by Kirstin Watson
Treat your head, and your hair, to a wonderful workout with a Crème Hair Bath at The Sanctuary spa in London’s Covent Garden
The lowdown
If you’re a bit short on money I’ll let you into a little secret. The Crème Hair Bath is a fabulous three-in-one treatment. As well as a giving your hair a makeover you will also enjoy an invigorating head, neck and shoulder massage too.
The other great thing about this treatment is that it can be tailored exactly to suit your hair’s needs and can also be enjoyed by pregnant women (do still notify your therapist that you’re pregnant though).
The treatment
The first thing my therapist asked me was what I wanted to gain from the treatment. I was a little stumped. ‘Well, would you like a treatment for dry hair, coloured hair or to give your hair a bit of lift?’ After much umming and ahhing I decided I wanted a combination. I wanted to treat my dry ends but also give my hair a boost.
I hopped on to the waterproof bed and lay my head in a plastic wrapped pillow. Next I was covered in towels to keep me warm.
Using the Phytologie hair range my therapist started by applying a deeply nourishing oil treatment called PhytoNectar to my hair. Especially developed for very dry, coloured, thin, coarse or frizzy hair, its active ingredients of egg yolk and soya oil help lubricate and strengthen the hair leaving it shiny and pliable. Next she applied PhytoNeutre, a deep-cleansing balancing shampoo which contains eucalyptus, witch hazel, chamomile and St John’s wort - the ultimate cure if your hair’s feeling a bit sorry for itself.
Leaving that to do its work for a few minutes she set about massaging my head. It was firm but blissful. Once done, the crèmes were washed off and PhytoRhum was worked through my hair. The Rhum contains protein building egg yolk which strengthens and adds shine to lifeless hair. After this was rinsed out, PhytoSesame - a hard-working conditioner containing sesame oil, hibiscus oil and cocoa butter - was rubbed into my hair to treat dehydration and tangles. The therapist set about giving me a wonderful neck and shoulder massage while the PhytoSesame worked its magic on my hair. Finally the crème was washed out and a leave-in conditioner called PhytoMist was spritzed over my hair and I was advised to let it dry naturally. The conditioner, with its anti-fade properties, is especially great for coloured hair.
A word of advice
When I came out my hair felt gloriously soft. A word of warning though. Because of the leave-in spray you can’t use the pools or jacuzzi’s after this treatment. My advice is to book it later in the day or make sure you do all your swimming first.
For information on day membership visit www.thesanctuary.co.uk
May 8th, 2006
Karen Marie Shelton
Actress Angela Christian has a head of luscious, super curly, deep mahogany red ringlets that cascades somewhere between chin-length short and top-of-the-shoulders medium length, depending on a variety of factors including the weather, humidity and whether she lets her hair go wild or not.
Believe it or not, the beautiful New York based actress with stunning porcelain white skin was born and raised in San Antonio, Texas where she derived culture from annual school trips to the local symphony.
The gorgeous but relatively unknown naturally curly haired performer recently finished a one year contract on the London stage. Even more ironic, Angela was one of only two Americans in The Woman In White musical performed in London’s West End that was directed by the world famous Trevor Nunn.
Broadway goers may know of the vivacious star from her role as Miss Dorothy from Thoroughly Modern Millie. Although Angela is sometimes seen tripping the light fantastic as she strolls down a celebrity crowded Red Carpet, for the most part she keeps a low celebrity profile.
Regardless of her acting path, Angela caught my attention because of her stunning natural curls that appear to morph between short and medium in length at various times. This is not that uncommon for naturally curly hair and can happen due to whether the hair is air-dryer, diffused, wet bunned or deliberately stretched to pull the gorgeous ringlets into a longer profile.
Although there are several well-known actresses with short to medium length locks like Geena Davis who have naturally curly hair, it is not as common these days to see short or medium natural curls on an actress.
Curly hair like Angela’s that is full of deep rich tones looks fabulous when dried naturally with a long finger diffuser to light, separate and define the array of natural ringlets. Apply a few drops of shine drops, spray or gloss to add instant shimmer.
Steal Angela’s Style
Angela’s stunning naturally curly style is based upon a carefully designed custom cut that takes into account the natural formulation and structure of her curls. Each major curl section is carefully cut to create a natural full and rounded shape that perfectly frames her face.
To recreate her naturally curly style complete the following steps:
1. Shampoo with a shampoo designed to address your hair’s natural texture, type and condition. If you prefer, utilize a diluted shampoo methodology or Condition Only (CO) method. Be sure to address sensitive scalps and chemically treated strands that may be dry and in need of hydration.
2. Rinse shampoo completely from strands. Gently blot excess water from hair and scalp and apply rinse-out conditioner designed for your specific hair’s needs. If your hair is fine or thin, you may wish to skip the rinse-out conditioning step.
3. Finish with a cool/cold water rinse when possible to help build-in shine and close cuticles. Some hairdressers do not agree with this procedure so follow your own preference on this step.
4. Towel blot to remove the excess water. When possible use a super absorbent towel.
5. Apply desired cocktail of leave-in conditioner, defrisant or other favorite styling products.
6. Detangle with a wide tooth comb. Start at the bottom of your strands and work slowly up to the roots.
7. Use a long finger diffuser attachment on the end of your regular blow dryer. Avoid touching wet ringlets with fingers as much as possible to avoid development of frizz.
8. Separate curls into sections that are approximately 2-3″ in width. Allow the strand to rest in the cup of the diffuser as the air diffuses from the blow dryer.
9. When hair is completely dry, use fingers to carefully arrange ringlets into the desired profile.
10. Apply a shine product to add additional gloss.
Summary
Angela Christian is a gorgeous actress with short to medium length natural curls. Whether she arranges her curls so that they are short or medium length, they look stunning. Follow the steps above to steal her luscious style.
May 8th, 2006