every year on my birthday, i do something a little special just for me; this year, i decided to treat myself to a new colour and blow dry at a salon i'd been hearing bloody wonderful things about: ellie salon in putney. now, putney isn't even remotely my neck of the woods, but i think that's what made it all the more of a special trip, as it was like a proper day out of my comfort zone - a nice little sunny day out in west london, for the pre-birthday pamper my faded hair and i had so been gagging for.
the salon itself is super easy to find, which is a bonus, and is only a short walk from putney train station. thankfully i decided to travel on a day when all the trains seemed to be running like clockwork, which made the whole experience even more lovelier - especially when the walk from the station took me past not only a beautiful florist, but not one but two independent bakeries.. dangerous, but when you're planning to be sat in a salon chair for half a day, a freshly-baked croissant and cold brew are just the thing you need to get you through!
senior stylist andie dove straight into a verrrrry forthright consultation on the state of my hair (bad), and the options we had to think about (few). because she felt my hair wasn't in a good enough condition to blend the harsh roots and bleach job together, ballyage was off the table. rather than be too disappointed with not being able to have done what i'd hoped, i threw caution to the wind and told andie she could do whatever she wanted to my hair instead - within reason, with the caveat being that i didn't want anything blue, and i would like to have my roots lightened so they blended better. we had a deal, so i sat back while she prepped the dyes.
first step was bringing my hair back to a condition andie felt comfy working with. this took two deep treatments, and a lot of having my hair washed - one of my favourite things! the true sign of a good hairdresser isn't what the finished product looks like, it's how firm a head massage they give whilst washing your barnet - don't you think! after about half an hour of deep conditioning, it was onto the lightening. instead of a bleach product, andie used an ammonia-free product that lightens natural hair a few shades, ready for the colour!
andie mixed up a variety of two or three purple shades, as well as a metallic product by italian brand nashi argan called "ice" which is supposed to give the hair a shimmery effect. the combo of the purple hues with the magenta underneath gave off a gorgeous streaky effect, and a bloody delightful couple of shades for autumn. as these products are ammonia free too, they don't last as long as the products i'd normally use, but they will ensure my hair stays in the fabulous condition she created with the deep treatments from earlier that day.
the purples are going to fade out into a super pretty lilac shade while the roots will probably maintain their magentary goodness; the perfect colours to go for autumn! it was really wonderful to have a little treat day for me - especially as i'd been working super hard before japan, trying to get everything ticked off my list, so sitting down and being waited on for a few hours was the correct way to unwind before heading off. so, big thanks to andie and the ellie team for having me, and attempting to blow-dry my hair for half an hour before realising that my hair does not co-operate like that, and whipping out the ghds. so i've gone purple for autumn, what changes are you planning this season?
i was a guest of ellie salon, but all words are mine! images c/o ellie salon social media manager.
