Daily delight: my very first INOA experience

A while ago I wrote a piece after attending the launch of INOA, the biggest and brightest buzz in the hair industry right now. In case you didn’t read it, INOA - which stands for innovation, no ammonia – is L’Oréal Professionnel’s new generation hair colour that ushers in a new era for professional stylists and their clients, superseding major formulation principles. Calling itself the iPhone to many other formulations’ clunky old Motorola, INOA gives both clients and hair stylists an odour-free colour experience with what they call “optimal respect” for the hair, while delivering an amazing 100 per cent coverage on white hair. And because of its optimal scalp comfort, INOA is suitable for even the most sensitive scalps.
Yesterday it was my turn to experience INOA first hand, and in the care of Hayley Pullyn, Creative Director of Servilles in Mission Bay. All Servilles salons are now INOA only, such is their faith in the product. Hayley tells me that an INOA colour is slightly pricier than the norm, but the teams at Servilles - a much-loved New Zealand hair legend - believe people will pay extra as the results really are incredible. So far this is definitely proving true, with some great feedback from their clients coming through already.
She sits me down and explains the science behind INOA, and why it’s a godsend for both colourists and clients alike. In a nutshell, INOA hair colour is the first permanent hair colour with three distinct parts: The Oleo Gel, formulated on the basis of oil, contains a dermo-protective active; the Colourant Gel contains the alkaline agent that replaces ammonia and the Rich Cream Developer which acts at the heart of the hair fibre to protect it as well as erasing surface irregularities giving the hair an exceptional feel. The formulation has the appearance of a velvety face cream in a dense, rich and odourless colour mixture that is whipped up before your eyes. For professionals, INOA provides incredible comfort and ease of use together with an infinite number of true-to-tone, predictable shades. It is faster to apply from roots to ends and provides deep, radiant and shiny colour for smooth hair with bounce and texture. INOA’s ammonia-free, odour-less formula allows you to lighten hair up to three levels, darken hair and perfectly cover white hair with exceptionally even coverage from root to tip. Fifty true-to-reflect shades are available in pre-dosed mini-tubes, and Hayley used several to achieve the rather clever look I leave with. In her words she “got creative” on my colour, using a variety of techniques to showcase what could be done with INOA. I saw balayage happening, a base colour applied throughout and highlights added to bring a little interest to the mix. I must say I still had a little tingling on my scalp, but it wasn't a problem and went immediately after the colour was washed off.
And the end result? A very natural dark blonde with a sparkle of colour happening here and there that feels absolutely amazing. Keep this up INOA, you are most definitely living up to the hype!