Last week I went from golden and honey highlights to a gorgeous rich dark brown. I only went for a semi-permanent colour just in case I hated it, Thank God I don't! :)  I'm booked if for 5 weeks time, by which point I was told it will have faded considerably. Can anyone recommend any products, which have helped the colour last longer?  I just don't want drab looking hair!  I went dark so it would be more shiny!
My other question is on hair straighteners, I've had mine for ages now and think it's time to invest in a new pair.  Has anybody found any really good ones, I have thick, long wavy hair, which can be a pain to straighen, so they've got to be up to the job :D

GHD Straighteners. The best. :)

Unfortunately, GHD are rubbish on my hair, plus I've had a few friends who've had the ceramic bit melt into their hair!  Put me off for life

redken,paul mitchell, products which are sold in hairdressing shops only and thats the best place to buy products from not from a well none chemlist.

the only reason why tell you i got a salon.

I bought some GHD ones late last year and they work quite well on my thick curly hair providing I do it in small enough chunks and the weather is very dry. Slightest hint of moisture in the air and curls come back.  Had a  lot cut off yesterday and have decided to let it go curly again so it looks a fraction of the length it did when straight

Do you use product in your hair before you straighten Christine?  This really helps keep it straight.  Try something like GHD Oil or the L'Oreal thermal balm stuff, which I find great (both purchased from hairdressers, not chemists).  A little over each section before you straighten should keep it straight and frizz free for longer.

Yes, I use some Paul Mitchell products - such as heat seal, the straighten gel (can't remember what it is called) and a soft hairspray on each strand just before I use the straightners - must admit it is much too time consuming for my lifestyle and I rarely do it thoroughly unless I am going out.  I prefer to wash my hair and leave it to dry while I am outside with the dogs :D

Maybe too much product?   :D

strange - i have never heard bad reports. i love mine, couldn't live without them :)

Have you tried the thicker GHD ones?  I couldn't live without mine!

briedog, I've just bought some Redken colour extend cream and a straightening/smoothing butter cream from hqhair.com (my second fave website after champdogs :)
It's cost me a fortune, but hopefully my hair will look fab now!  I dread to think how much I spend on my hair and makeup every month

OMG scary!  I thought I was the only one!  :D :D

Another of my fave websites is www.lookfantastic.com they're a bit cheaper than HQ Hair.

The ghd ones were on Watch dog as they blow up.

Yes, but the women who they "blew up" on didn't stop using them did they :) I'd risk it!! I LOVE mine.

GHD's are fab, I couldnt be without mine, I have v thick curly hair and they flatten it wonderfully!!

I must have freak hair then, and my mates must be using them wrong! I wouldn't be surprised about that one though !:) 
Anyway, still completely undecided but I 'm going to a wholesalers on Saturday where I can get them cheap, so fingers crossed I will get some good ones for half the price!  Just spoken to a friend who got some and she says they are amazing, really really hot, 10 x better that GHD etc and are £120 but cost £60 in this place.  I'll let you all know what they are and if they're up to the job! :D

For the colour, I would use sheer brunette (?) I think thats what it's called. I use the sheer blonde and it's brill. It helps keep the clour stronger and makes the hi=air really shiny (even my bottle blonde :D)

Good Luck

Kelly

I used to work for Salon Services, a trade supplier.  We always recommended Kodo straighteners, as they were on par with GHD but cheaper and more reliable!

My hairdresser (who is a friend and fellow Am cocker owner) no longer stocks GHD ones, as they had to refund on almost all the ones they sold!  I can recomend Aveda colour products, especially the conditioner, for kekeping colour depth between treatments.  When I went "redheaded" for about a year the Aveda madder conditoner kept the colour realy strong and glossy all the time - you have to be careful and wear gloves when applying, as they contain very stong natural colourants.  Quite expensive, but superb, natural products.

bye
Gwen

Hiya
Ive just invested in a new pair of trevor sorbie straightners and they work excellent on my hair.. thats fairy curly/wavy

Donna and charliex

Im with you ChloeH GHD all the way - I couldnt live without them :D :D  Everyone I know uses them without problems even all the hairdressers I go to use them :)

(in fact the OH has had to sort out an electic supply for our tent when we go camping so i can use my GHD's ;) )

LOL - thats the sort of thing I do. I would also only ever use ceramic straighteners - not metal - a they are kinder on the hair (or so my hD tells me!)

ive been using straigtners for years and have used all sorts of naff ones - I just cant believe I lived without GHD for so long - how sad is that :D

GHD's - expensive but well worth it! However my hair is the frizzy type (don't even bother straightening it when theres moisture in the hair) and its dried my hair out considerably, I started getting a lot of split ends. Now once a month I use the hot oil shampoo type stuff you buy in Boots - problem sorted!

