Creative HEAD UK March 2024

OUR SUMMER CRUSH? IT’S COLOUR BLOCKING!

Clients can’t get enough of it! Colour blocking is a trend that’s high on contrast, high on drama and high on Instagram appeal, inspiring fashion, hair, make-up and design. And now a gorgeous new spring/summer colour blocking palette has emerged from the catwalks – peaches, pastels and earthy tones. Peach Fuzz has been designated Pantone’s Color of the Year and now it’s being applied to hair!

Check out the new hues in this stunning Colour Crush collection from Wella Professionals, and read on to discover new techniques that will help maximise profit per client and drive frequency of visit. The future is definitely looking peachy!

As seen in… make-up Strawberry girl make-up is popping! The look?

Flawless skin, glossy sheer lips, and an emphasis on strawberrytoned ushed cheeks.

As seen in… nature Hair colour will have an earthy character, with tones celebrating nature, the sky, and the fruits and owers of the season, combined with the ‘natural’ shades of hair.

“Peach Crush brings a warming luminosity to hair colour and will pair beautifully with blondes, pinks, rich coppers and more. It

is an energetic and positive hue and superversatile, worn in a consumerfriendly delicate way, or in a creative, bolder palette choice”

Jordanna Cobella, Wella Professionals colour & trends ambassador

As seen in… interior design Predicted to hit hard for the upcoming season is the new terracotta, paired with warm browns and natural textures, it evokes a feeling of relaxation.

Trade up from a full head colour to a colour blocking look

Peach Crush:

Illumina Color

9/43 + 9/59

DIAL IT UP,

Colour blocking isn’t just visually stunning. It can be dialled up or down to work for every client, making it one of the most exciting, versatile and lucrative trends within your business. Even better, the new Colour Crush collection allows you to harness the benefits of ALL Wella Professionals colour brands – use Shinefinity if you’re worried about taking a risk, Illumina Color for a beautiful sheer result, or Koleston Perfect for the boldest colour saturation. The choice is yours…

Lilac Hairline:

Shine nity

09/65 + 06/6

Adding a chunky face frame drives even more frequency to an already commercial service

Roots and ends:

Color Touch

9/97 + 7/97 + 6/97

Face frame toner:

BLONDORPLEX

Cream Toner

/16

DIAL IT DOWN!

Trade up from a full head colour to a colour blocking look

Roots:

Illumina Color 6/76 + 5/02

Pinky tone:

head colour to a

colour blocking look

Illumina Color

Darker panel: 7/43 + 7/42

Lighter: 8/36 + 7/43

Pinky panel: 9/43 + 8/36

Color Touch 9/36 + 55/65

ON THE MONEY

Colour blocking isn’t just fun to create, it can be a brilliant business-building tool. Here, Wella Professionals shows how you can use colour blocking panels and face-framing techniques to drive the frequency of visit with a higher maintenance root and the addition of lightener or trade up your client from a root touch-up or full-head colour

MORE VISITS PER YEAR

COLOUR BLOCKING PANELS

Ideal for:

• Full-head tint or root touch-up clients, who want to try the trend and make a statement with lightness

• Clients wanting to try the trend in a low-commitment way

Why it’s good for business

High/medium frequency service. By adding lightness closer to the root area, you are helping to increase visits per year.

Technique

1. Apply your foils, alternating two BLONDORPLEX to one Koleston Perfect.

40g BLONDORPLEX + 60ml 9% Welloxon Perfect.

2. Glaze with Shinefinity 40g 09/07 + 40ml Shinefinity Bowl and Brush Activator.

COLOUR BLOCKING FACE FRAME

Ideal for:

• Clients who want to try the trend but normally have a cooler hair colour.

• Clients looking for a change but not do want a lengthy colour service.

• Clients wanting to update their colour to complement a more textured haircut.

Why it’s good for business

A great way to increase average spend and to offer a speedy colour service that still delivers personalisation.

Technique

1. Start by applying your foils around the hairline in a halo section. 60g BLONDORPLEX + 90ml 9% Welloxon Perfect.

2. Apply Koleston Perfect 60g 5/82 + 60ml 4% Welloxon Perfect from root to tip on the back section.

3. Apply Koleston Perfect 30g 4/82 + 30ml 4% Welloxon Perfect from root to tip through the front hairline and fringe.

4. Tone with Koleston Perfect 10/97 + 5/5.

“The Colour Crush collection is perfect for S/S24 and with a broad colour palette ranging from soft blush to bronzed brunette, there is a look for everyone. These images are here to help excite your client and inspire them to try something new, while keeping yourself excited as a hairdresser”

James Earnshaw, Wella Professionals global ambassador

LET’S TALK ABOUT IT

Make colour blocking your love language with our guide to client conversations

STEP 1: Speak their language

Really think about the language you use and remember your client isn’t a hairdresser – change the service names from technical to more fun and descriptive titles.

STEP 2: Be visual

Try to show realistic visuals. Use imagery and sketches from Wella Professionals which clearly show placement before thinking about the colour palette.

... AND GIVE THEM PHOTO(WORTHY) FRAMES!

STEP 3: Make it personal

Think about how you can adapt a colour blocking service to suit your client – be open to really personalising the service. You could do this by changing the placement or the colour line you use from Wella Professionals. Is this something that Koleston Perfect will nail, or is Shine nity your solution?

Face framing is the service that keeps on giving. This season’s update? An injection of tone and clever placement to tailor it to every client, whether they like it bold or subtle. There’s something for everyone! And it’s good for business, too. As an express service, it allows you to trade up a low commitment service such as a full head tint, in turn boosting the average bill per client and giving you the chance to get creative perfectly personalise their colour… and it gives you the option to switch up those tones at every appointment.

The classic

The OG face frame, using ribbons of lighter shades around the face, paired with a natural base or balayage.

With contrast

A bolder take, with the lightened frame wider and the base colour more monochromatic for a touch of drama.

Blocked frame

Let’s make that frame even bolder, straight to the root and get playful with pastel tones. Perfect for your colour addicts.

Frame the fringe Don’t let bangs be a barrier! Ensure the placement ows with the fringe’s shape.

IT TAKES TWO

In a world full of colour, it’s sometimes hard to stand out. But with a dazzling duo fuelling your fire, you’ll be guaranteed to create something iconic

Behind the Colour Crush collection is a series of dynamite duos from Wella Professionals, skilfully wielded in James Earnshaw’s hands, to bring to life this season’s hottest colour trend. It’s a colour portfolio stuffed with creative options, delivering a carefully curated palette of shades across those different brands,

MODERN INTENSITY

Illumina Color and Color Touch

This duo is ideal when you are looking for an overall sheer nish, more natural colour direction or even grey coverage… but you want to create a cheeky pop of colour. Delicious!

PLAYFUL BLONDE BLONDORPLEX Cream Toner and Color Touch

This is a match made in heaven! Create a clean blonde in only ve minutes and complement the result with a colour pop, giving you the chance to get playful with this trend.

from the warmest apricot to the coolest pinks. You’ve seen the techniques; now it’s over to you. From your colour blocking face frames to those perfect panels, there’s a pairing from Wella Professionals that will gift you the prettiest, colourful results that will deliver all the heart eyes. Now, where to start?

SURPRISE ME NATURAL Shinefinity and Koleston Perfect

This is not the most obvious pairing... but give it a go and admire the results! Combine saturation, intensity and coverage on the root area, with a sheer, zero damage colour result on the lengths and ends.

SHEER POWER Shinefinity and Illumina Color

When sheer grey coverage, a cool colour result, and zero damage are the three absolute non-negotiable requirements for your client, this is THE duo you need. They deliver a wash of wonderful, every time…

UVFOIL

UV-DISINFECTING METAL FOIL SHAVERS

Introducing the BaBylissPRO UVFOIL01 & UVFOIL02 metal foil shavers—your time-saving solution to keeping your tools pristine. With built-in UV lights in their covers, these shavers automatically disinfect in just a 3-minute cycle when you close the cap, without the hassle of antibacterial liquid solutions that can harm foils and cutters over time.

UV-Light kills 99.9% of bacteria

EDITOR’S LETTER

JOIN US!

While the VAT battle continues ahead of the impending Spring Budget (did you catch our Instagram Live with The NHBF’s Caroline Larissey and the Salon Employer Association’s Toby Dicker? It got a little spicy), there has been some industry progress to celebrate. Having wasted time and money on prepping a T Level for hairdressing, barbering & beauty – which most employers didn’t want, arguing apprenticeships have much more value – it’s now been dropped for hair and barbering. There are new protocols in place for allergy testing, helping better protect UK hairdressers. And more than 300 salons have won a decision against insurer Salon Gold over Covid pay outs, a battle that’s been ongoing for three years. Combined, it feels that while our industry is still facing bruising business challenges, there have been gains, and those diligently fighting are engaging wider awareness (see also: Toby’s media blitz across national TV, broadsheets and radio). Yes, more needs to be done. But let’s take a moment to acknowledge those wins. Everyone’s passion is what fuels this industry – creatively yes, but it’s also helping make change for businesses, too.

It’s March, so let MWIT begin! Creative HEAD’s Most Wanted and It List awards return for 2024, bringing with them numerous opportunities to get you and your work recognised and rewarded. Uniting the whole hair community, the trophies are lined up for employed, self-employed and freelance professionals. Will you be name-checked in the UK and Ireland’s most coveted competitions?

Amanda Nottage Editorial director

Let’s go! See from page 28 for details. And there’s just enough time left to secure a place at Salon Smart – the must-attend event for salon and barber shop owners and managers. But hurry, there are only a few tickets remaining. See page 46 and book today. creativeheadmag.com/connect

ULTRA-FAST

TITANIUM

Ultimate shine for unruly hair

For frizz-free, mirror-like shine even at lower temperatures

Perfect for use on challenging hair and with Keratin treatments

Ultra-fast heat up for salon use

GRACE DALGLEISH BILLI CURRIE

CONOR JAMES DOYLE CONOR JAMES EDUCATION TARIQ HOWES AVENUE MALE GROOMING

FRAZER WALLACE THE HAUS STUDIO

Mc

OB-1 HAIR

SESSION STYLIST MICHELLE SULTAN HYPE COIFFURE

EXSTUDIO

DANIELLE GARNER WILDFLOWER

SAMANTHA CUSICK SAMANTHA CUSICK LONDON AND STA STUDIOS

IntroducingEXPRESS -WEFT

THE NEW HAIR EXTENSION METHOD THAT GIVES INSTANT VOLUME IN 20 MINUTES

IN THE KNOW

A SELECTION OF THE ESSENTIALS

Hair & barbering T Level dropped

The Hairdressing, Barbering and Beauty Therapy T Level has been dropped, and there are no plans to pursue a hair or barbering specialism in future T Levels, the government has con rmed.

The decision followed feedback from employers who have consistently argued that the best route for learners is through existing apprenticeships. It also means that, from September, there will be no T Level Foundation Year for the hair and beauty route. However, the government will explore introducing a T Level focusing on the beauty sector, to be introduced after 2025.

The NHBF has been informed that while there will be a development in technical quali cations against relevant hairdressing standards at Level 3, this area will not be reformed until at least 2027. In the meantime, the Department for Education will continue to fund existing quali cations.   Government is working with employers via the Hair Professional Apprenticeship Steering group to review the Level 3 Advanced and Creative Hair Professional Occupational Standard and apprenticeship.

In an industry that is 87 per cent female, menopause symptoms can have a real impact on salon life. That’s where The Mellow Patch Company might be able to offer some assistance, with its Meno Relief patches. Each patch works for 24 hours, and contains a blend of ingredients designed to provide a little relief from symptoms that can dampen your day. £15.99 for 18 patches; themellowpatchcompany.com

SEE IT!

