I was a blonde until 2006. Then one day, without telling my husband, I decided to go red. The day I had it done, we happened to drive into the garage at the same time & wow, you should have seen the double take! HA! I wish I had a camera!!
My roots are still blonde (you know this if you have seen me in the last 2 weeks–eek! Appointment tomorrow…thank goodness!) and I have to rave about the color that my fab stylist Nowlin Roberts is using on my hair. I have never been one to skimp on my tresses and seeking out a L’Oreal Professional National Portfolio Artist (which means he teaches classes for the company thus he knows his stuff) was task #1 when moving down here to San Antonio. Nowlin & I met and we hit it off immediately. We are very like-minded entrepreneurs & he is an amazing artist. Usually when you walk away from the salon your hair feels “processed.” Not with Nowlin. My hair is always at it’s smoothest & silkiest just after having it colored. Which means I should go more often. Except the color lasts so long. You sure this is your goal, Nowlin??!?
I was even more giddy when he introduced me to the latest in color, INOA, as it has some huge benefits to mommies. INOA stands for “innovation, no ammonia.” See where I am going here? No ammonia means less scalp irritation, no smell. Finally a GREEN hair color that is safe for mommies-to-be!! He tested it out on me before it made it’s US debut (he’s that special!!) and he’s been using it on me ever since. I loooooove it. Research on INOA shows that hair is 25% smoother and 35% stronger with it’s use. You can read more about Nowlin & INOA, and even his work with INOA & Cancer patients in his feature article in the San Antonio Business Journal. There is also a pretty informative INOA Facebook Page, so be sure to check it out.
Here’s the really fun part. Nowlin is generously offering a Complimentary Powerdose Treatment (a $25 value) for any of you that book with him, and tell him that I sent you. I get the Powerdose every time I see him & this is part of the reason my hair is so shiny & healthy when I leave the salon. You can find him here. If you don’t live in the San Antonio metropolitan area, you can find a L’Oreal Professional here.
I also thought I’d touch on hair maintenance & a couple of things I swear by. I figure if you put good money into your hair color, you might as well use the best products to prolong the intensity. I have used Kerastase products for the last five years and have found them to work really well. I wash my hair every other or every third day (depending on my workout intensity!) therefore even with the expense of the shampoo & conditioner, I only use two bottles a year. It’s worth it to me. I buy mine at Nordstrom Rack at the Rim (who knew they carried it!!). I always buy the pink, Bain Miroir and Chroma Reflect Masque. I try to rinse with cold water (detachable shower sprayer) and use the Mousse Volumactive, as I have fine hair, a lot of it & it needs some oomph. Also know that this is a product that is often sold online as fake. I would never buy it from a retailer that I do not fully trust, to guarantee the integrity of the product. I also could not live without my SuperSolano Hairdryer & my CHI Flat Iron. My first Solano lasted 7 years. My first CHI lasted 4 years (until my kitty chewed through the cord!) I am on #2 for both!