Hair looking a bit parched after summer? Here’s our guide to getting your tresses autumn ready!
I love going a bit lighter in the summer months, it suits the carefree vibe of summer but come the end of August, after endless root touch-ups, scorching sun (if we’re lucky) and holidays, my sun-kissed highlights look decidedly straw-like. Not the look I was going for, ever.
So, my first point of call for getting my colour back on track post summer, is the hair salon- for my parched highlights, home kits are just not an option. I wanted a colour expert, so I chose the UK’s first salon dedicated only to colour; Skyler London.
Skyler London is the brainchild of Sky and Lloyd, 2 hairstylists with decades of experience between them; their aim was to bring fun and transparency back to hair dressing whilst offering a top-quality service at fair prices- and I can vouch that they have more than achieved this.
I’ve long been fed up with the current pricing trend in hair salons, whereby you book a stylist/colourist based on their seniority within the salon. I know from experience that seniority doesn’t always corollate with experience or skill (I worked in a salon years ago where the hairdressers and beauty therapists were promoted based only on their selling skills!). So, Skyler is a very welcome change for me, the prices are the same for every colourist as they all have to undergo the Skyler London training before they are even allowed on the salon floor, this involves passing the 24 signature Skyler techniques. The price of highlights also includes the use of toner (as Skyler believe all highlights look better with a toner, and I’m inclined to agree) so no hidden costs there either!
My lovely colourist, Bex, decided that a ‘Super Half Head’ of highlights would be best for me, this involves putting lots of ultra-fine highlights in to blend seamlessly with existing colour and ensure a discreet ‘grow out’. This technique also works well if you often go to different hairdressers as it blends the different styles of technique too.
After we discussed which shades of highlights I wanted, Bex entered her colour order through to the mixologist via an iPad so she didn’t need to leave me at any point, saving precious time. You have the option of adding Olaplex or Smartbond (Loreal’s equivalent) to your colour to protect your hair from the colour at a standard extra cost too. What doesn’t come at an extra cost is your blow-dry, you can of course pay to have a professional blow-dry but if you aren’t going anywhere special or you want to save a bit of cash, you can use the Self Dry area; using a selection of products and tools to dry your hair yourself in a personal vanity area, or if you’re in a real rush (and blessed with ‘easy’ hair) just use the Blast Zone- a wall of stationary driers to literally blast your hair dry!
From the pricing structure to the gift vouchers, the huge spiral slide in the middle of the salon (which you are encouraged to go on!) and even the unbelievably comfortable, fully reclined ‘beds’ at the wash basins, Skyler has completely crushed an outdated way of hairdressing! (and my finished highlights were incredible!).
Another expert in hair colour, Rita Hazan, recently asked me if I was using products for coloured hair, I explained that I wasn’t because my hair is really dry and frizzy so I use products to combat that instead. Rita laughed and said, “your hair is dry and frizzy because you colour it! Products for coloured hair will help nourish your hair as well as protect the colour” I always thought colour shampoos etc were to keep your colour looking bright, I didn’t realise they addressed colour damage too! And with Rita being the go to colourist for Beyonce, JLo and Mariah and now releasing her own range of colour care products, why wouldn’t I try?! I am so glad I did too! Gorgeous scent aside, the Rita Hazan New York range is fantastic! It includes shampoo, conditioner, treatments, colour glosses and root cover ups, everything a hair colour gal could wish for! There is nothing in the range that I don’t like but the Weekly Remedy in particular seemed to work wonders for my hair.
After Rita’s advice, I had a look at my styling products too (all centred around frizzy not coloured hair) and decided to try the Coconut Cocktail by Color Wow. Hair has a natural lipid layer that surrounds each strand with moisture and allows the cuticle to lie flat- making it shiny and manageable. Over time, the chemicals in hair colourants can impair this lipid layer, resulting in rough looking hair with little movement. Color Wow’s Coconut Cocktail is a leave-in supplement, designed to nourish the hair and mimic the lipid layer, bringing back swish and shine to your crowning glory! Apparently, it’s incredible on coarse, dark hair but it’s working a treat on my fine blonde hair, and I’ve used it on the kids before swimming to protect their hair from chlorine damage! A handy and efficient all-rounder!
Skyler London, 6 Garratt Lane, Wandsworth, SW18 4FT, tel 0203 474 5555 www.skylerlondon.com
Rita Hazan New York, from £20.00 www.selfridges.com
Color Wow Coconut Cocktail Bionic Tonic, £22.00 www.colorwowhair.com/uk