How to maintain your hair color

Giving your hair some extra attention is important if you have it color-treated. If you want your color to last long and prevent fading, here are some tips to get your color to last longer whether you have platinum, red, brown, or black hair. 

• Wait to wash your hair for 72 hours after color treating. 

It can take up to 72 hours for your hair cuticle to close after being color treated, so when you shower and wash your hair too soon, you’re at risk for having your fresh new color fade. The longer you can give your hair cuticle to close, the longer your hair color will last in between salon visits. 

• Use a sulfate-free shampoo and conditioner 

Sodium laureth sulfate, also known as sodium laureth ether sulfate, is a type of anionic detergent that is found in many personal care products. Sulfates are used to help produce a foaming effect however they can strip your hair of its natural oils, moisture, and color. We love R+Co’s line of shampoos and conditioners because they are all sulfate-free. There are options for all hair types, so whether you have dry, curly, straight, thin, or thick hair, there is a perfect combo for you. 

A few of our favorites: Television Shampoo and Conditioner which provides everything you need for the small screen: body, shine, strengthening, softening, and smoothing. 

Atlantis Shampoo and Conditioner are a super hydrating duo which brings dry and tired hair back to life while countering the effects of sun, coloring, and blow-drying.

Hair by Noelle at ash salon.

• Protect your hair from heat

Color-treated hair is more vulnerable to heat. To keep your color from fading with the use of hot tools, apply a heat protectant spray before using tools such as a flat iron or curling iron. R+Co’s One is a nourishing base coat that will adjust the pH balance of hair while helping other products adhere evenly and protects hair from hot tools. 

Hair by Noelle at ash salon.

• Use a UV protectant on your hair

UV rays can make your hair brittle and they can also fade your hair color, fast. To protect your hair (and your scalp) from harmful and lightening UV rays, use a spray that does the job at knocking those rays out. R+Co’s Sun Catcher is packed with Vitamin C and antioxidants to help protect hair from environmental aggressors + UV damage. The protective leave-in conditioner  helps soften, seal, detangle and fight frizz, too.

Hair by Noelle at ash salon.

Shades of red

Are you thinking about going red? Maybe you were a redhead as a child, or maybe you admire the head-turning color. Red hair is a high impact color and it captures attention instantly. While it might be a big change, it continues to be a classic and beautiful hair color choice for many. To help you decide on the right red hue, here is some inspiration for your next visit to the salon for scarlet strands.

The bright copper color in these inspiration photos is vivid! Bright copper is a great choice if you have fair skin with green, blue, or hazel eyes. 

Image via Pinterest

Image via Pinterest

Image via Pinterest

Hair by Noelle.

Bright copper color complements her hazel eye color and fair skin - a stand out shade!

Hair by Noelle.

This medium ginger red hair color is spicy but it’s also a natural-looking red on the spectrum. It’s elegant and sophisticated and is beautiful on people with any warm or neutral skin tone with any eye color. 

What shade of red is your pick?

How to pick the best shade of brunette for your skin tone

Brunette hair is such a universal hair color that anyone can rock. Brunette is anything but boring, and can make your eyes and skin really pop - sometimes more so than other hair colors. So, whether you want to deepen your current shade of brunette, ditch your blonde, red, or black color in favor of brown hair, the possibilities are endless. Keep on reading to figure out your skin’s undertones to see what the prettiest shade is for you.

Tip #1: Look at your wrist. If you see greenish veins, you have warm undertones. If you have blue veins, you have cool undertones. If your veins are somewhere in between the two, your undertones are neutral.

Tip #2: Look at your eye color. If you have blue or green eyes, you might have cool undertones. If you have brown eyes or golden specks on your iris’, there’s a chance you have warm undertones.

When finding your perfect shade of brunette, refer to colors that are opposite of your skin’s undertones. So, if you have a cool undertone, you might want to choose a shade of brunette that is warm.

Here’s a cheat sheet:

If you have warm undertones: Choose a cool brown shade such as chestnut, dark chocolate, or dark auburn. A cool shade of brunette will complement your warm skin tone which can help brighten your complexion. 

Celebrity inspo:

Lucy Hale rocks a very dark brown with a couple pops of chocolate.

Priyanka Chopra's rich brown base accentuated with auburn balayage.

Zendaya wears a true medium brown with pops of chestnut.

Emily Ratajkowski wears a rich medium brown that really makes her warm brown eyes pop.

If you have cool undertones: Choose a warm brown shade such as caramel, auburn, or golden brown. 

Celebrity inspo:

Zooy Deschanel’s hair color is a true chocolate brown with fleck of auburn overtones.

Lilly Collins has a dark chocolate brown base color with lighter auburn pops framing her face.

If you have neutral undertones: Lucky you! You can rock any shade of brunette. Try classic medium brown or the trendy nude shade! 

Celebrity inspo:

Soft, light brown highlights thread through Jessica Biel's hair and culminate a bright and bold brunette color.

Emily Blunt rocks a dark auburn hue - the contrast against her complexion and eyes is so stunning!

Cara Delevingne rocks an even amount of both warm and cool tones which cancel each other out to create a neutral color: nude.

Do you love the idea of going brunette but aren’t ready to go full-on brown? Here are a couple hair color ideas that will allow you to flirt with being brunette:

Try Balayage: 

Balayage is a French word meaning 'to sweep' or 'to paint'. It allows for a sun-kissed natural-looking hair color, similar to what nature gives us as children. It’s the perfect way to subtly place beautiful lighter hues throughout your darker hair.

Hair by Noelle.

Hair by Noelle.

Try going bronde:

If you’re currently a blonde and want to go darker but don’t want to totally ditch being lighter, try BRONDE! It is exactly what it sounds like: Bronde incorporates both blonde and brunette hues for a look that is the best of both worlds.

Extra credit: ask for ‘twilighting’. What is Twilighting, you ask? The process is essentially adding subtle highlights that are evenly distributed to darker hair. The word dimensional is also key here.

Hair by Noelle at ash salon.

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