Around this time of year, many of us think about changing up our hair colour. Party season looms! There is so much more to it than just dumping a load of dye on our locks, though.
We asked Pippa O'Connor's personal hairstylist Terri at Peter Mark to let us in on the secrets behind her glorious mane. Will this signal a herd of Pippa Bots gliding 'round the streets of Ireland? Maybe, just maybe. And we'll all have fabulous hair.
If you were watching Pippa O’Connor’s Snapchat yesterday you will have seen her beautiful hair transformation. If this made you think about changing up your colour to something more bespoke and natural then we are here to help.
There have been countless articles written about free-hand colouring techniques like the one I used on Pippa yesterday. This is in part due to the fact that there really are very few and fast rules when it comes to something so bespoke and trying to describe the effect you want to your hairdresser can be confusing. At Peter Mark, we have been practising and, more importantly, teaching the techniques for over ten years. Here are a few things to be mindful of when requesting any free hand techniques.
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Firstly, have the right haircut
That doesn’t mean to say your hair must be long; mid-length and short hair work equally as well as you see with Pippa’s fabulous hair. That said, it’s really important that in order for you to get the most out of the technique your hair cut has some form of layering. This is to create a sense of light and depth which will give the illusion of volume and texture showing off your colour.
For example, if your hair is long and one length, your colour technique will get lost inside of the solid outline shape whereas even a subtle amount of layering will reveal the colour in the correct way.
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Be aware of your face shape and features
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Although this may seem obvious in regards to cutting your hair, it is just as important when applying colour. If you have a really strong jawline, you would look to increase the lightness around this area a little to soften any unwanted strength in your face shape.
If you have features you wish to show off (say for instance like Pippa and her gorgeous eyes), you should try to focus your lightening or keep some depth around these areas depending on how naturally light or dark you are. The lighter you are, the more depth you should leave and the darker you are the more lightening.
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Have a realistic goal for your lightness
Having an achievable and realistic goal for the lightening you desire is a must. If you are really dark naturally, going super light defeats the purpose of having the technique in the first place. Your colour should always be sophisticated and expensive looking. By being mindful of the lightening process and in turn the condition of your hair, this will increase the ease and longevity of your cut. Plus your hair will always get comments for the right reasons.
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Stand out through your blending in
The major difference between classic coloration and any free hand technique is the blending element. The better you’re blending the more fabulous the result will be and the more sophisticated your hair will look. The correct and beautiful blending is what makes this technique so consumer friendly and allows for such expansive periods between colour visits.
In a conventional sense, blending often refers to the root application down to the ends but it is equally important that you do not over-lighten the ends as if you lighten the ends too much as your hair will appear fine and wispy. It will also make the contrast between the root area and the ends too extreme and the blending more difficult.
