The Beauty Diary - Balayage

Dear Beauty Diary,

This week my main goal was to achieve the balayage look. The new trend has suddenly swept across the celeb nation with stars such as Jessica Biel, Rachel Bilson, Sarah Jessica Parker and Elle McPherson sporting the natural look.

So what is balayage? Well first of all, Bridget from The Salon IFSC tells me that the technique has actually been around for ages, but the style, which she says is "recession proof" is only just starting to get popular.

Cameron Diaz has recently tried out balayage.

So the main difference between balayage and getting highlights?

1. No roots people!! Yes balayage is designed to give the affect of natural hair tones, the top will always be darker than the bottom, so no need to top up every 6 weeks, you can leave it every 3 months if you want.

2. The colour is 'painted' onto your hair, instead of seperate sections being packed up so that every second strand has the colour.

3.Your hair colour will have much more natural tones as it is supposed to match up to your natural colour.

All the colours are only a slightly different shade to your own colour.

So this is the end result, but I'm going to talk you through each step. Like I said before, the best place in Dublin for balayage is The Salon IFSC. Stylists Danielle and Bridget both have experience in the technique but Bridget as been doing it for longer, so she did my hair this week:

1. Step one, you have to choose what type of Balayage you want. I had bright blonde going in to the salon, but I knew I wanted a dark chocolate brown at the top, falling into caramel/dark blonde at the bottom.

2. Bridget mixed up two different colours. First the chocolate brown for the top of my hair, to create the no root effect, and then the actual balayage mix, which picks up natural tones along your hair.

Getting my balayage on!

3. I was left to relax with a big mug of tea and magazines for about twenty minutes, before Bridget put an all over toner on my hair, from mid-lenght. Remember I wear Hotloxs Hair Extensions, so Bridget made sure to tone them all down.

4. Ta Daaaa, I was finished. Bridget gave me a beautiful curly blow dry with lots of volume and the balayage look was complete.

I have a much darker look all over with painted on lighter tones throughout.

Bridget says that balayage is easiest for brunettes, dyed or natural, because she literally "paints" the colour on with a brush. So if you want light blondes, or deep caramels on a brunette colour it is really easy to accomplish.

I had the toner put in because my hair was so blonde and I really wanted to tone it down, but most of you wont need that at all.

I instantly fell in love with the balayage look. As always The Salon IFSC always produce the colour and style exactly the way I want it.

Also if you are looking to walk on the wild side you can get balayage with red or pink tips, this would work lovely on a dark brunette or someone with black hair. But please God do not follow this horrible look from Kate Bosworth.

Kate went too far with her dip-dye look.

Overall I am so so so happy with the look. Like I said at the beginning of all this, Bridget said the look is "recession proof". I don't need to go back to the Salon IFSC for about 3 months now. In fact the more it grows out, the more natural it will look.

Long term this look is so much cheaper than highlights and looks so more natural. Models all over the world use this technique to give that natural and youthful look, and it genuinely makes your hair look like it has never been touched with dye.

If you have any more questions about the technique, leave a comment below or email me on msmaggiered@gmail.com.

I'll be back next week with another Beauty Diary, testing out a brand new beauty treatment. In the next few weeks I will be checking out the best make-up out there, starting laser hair removal and trying out a new hair extension technique.

Miss Red

xxx

PS!!!

To book an appointment with the amazing Salon IFSC, call them on 01-611-6958 and check them out on FACEBOOK.

And to get amazing real hair extensions like I have, contact Hotloxs Hair on their FACEBOOK and their WEBSITE.

Coming Soon - The Beauty Diary

Hey guys and gals, you have probably heard me waffling on about my new segment 'The Beauty Diary'.

Starting this week I'm going to document some beauty treatments from the incredible The Salon IFSC. Firstly I will be going to my favourite stylist in there, Danielle, to transform my look.

I want to transform my look like this, for The Beauty Diary.

I have always had a slight obsession with my hair, having died it bright blonde from about 15 onwards, and dealing with breakage and damage over the years from dying it red, brown, and back to blonde.

But since gettng my amazing hair extensions from Hotloxs Hair, my hair is looking glossy and bright but I think it's time to change my colour.

I've had tonnes of emails in from blog readers asking what Balayage is and how it works. It's become a celeb favourite with Drew Barrymore, Cameron Diaz, Jessica Biel and Rachel Bilson flaunting the style.