The Cult of Beauty

THIS FREE EXHIBITION at London’s Wellcome Collection explores notions of beauty across time and cultures. Featuring more than 200 items, including historical objects, artworks, films and new commissions, the exhibition considers the influence of morality, status, health, age, race and gender on the evolution of ideas about beauty. Ends 28 April; wellcomecollection.org

Everybody’s talking about…

THE MOST WANTED AND IT LIST AWARDS

Creative HEAD’s search for unique, inspirational British and Irish hairdressing talent is back! The Most Wanted and It List awards span creativity, business, sustainability, service, innovation and more – with categories suiting employed, selfemployed and freelance hair professionals from

all corners of the industry. This is about more than just an award; both competitions offer the opportunity to re ect on your whole career journey, celebrate your successes and take stock of your future. And winning unlocks doors! You’ve got until 13 May to enter – good luck! creativeheadmag. com/connect

JOIN THE BLONDE EVOLUTION

INTRODUCING THREE NEW ASH GOLD SHADES

Transcend blonde as you know it. Build your salon business with these multidimensional shades, providing the perfect balance of cool and warm to complement every skin tone and hair type.

BOOK IT!

YAT team revealed

The 2024 Schwarzkopf Professional Young Artistic Team has been revealed! The lucky members are (pictured above, from left):

Emma Thomber, Gypsy Rose Hair; Daniel Joy, Haug London Haus; Sophie Kinloch, Rainbow Room International; Max Andrea, Claxton Hair; Georgina Bradshaw, Hooker & Young; Corey Crosby, Kevin Kahan; and Olivia Brady, The Honey Comb.

Making the Cut CATCH-UP

THIS COURSE FROM Avlon is designed to enhance your hair cutting skills for both natural texture and chemically treated Afro hair types. You’ll revisit the fundamentals and explore a range of cutting techniques, specifically tailored for Afrotextured or chemically treated hair. The focus is on adapting to different hair types, curl patterns and densities, ensuring each haircut is customised.

WHEN 22 to 23 April

CONTACT 0121 522 2124 or info@avloneurope.co.uk

NEW!

Wella ICONS is a subscription-based education platform from Wella Professionals, a cost-effective and practical way to learn the latest skills, techniques, and trends

Salons win battle against insurer

More than 300 personal care businesses across the UK and Isle of Man will receive a pay out from the insurer Salon Gold over Covid-19 pandemic losses.

The win in the landmark case means Salon Gold insurance policies do cover losses suffered because of the closure and restrictions placed on businesses during the Covid-19 pandemic. The claims had been denied by Salon Gold for more than three years. This decision now also opens the door for similarly worded insurance policies which contain clauses relating to Public Emergency, Denial of Access, Public Authority Incident, Prevention of Access, and so on.   RLK Solicitors represented more than 300 policyholders against their insurance company, with the Hair & Barber Council’s Collette Osborne party to the arbitration. The arbitrator decided claimants’ Salon Gold policy did provide cover, and that cover was triggered by government action in response to the pandemic. The arbitrator also stated that the pandemic alone met the criteria of an emergency – in which circumstances the pandemic alone triggered cover under the policy. This means all Salon Gold policies should pay out without having to prove that there was Covid-19 in the vicinity of the premises.

Chris Doyle, owner of Instaco Hair in Belfast, has been revealed as a digital advocate and ambassador for ALFAPARF Milano Professional

Cardiff salon O. Constantinou & Sons has been selected as an official provider and fitter of wigs for the NHS.

Jack Mead & Lydia Wolfe are now colour ambassadors for yuv, with Jack & the Wolfe the first salon worldwide to exclusively use yuv colour.

Daniel Couch is the new artistic director at Russell Eaton Salons.

A FULL SPECTRUM OF PERMANENT COLOUR AND DEMI-PERMANENT GLOSS THAT OFFERS OUT-OF-THIS-WORLD PERFORMANCE WITHOUT COMPROMISE

ammonia, resorcinol, ppd-free/vegan/gluten-free/gimmick-free/tested on humans evohair.com/pro — /evohair — @evopro — #hueverse

Meet ASP Expert Haircare ELIXIR – the same formula and great performance but a fresh new name for the In niti line. You can create bespoke colour blending ELIXIR shades with ELIXIR Intensives, and the aluminium tube is made from 95 per cent PCR materials and is 100 per cent recyclable.

In-salon service asphair.com

We’re heading to the coast with Davines and its hair art director, Tom Connell. He’s helped develop the new Dry Wax Finishing Spray from the More Inside line for effortless undone waves with natural de nition.

RRP £22.25 uk.davines.com

Want up to 25 per cent quicker processing time, better lift and improved hair health? Then meet FASTFOILS, ultra-black coated foils with special thermal properties to get higher levels of lift and more effective colour deposit than regular foils.

Salon price from £13.70 fastfoils.uk

Women hate dull hair colour. Deliver shades that are three-times shinier with new Dia Color from L’Oréal Professionnel Paris, the demi-permanent made with up to 91 per cent natural origin ingredients and no ammonia.

In-salon service lorealpartnershop.com/uk

Got a sweet tooth? Then you’ll love the Pink Lemonade shampoo and conditioner from milk_shake, with pigments to deliver a kiss of pink.

RRP from £19.99 milkshakehaircare.co.uk

It’s all about increased visibility, precision in compact spaces and comfortable handling with the 5 Star A•LIGN Trimmer from Wahl… and it has three hours of cordless power, too!

RRP £99.99 (exc. VAT) wahl.co.uk

The revamped Chroma ID Colour Masks from Schwarzkopf Professional offer total colour exibility, with super caring formulas boosted with integrated Bonding Technology that last 15 washes. You can also mix bespoke at-home treatments for clients, too!

In-salon service; at-home mask

RRP £29.99 schwarzkopfpro.com

New from Beautyworks comes ExpressWeft, a unique hybrid extension method that combines the ease and blend of tape-in extensions with the volume of a weft!

Perfect for clients on a healthy hair journey, you can add volume and body in fewer than 20 minutes. In-salon service beautyworks.com

STOCK IT!

Same formulas, new 50 per cent postconsumer recycled plastic packaging, locally sourced – that’s what you’ll see with the new look casual act, cassius, crop strutters and box o’ bollox from evo.

RRP £22 each evohair.com

the

Lighter, smaller and faster, the Dyson Supersonic r Professional Hair Dryer is just for pros, offering high precision and clever tech, such as sensors in the attachments that communicate with the dryer to deliver the ideal air ow and temperature. Join the waiting list at dyson.co.uk/hair-care

to deliver the ideal air ow

Just eight seconds – that’s how long new The Liquid natural conditioning water from FFØR takes to effortlessly transforms locks from dry to silky and shiny. A quick and effective add-on treatment in-salon for instantly visible results, too.

RRP £24 fforhair.com

RRP from £25.70

uk.lorealpartnershop.com

Inspired by Shades EQ, Redken unveils the at-home Acidic Color Gloss range. The hero is undoubtedly the Activated Glass Gloss Treatment, a revolutionary at-home pro strength glossing treatment that deeply conditions and adds salon-like shine that lasts up to three days.

THE FACES

THE FACES

THE PEOPLE IN ACTION

What would Craig Henderson do?

Not every guest finds the salon environment welcoming. Here’s how Craig – AKA the Neuro-Divergent Barber – ensures all clients feel comfortable getting a haircut

My son struggles with Sensory Processing Disorder, and we battled, making small changes to help him during his haircut. This opened my eyes to the struggles so many parents and caregivers face daily with neuro diversity.

I’ve become increasingly aware that the Additional Needs Community is often marginalised by many high street hair and barber salons, as the timings and individual requirements do not conform to many mainstream business models. We all know time equals money, but my profit is the sense of achievement. When working in specialist division schools, I might cut hair lying on the floor or run around performing the cut. We are trained to cut hair; who said it needs to be done in the chair?

You need to think of the sensory explosion that greets someone with additional needs when they enter your barber shop or salon. To anybody from the Additional Needs Community, it’s like a grenade going off!

At Craig’s Barbershop, I offer a bespoke service tailored to suit the specific special needs of each client, introducing a thoughtful approach to every sensory aspect of the experience. This involves getting clients comfortable with the equipment,

the noises, the vibrations, not to mention the stranger coming towards them with a pair of scissors! This potential sensory overload is often best avoided by giving the most precious gift of all – time. I recommend an in-depth consultation with the parents or caregiver to learn about previous experiences and triggers and give yourself more time to work with this type of clientele. Yes, there are bad days. I’ve been thumped by a teenager and had three ribs cracked, but not reacting (I know that’s difficult!) and having resilience to keep going is vital. Our core values guarantee all clients an inclusive, non-judgemental safe space. We’re a gender neutral and neuro-diverse friendly salon, making Craig’s Barbershop a haven for all, not just in our community but to all of those clients who need extra thought, care and understanding. I’m now dedicated to providing personal grooming advice and services within the salon and specialist education establishments for children and adults with many neuro diversities and disabilities. I’m also starting a workshop to share my knowledge.

WANT TO KNOW MORE ABOUT CRAIG’S WORKSHOP? VISIT @CRAIGHENDERSON_SRSB

WHAT MADE ME SIOBHÁN JONES

SIOBHÁN JONES STUDIO @siobhanjoneshair

“The salon is your stage” were the words uttered to me when I was 16, working as a Saturday girl while studying theatre. I realised then that the two industries drew so many parallels. Unsurprisingly, many people in the hair industry are interested in performance and the arts. That was when I knew it was more than just a Saturday job.

I worked hard, built a busy column and grew obsessed with tones, palettes

and colour. I loved the idea of sharing knowledge, but at the time, my confidence was lacking, and I struggled to see my full potential. I believe that often, when you get too comfortable, life shakes you to your core and pushes you in a different direction. I went to work and experienced pain running through my hand, wrist, arm and back like no other. The doctors said I had RSI and were unsure If I could continue to do the job I loved in the same capacity.

So I took the leap. I became the best educator I could be. By stepping into my true passion, I unlocked so many opportunities. I get to travel the world, meet people, and have created a perfect balance of creating and sharing. I aim to assist others to achieve the same balance by boosting their confidence so they can reach their full potential.

Pro colour services are on the rise, with four out of 10 women1 now getting their hair coloured professionally. However salon visits are still not back to where they were pre-Covid.

We know as pros that getting your hair done can have such a positive impact on happiness and emotional wellbeing; and we love to provide this service to our clients.

So, the question on our lips should be - how do we get these clients back into the salon more often for this experience? Let’s look at what’s really concerning clients, and the new player is dullness.

Did you know that 63 per cent of women are unhappy with their hair colour2 with dull hair identified as the main reason. Clients want to eliminate dullness and have healthy, shiny hair. #DullHair is dominating social media conversations and continues to grow!

You can solve clients’ dull dilemmas and help them head into spring with a gorgeous new colour that gives beautiful shine to banish the dullness away…

L’Oréal Professionnel

Paris has something exciting to reveal…

Model wears Dia Color 5

Model wears Dia Color 7.44

Dia Color – A new era for demi-permanent hair colour

We know what clients want. Take a look at social media and you’ll see the buzziest of searches – #ShinyHair, #GlossyHair, #GlassHair – clients are actively hunting for the secrets to the shiniest hair that is glazed and gorgeous, and you could hold the solution…

Something special this way comes! The sleeping beauty of Dia Richesse has reawakened as the new (and utterly beautiful) Dia Color. This is a new era in demi-permanent colour, delivering you everything you need to ensure hair is dazzling, not dull. With up to 91 per cent natural origin ingredients1 and no ammonia,2 Dia Color gifts you high gloss colour that’s gorgeous. It empowers your services with up to 70 per cent grey coverage3 and 100 per

cent true-to-tone natural re ects that shimmer with health. You’ll be stunned by the shine, too – we’re talking three times shinier,4 ensuring dull, drab hair is but a distant memory.

