Back in mid-March, I attended a special John Frieda dinner alongside many of my fellow beauty bloggers and editors during which we were treated not only to delicious culinary confections (including a trio of fluffy mousses poured inside an edible chocolate box made to resemble the John Frieda Precision Foam Color packaging) but also to a presentation by brand executives and John Frieda creative consultant Harry Josh, the man behind the red carpet gorgeous locks of such celebrities as Rose McGowan and supermodel Gisele. During the evening, then, we learned all about John Frieda’s latest launches — chief among them the John Frieda Precision Foam Colour Salon Blends Collection ($12.99 at food, drug, and mass retailers nationwide) and the John Frieda Full Repair Style Revival Heat-Activated Styling Spray ( ($8.99 at food, drug, and mass retailers nationwide). At the end of the evening, we were sent home with full tummies and a bag filled with these new products for us to experience.
So first, let me give you the scoop on the new John Frieda Precision Foam Colour Salon Blends Collection ($12.99 at food, drug, and mass retailers nationwide). On the heels of last year’s hugely successful Precision Foam Colour launch, John Frieda decided to expand its hair color offerings, focusing on incorporating various tonalities for a nuanced, multi-dimensional effect. Though described as “custom blends,” that terminology can prove a bit misleading since the foam hair colors obviously weren’t personalized for each and every user (the mere fact that they were mass produced indicates they’re not one-of-a-kind blends) and you can’t mix and match tones to concoct your own unique mix (though that’s probably a good thing since these types of experiments can go horribly awry). That being said, these colors were blended exclusively for John Frieda, making the term “custom” applicable on a pre-production level.
The five shades in the collection were developed with the help of John Frieda Creative Colour Director, Nicola Clarke, and were designed to reflect the most popular hair color choices of her salon clientele. The new hues offered are:
- Dark Caramel Blonde (Natural/Beige/Gold)
- Dark Cool Pearl Blonde (Pearl/Beige/Natural)
- Lightest Cool Almond (Pearl/Beige/Natural)
- Light Bronze Brown (Natural/Beige/Copper)
- Light Amber Brown (Natural/Beige/Gold)
For optimal results, you want to select a hair color that’s no more than two shades lighter or darker than your natural hair color. If your hair is dramatically color-treated (i.e. you went from having raven locks to platinum ones or you transitioned from strawberry blonde to dark mahogany), the Precision Foam Colour won’t deliver the type of results you need. If, however, you want to experiment with a slightly different hair color or you want to cover up gray hairs, you’ll love the easy-to-use quality of the foam formula (you literally mix the ingredients together, pump down on the applicator to release the foam and massage it into your hair and scalp until it’s fully covered in a froth-like cloud) and the depth of the colors. Thanks to the incorporation of different tones, your hair color will look natural and lustrous as opposed to the flat and dull feel of some at-home hair dyes.
Since I went from dark brown to light blonde almost a year ago, I was unable to test the new Salon Blends hues myself, but I did have one of our editors experiment with the Light Amber Brown shade, and she was stunned by the results (as was I). Her color looked believable but it had more razzle-dazzle than it did before — which, in turn, made her feel like she’d reinvented herself (and for less than $15 at that!).
What I personally adored was the latest addition to the
John Frieda Full Repair collection: the
John Frieda Full Repair Style Revival Heat-Activated Styling Spray ( ($8.99 at food, drug, and mass retailers nationwide). Since I do have severely color-treated hair and I rely on blow dryers, curling irons, and flat irons to keep my hair looking presentable, I’ve managed to inflict quite a bit of damage on my mane. Sadly, it’s become a bit of a vicious cycle — my hair looks more brittle due to breakage, split ends, frizz, and overall dryness, so I lean on hot styling tools all the more but, by doing so, I effectively abet in the deterioration of my hair’s condition. Sure, I’ll spray some heat protective spray before styling and I’ll apply restorative hair masks and serums on a weekly basis, but these steps aren’t enough to effectively restore my strands to their golden days.The John Frieda Full Repair Style Revival Heat-Activated Spray relies on a heat-activated, flexible polymer technology that essentially coats strands and increases volume without sacrificing movement, bounce or texture, so that your mane looks fuller but feels soft and smooth. This invisible “coating” also protects stands from heat damage — in fact, the heat triggers the protective layer’s formation. And, as with all Full Repair products, the Style Revival spray incorporates Inca Inchi Oil, one of the most buzzed-about ingredients to surface in the last year due to its restorative properties. Extracted from the Sacha Inchi plant native to the Peruvian Amazon, Inca Inchi Oil has an Omega-3 concentration of 48%, an Omega-6 concentration of 36%, an an Omega-9 content of 9%, making it an invaluable source of fatty acids.
Ideally, you want to apply the Style Revival Spray to damp hair before your styling routine, working section by section and lightly spraying each piece from root to tip. Though it’s not necessarily recommended for use on dry hair, I’ve done so in the past (whenever, for example, I needd to touch up a flat ironing job), and it’s managed to work just as well, without leaving hair feeling greasy or weighted down.
Is my hair healthier since I started using the Style Revival Spray? Well, I can’t say that the Style Revival Spray reversed the years and years of damage I’ve managed to wreak on my hair, but I can confidently say that, when I do use this product, the maltreatment isn’t as noticeable. And, of course, there’s the added benefit of knowing that I’m not furthering any existing damage by styling my hair, which eases my conscience about my over-reliance on flat irons. All in all, it’s a welcome addition to the Full Repair line.
Though floral prints abounded on the Spring 2012 runways, only a handful of designers managed to make blooms appear bold and graphic, stripping them of any dainty femininity and instead positioning them as ultra modern motifs. Perhaps the most successful at accomplishing this feat was designer Prabal Gurung, who manipulated floral prints to make them appear pixelated, digitized to the point of near surrealism. Even the work that inspired him — the photographs of deep violet blooms in decidedly erotic shapes that can be found in Nobuyoshi Araki’s Sensual Flowers series – proved to be a satisfyingly provocative choice. In the end, Gurung produced one of the most exciting collections showcased during Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in New York City, with dresses and separates replete with psychedelic, Rorschach-like print and engineered floral motifs, interesting sheer panels to create the illusion of nudity, laser-cut and hand-painted materials, and interesting textural juxtapositions.
