Saturday, August 23, 2014

the kindness of strangers { grey hair edition }


Ok, so maybe I'm naive when it comes to this blogging thing.  I follow a few bloggers who, beyond the pleasure of blogging about what they're passionate about, obviously are gaining a bit more than readership through their blogs.  For instance, one of my fave bloggers, Sarah of Thrifty Decor Chick, was actually approached by the manufacturer of "Sleep Number" beds, and given a brand new bed (!), free of charge. In perhaps the ultimate reward for blogging, the lovely and talented Joanna Gaines was rewarded with her very own HGTV show (!!!!) - "Fixer Upper" - which came about purely as a result of one of her blog entries being shared on another popular blog. I absolutely LOVE her style, and everything about that show - I'm seriously thinking of a move to Waco, Texas, just so Joanna and her adorable husband Chip can "fix up" a house for me! ;-) (In case it isn't obvious, I have a small passion myself for interior design/DIY - but that's another subject for another day). :)

At any rate, my reasons for blogging are purely for my own enjoyment - anything above and beyond that is the proverbial icing on the cake.  So you can imagine my delight when a few weeks back, the most lovely thing happened.

After I blogged (and subsequently tweeted) about my 10,000th view, it was picked up and re-tweeted by the lovely folks at White Hot Hair - or more specifically, by the founder of WHH, Jayne Mayled. A bit of background: White Hot Hair is based in the UK, and  makes a line of hair care products specifically formulated for grey/silver/white hair. As one with an obvious interest in such a line of products, I had been aware of WHH prior to them tweeting about my blog - but had been under the impression that it was a line only available to UK consumers.  I happened to mention this in response to Jayne's tweet - and she very kindly replied that if I sent her my address, they'd be happy to send me some samples.  Sweet!

I sent Jayne my address, and of course a big thank you for her kind offer....and a little over a week later - look what arrived in my mailbox - all the way from England:


Honestly, I literally gasped when I opened the package - when Jayne said "samples", I expected those little take-out ketchup sized packets - but this?  These weren't samples - they were beautifully wrapped, full size bottles/jars of the ENTIRE LINE of White Hot products! (yep, just as in the photo at the top of this post) WOW.  And here's the kicker - when I had written Jayne to thank her for her offer of samples, I also mentioned that I'd be happy to give the products a mention on my blog - but she deferred the offer, saying, "For me, the encouragement, inspiration and conversation is as important as the product, if not more so."  Truly, I was floored.  

Now, again, maybe I'm naive about the "perks" of blogging - perhaps this sort of thing happens all the time to established bloggers - but to me, Jayne's generosity, coupled with her expecting nothing in return, went above and beyond the call of duty.  This filled me with SUCH a sense of gratitude, and spoke to me of the kindness of strangers - reminding me that there is good in this world - which sometimes presents itself  in the most unlikely and unexpected ways.  

So what about those products?  Well, I'm happy to report that since receiving them, I've put them all to the test - and I'm LOVING them.  Without a word of a lie, my hair has never felt so soft and silky - and it smells delicious! Since transitioning to grey, I haven't really had a problem yet with "yellowing" - so I can't speak to the effectiveness of neutralizing yellow tones - but it definitely enhances the shine and brightness of my silver! I'm especially fond of the "shooshing creme" - demonstrated in this video by lovely Denise of "Grey Is OK!": 




I also love the "lifeshine oil" - especially effective when blow-drying my naturally curly hair - provides great shine and sleekness!  Here's a shot after washing and styling with the products - I know you can't feel it or smell it, but trust me, it's soft, silky, and oh so fragrant! :)


I would highly recommend these products - definitely the best specialty product I've tried so far marketed to those with grey/silver/white hair. I hear that Jayne is perhaps looking for distributors in North America - but in the meantime, they are available for order online via the WHH website.  You can also check them out on facebook,  twitter, pinterest, and YouTube. :)

Thank you again, Jayne!  I know you weren't expecting a testimonial, but there's no way I could NOT sing the praises of your product - and I couldn't agree with you more, and I quote, "This is not the white flag of surrender, I'm just choosing a new colour, and it happens to be grey!"

6 comments:

  1. Nice! I've only 3-4 inches of silver to show for on shoulder length hair. Grateful that at 57 I've decided to enjoy my silvers rather than hide them. Almost thinking this product might help blend my dyed hair with the natural. Is there any product comparable to this in the US that you can think of?

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  2. Yes, lovely, isn't it, fairlaine? However, your question may be better answered by contacting WHH yourself...to my knowledge, it won't change the colour of your dyed hair to help blend the two - it's most effective adding shine and manageability to grey hair, while keeping potential yellowing toned down. Prior to using these products, I've used a purple shampoo and conditioner by Pantene called "Silver Expressions" that I'm quite sure would be available in the US (I'm in Canada myself). Purple shampoos generally do the same - brighten and highlight silver hair while toning down the yellow. :)

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  3. oh my gosh you're hair is fabulous! i'm about 3 months into the silver sisterhood and i just love it! i am a curly girl also which i have also just finally embraced.
    i go back and forth about getting a super short cut to get the old color off. although i have worn a pixie many times over the years. i'm afraid i will be really be sad not having my curls. but who knows.
    either way you look terrific!
    i will look for this product i am in europe. it looks like a real treat!

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  4. Thanks Tracie! Glad you're enjoying the journey so far, you're going to ROCK the silver, sister! I wish you luck whichever route you choose to take - for me, just wasn't patient enough to keep my hair longer. Guess I'm more of an instant gratification kind of gal... :) Yes, check out the products if you're able! I don't use them exclusively, but when I need a boost or for a special occasion, they're now my go to!

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  5. Hi Helene, thanks for contacting me. I find that silver hair does change tones depending on the light in which it is viewed (I've sworn my hair is yellowing in some bathroom mirrors only to discover that's not the case when viewed in natural light). That said, blow drying and flat irons have been known to yellow silver hair, although I must admit I haven't really had a problem with either yet. As far as the WHH products go, I believe the only way to get them in Canada is to order directly from their website: http://www.whitehothair.co.uk/ I understand the cost can be pricey with exchange and shipping thrown into the mix - do you know anyone who lives in the UK who could buy and send to you? Anyone travelling there who could bring some back for you? My only other recommendation would be to try some products that are more readily available in Canada, namely purple shampoos and conditioners. I use one every so often if I think my hair needs a little boost - the brand I like is Pantene's Silver Expressions: http://www.pantene.com/en-CA/hair-care-collections/silver-expressions.aspx There are quite a few other companies that make purple hair products though, and most are available at your local drug store (i.e. Shoppers Drug Mart). I'd give one of them a try and see what you think! Thanks again for taking the time to write, much appreciated, and enjoy your silver hair! :)

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  6. Thrilled to find your blog (grey hair edition). I've been coloring my hair for25 years. It came back after chemo snow white, I did not like it and since I always wanted to be red.chose that! I want to try going back to grey and to that end just got my hair cut very,very short today!! The grey is really showing up now and I see lots of scalp. Who do you think has a great hair thickener? Will my uncolored thin hair just be thin from here on??
    Love your blog! Do keep on!! Oh did I say I am 75 proud years old?? We girls never give up on keeping up do we?

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