Tried and tested: L’Oréal Professionnel Majirel Metals

Nothing gets me more excited than a transformation in general, and one that really gets my heart racing is a hair makeover. Last year I was lucky enough to road-test L’Oréal Professionnel Colorful Hair, where my locks were turned a vibrant shade of pink. Needless to say, I was obsessed with the final result.

Earlier this year, I was given the chance to try L’Oréal Professionnel’s Majirel Metals hair colour range, which would turn my then-blonde locks metallic. You should have heard the excitement from the office - not just from myself - after we heard about this opportunity! I was definitely down to give this hair colouring service a go.

Here’s what I liked about my Majiral Metals hair colour:

#1 / How customisable the hair colour options were

When it comes to hair colour, there is no one size - or colour - fits all option. The L’Oréal Professionnel Majirel Metals portfolio features four cool-toned and permanent metallic shades that you can pick from: there’s Silver Star (cool grey), Crystal Ash (grey with a tinge of violet), Pink Ash (grey with a slight pink tint), and Hi-Lilac (grey with a richer purple tint), and all can be used as just a light wash or an intense jolt of colour in the hair. As for me, I wanted to go for a medium-intensity silver colour, so I opted for Silver Star.

#2 / The Majirel Metals colour was intense

Although going from blonde to silver isn’t that much of a stark change (compared to the L’Oréal Professionnel Colorful Hair transformation I went through a couple of months ago), the new colour that I went with was still significantly different to my original hair colour.

I had a consultation with my hair colourist - Jordan Hone of Sloans - before getting my colour applied, and he gave me an overview of what we’d need to do to reach my ideal end result: first, he would have to lighten a bit more of my hair towards the roots from black to light blonde for a really nice blend, then he would apply the Majirel Metals Silver Star colour on top of all my blonde hair.

And this was no easy feat, as Asian hair - being thick and incredibly dark in colour to begin with - is notoriously tricky to dye. “Asian hair can be hard to lighten due to the natural depth of their hair colour,” explains Hone. “When lightening Asian hair, we need to take into consideration that we are starting at a natural colour level of 1. We need to go through several stages of lifting and lightening to achieve a level 9 result.”

In plain speak, this means that it would take a whole lot of work to lift my hair colour from black to blonde, then get my hair looking as un-brassy as possible, than say if I naturally had a lighter hair colour. Thankfully, I was in the best of hands.

#3 / The process was pretty quick

After my consultation, I was prepared to sit in the chair for up to five hours. Luckily, it took much less. “The lightening, lifting and toning process took roughly two to three hours,” says Hone. “I thought this was great time-wise!” So did I, three hours went by quite quickly!

#4 / Majirel Metals improved the quality of my hair

Hair colour services usually get a bad rap and are commonly associated with drying out or damaging hair. That’s not the case with Majirel Metals, as it features special Inoéne G technology that can treat and protect the cortex (centre of the hair), cuticle and surface, both on the day of the service and over time.

To strengthen my hair even more, Hone applied L’Oréal Professionnel Smartbond to my hair, which is another professional hair service that re-enforces the hair fibre even more. I’ve also been using the Smartbond Conditioner prescribed to me by Hone to repair my hair and make it feel strong and smooth post-colouring.

#5 / The metallic finish delivered the wow-factor

Who knew grey hair could look so cool?! I’d been a blonde for a few years, and to be a different tone - that is, a silvery wash - has changed my life. I want this to be my new hair colour forever! Hone totally backed me up: “I think the metallic trend is going to be huge this season! From rose gold locks to silver blonde crops, this year is all about being bold and dramatic. This trend is definitely inspired by recent catwalk shows we have seen, especially like Dolce & Gabbana.”

The verdict

Although the metallic finish isn’t as intense anymore, it revealed a beautiful, bright blonde colour underneath. Plus, it was good to see that my hair remained really shiny and smooth, and felt soft and manageable even weeks after the professional Smartbond treatment.

Something that really took me by surprise was how the hair colour changed the look of my complexion. With the silver colour framing my face, I looked even more tanned than usual, which was a real bonus considering summer has truly come to an end.

I’m looking forward to going metallic silver again - this won’t be the end to my metallic hair journey!

If you’re looking to try a major hair makeover too, read up on these tips, STAT.

Have you tried a metallic hair colour before? We’d love to hear about your experience in the comments below.