My Hair Transformation with TONI&GUY

 if you're familiar with the 'heartbreak bob' then hi! i went for it! i sure as hell (but slightly unwittingly at the time) went for it ... 

if you aren't, then it essentially goes along the lines of every girl wanting a drastic appearance overhaul and chopping all their locks off shortly after their heart has been smashed into teeny, tiny pieces... the proverbial comeback that is greater than the setback. fun, huh? and that's essentially it in a nutshell

THE CONSULTATION

before my consultation with TONI&GUY, we were discussing their Colour Menu - you see, I wanted to move away from the dull, one-toned brunette (pictured above) which took me back to my teen years, when i first started caring about my hair and boys and all that nonsense, yet i still wanted to keep it natural

but as time went on, a loada crap happened in my life and we moved closer to the actual consultation, all i could think of was 'i want to go back blonde'... oh and also 'can i chop all my hair off????'

so that was where we were at.

the Colour Menu was created to make the world of hair colouring a whole lot easier - you simply pour out your hair's life story in the initial consultation, discussing end results, past mishaps, hair length, hair style etc etc and voila! they suggest the most suitable route, colour options and personalised aftercare routine to achieve your best, desired result

we went searching through a giant book of hair samples, selecting the perfect colours to produce a multi-tonal outcome, which incorporated warm brown roots, copper and of course, blonde

as always, i did not make their lives easy...

THE FIRST APPOINTMENT

and lo & behold, we had ventured back to the light side again:

 goldeny, coppery, blondey goodness, using the corrective balayage technique, done by TONI&GUY's international technical director, Siobhan Golden. a highly appropriate name if you ask me

THE REFRESH

a few months later and naturally, i wanted more. there are always swings and roundabouts when it comes to coloured blonde hair - of course, it requires more upkeep, protection and maintenance, but more maintenance equals more trips to the salon and be honest, who doesn't love a good refresh, blow dry and head massage when they're at home? (/at the salon but i really wanted to use this phrase for alliteration)

i headed to TONI&GUY long acre this time, where the heartbreak bob came into full effect. i was long over it at this point, however the lust for further changes was apparently still prevalent

and so we went even blonder. and even shorter. and as blunt as can possibly be (something i've often been described as myself...)

THE AFTERCARE

having pre-lightened and heat-styled-on-the-reg hair means aftercare is a huuuuge part of my routine. my hair was naturally corkscrew curls but after a home-chemical-straightening-kit disaster in my early teens (after being told by a male human that it looked prettier this way, thank you so much!!), nowadays i'm left with, what can only be described as a horror of strange waves, ringlets and random straight sections which don't really know where they belong ... *laughs to pretend she's over it ten years later but actually her heart still hurts inside*

so, for now, the straighteners stay put.

after my initial colour, i was prescribed a strong course of 'treatment shampoo' and 'intensive repair conditioner', alternated with the 'colour stay shampoo' and 'moisturising conditioner' from label.m - i.e. the perfect product cocktail to keep both the colour and its condition tip-top. safe to say it works, as four months later, the blonde is still doing its thang despite a few grown out roots!

the two products pictured above (anti-frizz cream, rejuvenating radiance oil) are my hot weather saviours - the ones you use to avoid any monica from friends "it's the humidity" moments which would have absolutely occurred where these were shot, in bali. i'm a huge fan of hair oils and will never go on a trip without one in tow but i'll have you know, having tested my fair share, that it is entirely possible for an oil to be too oily. you know the thick, syrupy kind which leave your hair feeling all heavy, flat and sorry for itself? none of that, please. this one is a lightweight dream which, i swear to god, leaves it looking less damaged on immediate contact. a true miracle

for those unaware, the label.m brand is TONI&GUY's own professional haircare range which literally covers every possible category that locks could need. it's developed, tried and tested by their art team and now tried, tested and loved by me, so they clearly know what they're on about to be honest...

♡

*this post was sponsored by TONI&GUY, however all opinions, anecdotes and rambles belong to yours truly