Weddings are finally back on the agenda, with brides-to-be and bridal hair and beauty teams alike finally picking up their plans and preparing for a blockbuster season of rearranged events. The second half of 2021 looks set to be a busy time for weddings, while salons will be looking to 2022 and beyond as a bumper year for patient couples, ready to get their big days back on track. No matter what the wedding looks like, Great Lengths hair extensions provide a perfect solution for those looking to enhance their natural look. Whether clients are long-time wearers of GL Tapes or Bonds and couldn’t imagine an occasion without them, or they’re new to the idea of extensions but want something special for their long-awaited big day, Great Lengths has a solution for everyone – from subtle to all-out extravagance, as well as colour changes and enhanced length and volume to give up-dos the wow factor. Bringing to life this versatility is the latest bridal collection from Great Lengths, Own The Day. The stunning shoot showcases the full potential of hair extensions – and the transformative effect they can have on every type of hair. From a full head of bonds to add length and texture to a few strategically-placed GL Tapes to add volume and lift, the collection is full of inspiration – and the perfect conversation starter for a consultation. The looks were created by a team of Great Lengths creative bridal specialists, with bespoke dresses created for the collection by Joanna Leigh Couture. The collection serves to deliver aspirational but achievable looks, focussing on enhancing natural texture with an on-trend update. “The hair in this collection is inspired by natural texture,” says Louise Jenkins, Education & Creative Manager for Great Lengths UK and Ireland. “We really wanted to showcase how Great Lengths extensions can enhance natural hair while still looking completely seamless and effortless. Bridal hair for 2021 will see hair looking beautiful but undone, and that is exactly what we wanted to create with our collection. SEE THE FULL COLLECTION BELOW! Lustrous and defined curls A classic afro texture, enhanced using Great Lengths pre-permed GL Tapes to add more volume, a little length and create a natural, yet defined look which is perfectly colour matched. This look is big and bouncy and perfectly complements the style of dress, with low cut arms the hair remains centre stage. Undone textured braid A natural and undone loose braid. Created using a mix of GL Tapes and the new GL Tapes Minis. Dimension has been added by using multiple shades and the sides have been given extra thickness and texture to complete the look. The beautifully long undone braid is the perfect look to pair with a low-back dress. Natural loose waves Loose waves create a bold and beautiful statement that works well with open shoulder dresses. Created using Great Lengths bonds, the vast colours available enabled a perfect colour match to enhance the natural look adding dimension, length and volume. Textured Pony Tail Created using GL Tapes, this beautiful blonde style loose ponytail style is perfect for brides who prefer an up-do. Textured with a loose wave, the ponytail encapsulates volume and body and looks great with a low back dress, plus no signs of the discreet GL Tapes to be seen. Halo braided up-do Perfect for brides who want lots of detail. This look created using Great Lengths bonds has been perfectly styled to ensure no bonds are visible. The loose and undone halo braid adds lots of detailed texture to the look and the loose waves shape the face perfectly. Credits Hair- Louise Jenkins, Kirby Blythe, Maria Vaughan Make-Up - Sally Rowe Dresses - Joanna Leigh Couture Photography- Joseph Scanlon
We are kicking off 2021 on a positive note by working as a team to raise £1,000 for The Little Princess Trust. We are going the extra mile (well extra 500 miles to be specific) with our own ambitious 500 mile goal, committing to a daily dose of activity to meet this worthy target. Together we are taking part in the Great Run SO21 January Accumulator Challenge. This challenge is to complete 21 activities of any distance in January and raise money for our worthy cause. The Little Princess Trust, who have been partnered with us for more than five years, provide free real hair wigs to children and young people with medical hair loss. Since 2016, The Little Princess Trust has also supported the development of less aggressive and less toxic cancer treatments by funding academics and organisations involved in researching the causes of paediatric cancer. Wanting to donate? Click here and help us towards our target! We wanted to start 2021 in the most upbeat way possible by raising both money and awareness for The Little Princess Trust, an incredible charity that we are so proud to work so closely with. The money raised will be used by the charity to fund vital research into finding better treatments for childhood cancers. Great Lengths are the only hair extension donations that are accepted by the charity to create wigs, owing to their ethicality and hair quality. The donation scheme is currently available in more than 1,500 Great Lengths salons across the UK & Ireland, with more than 2500 bundles of Great Lengths hair extensions donated to the charity to date so if you're thinking about removal, make sure to donate this this worthy cause through your local GL salon.
