Toner

What is a toner

Toner cancels out and corrects unwanted tones in your hair brassy yellow, gold, orange, red or ash tones. It can also be used to give the pre-lightened hair the desired shade eg. Caramel shade.

We use semi permanent toners for all hair types. Although they help with brassiness for blonde hair they do fade because they aren't a permanent colour. You may have to re tone your hair 4-6 weeks later.

Toners will not lighten you hair they either deposit colour onto your hair (to make the colour darker) or change the toner of it eg. From yellow to white shade. When going lighter it’s almost 100% that you will have to apply a toner every time. The only reason that you wouldn't have to apply a toner is after pre lightening the hair and it goes to the correct tone, also if you have blonde hair and your hair lightens easily and doesn't throw off a yellow/brassy tone. Toners take from 5-20 to process. In our salons we use a heat lamp which halves the time.

A toner is the most important part of a hair service, because you are creating the colour that your client wants, after you have pre lightened the hair.

One of the toners we use in our salons is called an igora semi permanent mouse. These toners work very fast from 20 seconds-3 minutes. The more towel dried your hair is the faster it will work. This is especially ideal for clients that don’t like sitting in the basin chair for long periods of time and also for blondes, if using it to deposit colour onto pre lightened hair this type of toner will not last as long.  If using these toners at home for a colour up keep we recommend not towel drying your hair, so you have more time to apply all over the hair and reduce the risk of over toning. When you've over toned your hair it will come up either purple, really ash or even pink. If this does happen a way to get rid of the unwanted tones is to use a deep cleansing shampoo a few times, as toner does fade slightly every time you wash your hair. It is not recommended to tone your hair more then once a week.

Purple Shampoo
If you have blonde hair and you don’t have a toner at home there is something else that you could use which is a purple shampoo. The shampoo work as a toner every time you wash your hair, it brightens your blonde by restoring your hair to its former cooler colour. The reason why the shampoo is purple is because it is the opposite of yellow on the colour wheel which is why it cools the gold/brassy tones down. It is recommended to use the purple shampoo only once a week, because you can over tone with the shampoo as well. The darker the colour of the purple is in the shampoo the stronger it is. Purple shampoo can be also used on grey hair.

Written By  Becc 

Henna

What is henna?

Henna is a plant found in India and Middle Eastern countries. The leaves are crushed and made into a powder. It has a fresh cut grass smell and is a dull green colour. For centuries people have used the powder to dye cloth and skin. Warm water is added to the powder to create a thick paste which is then used as hair colour. Henna is 100% natural as there are no additives; it is just the powder and water. The main dying property in henna is lawsone, which gives hair that orange/red colour. Other herbs and plant extracts can be added to make your hair softer and shinier. Because henna is natural the benefits to using it on your hair are great. It is a very good treatment; it covers each hair shaft and builds a protective layer that safeguards the strands from damage. Regular use of henna can make your hair thicker and stronger by locking the essential moisture in the hair.

What henna do we use?

In our salons we use 100% natural henna. Some ingredients include: Aloe vera, green tea, hibiscus, bahera and shikakai.

We always soak the henna the day before we use it. This is done by adding warm water to the powder. Once applied to your hair the henna should be left on for as long as possible. We advise a minimum of 2 hours, however up to 6 hours is good too. The longer you leave it for the darker it will get. The more times you do henna the darker it will go too, this is because each application creates a richer colour. Coffee can also be added to the henna to make the colour a bit darker.

Most clients that have henna done in our salons usually go home after the colourist has applied the colour and do the waiting at home. However clients are welcome to stay in salon and wait for the 2 hours to have the henna rinsed. When rinsing the henna we only rinse with water until the water runs clear and a bit of conditioner if needed. No shampoo is needed, as the product is 100% natural and is like a treatment for your hair, so your hair should be silky and smooth. 

Natural henna will provide a lasting colour for 1 – 3 months. Like all hair colourants, it will begin to fade after a few weeks but, by re-applying henna to the hair every month or two, the colour will build up to a lovely rich shade with minimal fading. Henna also has fantastic conditioning properties. It will give extra body to your hair, making it smoother, softer and easier to brush. Henna will leave your hair glossy, dandruff-free and healthy.

What colour will it be?

Depending on your existing colour the result of henna can vary. If you have grey hair the greys will turn copper. If you already have highlights in your hair they may come up as a copper colour also depending on how light they are. Natural henna will not change dark hair colours it will only give a copper/red tone. 

Henna is a safe and natural alternative to commercial hair dyes. Commercial hair dyes contain chemicals which penetrate the hair shaft, risking damage to the hair structure. With repeated use, hair tends to become dry and brittle.

Written by Enza

Indian Head Massage

Indian Head Massage known as "Champissage" in India, is part of the ancient healing system of Ayurveda - the science of life, which is probably the oldest recorded form of medical treatment dating back for thousands of years. This traditional & effective massage is excellent for relieving stress and also promotes relaxation. With many benefits it is also great for general well-being. 

A gentle & highly effective treatment, this relaxing massage has been practiced in Ancient India and other Asian countries over 5000 years

It has played a very important role in Indian life as a principle method of relieving pain and healing. The massage techniques have been passed down through time and can still be seen today performed on street corners, markets and on the beach. There is a rich Indian tradition of family grooming which still exists, different oils and techniques are developed by the women using Almond, Coconut, Mustard, Olive and Sesame oils to keep their hair strong and lustrous and in beautiful condition, Olive and Sesame oils also having the added benefit of being a natural sunscreen, filtering out between 20-25% of the suns harmful rays.

