As we previously mentioned The John Frieda Salon in London had a front row seat at all the top Spring Summer shows and are kindly keeping us up to date on what’s hot and how to create the looks.

Fringes are still big for Spring Summer 2010 – side fringes and sweeping fringes, nothing too blunt – hairspray is not a factor in this look, it’s all about keeping the hair soft for spring.

To blow dry the perfect fringe, prepare the hair by washing. Then apply a frizz ease or hair serum for unruly hair or a volumising mousse for finer hair.  Also depending on the look you want to create or how you want your fringe to sit – to wet hair to achieve a sleek but loose fringe that is texturised but not too ‘finished’ looking.

When the hair is nearly dry, start blow-drying using a brush beginning with the front sections, treating the fringe as separate and sweeping it to the desired side. Direct the nozzle of your hairdryer downwards to smooth the cuticle flat along the hair shaft, and always blow-dry your hair against the direction it will ultimately fall so you achieve plenty of texture and root lift to the fringe.

Hey presto, you’ve got bangs!

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Summer is almost upon us and that means new hair trends have been appearing on all the catwalks.  The John Frieda Salon in London had a front row seat at all the top Spring Summer shows and noted some of the hotter trends emerging for 2010.  We’ll be bringing you their ‘How to’ create the most up to date hair trends over the coming weeks.

Spring and Summer has traditionally meant softer, more natural looks in both fashion and hair trends, and 2010 continues with this theme.  The trends emerging are a departure from the overdone structured styles of the Winter and festive seasons, with an emphasis on softer smoother hair, relaxed waves and fluid bobs as well as a return to plaits.

The experts at John Frieda begin with a lesson on plaits!  Heidi hi all

Braids are a big trend for this season as lots of different types of braids and ‘braid wrapping’ were done in the catwalk shows.

Firstly, prepare the hair by washing and use your preferred product, perhaps a hair serum, working into your hair while wet.

Blow dry the hair first smooth and sleek.  Direct the nozzle of your hairdryer downwards to smooth the cuticle flat along the hair shaft, and always blow-dry your hair against the direction it will ultimately fall.  Ensure all tangles have been brushed from your hair before beginning to create braids.

Part the hair down the middle, dividing the hair into two equal sections as if you were creating pigtails.  Clip one section up to keep it out of the way and using your fingers, divide into three equal sections, proceeding to braid it til the end.  Ensure the braids are pulled tightly so that the hair is neatly tucked into the length of the braid. Attach an elastic band to the end of the braid to secure in place.  Repeat the same steps with the other section of the hair, then twisting the braids around to the crown of the head.  The Braids can be brought up as close to the forehead or crown depending on the look you wish to achieve.

Finish with a spray of hair spray to give a glossy finish and ensure the braids hold in place.

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We recently told you about THE latest hair news to hit our shores, the dry style bar at BT2.  Naturally we will be testing this out on your behalf, just so we can report back… for work don’t you know!

Do you have a big night out coming up and want a red carpet hair make-over?  Whether you are a fan of sleek, bounce or curls the magic fairies at this dry style bar will send you out looking pap-tastic!  Well, the good people behind this ingenious idea are offering one lucky wow.ie reader a free session!!  You can have this session at BT2 Blanchardstown or Dundrum.

To be in with a chance of winning this session just tell us in the comments box below which celebrity mane do you most covet!  Good luck ladies, this is a great one to win

This competition has now been closed ladies   The lucky winner is Kirstin aka fan of Jessica Alba!  Thanks for taking the time to enter and watch out for more competitions to come.

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BT2 are great at introducing us to new concepts but this one has to be one of the best yet!  There’s nothing worse than spending what seems like the entire day at a salon when all you want is a quick blow dry before heading out – enter dry styling!  What a great idea, ‘hair styling for the girl on the go’.

Pink Hairdressing launched the concept today at BT2 Dundrum and Blanchardstown by opening Ireland’s first dry style bar.  Apparently they have a full range of services listed on their bar menu including four on trend styles; modern sleek, bouncy waves, glamour braids or classic curls.  Styling is expected to take no more than 20mins and prices range from €15 – €30 depending on hair length – yipee!  Let us know if you have tried it.  We will be testing this concept out and reporting back, all in the name of work of course!

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Finally Cheryl Cole has gotten rid of those hair extensions and has given herself a mini fashion makeover. Gone (hopefully) are the days of the Xfactor live shows where she tried too hard to be on trend and uber -stylish, or that hideous mesh frock disaster she wore for her birthday! Gross!! She’s now a chart-topping solo artist, and deserves a new look away from tacky pop princess, this new look is more sophisticated and polished… but still keeps her young, fresh and sexy! Go Chezza!

Out at the weekend for a Gary Barlow bash she wore a gorgeous body-con Julien MacDonald colour-block dress, teaming it with a chunky Malene Birger necklace and her new shaggy crop! What I love about this look is the muted colours (a nice change from her usual eye-popping colours), extreme structured shoulders and sheer sleeve detail… she looks delish!

If you want to channel Chez’s new look then look no further than your favourite online stores, asos.com and lipsy.co.uk. Both stock a variety of colour-block style dresses. And also the very on-trend, sheer-sleeve style dresses. And for those of you wanting to get the real thing??? Well the dress will set you back a few thousand… but the ‘By Malene Birger’ Mondi embellished felt necklace is available on net-a-porter.com for only €169… a bargain for a piece of designer heaven!  First dress €51, second asos dress €17!

