Hair Care Profile : Montibello Hair Products

Where it all began

Montibel·lo is a family company founded in Barcelona in 1967 with a vision to create and innovate some new product lines focused on hair care at a professional level.

Montibello offers a great technological capability and a great will to expand and which, by the hand of all its excellent team, intends to continue in this ambitious line of development and growth which has defined it from the very first day.

The Brand

The core values that differentiate this family business are based on professional exclusivity, proximity to the customer, commitment to education and advanced research. How does this affect you? It means that you are getting something really special. This clear vocation has caused Montibel·lo to become an absolute reference in the general professional beauty market, Montibello has already become the best known Spanish Professional Cosmetics brand both nationally and internationally.

The Range

Montibello's hair care products are of an extremely high quality, consisting of wonderfully fresh ranges that hold total beauty at their core. Based around the strength of their beliefs; education and technical excellence and made famous by the quality of their hair dye (swatch perfect colour)! Montibello have gone for a fairly aggressive pricing strategy in order to grab your attention, it's a great product that goes the distance with some of the more expensive haircare ranges yet it is introducing itself into the U.K. as easily affordable. With the added bonus of appearing in sleek and refined packaging Montibello are sure to win their way into the hearts and minds of Salon clientelle countrywide... grab it while it's hot!

The Colour range - excellent treatment, total care of the hair fibre.
Montibello are offering not one, but two! fantastic hair colouring ranges that allow you to obtain colour tones full of luminosity and shine and excellent coverage of grey and white hair. Cromatone actually treats your hair whilst colouring it, which enables intense shades and highlights and an even colour from roots to ends. Oalia is an odour and ammonia free permanent hair colouring range which is a lot kinder to your hair and skin, meaning a lot less cases of irritation.

Treatment
Here we have Montibello's answer to the every day haircare treatment that goes on in our homes. The TREAT range is an effective professional treatment that responds well to the specific needs of each hair and skin type. This range is largely focused on maintaining hair colour and vigour whilst offering solutions varying from volume boosting solutions to total repair and rescue of the more damaged hair fibres. It even offers two separate hair loss treatments that target the cause of hair loss and actively work against each type of hair loss. There is unfortunately no chelating shampoo but there are rumours that this is in the pipeline.. let's just wait and see.

HDs Styling - a comprehensive range of products that are designed to give definition, hold texture and shine, that will protect and treat the hair whilst creating any style with a perfect finish. Have a sneaky peek!

Gold Oil range

The Gold Oil range is as hard hitting with benefits as the other big players in the hair oil market, it prides itself on it's instant results and it's unique mixture that combines the essence and benefits of Argan & Amber Oils. It gets the Specialist "Thumbs up!"

What to get excited about: 

Colour Reflect is a pioneering colour intensifying hair treatment that comes in the form of a range of shampoos. They enhance the colour of your hair and the intensity of your highlights with a great diversity of different shades. Available in red, purple, brown and copper, including: the light up version designed to remove undesired hues in bleached/streaked hair.

Salon Support - The Salon support these guys are offering is exceptional. They have a dedicated technical adviser who's happy to assist with technical product queries and demonstrations, Montibello's commitment to eduction is second to none.

What we think:

There's a reason why Montibello is one of Spain's most popular haircare ranges. By placing a lot of focus on maintaining and repairing the hair follicle throughout the brand (even in the colours) Montibello earns recognition as a big league player, it's stylish, sexy, chemically brilliant and extremely good value. We love Montibello so much and we know you'll feel the same!

Specialist Hair Supplies - Official Suppliers of Montibel.lo Hair Products

Montibello's Gold Oil Essence - First Impressions

When I was first asked to try Montibello's Gold Oil Essence I was naturally very excited, because hey, who wouldn't be!? I'm a big fan of hair oils and let's be honest, how did anyone ever survive without them? Ever since the hair oil explosion a couple of years ago with Macadamia and Argan Oil bursting onto the scene like Lady Gaga and Nicky Minaj in their hotpants; we all had plenty of chance to try at least a couple, so as you can imagine I was over the moon when the opportunity presented itself. (If you don't know what I'm talking about then please keep reading... it's for your own good)  ;)

Let me tell you that Montibello Gold Oil Essence is one of the big boys. First, just like the amber cane in Jurassic park, it grabs your attention like a sleeping giant in golden packaging. A very luxurious experience from start to finish. All the benefits of Amber oil and Argan oil combined into one beautifully presented neat little package!

