madison reed

At Home Color with Great Results from Madison Reed!

Abby H.

Madison ReedMost of you know I color my own hair at home, and I have FOR YEARS. With all that is going on, more and more people are joining me.

If you are new to coloring your hair at home, I suggest you check out Madison Reed. From start to finish, it’s easy and their website takes all the guesswork out of choosing a color.

Semi-permanent, permanent, conditioning gloss, whatever you want, Madison Reed has! I love that the coloring kits come with everything you need to give yourself a salon-quality color:

  • Customized Instructions: Their Color Crew is available by phone or chat if you have questions or need expert advice along the way.
  • Barrier Cream: Keeps your ears, forehead, and neck color-free.
  • Cleansing Wipe: An easy way to clean up any unwanted color.
  • Radiant Cream Color: Rich with nutrients like argan oil, keratin, and ginseng root extract to strengthen and protect hair while delivering radiant, multi-dimensional color. Free of ammonia, PPD, resorcinol, parabens, phthalates, gluten, SLS, and titanium dioxide.
  • Conditioning Color Activator: Formulated for longer-lasting color and easy application. The bottle comes with a screw-off cap and tip to make mixing and applying color simple and tidy.
  • Protective Cap: Keeps your color in place until you are ready to rinse.
  • Gloves: Thick gloves to apply color.
  • Color Protecting Shampoo and Conditioner: Rich with nutrients and free from sulfates, parabens, and gluten, our shampoo and conditioner locks in your color and creates long-lasting shine.

Madison Reed
Madison Reed has a great blog too! With all sorts of styling tips, information about caring for hair (no matter what type of hair you have).

All You Need to Know About Straight Hair
All You Need to Know About Wavy Hair
All You Need to Know About Curly Hair
All You Need to Know About Coily Hair

Personal Care in the Time of Covid-19

Abby H.

**This post contains affiliate links and I may be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links.

If you’ve seen some of my Instagram posts lately you may have noticed my greys. Yeah. I’m sporting almost 2 inches of roots/re-growth, and I’m feeling kinda shabby.

Now that most of us are settling down in our weird “New Norm” and are getting settled into a new (and weird) routine we are starting to notice that our regular personal care rituals have fallen to the wayside. It’s healthy to do self-care in whatever form you prefer: Hair color, painting your nails, doing a cleanse. Whatever you need to do to help yourself feel better in this strange new time.

Madison Reed has come to my rescue! I’ve used their service off and on for the past 5 years, usually when I couldn’t get to Sally Beauty to pick up my favorite Ion hair color. I ordered my kit on last Friday, it should be arriving this week.

Besides selling hair color kits, Madison Reed’s website has some of the best articles and tips on their blog.

deadlynightshadeIf you are a little more in the know or want more of a DIY experience, man Sally Beauty locations are offering curbside pick up.  You can order hair color, developer, shampoo, conditioner, spa stuff, nail stuff, even waxing stuff if you are feeling up to it online, and then pick it up at your local Sally Beauty location. Pretty sweet, right?

I was at the drugstore yesterday (getting our rX refills), and I happened down the hair color aisle and it looked picked over. Lots of blues and greens available, but nothing in tamer colors.

The CEO of Walmart has commented that we are Hair Color phase of panic buying (source), and I 100% agree. Cruising the HBA (Health and Beauty Aids) aisles of CVS, it’s pretty barren. Most of the nicer/pricier brands of shampoo and conditioner are sold out, there isn’t much in the way of DIY facial supplies (Secret Tip: Dollar Tree sells name brand skincare masks. I’ve seen the same masks at Walmart for over $3 each).

Remember:

  • Wash your hands
  • Cover Your face
  • Flatten The Curve
  • Take Care of Yourself

10 Hair-Saving Tips for Summer!

Abby H.

It’s still summer here in San Diego for a few more months (does it really ever ends??), and I thought this post from Cheryl Locke at Madison Reed is perfect for those of us who may be spending more time outside, in the water, or just having fun adventures and want to keep our locks looking luxurious.

