Getting my ombre on at Bleach London

If you’re looking for the perfect place to get your hair coloured, let me introduce you to Bleach. Originally hailing from Dalston, they’ve also got a salon tucked away in the basement of Topshop’s flagship Oxford Street store and are THE place to go if you’re looking for a colour specialist.

I recently paid them a visit for a bit of an ombre makeover. I’d been considering doing it for years (no exaggeration), but being a natural ginge always put me off for some reason. After seeing the results on a friend with similar hair colour, I knew it was time to bite the bullet and get myself booked in.

The final look - taken at my friend's wedding the next day

After chatting through what I wanted to do with the lovely Grace, and using some photos for inspiration, she got me sat down and gowned up. The plan was to darken my roots up with a coppery shade, fading down through my natural colour and into a light bleached blonde at the ends.

To ensure there’s no harsh line between colours, Bleach use a mixture of techniques including back-combing and a blending lotion, giving a really natural finish throughout the hair. I had my dye and bleach applied, and sat reading my Kindle for a bit while it worked its magic. The salon is handily close to both the EAT concession and the loos that are hidden away in the basement. I did get a few funny looks walking to the toilet in my gown and pink plastic bleach bib, but hey, it had to be done!

After the dye and bleach was washed off, a toner was added to the bleached ends to get rid of any brassiness, and my hair was given a lovely blow dry that left it feeling super silky. The whole process took about 2 and a half hours, so I definitely recommend taking a book or something with you, but to me, it was definitely worth the wait! It’s also quite pricey, but I felt much more confident letting a professional do my hair than I would’ve done trying to bleach it at home. I was given a few tips on how to look after my newly bleached hair (lookout for a post on top products coming soon), and swished my new hair all the way home.

I can’t recommend Bleach highly enough – they cater for everything from a standard dip dye, right through to hot pink hair, and I’m so pleased with the results. For all the details and price list, visit the Bleach website.