Friday 23 October 2015

Davines Hair On Stage & Emily Tan

Last month we attended the Davines Hair On Stage event held at Central St Martins College in London. It was a fabulous evening in which a host of incredible hairdressers shared their art and ideas with us. These included Angela Seminara (Davines’ Artistic Director and three-time winner of the prestigious British Hairdresser of the Year Award), along with Allilon (an art team from Ena Salon in Holborn - also home of Davines HQ in the UK, who specialise in producing education hair shows and seminars) and Blue Tit (one of London’s best fashion-driven salons). 

Happening alongside the hair show was The Crafts; an exhibition of inspiring crafts people and artists showcasing the various methods they use for self expression. With hairdressers exhibiting their craft alongside other art such as ice sculpture, graffiti, body art, and photography, attendees could see exactly how hairdressing can be considered a form of art too.

One artist we met, that particularly grabbed our attention, was Emily Tan. Emily creates amazing pieces using watercolour, oils and pen. She builds up her work with so much detail that when finished, her pieces show almost 3D images of some of the world’s most fascinating animals, in beautiful vibrant hues. Her current collection is named WWF and once each painting is finished they are auctioned to raise money for the WWF charity, which helps to protect endangered animals.

































Emily’s work has captured the attention of the Alillon team who named her as the muse for their latest hair collection – Reverie.

It’s great to see such wonderful art work that is helping to do some good too. If you would like to see why we love Emily’s work so much, check out her Etsy shop; www.etsy.com/UK/shop/EmilyTanArt

Wednesday 27 May 2015

Client Collaborations

At PS, we are a family run business and love the opportunity to support and collaborate with both creative individuals and small businesses within the Frimley and Surrey area.

We have worked with a variety of clients to help drive us into the new era of social media and most importantly the powerful World Wide Web. Believe it or not, when we first started back in 2008, a pencil and book still proved to be the foundation of all hairdressing receptions. Nowadays of course, we couldn’t survive without a computer (or so it would seem) and we know the importance of updating software regularly and keeping our clients updated with all these fast growing changes.

The first thing we did when jumping on the ‘technology bandwagon’ was create a website after realising how necessary having a ‘www.’ for a business is. Since then we have updated this website to something we are all very proud of (screenshot below) -  and for this we would like to thank Stephen at Peel Design Studio - the brains behind our constantly evolving website; www.pshairdressing.co.uk























“We are very used to changing fashions of shape and hair colour in our profession, but the thought of making massive changes to all of our web content did fill me with dread. However as soon as I was introduced to Stephen I wondered what I was worrying about in the first place.

From our first meeting I knew we were going to get along fine. I talk a lot, and have a lot of different ideas, and Stephen was able to translate my ideas and conversation into a beautiful intro page. A few days after our meeting I received an email with a link to our new website – it was just what I had imagined.

After lots of emails and sending content through to Stephen, lots of photographs and then some changes, our new website was ready. To be able to have everything all on one page feels great and makes life easy for both us and our clients. We use lots of social media and so in addition to sharing our news with our clients; we are able to use the page as a gateway to these other medias (Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, etc) all of which are constantly updating.

I started the ‘journey’ of changing our site with a few nerves, but actually it’s been very easy. Whenever I do need to make a change I no longer worry about it as a quick email or phone call with Stephen and it’s all done. We would recommend Stephen to anyone!”
Pippa @ PS Hairdressing


As well as our website being up-to-date we ensure new content is always being added to all social media platforms including Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. This is a great way to showcase what we are doing daily in the salon, as well as the special events we have been holding recently. One of our recent events, which proved very successful was our Mothers Day Shopping Night. This was a great way to invite our clients to browse (and purchase) a variety of unique gifts over a glass or two of wine, as well as promoting independent sellers whose products we love! We transformed our salon into a boutique shop with each chair-space home to a different seller. All the individuals who had stalls on the night are also lovely clients of ours, these included:

Sian Petter - Exotic Tramp
Exotic Tramp is the creation of Sian Petter.  Sian makes cocktail truffles and costume jewellery - a winning combination for us.

