This is THE perfect conversation starter with those clients obsessed with glass-like shine, and for those who have been nervous about trying professional hair colour before. If you’re looking to recruit more colour clients, see Dia Color as the tool to tempt them into your chair!

And you get even more to play with, as Dia Color’s tube is 20 per cent bigger than a tube of Dia Richesse. More luminosity, more natural-looking results… solving dull hair just got a whole lot more magical!

Before

Want new colour clients?

Dia Color has you covered!

Clients hate dull hair… but some are too scared to try professional colour in the rst place. L’Oréal Professionnel Paris has your back, with the solutions to their concerns. Let’s start spreading the shine!

Forget… excess damage

This is a biggie with clients, but with Dia Color’s low sensitisation with soft develop, there’s less fear of damage.

Forget… commitment

Lots of clients are put off the idea of that constant cycle of regular colour. Dia Color fades fabulously and naturally, without any banding.

Forget… fake-looking finishes

Not on Dia Color’s watch! You’ll see 100 per cent natural re ects, with up to one level of lift. Their hair will look oh-so fabulous; fake is not an option!

Forget… dry-looking hair

Clients are thirsty for beautiful hair, but not at the expense of how it looks. Wave goodbye to the dry with a formula that’s up to 91 per cent natural origin ingredients,1 including superquenching shea butter.

Model wears Dia Color 6.60

The colour creator

Trevor Sorbie creative director, Giuseppe Stelitano, is very good at keeping a secret – he helped shape the new Dia Color more than two years ago and kept it under wraps! Now he explains how a clandestine trip to Paris delivered this next generation colour…

How did your involvement with Dia Color come about?

I’ve been so good because I’ve been keeping the secret for more than two years! I received an email from the UK team at L’Oréal Professionnel Paris inviting me to Paris for a global meeting. They said: ‘There’s an exciting colour development project, would you be interested in it?’ Well, of course I said yes!

They didn’t share much in the beginning. When I arrived in Paris, there was myself, a stylist from San Diego and another from Seoul. We met and thought, ‘What's going on?’ It was almost like they were teasing us. The team wanted to ask us lots of questions straight away. They asked us what did we think about Dia Richesse, how could it be improved?

I was honest. Lots of colourists here love it, please don’t change it too much! But that was a key moment, I really felt connected with the brand, because all the scientists and product development team, so many different people that I’d never worked before… and they were listening to us. We felt truly heard.

Did you then get to play with the new Dia Color?

Before we even got our hands on the products and the prototypes, we had to design our own palette. That was the fun part! We were divided in three groups, each with marketing people and a scientist supporting us, but we stylists were the ones in charge, they wanted our input.

We were asked questions such as, ‘What would you be your ideal palette?’ I thought, ‘It’s an amazing product but we need vibrancy, and give me a 7.44, a really bright copper, give me something to neutralise’. It was so interesting, and it actually happened because in the new range of 39 shades, you’ve really got the vibrancy.

The next day, we moved to the academy, and tried the prototype. It was still a work in progress, we only had few shades available. We worked on some models so we could check consistency, the fragrance, see how it was working. It was a great

rst impression. Then we were working with the product packaging team, sharing input about how the packaging could be improved. It was funny because they brought us all the old versions from the archive, and the rst version when it launched was in an aerosol!

Last summer I did some more testing, with the stylist from San Diego and one from Brazil. You could see the improvements in consistency when we tried it on the models, it worked so well.

Now that it’s nally here, what do you love about the new Dia Color?

It’s really improved from Dia Richesse, but it hasn’t been completely changed. It’s still the amazing product you love, but better. You’ve got incredible shine, that vibrancy I wanted.

The fragrance is improved, it’s more delicate and neutral, and on clients I’ve tried it on they’ve mentioned that too, and much less sensitivity. It’s developed with 91 per cent natural origin ingredients,1 and it shows in the experience. But it’s still an incredible colour performance.

Also, the tubes are bigger – 60g compared with 50g – so it lasts longer. And the consistency is nice and rich, it isn’t runny or too liquid, you don't have any mess or collar stains. And I’m looking forward to trying all the coppers and reds.

Which clients will Dia Color suit?

It’s great for those with rst greys, but it’s so versatile. I use it on clients with 100 per cent grey too, those who don’t want a heavy nish but something softer. There’s a natural translucency.

But you can target a younger generation too, those who see a trend such as cherry cola right now. Before, you might need to use something permanent and heavy. Now, with Dia Color, I can create something bespoke for a trend, and then in three or four months they will change their look, and I can do it easily without compromising the hair.

Before

“New Dia Color is innovative, it’s perfectly balanced between the needs of the professional and the client… and it performs!”

Giuseppe Stelitano artistic director Trevor Sorbie @giuseppebstelitano

Available March

Upskill with the experts

Online

Go-to Guides: Your social feed curated by a topic!

These short, express micro-learnings are designed to get you the information you need – and fast. Led by pro experts, they’re based on real life scenarios or conversations regularly had in the backroom –find them at lorealaccess.com

BOLD MIXOLOGY

Mark Sherwood @sherwoodhair

Zeba Hairdressing

A quick reference guide for bleaching and toning hair. Includes ideas for gloss formulas and tips to help troubleshooting.

Marlon Hawkins @marlonjhawkins

Brooks & Brooks

Want some ideas on how to be bold and experiment with colour? Marlon shares a formula palette and some quick videos showing bold placement ideas.

UTILISING GREY

Nancy Stripe @nancystripecolour

Stripe Colour Studio

A guide for when clients want to keep their grey (or some of it). Nancy walks you through client language and two scenarios: light highlighted and dark lowlighted.

Hands-on sessions

Running from March to May in venues across the UK and Ireland, these three-hour sessions are open to all levels and a great opportunity to try out new Dia Color. Led by a L’Oréal Professionnel Paris educator, sessions take place either morning or afternoon and are fully interactive and hands-on. Keep an eye out for sessions in your region at lorealaccess.com

Online:

Tone-on-Tone Essentials

This ultra-popular course is basically a one-stop shop for all things Dia Color and Dia Light. Discover the benefits of the range, learn how to use it and get expert guidance on application techniques. Then download the handy reference guide to your phone as a quick reminder about shades, mixing grey coverage rules and more. You’ll find this online at lorealaccess.com

Available April

DIMENSIONAL RESET

Danielle Louis

@dan_diggaz_hair

Headmasters

A simple guide to breaking up colour that is blocky or needs dimension to pop. Danielle shares a bank of tips and tricks.

ELEVATING BRUNETTES

Robert Eaton

@robertjeaton

Russell Eaton

Robert shares how he plans placement, formulas and sectioning patterns for creating expensive-looking brunettes.

BALAYAGE SHADOW BLENDING

Siobhán Jones

@siobhanjoneshair

Siobhán Jones Studio

Three different techniques for creating different root effects for your balayage, and when to use them.

happy people

from L’Oréal Professionnel Paris!

It leaves hair feeling so and lightweight.”

Marlon Hawkins @marlonjhawkins

“The tones are much stronger and truer. The .1s and the .2s are going to be staples in my toolkit because I do a lot of naturalising and neutralising. For brunettes who are on a base 5 and struggling with red, the 5.71 is fantastic.”

Nancy Stripe @nancystripecolour

“I love the new Dia Color because the consistency is really easy to use. It’s super-creamy, which makes melting or blurring really easy. And the shine you achieve is out of this world!”

Siobhán Jones @siobhanjoneshair

Dia Color is available NOW in 39 beautiful shades, to give your clients the shine they crave. Discover more about new Dia Color from L’Oréal Professionnel Paris and buy it direct at lorealpartnershop.com

I GET UP AT... 6am, I practice mindfulness with a stretch and mobility routine, followed by a three-mile run or workout and swim in the sea with my personal trainer.

MY WORK WARDROBE CONSISTS

OF… How I feel that day. Sometimes I want colour and comfort, and others it’s semi-formal and all about the pose! I’m very much driven by mood, but I always wear New Balance trainers for comfort.

MY JOB ENTAILS... Keeping the salon running smoothly, answering emails and planning the week. I do two days of hair, which are always fully booked. I try to split my day up so I am not glued to the computer and unproductive.

I GOT HERE BY… Hard work and planning. I have always trusted my gut and made big decisions, such as opening a salon and stepping back from the shop oor full time. If you’re not happy, you must act on that and make sure your environment is right for you. Take control of your destiny.

MY FAVOURITE WORK TOOL IS… Well, for hair, my Joewell scissors. I love the super- ne blade for precision cutting. I love my MacBook too, as it helps keep my business running smoothly!

Sleep Better

This is my alarm and my go-to sleep app… it’s perfect for a mindful wake-up and relaxation!

A DAY OF WORK/LIFE BALANCE FOR OLIVER BLACKABY, OWNER OF THE HAIR SALON, BRIGHTON @THE.HAIRSALON

MY DAILY FUEL IS… Green tea. I love coffee, but it sends me sideways, whereas green tea gives me clarity.

MY SPOTIFY PLAYLIST IS… Joesef, Alison Goldfrapp, Jessie Ware, Kylie, Hurts and Jake Shears.

I AM ALWAYS... Moving forward with ideas. My manager has to rein me in a lot. She keeps me grounded!

WHEN I GET STUCK… I call my business coach Jo Irving. She is the best thing that ever happened to my business.

THE HABIT I NEED TO BREAK IS… Catastrophising situations!

THE MISTAKE I LEARNT MOST FROM… Reacting to something that challenges you. Take a breath and talk it through with someone you trust and then respond. Also, the romantic idea of something will have a harsh reality, so take off the rose-tinted glasses. Be careful of attery, it might have a hook behind it.

THE ADVICE I’M GLAD I IGNORED...

To go into business with people and open a franchise. Although tempting, I am so glad I stuck to my guns and stayed solo. The best thing I’ve done is surround myself with the right people.

MY INBOX LOOKS LIKE... Terrible suggestions from women offering intimate pictures – barking up the wrong tree!

MY BIGGEST INDULGENCE IS… Skincare!

Map My Run

AFTER WORK… I spend time with my husband, do some gardening, take the dog for a walk, and enjoy some wine and RuPaul’s Drag Race

I try and run at least three-times a week and I always log this.

GET CONFIDENT IN COLOUR

NURTURING BRILLIANT COLOURISTS SINCE 1998, COLOUR SPECIALIST FROM L’ORÉAL PROFESSIONNEL PARIS IS ROCKET FUEL FOR YOUR COLOUR CONFIDENCE. THIS IS HOW THE ICONIC PROGRAMME CHANGED THE CAREERS, AND THE BUSINESSES, OF THESE SALON PROS

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

WHAT IS COLOUR SPECIALIST?

This iconic course is completed over 15 days across three months, giving you the ultimate in colour knowledge to thrill every colour client! All this is taught from the L’Oréal Academies and regional hubs, and has recently been remastered to ensure it’s accessible to all learning styles. And that’s not all – you also have continued online support including a podcast with the king of balayage himself, Jack Howard.

WHAT’S INCLUDED?

You’ll cover: best practice and health & safety; the science of hair and skin, distribution of pigment; consultation, social media, white hair, specialist lightening, colour change lightening, colour change darkening and balayage.

WHAT DO I NEED TO START?

You’ll have completed Colour Keys 1 and Colour Keys 2 plus the Colour Specialist Pre-Assessment

WHAT’S THE PRICE?

£3,650

WHERE CAN I LEARN?

London, Leeds, Edinburgh, Belfast

EILEEN O’DONOVAN, THE EDGE HAIR DESIGN, CORK

“IT’S INCREASED OUR REVENUE. I CAN TAILOR SERVICES TO SPECIFIC NEEDS”

Why did you decide to invest in Colour Specialist for members of your team Callum and Ellie [pictured below]?

This education is not just how to apply colour. It’s about the whole process, it gets right into the nitty-gritty. It makes you stronger, more knowledgeable, and it gives you a lot more con dence. It gives me specialists in the salon and it’s increased our revenue. I can tailor services to speci c needs; for example, they do more colour corrections, which boosts the bill.

