RUSH Hair Salon - Loughton, Essex

I am a salon virgin. Well, I was. That was until Wednesday when the fabulous guys over at RUSH invited me down to their Loughton franchise to have my hair done. I was a little anxious to say the least. I only really started getting my hair done professionally by a mobile hairdresser in the last year and I completely trust her with my mop. I've heard many salon horror stories and didn't want to end up writing one myself!



So, what did I ask for?

My hair is blonde as you will know. If you didn't already know that then you are either a new reader (in which case, hello and cheers for stopping by!), or you simply just scroll past my face every time I show it. Don't worry, I don't blame you.
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So, in terms of my hair I decided to go blonde from a medium to dark brown around 6 months ago. I'm not going to say it's been an easy transformation because it hasn't and anyone who reckons you can go from dark to blonde in a day and have shiny, healthy looking locks by the end of it is either telling porky pies or is Kim Kardashian. I have a mobile hair dresser who each time she does my hair, refreshes it through doing highlights. The last few weeks before I get my roots done, I find my hair can look quite yellow and tired so it was truly time to really treat my hair to an experience like no other.

RUSH has a chain of salons already but is now expanding. A shiny new one in Loughton, Essex, opened up at the end of the last year and is owned by franchise manager, Jack. Upon arrival, I was greeted by Jack who told me he would be doing my hair. Very pleased to say the least!

At first, Jack asked me what I wanted done. Apart from the obvious being my roots, I showed him a few pictures of a clean almost white blonde on Perrie from Little Mix and then a 'LOB' hair cut (see here). He gathered the materials and then began to lather my roots with bleach. He left this for half an hour whilst I read the latest issue of Cosmo Mag. I kinda reminded myself of the scientist in Back to The Future...

Jack then started colouring the ends of my hair which is when I began to look a little less professor like, haha.

This was left for 20 minutes or so which gave me time to finish that article on how men feel when they've been dumped. Quite an entertaining read, I must say...

Next it was time for the more exciting bit! Jack took me into another room which was very spa like. Marble walls, relaxing lighting and peace and quiet. I got a whole load of intense hair treatments using Kerastaste products (SO good!) and I was even treated to a head massage; which by the way was the nicest thing ever. Then, I learnt head messages are good as they relax the scalp to prevent hair loss. So, any near balding men reading this? Go get a head massage!

After my treatments, another stylist at Rush washed it all off and then I returned to the chair with a towel on my head ready for my new cut!

Jack clarified with me how much hair I was happy with getting chopped off which I was very pleased about. I knew from this point on I probably wouldn't have to write a horror story about the stylist who cut 7 inches of hair off instead of 2 inches. Anyway, as you will know from my last hair post (read it here), I had already initially got a LOB cut but it was the safer version. I wasn't 100% I wanted to cut all my hair off so I got about five inches cut off and then decided if I wanted it shorter, I would get it re-cut.

Jack said it would look nice if the back was cut short and the front of my hair came around gradually a little longer. This meant it's at that right 'short but long length' and is still long enough to put up and to curl/wave... something I was very persistent about.

After my cut, he then blow-dried my hair wavy which I have never been able to get the hang of doing myself.. just me?! He then went over the waves with the GHD tong which was released around Christmas time and takes just SECONDS to create the perfect wave.

This was taken just seconds after having my hair transformation done. I was very happy about it but as always with new hair, it's not until you're home and you can style it yourself that you feel completely happy with it.

After sleeping on the waves, I would have in any other case just worked with that kind of look the next day but I had a major meeting in London yesterday so needed my hair to be perfect! Therefore, I washed my hair again the next day using a shampoo for blondes and re-styled it myself. I created waves using my hair straighteners and then used the texture spray by Charles Worthington to create more tousled, effortless waves. I am completely happy with my new hair and am so glad I decided to get the LOB chop. It only took five minutes to dry and ten minutes to wave!

So, here it is...

I have denied the big reveal since I got it done as I didn't want to show it off until I was 100% happy with it and now I completely am!

What do you all think? I am really happy with it! I do have plans to eventually go a little ashier/silver ready for the summer but at the moment I think this new barnet of mine looks a lot more grown up, sophisticated and ready to take on the world!

A huge thank you to Jack and the team down at Rush hair salon in Loughton for taking care of me for the day and turning my hair from a yellow, rooty mess into something completely fresh and new. I can't vouch that all Rush hair salons are amazing, as it all depends on the stylists themselves, but if you are local to Essex, then definitely pop in. Or just travel there! Loughton is on the central line :)

Yay to my first ever hair salon experience. It's been a successful one!