Past Photo shoot with ABSORB

ABSORB

Styled by Chiara Bianchino 

Make up by Stephanie Gangi

Past Photo Shoot in the Park - Hair and Makeup by Vanessa Deluca; Photos By Kate Sommer

Hair Colour, Cut and Styling By Vanessa Deluca

Celebrity Hair Icon : Nicole Richie

Nicole Richie has been a Hair Icon since she chopped off her hair extensions and brought the bob back. Nobody has rocked it better than this fabulous gal. Not only is her style always amazing, from the bob, back to long bohemian waves with a grown out parted fringe and now with a textured fringe and shoulder length locks, her colour is always flawless. So many clients ask for the "Nicole Richie Blonde" Creamy highlights in a caramel base. And then theres the braided styles and high pony tails. Always stunning and inspiring. There's no doubt she will always be a Hair Icon
Whoever is doing your hair Nicole, never let him/her get away

 

Hair at Home; By Vanessa Deluca

Ever wondered what it looks like when I work? Probably not but just incase heres this cool video of it:

What Hair Extensions are the best?

Have you ever had hair extensions? The are such a fun way to cheat! You can have Long, Thick Hair overnight. They're fantastic, but...... Extremely high maintenance and if you want the best quality they can be extremely expensive and you can pay as much as $3000 for a maximum period of 6 months.

There are some things you should now when choosing which extensions are best for you.

Firstly remember, when you are regularly getting any type of extensions please remember to give your hair and scalp a break every now and then. Having an extra set of strands on top of yours can get heavy and weaken the follicle roots over extended periods and the result can lead to hair loss or thinning.

Secondly, types of extensions:

Great Lengths bonded strands. These are amazing great quality extensions that work best on courser darker hair. The look natural and are easy to manage and can last up to 6 months. The don't put complete strain on a concentrated area of your scalp and follicles. However in some cases where the hair is finer, or frizzier naturally, they can matt up over time and be quite painful to remove. So if you go down this path remember to take good care to wash and comb your hair well. Only getting them styled at a hairdresser is also a great option but becomes a very high maintenance solution.

Tape in extensions are fantastic. They are cheaper and you can get amazing quality hair. They don't really last as long as they fall out easier but that just means they aren't putting very much strain on the follicles at all. They also don't matt up and are a low maintenance option.

Weaves.  These are my favourites. They always look natural. Depending on the quality of the hair you buy and who sews them in they can last a very long time. They can strain your follicles in a concentrated area as you are  getting the weft re-sewn to a tightly braided area under your crown every 6 weeks. Prices vary depending on the quality of the hair and the experience of the hairdresser who applies them.

Lastly is the cheapest, easiest, longest lasting and low maintenance option. Clip in wefts. You can buy a pack of one or two great quality wefts with clips attached for under $350. They aren't permanently sewn or bonded to your hair and you can clip them in and take them out whenever you please. They are easy to style as you can clip them to a hanger and straighten or curl them out of your hair before you attach them. You can wear them for special occasions only so no damage or strain ever comes to your scalp or follicles. No commitment necessary. And depending on how well you look after them and how often you wear them, they can last years.

Top 10 most damaging ways to treat your hair and ways to recover from them

These are the top 10 most damaging ways to treat you hair. They are in no particular order and most are regular ways of treating your hair so I don't expect anyone to avoid them all completely.

1. Styling with thermals. Hair dryers, hair straighteners, hot rollers, etc. We all love looking good and we all should if that what we want. But trying to minimise how often we style and the amount of heat we apply to our hair (especially when its not boy short and we aren't getting regular haircuts) is going to pay off when trying to keep your hair at its healthiest. Also using protective products before you apply thermals is going to assist in damage control. Try a leave in conditioner or a protective shine spray like Keratin Complex Thermo Shine.

2. Shampoo. While shampoo cleans your hair (and regularly cleaning your hair is obviously necessary) it also strips your hair of its natural oils. On going this can become extremely damaging. So the less you was your hair, the better. For more info on this topic read this.

3. Lightening your hair colour. Colouring your hair is not always damaging. Semi permanents can even add shine and smooth your hair temporarily. When you lighten your hair however, you always need to use an ammonia or other harsh chemical to penetrate the follicle and lift the hair colour.  This is always going to damage the hair but to what degree is up to you. The less often you lighten your hair and make sure the chemicals you use aren't too strong, the less damaging. Not leaving the colour chemicals in your hair too long is also going to prevent over processing. For more info read this.

4. Chemical straighteners and perms. These are two kinds of chemical treatments I don't provide for my clients. Simply because I believe that the result they produce for the damage they cause is just not worth it. If I wouldn't do it in my hair, I wouldn't recommend it to anyone. The reason they are so damaging is that they change the natural form and shape of your hair permanently (although it does grows out). Please feel free to leave any comments or questions on this one as I'm not going into it much further in this post.