You know you're in for a treat as soon as you open the lid, it smells so nice that I wanted to pour it all over me (luckily there's a nozzle) ;) That'll be the Amber Oil then.

Once I'd composed myself enough to wash and condition my hair (it works best when applied to damp hair) I rubbed the Gold oil essence into my hair concentrating on the mid lengths and ends. I quite like the fact that it absorbed instantly and my hair felt light and clean. Then much like any other oil or leave in treatment I combed it through and continued with my haircare routine. 

Over the years, like most of you, I'm sure, I quickly found out that you can also use hair oils as makeshift de-tanglers and once again Montibello's Gold Oil didn't disappoint, it helped me tame my mane in a calm controlled manner. Gold Oil Essence made my hair soft, shiny and smooth and you know what, I wasn't confronted with the post hairdryer frizz that I have grown accustomed to! Bonus!  

Like me, some of you may get a little giddy (just a little) so for best effects try not to get over excited and use too much, especially if you have fine hair. It's a fairly viscous oil so go easy to start with and add more in depending on the length and volume of your hair. 

Overall you can't go far wrong with a 30ml sample, it's great. One thing's definitely for sure, Montibello's Gold Oil will be a great addition to anyones travel plans... be prepared for that unexpected visit from the dreaded frizz monster!

Happy travels to you all x

P.S. Don't forget to leave me a comment. I love it when people take the time to leave thoughtful messages because after all, it's fun to chat! 

Montibello's Gold Oil Essence, as seen in this month's Birchbox UK.

Make your own Salt Spray and Instantly Get the Beach Look

Hairstyle workshop - SALT SPRAY

The post surf / tousled, lived in beach comber look will always be a popular one and with good reason too... how many times have you asked yourself how do I get wavy hair and then reached for your trusty salt spray!? After all, who doesn't like how their hair looks after they've been in the sea?! It's so easy to enhance your natural texture, creating waves by adding salt water to your hair whether it is from the ocean or from a bottle of salt spray. Be thrifty, follow these simple steps and have some fun making your own salt spray!

All you need is:

1 cup of warm water
1tbsp of salt
1tbsp of your preferred gel (any you have at home) or Montibello HDs Wet effect gel
1 tbsp coconut oil
1tbsp of lemon juice (optional) this will enhance the suns lightening powers and help make your hair a little blonder.

How to use your new Salt Spray
Pour the ingredients into an empty spray bottle (re-cycle one of your old one's or pick one up from all good pound stores), mix and then shake well before use!! Apply liberally to wet hair, give your hair, from your roots to your tips a really good covering so that the salt can work it's magic. Now it's time to get your hands dirty and add some waves and tousles to your beach babe look. Do this by taking small sections and twisting them around your fingers, continue by scrunching up your hair and then running your fingers through it in a way that messes it up. Subtlety is key here, you want it to look a little messy but you don't want to end up with a monster on your hands by going overboard with a backcombing. For best effect do not brush it out and allow your hair to dry naturally in the sunshine.

We're always keen to hear about how you get on with our advice so please chat to us and why not send us some pictures to show us your results! For further details see our pin board of hairstyle how to's

How Macadamia will keep your hair healthy this summer!

In the lead up to summer, there’s an understandable focus on how to protect the skin and combat the negative effects of over exposure to the sun. But what about your hair? Intense heat, UV rays, sea water, chlorine and sand can all expose hair to unwelcome elements that render it dry, brittle, dull and lifeless. It can also impact adversely on colour. Increasing awareness of the effects of summer on your hair and scalp means you can prepare for combat, ensuring your hair remains in perfect condition all summer long!

Hair loves the sun...but how can you protect it against the elements?

We all love spending time in the sun and our hair does too! It accentuates its natural shine and vitality by reflecting light, but we also need to take extra care to offset some of its more negative impacts.
Intense heat and humidity have a drying effect that causes frizziness, flyaway hair that’s difficult to control, whilst sand and sea water can result in tangled unruly hair that needs intense conditioning to restore its beauty and sheen. This is where Macadamia performs its magic!

With a signature blend of Macadamia seed oil and Argan oil infused throughout the entire collection, Macadamia Natural Oil equips your hair for summer like no other. Proven to be highly beneficial in providing intense hydration, deep nourishment and UV protection, the combined action of natural botanicals with the oils promise results unlikely to have been experienced before. Both inside and out, hair is left luxuriously soft, silky smooth, frizz-free and ultra manageable.

