I was invited for a cut and colour at FOUR London, a sexy hair salon with a boutique feel on Conduit Street, Mayfair last week and was very, very excited. A hair cut and colour was long, long overdue and I was prepared for the numb bum.
FOUR London is the brainchild of four hair colour specialists, Brooke Bohan, Maleeka Taher, Denise Arnold and Charlie Double. The four of them were trained and worked at Jo Hansford and have over 40 years experience between them.
Charlie, the lady on the far right is the lady who did my hair colour.
As I’m based oop North, I had a chat with Charlie on the phone consultation before my appointment. I remember thinking, really, how much help can a phone call be when discussing hair colour, but Charlie really knows her stuff. I described my hair condition, hair colour, previous dyes etc. and she told me to come in 2 hours earlier as she suspected I’d need to remove some of my old colour.
Super numb bum!
So I arrived at the salon bright and early at 10.00am and it was already relatively full of customers. The salon is gorgeous – I really love it, it’s a little bit dark, no harsh white lights anywhere and feels quite private too. It’s hard to believe that it’s only been open since December 2010.
Charlie comes over – she’s dressed in a pretty dress and has this sparkly glitter on her eyes – I can’t stop looking at it, so I ask her what it is (Barry MGlitter pencil) and then we talk hair. We agreed that my hair was too dark, almost purplish and at first we go down the ‘red’ route.
My hair contains a LOT of red in it and hair colourists almost always either make it more red or make it very dark. Charlie grabs an iPad (slick!) so we can have a look and get some ideas. At first she suggests reds. I scrunch my nose because I feel like it’s my fate to end up with reddish hair even though I don’t like it, so I and am ready to say ‘ok’, but she must be a bit psychic because she says we could also do the brown route. Is that what I’d prefer? Yes please!
There’s a lot of talking and also working through things as we go along – it could turn out like the ombre effect, it might not go as light as we want etc etc…we decide to see how this goes.
My hair at the start. Frizzy hot mess:
I went through quite a few stages!
1. Hair colour remover
2. Non bleach tint to lift the hair colour
3. A toner to remove the orange-ness
4. Roots lifted so there wasn’t too much of a difference between the roots and ends (we decided against the ombre because my hair was actually quite light after the colour remover)
5. Highlights added around the front of the head
(After each of these stages, there’s some time spent under the heat).
The hair was washed (it was washed after each treatment too) then a ‘shine’ treatment was used.
The colour of course took up the bulk of the time.
Then Carly cut my hair. Carly has the most amazing long ombre hair from a medium brown to a light blonde. She is also very sweet. I told her I wanted the frizzy ends off and a tiny hint of a side fringe like the one she had. She noticed how I had quite a big difference in length from my shorter layers to the ends of my hair so encouraged me to grow it so it would even out a bit more in the future.
Within an hour Carly had given me a really nice cut and styled it for me with a bit of a wave.
I was so so so so so so so happy with my hair. The cut, the colour – I didn’t think I’d be able to have light brown hair again for a long time with all the crap I’ve put onto it over the years but it’s perfect. I have actually be admiring my hair, my highlights in the lifts on the way to work every single day.
Before, urgh:
In total this took 6 hours and let me tell you know with my hand on heart it didn’t fee like 6 hours – more like 3. I was actually in such a rush that I forgot my essential items for when I’m hanging about like a book, a notepad and my Nintendo DS. But I had a constant supply of food, drinks, new magazines (I noticed all their magazines are the newest ones, good attention to detail) to keep me entertained.
Also, they have a good sense of timing in the salon – another reason why it didn’t feel like it was a 6 hour appointment because there was always someone doing something to my hair.
Also remember I needed quite a lot doing to my hair, hence the length of the appointment. The next time lifting the roots and some highlights should be all I need which of course would cut down the time it takes dramatically.
Verdict:
The salon is very luxurious and I can’t recommend it highly enough. HAIR ZEN!
The FOUR London website is here – they also do keratin straightening, extensions, and amazing facials.
Four, 62 Conduit Street, Mayfair, London, W15 2GB
for appointments, prices and consultations.
*Complimentary treatment
{ 20 comments… read them below or add one }
JEALOUS!!
My hair looks a lot worse than yours when I use the wrong shampoo. E.g. I washed it on Weds and didn’t straighten it and now I can’t get a comb through it which is why I’ve left work early, rushed home and have just washed it again with a shampoo that agrees with me.
No hairdresser has EVER been able to give my unruly curls a wave. All I ever get is my hair cut and styled curly but them adding some wonder creams (creams I’ve bought and been unable to use myself to the same effect) or they blowdry it straighter than a pin (something else I’ve never been able to achieve).
And how odd is this..I’ve dyed my hair jet black, dark blue and purple in the past (student days I hasten to add) but the underside of my is brown, when I look at it in the bathroom mirror, it looks as if I’ve had it dyed…because dying the underside is all the rage now (!)
Reply
Hey Rhamnousia
Remember when I asked you for curly hair tips!? I cannot cope with it at all, I thought I could, but I can’t. There’s such an art to it too – the products, the shampoo…like if I don’t put some kind of hair oil on it whilst it’s still damp I know I’ll have to tie it back!
My hair colour seems to have a life of its own too. I’m glad to have got rid of the weird black-purple-red shade. x
Reply
Your hair looks amazing. Really gorgeous.
Is there any chance you could let us know how much all that you had done to your hair would cost? Cos I reckon I’d need all that so a price bracket would be great.
Reply
Hi Nazia
I didn’t actually see the bill, I believe it’s around £110 for the colour correction, then £110 for additional treatments. I’d totally call up and tell them what you want as they can tell you exactly what it’ll cost (or go for a consultation first). Last thing you’d want is a shocker bill! xxx
Reply
It doesn’t look like the same head of hair at all (I know it is!) Amazing transformation, the colour is really beautiful.
Reply
Thanks darling! I didn’t actually realise how much of a change it was until I saw the photos myself, I thought…god that was something I gave them to work with!
Reply
Wow, your hair looks beautiful!!!
Reply
Thanks Sarah x
Reply
You Look AH-MAY-ZING!!!!!!
Reply
Thank you Geek Faerie x
Reply
Your new hair style looks AMAZING! I love the colour you ended up with too.
Most of the time I never end up with the haircut I have in mind when I leave a salon, either they don’t understand what look I’m going for or they just do what they bloody well want anyway!
I’m just wondering, how easy is it for you to style it yourself like it looks in the after picture, or does it just fall into that style after washing and blowdrying with products?
Reply
Hi Jen
Hmm I can’t do this the way that Carly did it for me – I just don’t have the skill to be honest. And it doesn’t fall into the style! I have to dry it, smooth it out a bit then if I want the curls its quite easy to do with a large curling wand x
Reply
So lovely! I absolutely love how soft and feminine the whole look is
Reply
Hi Giselle!
I guess it’s not a trendy look but quite a classic, feminine one! x
Reply
What a brilliant write up! Ooo -kd love to be able to go somewhere pampering like that.
And your new hair is gorgeous!
Xx
Reply
Hey Victoria! Thank you
Reply
Wow your hair looks so pretty after color!
Reply
Thank you Noniek!
Reply
Woah! You look amazeballs! Your hair is so so so so so pretty. I really need to meet this woman to sort out my barnet – also much redder than I would like! xx
Reply
Your hair looks amazing! I had a great time at Four….even though you get charged for tea and coffee, I’m going back again (and just not drinking anything!)
xo
Sara
Reply