Chocolate Keratin Hair Treatment

I was very privileged to be invited back to Eleven Hair to have the Brazilian Chocolate Keratin Straightening treatment that I'd been considering after my last visit. Having read more about the Brazilian blow dries and heard raves from friends I was very excited to see how I'd get on.
 
It was lovely to go back to the Salon and Becky gave me such a warm welcome. I was there just after lunch on Friday and there was a great atmosphere. To get things started, as it can take a couple of hours from beginning to end, I was taken to the basins for the pre-cleansing wash. This shampoo has an amazing menthol scent and strips the hair completely of build up and conditioners which might interfere with the treatment. I don't think I've ever heard my hair squeak so much!

Next, my hair was brushed through with a tangle teaser. As you can appreciate after the cleansing shampoo my hair was a little knotty, I was really impressed with how well the tangle teaser handled it. I've often suffered with hair breakage from trying to brush it through when wet (yes, I know, such a silly thing to do) and I think I might be investing in one of these very soon.

Once my hair was fully prepped, the Chocolate Keratin solution was applied. The ingredients in the treatment include keratin, cocoa extracts, vitamins, collagen, poliquaternio and silicon. The solution is painted on to the hair in sections, leaving the hair immediately at the root bare. It is not necessary to apply to the roots as the hair is already quite smooth and application here can make the hair brittle and prone to breakage. When the hair is thoroughly coated with treatment, it is roughly dried with a hair dryer and paddle brush. Some people may find this stage a bit fume-y and a towel is provided if you feel you need to cover your face, I didn't experience this at all though I have to admit.

The final stage of the treatment involved ironing the hair with straighteners. Each section is ironed four times over and this seals the keratin into the hair cuticle. I was offered another tea and given a stack magazines to look so that I wouldn't be bored. Not that that was likely, Becky and I had good fun giggling at the some of the ridiculous pictures and articles in the celebrity tattle magazines. No details of course but I will just say, not everybody ought to do the Demi Moore naked bump shoots. If the styling is Rubenesque, this is a less than subtle way of telling you that you're more cherub than sylph! Anyway, I digress....

As I mentioned, the whole process can take around 2 - 2.5 hours obviously depending on your hair type and length. It also depends on the skill and experience of the stylist. Becky has done this treatment many times so I was finished in about an hour and half and she very kindly gave my hair a little snip to sharpen up the ends. My hair looked fabulous when she had finished, very smooth and shiny, even my rogue greys had been tamed!

The journey doesn't end at the salon with this treatment and there are a few crucial points to follow to get the best out of the process. To let the Chocolate Keratin solution take effect you must leave your hair untouched for 2-3 days. No washing, no styling and no tucking it behind your ears as this will cause kinks. This is a little tricky, especially for a serial tucker like me, but it's worth it for the end results. You should also switch to SLS free shampoo and conditioners to avoid stripping the keratin from the hair.

It was with much excitement and a little bit of trepidation that I washed my hair on Monday morning. I could feel the difference though as soon as I stepped out of the shower. My hair felt very smooth even when wet. I roughly dried with a hair dryer, no brush was necessary and this is how it looked...

It's incredible. My hair looked like I had "Just stepped out of the salon". It fell beautifully into place, no kinks or frizz and I think you can see how smooth and shiny it is from these pictures. I've since left it to dry naturally after washing and the results are just as impressive. With absolutely zero effort on my part my hair looks styled, just a quick brush and I'm ready to go. My hair feels so silky too, even Mr MB has commented on how amazing it looks. This is the perfect hair treatment for the lazy short on time, I look groomed and styled when in actual fact I've done nothing. Even better news is that the treatment lasts around 3 months, so I'll be enjoying beautiful hair for some weeks to come! I've seen the future my friend and the future is Brazilian Chocolate Keratin blow dries!

If you're interested in the treatment you can find out more details on Eleven's website here. Eleven Hair is on 11 Blenheim Street, just off Oxford Street, London. I'd like to say a big Thank you to Becky for making my hair look amazing. I'm going to be the talk of the school run next week and will be swishing like a good 'un!



Disclosure: I received this treatment without charge for review purposes.

My New Hair

I think you may need to sit down for this. I went to the hairdressers and I actually enjoyed it!

I was very kindly invited to Eleven in Mayfair for a cut and as is often the case when I go to the hairdressers, I was more than a little nervous. After hitting London at rush hour and tackling the crowds on Oxford Street it was a relief to arrive at the salon. It was a lovely oasis of calm. I was greeted with a friendly smile and Becky , my stylist, immediately set me at ease. The first thing I noticed about Becky was her amazing style. I almost knew from that moment I was going to get a great cut. I was offered a cup of tea and we had a little chat about what style I wanted. I'd taken in the pictures that proved popular in this post, I thought it might be a little strange to take along pictures of myself but I wasn't made to feel silly at all.

Becky washed my hair and we had a chat about shampoo and conditioner brands. My immense dislike of Pantene came up and we also chatted about SLS free shampoos. They use and stock the Pureology range at Eleven, I was especially interested in this as I've read quite a lot about SLS free products in Makeup Savvy's posts. Apparently the shampoos do foam which is unusual for SLS free products. After my hair was washed, I had a wonderful head massage whilst my conditioner was on and it felt so relaxing.

Becky had quickly grasped what I was after from my photos and from what was frankly quite a vague description on my part! A choppy bob with texture and shaping into the back. We chatted about the time I spend styling my hair and how I dry it. I think this is crucial as there's little point in creating a style I can't work with day to day. I leave my hair to dry naturally most days which is why I thought a messy style would be the best option.

Whilst Becky was cutting my hair we chatted about lots of different things; how Becky got into hairdressing, skincare and ageing. We also had a conversation with one of the other stylists about Brian Dowling's late night insomnia phone in. Entertaining stuff! I was privileged to see a Brazilian blow dry in action whilst I was there as well. If you've not come across this treatment before it involves coating the hair with keratin which leaves hair frizz free and straight for up to 3 months. There are more details about the treatment here on the salon's website. As someone with hair that is very prone to frizz and very lazy styling habits, I'll admit this sounds marvellous. I will certainly be investigating this more!

When I go for a haircut I love to watch a stylist at work. I think it really is an art when it's done well. The more I saw the shape my hair was taking the more I loved it. I don't say this lightly as this has often been the point at which my heart sinks. I even noticed that my hair colour looked a lot better. Taking the length out helped the colour look less blocky and got rid of the goth edge to it after my hair dye disaster.

So, I won't keep you waiting any longer. Here is the final result.

I absolutely love it and can honestly say I've never been so happy with a cut. Also, as I saw the shape before it was blow dried, I can tell it's going to look great when it's left to dry naturally. Becky did an amazing job and I've already received compliments from my husband and friends.

I would thoroughly recommend a trip to see Becky at Eleven. Great cut, lovely salon and friendly atmosphere. I look forward to a return visit!


Eleven Hair can be found at 11 Blenheim Street Mayfair. Prices range from £55 to £85 for a cut and blowdry. Full details are available on their website www.http://www.eleven-hair.com/.