Last month I was lucky enough to have my hair colored with the latest Shades EQ system by Redken's very own Colorist David Stanko at the lavish Angelo David Salon here in NYC.
The hair consultation started off with David and I discussing what I would like to do with my color as I sipped on my cappucino. We both decided that I would just stay dark, but since I have some weird brassyness to my color ( some areas appear to be very light brown in bright lighting or in pictures - it really bothers me) , we would do more of a gloss to add shine, and get my color even.
To achieve this , David was going to use Shades EQ in Warm Sable Brown 05WN , along with Shades EQ in Crystal Clear . David mentioned that he was going to use a lot of the Crystal Clear, to add shine to my color. Shades EQ has Pomegranate Oil and Rice Protein as its main components - these ingredients moisturizes the hair. Maintenance should be done every 6 to 8 weeks, since this is a demi-permanent color.
I have chemically-treated ( I use relaxer to straighten my hair) hair, so David was so gracious as to tell me which Redken lines I SHOULD be using, and to my surprise , two of his suggestions I never thought I needed to use at all. For my hair type , the best Shampoo + Conditioner + Treatments to use are :
All Soft
Smooth Down
Smoothness for very dry, unruly hair. Hair is up to four times smoother*. Get ultra-smooth, shiny hair that's in control. New Smooth Down is specially formulated to enrich and tame extremely dry, coarse, unruly hair. Redken's exclusive Interbond Conditioning System delivers a unique Ionic Smoothing Complex of macadamia oil, candelilla wax and cationic refiners to help replenish oils, provide intense smoothing and a long-lasting, humidity-resistant, frizz-free finish. I've tried the line out on my hair since David's suggestion , and I am a believer !
*Lab tests using Smooth Down Shampoo, Conditioner and Butter Treat compared to an ordinary shampoo
Real Control
Nourishing repair for dense, dry, sensitized hair. This has been my favorite line to use since its release. I have grown to love this line, and that is why I never tried All Soft or Smooth Down before. I recommend this line for any one with Chemically Processed hair, or even Natural hair textures ( African American hair).
These are the three key lines to use for my hair type - moisture , moisture and more moisture is what I am to aim for when using products. David could not stress it enough!
The hair process continued with David's lovely assistant Mariano Cuevas following up by using Pureology hydrating Shampoo followed by Redken Chemistry Shot Phase in Real Control.
A new fun technique I learned to achieve a great blow dry is to dry the hair for a bit , before hand blow drying it in sections.
Blown Away was used before Mariano proceeded to dry my hair - another product I never thought of even using. After seeing the results it will be a staple in my "at home" hair process.
I sipped on a glass of wine while my hair was being dried - they know how to provide you with the ultimate "experience" at the Angelo David Salon .
Once my hair was completely dry, Mariano gave me curls , which he planned on pinning each in place while still hot so it could set. The main component to having my hair keep the curls was the use of one of my favorite Styling items - Wax Blast. He spritzed my whole head with it prior to curling my hair.
Me with my pin curls setting.
The last step was a sprinkling of Shine Flash 02 - the perfect end to all hair styling. Gives you that "perfect shine".
That was my Shades EQ experience , and I am looking forward to re-visiting the Angelo David Salon again in the near future ! For more information on David Stanko, the Shades EQ process, and the products mentioned in this post, check out www.redken.com
