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| Tress up: (From top) Babla?s hair before the session, Sabina working on her hair colour, the final styling in progress and the finished look, straight in front, with curls at the back. Pictures by Rashbehari Das |
The first leg of festivities are finally over with Durga puja gone by, but the best is yet to come for a large part of Calcutta?s population. With Karwa Chawth on Sunday and Diwali in a couple of weeks, there is still much dressing up to do.
If you are already bored with your Puja makeover, here are some suggestions for a brand new one. The regime of hair colouring, straightening and cutting has started again. With a multitude of colours and cuts to try out, here is one combination that might be the winner for you.
Undoing
The model has naturally curly hair and also a coat of previous hair colour. So the first step is actually to undo the existing colour, to make the hair free to accept the new colours that go with the look.
The last time Babla coloured her hair was almost three months ago, so it is perfectly safe to try another shade. But to maximise the effect of the new colour, the hair must be treated, technically known as pre-lightening.
?We use a product called Effasor that helps remove the previous colour build,? explains Sabina Yah. The shades are ?Oreal?s colours of the season ? golden highlights with a mahogany base. ?There is no specific time that Effasor has to be kept on the hair. You have to keep checking if the strands have turned pale yellow,? adds Sabina. Once the hair turns this hay-like tone, it means the de-colouring is complete. The next step is to rinse out the hair thoroughly. Now it is ready for the new hues.
Colour code
The two dyes ? Light Blonde Golden Reflect for the highlights and Mahogany Ash Reflect for the base ? are the international autumn-winter collection colours.
?Gold and mahogany look good on the Indian complexion,? suggests Sabina. ?Just one colour is monotonous and is best avoided. A combination of two to three colours is ideal for a lively look.?
At the end of the two-hour session, Babla?s tresses have been transformed into a mass of brown and gold ? just right for her wheatish complexion.
Straight drive
Like Babla, most Indian women have naturally wavy hair. So for the more sculpted look that Babla wanted, straightening is usually required. Alternatively, you could leave some of the natural waves intact for that casual, unkempt look. ?One can just straighten the sides and keep the rest of the hair wavy,? recommends Sabina. Internationally, both straight and wavy are in this season, she stresses.
Cool cut
The snipping gives Babla a sweet yet chic look. The mid-length hair with rounded sides and loose curls lends softness and elegance. Care is taken to give the carefree look and allow a subtle interplay of colours. The bold styling contrasts highlights on top with gently structured volume.
