When the new Bleach London salon opened on Berwick Street in Soho, I jumped at the chance to volunteer my locks for a review. Having safely remained on the blonde to brunette spectrum my entire life (with the exception of a DIY dye disaster in ’07) this was an opportunity to experiment under the guidance of a bonafied brand renowned for its colouring skills.
The salon itself resembles no other, so much so that I walked past it three times. ‘It’s not meant to look like a hair salon!’ Explained the stylist when I asked how long the renovation would take to complete. With white-washed walls, the hard grey metal of exposed piping overhead and bare concrete floors, Bleach is the refreshing antithesis to its neighbouring beauty parlours.
As Kanye West’s Dark Twisted Fantasy album blasts overhead, a powdery rose colour is worked expertly through my hair, graduated for a soft dip-dye effect. The pale pink shade complements my dark hue of golden blonde and hits all the right notes: subtle enough for the office, loud enough for the weekend. A little disclaimer – I opted for the wash in, rinse out option that promised to disappear after 2 to 10 washes.
My new do’s reception from the general public was mixed. My boyfriend hated it, but my friends thought it was the coolest thing ever. Best of all was the moment when I came across a picture of myself on Instagram with a caption reading: ‘We spotted this gorgeous pink dip-dye on the FROW at LFW.’ Nothing like a bit of solid social media feedback to make you want to flick your barnet in shampoo ad-style.
Bleach kindly plied me with two bottles of pink dye for the road, which are also available in Boots and other retailers, for those keen on doing some DIY styling. Next time I’m feeling spontaneous and my boyfriend is out of town, I fully intend on using them.
Words: Cecile Stefanova