Why you should feel reassured with Great Lengths... As we enter another stage of uncertainty and get closer to the winter months, you may feel worried returning back to the salon. We wanted to find out just how our salons are combatting COVID-19. We caught up with two Elite Great Lengths salons to find out what measures they have implemented and why we should return since re-opening in July. PPE and following the Government guidelines An obvious one and so important, we must follow PPE and social distancing guidelines set in place by your salon, this keeps you and your stylist safe. James Henderson, salon owner at M Hair Nottingham commented, As a salon, I truly feel that we have gone above and beyond the basic government guidelines and by doing this we have gained new clients. They have moved across to us because they have seen the lengths we have gone to ensure their confidence and security.” If you're feeling cautious, check in with your salon to find out what measures they have implemented - it will give you peace of mind. James Henderson, M Hair Newness, colours and shapes With online shopping soaring, a visit to the salon is an experience now more than ever, a day out for some! Refresh your tresses and feel good again. Not by our own choice, over lockdown our hair didn't get the attention it deserved. Life can become a bit mundane and repetitive but you don't need to let your hair get that way! Vicky Demetriou at Larry King comments: “Clients are just excited to look fresh and have something new to look forward to! Lots of soft shapes and fun colours as we come into autumn. Extensions have always been a great way to maintain fragile sections of hair and when clients are coming to the salon for their maintenance haircuts and hair additions it’s a great way to keep your look updated when you're not shopping for clothes.” Vicky Demetriou, Larry King Longevity Worried about your extensions during a lockdown? Don't worry, Great Lengths pre-bonded extensions can last up to 5 months if the correct aftercare and maintenance is followed. If you're a tape fan, GL Tapes last up to 8 weeks before they need to be removed and GL stylists are always on hand to guide you through any circumstance you may have via video call if needs be! Remember, always speak to your local Great Lengths salon to find out more about their procedures and book in for a complimentary consultation if you're interested in starting your GL journey.
Salons around Southern Ireland and England have re-opened or in the process of getting ready to welcome you back into the chair. While it’s an exciting time for many, clients should also be aware that salons will be adhering to new rules and safety regulations for the foreseeable future We reached out to our expert educators to find out what protocols will be in place for clients getting back into the salon chair over the coming weeks. Great Lengths Ireland educator and salon owner of Streetlife Hair, Edwina Hayes, says, “One of the most important things is to give your stylist is a good recent history of your hair and desired look beforehand. This cuts down consultation time and ultimately time in the salon chair. Have you done a box dye to cover greys? Have you chopped off the ends yourself? Make sure to tell your stylist!” On getting colour done, Great Lengths educator, Aileen Barnby from Barnby & Brennan said, “I’ve asked clients to arrive with their hair freshly washed from the night before or morning of just so we can see the exact colour. It’s harder to see colour if the hair is on day 3 and full of dry shampoo!” Salon tips & guidelines Wear a mask. It’s very simple and safe. It protects your stylist and it protects you. Be responsible. If you feel sick or you have a cough, don’t attend your appointment. Be patient. Stylist’s will be getting used to the new regulations and safety measures in place so things may take longer than usual. Extra cleaning and specialised rotas will be in place. Many stylists are also extending working days and hours to accommodate their clients so be mindful of that. Leave coats and bags at home or in the car when you can. The coat/cloakroom areas in salons have been removed to avoid minimal contact. Bring your own tea, coffee or water as most salons are advised not to offer refreshments. Alternatively check with your salon if they are still offering refreshments if you bring your own travel mug. Bring a good book, your own magazine or download an audiobook or podcast. Magazines won’t be available in salons any longer. Don’t be late. Or early. Salons are under massive pressure to get through a backlog of clients so keep to your timeslot. You may have to wait outside if you’re early as there may be a limit on numbers allowed in the salon. Be prepared to use card payments – avoiding cash payments is best for the time being. Enjoy yourself! It’s been 3 months since you sat in the salon chair!! Great Lengths educator Maria Vaughan, salon owner at Urban Angels Hair suggests, ‘Bring your earphones and download a good podcast or a meditation app. It can be uncomfortable and hot to talk in a mask so it might be best to have something good to listen to during your appointment.’ Getting Great Lengths extensions removed or applied? Ask your GL stylist about how to prepare your hair at home using the new “Client Prep Kits” prior to the appointment to save time at the backwash. The kit contains a mini 50ml Clean Remover Shampoo, dressing out brush and instructions on how to use. Make sure to contact your salon well ahead of your hair extension appointment, this gives the salon enough time to order and check that your colours are in stock. To find your nearest salon, visit the salon locator page and book your free of charge consultation.
