Happy New Year! Party styles and salon specials

Oh what a year 2012 has been! Many highs and many lows – but what would the mountains be without the valleys right?! Bring on 2013 we say!

As we head into New Year’s celebrations, we have a few more style suggestions to share with you! If you need some assistance creating a stunner look for your various soirees, we are but a phone call away! Be quick - we’re filling up fast with New Year party blowdries!

Also, make sure you take advantage of our January special: Half-head of foils for HALF PRICE! Now that’s a great way to start the year!

New Heights Scarlett Johansson’s voluminous wavy ‘do is a perfect style for a cocktail evening or dinner party – sophisticated and sassy in one!	Rollin' Waves No matter the occasion, you just can’t go wrong with soft, natural-looking curls. Kirsten Dunst’s deep side-parting and subtly defined ringlets are all class!
Laced in place Side swept or centre-parted like Nicole Ritchie, a sleek French plait is great for day soirees. If you have the length, English braid your remaining tresses or twist them into a bun. For shorter hair, tuck any loose ends under or into your braid.	Quifftastic Whether your hair is short or long, a quiff is a winning party style. Paired with a French roll (like Carey Mulligan), simple chignon, or half up/half down style - a quiff can add a bit of edge to your elegance.

Check out last week's article for more Festive-season styles to take the stress out of your New Year's celebrations.

HAPPY NEW YEAR ALL!

*All images courtesy of Zimbio.com. Nicole Ritchie image courtesy of StyleBistro.com 

Merry Christmas! Festive-season styles to take the stress out of the celebrations.

Only 1 day until Christmas! Woohoo!

The party season is in full swing, and with the inevitable influx of festive celebrations we thought you might need some hair inspiration and support.

Take the stress out of dolling yourself up by booking an appointment with us! We are open between Christmas and New Years, so take advantage and have your special occasion blowout or up-do created by the Wellbeing Salons team. Check out our opening hours, book your spot, and choose your style....

Halo Braid Halo braids are divine, but Dianna Agron’s fish-tail plait really is the cherry on the top. With a slightly dishevelled texture, this style is an effortless crown of laced beauty. For more braided inspiration see our ‘Braid beauty’ article.	Hair Tinsel Adding a piece of hair glitz is a great way to Ritz-up a basic style. A dainty jewelled accessory, like Jenna Dewan’s tiara provides the dazzle you need to go from pretty to pretty stunning! Find some great accessory options in our article ‘Bedazzle your hair’.
Elegant Waves Reach glamour perfection with vintage waves like Jessica Chastain’s red carpet number. Lustrous and side-swept this style is super chic! Learn how to create similar curls using your hair straightener here.	Top Notch The humble bun becomes immaculate elegance with a few quick tricks. Like Rosie Hungtinton-Whiteley’s perfect topknot, it’s all about achieving a sleek, high and perfectly formed bun. Here’s the how-to to recreate this look.

*All images courtesy of Zimbio.com

 HAVE A VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Christmas & New Year Hours

Holiday Hours for Richardsons Hair in Northampton:
(Bookings line 01604 631984)

Monday 24 Dec (Xmas Eve)		9am to 1pm
Tuesday 25 Dec (Xmas Day)		Closed
Wednesday 26 Dec (Boxing Day)		Closed
Thursday 27 Dec		Closed
Friday 28 Dec		10am to 6pm
Saturday 29 Dec		8am to 4pm
Sunday 30 Dec		Closed
Monday 31 Dec (New Years Eve)		9am to 1pm
Tuesday 1 Jan (New Years Day)		Closed
Wednesday 2 January onwards		Normal hours

-----------------

Holiday Hours for Ice Hairdressing in Baldock:
(Bookings line 01462 616168)

Monday 24 Dec (Xmas Eve)		Closed
Tuesday 25 Dec (Xmas Day)		Closed
Wednesday 26 Dec (Boxing Day)		Closed
Thursday 27 Dec		Closed
Friday 28 Dec		10am to 6pm
Saturday 29 Dec		9am to 5pm
Sunday 30 Dec		Closed
Monday 31 Dec (New Years Eve)		Closed
Tuesday 1 Jan (New Years Day)		Closed
Wednesday 2 January		Closed
Thurday 3 January onwards		Normal hours

-----------------

Holiday Hours for Allure Hair & Beauty in Dunstable:
(Bookings line 01582 662355)

Monday 24 Dec (Xmas Eve)		Closed
Tuesday 25 Dec (Xmas Day)		Closed
Wednesday 26 Dec (Boxing Day)		Closed
Thursday 27 Dec		9am to 5pm
Friday 28 Dec		9am to 5pm
Saturday 29 Dec		9am to 5pm
Sunday 30 Dec		Closed
Monday 31 Dec (New Years Eve)		Closed
Tuesday 1 Jan (New Years Day)		Closed
Wednesday 2 January onwards		Normal hours

Christmas gift inspiration

We’re less than 10 days away from Christmas - a merry occasion of feasting, tipples, gifts and laughter with family and friends! How exciting...but preparations can also prove to be a little stressful!

