I love this time of year – the daffodils are out, the sun is shining, spring is definitely springing! Now's the ideal time to give your haircare regime a spring clean.  Everyone gets a confidence boost when they’re hair is looking fab, so here are my top 10 tips for luscious locks.

1. Invest in good tools!  A wide-tooth detangling comb should be used on wet hair and a cushioned paddle brush on dry hair.  These are gentle on hair and will minimise breakages.  The paddle brush will also help you create a sleek look when you blow dry. 
    
2. Find a shampoo and conditioner that work for you.  Take the time to have a good look at your hair and identify what sort of hair you have.  If you’re not sure, ask a friend or your hairdresser.  Then use products that are designed for your hair type, so if you colour your hair use a shampoo and conditioner designed for coloured hair, if you have particularly dry hair then use products that are made for this problem.  You’ll notice the difference, trust me.
   
   
3. Rinse, rinse, rinse!  Conditioners are an essential part of your haircare regime as they restore moisture, but if not rinsed properly they can cause hair to look lank and dull.  For mid-length hair use around a fifty pence piece sized blob of conditioner, for shorter hair reduce this amount, and for longer hair add a little extra.  Run the conditioner through your hair from mid lengths to ends, making sure you avoid those roots.  Rinse thoroughly, and when you think you’ve rinsed enough, rinse a little more. 
   
   
4. Beat the heat.  Repeated use of hairdryers, curling irons and straighteners will seriously damage your hair.  ALWAYS use a heat defence product and where possible limit use of heated tools.
   
   
5. Dry Shampoo is the modern women’s saviour.  Spray to the roots of your hair and this will ensure you get one extra day out of each wash.
    
6. Treat yourself to a mask.  Just as you would indulge in a face mask and a hot bubble bath, indulge in a hair mask.  They’ll give your hair an extra conditioning boost and leave you with super soft and silky locks.
    
7. Kirby grips are a girl’s best friend.  Take them wherever you go and you’ll never have a hair out of place again.
    
8. It’s behind you!  When styling your hair don’t forget to pay as much attention to the back of your style as the front.  Invest in a three-way mirror and you’ll have picture perfect hair from all angles.
    
9. Ensure a polished salon finish, every day with a hair serum.  Pop a little serum in the palms of your hands and rub together, smooth your hands over the lengths of your hair, concentrating on the ends where hair is driest.
    
10. Experiment.  Whether it’s being bold with colour, taking the chop, or simply changing your daily pony tail for a loose side bun, experiment with your hair, be brave, get creative and don’t let fear hold you back.   

Come on…lavish some love on those locks

Andrew
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Andrew Barton · haircare tips

WHAT:   Avon Advance Techniques Professional Hair Colour Media Launch

WHERE: Andrew Barton Hair Salon, 25 Henrietta Street, Covent Garden, London, WC2E 8NA

WHY:      Introduce media to Advance Techniques Professional Hair Colour

WHEN:   Monday 4th April, 2011

We all know there's nothing quite like a change of hair colour to re-vamp your image and boost your confidence and with this in mind I made my way to London to see what all the hype was about and WOW - what an exciting day it’s been! I was kindly invited by our Public Relations team to join them at Andrew Barton’s Hair Salon in Covent Garden to witness the buzz and launch of our NEW Advance Techniques Professional Hair Colour Collection to the beauty press.

The salon looked stunning and was alive with chatter and laughter. Throughout the day there were loads of journalists popping in to view live hair colouring demonstrations by Andrew, which gave them a great opportunity to see the before and afters and a chance to ask questions. After the demonstrations, journalists were also treated to a wash and blow dry from an Andrew Barton stylist before leaving with a gift bag.

