There was a time when colouring your hair either meant covering greys or opting for stark highlights. As techniques and technology improved over the years, new trends have emerged, including dip-dye, ombre and balayage, which give added dimension while remaining low maintenance. And with social media phenomena Kim Kardashian and Kylie Jenner paving the way, going platinum blonde or even donning kaleidoscopic hair colours have become the norm. At the same time, improved product performance also means it’s now easier to condition and preserve the intensity of your hair colour. It’s crucial to invest time in the upkeep of your locks as heat styling and UV exposure are the top reasons why hair colour fades and becomes dull. Be sure to stick to your post-colour care regimen for at least two weeks before alternating with your regular shampoo. This gives your hair colour enough time to stablise so it becomes less prone to fading.

At the Salon

Best Colour Service
FDP Contemporary Balayage, from $230, FDP Prestige Hair Care
Everything at FDP Prestige Hair Care will make you feel instantly at ease, thanks to its warm and inviting ambience. Angeline Tan, Creative Artistic Director, carefully selected a blend of pink, lavender, mint and blonde to match our reviewer’s hair colour. The result? The mélange of hues not only accentuated her curls but also helped make her skin tone look brighter. Visit facebook.com/FranzdeParis

Best Colour Customisation
Creative Colour: Melted Balayage, from $300, Chez Vous
Customisation at its finest, the hair directors who attended to our reviewer took into consideration her admittedly unmanageable hair (brassy colour, coarse texture), skin tone and lifestyle; and recommended a trim before deciding on a brown base colour with ashy highlights in a balayage technique. The great service and super useful aftercare and styling tips are a plus. Visit chezvoushair.com

Best Blonde
The Ultimate Colour, from $420, PREP Luxe
Before you think of jumping on the bandwagon, it’s vital to understand that a good bleaching job is all about control. A good colourist should be able to achieve your desired results while keeping scalp irritation and hair damage to a minimum, which is exactly what Den Ng, Director of PREP Luxe, delivered. Our reviewer’s locks went from dark brown to platinum in just one session without any hair breakage nor scalp damage. Visit prepyourhair.com

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If you are outside of Singapore, please email smlin@sph.com.sg.