When I was contacted by from , it had been a long time since my last trim. My split ends even had split ends. After a friendly email exchange, I was invited in for a cut and finish* so that Josh could explain what Renegade was kind of about.
I don’t trust hairdressers. My experiences with hairdressers consist of situations where I’ve been laughed at for accidentally bleaching my hair banana yellow, or where I’ve picked a hairstyle I’ve loved, not knowing that it won’t suit me (a bob with a fringe, for instance) and having no kind words of warning from the hairdresser to tell me that maybe it’s not best for me. I mean, I had a really round face on top of a really round body and a full fringed bob just accentuated the fact that I was a hefty red faced teen. I think that was one of about six times I’ve cried the minute I’ve left the hairdressers.
Your hair is such a huge part of your style and a lot of hairdressers don’t seem to understand that. Unlike clothes and makeup, your hair takes so long to perfect and one bad cut or colour can genuinely affect your self-image and reduce you to tears. I avoid hairdressers like the plague, preferring to hack away my ends with my hairdressing scissors and feign ignorance at my split ends.
Unlike a lot of salons, the stylists at Renegade are self-employed, and being at the salon isn’t all they do. The stylists are all highly experienced, with regular editorial and shoot work alongside training and experience in top salons. I felt a lot more relaxed knowing my hair was being taken care of by someone who had worked on shoots for Vogue and styled models for London Fashion Week, if I’m honest.
Some editorial work Josh has done
Josh put me instantly at ease; I find a lot of stylists can be quite snooty and awkward during cuts, whereas he was chatty and chilled out which I liked. He even confessed that he hates hairdressers too. Intrigued, I asked why and he explained it simply. “People want hair like yours when you came in. (I had that kind of straightish but mussed up wind hair going on). You go to a hairdresser and come out with poker straight hair or sharp ringlets and cuts that don’t suit you; it’s not something that looks natural.” He went on to tell me that if they had a client who wanted something that wouldn’t look good, they wouldn’t do it. Which, for me, is actually a huge thing. I don’t know something looks bad on me until I’ve got it cut and my hair is ruined. A hairdresser’s job isn’t to cut your hair; it’s to make you look and feel good. That’s what everyone at Renegade seems to be about.
After getting my hair all washed and trimmed, Josh used a Cloud 9 wand to just very lightly curl the ends of my hair. The result was beachy, bed head elegance. That kind of look that everyone wants; natural and big without unrealistic angles and dimensions and dullness. The whole experience made me view salons differently. I don’t trust anyone to do my hair right but, without asking, Josh knew what would look good on me and what suited my style. I feel like I could go and get my hair done for a big night out or an important day and I’d come out feeling confident. Plus, everyone in Renegade was so chilled and nice that I didn’t spend the whole time wishing I was at home with my scissors.
Now, I’m not saying that I am a Renegade convert. I’ll still probably butcher my hair a few times before I consider my hair in such a sorry state I need professional help again. But, I am definitely more likely to spend a bit more money getting a cut and finish at Renegade than skimping out and getting the cheapest dry cut I can find, especially now I am going to be leaving the student world and entering the working world of (hopefully) money to spend on treating myself.
What do you do to keep your hair in good condition between cuts?
*I was provided a cut and finish free of charge, all opinions are my own.