It actively re-establishes equilibrium between the hair and scalp to reveal the hair’s natural, inner beauty as its replenishing, restorative properties yield anti-ageing benefits that render hair vibrant, more youthful and in optimum condition.

Moreover, the protective UV properties found in the range’s special formulation ensure that hair is shielded from sun exposure, while the oil blend seamlessly replenishes the lost natural oils produced by the scalp. With the miraculous Healing Oil treatment leading the way, Macadamia allows you to distribute these essential oils throughout the rest of the hair with a spritz of Healing Oil Spray as it simultaneously scents hair with a distinctive, moreish fragrance, whilst imparting natural shine and a silky smooth finish.

Whatever the effect of summer on your hair, follow Macadamia’s recommended routine and be hair happy every day this summer!

Washing and Deep Conditioning

Protect hair from the build up of chlorine and sea salt by regularly washing with Macadamia’s sulphate-free Rejuvenating Shampoo. This rich and luxurious shampoo will not irritate an already dry scalp as its rejuvenating lather infuses our exclusive oil cocktail to add moisture and protect, replenishing dry and damaged hair to leave it soft, ultra-shiny, light-weight and manageable!

As an innovative alternative, why not try Flawless? This revolutionary subs-free one-step system delivers 6-in-1 benefits to cleanse, condition and refine the hair without the use of surfactants, such as harsh sulphates.

To restore and nourish the mid-lengths use Deep Repair Masque. This 7 minute treatment reconstructs, penetrates and rebuilds damaged hair to give it improved shine, elasticity and eliminate the possibility of dryness, brittleness and split ends. As well as being formulated with the all-important infusion of Macadamia and Argan Oils it’s also rich in Tea Tree and Chamomile to feed the hair all the nourishment and moisture that is often striped away by heat.

Maintenance and frizz control

Infused with Macadamia’s signature oil blend, Healing Oil Treatment softens, smoothes and renders hair rejuvenated and iridescent making split-ends a thing of the past. For extra nourishment, spritz hair throughout the day with Healing Oil Spray – a fine mist which protects from UV rays.

Summer humidity can leave hair frizzy and suffering from fly-aways. The oils and proteins in Reviving Curl Cream work in synergy to revive hair and deliver intense nourishment whilst also strengthening from the inside out. Moisture is locked in and humidity disappears; whilst the effect on texture is something to behold! Curls, waves and textures are noticeably defined and accentuated whilst, frizz and flyaway hair is controlled.
Chlorine and sea salt often cause hair to become tangled and almost impossible to brush through. Applying No-Tangle Pre-styler is crucial to de-tangle hair without pulling or breaking. Simply spray onto the tangles of towel dried hair and comb to leave hair sensationally soft, nourished and with improved elasticity. Don’t forget, for the ultimate travel companion
when jetting off on holiday, take Macadamia’s travel kit... The ultimate hair care regime in a nifty, stylish and conveniently compact travel bag. This also features the ingenious Healing Oil-Infused comb so you can stroke through Macadamia’s oil concoction through your hair as you groom.

Links to the Macadamia products:

Rejuvenating Shampoo 300ml: £15.17 100ml: £6.45

Flawless 250ml: £25.75

Healing Oil Spray 125ml: £23.50 60ml: £14.90

Healing Oil Treatment 125ml: £28.09, 10ml: £5.36

Deep Repair Masque 250ml: £23.44

Reviving Curl Cream 250ml: £22.75 

No Tangle Pre-Styler 250ml: £21.00 

Travel Kit: £45.00

Healing Oil infused comb: £7.50

Summer hair colour trends (yes, it's still summer)!!

Hair Colour

The Ombre

What's taking off right now is of course the hair ombre! Increasing in popularity daily, what is a movement of colour across the hair in which the colour is graduated from light to dark.

It is low maintenance and certainly makes life easier for us ladies who want to grow out their hair colour whilst maintaining an air of distinction. Don't let that fool you though, this hair color style is versatile, adaptability is what sets this trend apart! In fact, you can choose how many colours you want to add, where you want to add them and the gradient of change in between them. To change hair colour completely isn't out of the question either and there are some really good variations out there. I particularly like those using bold bright colours, those using platinum and pastel tones and similarly those that are using contrasting natural hair colours, don't be afraid to show your roots! Click here to have a little look at some of the best Ombrés we've found!

