We recently caught up with London based hair stylist, Mark Woolley. Mark told us all about his favourite celebrity hairstyle of the moment, how to achieve it and what his must-have product is. Plus, he answers three of your recent hair care questions and gives his expert product recommendations.
Celebrity hairstyle of the moment: Carey Mulligan
Mark says, ‘Carey's new super short pixie crop is perfection. It's cute, playful and has totally updated her style. Here's how you can achieve the look at home - with long or short hair!
Step one: Apply a blow dry product like Kerastase Ciment Thermique (£14.99, electric-hair.com) to damp hair from root to tip and rough dry.
Step two: If you have longer hair, dry the back and sweep into a low ponytail at the nape of the neck. Twist and upturn to create a twist with the ends of your hair at the top and pin.
Step three: Grab the ‘peek-a-boo fringe' and sweep with hands, pushing the hair to one side (in this instance hands work better than a brush to create less structure) blow-drying as you go until completely dry.
Step four: Finish with a serum such as Shu Uemura's Hair Camelia Silk Oil Smoothing Fluid (£19.99, electric-hair.com)
Mark Woolley answers your questions:
Hi Mark
I have very thick curly frizzy hair. My hairdresser is recommending having a Brazilian keratin treatment but I don't want my hair to be straight I just want it to lose the frizz but still have loose curls. I don't know enough about this product to see if this would work, and ideas?
Thanks, Carole
Hi Carole
A Brazilian keratin treatment certainly sounds like a good option. The only time I wouldn't recommend them is if you have fine or weak hair, as the treatment can be too much. However, as yours is thick, curly and frizzy it's ideal. A Brazilian keratin treatment tends to eliminate both frizz and curl, so will get rid of a loose wave. You'll still be able to tong hair though to achieve a curl but once it's washed it will go back to the smoother and sleeker look.
Dear Mark
I suffer from really resilient grey hair, can you recommend a good hair product to cover them up? I have tried some shop brought dyes but they don't seem to cover them up for long. I would rather use a home product than go to a hair salon as I don't have the money. My hair is also very dull, dry and fine and not that easy to manage - any recommendations? I would like it to be thick, bouncy and full of life.
Thanks
Hi there
The reason you probably aren't getting the right coverage at home, isn't necessarily just from the product you are using but also the application technique. A salon stylist will not only use a better quality product, but he will section the hair and apply product to each individual area- something which is extremely difficult to do by yourself. They also tend to use more than one colour, weaving a separate one nearer the roots to masking re-growth for longer - so can actually turn out to be more cost efficient than you think. If you are dead set on choosing a home colour, enlist the help of a friend to get better results in the areas you can't reach.
They key to bouncy hair is in learning to master the perfect blow-dry. For this the correct tools and products are essential. As you have fine hair don't overload it with heavy products as they will just make it limp. I'd recommend using a lightweight heat activated product like Kerastase Ciment Thermique (£14.99 electric-hair.com), which will help protect hair and hold the style. Rough dry hair to 90% then use a styling brush to gain height from the scalp. I thoroughly recommend Denman Head Huggers (from £8.18 denmanbrush.com) which is a curved styling brush shaped to the contours of your head. You don't need to master a technique with it just simply wrap your hair in it and direct the hairdryer flow through the barrel, hold like a heated roller until completely dry...and voila.
Hi Mark
I have natural red hair but as I've gotten older it has started to fade and got a bit mousey. For a change about two years ago I dyed it red, and since then I haven't stopped. Now, I'd like to turn it up even more. I want my hair to be literally fire engine red! To make this change I decided to go to a pro, and pay the extra money to get it done right. But for some strange reason my hairdresser lost her nerve and chose not to pre-lighten my hair (on her managers advice) and I ended up paying through the nose for a typical red colour. I'm already leaving home dyes on my hair for up to double the time, to try and make the colour brighter.
What can I do besides having regular trims to keep my hair in good condition, but get it intensely red? Thanks, Laura
Hi Laura,
I would categorically ask you to never pre- lighten hair at home! It has the potential to be quite damaging and the correct application for this is all about expert timing. Leave it on for too long and it will damage your hair making it more porous and easy to break, leave for too short a time and it won't absorb the colour properly. In this instance always see a professional to keep in the best condition possible. Ask for a salon range by L'Oreal Professional called Magi Rouge which has lovely intense red colours that work really well on pre-lightened hair.
To ensure your colour stays intensely red, avoid UV light as much as possible and use a gentle shampoo and conditioner that wont strip the hair of pigment, like Kerastase Bain Miroir and Chroma Reflect (electric-hair.com)
Mark's hero product:
"My favourite product without a doubt is Kerastase Resistance Ciment Thermique (£14.99 electric-hair.com) it's a leave-in heat protector that doubles up as a great product for styling and smoothing without any residue. It's an essential for a professional looking blow-dry that you can achieve at home. Simply apply to towel dried hair, avoiding the root and style accordingly"
Mark Woolley
29 Thayer Street, London, W1U 2QW
0207 935 0015.
markwoolley.co.uk