What impact has it had on the team?

My Colour Specialists are more con dent when other team members ask a question; they’re giving better diagnoses, better explanations because they have more knowledge now. Young stylists sometimes question themselves; now there’s a lot more con dence in the team. They’re now bouncing ideas off each other, they’re hearing about new trends, they’re privy to new launches rst. It’s so valuable.

And there’s even a graduation ceremony…

What an amazing experience for every hairdresser there. It’s very emotional. You’ve taken them on the journey from the beginning, when they couldn’t even hold a brush properly, and then there they are as Colour Specialists! Hard work and dedication gets them there, and the support from the salon owner making sure they get what they need. The more education you can get and the more you dedicate yourself to hairdressing, the bigger the rewards.

NATHAN WALKER, TREVOR SORBIE

“YOU’RE LIVING AND BREATHING COLOUR. I FOUND THAT EXHILARATING.”

Why did Colour Specialist appeal to you?

I’m a mix of creative and technical, so I love the technology and science. I believe that can help you achieve greater creativity. I was keen to know exactly what I was working with, to understand better the impact of colour on hair, the limitations, and of course, as somebody with that creative bent, I thought: ‘If I know all the rules, I can break them!’ There’s so much information and theory to absorb, then putting it into practice in the real salon. You’re living and breathing colour. I found that exhilarating.

You completed the programme in 2001. What has been the impact on your career?

It’s the con dence of having a greater insight and knowledge, a greater understanding. It removes so much fear. Knowing what’s going to happen makes the work more rewarding and enjoyable. We’ve all known that hairdresser, sitting with their ngers crossed, hoping it was going to come out right! But when you know how it’s going to come out, the fear is gone.

As a L’Oréal Colour Trophy judge, what’s different about the Colour Specialist award?

With that category, there’s got to be a degree of change. You’ve already got that curiosity, you’re excited by the possibilities colour can offer… and this allows us to showcase our skills, our talents, and our knowledge.

PATRICK MCDOWELL

THE LEAD RICHARD PHILLIPART USING MYORGANICS

THE LOOK Taking inspiration from famous opera singers such as Montserrat Caballé, this look reimagined the classic shampoo and set.

MITHRIDATE

THE LEAD JOHANNA CREE BROWN FOR L’ORÉAL PROFESSIONNEL PARIS

THE LOOK Gold leaf was central for both hair and make-up, applied in broken pieces to re ect the patina on ancient statues.

LONDON FASHION WEEK A/W24

WHO’S ON SONG WITH THEIR HAIR LOOKS THIS SEASON?

SUPRIYA LELE

THE LEAD SYD HAYES FOR BABYLISS PRO

THE LOOK With a nod to Jil Sander and ’90s cool girls, it was all ease and simplicity, using the BaByliss PRO Falco dryer and nozzle, alongside the 25mm Titanium Expression Curling Tong.

HARRIS REED

THE LEAD ALI PIRZADEH FOR DYSON

THE LOOK A dramatic debut for Dyson’s new Supersonic r, it was used to created structured side partings with an ‘s’ shaped lift at the hairline, and a healthy, high shine nish.

HELEN ANTHONY

THE LEAD PHILIPP HAUG FOR SCHWARZKOPF PROFESSIONAL

THE LOOK Hair was swept back for a feeling of strength, while ends were left natural for movement. A chic mirroring of the tailoring.

ERDEM

THE LEAD ADAM GARLAND FOR AUTHENTIC BEAUTY CONCEPT

THE LOOK Adam created the Bel Canto Wrap for his rst season with Erdem, inspired by opera singer Maria Callas’ legendary 1953 performance in Medea

Images courtesy of @oda.eide, Authentic Beauty Concept, BaByliss PRO, Dyson, L’Oréal Professionnel Paris, Schwarzkopf Professional

1)

SHINE ON AND ON

Every pro knows Shades EQ from Redken delivers amazing shine. Now a new Shades EQ-inspired haircare line helps maintain colour vibrancy and gloss after a colour service – and gives you the chance to build the next-generation glossing service. Say hello to Acidic

Shades EQ from Redken – it’s synonymous with shine. The iconic demi-liquid colour boasts an acidic formula that offers gentle processing on the hair, delivering outstanding conditioning bene ts and a superbly glossy nish. Now, inspired by Shades EQ, Redken has leveraged the same technological expertise to create the rst salon-inspired glossing regime for haircare, approved by celebrity stylists worldwide.

“I can’t wait to recommend the Acidic Color Gloss Glass Gloss Treatment to all my clients so they can maintain their Shades EQ shine at home, between appointments. This is the rst time that we’re seeing colour care for glosses and toners that actually adds intense shine the way Shades EQ does in the salon”

TRACY CUNNINGHAM, REDKEN GLOBAL AMBASSADOR AND CELEBRITY COLOURIST

There are four products in the range. The Acidic Color Gloss Shampoo combines an advanced pH-balancing formula with Redken’s revolutionary Acidic Shine Complex to deliver a professional-grade gloss (we’re talking 76 per cent more glass-like shine1) and extended colour vibrancy for up to 16 washes. The Acidic Color Gloss Conditioner is a professional-grade moisture-boosting formula that helps prevent colour fade and leaves hair feeling hydrated for up to 72 hours.

And the Acidic Color Gloss Heat Protectant Treatment, featuring an Invisible Shield Technology, helps protect this Shades EQ-like gloss without compromising the integrity of your clients’ hair. Offering heat

Color Gloss… @redken

protection up to 230˚C and protection from other dulling agents, this leave-in treatment ensures your clients’ colour stays vibrant and bright, while also combatting frizz for 13-times smoother hair.3

But the star of the show? The Acidic Color Gloss Activated Glass Gloss Treatment – a revolutionary professional strength glossing treatment that deeply conditions and adds intense Shades EQ-like shine. It works by restoring hair back to its healthiest pH (pH 4.5 to 5.5), sealing in the cuticle and leaving hair with a re ective shine that lasts for up to three days.4

So, this is a game-changer. Not only does the industry now have the colour care range that Shades EQ deserves, it also provides stylists with the opportunity to ignite a conversation with clients around colour care. Upsell your classic cut-and-blowdry customers with an easy ve-minute, no-patch-test-required Glass Gloss Treatment service in the salon, and use that time to educate them on the bene ts of Shades EQ. You can even patch-test them there and then ready for a Shades EQ service the following visit, complete with the Acidic Color Gloss retail products to maintain colour and vibrancy

THE PLACES

NEW SPACES, FRESH LOOKS AND LOCATIONS TO HELP YOU WORK BETTER

HADLEY YATES, COVENT GARDEN

@hadleyyatessalon

In Covent Garden’s achingly hip Seven Dials, Hadley Yates has nurtured a reputation as a salon par excellence when it comes to extensions. It’s mission?

To make the unnatural, natural. And Hadley’s skills have proved popular, with a client list that boasts the likes of Carol Vorderman and Rachel Stevens –there was even an exclusive guest DJ set by Vogue Williams at its recent launch party. The super-stylish new two- oor space, a stone’s throw away on Shelton Street from Hadley’s original salon base, will also be home to an exclusive scalp care treatment service in collaboration with Act+Acre. It’s a creamy dream of interior design, with tonnes of natural wood to offer something that’s truly warm and welcoming.

SIOBHÁN JONES STUDIO, HORSHAM

@siobhanjoneshair

Siobhán is all about a calmer and slower pace of life, and the furnishings and colour palette reflect that, creating a truly homey vibe.

GUSTAV FOUCHE, WEYBRIDGE

@gustav_fouche

The stylist now has his own boutique in Surrey, offering his London services for clients two days a week, such as the scalp detox and his 3D dry-cut technique.

WHEN INSPIRATION DOESN’T STRIKE WHEN INSPIRATION DOESN’T STRIKE

Contributing editor and double Most Wanted award winner Grace Dalgleish shares her guide on how to find inspiration when it’s playing hard to get

We all know the importance of finding inspiration. It’s a powerful force that drives creativity, motivation, and the generation of new ideas. It often involves a deep emotional or intellectual connection that sparks enthusiasm and a sense of purpose. Finding inspiration can be a highly personal and subjective experience, but what happens when inspiration dries up? Even with the best will in the world, all artists experience periods when inspiration just isn’t there. What can colourists do when it happens?

SWITCH UP YOUR TOOLS

Why should we be limited to a tint brush? It’s fun to experiment with different sized paintbrushes; different angles can create various blends and placements. Sponges are a great way to create seamless freehand blends, making the most commercial applications fun.

PLAY WITH PAINTS

Truly understand your colour wheel; it’s essential to know this inside out to take your formulas to the next level. When looking to customise shades, play with acrylic or water paints to understand how to create the most unique tones. For example, while working on different shades of greens, I found that adding a dot of red to my formula created a more muted beige effect, giving me the perfect pistachio.

GET SWATCHING

Personalisation is exactly where colour is; crafting colour for the individual and giving our clients a reason to return to us. After playing around with paints, I love to test my shades on swatches to see how they transfer onto hair. This gives me a starting point, allowing me to keep tweaking until I find that perfect shade.

PRESS PAUSE

To be creative, we need downtime. It’s essential to pause and stop. I find new inspirations spark when I take a break from social media and immerse myself in something other than hair – whether that be watching a documentary or taking a walk and observing people. Recently, I was inspired by a group of students who had been colouring their hair themselves. It was super visual and made me consider how I could recreate it.

Inspiration can’t be forced; it needs to flow through you. When life is busy or there’s a deadline attached it can be difficult to feel inspired. Looking at colour through a different perspective, stepping away from the situation or trying something new, gives internal space for creative thinking and fresh ideas to come alive. Inspiration can be encouraged and it needs to be nurtured. Stay open and stay curious.

FROM OUR CONTRIBUTING EDITOR

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Combats tiredness and fatigue

Regulates hormonal activity

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MOST WANTED AND THE IT LIST

CREATIVE HEAD’S SEARCH FOR UNIQUE, INSPIRING HAIR TALENTS ACROSS THE UK AND IRELAND IS BACK! WITH 16 MOST WANTED AWARDS AND SIX PLACES ON THE IT LIST, THERE’S EVERY OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE YOUR SKILLS RECOGNISED.

COULD YOU BE ONE OF OUR 2024 WINNERS?