Declan, a lovely stylist at Andrew Barton’s approached me and asked if I would like my hair done – obviously I snapped up the opportunity! Never been one to achieve wonders with my long locks, I was thrilled! Firstly, he washed my hair in Advance Techniques, then blow dried it, adding in amazing amounts of volume using our Large Barrel Brush - I’m definitely going to be investing in one of these! He also used Long Beautiful Anti-Breakage Spray which is a handy strengthening treatment, ideal for long hair and finished it with Daily Shine Mirror Shine Spray which helps reduce frizz and boost shine. I loved the results. It was light, bouncy, glossy and smelt gorgeous. Even my husband noticed!

Check out our video of Carley - she's was one happy lady! She went from a fairly dark brown to a deep blonde. What a stunning transformation – it looks so natural and perfect for summer.

We've got some more great videos of the press launch to share with you over the next few days - so make sure you subscribe to our beauty blog.

Advance Techniques Professional Hair Colour goes on sale in the UK on May 12th. Give your Representative a call for more info.

Abi Redecen – Online Beauty Editor

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Advance Techniques · Andrew Barton · Hair Colour

Forget spring or summer, my favourite time of the year is right now… awards season!  It’s all glamorous, sparkly dresses and, of course, stunning hair styles.

Over the last five years or so the red carpet has been more about ‘hair down dos’ then ‘hair up dos’.  Although I am a HUGE fan of long luscious locks and super sleek blow-dries I can’t help but think that a red carpet event is about going all out, and for me that means creating an ‘up do’ to be proud of.

Scarlett Johansson looked the epitome of elegance at the Golden Globes last month with a pulled back, curled style that was shown off with a stunning diamond hair accessory.

Here's how you can re-create this look at home:

1. Any great style starts with prep and just like a great make-up look hair prep starts with a great base product such as Avon’s Advance Techniques Bodifying Foam. After applying the mousse evenly throughout the hair blow-dry the hair smooth before using a medium sized curling tong to create the curl. All this time consuming blow-drying and tonging will make a great base for the hair to be up (and stay up).
2. Gently brush the hair away from the face with a bristle brush making sure not to brush out the curl. Lift random sections of hair and secure them to the head with a simple Kirby grip to match your hair colour. This looks great on all age groups and all hair colours.
3. If you have fine hair use a bun ring to add more fullness to the hair. Bun rings are foam enhancers that can be pinned to the head and then the hair piled and pinned onto the padding.
4. Use a three way mirror in your “boudoir” to make sure you can see the hairstyle from all angles. With all the hair secured spritz a final mist of hairspray over the hair to give hold and shine.
5. Hair accessories are bang on trend for both day and evening hairtyles. This season be brave and experiment with over sized pieces of hair jewellery like Scarlett’s statement piece

Give this gorgeous style a go and you can rest assured it will work with the most stunning of evening gowns, cocktail dresses or even a great pair of jeans and killer heels.

See you soon

Andrew

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Andrew Barton · haircare tips · Hairstyles

Hello everyone! How exciting, my very first blog for Avon.

I thought I’d start by telling you who I am and how excited I am to be to teaming up with Avon.

I’m Andrew Barton, I’ve been working as a hairdresser for over 25 years and am still as passionate about creating perfect hair as the day I started.  I’ve been lucky enough that my career as a hairdresser has allowed me to work with celebrities and on TV and even pick up a couple of awards along the way.  My job is to help women look and feel amazing, and nothing does that more than fabulous hair. That’s what Avon is all about, empowering women to look and feel great.

The question I always get asked is, what’s my favourite thing to do with hair, cut, colour, style?  The truth is I love it all.  When working on ITV’s Ten Years Younger I used to love doing the makeovers as it was always a total transformation but then I just love working with celebrity clients to create a stunning style that’s going to wow on the red carpet.

Well I look forward to keeping you all updated on the fabulous world of celebrity hair on my new monthly blog.

Andrew x
 

Andrew Barton · Hair Stylist

Find out who's been saying what about our products in the press

Dailyexpress.co.uk, 15 October 2010 True Colour Eyeshadow Quad in Mocha Latte has been included in a roundup of the best eyeshadows.

Handbag Online, 17 October 2010 Herve Leger Femme was included in a roundup of new Autumn Winter fragrances.

