When I was much younger, I was a proud, Avon representative. I chose Avon because I knew, even back then, that AVON is a leader in the skin, cosmetics and fragrance arenas. But now, today, as a beauty reviewer, I’m literally wowed with the array, quality and trend-worthy accessories Avon offers.
What I didn’t really know much about was Avon’s impressive line of hair products, called Advance Techniques. From shampoos and conditioners, to stylers, soothers and finishing products, these are not just affordable, but offer high tech, high quality, high performance. Now, Avon offers DIY hair color, too.
Avon’s Advanced Techniques Professional Color is Avon’s first hair color line in the United States. It launched this Spring. To learn more, editors were invited to meet Lori Goddard, a celebrity colorist and Avon Advance Techniques Professional Hair Color Global Expert. The first thing I noticed about Lori was that she had beautiful hair. When I complimented her, she immediately told me that her color was created with Avon’s Hair color.
Avon’s hair color is a three-step process. There is a pre-treatment that helps mend damaged hair so color absorbs evenly and is protected while coloring. This is important because you hair may havedamaged patches that may be more porous (and therefore absorb more color and create an uneven color). Step two is where the magic happens, you apply the color. It’s at this point I caution you to really read the instructions carefully. If you apply the color all over at the same time, some parts of your hair may absorb more than others. This is true for any do it yourself hair color. Knowing how and when to apply the color, and how long to keep it on your hair, is essential. But Avon makes it as easy as possible, with a a non-drip formula that keeps you, your clothes, and your bathroom, cleaner and easy to manage. Finally, the last step is a Lock-In TechnologyPost-treatment with shea butter that helps keep hair healthy, helps to reduce fading, and creates more lasting color and shine.
All of this sounds wonderful, but at-home hair color is not for everybody. I selected two colors (one is the color Lori uses on Fergie) but then chickened out on actually using it. But for just $7.99, if you are someone who colors her hair at home, this new coloring system seems to offers a lot, for very, very little. Editors saw the results you can achieve on a real model. A young woman who volunteered to have her hair colored by Lori, prior to the editor’s event. Her hair looked healthy and shiny, and richly-colored.
If you are ready to try a new product and get gorgeous color, there are ten red to blonde, four deep brown to red, nine brown, and two black shades that give you a lot of colors to work with (and you can mix them together, if you feel like it). In general, you should select a shade no more than 3 levels darker or 2-3 levels lighter than your natural or colored shade. For a touch up or to add some life to your existing hair color, these new shades will wow you. But for dramatic changes or for complicated highlights. It’s still best to seek the assistance of a professional.
No matter who colors your hair or what hair color you’ve applied, Avon has a bunch of hair care products that will help you keep that color looking great. For starters, I really like the Avon Advance Techniques Color Protection Shampoo and Conditioner ($6.00 each for 11.8 fl. oz.) And if you color your hair, you can use the Advanced Techniques Color Protection Lock-in Treatment every time you shampoo. For $8.00 you get 3 tubes of Avon’s excellent, Heat Infusion Treatment. This not only helps strengthen color treated hair, it makes it shiny and more manageable. The product warms on contact with wet hair and scalp to infuse both, with moisture. Although I can’t corroborate this, Avon claims when you use this product (in conjunction with the other Avon Advance Techniques Color protection products), your color could last up to 6X longer.
Another favorite Avon Advance Techniques product on my “love” list is the award-winning, $12.00 Lotus Shield Frizz Control. This product is also a leave-in treatment that was inspired by the natural protective shield of the lotus leaf. Applied to clean, damp hair, it adds a lightweight moisture barrier that might not completely eliminate frizz in a rain forest, but really makes hair look sleeker, smoother and shinier under normal conditions. You’ll see instant results that can last up to three days. Now, that’s amazing!
These and lots of other great Avon Advance Techniques hair products are available through your favorite Avon representative or at www.avon.com