MORE THAN AN AWARD

UNITING THE WHOLE HAIR COMMUNITY

EMERGING FACES, FUTURE ICONS

THE FUTURE LOOKS BRIGHT

OPEN TO THE OWNERS AND EMPLOYEES OF SALONS/BARBER SHOPS, AS WELL AS SELF-EMPLOYED AND FREELANCE HAIR PROFESSIONALS, BASED IN THE UK AND IRELAND

2024 CATEGORIES

AWARD FOR INNOVATION

Rewarding the creation of an original initiative, product, or service, benefitting hair professionals and/or the industry at large

Sponsored by

BEST SALON TEAM

Rewarding teamwork at its best

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BEST CLIENT EXPERIENCE

Rewarding outstanding customer service

BEST LOCAL SALON

Rewarding a salon at the heart of its community

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BUSINESS THINKER

Rewarding an owner or a director demonstrating a fresh approach to business

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EDUCATION EXPERT

Rewarding exceptional hairdressing education

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HAIR TREND

Rewarding the best trend-led image of the year

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SUSTAINABILITY HERO

Rewarding a business owner championing a greener way to work

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TEXTURE EXPERT

Rewarding stand-out work in textured hair

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COLOUR EXPERT

Rewarding a colourist demonstrating brilliant skill and vision

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BEST NEW SALON

Rewarding a new or revamped space with a unique sense of style

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CREATIVE TALENT

Rewarding an art director or a senior team member leading the creative direction of the business

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INDEPENDENT STYLIST

Rewarding a freelance hair professional with a first-class profile

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SESSION STYLIST

Rewarding the most exciting hair professional working in fashion

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MEN’S HAIR SPECIALIST

Rewarding trailblazing work in men’s hair

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HAIR ICON

Rewarding the most influential hair professional of 2024

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FOR AGED 30 AND UNDER

2024 CATEGORIES

THE BUSINESS BUILDER

For the brains behind a brilliant business

THE SALON STYLIST

For stand-out skills behind the chair

THE EDITORIAL STYLIST

For a stylist making waves on set

THE RISING STAR

For an impressive and fast-improving salon assistant

THE VISIONARY

For head-turning creativity

THE ONE TO WATCH

For an outstanding hair talent demonstrating all-round excellence

EXCLUSIVELY SPONSORED BY

DEADLINE FOR ENTRIES 9PM, MONDAY 13 MAY

FINALISTS ANNOUNCED FRIDAY 14 JUNE

GRAND FINAL MONDAY 2 SEPTEMBER

POV: You follow on TikTok

@creativeheadmag

It’s your access all areas pass to BTS action from shoots and events, an insider look at industry launches, and plenty of daily hair inspiration

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It has finally arrived

Foil Innovation Like Never Before

PROTECT HAIR INTEGRITY

SUPERIOR LIFTING CAPABILITY

25% FASTER PROCESSING TIME

Be the first to experience high-performance endothermic foils with special thermal properties to achieve a more consistent, even, and higher level of lift and better colour deposit with a minimum of 25% faster processing time, eliminating the need to use damaging levels of developer.

Pre-cuts and rolls starting at £13.70. With the widest roll in the market: the 203mm roll.

BACK ON IT

Session stylist Malcolm Edwards is a mass of contradictions. He’s heavily pierced and tattooed, yet his hair work is whimsical, romantic and inspired by nature. Despite looking after multiple supermodels and A-list celebrities, he’s completely unbothered by fame. And although a loner as a child, he’s known as the ultimate team player on set, a brilliant communicator who puts everyone at ease. Everybody loves Malcolm. And, let’s face it, there’s a lot about him to love. Now, after taking several lengthy career breaks due to serious illness, Malcolm is back and working at fashion’s highest level once again – Dior, Gucci and Saint Laurent, to name but a few And this time, he’s doing it on his own terms, as Creative HEAD discovered…

CH: Malcolm, we love this comment on your Instagram: “I lived in a very urban new town, I was very tall, very chubby, very ginger and everybody knew I was kind of looking like I was going to be gay. So it was all going against me.

Then I started looking at magazines and because my reality wasn’t that good where I was, I loved the fantasy. London was exploding with creativity, so I was like, that’s my tribe. I don’t care what it’s like here, that’s where I belong.” So, did London live up to expectations? And how important was it in your career as a session hairdresser?

ME: I grew up in a town called Irvine, about 20 miles south of Glasgow. I was freakishly tall – I’m 6'2'' now and I haven’t grown since I was 11 –and I had a mohawk that I used to dye all sorts of colours. It caused me a lot of problems at school because I was going around like a peacock. But it was my way of going, ‘Piss off everybody. I’m not like you and I don’t want to be like you.’ I spent most of the time in corridors at school because I was always in detention.

I used to model for the local salon when I was 13. I kind of got into hair from then. I used to love photography and movies – I was mad for Sofia Loren and Breakfast at Tiffany’s and all those classics – and that’s when I noticed how hair made a character. But I had no idea about the session world. I just thought, well, I’m going to give hairdressing a go.

So, I worked for a couple of local salons, and then I moved to Glasgow, where I worked for Alan Edwards for a couple of years. The salon was a big L’Oréal client, so I did Colour Trophy, lots of shoots and shows, and I was good at it. Eventually, Alan wanted me to be a partner in the business because I was a real grafter. But then I thought, ‘If I don’t go now, I’m never gonna go. I’m gonna get stuck’. My friend June had gone to work for TONI&GUY in London, so I called her and asked her if she could get me an interview and the next day I got the train down.

I was in my interview with Anthony Mascolo, who knew me from the stuff I’d done with Alan, and at the time Guido was selling his credits to TONI&GUY. I said, “You’re great Anthony, but I really want to do session work”, and I think he was taken aback by that. But to his credit, he said, “Okay, but you still need to do your vardering”. And that was the deal. I was vardering but I was assisting Guido at the same time. I worked for Guido for a couple of years, until 1996. He loved how fast I worked, and he took me to jobs all across Europe, and the

PROFILE

supermodels were on the go at the time, so it was amazing. But there came a point when I thought, I’m going to pack it all in and go travelling.

So, you nearly gave up hairdressing for backpacking?

Yes, but then Lee [Alexander] McQueen was doing his Dante show, the one with the spines, and I knew [McQueen stylist] Katy England really well, and she asked me to come and assist. And the looks were really intricate but I was working so fast and focused, and it turns out I was in [make-up artist] Val Garland’s eye-line. Val used to be a hairdresser, she had a really successful career in Australia, and she came up to me after the show, and said, “Who are you? I’ve not seen you before. You’re very good, you’re very quick, you should be talking to my agent”. And I was like, ‘Oh, right!’ So Val talked me out of going travelling, and after multiple meetings with her agent I thought, I’m going to give this a go. I’ll just do it my own way and steer clear of all the dramas. And things went fairly quickly after that. All of a sudden I was doing loads of magazines and spending all my money on my kit and hair pieces!

Why do you think you became so successful so quickly?

[Laughs] Well, there were fewer session stylists back then! But okay, I’m a real team player. And I’m a good communicator and I come well prepared. My poor assistants, though, I would have eight bags of kit! It’s since turned out I’ve got ADHD [Edwards got the diagnosis during lockdown], and I wish I’d known back then that’s what it was.

Your work is described as romantic, whimsical and inspired by nature. That’s quite incongruous, coming from a guy who’s so heavily pierced and tattooed...

I was a real loner as a kid. We lived in a massive housing development, but it was right near a river and across the river was a farm where I was allowed to play with the lambs and the calves and I would just take myself off into little fantasy lands, listening to Kate Bush and the Cocteau Twins. It was pretty grim where I was, so in my head I would always be popping off someplace else. I love nature, I think Mother Nature is amazing.

One of your key collaborators is the photographer Tim Walker. He creates fantasy worlds that require you really to push the boundaries of your art. How did you meet and what’s it like to be part of his circle?

The first time I met Tim, as I’m constantly reminded by [set designer and longterm Walker collaborator] Shona Heath, it was when I was living in New York and I was doing the walk of shame wearing a smoky eye and a pair of leather chaps and I ended up crashing Tim’s birthday party! But as soon as we started working together, we just clicked. We did so many shoots at Eglingham Hall in Northumberland and those are my fondest memories of my whole career. Because it’s a kind of faded grandeur, falling-to-pieces country house and it was so magical – that house and the people I met through that whole experience were gorgeous.

The V&A did a show, Wonderful Things, that celebrated Tim and his work – and you were part of that…

That’s typical of Tim, wanting to make sure everyone gets recognised. To have my hair pieces and wigs as part of the exhibit was so amazing – the proudest moment of my whole career. What’s unique about Tim’s creative process is that it’s actually as enchanting as a lot of the pictures. It’s quite a family, he has a circle of people he works with, but we all know each other really well and everybody’s even. That’s what’s nice about having a good relationship with a photographer, because you really get into all the nooks and crannies of how they work. Like, Tim uses fisheye lenses a lot, so that’s when I know I’ll have to create something that’s double the size because when he puts that lens on it, it’s going to shrink.

Talking about creative process, how do you like to work?

The main thing for me is communication. I like to get as much information from the photographer about the brief, the concept, how many models and so on. I speak to the casting director, the stylist and when I'm working with Tim, I speak to the set designer – usually Shona Heath – because that's an integral part of how he works. Some people like to do all that on the day, but for my process, I like to gain as much info as possible before the job before I even start prepping. I do as much as I can to save time on the day. I like to prep the hair as much as possible before the job –prepping extensions, preparing wigs, and so on. But you still have to remain open to change and to change quickly. You can't ever get too caught up in what your ideas were. Being fluid is super-important.

Tim Walker Studio

PROFILE

“IT’S LIKE A NEW ME. NO, NOT A NEW ME – A NEW AWARENESS OF MYSELF. I’M NOT GOING TO BE SUPER-BARE BUT I’M NOT GOING TO BE AS COMPLEX AS I ONCE WAS”

You had to take a leave of absence from hairdressing for quite some time – rst due to illness and then to Covid. That must have been tough.

So, 15 years ago I was diagnosed with Stage Four cancer. And I had a trial chemo that was really, really aggressive, where they fuse three different types of chemo and give it to you for seven days of each month, 24/7. Your body gets absolutely blitzed. I was lucky because it worked for me, but most of the other people on the trial passed away, sadly. I am still in remission but one of the side effects has been bone degeneration. I’ve had a lot of time off because I’ve needed so many operations on my shoulders, and after Covid so many of those operations were cancelled.

Were you scared?

The cancer episode was so full-on and so quick, I’m quite robust with stuff like that, you know? I take each day as it comes. But the cancellations have had a bigger impact, because you take time off for the operation and then it doesn’t happen. As a freelancer it means you’ve missed out on opportunities. And to have that happen 15 times… that has been a big deal. But it is what it is. You’ve just got to dust yourself down and get over yourself.

What did you learn about yourself during that time?

I felt very humbled by the people who looked after me. The doctors and nurses care for you when you’re at your worst, so it gave me a new appreciation for what they do. In fashion we get paid to play dress-up compared with what medical staff have to deal with. And then when lockdown happened, well, that was like a juggernaut caught up with me because fashion is such a fast-paced world. You’re constantly on a plane. I mean, I used to love it, but I did it a lot. So lockdown brought a completely different sense of awareness. What really stuck with me was how quickly Mother Nature repaired herself. It really blew me away. Nature is amazing. Humans are a huge problem. And nature will prevail – that’s the bottom line. So, it did make me think about the way we jump around the world. There are a lot of ippant decisions made in fashion that are not at all eco-friendly. Covid just made me stop and re ect a little bit on what I was doing and I de nitely don’t want to be going back to that same rhythm.

PROFILE

You seem very chilled about your career. You seem more interested in working with people you chime with creatively, rather than racking up credits, in order to impress.

At the end of the day, it’s a game. Have you seen the documentary, The Price of Everything? It’s about how art became a commodity. It’s really interesting. I did a lot of music videos back in the day and we’d hear all these conversations about how the music was going to be released and what it was going up against. There was a whole labyrinth of game playing going on there that blew me away.

There’s a lot of those elements at play in fashion as well. And I’m not that kind of player. I’d rather just work with people that I like.

You did the hair for Vogue’s December 2023 front cover, Great Britain, featuring personalities including Tilda Swinton and Eddie Izzard. Do you like working with celebrities?

Sometimes. It depends on the celebrity! I mean, it can be cool getting to meet some of your heroes that you’ve loved in movies but I’m not a star-struck kind of person, to be fair. I know it carries a lot of currency for some people, but I’ll very rarely be doing a selfie unless we’ve got on really well and had a laugh together.

It’s funny, working with actors, they’re so used to playing a character that when they’re just themselves they can be very vulnerable. And I do have the ability to pick people up, to lift the mood. It’s nice to be able to make people feel safe and make them feel good about themselves. And I’ve got the cheeky banter to distract them…

But that is what’s great about you: this big, scary-looking guy is actually a bit of a softy!

I love contradictions! It’s a big part of how I work creatively – there’s always a little twist, you know. I remember once and I was working with one of my assistants, who’d come from Nicky Clarke, and the model was Stella Tennant and we were doing this demented pompadour thing. I’d made these translucent rolls and while I was wrapping them I put a really big wrong one at the front of Stella’s head. And he’s like, “Why did you do that?” It was the complete antithesis of what he was used to at Nicky Clarke. I mean, I love gorgeous, luxurious hair but I love wrongness, as well.

