Despite blogging about the dip dye hair trend way back in February 2011,
I never took the plunge because I couldn’t decide on a colour. But then a couple of weeks ago I was invited
down to the Daniel Galvin flagship salon for a spot of finger painting and I
decided that it was now or never.
I visited the new Daniel Galvin salon in the swish Corinthia Hotel when it opened last year, but I’d never been to the flagship in Marylebone
and I wasn’t disappointed. As equally
glossy and polished as its sister salon in Mayfair, but about ten times the
size and spread over two floors, this is the biggest hair salon I’ve ever seen. It’s also being going for 35 years this year,
so the resident experts know their onions (my stylist, Charlotte, certainly
did).
The salon also includes beauty and tanning sessions in
addition to the standard manicure and pedicure treatments most decent hair
salons offer these days, so it’s a great destination for a full day of
pampering. There’s also a café with sandwiches,
drinks, (Champagne please!) and smoothies so you needn't even leave for lunch.
Anyway, back to the hair.
So finger painting is like a softer, more natural take on dip dyeing –
as the name implies, the dye is applied with the colourist's fingertips so the
colour is worked through hair in more of a natural, flowing way.
I met the lovely Daniel Galvin (what a dude – enthusiastic, chatty and
down-to-earth) who played with my hair and took photos of the finished
look. He says that his professional aim
is to “enhance natural beauty” and he thinks that this technique
demonstrates that philosophy well.
Charlotte (below) gradually coaxed the colour through the middle to
the tips of my hair with her fingertips which means the colour blends in more
naturally. Often dip dying looks too
blunt (obviously the purpose of some looks isn’t subtlety, but still…) so this
is a great alternative to harsh lines in traditional foils.
After an hour and a half, I left the salon with impossibly
bright red ends and I love it. It’s already
beginning to fade a bit, but I’ll be back for a darker pink tint next time I
think…
Thanks Charlotte and Daniel for having me!
Daniel Galvin salon, 58/60 George Street, London W1U 7ET