Sue at Indulgence Treatments
Sue uses her caring attitude and relaxation techniques whilst massaging her clients. Whether you want a neck and back massage or a hot stone treatment, Sue offers relaxing appointments.  Like her Facebook page for Inspirational quotes in between appointments.





























Vikki - Fudgilicious
Vikki at Fudgilicious creates homemade fudge in unusual flavours.  We love her choc mallow fudge but the hint of chilli fudge is definitely the surprise hit. 

Xavia Barry
Xavia has been working really hard on creating Vegan friendly candles.  She uses soy wax and unusual moulds to create beautiful, scented candles. 































Sarah Jane at Pottery Gifthouse
Sarah Jane has been our neighbour on Frimley High Street for a number of years now.  If you need presents, cards, flowers, jewellery or decorative items the Pottery Gift House is the perfect place.  Sarah Jane is able to offer a bespoke service for wedding signage, decorations and hats and fascinators.  Her stock comes from a group of local designers and makers.   

Following the success of our Mother’s Day Shopping Night, Sarah from the Pottery Gift House (which is located 3 doors up from PS), confirmed she is happy to house the gifts on offer in her shop in the future. So if you’re interested in seeing more from these sellers then head down to The Pottery Gift House on Frimley High Street.

As we have already mentioned in this blog post (and countless times before), PS is a family-run business and we wouldn’t be anywhere without support from our family. As a creative family we all help each other to grow both professionally and artistically and we give special thanks and recognition to Katharine Shaw, a freelance makeup artist who is always on hand to add extra beauty to our lovely models, as well as Luke Shaw, a freelance photographer who is there to capture these looks during PS photoshoots. You can find out more about both Katharine and Luke below:

Katharine Shaw - @MissKPShaw twitter & Instagram:






















Luke Shaw - http://www.lukeshawphotography.co.uk/
@lukeshawphoto twitter




Wednesday 22 April 2015

KeraStraight's KS Ultimate and KS Boost

We have relaunched our amazing 'Brazilian Blowdry' treatment by KeraStraight. The new KS Ultimate is fast and simple to apply and will give you smoother, easier-to-manage hair for up to four months.

KeraStraight is an innovative process that smooths your hair without damaging it. The brand uses the natural protein 'keratin' and can be used on all hair types including colour treated hair. The range of treatments and styling products offered will radically transform your hair, leaving it feeling repaired, revitalised, looking gorgeous and most importantly; easy to manage. 

At PS we offer both the KeraStraight Ultimate service, as well as the the KeraStraight Boost (a quick fix introductory treatment to the technique). The keratin protein used in all KeraStraight products reduces frizz and the time YOU need to spend blowdrying your hair. We tested both services out on two of our clients and had some wonderful feedback...

KS Ultimate - price from £170
This service combines speed, ease and simplicity with KeraStraight's combination of award winning proteins and straightening application. With KS Ultimate you can expect smoother, healthier and easier to manage hair for up to four months. Because this new treatment is easier and quicker to apply, you can expect to spend less time in the chair and also less money. The KS Ultimate service costs £170 at PS Hairdressing (or £200 for very thick hair) and includes a free KeraStraight shampoo and conditioner to use at home. 
This treatment is the updated version of the original KS Complex treatment we offer in the salon. KS Complex is priced at £200-£225.

Here's what Heather, PS's model for the KS Ultimate, had to say after receiving the treatment...

"I was thrilled to be asked to be a model to receive the KeraStraight treatment at PS Hairdressing. My hair has always needed a lot of straightening to get rid of the frizz. Now after washing I can get away without straightening; although a quick go with the straighteners just gives it that smooth look as well."

