The new amika blog!

We're moving!

The new amika website has officially launched! It's equipped with features including: details about the latest amika tools + products, our online shop, styling how-to's, a press section, and of course a updated blog with a chic new design. So although we must now bid farewell to Blogger, you'll be happy, and hopefully excited to know, you can now keep up with all things amika on our new blog at: loveamika.com/blog

How-To Blowout Giveaway!

There really is so much more to blowdrying hair than simply getting it dry, especially when you're working with hair that is textured and voluminous. It's an art, and stylist, salon owner, and beauty blogger Tequila Fletcher is an artist. Don't believe the rumors, a well done blowout looks good on any hair type. Naturally curly and coiled hair can be made sleek without sacrificing body and bounce, while straight stands can be lifted an volumized. To prove it, Tequila is sharing with us her step-by-step pro tips for getting a perfect blowout for two very different hair types: natural + relaxed. Her tools of choice? amika of course, the Power Cloud Repair + Smooth Dryer, Straight Up Smoothing Balm, Oil Treatment, and Touchable Hairspray... and we're giving them away!

1) Start off with clean and conditioned hair.
2) Section hair into four sections.
3) Apply amika Straight Up Smoothing Balm to hair from root to ends. (Only apply a small amount of product. Too much product will make your hair greasy and weigh it down.)
4) Set your amika Power Cloud Repair + Smooth Dryer on a low/medium warm setting and proceed to dry the hair until 80% dry.

5) Clip all but one section of your hair.
6) Set your dryer to a higher and warmer setting and proceed to continue drying your hair using a medium round or paddle brush. Smooth the hair by sectioning small sections until done.
7) FLAT IRON TIME (do if you need to at this point). For those of you with natural hair, please make sure you are using a flat iron that heats up to 400º. For those of you with relaxed please make sure your not using heat higher than 300º. Smooth out your hair until finished.
8) Finish your hair using by using a few drops of amika Oil Treatment (if desired) and use the amika Touchable Hair spray set your perfect results.

How-To Blowout Giveaway!

Now that you've learned the steps to getting an amazing blowout, we're giving you the chance to win all of the amika tools + products you'll need to make it happen! Enter for a chance to win the ultimate blowout set that includes: the amika Power Cloud Repair + Smooth Dryer, the amika Straight Up Smoothing Balm, the amika Oil Treatment, and the amika Touchable Hairspray. We'll be choosing 5 lucky winners, 2 from Facebook, 2 from Instagram, and 1 from the entry form below. Contest runs Aug. 8-15th. (Open to US only. Prizes are non-refundable, and subject to change based on availability.) 

• For Facebook: LIKE+SHARE this post.
• For Instagram: Follow @love_ amika and @tequilaglamtresshair and repost this picture with #howtoblowout
• Follow the entry rules below. The more ways you enter, the more chances you have to win.

GOOD LUCK everyone!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Pro Tip

ProTip: Oil is great for many things, but a moisturizer it is not! Moisture is hydration, and can only be achieved with water or water-based products. Using oil as your moisturizer could eventually dry out your hair. Instead, use amika Oil Treatment as a sealant, to lock in moisture and keep excess moisture out. 

Red, white, blue + neon

Nothing's traditional when it's graced with the presence of Chloe Norgaard and her infamous neon locks. American designer For Love + Lemons featured Chloe in their recent Summer Lookbook, appropriately dubbed "American Dreamz." In celebration of the birth of a nation, we share with you a 4th of July inspired lookbook that pays homage to "God Bless America" and green hair.

"American Dreamz is a very special mini capsul collection we created exclusively for the 4th of July! 100% of it is produced in downtown Los Angeles. This is our way of showing appreciation for our country and that we are proud to be Americans!!!" - For Love + Lemons

Photogragher: Zoey Grossman 

Model: Chloe Norgaard

Makeup/Hair: Ashlee Rose

(images via): fashiongonerogue.com 

amika: 5 Ways to Fight Frizz

1. Shampoo --the right way...
Use a sulfate-free shampoo that will cleanse your hair without stripping it of it's natural oils. amika Color pHerfection Shampoo will clarify your scalp without leaving your hair stripped + brittle. Shampoo less, shampooing too often can dry out your hair. Instead, opt for a dry shampoo. amika Perk Up Dry shampoo will remove excess oil from your hair, adding texture + lift to refreshen your locks. Pre-Poo, as in before-shampoo, to protect your strands. Apply a conditioner or oil treatment to your hair prior to shampooing. Rinse out or leave-in while you shampoo, to prevent shampoo from completely stripping hair while you wash.

2. Put the towel down...
When possible, air drying is always the healthiest option for your hair. But you can blot with a microfiber towel or T-shirt to reduce friction that can raise the hair cuticle causing frizz.

3. Harness the power of the negative ion...

If you are going to use a blow dryer, make sure it's equipped with a negative ion feature. Negative ions will reduce frizz by closing the hair cuticle. The amika Repair + Smooth Dryer has negative + positive ions. Positive ions dramatically reduce drying time, while negative ions leave hair silky and shiny! Diffuse, to evenly distribute heat in a way that is less damaging to hair and that will reduce drying time. Curly girls, listen up please! Diffusers are the way to go when blowdrying curls; use it to cup your curls so they maintain their shape during the drying process.

4. Moisturize + Seal...

Deep conditioning regularly will restore hair's moisture. Use a deep conditioner like the amika Nourishing Mask at least once a week to strengthen + repair hair. Lock in the moisture from water + conditioning by sealing your strands with an oil/silicone based product. Focusing on your ends, apply a thin coat of a product like the amika Oil Treatment. This will keep hair from drying out, while also protecting it from humidity in the air that can cause frizz. 

5. Hands off, please...

Especially once your hair is dry, the more you fuss with it the more frizz you create!

images (in descending order) via: blog.myfdb.com, (amika), instagram.com/felixfischerhair, fuckyeahfantasyhair.tumblr.com

Pro Tip

ProTip: Your hair grows from your scalp, so if you’re not sure of your hair type, often times your skin type can be the best indicator. 

• For oily hair: amika Perk Up Dry Shampoo will absorb excess oils leaving your hair feeling cleaner + lighter. 
• For dry hair:  Moisture is key, use the amika Nourishing Hair Mask at least once a week to help repair your hair + moisturize. 

amika: Premiere Orlando

amika was at the Premiere Orlando show this weekend! Did you stop by our booth to check out the amazing couture hairstyles created by our Pro Education Manager, stylist Naeemah LaFond?! If you missed it, here are some behind-the-scenes photos from the event...