Today I have a bridal post for you all. As it’s coming up to our first wedding anniversary I thought it’s perfect timing. So a lot of You who have been following me on Facebook for a while know I documented my bridal prep journey. It started in 2013 when We got engaged and continued up until our wedding in March 2015. A lot of brides write to me asking advice about their hair for their wedding and how to get their bridal mane in fabulous condition. I also get a lot of questions about my weightloss in prep for our wedding. I always called it “Bridal Bootcamp” for the craic. I felt I was in Bootcamp with all the preparation and planning for the big day. 

I was inspired to write this piece after chatting with my blogger buddy Lisa Leonard from BeautyFashionFitness.wordpress.com Lisa is currently on her bridal Bootcamp for her wedding in June. Lisa is a great one to follow for any brides out there. You’ll find her on snapchat at BFFLISA

So my own area of expertise is of course Bridal hair I have styled many brides and helped them prepare their hair for their big day. I’ve put together a few tips that would be essential for a bride or even just for anyone looking to improve their hair in general. Depending on how much work needs to be done I’d normally like a year to achieve the best possible condition and to ensure growth, but of course this isn’t always possible. 

• Start to prep the hair about a year before the wedding. Book in with Your stylist for a full consultation to look at the colour , length, condition, cut etc Discuss Your dream hair with Your stylist and together You can make a plan.
• Stop any home colouring immediately. I know most of You don’t colour at home anyway but just in case there’s anyone who still does. 
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  December bride Colette

   
• Book in regular trims with Your stylist. You need a little trim a minimum of every 12 weeks. 
• Get the colour right now. The sooner You get Your colour right the better. If You are happy with Your current shade now happy days. If not You need to start booking those Colour appointments ASAP. If Your hair is highlighted it may or may not need a few full heads of highlights to even it out for the big day. This is something that needs to be addressed early to allow you to build up to the dream colour. 
• Start Olaplex with every colour application immediately. Trust me every girl needs it in her life. Just amazing. I’ve written a few posts on Olaplex You’ll find them on my blog. 
• Make a decision on the shape of the haircut. If You are planning an upstyle I’d recommend growing out any short layers. You don’t need them. A one length or even just some long layers will give you far more options. One place You need some length is around Your face. Avoid chopping into or blending in the sides too much. If Your hair is heavily layered at the moment, commit to growing it out.
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  Bridal trials can be done close to your wedding.

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• Next is Home care, this is the hard part. You need to be kind to Your hair. Treat Your hair with respect. I know this seems obvious but You’d be surprised how a few small changes can improve Your hair immensely. 
• Invest in a salon shampoo and conditioner. Sulphate free. Reccomend by Your hairdresser who actually knows Your hair. Don’t kid Yourself by buying shampoo from the supermarket. It’s cheap for a reason because the ingredients are cheap. It’s really not worth the saving because it costs You more in the long run to undo the damage. 
• Go easy on the brushing. If You suffer with tangles try leaving Your conditioner on longer and de-tangle in the shower with a wide toothed comb. 
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  2013

   
• Go easy on the towel drying , gently pat to soak up the water and de tangle immediately. Don’t leave it in a towel for 30mins and then vigorously brush this will break Your hair. Hair is at its most vulnerable when it’s wet, so be kind. 
• Dry Your hair 100% with a hairdryer with the nozzle on. In a downward direction No head upside down unless you want frizz?? Yes you read that right. Drying it 100% will shut down the cuticle protecting the inner bonds. That’s why you need the nozzle to direct the heat.Tying hair up wet causes more breakage than any heat appliance ever could. 
• Try to avoid over washing. Every second day is plenty and if You can leave it longer by all means do. 
• The Straightner is next. Used properly it really shouldn’t cause too much damage at all. If You condition and Blowdry your hair properly in the direction it’s meant to go. You shouldn’t need much straightening unless You have very unmanageable hair. Wash, condition, dry and if it’s necessary use your Straightner I Reccomend GHD. Take small sections and apply a tiny bit of pressure. You only need to go over the hair once, maybe twice. A GHD will not damage Your hair but poor technique definitely will. As will straightening over hair that has been previously straighted. This will break the cuticle scales causing irreversible damage in which case It will need to be cut off. Do it once, do it properly and leave it until the next wash. 
• Taking supplements can definitely help. I use silica and also EFAs like omega 3,6&9 can really help with hair growth. These can be picked up from Your local Health shop. Heneghans health shop here in Castlebar stock them. 
• I’d reccomend getting Your colour done a few days before Your wedding. At this point You will be only maintaining Your hair. All the steps will have come together and Your mane will be divine. 

 
I’m going to write a separate post on Planning Your bridal hair style. I think it would be very long and information overload if it was all in one post. Please let me know what You think of this post and share if You find it helpful. 

As always Thanks for reading

Love Maria xx

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So I’m back at work and it’s down to business. While I was off our olaplex order arrived. So what’s olaplex anyway?? Olaplex is the new miracle product in hairdressing circles. It’s basically an in salon treatment that we can use as part of the colouring process. Olaplex can be added to any lightening product or colour and can work while the colouring process is taking place. Olaplex works on the inner bonds of the hair which can become damaged during the colouring process. Imagine no damage even with pre lightened??? Yes you read that right.

  
We can also use Olaplex as an in salon treatment I used it yesterday on my own hair and I loved the results. My hair is fine in texture and can be delicate. I love my blonde  and I’m naturally dark so Olaplex is a must have for me personally. My hair has always been weak. I have plenty hair but the individual stands are fine. My hair has suffered between weight loss and stress it has taken its toll. I’m keeping it short at the moment in a sharp Bob and I love it.  I am really impressed with how my hair looks and feels after Olaplex. I can’t wait to try it with my next set of highlights.

  
Olaplex is available from PLATINUM hairdressing Castlebar, and costs €20 per treatment. This is an add this onto the price of any service. For example a full head of highlights is normally €99 with Olaplex its €119. A cut & Blowdry is normally €35 with Olaplex its €55.

I have heard great feedback from other salons using Olaplex. If you are like me with hair that’s prone to breakage You need Olaplex in Your life. So give us a call on 0949035835 and book an Olaplex service today. As always I’d love to hear if any of you have tried Olaplex so leave me a comment. Thanks for reading. Chat to you soon.

Love, Maria xx

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