Why I Recommend These Daily Rituals to Every Client

Healthy, beautiful hair doesn’t just start in the salon — it starts with how you care for yourself every single day. While I’m all about lluxury colour and lived-in results when it comes to hair, the truth is: the real glow-up begins at home. That’s why I regularly recommend a few small-but-powerful habits to my clients — because they make a big difference in the long-term health of your hair, skin, and scalp.

Let’s start with the silk pillowcase. This is one of the easiest upgrades you can make for your hair (and your skin). Silk reduces friction while you sleep, which means less breakage, less frizz, and fewer split ends. It also helps your hair maintain moisture — especially if you’ve invested in colour services or use nourishing products. Think of it as the anti-bedhead essential.

Next up: filtered shower water. If you live in a city or hard-water area, a shower filter can be a game-changer. Unfiltered water often contains minerals, chlorine, and heavy metals that can dry out your hair, dull your colour, and irritate your scalp. Over time, this can lead to brassiness, buildup, and brittle ends — even if you’re doing everything else “right.” A filter helps protect your investment in salon colour and supports your scalp’s natural balance.

When it comes to internal support, I’m a big believer in collagen and hair, skin & nail supplements. Healthy hair starts from within — and collagen is a key building block of strong strands and supple skin. I often recommend Q Silica to clients because it’s rich in silica and biotin, which support hair strength, elasticity, and shine. Whether your goal is to grow your hair longer, recover from breakage, or just give your body a little love, these supplements help build beauty from the inside out.

And then there’s dry brushing — a ritual I personally love and encourage for anyone wanting to support overall wellness. It stimulates circulation, promotes lymphatic drainage, and gently exfoliates the skin. While it's known for body benefits, it also supports a healthier scalp environment by encouraging blood flow, which in turn feeds your hair follicles. It’s like giving your entire body (and your roots) a little morning wake-up call.

What ties all of this together is a simple philosophy: beauty is holistic. The choices you make in your daily routine — what you sleep on, what you wash with, what you nourish your body with — all affect the quality of your hair and how it feels to live in your body. In the salon, I’ll always take care of the technical side. But the true magic happens when we combine those treatments with mindful, supportive habits at home.

Because when you feel good from the inside out, your hair always follows suit.

Let’s Talk Hair Lingo: Why Buzzwords Don’t Always Equal Better Hair

The internet is full of trending hair terms — wolf cut, glass hair, expensive brunette, butterfly layers, Scandi hairline, glazed donut glossing, freehand balayage... and the list goes on. While these buzzwords can be fun and inspiring, they often create more confusion than clarity — both for clients and stylists.

Here’s the truth: many of these viral terms are simply rebrands of techniques that have existed for years. The wolf cut? That’s a modern shag. Freehand balayage? It’s a way of painting hair — but it’s not the only way, and it’s definitely not right for every hair type. Even the word “balayage” itself has become a catch-all phrase for any kind of lived-in colour, when in reality, it’s just one technique among many.

The danger with hair lingo — especially when it’s coming from TikTok or beauty clickbait — is that it often promises results without context. You might see a photo labeled “expensive brunette” and love the tone, but what you’re actually responding to is the lighting, styling, or gloss effect — not the colour formula itself. Or you might request “face-framing highlights” without realizing they’ll look completely different on someone with level 3 curls versus level 8 straight hair.

As a stylist, my role isn’t to speak in trends — it’s to translate your goals into something that works for your real hair. That includes your texture, natural base, density, lifestyle, and maintenance commitment. I love when clients bring inspo photos, but it’s always more helpful when we use them as a starting point for conversation — not a script to follow word for word.

Here’s a great example: freehand painting sounds artistic and dreamy (and it is!), but it’s not ideal for everyone. If your hair is thick, dark, or previously coloured, a more structured foil or zone-lightening technique might deliver a better result. Or maybe you want a “balayage look,” but we need to use a root shadow or gloss to create that soft blend you’re seeing online. That’s the kind of nuance a clickbait headline won’t tell you.

So next time you’re tempted to book an appointment based on a buzzword, ask yourself: what do I actually love about this look? Is it the tone? The dimension? The softness or contrast? Let’s focus on that — and I’ll guide you through the best way to achieve it, based on your individual hair.

Because great hair doesn’t come from trends. It comes from trust, technique, and a stylist who sees you — not just the algorithm.

