I have been meaning to write this post for a while. I often get asked where I get my hair done, what I ask for etc so thought it was about time I filled you dear readers in!
What I ask for: Balayage/ombre (where hair starts darker at the roots and fades through the lengths)
Where I go in London: Pimps & Pinups
Where I went in Ireland: Style Club
Before I discovered Pimps & Pinups I went to Paul Edmonds near Harrods but their price tag put me off. The last time I went there for a cut, colour and highlights it cost me over £250 ! Way too much. To be honest it was not even worth that. I opted for balayage but the lines were not ‘softened’ enough. With good balayage you can’t really tell where the colour starts as it is subtly ‘painted’ on to your hair (often backcombed to create this effect). With Paul Edmonds, I could clearly see where the colour began and the highlights looked ‘blocky’.
The Pimps & Pinups Experience
Image from Kineda
My roommate recommended Rachel at Pimps & Pinups to me so I decided to give them a go. I had heard good things about them and I loved their website so figured it was worth a shot.
The salon itself has a trendy, East London vibe. All the staff look amazing and have the most beautiful tattoos! Every time I go in there I want to get a new tattoo…
The usual teas and coffees are on offer… but also wine and beer too. You also get a head massage at the sink which is one of my favourite things about going to the hairdressers.
Rachel is very friendly and put me at ease straight away. She genuinely listens to what you have to say and doesn’t try to rush you when explaining how you want your hair. The first time I went there I opted for a more natural balayage look but on my most recent trip I decided to go for a more dip dye/bleached ends effect. The thing I love about Rachel is the fact that she really cares about customer satisfaction. Before leaving she always asks if I’m happy with my hair and to have a look when at home , before adding to give her a call with any problems.
What if you’re not 100% happy with the results?
Now, I hate complaining. It makes me feel awkward. I don’t necessarily feel awkward expressing my dissatisfaction. It is more how the other person reacts and makes me feel like I am the one at fault. On numerous occasions when returning clothes or asking for a different drink I have been met with a frosty stare and angered look, you’d swear I just told the person I hate them.
Anyway my point is, I think it is really important that people feel they can express what they really think of a haircut, meal etc. without feeling that they are the ones to blame. I once went back to Style Club in Dublin after getting my hair done as it really didn’t turn out right. They didn’t seem very happy with me. I spent the entire time feeling like I had done something wrong and couldn’t wait to get out of there. I wasn’t charged for the colour redo but was charged for the wash and blow-dry.
So, after my second trip to Rachel at Pimps & Pinups I went home and took a proper look at my hair – it looked really nice and the cut was great… but… it just wasn’t as blonde at the ends as I had wanted. As Rachel always said to call her with a problem I decided I may as well, otherwise I would have to wait three months until I got my hair done again and feel a bit ‘meh’ about my hair in the meantime.
When I went back to Rachel she was totally understandable and said she would make the ends really blonde for me! She wasn’t anyway awkward with me and chatted away as normal! The end result was perfect and exactly what I wanted. The fact is that I always recommend Rachel to my friends and now even more so. She also didn’t charge me a thing for the redo (although I tipped her for being so nice about it!) and I absolutely love the results! I can now also have a completely BLONDE bun!
Price: Pimps and Pin ups prices vary, but for me (cut, colour, highlights) it tends to be around £150. For exact prices I would advise ringing them: 020 7426 2121
Products
How I look after my hair: I use a purple toned condition by Redken (pic 3) to keep the brassiness out of my blonde. I also use Kevin Murphy’s ‘Young Again’ serum and Redken ‘Anti-snap’ (pic 1). If I am going out I use Headrush (pic 2) for extra shine! I let my hair dry naturally whenever possible and try to avoid straighteners!
Tip
Before I get my hair done I always create a new album on my phone of hair inspiration so I have a clear image in my head of what I want. I always think it is best to show your hairdresser a picture (or several!) of the colour you want as a lot can be lost in interpretation! Remember when Phoebe cut Monica’s hair in Friends?! Monica said Demi Moore… but Phoebe thought Dudley Moore! Make sure both you and the hairdresser have a clear picture of the look you’re going for to avoid Monica-esque tears! For ombre hair I tend to bring in photos of Alexa Chung, Rachel Bilson, Caroline Flack and any other nice photos I find in mags, Pinterest etc.
If you want some more hair inspiration check out my ‘Hair’ board on Pinterest!
What do you guys think? Let me know if you have any hair product recommendations or tips!
Kellebelle
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