Birmingham Mail, 18 October 2010, p20 Luxe Lace Ultra Colour Rich Lipstick was included in a budget beauty page, which included products for under £10.

Handbag Online, 22 October 2010 Avon’s Luxe Lace Eyeshadow Quad was included in a roundup entitled ‘The 50 Best New Beauty Buys under £20’.

Closer, 23 October 2010, p69 Ideal Shade Pressed Powder was included in the ‘Beauty Insider’ section of the magazine and Reese Witherspoon was featured in the regular ‘Beauty secret weapons'.

Heat, 23 October 2010, p101 Avon Mega Impact Lipstick in Fuchsia Fun and Avon SuperMagnify Mascara in Black was included in a beauty round up of ‘The many faces of Rachel Bilson’

The People, 24 October 2010, p17 Kids Mild & Gentle Body Wash was included on this week’s beauty pages.

Daily Mail, 21 October 2010, p66-7 ANEW Platinum Serum was included in a beauty decades piece.

Real People, 28 October 2010, p29 Avon True Colour Eye Shimmer in Petal was included in an eyeshadow feature. Glamour Online, October 2010 In Bloom by Reese Witherspoon and Outspoken by Fergie were included in a roundup of the Best Celebrity Scents.

Find out who's been saying what about our products in the blogosphere

Best Tressed, 17 October 2010 ANEW Beauty Age-Transforming Foundation was reviewed by Stephanie Maylor.

Chiconomise Online, 18 October 2010 Luxe Lace SuperShock Mascara was reviewed in a spend vs. save feature compared it to e.l.f. Studio Mineral Infused Mascara.

Pampered and Polished, 18 October 2010 Nailwear Pro in Golden Twilight was reviewed by Andrea.

Beauty Wowza, 18 October 2010 Luxe Lace collection was reviewed by Priya.

The Beauty Scoop, 19 October 2010 Avon’s Luxe Lace SuperShock Gel Eyeliner was reviewed by Claire.

Miss Nifty, 20 October 2010 Avon’s Luxe Lace collection was reviewed by Sarah in Beauty News.

Pampered and Polished, 22 October 2010 Avon’s Nailwear Pro Cherry Jubilee was reviewed by Andrea.

A Model Recommends Youtube channel, October 2010 Luxe Lace SuperShock Gel Eyeliner featured in Ruth’s makeup tutorial for going to a casting.

Find out who's been saying what about our Representatives and the Avon Brand!

Stylist, 20 October 'Work life' – Full page feature regarding Avon Sales Leader Gail Reynolds and her hugely successful Avon business, discussing her day-to-day work life. Includes an image of Gail Reynolds and references her Avon website.

PR · press coverage

Get more good-hair days between appointments

Trade up your cut
Track down an experienced stylist to do your hair… a precise, expert cut looks better for longer. If you have short hair, which often needs monthly appointments, ask your stylist for a style that grows out well.

Keep on top of ends
After a haircut, keep your ends hydrated by using a daily leave-in conditioner. If they look fuzzy some days, work in a dab of shine-enhancing oil to smooth them.

Stop splits
Five or six weeks after your cut, when split ends start to appear, try an at-home glossing treatment to help seal strands and add shine.

SIY… Snip it yourself
Yes, really… if you have a fringe, be bold and trim it. Smooth down dry hair with a comb, then hold your scissors so that the tips point up at a slight angle and trim a bit at a time. And don't snip horizontally, which can lead to, eek, overcutting.

Contact your local Representative and ask them about our Advance Techniques haircare range. We have some fantastic products to help you keep your hair tiptop between appointments! 

Abi – Online Beauty Editor

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Fashion · Haircut · Hairstyles

Exciting news – we have just heard from Anthony Barrow, our haircare expert. Anthony has just selected the WINNER of our Lotus Shield Flickr Competition.