Char

Hi speaking as a hairdresser I would only wash your hair with shampoo and conditioner specially formulated for coloured hair. Ask your hairdresser when you go for your highlight/lowlights what she/he reccomends as using normal everyday shampoo can and will make your coloured hair fade quicker than normal.Red hair colour fades quicker than any other colour as it has a smaller molecur than other colours and comes out of the hair quicker.

As for using hair straghtners as long as you use a protective serum they should be ok, just watch your ends of your hair as that is older hair and will tend to split with over use of the straightners.I personally use bed head TIGI products and reccomend EGO BOAST leave in conditioner for the ends of your hair to protect from split ends..

As like anything you do with your hair ask your hairdresser for advice and she/he will point you in the right direction for healthy looking hair..There are too many people walking around with DIY disasters looking like over processed straw!!!

Jane..S.R.H....

Considering what it will cost me tomorrow for a perm :p I hate all this talk of hair straighteners! Do any of us actually like our hair the way it is I wonder :)
Jacqueline

My hair isnt curly but it isnt dead straight which is the rotten thing about it :rolleyes:

I'm lucky and have naturally OK hair.  Even if I leave it to dry it looks presentable!  Ijust love it being super straight :)
My Redken products have arrived and I always use L'Oreal colour protecting shampoos and conditioners anyway.  Just always wondered if they were any different.
And belive me I have every single hair product under the sun, heat protecting spray, serums, straightening balms, Curling agents, the list is endless!  :D

I'm with all the other GHD lovers :-D  Apparently they were only blowing up due to people wrapping the flex round them to put them away and obviously it caused them to blow :-)  I'd kill for a nice colour on my hair- probably highlights but to be honest I'm not the sort of person to keep on top of the roots and it'd end up looking a mess :-)

Stacey x x x

Another GHD lover here!  I have been using straighteners for 9 years now, and got my GHD's 18 months ago - oh the difference they made to my hair!  My 2 babyliss and 2 braun straighteners haven't been out of the cupboard for 18 months now!

The comment about the Watchdog thing made me laugh and want to reply - I saw that report last year, about them blowing up, and whilst I remember it every day when I use them and I worry about it happening, it doesn't stop me using them either :-D

Kash is right, it was caused by people wrapping the flex round them when they put them away.  I never think about it :)

Hi Rachel

How were you Redken products?  Do they make your hair feel soft and shiny?  If so, I might give them a go as it's been ages since I used Redken and you reminded me how much I used to like it!  :)

Earl, they are fab!  Only used one of them so far.  It was the conditioning one so I left it on for fifteen minutes and my hair was super silky and soft afterwards.  It was expensive but well worth it!  I'm only planning on using it once a week, so it should last a while :)

Thanks Rachel.  Guess what I'll be going to get at lunchtime!  :rolleyes:  :D

:D I've already done my monthly shop from hqhair!  Seen as it was pay day I thought I deserved a few treats!  I just love the DuWop lip glosses, I've bought a friend one for her birthday :)

Back from lunch with sarnie and Redken smoothing conditioner!  Will hopefully have beautiful soft, shiny hair tonight!  :D

Rachel, you should give www.lookfantastic.com a try as they do have quite a few of the same hair products and beauty things as HQ Hair, but they have them discounted.

Can you tell me which one it is that you used please as my hair needs some decent conditioning done on it.
Cheers
Carolyne

Carolyne, it was the Redken Smoothing conditioner.  Comes in a round tub thing.  Used it last night and my hair felt lovely afterwards.  Also good are the Indola products in green packaging - they have an intense conditioner too.  You can get them from Sally if you have one of these near you.

Dont know where you live but a shop called bodycare sells ceramic straighteners for about £14 pounds and on my hair there better than ghd straighteners!!! They brilliant and there cheap! I have natural red hair and at the moment im still at that point where i dont like it but ive been told that as i get older i will grow to love it.

dollydaydream xxx

I have natural red hair too! I used to really hate it. Now I do love it, check out this site its for all us red heads www.redand proud.com

I will, thanks for that redhead!!

dollydaydream xx