Until just a few weeks ago, it had been a loooong time since I’d had a really good haircut. Since I turned 40, I’ve generally chosen a salon based on the colourist rather than the cutter/stylist. Putting up with meh cuts was the price I paid for good colour. My hair goes bright white-blonde when the summer sun hits it, so I have it darkened with lowlights in the summer. In the winter, my sun-deprived roots turn an ashy dishwater colour, so I have them lightened. My goal is to keep my natural multicolour blonde somewhere in the middle of its lightest and its darkest points so that it doesn’t look drab in the winter and fried in the summer. Finding a colourist who gets me isn’t easy! One even gave me black streaks when a mistake was made mixing the colour for my dark lowlights in summer. It literally looked as if a mascara wand had been swiped through sections of my hair. To fix it, I went to a famous colourist who does all of the blonde Kates (Moss, Blanchette, Winslet, Bosworth) who painstakingly worked her way through all of the black strands, lightening them to my normal colour. She was brilliant, but because she is a session stylist who is always on location with her celebrity clients, she’s frustratingly difficult to book for salon appointments. I also found my colour was getting lighter and lighter every time I went, which isn’t what I wanted either (I was veering dangerously close that that block one-colour Paris Hilton blonde that I don’t like). Jodie from Michael Van Clarke was recommended to me by Lamphane (more on him in a moment) and she is honestly a colour genius. She is my holy grail colourist. As I’ve aged, my fine hair has become much more delicate and colour only makes it worse. I had been doing a lot of processing for only a slight difference in colour, which was ruining my hair. To strengthen it, Jodie and I decided to stop doing low-lights (less processing) and just keep my natural blonde colour instead. Going forward, we’ll add in some (but a lot less) highlights to brighten it in the winter. After my colour with her, I have had no visible breakage right at that point where the regrowth ends and the colour starts, which is fantastic.
Since I’ve made colour rather than cut my priority, I’ve been disappointed by nearly every haircut I’ve had for the past few years, with one exception. That exception was eye-wateringly expensive. I only decided to splurge on it because I was making a big change from long hair to short hair and I thought throwing money at the issue might help me avoid a disaster (like my black streaks), which it did. Recently, I discovered Lamphane at Michael Van Clarke. From the moment we started discussing style, I knew he was going to give me a great cut. He was very honest about what works and doesn’t work with my face shape and my fine hair. Isn’t it refreshing to have someone be really direct and opinionated about what works on you? I always welcome a fresh pair of eyes that notice things that I’ve stopped noticing about myself. Lamphane gave me the salon’s trademark Diamond Dry Cut, where your hair is cut while it is clean and dry before being styled. I’ve never had that done before, but it makes a lot of sense now that I’ve seen it in action. You can really see how your hair is going to look in a way that you can’t when it is cut wet. I’m absolutely thrilled with Lamphane’s cut. It still looks great 8 weeks later. For the first time ever, I have a brilliant hairdresser AND a brilliant colourist all in one spot. It doesn’t hurt that the salon has brilliant coffee and ridiculously gorgeous chandeliers, two of my favourite things.
I’ve been test-driving the salon’s own brand ‘3 More Inches‘ shampoo, conditioner, deep conditioner, and thickening blow dry spray that they gave me to try at the salon. I’ve become so attached to them and the difference they are making to my fine breakable hair that I even took ALL of them on holiday with me (see above)! The haircare line has amino acids and protein which bond to the hair and enable the hair to hold on to moisture better so that it doesn’t dry out and age as it gets longer. In my opinion, the star of the line is the pre-wash treatment called Life Saver. I won’t ever be without this! It is a transformative deep conditioner that you put on your hair for 45 minutes before shampooing and conditioning. Sometimes I slick a little bit into my gym ponytail so the goodness can soak in while I work out. Twice a week or so, I comb in into dry hair at bedtime and let it stay overnight (it isn’t greasy) before washing the next morning. I only need a tiny amount of the shampoo, and I don’t thoroughly rinse all of the conditioner out afterwards (the bottle recommends to leave a little bit in your hair to seal the cuticle). Like a lot of products, these really seem to work best when you use them all together, which I didn’t do at first. They’ve truly improved the strength and quality of my fine hair like no other hair care line ever has. Michael Van Clarke has put a lot of research into his haircare, and it really shows. He’s had this salon (a team of 60) in London for 30 years and has won more awards than any other London salon, so he obviously knows what he is doing and what results he is after. Crucially for me, this haircare line has not been tested on animals which is brilliant for those of us who insist on this.
I rarely recommend hair stylists and colourists to friends and readers because hair is such a personal thing. I don’t want anyone to hate me if it all goes horribly wrong (like my black streaks incident)! However, I’m so thrilled with the cut and colour, even two months later now, that it seemed selfish not to share my discovery of Lamphane and Jodie at Michael Van Clarke. Also, I’ve been so blown away by the difference in my hair quality after using the products that I had to blog about those.
UK readers, you can find the haircare products on the website or in the salon; if you’re in the US or elsewhere you can find them on Net a Porter. If I could boss you into one haircare product, the Life Saver pre-wash treatment would be my top pick.
Disclosure: this post is not sponsored, the life-changing hair products were gifted.
19 Comments
LA CONTESSALA CONTESSA
August 14, 2018 at 3:20 PMYOU ARE LOOKING TRE CHIC………………..COLOR, HAIR, and SKIN!
