Paul Percival and Adam Reed, both worldly acclaimed hairdressers each with a long list of loyal A-list clients, joined forces in 2007 to bring what they had learnt from their years of experience and make it available to everyone through creating an original brand called Percy and Reed.
On the ‘About us‘ section of their website Percy and Reed tell us about the creation of this brand and how what they have accomplished makes them feel rather proud, and they certainly have every right to be, they have been featured in countless magazine and press articles, including the likes of Vogue and Glamour, and won many awards, including the recent: Red Best of Beauty 2012, and they where the hair styling team behind TV programs like The X Factor and Britain’s Next Top Model.
As well as their products being featured, they also won a Hair Award for best London Salon in 2010, so I booked myself in for a some colour and a cut, and went to check it out.
Their salon is on Great Portland Street (more details here) just a few minutes walk from Oxford Circus. However, my Percy and Reed experience started two days before my appointment when I was asked to come in for a patch test. This blew me away a little bit – I have had my hair coloured many times in a variety of places and never once have I been asked to do a patch test before. So I was really impressed at this dedication to the safety and comfort of their clients.
The salon is an intimate, but spacious 12 chair area, and the first thing that struck me was the use of warm lighting, combined with ample natural light, ensuring that the stylists can work well, but it wasn’t the harsh, bright white lighting that salons often use, that just seems to highlight how long it has been since I last had my mane tamed and how long my roots are! Which also added to the very comfortable and relaxed environment of the salon.
The decor inside is simple, but really effective, there is lots of natural wood, quirky light fittings and the odd bird cage. There is no clutter around the salon as all the storage space is hidden and tucked away. Around the salon there are also beautiful flower arrangements, consisting of wildflowers in mismatch vintage glassware which I adored.
Right…. I could write pages on how beautiful the salon is so lets move on to the actual salon expirence!
On arrival your offered a drink that comes in it a cute little wicker tray complete with a couple of mini packets of love hearts!
(Later followed by Millionaire Shortbread!)
You then meet your stylist and talk through what you would like, this consultation was done in a way where they listen to your ideas first which was fantastic. We also talked about the type of dye that they where going to use, and they offer using a bleach free lightener which has a more creamy texture and doesn’t damage your hair in the way bleach based dyes can.
The salon was buzzing with talk of this seasons London Fashion Week, that starts later this week, following their success in 2011 styling hair for the House of Holland catwalk show, and this year Percy and Reed had started their fashion season with Berlin Fashion Week in February.
The work was professional and quick, always ensured that I was a part of the process, as well as providing expert advice on hair care and styling tips, especially for styles that use heat or teasing which can damage your hair if it is not properly protected. Although this advice used their products as examples, and they told me about their products during my appointment this was done in a very non-pressurising way, which is a breath of fresh air.
A little note about the hair wash basins…
I normally really dislike the part where they wash your hair, I’ve always found it really uncomfortable, especially on my neck. However, these ones have padded neck rests on them, and the chairs have raisable foot rests and then you get a little head massage as well.
The stylist then blowed dried my hair so it was long and smooth, not something I’m used to, but it meant that she could make sure the cut was sitting well and take of some extra to frame my face better and thin it out where it looked a bit heavy. I also really liked the blow dry – it might be a style that I use more often now!
So I am immensely pleased with the results, and had really relaxing and enjoyable experience at their salon!
The final result (even after a trip through the London underground)!
A Little bit about some of their products.
In the run up to visiting their salon I have been using some of the Percy and Reed hair care range and I thought I’d share a few of my favourite pampering treats and styling products with you!
Totally TLC Hydrating Mask: Those of you who have been Deeper Dazzle readers for a little while will know that I have been searching for a hair mask that works, I even tried out a variety of experiments with natural, home made hair masks (see post here). Now I do believe that I have found a keeper! It is easy to use, smells amazing and comes with a cute, bird print bonnet, designed by Jessica May Underwood, but most importantly it really works and leaves you with wonderfully soft hair.
Smoothed, Sealed and Sensational No Oil, Oil: This comes in two different forms, one for thin, and one for thick hair. It’s great for adding volume to your hair whilst also taming frizzy hair to give you a smooth finish, and also if you put it through damp hair before you style, it helps protect against any heat damage.
No-Fuss Flawless Dry Conditioner: I’ve heard a lot about (and love) dry shampoo, but never really about dry conditioner, so when I found this beauty I was really excited. As the ends and mid lengths of my hair get very dry and dull looking in between washes, this product helps revitalise my hair and put the shine back into it (and smells great as a added bonus!).