Not everyone knows how to do the wrongness, though. No, that’s true. You have to get the right right and the wrong right! Gary Gill is a great example of someone who gets the wrong right, because he’s really open to stuff like that. We’re similar ages and we both grew up in the 1980s when there was that whole mishmash of culture, art and music. Nowadays, we’re so swamped in data, we absorb and digest information differently and express ourselves differently as a result. There are pros and cons with technology. I mean, I love that you can be in the middle of nowhere, like I was growing up, and you can go on YouTube and feel connected to people all around the world.

You stopped doing the shows about 10 years ago. Why was that?

There are a lot of reasons. First, there were a lot of times where we weren’t getting paid enough. I mean, if you don’t have the money to do a show, then don’t do a show! Find a new way to present what you’re doing! And then there was the issue of me stopping and starting because of my health and my parents’ health. Because you’re only as good as your team, and it takes time to build up a team again – you have to have that momentum. I just got really tired of the stopping and starting and it taking so much energy to get my team up to the point where it’s a machine and it can just flow. So after my mother passed away, I was just like, “You know what, I’m tapping out”.

Looking back on your career, what would you say would have been pivotal moments?

Doing Pirelli with Tim Walker was amazing. I used to look through Pirelli books when I was young, they were iconic. Getting the chance to work with [renowned filmmaker] Baz Luhrmann at Chanel was phenomenal because he’s an amazing communicator. Being on a project with him and seeing how he navigates his way through a team of hundreds was fantastic. And I remember the first time I worked with [photographer] Paolo Roversi, I was so excited and I’d spent every penny I had on hair. But it was before the Eurostar, so I had taken a Sunday flight and BA lost my bags. And Paris is closed on a Sunday evening. I eventually found a pound shop and bought a plastic doll’s beauty kit and a ball of string. That’s all I had. And when I got to the studio it turned out Guido had been working there the day before and had left half a can of hairspray and some mousse.

Thank goodness for Guido’s scraps!

I know! [Laughs] I’m so grateful to him for that. And it really was a pivotal moment for me because I really had to improvise. I remember it was for a Kenzo special and the models were Russian twins dressed in these vintage kimonos. And the idea was to have ivory skinned girls with punky Geisha hair. And that’s what they got – and I created it with a doll’s hair kit!

What are your five go-to products/tools on a shoot?

That would be a ball of elastic, my comb brush, a water spray, Kirby grips and my Diva Atmos dryer.

Is your brain always buzzing, thinking about things to do with hair?

I’m actually going through a stage in my life where I’m trying to slow my brain down! Having loads of ideas can be a plus and it can also be a negative – there’s no point in having all that creativity, if you can’t focus. And sometimes you’ll have all the ideas and then you get on the job and things change, or the thing that you thought you were going to do is just not right. And it doesn’t matter how good the idea was, if it’s not right, you have to put it to one side and maybe it will find its place another day. So it’s about being objective and being fluid, as well being able to change.

What does 2024 hold for you, Malcolm?

I’m looking forward to starting afresh. With everything I’ve learnt about myself and my ADHD diagnosis, it’s like a new me. No, not a new me, a new awareness of myself. I can look back to when I was at school, I would drift off constantly. I would just be looking at the window and then I’d look down at the page and it might as well have been hieroglyphs. That all makes sense now, but I guess they didn’t understand things back then. So I’m not going to be like super-bare but I’m not going to be as complex as I once was. Let’s say that. I feel like this is a new chapter in my life and I’m looking forward to getting back to work with all this new-found knowledge I have.

It’s coming…

Explore Connect Inform

The S/S24 Colour Report

New season = new inspiration, innovation and opportunity. Let’s dive in…

HOW CAN YOU BOOST YOUR COLOUR BILL IN S/S24?

One answer is Lightener Tipping, which refreshes the lightness on the ends of lightened hair.

“When topping up highlights and balayage, it can be familiar only to refresh and lighten the roots. However, after a while, the ends can start to look dull and lifeless. This would be the perfect opportunity to add a service to your bill called Tipping,” says Siobhán Jones, founder of Siobhán Jones Studio and global ambassador for L’Oréal Professionnel Paris.

Applied by lightening already lightened ends between your foils in a freehand method, this will brighten the ends gently as it will be open air. “A technique like this can take only an extra 10 minutes, and allow you to substantially up your bill and give your clients the wow factor!”

Eyes on the prize(s)

We’re about to hit colour competition time – could you be the one taking home a trophy?

L’Oréal Colour Trophy

The iconic contest with a laser focus on editorially stunning colour is back and delivers opportunities to all, from the newest talents to the Colour Specialist professionals. lorealcolourtrophy.com

Most Wanted Colour Expert

The Most Wanted awards are now open for entries, and the hotly contested Colour Expert award is looking for pros demonstrating brilliant skill and vision. It could be you! creativeheadmag.com/ mostwanted

Wella TrendVision Award

The legendary competition offers a plethora of categories to get your colour brilliance on. Which will you choose? Open for entries this spring, follow @wellaprofessionalsuki for more information

Takeaway hero: the colour depositing conditioner

Clients are always desperate to keep that colour looking fresh and fabulous between appointments, and there’s a new generation of colour depositing goodies that will tick the box and help boost your retail, too

Revamped and better than ever, Color Style Mousse from INDOLA delivers instant tint or rinse it off for a more intense colour, all without a sticky residue and in 15 shades.

RRP £9.40

indola.co.uk

Customise shades for at-home refreshing with CHROMA ID from Schwarzkopf Professional. You can create up to 30 pre-defined mixes – just fill the empty jar with the mix and stick the ready-to-use ingredients label onto the lid!

RRP £29.95

schwarzkopfpro.com

Color Depositing Treatment from Paul Mitchell’s Clean Beauty line ticks the shadeboost box – cayenne, cocoa, cinnamon, vanilla, truffle, and a clear shine are on the menu.

salon-success.co.uk

With seven shades to choose from, the Moroccanoil Color Depositing Masks deposit pure pigments while deeply conditioning. Available in 30ml sachets to try, too.

RRP £28.85 for 200ml joysalonservices.com

Colour by Siobhán Jones

PURE ESCAPISM

Coastline Re ects, the new campaign from Davines, captures the beautiful allure of being by the sea

For centuries, artists have been drawn to the ever-shifting form of the sea. So, it’s tting that Coastline Re ects, the new story from Davines art director, Tom Connell, features four friends spending time on the beach, captured in moments in and around the beautiful coastal town of Levanto, Italy.

Organic textures, inspired by the surrounding rust-coloured rocks, whitewashed stones, bronzed sands and pearlescent re ections on the water’s surface, are revealed in four contemporary hair looks embracing a metallic re ective colour palette: Brushed Bronze, Shimmer Blend, Metallic Frame and Metallic Anti-Frame. As ever, the looks are designed to be enhanced by the natural light of the sun.

The Coastline Re ects campaign includes four colour services and eight styling variations, as well as two new colour techniques – Freemapping and Freescaping – both using the new Davines Colour Blending Brush. This compact, exible, multi-functional tool is perfect for freehand, creative techniques and very natural results. It can be held with the ngers and used many ways: at horizontal for larger smoothing techniques, vertical for smaller smoothing, and diagonal for ner, more detailed smoothing.

For Coastline Re ects, the hair was styled using Davines More Inside, including the latest addition, Dry Wax Finishing Spray, developed in collaboration with Connell. This unique product creates instant undone wave and provides natural de nition and dimension with a satin-matte nish.

Tom explains: “Four subtle but distinct looks, each styled in a relaxed and wearable way against a backdrop of dramatic yet minimalist elements of sky, sun, and sea. Coastline Re ects allows the hair to be its true self, embracing its natural beauty, while the sunlight enhances the hues, bringing the hair to life.”

@davines_uk

For more information visit uk.davines.com

We’re abuzz with Peach Fuzz

Pantone’s Color of the Year has the potential to hit salons hard. Here’s what you need to know

It chimes with the return to ’90s colour blocking Chunky panels, contrasting face frames… Find inspiration from the Colour Crush collection by James Earnshaw for Wella Professionals.

But you’ve got to get the shade right for the skin tone

“For cooler skin tones, opt for a soft coral, while warmer tones suit a salmon peach," says Andrew Smith.

You can dial it all the way up to orange Seung Ki Baek, creative colour expert at RUSH, believes we’ll go full vitamin C this season, with orange a dominant hue.

It’s great for in-betweeners

“Peach is a beautiful in-between colour for those transitioning from a darker shade to a blonde to embrace warmth along the way,” says UK Manic Panic ambassador, Verity Clarke.

…And we’re keeping it fruity this season!

Peach Fuzz too sweet? Let’s get a little darker with our fruit bowl

Midnight Berry

Cherry Cola

Thanks Pantone, but Goldwell’s Color of the Year is something much more vampy. Midnight Berry fuses a highly saturated purple and the deepest blues for richness and complexity.

“Picture your favourite zzy sweets and how sparkly and rich they are,” says HARE & BONE’s Amelia Evans. “This is the TikTok colour of the moment – part of the massive Y2K trend within fashion and online.” Think Dua Lipa, and you’ve nailed it.

Hair by Andrew Smith using milk_shake

VA-VA-VOOM

Leave it in for instant tint and styling bene ts, or rinse it off to intensify colour. Either way, Indola’s revamped Color Style Mousse is a gamechanger… including for your vegan clients!

Limp roots and fading colour? It’s just no way to live. Say hello to the new and improved Indola Color Style Mousse, a unique frothy foam offering a seamless, all-in-one solution for salon pros and clients alike, including instant multi-bene ts and unlimited services such as refreshment, toning and neutralisation in as little as 10 minutes.

First of all, you’re going to love the fresh bottle design with its premium matte nish. But it’s what’s inside that really counts: a revolutionary new vegan-friendly* mousse formula without a hint of sticky residue, that delivers a soft and natural hold and a choice of applications. Leave in for an instant subtle tint and natural volume or leave in for up to 10 minutes and wash out for intensi ed colour results, or rinse-off for colour intensifying and no styling bene ts: it’s great for in-salon services and at-home maintenance.

When colouring, use Indola Color Style Mousse to neutralise unwanted tones and transform existing shades; for pre-pigmentation on very porous hair structures; or for re-pigmentation when transforming very pale, bleached bases into natural tones. It can do all this and more with its compatibility with the renowned PCC range allowing for unlimited intermixable options.

And there’s even more! Indola has introduced a new shade, Dark Ash, to the already impressive 15-shade line-up, as well as renaming Powdery Lilac to Soft Mauve and Pearl Beige to Beige Blonde. More inspiration. More innovation. And even more ways to step up your colour services. Trust Indola to provide cutting-edge solutions to empower you and your clients.

Explore the full Indola range and more at indola.co.uk

@indolauk

Be subtle. Go bold. In 15 washes it’s gone! With Schwarzkopf Professional’s new-look Chroma ID, clients can truly dare to colour

EXPRESS YOURSELF!

New mood? New colour! Switching up a look creates an instant mood lift that clients love, but they also worry about damage and long-term colour commitment. Fear not, says Schwarzkopf Professional. Its newly reformulated Chroma ID Colour Masks have all the answers, delivering 100 per cent colour exibility (every personality can be catered for!), exceptionally caring formulas (deep nourishment guaranteed), and results that can be changed every 15 washes (moods can change!).

With its simple, quick and perfectly even colour distribution, Chroma ID is a dream for colourists to work with. Apply the masks to pre-washed, towel-dried hair – apply directly, no pre-mixing needed – and leave to develop for 10 minutes (reduce to ve for a more subtle result or increase to 20 minutes for the most intense colour result). Everyone can relax, safe in the knowledge that the integrated Bonding Technology provides intense, nourishing care while the mask is working (it can even repair damaged hair), leaving the hair smooth, shiny and conditioned. The masks can be used individually or intermixed, creating in nite colour results and full versatility in the salon, with the results washing out in up to 15 washes.

