Truths to live by

03 Mar 2008 04:03 AM | Posted by Editor

Of all the words ever breathed about beauty, I've always held a few quotes close to my heart. I love Joan Kerr's quip "I'm tired of all this nonsense about beauty being only skin-deep. That's deep enough. What do you want, an adorable pancreas?" and while coveting clothes on the catwalk with my Mac and a tub of Häagen-Dazs in my lap, I take perspective from Mae West: "I'm no model lady. A model's just an imitation of the real thing." Then, naturally, there's Coco Chanel and "a woman who doesn't wear perfume has no future". Inspirational.

But one of the most salient comes from queen of the silver screen, Joan Crawford: "I think the most important thing a woman can have - next to talent, of course - is her hairdresser."

You just have to find the right one.

Proof: my friend Lily (her name has been changed for reasons about to become painfully apparent). Lily was recently on holiday and, with a few hours up her sleeve and some split ends to sort, she strolled through the door of a small salon and sat straight down in the comfy chair. The hairdresser nodded sagely as Lily outlined the exact lengths she wanted for her layered locks so Lily settled in with a cup of tea and an old mag for her “trim”.

And now Lily has a mullet.  And at least six weeks until she can be seen in public without a slouchy knit cap.

How did Billy Ray Cyrus-style disaster strike? Silly Lily (bless her!) skipped the three simple steps that guarantee a great cut. Hairdressing guru Trevor Sorbie once taught me how to find a fabulous hairdresser wherever you are and it’s helped me survive snips from Turkey to the Swiss Alps…

1. Choose a stylish salon – It doesn't have to be the most exclusive spot in the city, but a stylist should have style – and substance. "If someone's had the same sun-bleached picture in the window for the last ten years, they're not a serious hairdresser," warned Sorbie. "That person's just doing it as a job – it's not their passion."

2. The consultation is crucial – Never to be glossed over, especially in a new salon, the pre-cut consult isn’t about you talking and them nodding; it's about forming understanding and trust. "You should feel comfortable asking questions and talking about ideas... And you should feel confident about the answers," Sorbie said.

3.  Prepare to invest – "You get what you pay for," he reasoned. "[The cut is] the most important thing about your hair, so you shouldn't be afraid to go for it." On a budget? Try redirecting the cash you'd planned to spend on your wardrobe, dessert or coffee for the next few weeks.  After all, your hair 'do's the accessory you really will wear every day and probably the most worth saving for.

Plus,  think of what you'll save on slouchy knit caps.