Photos of my updated hairstyle as requested from several of my readers. I have had it cut a bit shorter and had more layers put in to give it more bounce.
I have also been asked to share my haircare routine. I started going grey about fifteen years ago. Slowly at first with a few silver streaks at the front of my hair. At the time I was highlighting my blonde (at that stage rather a dirty mousy blonde) on a regular basis. I continued with this regime for some years asking my colourist to leave the ever increasing silver strands. This was to allow the two complimentary colours to co-exist harmoniously together. The back of my hair continued to refuse to go grey and in fact seemed to get darker. This created a rather strange demarcation line so I had more highlights put in at the back of my hair to even things out.
I have continued with this process for many years now allowing more and more grey to emerge so that now I only have a few highlights at the top and back of my head. I would say that I am lucky in that my hair has gone a soft silvery grey and I still have thickish slightly wavy hair.
My advice would be to get the best hair cut you can possibly afford. It is the most important criteria in this transition process. I have a wonderful hair stylist in London and have just found an equally good one here in St. Tropez. The cut needs to be as flattering as possible and in my opinion modern and easy to care for.
Now for my routine. I wash my hair approximately twice a week using L’Oreal serie expert silver shampoo. The shampoo is a deep purple (reminiscent of the traditional blue rinse popular in my mother’s day). It helps to keep my hair a silvery tone and prevents it going that horrid brassy colour. I then add Kerastase discipline fondant fluidealiste conditioner. This helps to tame my hair and stop it going frizzy, which it tends to do when the weather is damp or humid.
If I want a bit of shine I will use Kerastase Chroma cristal shine perfecting mist after blow drying. As I like my hair slightly tousled I blow dry my fringe while damp but leave the rest of my hair to air dry to about 80% and then smooth it with a medium size roller brush.
Finally if it is a bit windy or damp I give my hair a spritz with L’Oreal tecni Art fix design. I find it softer than the traditional hair spray. You can still run you fingers through your hair without that sticky feeling .
Now for the “hat hair” trick. I love hats and if you are a regular reader you will know that I am wearing a hat in a high percentage of my photos. Any style from fedora to beanie to beret seem to suit me. I must admit that I have a head’s start in the “hat hair” stakes as I have naturally thick and bouncy hair.
However there are times when hats do flatten my hair. This is how I get that bounce back. Batiste dry shampoo. I spray a little on the roots and rub it well in. Then I use a medium to large round brush to lift the roots and give them a blast with a hairdryer. For extra height and lift you can gently backcomb the top, back and sides of the hair with a fine comb.
I have recently discovered a new version of Batiste with XXL volume. I buy this at my local chemist in London but can’t seem to find it on the internet. I think that this is similar but have not tried it Batiste dry styling plumping powder
This method works for me. Do let me know if you have any tips or tricks of your own that you would like to share.
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Love, your new hair cut.
Your cut looks fabulous, Josephine!!
I love the haircut and so agree about getting the best you can possibly afford (or find..)
As to going grey. Well, I tried it many years ago with a similar routine to what you have done. After two years I said NO! I do not look my best with grey! Add to that frizzy, thick and totally unruly hair in the summer and humidity, and it was awful. So, it's all over color and high and low lights every 10 weeks, with me filling in with color at home. It works beautifully for me, but did take time to get it just right!!! However, I am envious of all those who can do the grey....
Absolutely love your new hair cut, very chic indeed. I started going pure white about 20 years ago. Unfortunately the red in my hair at the back and over the ear refused to turn white. Thus a definite line. When we downsized and moved to a smaller city, I found a wonderful hair stylist who suggested adding some highlights here and there and voila it worked. Too bad I waited so long for a solution.
Hi Eleni
Glad you finally found the solution to your hair colour. Red tones can be quite tricky to manage. Highlights can definitely be a great help.
On the plus side, I've noticed that redheads tend to get a beautiful shade of white.
Nice observation. Thank you Rita
Love your haircut. Thank you for sharing your lotions and potions for grey hair, and especially thank you for sharing the name of your person in London. I was able to get my hair done by her last Saturday when I was in town. She is just lovely and I got a great haircut. It was worth the 3,800 miles I traveled just to have her do my hair. Of course, I was doing other things on my trip, but getting my haircut by her was a nice treat. We joked that now I had an even better excuse to travel more regularly to London. I wish it could be for regular cuts, but I will see her again whenever I can get over. She spent a lot of time discussing what kind of cut might look best on me (I agreed) and even gave me tips on the cutting techniques she used to pass on to my regular stylist in the US. As I said, she is lovely and I quite enjoyed my time with her, so thank you, again.
Hi Mary
So glad you managed to get a haircut with my London stylist. I agree she is lovely and generous and as I said in my latest post "I have a great stylist in London". I find that her cuts last a long time and hopefully when you have a trim back home your stylist will be able to follow her techniques
The haircut--and color--is VERY nice. Thanks for the tips!
You are welcome Jane
Thank you for sharing your tips on your hair as it does look fabulous. I am envious. My hair is thick and curly and mainly grey to which I add a few highlights to give it a lift. The grey is not such a lovely shade as yours. Finding a hairdresser who knows how to cut curly hair is very hard and I travelled to Vancouver in the summer and had the best hair cut ever with a stylist who knew how to cut curly hair. Needless to say I am planning a return visit soon once we can travel over the mountains. So many stylists cut it as if it were straight hair and then when it dries it is a nightmare. I am using many of the Devacurl products that I can buy locally that I find work well to tame my curly hair and stop it from getting the really bad frizzies.
I love your new haircut, and really enjoy your blogs. I must have missed the name of your London hair stylist, but see someone else has been and pleased with the result. Would you mind giving it again.
Hi Nancy
The name of my stylist in London is Karen Pringle she works at Richard Ward Salon
Love the new hair cut - very flattering. I have a chin length bob and would love a similar cut but not sure it would work with poker straight fine hair.?! Or maybe it's all in the products ?
Hi Josephine- I'm so glad you wrote this post as I've Have long admired your lovely hair. My hair is also gray and I feel it's getting a little dingy. I've ordered the shampoo and conditioner you mention in the post. I have another question that has nothing to do with this post but is about a fur collar you wore with your puffer coat in the St Tropez market post you did. I adore the look. Can you tell me where you got it? Thanks!
Hi Brenda
My fake fur collar is from Hobbs. You can see a close up of me wearing it on the beach in my recent post Here If you click on the link below SHOP THE POST it should take you straight to their site. I have checked. It is still available and reduced in the sale.
Thank you! The one on the beach looks so different from the one in your January 13th post (it looks like it ties) I thought they were different collars.
Sorry Brenda my mistake I was not paying attention. You are right they are different. The one I am wearing in the market was given to me a few years ago by a friend in Grimaud. It came from the local boutique. There are similar around I have seem some at Nordstrom and John Lewis.
Again, Josephine, thank you so much for taking the time to reply. I have ordered the one from Hobbs.