The Balayage

If you prefer a more natural style of colour a subtle balayage could be for you. What is the sister trend to the hair ombre the balayage can offer you something more in terms of subtlety with nothing sacrificed in terms of eye catching style. Balayage comes from the french verb to sweep, so therefore balayage refers to a gentle sweeping of hair colour change. A change in hair colour from dark hair to light hair in an effect created by your stylist to represent the natural lightening effects that the suns rays have on your hair. The natural sun kissed hair color style is achieved by painting the colour onto the hair vertically and thus avoiding the harsh contrasting lines achieved by the ombre hair style. Click here to see some beautiful examples of balayage hair colour change.

Photo: Keke Palmer

Whether you go for a subtle balayage or a large tonal shift in colour with an ombre or you opt for some seriously cool pastel tones I would advise you to get it done professionally. Hair dye accidents can be costly, they can also be very damaging to the natural condition of your hair and they will always be expensive to correct. So ladies, please seek help and get it done right.

Summer colour 

We have it on good authority that the colour of the summer is going to be... well, if it looks good and you can rock it then; it's going to be pretty much any colour that you fancy! So go out and get exploring those colour charts! 

The wonderful thing about hair dye today is that there is a vast amount of semi permanent colours available on the market place, so if you fancy trying a trend, before you commit then just talk to your stylist. They will be very willing to help you. Semi permanent dyes colour the cuticle rather than penetrating it as they use low levels of developer, peroxide or ammonia and are therefore safer for damaged or fragile hair. Ask your stylist for the Milkshake direct colour range that now includes 6 stunning new shades: Pink, Lilac, Blue, Petrol green Yellow and Grey. (As you may already know, we're big fans!)

For longer lasting colour use Montibello Chroma Colour protecting spray is a protecting texturiser that contains active ingredients that uphold the internal moisture of the hair, so maintaining its flexibility, elasticity and shine. Chroma colour protecting spray also contains a UVA-UVB sun filter that protects against unwanted fading and weathering of the hair.

Make your colour last longer by taking extra care of your hair whilst washing and conditioning with Keratin Complex Colour Care Shampoo 400ml and Keratin Complex Colour Care Condtioner 400ml . Keratin Colour Care shampoo has been made specially to care for coloured hair by using a special mixture of ingredients developed to strip your hair of drit and grime without stripping your hair of its colour, whilst the Colour Care conditioner is gentle on the colour of your hair whilst it smooths out unwanted frizz and detangles your hair with amazing professional results. 

The Secret to Great Looking Summer Hairstyles!

Summer Hair Style

How to wear your summer hair:

It's a glorious summer here in England, we're not quite sure why but were faced with a whole lot of new hairstyle options. It's time for summer hair styling and like many of you I like to keep it simple. Owing very much to it's practicality the up-do is a timeless classic that will always increase in popularity over the summer months and that certainly isn't about to change this year. Come on ladies... Who's got time for styling when you just want to be outside in the sunshine anyway!?

Photo: Maegan Tintari

Whether you're heading to and from the beach, reading by the pool, having fun at a festival and out socialising of a balmy evening my advice to you is to keep it simple with an easy updo! I'm talking, buns, pony's, plaits and braid's. 

A loose pony is great for keeping hair up out of your face and from your neck and whats more it will accentuate your cheekbones. I prefer a pony with plenty of volume at the crown. Pulling a pony too tight puts the hair under stress by stretching the hair and in some cases snapping it, so go easy. Use No inhibition 12 wonders to ensure your hair's elasticity is at its' greatest. A fantastic hair beauty product that does what it says on the tin, it'll even help protect your colour. 12 benefits, 1 product, what's not to love!?

The fishtail is a fantastic updo that can be worn tightly woven or with some sections gently teased out for a more laid back approach. They always look very sophisticated and elegantly elaborate yet with a little practice the fishtail is relatively simple to pull off...
Have a look to see how... click here!

Photo: Maegan Tintari

Dress it up and wear it out OR wear it low and loose, pull out a few pieces around your face to soften the overall look and feel of your hair. At this point a good volumising spray always comes in handy. I personally would recommend one with UV protection, on this occasion try: Montibello volumising root spray. Or you could always try the brand new No inhibition Matt volumising powder if you want the same medium to long-lasting hold with versatile flexibility in powder form.

Wear your updo with a silk scarf covering the tops of the ears, it is a perfect look for the summer with a nod to the 60's bohemian lifestyle and the French Riviera. Click here to be amazed by these beautiful reworked antique silk saris by a talented young Indian designer that will definitely catch your eye! Or... if you're embracing the return of the nineties then you could always go for a scrunchy!? 

Dress up or dress down a simple updo this Summer whether it is a Fishtail, a Messy bun or a classic Pony... you will be bang on trend.

