Louise Galvin is one of the UK’s leading colourists and
daughter of the legendary Daniel Galvin at whose London salon she is based. I
asked her why brunettes have difficulty when covering grey?
Brunettes find it much harder to cope with those first
grey hairs. “Vegetable colours can end up grabbing the ends, highlights can go
too brassy. What do you advise?
“I always carefully paint out those first few greys with a
little colour for as long as possible. Less is more in this instance but too
many colourists will insist on a full colour at the first sign of grey – too
much and not necessary.”
What are the general guidelines in choosing colours when
you have 50 per cent grey or more?
“I often do highlights and then paint colour between the
lights to cover grey, using the lighter grey tone as your lightest ‘light’ to
add contrast and allowing the grey to shine through as a natural tonal
light. Colour glosses really help at this stage of the greying process to
blend and soften grey with a translucent colour.”
A bad hair colour can age you. For example, if you go too
dark, it can emphasis lines and wrinkles. While going too light can drain you.
How can you hold back the years?
“Condition! Condition! Condition! Hair that is well
conditioned and glossy is always more youthful. Try my Sacred Locks Intensive
Treatment Masque (£26, louisegalvin.com) once or twice a week. This really
infuses the hair with moisture and nourishment. Improving the health of the scalp
as well as nourishing hair and taming frizz, the silicone free formulation is
created to deeply condition the hair without weighing it down. When colouring, we keep the hairline a shade lighter than the rest of the hair to ‘light’
the eyes and create a pretty soft halo effect.”
Highlights or a single process?
“Everyone’s hair is unique, I personally prefer to highlight
hair for as long as possible. However as the hair becomes greyer (75 per cent
or more) a single process is usually required to truly cover grey. But I still
like to add some lights throughout to
add movement.”
What are the pitfalls of colouring dark hair at home?
Choosing the wrong colour.
So many people think they are a light brown but are in fact a dark
blonde. There is a big difference and we have so many people contacting us
about our Louise Galvin Hair Colour Remove (£14.95, louisegalvin.com) to help
remove a too dark colour without damaging the hair.
“Also, many
home colours are sold as semi-permanent when in fact they are permanent
colours. Remember: if you have to mix two bottles together, this is a PERMANENT
colour and will need to grow out rather than wash out or fade over time.”
If you do want to do it yourself, how do you choose the
right shade from the rows of shelves in the supermarket/chemist?
“I would always recommend going to a salon for a
professional consultation – most good salons offer a free colour consultation.
Really listen to the colours they are suggesting and ask lots of questions.”
What about touching up roots yourself in between salon
visits?
“I haven’t
yet found anything that is widely available that I think is great. But, if you
find something that works for you, this is fine. Old traditional Roux sticks
(£7), available from pharmacy shops such as John Bell & Croyden (johnbellcroyden.co.uk) can
be good. A great tip for ‘emergency cover’ is Batiste Dry Shampoo for
Brunettes, Blondes etc (£3.99, Boots). These will help until you can get to
your colourist.”
There are always stories in the press about the risk of
using hair dye, especially if you are a brunette. Please comment.
“Unfortunately, hair colour is a chemical so it is important
to always do a patch test, particularly if you have sensitive skin.”
How do you keep dyed hair healthy?
“Use gentle products that don’t strip colour. My own range
of products, Louise Galvin Sacred Locks and Natural Locks (louisegalvin.com)
are all formulated to protect colour and are free from SLS, parabens and
silicone so they will not strip colour. And referring back to my
Condition! Condition! Condition! mantra, if hair is nourished colour will be
locked in more effectively. I recommend to all my clients to use a
treatment on their hair at least once a week. My formulations are so
natural the masque can be left on overnight, adding moisture and shine without
weighing the hair down.”
Good and bad examples of brunettes?
“I think both Kate Middleton and Samantha Cameron are
the perfect brunettes – their hair always looks glossy and vibrant.
“Meryl Streep in August : Osage County
– the colour is so solid and draining, perfect for her character. There is no
movement or tonal quality to the hair which is incredibly ageing and not
glamorous.
“Cate Blanchett can also look very ‘washed out’
when playing characters with brunette hair as she has such alabaster skin.”
By Daralyn Danns
