When it comes to hair colour – being blonde can be a blessing and a curse. I don’t think that it’s possible to feel better about yourself, than when you bounce out of a salon, roots freshly done; ends suitably creamy, hair shiny and full of life. But I will also admit that I spend alot of time thinking about it. My hair grows quickly and turns brassy even faster, so when it was time to pull myself together, I popped into Edinburgh icon Charlie Miller’s Holy Cross salon to hit the refresh button.
The salon itself is beautiful. All white walls and mirrors, it feels like it should be in the middle of a swanky part of London rather than Edinburgh. When I popped it on a Saturday morning, it was already buzzing – women sitting in various degrees of foils, whilst men were clipped into shape. The staff are all unfailingly helpful and smiley – with tea and coffee proffered at every chance.
As a not-so-natural blonde, I’m always a bit worried about bleach damage. I’d killed my hair a couple of years ago through continual bleaching, and it’s been a long road to claw back some hair health, so, when my stylist Emily mentioned that the salon uses SmartBond technology, I knew I was in good hands. As well as using the best products on the market (the salon also has a huge retail section groaning with Kerastase as well as other brands), Emily assured me that the SmartBond would prevent damage being done.
After discussing what I was after (natural, cool-toned and creamy blonde) Emily mixed the first part of the SmartBond process with my colour, and got to work with my highlights. Even though my hair is a bit finer than before, I’ve still got a lot of it, but she was more than prepared with her dyes and foils. She was also super speedy – so as she got to work, I got to sit back, relax, and enjoy some magazines!
After the colour ‘took’ it was time to head over to the sinks, get a shampoo and enjoy a head massage. This is where stage two of the SmartBond process takes place. It’s applied as a pre-shampoo, and it’s rather technical – the formula contains maleic acid which capture ions to allow the weaker bonds in hair to reform. It contains a blend of ceramides & polymers to provide condition & shine to the hair. It’s basically a magic wand for ends, especially if you’re a blonde!
Then it was time for a cut! To be honest, I’m probably a hairdresser’s worst nightmare, because I’m so boring when it comes to trims. But Emily listened to my concerns, agreed with my request to take a couple of inches off the end and got to work. Super happy and chatty, it was such a lovely way to spend a Saturday morning, with Emily working her magic, and I positively floated out of the salon!
Thank you so much to Charlie Miller for having me!
A cut and finish with Emily costs £53 and a full head of highlights costs £99.50.
You can find out more about Charlie Miller here
