There comes a time when we girls just get bored with our hair. From getting shorter, edgier cuts to exploring new color stories, hair change is much more frequent than we ought for it to be. Together with Aveda and Basement Salon Eastwood, we explore the best and healthiest way to transition from straight black hair and the products that would preserve the color and overall well-being of the hair.
Aveda was more than glad to do this hair experiment with us. With their partner salon, Basement Salon in Eastwood, our first step, in line with the brand and salon’s values of keeping the hair as healthy as it can be, our hair strands were tested in terms of color retention.
If the hair cannot retain the color of the bleach it means that the hair is still damaged from the previous bleaching. If the test is not successful, the salon suggests for you to wait for the hair to grow out to its natural hair shade. Thankfully our last hair color was a year ago and our locks are ready to get bleached. I preferred the conservative hair transition color with subtle balayage while Thea opted for a more radical change with intense red gold.
Basement’s Senior Stylists Jen and Randy then proceeded into coloring the base while avoiding the roots with Aveda Full Spectrum hair color. This virgin application determines how light the hair can go with bleaching. She then adds more color to the roots to even out the shade all throughout the hair. There will be a cold tingling feeling because of the ammonia that opens up the hair to accept the color. After 30 minutes we wash it off and they start to use the lighter color to highlight the overall look. A heating hairdryer then goes around the head like a halo to even out the heating and let the hair absorb the color.
Toner is then applied to amplify the vibrancy and to remove unwanted ones like yellows and oranges. Aveda Damage Remedy and protein spray are then applied to give the hair the protection. An amazing head and arm massage soon begin and I was feeling so relaxed I almost fell asleep. Add to that the service from an array of refreshing drinks to the owner, Mabeth’s genuine interest for every client checking up on us every now and then, Basement Salon Eastwood really took the best care of us. An infrared flat iron is used in every section to secure the vitamins inside the treatment. My Senior Stylist, Jen, soon cuts my hair layer by layer making my hair looking more full-bodied.
For a whole month, we used the Aveda color conserve shampoo, conditioner, and daily color protect which was advised to be used as a set every other day to let the natural oils come out of the scalp.
Every week the color got brighter and more vibrant. It was also so easy to maintain as the products were so easy to use. Today, my subtle balayage wasn’t so subtle anymore as the different shades of blondes, ash and browns complimented each other so well while the intense red gold transformed into a rich copper tone.
Aveda is a company that is cruelty-free, derives their ingredients naturally, where products are manufactured with 100% wind energy, packaged using 100% post-consumer recycled PET. So getting your hair colored with Basement Salon Eastwood and Aveda won’t give you any kind of guilt and you can just focus on the beauty of your new haircut and color.