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Well girls I know it’s January so the parties have run dry and all you want to do is snuggle up and be comfy. You can still look good while doing it and it’s important to do so! I have put together two simple but effective hairstyles to send you back to the office looking sexy and sophisticated even if you’re not feeling it..

1. Pull your hair into a low/high ponytail.
2. Wrap the ponytail around your hand and pull into a knot.
3. Leaving the ends loose, pin the knot in place around the edges.
4. Define the loose ends with wax and finish with hairspray.

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Ladies introducing the red bombshell for 2010…. for as long as we can remember the fashion industry has been obsessed with blondes. Yes it is said that they have more fun and make no mistake peroxide blonde and golden blonde is still ‘on trend’ in 2010, but the blondes are being told to move aside and make room for red heads. So if you are looking for a change and you want to be on trend and have the sexiest colour in 2010 red is it! It’s perfect for the cooler months and would be a great option for these winter days.

Apparently less than 2% of people are natural redheads, so you can understand where the appeal lies in its exclusivity, just think Lily Cole. The main rule to stick by if your going for a visit to your salon is have it looking as natural as possible. Remember you want to look like a natural red head! This rules out the bright copper and crimson tones, you are looking for the richly coloured and natural looking red hair. Check out Ashlee Simpson below, she can definitely pull off the red bombshell look.

‘Will it suit me’ I can hear you asking, well red hair is more versatile than you would think:

If you have freckles, (which come on most of us Irish girls do) and bronzed/salo skin than you should go for lighter reds such as neutral-tone coppers and natural gingers. This would be a perfect look for Spring 2010.

Obviously if you have pale porcelain skin, red will almost definitely glow on you and would be great for your Winter look. All you have to do is think of Nicola Roberts, Nicole Kidman and Lily Cole and if that’s not enough inspiration I don’t know what else I can say to convince you!

So Ladies go on be brave and throw caution to the wind, say farewell to your blonde highlights and say hello to a ‘fiery red hot 2010′….

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Jake, top stylist at John Frieda London, has kindly given us four easy steps to re-creating Jessica Biels red carpet hair.  This is a great relaxed party look for Christmas and definitely one that is easy enough to try at home.

Step One:

Prepare the hair with curl enhancing shampoo to awaken the hair’s natural curl. Then, apply a curling product, John Frieda range listed below, and wring hair gently to remove the excess liquid.

Step Two:

Diffuse the hair in sections while scrunching until it is dry for perfectly defined curls.

Step Three:

Part the hair down the centre and twist two generous pieces of hair to the back of the head. Take each section to the opposite side of the head, crossing the sections over each other. Pin into place with grips.

Step Four:

Pull out some small sections of hair for a relaxed look.

Today’s hair expert was Jake Davis, top stylist with John Frieda, London.

Products Recommended: John Frieda Frizz Ease Curl Around Shampoo and Conditioner, John Frieda Frizz Ease Original Serum and John Frieda Frizz Ease Dream Curls.

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Q: I’ve got straight lank hair with no waves or kinks so it’s impossible to build any body. I keep it long so I can tie back or tuck it behind my ears. Is there a style that would better suit my hair?

A: Firstly, ensure that lank hair is given a lift by getting a good cut with long layers at the front to define and shape the hair and create texture. To combat the problem of lank hair it’s all about getting the perfect blow dry. Depending on if the hair is frizzy and on the density of it, start by applying a mousse, I recommend John Frieda Curl Reviver Frizz Ease Mousse followed by John Frieda Luxury Realm Volume Mousse spritzed on to the roots.

Then it’s all about getting the right amount of tension in the arms – don’t drag or pull the brush too harshly through your hair when blow-drying as this affects the volume. Start by turning the hair up-side down and getting the heavy wet out, followed by using a rounded barrel brush to give lift to the roots that will achieve a more volumised style to the hair. Think Cheryl Cole – her hair is actually quite straight and lank but with the right blow dry she has great volume in her hair.

Ask the expert was answered today by Jake, Top Stylist with John Frieda.

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The ultimate blow-dry… sleek, chic and stylish, with plenty of glamorous volume and sexy movement. Hair expert with John Frieda, Jake, has kindly listed easy to follow steps to re-create this look plus a list of recommended products to help hold it in place once you do!

Step One:

Prepare the hair by washing. Then, apply a serum and straightening spray to wet hair and rough-dry with a hair dryer to remove excess moisture. When the hair is nearly dry, start blow-drying using a brush beginning with the front sections. Direct the nozzle of your hairdryer downwards to smooth the cuticle flat along the hair shaft, and always blow-dry your hair against the direction it will ultimately fall so you achieve plenty of root lift and volume.

Step Two:

Take the front section of the hair and hold above your head. Blast the roots with the dryer, creating volume and lift.

Step Three:

Take the front section of the hair and twist back, securing on top of the head with a hair grip.

Step Four:

Finish with a spritz of hairspray to secure the finished style.

Jake was today’s hair expert from John Frieda.

Products recommended: John Frieda Frizz Ease Straight Ahead Shampoo and Conditioner, John Frieda Frizz Ease Original Serum and Frizz-Ease Straightening Potion, John Frieda Frizz Ease Shape and Shine Flexible Hold Hairspray

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