As soon as I decided to bleach my hair last year, people started warning me that once I did, I'd never want to go back to black. Since then, I've been three different colours: pink, purple, and now, blue. It sounds fun, but I have the breakage to show for it, from little wispies around my face to short strands through my crown and plenty of dry ends. But for the most part, my hair is healthy — or at least as healthy as double-processed hair can be.
It turns out, that first warning is proving to be very true. So much so, my colourful hair has become a huge part of my identity. I like to think of it as a built-in accessory that makes me feel confident and put together, whether I'm all dolled up or just rolling out of bed.
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My colourist Madison at Spoke & Weal does an incredible job minimising damage to my hair, but it's the at-home work that can mean the difference between a straw-like feel and a soft, healthy one, no matter your natural texture. After dying my lilac hair blue last month, I really looked at my hair care routine, throwing out all the lacklustre products I'd been trying, and just sticking to things I know actually work. You can watch the full transformation above, then stick around for my updated hair routine in the second half of the video.
Pureology Strength Cure Shampoo, £13.85, available at Look Fantastic; Pureology Strength Cure Conditioner, £16.10, available at Look Fantastic; Olaplex No. 4 Bond Maintenance Shampoo, £24, available at Cult Beauty; Olaplex No. 5 Bond Maintenance Conditioner, £24, available at Cult Beauty; Olaplex No. 3 Hair Perfector, £18.55, available at allbeauty; Gisou Honey-Infused Hair Mask, £62, available at Revolve; Ohii Magic Hair Wand, £10, available at Urban Outfitters.
Beauty with Mi, hosted by Refinery29's beauty writer Mi-Anne Chan, explores the coolest new trends, treatments, products, and subcultures in the beauty world. Never miss an episode by subscribing here.