Salon planning guides

Plan a salon visit: consultation, cut and colour

Prepare a salon brief with your colour history, reference photos, maintenance budget and questions. Compare bangs, colour services and appointment timing.

Take a clear brief to the salon: your goal, current hair, colour history, reference photos, styling time and maintenance budget. Use these guides to compare services and cuts, prepare curly hair for a consultation and agree on a realistic plan before the appointment. For colour, ask the salon about its required allergy and strand testing.

Colourist discussing hair colour samples with an adult client Featured Salon Stories

Hair colour consultation checklist: what to ask your colourist

A colour consultation should end with an agreed first-session result, the tests needed, and a price you understand.

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Stylist and adult client comparing printed hairstyle references Salon Stories

How to talk to your stylist: three photos and a phrase

The shortest distance between the cut you saw on a render and the cut you walk out with is the brief. Here is the version that works.

Editor's desk Adult woman arriving at a salon in a simple button-front shirt Salon Stories

What to wear to a hair appointment

Wear a comfortable top you can wash and remove easily. Then check the neckline, cape fit and accessories for the service you booked.

Editor's desk Adult woman with natural curls talking with a stylist Salon Stories

Curly haircut prep: what to do before the chair

A curly cut is won before the cape goes on. The stylist needs to see the pattern you live with, not the pattern your wash day can temporarily fake.

Editor's desk Stylist listening to an adult client beside a salon mirror Salon Stories

How to fix a bad haircut without making it worse

The first rule after a bad haircut is boring and difficult: do not make the second decision while still angry at the first one.

Editor's desk Back view of dimensional brunette hair with softly painted highlights Salon Stories

Balayage vs highlights: which appointment to book

Most colour regrets start before the colourist mixes anything. They start when you book the wrong service for the result you actually want.

Editor's desk Colourist holding brunette swatches beside a client's natural roots Salon Stories

Root touch-up vs gloss: book the right colour fix

A root touch-up and a gloss solve different problems. Booking the wrong one is how you leave shiny but still annoyed.

Editor's desk Colourist comparing hair swatches with an adult bridal client Salon Stories

The Bride's Hair Colour Timeline: Planning Before 'I Do'

Start with your wedding date and hair history, then agree which appointments you actually need. This example calendar leaves room for decisions without promising a universally safe week for colour.

Editor's desk Portrait of an adult woman with long centre-parted curtain bangs Salon Stories

Curtain bangs vs bottleneck bangs: which fringe fits your routine?

The shortest centre pieces decide much of your daily fringe routine. Choose their length before choosing the haircut name.

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