I’m not really a hair person. As a fashion stylist, I constantly change up my look. As a beauty junkie, I have loads of fun switching up my makeup on the daily. But as for my hair? It’s just there. I get it cut every 3 months or so (just a trim, please) and wouldn’t normally get it coloured if I didn’t have greys. Oh, and I rarely, if ever, (like maybe 3 times a year), use any heat styling tools on my hair. The dryer just sits there. The curling wand I spent so much money on lives in its drawer unless I have to dress up. And while I used to use my straightening iron all the time, it too has languished over the past few years. While it’s probably healthy to avoid all the heat styling, I counteract the benefits by going to bed with wet hair all the time and often throw it into a ponytail when it’s still wet, which causes serious breakage. I call this no-maintenance, French girl beauty. For the record, I’m not even French. But if I’m honest, I’m really just lazy when it comes to hair.
When Dove challenged me to a hair dare, I was super excited. This was exactly what I needed. I’m not boring. I’m not predictable. And while I’m fine with low-maintenance, no-maintenance is a problem. I feel totally ready for a change. Challenge accepted.
I go to my stylist, Michelle, and instead of my regular ‘Just give me my natural brown - like the colour of my roots, minus the greys’, I say ‘I want to go dark.’ She just stares at me in the mirror. She thinks I’m kidding. We sit there staring at each other for a good minute. After years of trying to convince me to do something fun, here I sit, ready to do it with no prompting on her part. Once I convince her I’m serious, we agree on a shade that’s 2 shades darker than my regular colour and a cut that’s definitely more than a trim. When it’s done, I’m kind of loving it and of course, she styles it in a way that I never have the patience to do myself.
A few days later,I wash my hair with my regular shampoo. I let it air dry but somehow, the air dry look just doesn’t do my new cut or colour justice. My hair looks dry and frizzy and not at all like it did with Michelle. Okay Dove, let’s do this.
I’m usually reluctant to try drugstore brands because I’ve become so accustomed to blowing my full paycheques on salon products. Luckily, Dove and I go way back so there are no trust issues here. When it comes time to wash my hair the next time, I’m ready to try the Dove Regenerative Nourishment Shampoo and Dove Regenerative Nourishment Conditioner. With its Red Algae + Keratin NutriComplex, it helps regenerate the healthy look and feel of hair damaged by over-processing. I never use masks or clarifying shampoos or oils or really anything that I should be using to keep my strands healthy so I totally need this. The shampoo smells amazing and I only need a bit of conditioner to make my hair feel super soft.
I’m feeling so empowered that I decide to bring out my neglected heat styling tools and give them a go. I dry my hair with actual hot air (bam), I straighten it to get rid of my ever-present poufiness (kazow) and I even use my curling wand to give my hair those easy, beachy waves that I always like on other people.
The next time I wash my hair, I decide to really go for it and use the Dove Regenerative Nourishment Serum-in-Oil. After adding a few drops (just put a few pumps in your hand, rub together and smooth through the ends - so easy) my hair doesn’t even look like my hair anymore. The straightening iron usually gives me loads of flyaways and a generally crispy feeling but the oil just gives it this crazy, amazing shine.
No more no-maintenance for this girl. Now that I know I can colour and heat style my hair to my heart’s content and still walk away with gorgeous locks, the possibilities are endless.I should probably let Michelle sit down before I tell her…
Ready to try something new? Why not try the Dove #HairDare challenge? I dare you ;)
The Regenerative Nourishment range, formulated with Red Algae + Keratin NutriComplex, is a specific daily program for damaged, over-processed hair, making it smoother and stronger against breakage - as if damage never happened. Learn More!
Disclosure: This post was brought to you by Dove Canada via Mode Media Canada. The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of Dove Canada.