Sauna hats

Last time when I was having my hair done at the wonderful Rossano Ferretti hair spa, it was  a day before my holiday in Finland. Towards the end, when my hairdresser Clare was putting the straightening treatment on, she reminded me that I should leave my hair unwashed for 3 or 4 days to make sure the treatment works properly.

I looked at her in horror, 'But I'm going to have a sauna tomorrow, and the day after!' I gasped.

'You can't, it'll go frizzy, and then all of this is in vain.' Clare said, in a matter-of-fact tone.

Now this may seem like a very trivial thing to most of you, BUT.

For one thing, the treatment (which is also called a Brazilian blow dry) isn't cheap. Although I don't have the whole procedure, but just a conditioning product which is cheaper and has less of an effect, it's still more money to pay for a hair cut. Secondly, the stuff always makes my eyes water, so I have to sit there with a towel in my eyes (looking like a plonker) and to be honest, the 10 minutes or so Clare takes to spray the stuff on my hair is agony.

Clare looked at me through the mirror, the straightening irons suspended midair.

'I have to have a sauna when I'm in Finland,' I said.

Finns amongst you will understand this statement. To live without a sauna is bad enough; not to have one as soon as you are able, is quite another. (Sauna is like a religion in Finland. There are over 5 million saunas; that's one per head - including infants)

Clare just shook her head so I tried to another explanation, 'If I don't have a sauna my father will be offended.' I didn't say this to Clare, but to me, the lack of a sauna is the most difficult aspect of our new life here in London. In the sticks we were lucky enough to have a sauna cottage with a seating area outside, where, after a sauna, we could gaze over the paddock into the hills in the distance. It wasn't quite like sitting by a lake in Finland, but it came pretty close.

Clare and I came to a solution that I should cover my head with a towel or similar when in the sauna. I immediately knew what this would be, a piece of handy gear which Daughter convinced me to get from Marks and Spencer a few months ago.

It's a piece of towelling which wraps around your wet locks and helps to dry the hair. Both Daughter and I have very thick hair, so it can sometimes take a full 12 hours to dry (just talk to Clare - she'll tell you what a pain my hair is to blow-dry). This turban makes the process much quicker. (They are now unfortunately out of stock - let's hope more will be coming into the shop soon)


But, guess what, I bloody well forgot to take it with me, so I ended up wearing something called a sauna hat…the things I do for beauty….

With my big sister causing some hilarity with our families...

The weird thing was, that this 'sauna hat' really worked! On reflection, this model below, called Pohjan Akka (loosely translated as 'The Northern Hag') might have suited us better.

Pohjan Akka sauna hat by Saunalahja

The sauna hats, or Saunahattu are available from here or here, should you ever be in need of one. I may just surprise the sauna-loving Englishman with this combo of hat and slippers. What do you think?

Picture by Saunahattu Leeni 

Wedding hair

Today a friend's son is going to marry his beautiful bride here in London. As a treat for us girls who are not going to wed their princes today, we had our hair done at my favourite salon, Rossano Ferretti.

A relaxing hair wash and scalp massage started the proceedings off.

My colour was done last week by Clare with the fabulously natural looking balayage method so I also wanted a natural looking hairstyle with soft curls which would last until late evening. Not an easy task. But for my stylist today, Simon, achieving this look below was almost run-off-the-mill.

Half done

And finished product

Daughter went for an up do - with her natural brown curly hair this style is perfect. (The amount of times I heard, 'You have so much hair!' as the stylist worked on her locks)

Son's girlfriend on the other hand, wanted a semi-up do, and it looked fabulous. She too has incredible, naturally shiny, hair.

Those locks!

But now I must hurry, the taxi is coming in 45 minutes to take us to the wedding!

Birthday Beautifications

There's only one day in a year when it really matters how I look: my birthday. It's the one day I can be sure that someone will take a picture of me first thing in the morning, wearing no make-up, and preserve it for posterity. So some time ago I decided that, once a year at least, I need help (and spend money) to look my best.

So, I began today with a luxurious facial, at Cowshed Spa, just off Carnaby Street in London, followed by less enjoyable eyebrow tidy & tint. This time I also decided to have my eyelashes tinted.

To me I look as if I'd woken up the morning after a night out, having not taken my make-up off...

My hair, as always, is on top of the list when I want to look my best and obviously I wanted to visit my favourite salon in London, Rossano Ferretti. My lovely hairdresser, Clare, first did my colour using the clever cling film technique I wrote about here, then, while we listened to the thunder and lighting outside the salon (can't believe it's late April, nearly May), she cut and styled my hair.

This is not a look I'd usually wish to share, but I wanted show you how the colour is done.

Here's the result of today's efforts. Although it was raining cats and dogs when I left the salon, I managed not to get absolutely soaked on my way to the tube.

I'm not wearing a stitch of make-up.

Cowshed Spa
31 Foubert's Place
London
W1F 7QG
Tel. 02075340870
www.cowshedonline.com

Rossano Ferretti
17 St George Street
London
W1S 1FJ
Tel. 02074930555
www.metodororossanoferretti.com

The New Rossano Ferretti Hairspa in London

If you're read this blog regularly you know by now how important my hair is to my appearance. I'd go as far as to say that I don't really care about the rest as long as my hair is OK. So you can imagine that I was immediately tempted by a new salon to open in London, that of Italian born hairdresser Rossano Ferretti.

Rossano Ferretti isn't just any celebrity hairdresser; he has solid roots (as it were) in the business having grown up in a rural Italian village where both his parents were hairdressers. (There is a picture of his mother on the wall of the London salon). He now runs 20 salons (in Milan, Paris, New York, LA, Miami, Venice, to name but a few cities) together with his sister, Lorenzo. London is his latest enterprise.

Rossano Ferretti himself says the reason for his success is a closely guarded technique called 'The Method', in which hair is cut in several directions to make it fall naturally. The colour treatments are different too: Clare, my hairdresser, blended several shades and with the help of cling film rather than the usual foils, applied it so that it looked 'soft and harmonic'. My hair looked like it did when as a child I'd spent a long sun-filled summer in our cottage by the lake in central Finland. What's more, my roots are barely visible now after more than two months (I had no time to have my colour done on my last visit).

Another factor which I am sure contributes to Rossano Ferretti's success across the world is that all his salons are set in old historic buildings. In London Rossano has turned a house on St George Street, which belonged to William Morris, (it's handily just off Regent Street and opposite the Vogue offices), into a luxurious spa.

When you enter the house you're first welcomed by a most handsome man (and you think you've stepped into a Calvin Klein perfume ad), then as you go up the spiral staircase to the first floor, a friendly lady settles you into a room with disconcertingly few mirrors for a hairdressers. Instead there is a large black shiny table where the consultation, as well as the colour application takes place. This is all in order to relax the client - Rossano has realised that no woman (or man for that matter) wishes to see themselves with head-full of foils or cling film. Clever man.

There are three more floors, including private spaces for those celebrity clients who do not wish to be seen by others while their tresses are being perfected. Everywhere there are chandeliers, black gleaming marble and smiling staff. It's as if you've stepped into a wealthy person's domain and you are the most important guest they've ever had in their mansion.

Of course this kind of luxury hairdressing isn't cheap. But I have to say both my colour and cut have lasted longer than the usual six weeks, so... Also, for that occasional treat, I would wholeheartedly recommend the Rossono Ferretti experience. Come to think of it, my birthday is coming up....

Rossano Ferretti Hairspa
17 St George Street
London
W1S 1FJ
Telephone 02074930555
london@metodorossanoferretti.com
www.metodorossanoferretti.com