Caring for winter hair

My roots were in desperate need of touching up, so it was off to see the fantastic Liz Edmonds, colour director at Daniel Galvin.

“Your hair is in good condition,” she told me. “And you need to keep it this way using deep conditioning treatments. Cold weather combined with having the central heating on at full blast as well as wearing hats can make your hair become more flyaway. Everything is out of proportion.”

Liz recommends Louise Galvin’s Treatment Masque for Fine Hair (£26). The masque can also be used as a daily conditioner if your locks need an extra drink.

A great result

We are all so time poor these days, so make use of opportunities to look after your tresses. If you are going to the gym, Liz’s tip is to damp down your hair and apply the treatment letting it work its magic while you exercise.

If you are at home, do the same and tie your hair back for a few hours while you go about your normal chores. “The heat from your head makes it work,” says Liz. “You can use any hair masque in this way. Follow with a mild shampoo.”

Liz also advises leaving highlights and tints alone until March. “Touch up your roots and apply a gloss to help your hair look healthy and shiny.”

Daniel Galvin Salon Clear Gloss (£24) is ideal for home use. I always use it when my hair needs a helping hand. I couldn’t be without it and I don’t say that for many products.

“It is also really important to make sure your hair is trimmed regularly and to eat well,” says Liz. “At this time of year, there is a tendency for hair to fall out more than usual. Make sure your diet has plenty of foods that are rich in protein and omega-3 fatty acids such as salmon. Also include some low fat dairy. If you find you are losing more hair than you think is normal, you could be lacking in vitamin B, so up your intake. Also include some iron-rich foods such as red meat, or if you are vegetarian include eggs and spinach.”

As for my hair, Liz yet again worked her magic. I walked out with gorgeous light brown locks with golden flecks. I'm loving my new look!

By Daralyn Danns

Daniel Galvin (danielgalvin.com)

Destination Nashville, Tennessee

Nashville skyline
Courtesy of Tennessee Tourism

Nashville gets to you in the same way as a great song. So watching the TV drama series, Nashville, about the city and its music industry, brought back fond memories of this wonderful place and I have become addicted to the More4 show.

As I was not a country music fan I didn’t really know what to expect of the state capital of Tennessee and what I perceived as a southern Bible Belt town.

From the moment you arrive at the airport you know music flows through its veins. Ranging from rock to R&B through to classical, there is plenty of choice. Nashville is a place where you can easily get drunk on its energy and creativity, yet at the same time be incredibly relaxed.

Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum
Courtesy of Tennessee Tourism

Lush green hills and fields filled with cows are not far away from this riverside city that is studded with plantation houses and beautiful parks. Its unpretentiousness and the Southern hospitality Nashville dishes up makes it one of the most welcoming and friendliest places in the US.  

A visit to the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum has to be on any visitor’s itinerary. There are plenty of costumes, instruments and audio recordings to keep you amused for hours. Not to be missed is the Ryman Auditorium for more music history. You can also take tours back stage. Some of today’s great artists now appear here. It was the original home of the Grand Ole Opry.

Now this huge venue is a fair distance out of town, but it is really worth getting tickets for a performance of the “Grand Ole Opry”, the radio show credited for making country music famous. Its ability to adapt and evolve with the ever-changing music scene has kept it on the air for more than 80 years.

In the honky-tonk bars along Lower Broadway you may discover tomorrow’s stars. The performances are free and I have even been invited into places during the day just to listen to the music. You don’t even have to buy a drink. The renowned Tootsie’s Orchid Lounge, where the walls are plastered with autographs and photos, is an experience not to be missed.

The Bluebird Café
Courtesy of Tennessee Tourism

Yes, there were plenty of cowboy boots and women who looked as if they had taken style advice from Dolly Parton, but delve a little deeper, and you’ll discover another side of Nashville that rocks to an edgier beat.

The Bluebird Café, featured in the TV show, does exist. It’s slightly outside of the down town area on Hillsboro Pike. At this venue, where stars mingle with song writers, you never know who you will bump into.

Nashville has, without doubt, under gone a metamorphosis. Once a quiet city, it is now exploding with top-notch restaurants and sophisticated nightclubs – especially in East Nashville – as well as interesting boutiques. The New York Times recently wrote an article titled “Nashville’s Latest Big Hit Could be The City Itself”.

In my opinion Nashville already is. The more I immersed myself in its culture, the more I didn’t want to leave.

By Daralyn Danns

Getting there

United Airlines (www.united.com)

I stayed at the Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Centre
(www.marriott.co.uk)

For more info on Nashville (www.visitmusiccity.com)