If you’re a bit stumped on the pressie front and need a few gift ideas that don’t involve chocolates, socks or DVDs - we’ve got the perfect list for you! Wine hampers, hair-dos, jewellery and slippers…read on for Christmas gift inspiration…

Tatty Devine From personalised necklaces to creative cufflinks, you’ll be able to find reasonably priced, crafty British jewellery for even the most difficult to buy for. Shop online or at one of their two London stores.	Fortnum & Mason From wine collections to tea hampers, Fortnum & Mason offer a delightful range of confectionary, fresh foods, beauty products and leather accessories – all wrapped up in stunning gift baskets or boxes. Having been around since 1707 (when they supplied candles for the queen), you can guarantee Fortnum & Mason offer excellent gifts options.
Lush Luscious indeed! For fresh, handmade, organic beauty products and fragrances – Lush is your go to. With everything from soaps and shaving creams to lip balms and lotions, you’ll be able to find something for everyone here!	Alphabet Bags A young husband and wife team have a super cute online store that offers typographic and alphabet inspired tote bags, purses and more! Great stocking filler gifts!
Wellbeing Salons Pamper your loved one with a gift voucher from us! Treat your someone special to a cut, colour or treatment by simply phone or email us! Easy!	Cewe Photobooks Create your own personalised, super professional photobook for the ultimate keep-sake gift. It’s quick and easy to organise, and you can choose from a range of styles and sizes. A smart and sentimental pressie for friends and family alike.
Laduree For extraordinarily delectable edible gifts, you just can’t go past a special treat from Laduree at Harrods. A box of colourful macarons is sure to put the sweetest of smiles on anyone’s face!	Ruby + Ed Super cute slippers and winter snugglies. For practical but uber sweet gifts for all ages check out Ruby + Ed. Their Christmas gift sets of slippers and other winter snugglies are brilliant! Browse and buy online or at one of their UK stockists.

 

A quick note regarding our holiday hours: In most cases all three of our salons will be open as per usual during the Christmas and New Year's period. Contact us for more details.

3 simple styling tips for thick hair (plus an important reminder!)

 

First things first - We thought we’d better alert you to the fact that our pre-Christmas appointments are filling up fast! So if you’d like a trim, colour or full re-style you best book swiftly! Give us a call ASAP to guarantee yourself a spot.

Now, for the subject matter of the week… 3 simple styling tips for thick hair

It’s easy to blame bad hair days on the type of hair you have, but really it’s comes down to managing what you’ve got. Last week, we focused on fine hair – if that’s you, check out our styling tips for the finer ladies! This week, we’re concentrating on those of us with an abundance of hair.

If you have thick hair, you most likely wish you had less to deal with. Au contraire you voluminous vixens! Better to have too much hair than too little right?! It can seem like a bit of a burden to deal with your copious strands of beautiful, but here are some tips to lighten the load…

The cut: The most manageable hairstyles for thick hair are either nice and short – which makes style control easy, or longer layers with enough weight to hold your tresses down. Thinning and textured layers can do wonders for helping your style sit better naturally, as well as relieving you of some of the bulk. (Just as long as the layers aren’t so short that they add volume instead!) Come and have a chat with us about the best cut for your hair type, hair texture and face shape.

The blowout: The main issue for thick hair when it comes to blow-drying is the time it takes to style it. Your hair won’t hold any shape until it’s about 80% dry, so to help speed up the process, ditch some of the dampness by gently squeezing your hair with a towel and then roughly blow-drying your hair with your hands before converting to a brush to style. (A nozzle attachment is a great accessory for thick hair as it concentrates the heat and can help smooth out your hair.) For extra tips on how to create a beautiful blowout check out our article ‘The art of hairdrying’.

The products: Thick hair craves hair products that will infuse moisture, condition and control, and make styling manageable. Seek out shampoos and conditioners that are moisture-rich (deep conditioning treatments are a great addition too). Shine serums are a great styling tool for smoothing dense hair and controlling frizz.

The colour: It’s best to opt for high or low lights rather than a full colour as solid tones can make your locks look a little “wig” like. By combining a few complementary hues you can soften your style and lighten the density of your hair.

The wash: A common issue that comes with thick hair is an itchy, flaky scalp. Residue shampoo, conditioner or styling products on the scalp are the usual culprits. To avoid having this problem, make sure to wash and rinse your hair well. Read our article ‘Achieving a salon-standard hair wash at home’ for more tips.

 

3 simple styling tips for fine hair

It’s easy to blame bad hair days on the type of hair you have, but really it’s comes down to managing what you’ve got.

If you have fine hair, you’re forever after more volume. If you have thick hair, you most likely just wish you had less to deal with! Whatever hair type you’ve been blessed with, it’s time to celebrate (instead of curse) it.

This week we’re offering a few simple styling tips to help redefine fine hair. If you fall into the “thick hair” category, stay tuned for next week’s article.


3 simple styling tips for fine hair

Ok you fiiiine ladies! The aim of the game with your hair type is to fend off flat, limp locks and boost body and texture.

The blowout: Giving you’re hair a good blow-dry is a great way to add fullness to fine hair. With your head upside down, use a diffuser attachment on a medium heat to up the oomph of your blow-dry. Finish with a blast of cool air to lock in the volume. For extra tips on how to create a beautiful blowout (including achieving sleek & straight or voluminous waves) check out our article ‘The art of hairdrying’.

The products: The wrong type of product or too much of it can weigh fine hair down, resulting in limp, greasy looking locks. Seek out lightweight shampoos, conditioners and styling products that are tailored specifically for fine hair. A detangling spray is a lighter option that can substitute hair conditioner. Avoid gels and waxes, and opt for styling pastes and volumising mousses instead.

The cut: In fashion, you elect clothing that forms and highlights attractive contours in all the right places. So too can your hair be cut and styled in a way that forms body and texture where it is lacking. Opting for a cut that sits above the shoulder will automatically add fullness to fine hair. Likewise, adding balanced layers to any length hair is a great way to add shape and texture. Come and have a chat with us about the best cut for your hair type, hair texture and face shape.

An extra tip: When choosing a new hair colour, take note: darker shades can add dimension and the illusion of thickness to fine hair.