Friday 1 April 2011

How to find a great colourist


The relationship between a girl and her colourist is one of the most important she can have. After all, you are putting your crowning glory in their hands and as we all know, the right colour makes you look and feel great, the wrong colour can drain you as well as age you.




Adding colour to your hair is one of the quickest ways to change your looks. So, it is essential to choose a good colourist. Before you let anybody near your hair have a consultation and a patch test for allergies. Ask your hairdresser - or a friend who has well-coloured hair - to recommend a colourist. You need somebody who specialises in colour not a general stylist.

Take in a picture of what you actually want and discuss it. Make sure that your idea of a colour is the same as theirs. Look at your colourist’s hair, make-up (if it’s a woman) and sense of dress.You can get an idea of how much they understand colour.

Talk about maintenance. Ask how long you can expect the treatment to last before having to have it redone. Generally, dark, rich shades last the longest. Red tones fade the quickest.

Hair is made up of three colours: red, yellow and blue. Brunettes have more red and yellow than blondes. As brown hair has more warmth, extra care needs to be taken when lightening it. Blondes should not go to brassy.

Go to a colourist who gets your skin tone and eye colour. If you have warm tones in your skin, golden shades will suit you. If you have cool skin tones, go for ash tones. Avoid red tones if you have a lot of pink in your skin. There are always exceptions to every rule. You may need a neutral shade. The professional will see that.

Remember, tweaking your hair slightly may mean you have to change your make-up. A more drastic change may mean having to rework your wardrobe as well.

Each time you see your colourist tell them what you like and don’t like about your hair. They should review your colour every appointment.

To keep your hair looking good use a deep conditioner once a week. My favourite is Philip Kingsley Elasticizer (£25.50, www.philipkingsley.co.uk) which magically seems to make hair silky soft. Limit your use of heated appliances as they will dry your hair out and always wear a hat in the sun.

By Daralyn Danns