I've decided it's time to make my hair colour more natural. Balayage works to bring out only your natural highlights, so it will never have a block colour or a stark contrast.

It's rarely advertised in hairdressers but The Salon IFSC do the method and they do it extremely well. Some Irish fans of the look include Miss Ireland Emma Waldron who has always favoured her natural colour, the balayage simply gave her a sun-kissed look but kept her natural tones.

I'll be transforming my hair from this blonde look.

There are also many other beauty treatments I am going to try out and document over the next few months.

After I get my hair done I will be starting a full treatment of Laser hair removal on my legs. I will keep you updated every week!

Until next time,

xx

The Salon IFSC

IF you are looking for top stylists, relaxing treatments and top class service then The Salon IFSC is the perfect choice for you.

As you know I review a lot of different salons/services/products in the health and beauty world and The Salon IFSC combines everything I look for in beauty business. On entering the salon I am greeted with friendly staff and left to wait in comfortable surroundings with faux fur seats and beautiful candles.

Once I was greeted by my stylist Danielle (she came highly recommended) I was offered a cup of coffee, as most salons do. But the difference is this was a massive mug of coffee with a hand full of chocolate fingers on the side, so when they say coffee they really mean it.

I was really impressed by the entire set-up, the modern beauty salon is only open since September, but they have already built up a massive clientel and are constantly busy.

So what do they do there? Well honestly they provide every service you could possibly think of. I went there to get highlights, something you would think any hairdresser could do, but this was the best hair treatment I have ever recieved.

I've always wanted that Jennfer Aniston/Lauren Conrad hairstyle: subtle blonde with tones of brown and caramel. But everytime I have said that before, hairdressers have just put block blonde in my hair. Danielle, thankfully, really listened to what I wanted, and using four different tones in my hair, she gave me that sun-kissed look I have always been looking for.

So happy with my highlights from The Salon IFSC

As well as meeting my colour needs Danielle styled my hair exactly the way I wanted it. I can't tell you how hard it is to explain to a stylist that I hate flat hair, I want volume and a slight waive, but Danielle did exactly that no questions asked. It's clear that the customer always comes first. But at the same time all the girls were extremely helpful when it came to hair care tips. they won't do anything to your hair that may damage it. They are here to make your hair beautiful not just please you newest hair idea.

This attitude made me feel extremely looked after, knowing that I was leaving my hair in the hands of professionals who cared about my overall hair's health.

My natural look, dyed and curled by stylist Danielle

But there than hair-styling at The Salon IFSC. The modern set-up also has a beauty centre where they provide sensual massages, relaxing manicures and pedicures, make-up artists are available to beautify you for that special event and you can also induldge in Velashape, the slimming treatment that is proven to remove inches off your waist with no surgery whatsoever.

You can try so many innovative services at The Salon IFSC. As well as the Velashape weight loss treatment, which is showing to be a massive success, they also provide laser hair removal for both men and women. After a few sessions your legs/arm pits/any other areas will be completely hairless... FOREVER!

I found that this Salon offers more innovative treatments, beauty services and hair styling than any other salon I have seen so far. With so much going on I was worried that the environment would be too busy, and that would definitely put me off, but it wasn't like that at all. Although I could tell their business is doing extremely well, with the beautiful scent of lit candels, calm music and a gorgeous cup of coffee in my hand, I was able to sit back and relax, which is what pamerping is all about right?

Here are the full list of all The Salon IFSC's services, go on, induldge yourself:

•  Click here for the full list of facials, massages and body treatments at The Salon: BEAUTY

• Click here for the full price list for the best hair treatments from The Salon's extremely talented team of stylists: HAIR

• Click here to view the prices of nails, make-up and tan treatments: NAILS, MAKE-UP & TAN

• Click here to see the prices for laser hair removal: LASER

• Click here to view the price list for the velashape treatment, which takes inches off your waist after just a few seessions: VELASHAPE

The Velashape technique

PS!!

Here are the details on how to get to The Salon IFSC, and remember to mention Maggie Red when you get there :)

• Address: Unit 1, Mayor Street, IFSC, Dublin 1, Ireland

• Phone: 01 611 6958

• Email: info@the-salon.ie

• Facebook:  The Salon IFSC

Hours:

Mon: 10:00 - 7:00 pm

             Tues - Thurs: 10:00 - 8:00 pm

Fri: 10:00 - 7:00 pm

Sat: 9:00 - 6:00 pm