KS Boost - price £25
Enjoy an introduction to KeraStraight with KS Boost. This 30 minute treatment repairs and re-hydrates hair from the inside out, rebuilding whatever the hair lacks. This quick-fix treatment transforms weak, dry and damaged hair into healthier, stronger and smoother hair, and lasts up to 30 days. This service costs £25 and is a perfect way to sample KeraStraight before indulging into the full treatment we offer. It's also a great way to add a longer life to your KS Ultimate treatment if applied three months in. 
We recommend a salon blowdry with this treatment, or you could book in at the same time as your cut, blowdry and finish. (Please see our menu for pricing of this). 

We tested this treatment out on our client Karenne, who seemed very pleased with the result...

"My hair is coarse and curly by nature but just over a week ago I had a KeraStraight Boost treatment at PS Hairdresssing. Wow - it has left my hair soft and easy to manage and still has plenty of body. Even after quite few washes it's still soft and manageable with the added bonus that it takes less time to do. A big thank you to the girls at PS who provided me with an excellent service and great advice!"

Below are Karenne's before and after photos...

If you would like to book in for a KeraStraight treatment then give us a call on 01276 469766. Or feel free to pop into our salon and chat to one of our friendly stylists who will be happy to provide more information on the process and offer advice on how KeraStraight will work for you. 

Thursday 9 April 2015

Awards Season 2015

As always the awards shows that took place in the last couple of months proved inspirational for both female and male hair trends, as well as fashion and beauty looks. At PS we constantly look to celebrities and the fashion world for emerging hair trends that we can feed back to our lovely clients in the salon. For this blog post, we thought it might be fun to introduce a few of our favourite fashion looks chosen by Amy Trayford – a fashion graduate and the brains behind our blog, along with beauty looks as picked by Katharine Shaw – makeup artist and sister to PS owner’s Pippa and Paula. Last month was Katharine's first in the team and we are excited to get her input and opinion on the top looks from this year's shows.  Focusing on women’s hair trends is Pippa – PS’s founder and creative hair stylist, while Paula - the barber at PS has contributed her thoughts on the best gent’s styles at the awards.
 Starting with our favourite fashion looks…

























Sienna Miller at the Golden Globes
The Golden Globes is the first big night on the Hollywood calendar which means all eyes turn to the event for emerging trends. Making a comeback this year is Sienna Miller who chose a gorgeous metallic embroidered Miu Miu dress, and accessorised it with Jimmy Choo heels and Tiffany & Co jewellery. The soft nude hue of the dress complimented the actress’ natural-looking tan and dewy skin.
Emma Stone at the Golden Globes
Another standout look from the Golden Globes came from Emma Stone who chose a stylish Lanvin jumpsuit for the occasion. The black cigarette-cut trousers complimented Emma’s slim frame, while the heavily encrusted bodice added glamour and opulence to the overall look. Finishing the jumpsuit off was an oversized satin bow, tied at the waist.
Katy Perry at the Grammys
The final look from our top 3 is Katy Perry at the Grammy awards. The Grammys, arguably the biggest night in the music world, attracts the leading names in the industry and is the best place for spotting a variety of directional looks. Katy opted for a tasteful sheer sheath dress with all over crystal fringing. She wore the Zuhair Murad dress with a thin gold waist belt and metallic strappy sandals by Sophie Webster. 
Moving onto the best beauty looks…

























