AFTER five months since my last hair coloring session, I was ready for a change. I only color my hair twice, or at the most three times, a year, but the color has been almost the same in the last two years.
Luckily, just as my hair boredom struck, I learned that Polish Nail and Waxing Lounge in Bonifacio District, F. Cabahug St., recently added to its current menu of services. It now offers hair coloring, hot oil and hair spa, Brazilian blowout, perming, rebond, and other treatments for your crowning glory. Polish has made itself a pretty much complete beauty stop, whatever it is you need to get done. One can hide out here the whole day with all the pampering treatments available for nails, facials, waxing and massages.
I try not to go lighter during the summer months because this beach baby wants to enjoy the sun (safely, with SPF, of course) as much as possible, which really wreaks havoc on lightened hair. Our dark Asian hair also has a very high tendency to turn brassy (orange!) in such conditions, so I always just go for brown.
Before:
I won’t be going to the beach much in the next few months, so at Polish, I opted for a shade in L’Oreal’s “golden blonde” color family. And, for good measure, got highlights too! It might sound crazy, but remember that’s golden blonde on dark hair. If hair is bleached, it’s only then that blonde really registers since the hair’s natural pigment is already removed.
It didn’t turn out scary:
After:
I also had a couple of inches trimmed off. I did not have my hair straightened; it’s just been blow-dried in the photo.
I have to take some extra care now that my hair is considerably lighter than my natural brown-black. I have been using heavy conditioners while my hair is recovering from the double coloring job. To bring back health and softness to dry, damaged, and/or colored hair, try any of these hair masks:
* Macadamia Natural Oil Deep Repair Mask – Pricey and found only in selected salons in Cebu; ask someone from overseas to bring you one instead. It doesn’t just temporarily smooth hair, but really repairs it with repeated use.
* Moroccan Argan Oil Hair Masque – Very affordable and smells good; find this brown tub in most Watsons stores.
* Human Nature Natural Daily Hair Treatment – This has avocado, sunflower and soybean oils, aloe vera and conditioners from honey to naturally nourish your hair. Use for three minutes daily.