This post may contain affiliate links, which means I may be compensated (it’s a super small amount!) if you make a purchase after clicking through the links. You can read my Disclosure policy here.
Bright and warm days are ahead. Like our favorite season, summer hair should be effortless in theory. In actuality, you’re battling major beauty bummers like frizz, brassiness, dullness, and sunburn.

How to deal? We’ve rounded up the best defenses–some as simple as just adding water. The sun’s out and fun’s in. Here’s how to beat the heat beautifully.
Madison Reed - Salon Quality At Home Hair Color

  1. Wet hair. It’s simple and effective. Before taking a dip in the pool, drench hair in fresh water. Like a sponge, your strands will soak up water, preventing chlorine and chemicals from penetrating cuticles.
  2. Lock in moisture. Before you take a swim, work in a hair oil; it seals hair from chlorine and the drying effects of the sun. Plus, oil provides a bit of weight to prevent flyaways and frizzing.
  3. Wear a cap. We’re confident you can pull off this look. If you take frequent dips, you’ll want to embrace a hair cap’s retro charm. The additional barrier does wonders on keeping chlorine out.
  4. Rinse off immediately. After pool-time, prevent chemical build-up (and green hair) with a quick rinse. Brownie points if you use a clarifying shampoo followed by an extra-emollient conditioner to bring hair back to its original shine and bounce.
  5. Deep condition. A shea-butter-rich treatment is your best anti-frizz secret. You know what they say about an ounce of prevention. It keeps hair more manageable and less tangled even in salty-windy beach conditions.
  6. Use an SPF. Most of us dutifully slather sunblock all over our face and body, but we often forget our hair and scalp. Don’t make that newbie blunder. UV rays not only fade hair color, they also dry out hair, cause split ends, and weaken hair’s elasticity. Spritz on a liquid SPF (or DIY by combining 2 teaspoons of SPF lotion with one cup of water). For additional protection, summerize products with UV-fortified formulas. Psst: Madison Reed’s shampoo and conditioner come with UV-shielding lupine flower.
  7. Keep hats on. A floppy brim is not just the it-accessory of the season, it offers protection against the color-fading effects of sun.
  8. Skip the blow dryer. For natural curls and waves, just go with it. Work with, not against curls; straight styles that require flat irons and blow-drying will fry ends, deplete moisture, and end up giving you more pouf than sleekness.
  9. Pull it back. Your best line of defense against the pouf is often a sleek bun or topknot.
  10. Don’t touch your hair. Except for occasional flirty hair flips, excessive handling of your hair only causes frizz.

Post courtesy of Cheryl Locke for Madison Reed.

Madison ReedMadison Reed offers salon-quality, handcrafted hair color delivered to your door on your schedule! Clear instructions, all the extras you may need and fabulous results really set Madison Reed apart from other home hair color options! I love the conditioner– smells great and keeps my hair super soft and shiny!

What I love is that you start with a Hair Profile (kinda like a quiz) and it helps you find a color that you’ll love.

New Styling Products from Madison Reed!

Abby H.

**This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking through my links.

If you know me in real life, you know that I LOVE Madison Reed. The hair color is amazing, gentle, and gives me a great red color.  I also love their hair care products! Their shampoo and conditioner are great for making colors last and stay bright.

Imagine my excitement when I learned that Madison Reed just launched their new STYLE and TAME products! STYLE is a lightweight styling cream that provides frizz-fighting hold, while conditioning and protecting hair. TAME is a lightweight smoothing emulsion that makes hair more manageable and adds shine before and after styling.

Here are just a few reasons I can’t wait to try out the new Style and Tame set!

  • Lightweight, frizz-free hold with STYLE
  • Smooth and shine with TAME
  • Nourishes hair with natural hydrating oils
  • Create both smooth waves and sleek straight styles

Check out the Style and Tame set here! I’m ordering a set this weekend!