from its natural oils so that it doesn’t dry out the hair, but not this one! It reminds me of that feeling I used to get when I used sulfate shampoos, except it doesn’t strip my hair of oils. I use this shampoo when I want to give my hair a thorough clean, but I don’t recommend it for daily use, twice a week at most. If you use it daily, I have a feeling it may dry out your hair which is what we don’t want, right ladies?

The conditioner, despite being thin in texture does moisturize my hair. Because it’s so thin, I even apply a small dime sized amount to my hair one I’m out of the shower as a leave-in crème, and it doesn’t weigh my curls down and doesn’t leave my hair feeling greasy either. Is it moisturizing? I’d say it’s pretty average in that department. Doesn’t make my hair feel very moisturized, but it’s not dry either if you know what I mean.

Did I see a difference in my curl pattern from using the Not Your Mothers Naturals range?…No. But the fact that I know the product is curly-girl safe puts my mind at ease.

The verdict

I rate it this product a 8.5/10, I would definitely buy these products again.

Have you tried any products from the Not Your Mother’s range?? Share your thoughts with us in the comments!

The post Not Your Mothers Curl Defining Shampoo and Conditioner Product Review appeared first on The Hair Diaries.