Lisa
August 22, 2018 at 11:57 AMThank you so very much, Elizabeth! xx
melissa williams
August 14, 2018 at 3:54 PMWhen I saw that you had blogged about hair- I dropped everything and rushed right over. Can we all agree………HAIR. MATTERS. After getting back to Colorado Springs, I immediately began assembling my team of experts to help undo what living in Montana had done to me- specifically to my hair! It was frighteningly bad. Finding a good, skilled and artistic hair person is seriously one of the keys to a happy existence :-D. Your hair looks ah-mazing. That color is just so perfect. And your cut is beautiful, so much movement! Enjoy your beautiful tresses! And of course I’ll be checking out those products. I bought the Pixi Glow Tonic a while back on your recommendation and I love the stuff! I still completely adore your blog and I hope to get back to writing soon (Oh- PLEASE let it be soon!). Lovely post as always! xx
~Melissa
https://freshairandfalselashes.com
Lisa
August 22, 2018 at 12:00 PMIsn’t that Pixi glow tonic amazing? I NEED it in the summertime when my skin is all clogged and cranky. And any time my skin is hormonal.
I hope you are getting back into the land of good hair. Being in the wilderness is great, but finding someone good who gets your hair issues out there must be hard. Glad you’re back to the land of civilized hair again. Thank you for your kind comments and I look forward to you putting fingers to keyboard again soon my lovely! xx
MT
August 14, 2018 at 4:51 PMCould you be any more radiant Woman? I mean absolutely stop scrolling stunning!
Regarding the dry cut, I totally agree & have been cutting hair dry for decades even my own. It just works, that’s that.
As for the products YES PLEASE! Ack my hair is a humid frizz ball at the moment, I desperately needed advice on products. I’ve been pretty slack since we moved to the U.S. six months ago, just using cheap n cheerful for the whole family. Now I have direction, I’m on the case, thanks Dollface xx
p.s. Coincidentally, I just put caramel highlights in my brown helmut yesterday 😉
Lisa
August 22, 2018 at 11:56 AMOH, thank you so much, my friend. Yep, you had to go and move overseas just when I discovered your brilliance at this! I adore the Lifesaver leave in conditioner; it is seriously a GAME CHANGER. Let me know if you give it a whirl. xx
Susan B
August 15, 2018 at 3:47 AMYou look fabulous! The color looks natural and luminous. I’m so glad you found a salon and people that you can trust. I wish I could get that same kind of honest and informed input.
Don’t let my Hair Guy see this, but although he does a brilliant job with the color, his cuts lately haven’t been doing it for me. I have baby-fine, straight hair that just goes lank and flat once it gets to a certain length, but I have decided to grow it out a bit anyway. At least just to jaw length.
Lisa
August 22, 2018 at 11:48 AMThank you, Susan! I’ve never had good colour AND a good cut all in one place, and who has time for two appointments?! I also have fine thin hair; it requires a lot of product to give my hair some oophm to keep it from being too slipery and lank, AND conditioner to keep it from snapping and breaking. A constant juggle! xx
No Fear of Fashion
August 15, 2018 at 8:58 PMIt is so good to find a salon that can do both. My hair is thin and with the shape of my head, long neck and broad shoulders I am more or less stuck to the hair style I now have. My hairdresser is very expensive but as hair is my Achilles heel, (and I have a good salary) I will gladly pay the price. They do it so well.
And I know about the right blond colour! If you ever think “yuck” when you see my hair colour, please let me know straight away.
Greetje
Lisa
August 22, 2018 at 11:32 AMI will definitely be honest about your colour Greetje, as I know you would be with mine! It is amazing how key our hair is to how we look and feel. xx
1010parkplace
August 20, 2018 at 12:38 AMFor the last two and a half years I’ve been in NYC once a week. Rita Hazan’s been doing my color and Juan Carlos Maciques my hair cuts. He’s spoiled me for anyone else in the world. It can be three months later, and my hair looks fabulous, just longer. I’ve never met another stylist with that knack, but then both he and Rita have mostly celebrity clients. Unfortunately I can’t afford my NY trips anymore but actually took one there and back in the same day… just for my hair! Outrageous, I know. That won’t be happening anymore, but it was fun while it lasted. What we do for our hair!!
1010parkplace
August 20, 2018 at 12:39 AMChange that to once a month not once a week!!!
Sandra Sallin - Apart From My Art
September 24, 2018 at 8:34 PMYou make me feel better. My hairdresser costs about as much as a trip to NYC. Maybe not that much. But a lot. You know what it’s worth it.
Lisa
August 22, 2018 at 11:30 AMHahaha, you’re a girl after my own heart, Brenda. When your hair looks good, you feel great, simple as that! xx
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Emma Peach
September 7, 2018 at 1:27 PMI love your hair shorter Lisa, and the colour is beautiful. I wish I could get that natural wave look – my hair is either straight or frizzy, there’s no in between!
Emma xxx
http://www.style-splash.com
Lisa
September 10, 2018 at 10:10 AMThank you Emma! My hair is naturally straight, but a quick whiz through with a curling tong and voila, instant waves! xx
Sandra Sallin - Apart From My Art
September 24, 2018 at 8:36 PMI understand. At least I don’t have to worry about color. I’m grey so that’s one expense I don’t have. But the cut and the straightening cost money. I justify all of the money because I don’t dye my hair. So just think of the money saved. I love my new hair do and straightening and length. So it’s worth the money!
Lisa
September 27, 2018 at 10:06 AMI totally agree, it IS worth the expense! xx