THE HAIR TREATMENT EVERYONE IS TALKING ABOUT
When Chrissy Teigan posts a selfie on Instagram giving praise to her hair colourist, well, we take notice.
Enter Tracey Cunningham, the celebrity hair stylist who is responsible for colouring everyone’s hair from John Legend’s muse to Khloe Kardashian, Lily Aldridge, Jennifer Lopez and Emma Stone (that red, though…).
But, like any artist will tell you, they’re only as good as their tools. Tracey’s must-have? Olaplex – a colour conditioning treatment, which comes in three phases: No. 1 (mixed in with dye by your colourist), No. 2 (applied post-colour at the basin by your colourist) and No. 3 (applied by yourself at home once or twice a week).
Whether you visit the salon for some bad ass balayage, a root touch up or a full head of bleach, your colourist should be using Olaplex. End of. Not only because people like Tracey Cunningham swear by it (and have the Instagrams to prove it), but because it works.
But first, the science: Olaplex is an additive that removes the bad reaction oxygen has with broken sulphite bonds in chemically treated hair that leads to breakage. Got that? Okay, good.
The truth is Olaplex has had something of an immediate and addictive effect on the industry. It’s damn right sending hair stylists into a tizz – they just can’t get enough of it. In fact, a couple of months after launching in Australia, it’s already in thousands of salons (plus another 150, 000 and counting in the US).
And, unlike some other at-home conditioners, don’t be so quick to dismiss No. 3. It’s loaded with the same active ingredient as both the No.1 and No. 2 and this enables you to repair and maintain hair in between services as it continues to link bonds within the hair. We can assure you it’s not an afterthought.
After saturating your strands with No 3 for ten minutes once a week (we recommend Sunday evening pamper sessions), prepare yourself for a wave of compliments. Hair becomes silky, smooth and colour remains vibrant and fresh. The shine itself is enough to take someone out in the eye.
So, what is the company’s main source of publicity? Instagram. If brands like Olaplex and Frank Bod have taught us anything, it’s to NEVER knock the power of a selfie.
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Comments
Brilliant - thank you! I haven't tried sea salt spray so maybe that is my missing ingredient!
Hi Claire, Thanks for your comment! If you start following 'grittypretty', you'll be able to watch full hair tutorials which show how I curl my hair using a ghd. The key to this look isn't so much in the technique (when I do this look, my curls are tight too) – it's more so in the prep. Blast your hair first with dry shampoo – this will give it some grit. Curl your hair in sections using your ghd or curling wand (start at the ends and only curl up to the ear level – leaving your roots out). Once you look like Shirley Temple, apply a light spray of hairspray to give your curls some hold throughout the day. Next, blast your hair with sea salt spray (I like Sachajuan Ocean Mist Spray) all over – flip your head over and keep on spraying. With your head still flipped over, muss it all up using your hands – you can be rough with it. When you flip your head over, your curls will have turned into waves and you can flip them over into a sexy side part. Voila! Try this method and please let me know how you go.
Hi Corinne, Thanks for your comment! This treatment is specifically designed for coloured hair. If you hair is damaged from environmental aggressors (chlorine, salt water, sun) or has heat damage (from styling tools), I suggest you invest in a hydrating hair mask. Alternatively, you can apply an argan oil at night as a leave-in treatment – just be sure to shampoo (or double shampoo) the next morning.
Hi Eleanor, I've recently cut my hair a similar length to yours and cannot seem to get my curls right (too tight with a GHD or too subtle with a wand and they drop out). I'd love to see a 'how to' on achieving the lovely relaxed wave and flipped part you rock! Claire
Hi eleanor, what about non coloured hair? Mine is SO damaged but uncoloured. Would this help fix the condition of it?