With a keen eye on lling your till, the clever bods at Schwarzkopf Professional have designed new Chroma ID around three key commercial services. Express Colour Refresh allows you to refresh and re ne mid-lengths and ends to recover vibrancy and maintain optimal hair condition on coloured or virgin

THE ASSORTMENT

hair – it’s perfect when colour has faded one or two levels. The Express Colour Neutralisation service is great for eliminating brassy tones and keeping colour fresh and cool. And nally, the Express Colour Play service allows you to experiment with fullhead applications or free-hand placements of the bolder shades.

And there’s more! Extend the Chroma ID experience into your client’s home, with a customised mask to refresh colour between salon visits. There are 30 pre-de ned mixes to choose from – simply ll your empty jar with your chosen mix, stick the readyto-use ingredient list label onto the lid and provide it to your client to maintain fresh and vibrant hair colour in the comfort of their own home. And as Chroma ID’s numbering system is aligned with IGORA Royal and Vibrance, it’s ideal to match the tone direction for colour refreshment services in between your demi- and permanent colour services, too.

Says Farah Naz, owner of Farah Naz Hair in Manchester: “I am in love with Chroma ID. It's my go-to for creating fashion-led hair colour, from pastellised subtlety to vibrant brilliance. What sets it apart is the power to customise, enabling me to craft unique shades that resonate with my clients. The additional bonus of it being a conditioner-based product is how it leaves the hair feeling, and the bonding technology ensures not just amazing colour but also keeps the hair strong and resilient. The best part? I can send them home with a personalised pot of it, ensuring their colour stays salon-fresh.”

Red Pink

Purple

Blue Clear

6-46

Raw Cacao

6-88

Ruby Red

7-77

Bright Copper

8-46

Glazed Caramel

COLOUR REFRESH

8-19

Frosted Lavender

9-12

Platinum Grey

9.5-1

Pearl Silver

9.5-19

Dusty Pink

9.5-4 Beige Sand

COLOUR NEUTRALISATION

COLOUR PLAY

BEYOND INFINITI

ASP Expert Haircare’s In niti colour is reborn. Same beloved formula, same great performance, but a brand new name. Say hello to ELIXIR –  a colour designed to breathe new life into your business

ELIXIR. It means ‘magical potion’. So, what a brilliant new name for a colour product that has transformed the colour experience for thousands of customers around the globe. ELIXIR is the new, revitalised iteration of ASP Expert Haircare’s In niti line, a product synonymous with colour excellence. ELIXIR preserves the proven formula and delivers the same superior performance of In niti, but this relaunch brings a new touch of sophistication that loyal and new clients will love.

Containing more than 92 per cent naturally-derived ingredients, including shea butter and argan oil, ELIXIR adds protection, suppleness and shine as it colours, creating beautifully intense, luminous results. Meanwhile, next-generation GPS-TECnology precisely directs the colour to the optimum location within the cortex, ensuring incredible coverage and lasting power, while advanced Anti-Fade technology with UV lters effectively combat colour fade. And colourists love that with ELIXIR you can create in nitely bespoke colours by blending ELIXIR shades with ELIXIR Intensives. If it’s in your imagination, ELIXIR can make it happen!

Sustainability is vital to ASP – in fact it’s part of its DNA (Defend Nature Always) credentials. So, note some important updates to ELIXIR packaging: the new clear caps, made from recycled materials, are easier to detect when going through the sorting machine at recycling facilities, compared with coloured plastics or the black In niti caps of old. The aluminium tube

is made from 95 per cent post-consumer recycled materials (PCR) and is 100 per cent recyclable. ELIXIR boxes are fully biodegradable and use vegetable inks, meaning less energy is required to recycle them, minimising the environmental impact.

So, ASP has gone beyond In niti. In new ELIXIR it has a colour product that perfectly blends its DNA philosophy, sustainability mission and in nite colour opportunities. Says ASP sales & commercial director, Ross Jones: “We are thrilled to announce this pivotal moment in our brand evolution. The decision to unite under the ELIXIR brand has not been easy to achieve but re ects our commitment to global consistency, sustainability, and a more impactful brand presence.”

RING IN THE NEW

It’s not just the name that’s new. There are plenty of shade updates in the ELIXIR line-up, too, developed in line with current colour trending forecasts. Choose from coppers that will create everything from deep chestnut colours to zingy tiger-spiced tones, while new Arctic Icy Blonde is your perfect lifting partner to neutralise brassy yellow and orange tones. And nally, keep your cool with the new Graphite Cool Mixer, ideal for cooling any shade at base 7 or below.

• 12.27 Arctic Icy Blonde

• 8.4 Tiger Spice

• 8.443 Honey Orange

• 7.443 Tangerine Twist

• 7.45 Pecan

• 6.45 Copper Chestnut

• GCM Graphite Cool Mixer

For extra coverage, reach for the new .00X ELIXIR fashion shades. These seven pre-blended popular fashion colours are taken from the main chart with the corresponding .00X shade already included, so there’s no need to mix colour together to achieve coverage on extraresistant white hair. Just choose your pre-blended shade, mix with your chosen developer – and away you go.

• 9.02X Extra Coverage Soft Violet Blonde

• 9.24X Extra Coverage Softest Taupe

• 8.035X Extra Coverage Cappuccino

• 7.43X Extra Coverage Copper Golden Blonde

• 6.036X Extra Coverage Dark Chocolate

• 6.66X Extra Coverage Fire Red

• 5.76X Extra Coverage Cranberry

“I don’t sell hair colour, I sell a new character”

Yes, Jordanna Cobella is an exceptional colourist. But she also understands what clients want, and how to entice them into her salon…

@jordannacobella

Jordanna Cobella

Lukasz Rawa for Unsplash

In hairdressing we’re so used to selling the finished look, while other industries focus more on emotion. For example, Virgin Atlantic’s “I am what I am” TV ad campaign celebrates how everyone sees the world differently, rather than ‘selling’ flights.

So, I’m not selling hair colour. When I went blonde, it changed me in so many ways. I changed my make-up, I started dressing edgier, I expressed myself differently. I’d basically stepped into a whole new character – and it had started with my hair colour. And that’s what people are often looking for when they ask for a new hair colour: they want to become a different character. We need to tap into that psychology – and monetise it.

In the salon, everything starts with the consultation. Imagery is so important during a consultation – as we know, clients often bring in pictures of the kind of hair ideas they like – so I create a moodboard. But the imagery I use doesn’t depict the specific technique or trend; it shows the character who would wear that technique or trend. So, for example, alongside hair images I’ll include flatlays from Pinterest showing fashion, jewellery, interiors, accessories, food and drink and so on, that convey the mood and lifestyle of the character I want to set. And they’re not necessarily aspirational images, because I want my clients to relate to what they’re seeing – it could be a picture of a biscuit and a cappuccino. I’m basically taking a hair technique and using marketing tools that other industries use to get people to agree to a decision about their hair. The next thing I need to do is to name the trend. It’s important that it’s consumer-friendly, rather than technical, because if a client searched ‘Colour Blocking’, for example, she’d run a mile. Elle magazine renamed colour blocking the Gemini Hair Trend, which is far more accessible; I called it The Wisdom Streak.

Once the moodboard is ready and named, I print it out or have a copy on my phone as it is what I use to get the conversation going. But during the consultation I always give my client a choice of two ways to wear the trend – a more subtle way and a more daring way. So, I could recommend a soft tone to start with that can only be seen in certain lights, and then next time we could be braver and go for a darker tone. The psychology behind that is that the client buys into one of those options and feels more in control – also, you’re cueing up the following appointment. It keeps things exciting in the staff room too – there’s always something new to master.

Jordanna’s colour trend for S/S24 – ‘Quiet Luxury’

I describe this as New Age Minimalism. It’s about putting craftsmanship over quantity – this character will shop at COS, not Primark. She’ll wear the ‘no makeup’ look, choosing to look polished and put together, rather than full foundation and a red lip. In terms of hair, this is about enhancing natural colour, adding two or three hues that are visible in certain lights. I’m talking earthy blondes (rather than Barbie blondes), expensive brunettes, chestnut browns – colours that radiate authenticity and understated elegance.

Alyssa Strohmann for Unsplash

Jeff Siepman for Unsplash

“Not every colourist has got the spare £500 for education”

There’s a global audience thirsty for education from Tia Lambourn, founder of Derby’s Bay Studios and The Blonding Bible online training. Here, she discusses the key drivers in colour education right now

@tialambourn_hair

I didn’t have any expectation or goal of being an educator. I just wanted to be able to do a client with confidence and not turn people away. When I started almost 10 years ago, lived-in colour and balayage were on the rise and I didn’t have a clue how to do them! I started taking classes so I could feel more confident behind the chair. It was around the same time as Instagram taking off, being a good visual focus point. People wanted to see a good ‘before and after’. I was very much in the right generation when all this happened. And you always remember someone who helped you. You remember how they make you feel.

But not every colourist has got the spare £500 plus for education. With some students I meet in classes, they’ve joined my Blonding Bible online subscription at £24 a month first, with weekly videos. For someone wanting to dip their toe into education, it can be daunting knowing what’s the right class to book and it’s a lot of money to lay on something that they’re not sure if they’re going to like. That’s where you tend to go more into the online realm, because it can be a lot more affordable. They love education, and they want more of it, but their budget might not allow for classes just yet.

Tia Lambourn

Colourists want to give their clients the best service and nine times out of 10 it means that it’s going to take them longer in the salon. We’re talking four-and-a-half hours instead of two-and-a-half. Your pricing has to be right, and that comes down to a confidence perspective, and also where they might not have the clientele that has the budget. So they’re trying to manipulate techniques in a cheaper way so that it’s more sustainable for their clients, or they want to figure out a way to attract more clients who do have the budget to pay for these longer, more intense services.

It’s a point of frustration in classes – ‘I’d love to do that, but my clients just won’t pay for it’. I always say to people: “I’m not going to teach you the quick and cheap way of doing things, because unfortunately, to get from A to B, it’s going to take four hours and it’s going to cost more than £200”.

I always ask students: ‘Are there any classes you’ve been on recently that you really enjoyed?’. And increasingly people are telling me about independent educators, such as myself. I think it’s because they’re looking more for techniques. Not everyone uses the same colour, so people are looking for an independent whose work has its own brand behind it. Social media helps you see these independent stylists with amazing hair on their Instagram. Often people ask me, ‘Who have you learnt from? Whose classes have you been to?’

It’s split 50/50 in terms of what people want to see from me. First, it’s how I can get someone super-blonde safely in one session. How it is achievable in a four-hour session rather than a seven-hour session. ‘What lightener do you use, how much of it, and what’s your foil placement like?’ They want a little bit of an insight, almost like a map of where to put their foils and how to get that bright face frame.

Second, after lockdown where a lot of clients have embraced their natural colour, stylists are now trying to figure out what’s the best way of creating a blend between what they used to have – a more high maintenance colour, whether it be scalp bleach, or full head highlights – and a colour that they love, and that grows out soft. How do I incorporate lowlights without it looking stripy? How do I make the perfect blend? What products do I use, where it doesn’t bump the base?

Tia’s top trainers

Jaye Edwards @jaye_edwards

He’s an Australian stylist and was one of the first classes I took six years ago. He’s brilliant, I learnt so much from him. I love his approach, just very honest, open and happy to share everything he knows.

Daniel Mora Ayala

@danielmbeauty

An absolute idol of mine, amazing at doing lived-in colour with a bright face frame. That was something that I really struggled with. I was great at getting everyone super blonde but I couldn’t quite get it to pop around the face and blend at the back. I took one of his classes, and that changed everything for me. His work has really evolved as well, you can see where he’s had new inspiration.