Extending the (hair)style: 

Once you're ready to take the ponytail or braid out, start by pulling your hair apart and gently mess the braids up with your fingers whilst enhancing the loose strands of hair with an iron. Wear them down in loose beachy waves and finish with a light to medium hold hairspray: Milkshake lifestyling Open Air Hairspray 500ml  Open Air Hairspray offers a light and manageable hold, it is good for your hair and is conscious of the environment. When pulling apart the braids, take care to avoid creating knots, easier said than done, I know. Try using Macadamia Healing oil Argan infused comb that's great for detangling and fighting frizz, which works wonders when used alongside Macadamia Healing Oil Spray to replenish the vitality and moisture lost whilst you were having fun in the sun and the sea.

The Secret to Happy Winter Hair!

Many of us are aware of the hair troubles caused by the Summer, like the effects of the sun's damaging rays, the chlorinated pool water, and so on. However, we often fail to consider the damage caused to our hair during the Winter months. There are many factors which can lead to damaged hair during Winter.

We are here to point out some of these factors, give some pointers to help avoid damage and to recommend some products which will help you on your voyage to happy winter hair.





So with Winter now upon us, here are some things for you to consider to help keep your hair happy and healthy. After all, prevention is better than cure!


Reasons why our hair may become damaged during Winter:

• With Winter comes dreaded wind and rain. With wind and rain comes tangled, messy hair! Although the rain won't directly damage our hair, the fact that we will probably feel the need to blow dry it and fiddle with it more often will. The same goes for the wind; if our hair gets tangled, we have to somehow detangle it without causing too much damage which is easier said than done!
• The desire to dye our hair darker during the Winter months = dry and brittle hair... unless we take the right steps to avoid this and keep our hair moisturised!
• Hat hair!! Hats are a great way of keeping warm during the Winter but they are not so great for the condition of your hair! Wearing hats will cause friction against your hair and therefore damage the hair cuticle which will lead to frizzy and very fragile hair. However, if we use the right products and treat our hair well, we can have healthy hat hair!
• The unavoidable issue of indoor heating! Just as hair dryers and other heat appliances which we often use on our hair can cause damage, so can central heating. We often notice that our skin becomes more dry as a result of constant indoor heating so spare a thought for your hair too! Although we can't avoid this situation, we can improve it by using the right products to maintain our hair's natural balance of moisture.
• Static caused by those wooly jumpers is another problem we face during the Winter. Certain fabrics will cause static charge when rubbed against our hair but fear not, you don't need to completely avoid those jumpers this Winter as there are products out there which can help to neutralise the static charge in our hair.

Enough of the boring stuff, let's look at ways to keep our hair happy in the Winter:

• So, to avoid the rain... use an umbrella rather than a hat/hood where possible to avoid friction against hair. To tackle the tangles caused by the wind:

1. Use a product before or after styling which will smooth the hair cuticle to help fight frizz and tangles throughout the day. We recommend Milkshake Hair No Frizz Glistening Serum. This product will help to keep your hair smooth even when it's really windy. It also protects hair from heat styling products!
2. Use a leave-in conditioner so that you can comb through your tangled hair easily with less chance of causing damage. We recommend Macadamia Hair Nourishing Leave-In Cream Natural Conditioner.

• If you are going to dye your hair during the winter, be sure to use products which will help maintain moisture. We recommend... Shampoo: Keratin Complex Colour Care Shampoo. Conditioner: Keratin Complex Colour Care Conditioner. Treatment: Milkshake Yogurt Mask. These will all help to keep hair as healthy as possible whilst being coloured and will also help to keep your hair rich and vivid in colour!
• Indoor heating... keep hair moisturised and protected! Recommended products for maximum moisture and protection: Macadamia Hair Moisturizing Rejuvenating Natural Shampoo, Keratin Complex Vanilla Bean Deep Conditioner, Macadamia Hair Natural Healing Oil Treatment.

• Some ways to avoid static charge in hair:

1. Deep condition hair on a regular basis (try one of the previously mentioned deep conditioners).
2. Try to avoid products which contain harsh chemicals such as 'sodium lauryl sulfates' as these dry out hair and lead to static charge.
3. Use a frizz-eliminating spray to calm hair before going out, for example: Milkshake Hair No Frizz Glistening Spray.

Just remember to keep your hair fully moisturised and use products which suit your hair to keep your hair happy during these harsh Winter months!




Picture by *Zara on Flickr, used under a Creative Commons Licence!