This is not a paid post. Blow-dry was a press booking.
Walking along Lots Road in Chelsea, the other day, I
stumbled across a new hair salon. It looked so gorgeous and inviting, I walked
in.
Smartly decorated in shades of white, grey and purple, it
was airy and spacious but also felt intimate. I hate salons where you are
treated as if you are on a conveyor belt.
I met Elena, the owner, who has worked with Michael Van
Clarke, regarded as one of London’s top hairdressers, so I knew that I was in
good hands.
After a chat with Elena, I booked in the following week for
a blow-dry. She sat me down and looked at my hair before she shampooed it.
As my hair is fine and slightly frizzy, she told me not to
use too many products as they will only weigh
it down and make it greasy.
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| Elena and me |
Elena chose a volumising shampoo and conditioner from the
Virtue hair range. Normally I avoid
using this type of product as I find they make my hair sticky. But Elena
reassured me that these were different.
This line from the US contains Alpha Keratin 60ku, human
keratin, derived from hair which can help to heal wounds and regrow
tissue, but it is
also said to work on damaged hair. Before styling she ran a little serum,
more like a cream, from the same collection through the ends.
Eleanor believes that hair should be about having the right
cut for you. You should not go for something just because it is on trend. This
is a sentiment with which I wholeheartedly agree.
“Hair should be easy, not a burden for you,” she says. “You
should not fight your natural texture.”
She is also
a believer in cutting the hair when it is dry. This method, she says, allows
you to see how the hair moves as you go along.
I liked the fact that Eleanor also had a good range of
brushes to choose from.
Nowadays so many hairdressers use ceramic brushes which do not work on
everybody’s locks.
On my hair, Eleanor used a good bristle brush which, she
pointed out, creates good tension and makes the hair smoother and shinier. Eleanor advises
washing a new one in hot water and working it into the bristles to make them
softer so that they are kinder on the hair.
My hair looked done but undone. Just how I like it. I was
really pleased. The next day it
slighted flicked out producing another style which also looked good. And my
hair was not greasy or sticky.
I enjoyed my visit and will be going back. This salon, which
also offers beauty treatments, is a find.
By Daralyn Danns