“Seeing the value in colour… By God that has changed everything!”

With salons in Nottingham and Derby, Tuckwell & Co’s Simon Tuckwell was keen to nail how his teams were pricing colour with an eye on growing profits. A bit less squeezing has been a lot more pleasing…

@tuckwellandco

Simon Tuckwell

I looked at my numbers, and something wasn’t quite adding up. We seemed to be spending a lot on colour but it didn’t seem to be going into the right place. I’d spoken to colour management software Vish four years ago, and decided to have another conversation. If anyone asks me my biggest regret, I will say not going with Vish back then, because it makes you see down to the gram what was being used on clients.

Once it was in place, I said to the team: ‘If you just do this for 30 days – your normal routine, the normal amount you would mix up – we’ll have some real figures. If it doesn't work, I won’t make us do that again’. They all got on board, and it gave us a baseline. Then we had clients coming back 30 days, six weeks, eight weeks later, and our data got more accurate. From our original data, per client we were using between 150g and 200g of colour. Over the past six months we’ve now got that down to 80g per client, which is huge. But we’re not scrimping, the client isn’t getting less of an experience. We realised too much was getting mixed up, and then going down the sink. About 99 per cent of all client bowls get reweighed now, so we know that our data is accurate.

If you do end up over mixing, we’re not going to send you to the back of the salon with no dinner! We’re a little forgiving, we allow 100g of colour for an average application, whether that be a root tint or full head, and then it’s slightly more for balayage and highlights. But a toner is then measured separately. Anything over that, we then charge per gram for the client, and this is all discussed beforehand. There are no surprises at the till.

For example, another big change was charging correctly for toners. As a salon, it was important to educate both ourselves and our clients on what a toner is for and what it can create. Toners have changed massively in the past 10 years and our understanding needed to change; it isn’t just about putting a small amount of colour over some highlights to blend now; they’re pretty much full colour services and needed to be priced as such.

Our colour bar sits in the middle of the salon – front and centre, not down in a dungeon – where we have five iPads, all with Vish. It looks great to clients, and helps when having that conversation. They feel like you’re not just making prices up, they can see how it all comes together. I want them to see we use 20g of this, 10g of that, it’s all part of that conversation… and it’s a little bit of theatre as well! It’s been helpful for the stylists, seeing the value in the colour. By God that has changed everything – I now have about 48 little salon owners keeping an eye! The biggest change is that I use data now, not emotion. I used to emotionally discount everybody! I still work behind the chair five or six days a week, so if I’m behaving the right way, I’m showing that to my team. And they’re seeing the benefit, there’s more budget to go on nights out and on education. So, it’s investing that money straight back into our colour but without just spending it on tubes of colour. I’ve got two stylists doing the Wella Colour Expert programme, and I’m completing the Wella Higher Level Diploma.

From the eco point of view, we’re not just mixing up loads of colour and then washing it down the drain. Wastage is down to about 8 per cent, whereas we were looking at 70 per cent on some days. I’m not a numbers person, but I’ve come to love them. We use Phorest Salon Software, which aligns with Vish, and it makes it so easy to understand those numbers. Running a salon is hard enough at the minute, why not have something that just makes your life so much easier?

Tuckwell & Co’s vital statistics

• £22,300 captured in past six months by charging for additional colour

• Cost per service down by 48 per cent from £12.60 to £6.56 in three months

• Colour waste down to only 8 per cent

• Value of waste per service down by 41 per cent from £1.44 to 82p in three months

• Use of colour dropped from 150g to 200g of colour per client to 80g to 100g

“Every single one of these opportunities has been made possible by my presence on social media”

Chances are your next colour clients and staff are going to come from social media. Here’s how to make sure they can find you, says Stripe Colour Studio owner, Nancy Stripe

@nancystripecolour

@stripecolourstudio

Nancy Stripe

Social media has been the gateway for so many amazing career opportunities. I’m a guest artist for L’Oréal Professionnel Paris (my dream job since I was 16 years old). I own my own salon, Stripe Colour Studio, in which I have freelance staff and apprentices. I also educate my own course, ‘Lived-in Sessions’ from my salon, and in the past year I’ve educated all around the UK, as well as working in Paris and heading a hair show for the ID twenty event at the L’Oréal Academy. Every single one of these opportunities has been made possible by my presence on social media. I don’t have the biggest account in the industry, but I know my audience and every follower is significant.

Above everything, I rate consistency as a measure for success on social media. Not striving for the big numbers but doubling down on your message is a clear way to creating your own career path. You don’t need the huge following to curate a maximised column and your dream job. You also don’t need to post for the sake of posting, have a clear plan of what you want to talk about and be consistent with it. Spend some time on really figuring out who you are as a brand and visualise your goals for the coming year. Here are some tips to market yourself online:

DO• Think about who your audience are – if you’re speaking to clients, use clientfriendly language; if you’re speaking to brands or peers, get technical.

• If you’re aiming to attract staff, really understand your own brand and what it is that you offer that others don’t. This way, you can find your dream team.

• Show what it’s like to spend a day in your salon. What music do you listen to? What coffee do you serve? This builds up a picture of your brand.

• Show staff how much you appreciate them by pointing out what makes them special. It means a lot and it shows clients your nurturing environment.

• Switch up your content by mixing reels, carousels and short or longer videos.

• Get inside your analytics and know when your audiences are online. I know that Sundays are a dead zone for my audience so I avoid posting then.

• If you are looking to be noticed by brands, research their latest products and create content solely around them.

• Figure out your relevant search engine optimisation (SEO). There are great coaches out there (I recommend Vivienne Johns) who can help you on this.

• Keep the faith! Don’t get disheartened by a low-performing post. Some of my favourite pieces of content are posts that didn’t do as well as I expected.

• Include some personal stories, real life client journeys, voiceovers and face-tocamera recordings. It is vital to connecting authentically with your audience.

DON’T

• Try not to cross brand or mix your message, and don’t use other brands in a video that is trying to get you noticed by a specific company.

• When posting before-and-after carousels, never post your ‘before’ picture at the start as it really messes up the aesthetic on your grid.

• Stay away from negative messaging on your socials. We all love an online scandal, but you don’t want to be seen that way by potential clients or brands.

• Don’t post for the sake of it. I wholly agree with having days in the week where you switch off your socials. You come back so much more refreshed.

• Don’t only post the perfect. In 2024, real time social media is more attractive, which is why live consultations and process have taken off.

• Don’t look sideways. We all have days where we feel like we are not enough, which is easy in the world of social media. Keep your vision going forward.

Age of decadence

Vibrance, the new collection by the #SKPCollective, delivers a decadent take on modern colour and texture. It’s a plush setting of fabrics and feelings, with a contemporary yet retro aesthetic to amplify the super luxe vibe with a smattering of fun

PHOTOGRAPHY BY MICHAEL YOUNG

First cut is the deepest

In Monochrome Domes, Davines art director Tom Connell strips it back to basics in black and white and captured in natural daylight. It explores the special moments that can happen during a cut that can be as fresh and exciting as the final look...

PHOTOGRAPHY BY TOM

CONNELL

SCENE

THE EVENTS AND PARTIES TO BE SEEN AT

WELLA RED BUSINESS NETWORK LIVE

In a two-day celebration of inspiration and motivation, Wella RED Business Network Live welcomed guests to the Rum Warehouse of the Liverpool Titanic Hotel. Here, more than 250 salon owners, managers, and their teams gathered to hear from a carefully selected agenda of speakers. The power of your mind played a key role, thanks to authors Alison Edgar MBE and Richard Shotton; psychiatrist and neuroscience specialist, Professor Steve Peters (“The ability to manage yourself is one of the most important success factors. Ask yourself: are you managing your mind optimally?); and business leader Ellis Watson (“I wasn’t pressing the ‘sod it’ button for myself”).

The potential impact that we have on other people was also highlighted by Jono Lancaster, born with the rare Treacher Collins syndrome, which causes facial differences. “We all have differences, unique differences that need to be celebrated and encouraged,” said Jono. The importance of technology was stressed by Daniel Ashville, founder of Ashville Aggregates, and digital marketer and data expert Christian Howes, who argued that people still play their part: “You need the human intelligence layer in order to interpret the data and utilise it affectively.”

Sarah Yorke, founder of The Stylebook family, discussed her journey when she faced the challenge of finding new clientele when she relocated. There was also a panel of salon leaders – including HOB Salons’ Natasha Grossman, Medusa’s Colin McAndrew; KH Hair’s Darren Messias and Sarah Mason from Sarah Mason Professional. Our key takeaway came from Westrow’s Steve Rowbottom on recruiting young talent. “We get the kids to attract the kids. We create a safe place to come – that they want to come to – they have to be happy.”

Jono Lancaster

Christian Howes

Alison Edgar MBE

Salon leaders panel

Daniel Ashville

Sarah Yorke

Steve Peters

Wella’s Max Amen

Richard Shotton

Ellis Watson

THE LAST WORD ON…

MAINTAINING A GOOD BRAND TAKES THOUGHT AND WORK, AS DOES REPAIRING A DAMAGED ONE

BRANDING

What’s in a brand? Your business story as well as your reputation, for starters. Digital expert Harvey Morton offers some pearls of wisdom for getting going. “Conduct thorough market research to gain insights into your potential customers’ demographics, preferences, and behaviour patterns. Identify their pain points, needs, and aspirations.” Just don’t forget your competitors, he warns. “Explore their services, marketing techniques, pricing strategies and customer feedback,” he continues. “By understanding your target audience and competitors, you can position your brand effectively and create unique value.”

The early stages of brand building clearly require lots of research, but what about the more creative part? According to Hellen Ward, co-founder of Richard Ward Hair & Metrospa, the narrative matters. “When creating a new brand, you need to think about the story, the provenance. People need to quickly and easily identify what the brand values are, and what it stands for.” For growing an existing brand, Hellen advises to “identify the strengths, the core USP and go sniper with marketing, not scattergun”. Communicate what makes you stand out. “Market to your target customers and scream your points of difference, whether it’s the team, length of service, expertise, or luxury environment,” she adds.

“Focus on building strong relationships with your customers through personalised experiences,” adds nancial expert Garry Hemming. “Implement data-driven marketing strategies to better understand them and tailor the messaging and offerings to their needs. Leverage social media and content marketing to engage with your audience and showcase your brand’s personality and expertise.” Partnerships and collaborations are another route

as they “can help expand your brand’s reach”. This includes “complementary brands or in uencers who align with your values and target audience”. This, he concludes, can help you “tap into new markets and build credibility for your brand”.

While it’s motivating to brainstorm and think about your goals, including the reasons for doing what you do, part of the brand journey is also about knowing how to respond when your brand is damaged. For Tom Skinner, managing director of digital marketing agency, Go Up, it’s important to apologise with sincerity, he advises. “Cut the business speak and imagine you’re talking to your own grandmother. So rather than ‘we’re sorry if some people misunderstood our Instagram post and were offended’, it should be ‘we’re sorry about our Instagram post’. Customers need to know you’re real. You’ll be surprised what can be rescued.”

However, simply saying sorry isn’t enough. “Prove you’ve changed,” Tom adds. “Demonstrate tangible improvement and a willingness to move past previous mistakes. Don’t just tell me you’ve xed the car — take me for a drive.”

Sometimes, the extent of brand damage can mean that a rebrand is needed. Here, Garry has some pointers. “A fresh look and feel can symbolise a new beginning and signal a commitment to positive change. Be sure to involve your target audience in this process to gather their input and feedback.” However, a makeover on its own won’t guarantee customer support. “Consistency is key to regain trust,” he explains. “Ensure that all marketing materials and customer touchpoints are aligned with the renewed brand identity and messaging. Consider ongoing reputation management efforts to monitor and address negative sentiment and maintain a positive online presence.”

Austin Chan for Unsplash