Indian Head Massage incorporates deep thumb and finger pressure, friction as well as soothing effleurage with Oil. These techniques reduce muscular and nervous tension and improves circulation of blood and lymphatic fluids. This oxygenates the cells, flushing out physical and emotional toxins. It stimulates & improves scalp circulation encouraging the flow of nutrients to the hair follicles thus enhancing the nourishment of the hair and revitalizing hair growth.

A full treatment takes between 15-30mins and can be carried out with the client fully clothed in an ordinary chair, so it is a very versatile treatment which can be performed "on site".

What are the benefits of Indian Head Massage?

• It is an effective treatment for headaches, migraines, eyestrain & insomnia 
• Stimulates lymphatic drainage removing toxins & boosting the immune system 
• Relaxes the scalp and improve blood circulation. 
• Promotes secretion of hormones & enzymes for hair growth 
• Increases oxygen to the brain, bringing clarity 
• Relaxes the central nervous system 
• Relieves tension and headaches
• Alleviates stress, promotes relaxation a popular massage often requested for general well-being
• Indian Head Massage reaches all energy centers where tension accumulates.

Tip

Whilst you are bound to feel great after our Indian head massage, there is a good chance you may not look great. Whether your masseuse has chosen to use oils or not, your hair will look tussled and potentially like you haven't washed out your conditioner from a week ago! Make sure to take a hairbrush and band, or a hat to wear on the way home from your session

Written by Shweta

Facials

Facials were once thought of as luxury, but facials are now part of our healthy living. Facials provide great benefits to our health and well being. Facial services such as facial massage help to stimulate red blood cells, which encourage production of collagen. Collagen is responsible for skin strength and elasticity, and its degradation leads to wrinkles that accompany ageing. Facial massages helps rid of toxins from underlying skin tissue, thus clean and tone your skin which gives you smoother, firmer and more healthy looking skin.

Facials are a treatment for the face that's meant to cleanse, firm, smooth and moisturize the skin. Many people swear by facials not only as a way to feel relaxed and pampered, but also as a means for making their skin healthier.

Facial exfoliation gently abrades the skin and removes the top layer of dead skin cells. Facial exfoliating helps to hide fine wrinkles, gives your skin a rosy glow and aids in skin cells regeneration.

Our Facials include:

• Skin analysis:  As not everyone has the same skin type an analysis is done to see what facial best suits your skin and what products we can recommend you. Some people have dry skin, oily skin and combination skin which is oily in some areas and dry in other. We have many different types of facials in our salons. We recommend different facials to our clients according to their skin type, and the amount of time and budget they have.
• Makeup removal: We remove all makeup from the clients face before we start the facial so that it doesn't spread all the toxins in face while doing the facial.
• Deep cleansing: Is the preparation to start the facial with. It cleanses the dirt and oils from the facial and neck area. 
• Steaming: Is necessary during your facial because it opens up your pores, by opening the cuticles of the skin which makes it easier for extractions.
• Extractions: Involves the removal of white heads and black heads.
• Exfoliation: Involves the removal of dead skin on your face, with an exfoliating scrub.
• Mask: A mask is applied to the skin and left on for 15-20 minutes; it hydrates, cleanses and revitalizes your skin after the facial. It is then wiped off, and a moisturizer is applied.

All personalized to suit your individual skin care needs. After your facial we don’t recommended to apply makeup for at least 2-3 hours, the reason is because the pores of your skin are not completely closed.

We have a large variety of facials available at our salons. We have our express facials 30 minutes, standard facials 45 minutes, deluxe facials 60 minutes and super deluxe facials up to 80 minutes. All of our facials range from $30.00 - $69.00

Written by Vee

Waxing

Waxing is a type of semi permanent hair removal which removes the entire hair from the root. Waxing is painful as it is pulling out your entire hair; the coarser the hair is the more painful it can be. Depending on your individual self it may take up to 8 weeks or more for your hair to grow back although some people might start seeing re-growth in 1-2 weeks. Compared to shaving that may take just 1 week or less to grow back, this is because when you shave you’re cutting off the top of the hair not pulling them out. Before being able to wax your hair must be at least half a centimeter long, the longer the hair is the longer lasting results. Waxing will not change the pigmentation of your skin, however if you spend time in the sun straight after you have had your waxing done you can burn a lot easier.  Almost any area can be waxed, eyebrows, upper lip, underarms, stomach, arms, legs, bikini line and back.

Advantages:

•    Waxing does not make your hair grow back thicker each time you do it; you might find the hair will grow back less course and quite sparse.

•    Your hair won’t come up darker.

•    It exfoliates the skin; the wax sticks to your skin and removes the top most layers.

•    Your hair will grow back slower, softer and finer.

•    If the hair is waxed often enough it can weaken the follicle and cause permanent loss of hair.

•    The more times you wax the less painful it may get.

•    Minimizes the chance of getting ingrown hairs.

The wax that we use in our salon is an olive based strip wax which is very gentle and less painful when we pull. There are two different types of wax that we use in our salons:

Strip wax - is accomplished by spreading a wax finely over your skin in the direction of hair growth. A strip is pressed, rubbed and is ripped off against the direction of hair growth. We use this strip wax to remove hair from the body area.

Hot wax – Hot wax is applied thickly with no cloth or wax strips. The wax then hardens and cools and it then allows us to pull the wax straight off the area. Thick wax is applied on smaller areas of the body such as your face and the more sensitive areas such as your bikini line or underarms.

In our salons the waxing services we do are;

Face waxing, under arms, legs, arms, stomach, bikini line and back. We do not do Brazilian or men’s’ waxing.

Written by Becc