Heading To The Salon? Here’s How To Choose The Right Inspo Pics

We’ve all been there — scrolling Pinterest or Instagram, saving a dreamy blonde balayage or that “expensive brunette” look that feels so right for the season. Bringing a reference photo to your hair appointment is a great way to visually communicate your goals — but it’s important to know that not all inspo pics are created equal.

As a colourist, my job isn’t just to recreate a photo — it’s to translate your vision into a version that actually works for your hair. That means assessing your natural base, skin tone, hair texture, current condition, and how much time (and budget) you want to commit to upkeep. Because the truth is, no matter how beautiful the reference photo is, it has to align with your real hair — not just your dream hair.

One of the biggest challenges in the salon is managing unrealistic expectations. Sometimes the inspo photo you bring in has been edited or shot in perfect golden hour lighting. Other times, it features a model with completely different hair type or starting level. A creamy blonde on a level 8 base will require a very different approach than trying to lift a deep brunette to the same tone — and sometimes, it may not be achievable in one session, or without compromising your hair’s health.

That’s why choosing a reference photo that aligns with your natural features is so helpful. If your hair is naturally dark and coarse, look for inspo on women with similar depth and texture — so we can aim for rich, multi-dimensional colour that enhances what you already have. If you’re a blonde who wants to go cooler or brighter, we’ll look at reference points that match your current level and underlying pigment, and build a realistic plan to get there safely.

I always recommend bringing 2–3 photos:

• One for tone (do you want warm caramel, neutral beige, or cool ash?)

• One for placement (do you love face-framing highlights or a lived-in root?)

• And one for cut or style, so we know how you want the final result to fall.

Together, we’ll break down what’s actually happening in those photos and tailor a version that works for you — without overpromising or compromising your hair health. Because a successful colour isn’t about copying someone else’s hair — it’s about enhancing yours in a way that feels authentic, modern, and effortless.

So keep saving those dream pics — just be open to the conversation behind them. When we work together with realistic goals, beautiful hair is not only achievable — it’s sustainable, long-lasting, and totally you.

Why Full Transparency and Professional Haircare Matter More Than You Think

As a stylist who deeply values healthy, beautiful hair — not just for one day, but for the long haul — I want to let you in on something that’s absolutely essential when it comes to colour services: your hair’s history matters. A lot.

When you sit in my chair, I’m not just working with what I see on the surface. I’m working with everything your hair has been through — from smoothing treatments and at-home masks to old box dyes or that one time you tried a copper gloss at home. And while hair is incredibly resilient, it holds on to everything — especially the things we can’t always see or feel right away.

One of the biggest factors affecting how your hair responds to lightener, toner, and colour is whether it’s been chemically treated in the past. Treatments like keratin smoothing, protein-heavy repair masks, bond builders like K18 or Olaplex, and even metallic-based dyes can alter the structure of your hair and create unpredictable results when we try to lift or tone. That’s why full transparency during your consultation isn’t about judgement — it’s about protecting your hair’s integrity and giving you the result you’re dreaming of.

In some cases, previous chemical services can create a barrier around the hair shaft, preventing colour from penetrating evenly — or worse, causing patchiness, brassiness, or breakage. These reactions can happen even if your hair feels healthy, which is why I always recommend a patch or strand test when there’s any uncertainty. It’s our insurance policy against disappointment.

Equally important is the way you care for your hair before and after your appointment. High-quality, professional products aren’t a luxury — they’re a necessity if you want long-lasting colour and nourished, radiant hair. Just like you wouldn’t wash your silk with dish soap, your hair deserves to be treated with formulas that protect its condition, colour, and natural texture.

I work exclusively with low-tox, clean colour lines that are free from harsh chemicals like PPD, ammonia, and resorcinol. These ingredients can cause unnecessary irritation and long-term damage — and I believe that beauty should never come at the cost of your health or wellbeing. But even the cleanest colour needs the right support to thrive: gentle shampoos, deep conditioning masks, and UV protection are all part of the picture.

At the end of the day, my goal is always to create colour that feels effortless, elevated, and uniquely you. That process works best when it’s a true collaboration — built on honesty, trust, and shared care for your hair’s long-term health.

Because beautiful colour is never just about the final look — it’s about how you feel every time you touch your hair, catch your reflection, and know you’re taking care of yourself from root to tip.