Lakmé started a new trend in history of Indian fashion with the introduction of the Lakmé Show Stopping Hair collection at the Lakmé India Fashion Week  – Autumn/Festive 2014 created by Lakmé Salon. This collection was conceptualized and crafted by Lakmé Salon experts with international hair stylist Winnie Loo, styled by Little Shilpa. It was one of the most exciting launches in hair fashion in the country. I was lucky enough to get invited to experience the Show Stopping Hair Collection at the Lakmé Absolute Salon at their 1 MG Road mall outlet in Bengaluru. I had my makeover last week and have been loving it a lot. Read on to see the hair style and colors we used and a surprise for you!

There are 3 dramatic themes in the Lakmé “Show Stopping Hair” collection and each theme is further divided into hair cuts and styles:

Illusion

A perfect mix of trendy and comfortable, the Illusion theme hair styles feature an interplay of warm and cool tones – violet, plum, caramel, honey, auburn, red.

The Auburn blend – Softer fringes on the crown slowly make way for long layers with auburn blended with different cool and warm toned colors.
The Helix Flair – Long fringes, asymmetrical cuts with a fusion of ice blonde and deep purple colors.
The Pixie Crop – Textured Pixie cut with a mix of zesty orange and brown shade.

Metamorphosis

Literally meaning transformation, this theme consists of styles featuring subtle ombre, asymmetircal cuts and strong movements.

The Phoenix contrast – Soft fringes, textured orange waves with dual textures make this style suited for the experimental souls!
Wind Swept Diva – Short Locks and strong bangs define this style perfectly. The straight hair at crown and bouncy curls at the ends create a playful look!
The Flaming Blowout – Asymmetrical fringes, triangular texture with reverse ombre make this a hairstyle a favorite amongst fashion lovers.

Moulin Rouge

Retro hair is all the rage today and the styles in this theme are inspired by cabaret, lush styling, minimal layers and deep colors.

La Belle Époque – The classic Hollywood style we have all grown to see and love comes in a new avatar with golden hue ruling the S waves for an elegant look.
Red Carpet Rosé – Inspired from the Parisian cabaret era, this style is all about tied up hair with red and gold hues shining through.
The Duchess – Extremely edgy and bold, this style of messy fishtail with volume is not for the weak-hearted.

Of course the division is not strict so you can ask the stylist to slightly modify the cut and color to suit your preferences. I picked up the Auburn Blend since I wanted a hair style and cut that was trendy and understated, and also easy to maintain. I have always wanted layers so this one was a perfect fit for me. My stylist – Vishwa – analyzed my hair and also made a few tweaks to the style to make it suit me better. He also gave me a few tips to take care of my colored hair better.

I had washed my hair without conditioning it so he did not wash it again, since my hair is already dry, but blow dried it instead. The reasin being that I have wavy hair and he wanted a smooth “canvass” to start with. He then back combed my hair. I was so shocked, but he told me that it will help make the color at the roots, length and ends of hair look blended instead of in 3 horizontal stripes. He then applied the lightest shade at the length of my hair leaving the roots (which I had recently colored black, oops). Once finished with that, he added the medium shade at the length of my hair.

After waiting for 30 minutes. he washed my hair and then cut it in layers. I wanted slightly longer bangs and also keep the length of my hair as long as possible. I am glad he listened to me because my hair cut is exactly what I had in mind!

The colors used on me are from Schwarzkopf, the base color being Auburn, he added Auburn with Red through the length of my hair and Auburn with blonde at the ends for a gradual ombre. I had highlights in my hair last year which had now come closer to the ends so this ombre worked without any bleaching of hair!

Since I was using generic hair products, I picked up a couple of products especially meant for (dry) colored hair on the recommendation of my hairdresser –  Schwarzkopf Professional Bonacure Hair Therapy (Color Freeze) shampoo and MOROCCANOIL Moisture Repair Conditioner.

I loved this whole experience and would love one of my readers to get to experience this so I am going to launch a contest on my blog and social media soon to give one of you a chance to win a Gift Voucher to get your own makeover done at a Lakme Absolute Salon! Follow me on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram in addition to this blog to get the announcement first!
Update 2/3/2015
Enter the #HairIsFashion contest! Tell us why #HairIsFashion on Facebook and Twitter and the your entry can win you 1500 INR Gift Voucher for your own Lakme Show Stopping Hair makeover!
Terms & Conditions:

1. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter.
2. Tag us and use #HairIsFashion to answer on Facebook and Twitter. Brownie points for bringing your friends along!
3. The best entry will be chosen based on the answer from Facebook/Twitter. So participate on both platforms as many times as you want to increase your chances of winning.
4. Contest closes on 6th March 11:59 pm and the winner will be announced before 7th March 11:59 pm.
5. The winner will receive a Gift Voucher worth 1500INR for their own Lakme Show Stopping Hair Makover at Lakme Absolute Salon!
6. Contest is open for Indian residents only!

* I am also running a GIVEAWAY on this blog!