Rihanna at the Grammys
Rihanna showed flawless skin with a hint of highlights on her cheekbones, keeping blusher and bronzer to a minimum. The singer’s eyebrows were in a perfect strong straight line without being overpowering by keeping a very natural colour. Her lip colour was kept natural with a light pinky shade and matte finish, while her eyes were awash with shimmery gold and finished with mascara.
Lea Seydoux at the BAFTAS
Lea added 40s glamour to the BAFTAS with a warm make-up palette to match her honey blonde hair. Her eye shadow was a warm bronze shade with soft brown for definition and finished with mascara. Not too much colour was added to her cheeks allowing the focus to be on her lips with a gorgeous glossy red for a full pout.
Keira Knightley at the PGA Awards
Keira chose a very soft look for the Producers Guild of America Award, creating a feminine and dainty ballerina-esque look. A soft contouring technique was applied, using highlighting more than bronzing to produce glowing natural-looking skin. Her eyes were shaded with nude tones and finished with plenty of mascara, whilst her brows were perfectly in place with a definitive full shape. Finishing off her make-up was a pretty deep rose pink lipstick with a velvety matte finish. 
Next is our favourite female hair trends…
Katy Perry at the Grammys
Katy Perry showcased a daring choice with purple tousled hair. At PS we love playing with artist’s shades, especially purple tones. This is a great choice if you have, or are growing out, bleached hair. To achieve the same look as Katy, curl with straightners and then tousle with Davines Oi Oil.
Beyonce at the Grammys
Another top female hair look that was spotted at the Grammys was the queen of pop herself – Beyonce. Beyonce epitomised the boho-chic look with beautiful, ultra-long golden waves. To achieve this style spray with Davines More Inside sea salt spray and plait overnight.
Rebel Wilson at the SAG awards
The comedy actress demonstrated an elegant vintage look at the Screen Actors Guild awards with loose 1940s style curls. To curl your hair the old-fashioned way – dust off the Carmen’s rollers! Once they are cooled, brush your hair through then soften into place with your fingers. Add Davines More Inside Finishing spray, et voila!
Reese Witherspoon at the SAG awards
Finishing off the best female hair looks is Reese Witherspoon who at the SAG awards opted for the ultimate up do – the classic ponytail. Follow in Reese’s steps by blow drying volume into your hair (use rollers for added oomph and finish) then pulling back into a soft ponytail. Take a piece of hair and wrap it around the base of your ponytail, pinning it with a kirby grip, to transform your look from daywear to red carpet.
Lastly – our favourite gent’s styles…






















Jared Leto at the Oscars…
With the Californian sun playing backdrop to the Oscars’ red carpet, it’s no surprise that us Brits turn to the award show for spring/summer hair inspiration. Always one for showcasing a more daring fashion is Jared Leto who this year opted for a lilac Givenchy suit for the Oscars, teaming it with a white shirt and bow tie and all-white shoes and of course his trademark caveman locks.
Matthew McConaughey at the SAG awards…
This year saw Matthew McConaughey gelling down those lovely curls at the Screen Actors Guild Award - setting the trend for a more tousled look that is perfect for longhaired gents this summer. Matthew added even more style with a shiny royal blue suit jacket to finish off his otherwise traditional monochrome ensemble.

























James Bay and George Ezra at the BRITS…
Providing inspiration from our side of the pond was the cool and understated James Bay, along with our salon fave’ George Ezra. Both young musicians displayed well conditioned hair, with George opting for a smarter swept across do, whilst James accessorised his long effortless waves with his trademark fedora hat.
Benedict Cumberbatch and David Beckham at the BAFTAS…
As always, the BAFTAS proved to be the best place to turn to for the top formal hair dos from a host of scrubbed up handsome gents. Benedict Cumberbatch added style to his traditional short back and sides look with a sophisticated curl. David Beckham also opted for the conventional cropped sides hair, finishing his look off with a sleek and high quiff, which certainly says dapper a lot better than that Alice band from the old days.

Overall our top look had to be Katy Perry, who featured in both our favourite fashion and hair trends for her style at the Grammys. The singer looks classy and elegant while her purple hair gave her an extra edge. Now she has won the prize for PS' best awards look,  the only question is - which gent would she go for? Jared Leto in his matching lilac? Or perhaps one of our Brit toy boys; George Ezra or James Bay...
With spring now here and summer just around the corner now is the time to update your look for the coming season. Take inspiration from our favourite looks above and don’t forget, our salon can advise you on the best style to suit you. Remember to check out our Instagram and Twitter pages to find out what is going on in our salon, as well as all our thoughts from the latest events including the MTV Movie Awards which takes place this Sunday!

Wednesday 4 March 2015

Davines World Wide Hair Tour

At the end of October PS’ owners Pippa and Paula took some time out to join the Davines World Wide Hair Tour 2014, and have shared their experience of the event with the rest of us at PS.