“The Kids’ Theatre” is the fifth episode of the “The Great Italian Journey”, Great Lengths 2020 communication campaign, dedicated to Goethe’s Italian travel diary. This story celebrates the cheerful, playful side of Dolce Vita, that the two female foreign visitors discover by approaching a unique artistic expression, very peculiar of Palermo: the kids’ theatre, recognized by UNESCO as a masterpiece of the oral and intangible heritage of humanity. The puppet show has always been a fun way to deliver education to both children and adults, way before the diffusion of the public school. It starts in the mid nineteenth century, with stories of bandits and saints, Shakespearean dramas and above all the very popular events of the paladins of France told by Ludovico Ariosto in his epic poem “Orlando Furioso”. Mixing realism and fantasy, tragedy and comedy, the kids’ theatre, known in Italian as “Opera dei Pupi” convey the values of Sicilian people, such as chivalry, sense of honor, the defense of the weak and the priority of boundless love. Besides their literary aspects, this theatre means a precious, rare, endangered and extremely skilled craftsmanship. Puppets are actually still made manually: forging their metal armor requires a month of work for each puppet. Every puppet, or pupo, is a wooden unique piece, different from any other, that can also be made on commission for a value of over 1000€ each. In Palermo the work of the puppets is linked to the names of various families. The theatre that hosted Great Length’s production is Franco Cuticchio’s one, now a the third generation of puppeteers (Franco is also displayed in the video working at a new pupo). The protagonist of this story is Agatha, a model and actress with an outstanding personality, who enters the micro stage herself to start making jokes with the puppet and playing the accordion, the music instrument that is still used for the shows’ live soundtrack. Her casual, fresh short curly look with a bang is easy, fun and practical. It perfectly shows a less obvious use of extensions: not applied to give length to hair but to build a full but still natural volume, boosted especially on the top of the head. Naturalness is also key to Agatha’s hair color choice, a warm chocolate shade, deep and intense, made possible with the application of GL Pre-Bonded in color 03, length 12”.
“The Enchanted Tree” is the fourth episode of the “The Great Italian Journey”, Great Lengths 2020 communication campaign, inspired to Goethe’s Italian travel diary. This story focuses on the celebration of the female beauty in its very essence, without any addition, and - instead - with a soft and natural feel. The episode starts with the group of foreign women visiting Palermo standing in a very special setting, a sort of mysterious place, that only good connoisseurs of the city can recognize as a real garden, whereas the majority of people may think it to be an artificial set. The protagonists of the story slowly move in the shadow of a giant tree, a venerable 25m-high, 150-year old giant Ficus Benjamin, whose huge size and peculiar shape create a sort of protected, secluded and arcane wooden dome. Actually, the magic of this incredible Ficus are its thick aerial roots, as big as trunks, who hang in the air before they reach the ground again, looking like an elegant ancient colonnade or like outstanding hairs’ enlargement under the microscope. This wonderful and oldest tree in Palermo, is placed right in the city center of the city, in a small park in a very quiet square surrounded on all sides by elegant palazzi. This extraordinary setting makes of this story the most symbolic of the series: the explorers’ experience is not only a physical journey, but also an internal one, holding the power of imagination and the bliss of a youthful dream. In particular, we would like to draw your attention to Agatha, the woman in a dark pants suit with mid-length curly hair. Intense chocolate-shaded extensions are used on her not to build length, but to give a feminine volume to a full head of hair, that could be worn by any woman looking for a warm and sophisticated look. The Great Lengths international stylists’ team shaped for Agatha what is one of the most widespread women’s aspirations: voluminous, naturally wavy hair. In particular the Great Lengths’ US-stylist and trainer Nanci Lee used GL Tapes on the interior to give fullness and GL Pre-Bonded on the perimeter to create a seamless blend. She achieved the curl pattern by using a diffuser on the loose wave pattern of Great Lengths’ hair. This has made of Agatha, an incredible model and actress who has been mastering the set scene, a contemporary woman who likes to play with contrasts: a minimalistic professional clothes’ choice combined with a loose, sensual hair look.
