Hair supremo Alessandro Jottini works wonders

A rainy damp evening plays havoc with your hair. My locks had turned frizzy so I arrived at Fortnum & Mason the other evening for a Christmas event not looking my best.

Luckily, help was on hand. Hair supremo Alessandro Jottini, based at the renowned Josh Wood Atelier Lansdowne, was doing a demonstration using Oribe hair products.

Alessandro at work
Photograph by S Jottini

As much as we slather on the lotions and potions full of promise to wipe away those lines and wrinkles, a good hairstylist is a much better way of knocking off the years.

Alessandro quickly wielded his brush and hairdryer and within a matter of minutes I looked and felt like a new person.

I was not the only woman that night to have suffered with her hair. Several sat down with fluffy hair. Carefully taking into consideration hair type and face shape Alessandro set to work transforming them in no time at all. Most of them, including me, looked years younger after he had worked his magic.

A delighted client
Photograph by S Jottini

If only I could win the lottery. I would have him come round to my home every day.

By Daralyn Danns

For more information visit joshwoodcolour.com

Back to Josh Wood Atelier Lansdowne

When heat and humidity strike, it can only mean one four-letter word: frizz. Unless you are lucky enough to have been born with naturally straight hair which can be washed and is ready to go in any weather, you will know that this word is the downside of hot, summer days.

Trying to keep my hair looking good in this weather is a nightmare. When I am travelling and want to look respectable, at least, is a virtual impossibility.

So I decided go and get professional help from the rather special coiffeur Alessandro Jottini at the renowned Josh Wood Atelier Lansdowne. With Josh’s reputation as colour supremo extraordinaire spanning the globe, you know that anybody he employs would have to meet the highest of standards. After all this is where the elite go.

At this salon it is all about glamour with a modern day twist. Never rushed, you know you are going to have a great experience and that you are going to come out looking a million dollars. 

I explained to Alessandro that I was going away and wanted my hair to last as I had a couple of important dinners to attend.

“Oribe hair products are going to help you,” said Alessandro. Could they really be the answer to my prayers? I have to admit I was dubious. I have heard all the claims in my time working in the beauty industry. Some may help, a lot don’t make a blind bit of difference.

However, this is Oribe’s range we are talking about. The fabled editorial and celebrity hairdresser, who hails from Cuba and has been 30 plus years in the business, should know a thing or two about dealing with the “f” problem.

Alessandro first prepped my hair with a cocktail of Oribe Supershine Light Moisturizing Cream (£47), the perfect drink for my dry, porous hair and a dash of Split End Seal (£42). He then used the Royal Blowout Heat Styling Spray (£41).

If you have long, curly hair, Alex, as he is called for short, suggests tying it back during the day and running a product such as the Supershine Moisturizing Cream or the Curl Control Silkening Crème (£36) through the ends and wear it down in the evening. When washing curly manes, his advice is to just add some product such as the ones mentioned above and then let it dry naturally.

When you are travelling and your tresses are looking worse for wear from too much sun and sea, try the Josh Wood Glossing Mask (available in three colours: black, brown and blonde, £12.50, Josh Wood Atlier and selected M&S stores). You will notice the difference.

Another product that has made my life easier is Josh’s “The Guardian of Colour” Blending Wand. This non-permanent instant colour, which comes out of what looks like a marker pen, hides those dreadful greys that seem to pop up unannounced as well as any regrowth. It lasts for up to three washes which is another plus so it is ideal for in-between salon visits. (Comes in a variety of colours, £12.50, from Josh Wood Atlier and selected M&S stores.)

Alex styled my hair with plenty of movement. I was really pleased as it did not look like I had spent the past hour in a stylist’s chair.

Yes, I did wear a sunhat as temperatures were rising to the giddy heights of 35C but in the evening, I just put my hands through my locks and hey presto, they returned to how they looked when I left Alex. Four days later, they still looked amazing and not one piece of frizz in sight. I could just start to believe in miracles! 

By Daralyn Danns

For more information visit joshwoodcolour.com

 

 

A visit to Josh Wood Atelier Lansdowne

Wonderfully chic, yet warm and intimate with just the right amount of buzz, Josh Wood, at his Atelier Lansdowne, has created the perfect environment to relax while getting your hair done.

It is the ”colour” salon of choice for more celebrities than you see strutting the red carpet at the Cannes Film Festival. Josh is regarded as one of the world’s best colourists and even stars might find it hard to get an appointment with the man himself.

I was there to put my tresses into the hands of super stylist, Alessandro Jottini who, coming from Milan, knows how to really blow-dry hair. A job, he tells me, which has just become easier thanks to his discovery of the Oribe range of hair products.

 

Oribe Canales, born in Cuba, has become a legend in his own right. Credited for numerous superstars’ creations, he has not only worked with the likes of J-Lo, he has also styled countless editorial shoots.

After working over four decades in the fashion business, I figured his eponymous high-end line had to stand out from the crowd. The products seem to cater for every type of hair imaginable. They are beautifully scented and use cutting- edge technology. The shampoo and conditioner for coloured hair left it feeling incredibly soft.  

Less is more when it comes to styling according to Alessandro. He took one look at my hair and then at the weather outside. It was pouring down. “Your hair is prone to frizz, so I will apply one drop of Oribe Gold Lust Nourishing Hair Oil to combat it,” he said.

This exotic mix of goodies including argan extracts, sandalwood and jasmine was lovely and light and did not make my hair feel greasy as so many can. Before styling, Alessandro primed my hair with Foundation Mist which not only creates shine and gets rid of tangles, it also acts as a heat protector. For holidays, or sunny days at home, try the Dry Texturising Spray (£38). Simply wash and go. Although if you have fine, fluffy hair, you may want to smooth out the front.

Oribe products

After blow-drying my hair, Alessandro tonged pieces to create soft, natural looking waves. I loved it. Done but not done. It did not look as if I had been to the hairdressers. A mark of a good craftsman.

With the weather so abysmal I did not think my hair would last till lunch time when I was meeting a friend, let alone for longer.

But it looked good for a few days. The products or down to Alessandro’s prowess? I would say together they are a winning combination.

By Daralyn Danns

For more information visit joshwoodcolour.com