5. Extensions. There are so many different types of extensions. Some are far less damaging than others and to whom's hair they are damaging to all depends on who is doing it and the person getting it done's hair and also how well the extensions are taken care of. So if you are planning on getting extensions, shop around and go off recommendations. Pay a little extra for better quality hair. If you still aren't sure but want to try them, my favourite option is a clip in hair piece. You can ask your local hairdresser or wig maker to find you one that is the right length colour and thickness for your hair and show you how to clip it in and out so you can wear it whenever you like and it won't damage your hair at all.

6. Tying your hair tightly when you sleep. This puts a lot of strain on your follicles and eventually you will get some breakage. I recently had a new client who did this and was wondering why her hair always broke and started looking like a mullet. If you can't sleep with your hair out, then plat it loosely and loosely tie the end.

7. Dry shampoo. I love dry shampoo. You can get away with the oiliest mess of hair when you're in a rush. But using it regularly really dries out your hair and scalp and it can take a while to recover from. So use in emergencies only.

8. Brushing. If your hair is long, brushing regularly is a must and you should, once or twice a day. But always start from the ends and work your way up to the roots. it you start at the roots your going to end up with some serious breakage. Especially if you have product in your hair like hair-spray or dry shampoo. Combing your conditioner through in the shower or combing it after your hair is towel dried with a wide toothed comb is going to help you avoid knots generally also. For more info, read this.

9. Weather. The weather really only has a small impact on your hair. High, strong sun exposure can damage your burn and bleach and strip your hair somewhat, but its a slight gradual process. Wearing a hat and using a leave in treatment/moisturiser will create a barrier between your hair and the sun and protect it. You can even find some with UV protection, like sunscreen for your hair.

10. Stress & Diet. Kind of two things but they go hand in hand. The better you take care of yourself the more lovely you look. Stress can cause your hair to fall out and become quite brittle. As can getting sick and taking certain medication. Theres some extra info here on the subject. The more protein in and vitamins, minerals, oils and good fats you consume, the shinier, thicker and stronger your hair will be. Also taking supplements like Silica will help improve the strength and appearance of your hair. So don't stress, eat well and just take care of yourself.

DIY Bouncy Blowdry

Like a Big, luxurious bouncy blow-dry but don't want to spend loads at the hairdresser?

Here is a fool proof way to DIY

Tools you will need:

-Shampoo and conditioner

-A volumising product

-A large brissle/paddle brush

-A hairdryer

-A tail comb

-A butterfly clip

-A set of hot rollers

1. First you need good products. Washing your hair with a volumising shampoo and conditioner. 

2. Switch on your hot roller set

 3. Then towel dry and spreay some Sea Salt Spray into the roots and massage it in evenly with your fingers. 

4. Now tip your head upside down and blow-dry with a powerful hair dryer (the best one on the market is a Parlux brand dryer). Blow-dry until dry then flip your head back upright and brush out the knots. Feel through the hair to make sure the hair is bone dry everywhere. 

5. If you have quite curly frizzy hair and it has now been turned into a wildly frizzy afro, go over it gently with a hair straightener, mainly in the fizziest areas like the roots near the hairline. (Don't flatten it out, just get it a little smoother)

6. Then using the larger rollers in your hot roller set, take one and start at the top of your head at the hairline taking a section about 2" deep and 3" wide and roll in your first roller. If you've never used hot rollers before practice with velcro rollers first. Elevate the section of hair all the way into the air and brush it smooth. then wrap the hair around the roller in the direction away from your face. Clip it in place with a butterfly clip or clips provided in the set once you've rolled all the way to the scalp.

7. Continue this in the same sized sections always rolling away from the face and when you get to the back of the head then you can start rolling the downwards, never upwards.

8. Leave the rollers in your hair around 20 minutes or until cool and the take them out.

9. Tip your head upside down again and gently shake your hair from the roots with your fingers. Then flip back upright and find your part and spray some hair-spary to hold it in place.

Now your have a fabulous bouncy blow-dry that will last through the night and hopefully a few days too

Fringes!! (or "bangs")

I love a good fringe, whether it’s blunt over the brows, the side fringe or long and messy. Fringes or “Bangs” can be a fun addition to your look when you’re bored and want a change without doing anything too dramatic. They also give you some style when you decide to pin your hair back.

Unfortunately there are many cases of fringes gone wrong. This happens when you don’t have the right hairline for the fringe you’ve decided on. A low forehead or cowlick hairline can almost always struggle with a fringe that sits full and forward onto the face. In this case I would always go for a longer fringe or side fringe or short loose layers that shape the face more

When deciding what the best option is for you, you must go with your hair and DON’T FIGHT AGAINST IT! Gently style it forward and see where it parts and how it sits. If its separating and pushing itself back then go for a longer option.

If you still really want a fringe then look into the clip in human hair extension bangs. You can get these cut and coloured to 

suit your face and hair and you’ll never have to worry about fighting to style it again.