The latest innovation for blonde hair is here...Silver Shine the best shampoo for blonde hair extensions from Great Lengths. Banish the brass and refresh your blonde every single week without the fear of damage or dehydrating your hair. For hair extensions wearers or those who prefer the au naturele look, Silver Shine Shampoo is the perfect remedy to fading blondes. Designed with bleached and grey hair in mind, the innovative violet colour pigment neutralizes and nurtures yellow and brassy tones. How Does It Work? The KERA-PROTECT-KOMPLEX (KERAPHLEX®) improves the hair structure, repairs hair damages and prevents new damages. The result? Hair will become silky and smooth to the touch. PRODEW 500 provides for new GL brilliance and protects the hair colour against premature fading. Image by Alanna Loughran at Petra's House Of Colour How and When Do You Use It? Ideally shampoo the hair once a week with your Silver Shine Shampoo. As with all professional shampoos, we recommend to shampoo the hair twice. The first shampoo can be lathered into the hair and then rinsed thoroughly. Repeat for the second cleanse. This is when the shampoo can be left on longer for the colour pigments to penetrate the hair. The longer the shampoo is left on, the ashier the tone will be. Silver shine shampoo is a maintenance essential. Naturally, blonde tones will become warmer over time. This is largely due to the natural hair being darker than the blonde tone it has been changed too. To reduce this warmth from building up in the hair, use once a week. For blondes, it is also a great way of softening a rooted or balayage effect. Cooling the blonde tone down, often creates a softer blend between the natural depth of the root and the lightened end. Using the Silver Shine shampoo regularly can aid that seamless finish. Speak to your nearest Great Lengths salon to find out how you can order and keep your blondes looking and feeling beautiful.
“The Magic of Majolica” is the third episode of the “The Great Italian Journey”, Great Lengths 2020 communication campaign, inspired to Goethe’s Italian travel diary. In this episode Yzan, the Asian woman, welcomes us by opening the doors of a special place. She invites us to enter and discover one of Palermo’s hidden gems, The Casa Museo Stanze al Genio, a unique museum located in a baroque palace in the very heart of the historical centre. The museum collection consists of 5000 glazed square floor tiles from Southern Italy, manufactured between the 15th and 20th century for the pleasure and enjoyment of the aristocracy, the wealthy middle class and the religious communities. Besides the outstanding beauty and modernity of the tiles’ decorations, what is unique about this museum, is that it is hosted inside a fully furnished and functional private apartment, which is still used by its owners. Such an incredible combination of private and public living is a fascinating demonstration of how much Italian creativity is woven into everyday lifestyle and personal choices. The protagonists of the story sit on the floor, a perfect graphic framework, that enhances their elegance and majesty. In particular, we would like to draw your attention to Gintare, the only blonde woman of the group. Her timeless beauty stand outs in the cozy atmosphere of the room. With her soft gaze, her warm honey blonde hair color, she is the emblem of a gentle femininity. The Rossano Ferretti team shaped what is one of the most widespread women’s aspirations: long, voluminous, naturally wavy hair. Gintare’s look is so aspirational because of her light hair color, as if she had been spending time in a Sicilian beach under the radiant sun for several days or weeks. Her roots are darker, whilst the ends and the longest locks have degraded tones. Technically speaking, Gintare’s look is achieved by using 150 GL pre-bonded hair, in a combination of colors: Rooted 68/23 where 5 cm of dark roots drastically transition into a shiny blonde and Bronde 63/23 where the darker roots smoothing transition into much lighter ones on the ends.
It’s a worrying time at the moment without the added stress of hair woes. With that said, many women will be scrutinising their locks in the mirror over the coming weeks. So, to help manage hair while salons are closed, we've put together some hair dos and don’ts during isolation. DOs Do lay off the heated tools while we are in isolation. It’s a nice break for your hair. Style your hair into buns and pony tails and put down the straightener. Do use a good hair mask. Pop it in for the whole day if you’re WFH (Working from home). Make sure you comb it through thoroughly. Do use professional shampoos, conditioners and styling products. For extension-wearers we recommend products specifically for extensions or products that are sulphate free. Do ask your salon to pop you on a waiting list for bookings when they re-open. Do plait/braid your hair whilst resting or sleeping, especially if you wear extensions. This will give you beautiful heat free waves when you wake up! Do brush your extensions daily! We recommend 2-3 times and brush row by row over the bond or tape. For Great Lengths bonded extension-wearers - Do separate your bonds daily. Separate with your fingers to prevent matting. You may need to do more regularly if your extensions are due out during this isolation period. DON’T’s Don’t ever try to cut your own hair – even your fringe. It’s never a good idea! Don’t try and dye your own hair. Box dyes and professional dyes work in different ways and you could end up creating much more work for your stylist in the long run. Don’t wash your hair every day. Leave a few days between washes and give your hair a break from styling. Don’t forget to wash your brushes. Remove the loose hair, soak them in some fairy liquid and leave them out to air dry. Most importantly for extension wearers - Don’t try and remove your hair extensions at home. This will do more harm than good. Leave it to the professionals! Practice daily maintenance and your extensions should last a few more weeks with no damage to your natural hair. Finally, don’t be afraid to contact your stylist for advice. If all else fails, drop your stylist a DM with your questions or reach out on our social pages, we would be happy to answer your queries! We'll get through this, let's keep talking and supporting our salons, together.