Founded in Italy in 1983, Davines started as a research laboratory producing high-end hair care products for renowned cosmetic companies worldwide. The company has since gone on to create their own brand of Davines hair care products exclusively for salons, along with skin care for premier spas.

Nowadays Davines is present in over 80 countries worldwide and visits a different one every year as part of the Tour – and this year it was London’s turn to host.

Our salon joined the world of Davines at the start of 2014 and after learning a lot from the company we were excited to experience the true welcome into the Davines family that the tour would give us.

The venue for the show was the Masonic Headquarters in Queen Street, Covent Garden. Built in 1920 to commemorate the fallen heroes of WW1, the chosen venue seemed particularly poignant, given that it is the centenary anniversary of the end of that war. 

“Now there are hair shows and there is World Wide Hair Tour! It’s like nothing we have experienced before; the combination of drama, training education, philosophy, well being, visualisation and art were beautifully put together.”

Throughout the tour attendees were able to learn fully about how Davines operates. This starts with their conceptual ideas stage and includes worldwide farming using small family-owned businesses, packaging made from recycled materials, distribution using family-run companies to hair salons like our own.

“Although these fabulous hairdressers were presenting to a crowd of 1500 people, they remained relaxed and humorous, which made watching them very inspiring”.

The Allilon education team from Ena Salon (home of Davines HQ in the UK) were particularly cool to watch: “The way they work together and spar off each other made for a lovely show. It was like the atmosphere we have in the salon on a busy Saturday!” And that didn’t detract from the amazing collection they delivered... all based on the drawings of Kevin Okafor – and well worth a ‘google’!”

Angelo Seminara, Davines’ Artistic Director and three-times ‘British Hairdresser of the Year’, did two shows during the event; one of which is his current ‘Woodland’ collection – a theme which has been present in our own salon these past 5 years. Presenting both an interesting and amusing show, Seminara delivered very cool and simplistic ideas, which our team have already started introducing to our clients in Frimley.

“With Davines showing how beauty can be, and is, sustainable – we were struck many times at how well the ideals of Davines fit with what we have been doing for the past 6 years, and are aiming for in the future. This gives us a very comforting feeling.” 

#ISustainBeauty

‘I Sustain Beauty’ is the tag line for Davines that sums up a way to want to inspire, create and grow in the hairdressing world. Out individual USP at PS, that we have always stuck by, is using classic and contemporary hair styling to welcome every member of a family (whether it be the matriarch or the new bundle of joy) into our boutique high street salon.

#ISustainBeauty allows us to help the environment using a #skill and #craft that we love. During the WWHT, Davines taught us how sustainability, eco-awareness and charity can be used in normal day-to-day salon life, without jeopardising our business reputation and whilst developing a positive relationship with the community around us.

Whilst we are an individual and unique salon, our main values and practices are mirrored with those of Davines; this is something which became even more apparent during the tour.

Davines recognises the importance of business’ awareness and contribution to charity, which is something we have always demonstrated. Through each year we have various charity events for both the Little Princess Trust and Leukaemia and Lymphoma Research. (A previous post on our charity work can be found here.)

Putting aside the charity contribution, the main business foundation for Davines is to be eco-friendly and sustainable. We are constantly demonstrating the same values in our salon from every day recycling and turning off lights/water, to using old recycled furniture to decorate our salon, creating a unique and homely atmosphere.

Wood and woodland has always been a main theme in our salon, with a man-made tree always being the centre of our various window displays. Wood has also appeared in our salon in more recent times in the form of picture frames and coat hooks made from old pieces of re-worked wood. Angelo Seminara’s woodland collection (presented at the tour) emphasised how closely our salon fits with Davines and provided us with further inspiration on how to continue to introduce this theme in PS Hairdressing. 

The attitude of the stylists at Davines WWHT was very relaxed and informal, which really allowed their individual personalities to show through. This combined with a high level skill of hairdressing creates a comfortable and reassuring feeling of not being afraid to ask for what you want, and knowing you will walk away with a quality cut and colour that you love. This really is what we aim for in our own salon – PS Hairdressing.