AVONALEX is the WINNER

Anthony said "I love that Alex still has movement in her hair and it looks like Lotus Shield smoothed the surface without change the style – well done AVONALEX"

Congratulations AvonAlex – you will be contacted shortly and your goodies will be on their way.

Abi – Online Beauty Editor

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Competitions · Haircare · Hairstyles

We asked you to try out our new Lotus Shield product and to upload your before and after photos onto our Flickr page.

A big thank you to all our entries who were brave enough to show their before and after photos. The Avon judging panel decided to select all entries as we only received 8 (minus the Avon head office staff  who joined in the fun) and all have been passed to Avon’s Global Haircare Expert – Anthony Barrow, who will select the overall winner!

Lotus Shield Competition – Flickr Finalists
Cheesecake28
Kazz1979
Miss Deacon _Bigwardrobe
Chessie_x
Clare1669
Pam
AvonAlex
Tina Georgeson

The winner will be announced soon and will win £250 worth of Avon goodies – so watch this space!

Good luck everyone!

Competitions · Haircare

Summer is unfortunately soon coming to an end but this doesn’t mean the Festival Season is over – there are still plenty to choose from for a fabulous weekend getaway with friends!

However, when going to a festival, there are always a couple of things we ladies are concerned about… mainly, what clothes should I pack? Do I need to prepare for sunny or muddy days? And most prominently, what products should I pack to keep my shower-fresh feeling lasting as long as possible?

We all enjoy a bit of grunge time at festivals, but working at Avon has kept us in the loop with this year’s festival-fresh must have products. For a bit of Festival glam, style and freshness, we’ve got the perfect picks from head to toe

 

1. For fabulous looking frizz-free hair that can last even 2 days after your last wash, try our brand new (and big hit!) Avon Lotus Shield.

2. Never leave home (or your tent) without a bit of eyeliner – use our Supershock Gel Eyeliner Pencil for bold, intense colour that will last for hours.

Keep lips plumped and shiny with the Pro 3-in-1 Lip Wand. All that singing in the crowd won’t go unnoticed now!

3. To top off your festival fashion, indulge yourself in a fabulous, bold and chunky Alisha bracelet, with decorative raised dots reminiscent of the season’s tribal trend.

4. Keep your legs smooth and moisturised with our Skin So Soft Original Dry Oil Body Spray.

5. Who would have thought standing all day could lead to such aching feet? To avoid sore and damaged feet on the journey home, try our Foot Works Cherry Ice Cooling Foot Spray. It’s a miracle cure!

If you’re looking for further inspiration, don’t forget to visit our website, particularly our Festival Glam, Festival Fresh and Festival Fashion sections! Have fun!

Anti Frizz product · Fashion · festivals · Make-up · Makeup

Hi, I'm Leynah Woolley and I work in Public Relations at Avon. I'm really lucky that part of my job means I get to spend time with some very interesting people, like Jackie Tyson our Celebrity Make-up Artist and Anthony Barrow, our haircare expert. Recently we made some videos to show everyone how they can get the most out of the new product Advanced Techniques Lotus Shield and how to create the perfect Festival Look.

I loved making the festival ‘get the look’ video, which you may have seen on an earlier blog post. I’ve filmed lots of videos with Jackie over the last year and am always amazed at how much I learn each time … I could listen to her talk make-up all day.

Anthony Barrow came over from New York to help us spread the word about Advance Techniques Lotus Shield so us PR girls thought it’d be great to introduce him to Jackie and get them to film a festival look together. We’re really pleased with the results.

It was a really fun video to film which I think you can see from all the giggling we’re all doing in the ‘behind the scenes’ footage!

I really thought our gorgeous model Charli’s eye make-up was amazing, so I felt like the luckiest girl in the world when Jackie asked if I wanted mine done too! Of course I said yes. Thank you Jackie, I had sooooo many compliments from my friends when I went out that night and it felt great to tell them that Avon’s celebrity make-up artist did my make-up!

Leynah x

Celebrity · Cosmetics · Haircare · Makeup