You’re skipping out of the salon on cloud nine. You can’t get enough of your new hair – the colour is seamless, the shade is perfect and your complexion looks warmer and healthier. Except there’s one caveat – just like when you get a new haircut then can’t style it for the life of you at home, how do you keep the colour looking salon-fresh? (By the way, to avoid the former, make sure your stylist knows your haircare routine. If you’re a wash-and-go girl, ‘fess up so you don’t end up with a intricate style that requires a daily thirty minute blow dry.)
We spoke to a woman who knows a thing or two about good colour: Wella Master Colour Expert Issie Churcher. Responsible for creating a training plan that over 600 HOB Salons staff learn from and a fashion week backstage staple, what Issie doesn’t know about colour isn’t worth knowing. We got her to tell us all her top colour hair colour secrets – the ones she’d normally keep to herself and her friends…
By Daniela Morosini
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1 What’s the biggest/best/most important piece of colour advice you give to anyone?
‘Get your hair colour done professionally!’ laughed Issie. ‘I know it sounds obvious, but a professional colourist will look at you and be able to choose shades that flatter your eye colour, skin tone and hair texture.’ We get the allure of box dyes – they’re speedy and look oh-so-easy – but we’ve seen enough disasters and women walking forlornly into the salon to book a colour fix appointment we’d always recommend treating yourself to a professional colour transformation.
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2 How do you pick your own personal hair colour?
Imagine if your WhatsApp group chat was full of professionals? Well, would you ever ask anyone else?! ‘I’m very lucky that all my colleagues are the best in the business, so I always crowdsource ideas from them. I know I’m in good hands,’ said Issie. If you’re not lucky enough to have bevy of colourist pals, pal up with your colourist! Bring lots of inspiration photos with you to your appointment and take photos of what you don’t want, too. A picture leaves no room for ambiguity – whereas ‘honey blonde’ really does.
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3 What's your best tried and tested colour care at home regime?
Now this made us sit up straight – we feel like we’ve tried hundreds of shampoos to protect our colour before finding The One. ‘I love Wella Professionals Brilliance Colour Care range,’ revealed Issie. ‘I use the shampoo and conditioner daily, and the mask is a must-have for me too. I use it once a week – it’s a great treat for your hair and it smells delicious too! They’ve made such a difference to my hair colour and really locked it in.’
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4 What’s the best tip you've ever learnt from another colourist in your colouring career?
Issie had some sage words here: ’Your colour results are as only as good as the hair you are working on. Colour will last as long as the hair will allow it to last. The hair condition, hair and strength is vital to your colour results!’ The upshot? Just like you can’t pretend to study and then think you’re going to ace your exams, you need to put in work when it comes to your hair. Regular mask treatments, trims and finding the right shampoo and conditioner are all key for happy hair – and happy hair colour.
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5 How would you say people should approach a hair colour they're not too happy with?
This is every British person’s worst nightmare. Having to complain about something right to someone’s face – when it’s their work? Shudder. Over to Issie: ‘It’s unfortunate when it happens but it should be addressed to ensure you’re happy next time. Do go to the salon and have a consultation and discuss through what you like/dislike about your hair, and how it’s different from what you wanted to have. Take visuals, images, mood boards of hair colours you think are nice – as many as you like, you really can’t bring too much. This way the colourist can understand exactly what you need.’ And breathe…
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6 Who is your ultimate hair colour icon?
‘Akin Konizi – of course!’ winked Issie. He’s HOB’s International Colour Director and basically is to hair colour what Michelangelo is to ceilings. Read more about him here. And when it comes to the colour she’d most like to try herself, Issie’s clearly not shy: ‘I would LOVE to try Kylie Jenner’s Coachella-inspired fluorescent highlighter hair!’ We’re guessing that when you’re a pro colourist, the sky’s the limit…
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7 What trend do you think will be huge this summer in terms of hair colour?
Of course, we couldn’t pass up an opportunity to quiz an industry insider on what all the cool girls will be doing next season. Here’s the inside scoop from Issie… ‘I think we will continue to see a rise in pastels/metallic colour shades, but also start seeing bright rainbow like shades for the summer festival season. I think a lot of my blonde clients will take on rose blush types of hues. I think we will also see cooler shades coming through, too in opaque, glacier types of tones.’ Um, sign us up! How pretty do those sound?!