I think we’re all a little guilty of abandoning our hair sometimes. My morning routine goes something along the lines of brush, dry shampoo, meh worry about it later. My night out routine follows pretty much the same steps except for adding in a half-hearted attempt at curling, which undoubtedly falls out within five minutes of leaving the house. We’ve all been there!
Nixalina chips in “I end up using chopsticks at my desk in the end, to swirl my hair into some sort of up do style.” Nobody copy Nixalina it’s a stupid idea. She just can’t use chopsticks for sushi so she finds another use for them.
Thankfully, we were both lucky enough to be invited to Sheerluxe‘s exclusive reader’s event at Duck & Dry on King’s Road for a night of hair education, style discussion and delicious gin, which is probably the best possible way to spend a Wednesday evening.
The first thing to note about the salon was the way it seemed so inviting. There was no need to apprehensively hover by the door when a bunch of smiling faces, comfy chairs and a shiny bar is awaiting your arrival. If anything, it was all too easy to feel right at home in there. The atmosphere is fresh, modern and bright, but with soothing colours picked out delicately in the decor on the walls. Everything has it’s place and has been chosen specifically by the CEO of Duck & Dry to represent her brand idea. Even the tiles for the shampooing area were hand-picked. Unlike many salons, this place invites you in immediately.
After receiving an amazingly delicious Summer Cup gin cocktail from the girls at Sipsmith (gin lovers NEED this in their lives), we sat down ready for a hair masterclass. I asked for beach waves, and Nix opted for a fishtail plait, which I tried to enviously observe from the adjacent seat. FYI, that’s harder than it sounds when trying not to move your head.
Like an annoying high school classmate, I asked approximately one thousand questions because let’s face it, I want my hair to look this good every day, so sorry to the wonderfully tolerant stylist who gave me these excellent tips:
– Curl around wand from the top of hair to the bottom
– Twist the hair in your fingers a bit when twizzling hair around the hair wand
– Use large sections of hair and curl away from the face
– Leave curlers on each section for 8-10 seconds to set
– Tousle with fingers and shake your head a lot when done to give that beachy look
– And for best results do this with a gin in hand, of course
Also it’d be wrong not to give a shout out to the amazing canapés, and once again to the Sipsmith cocktails that we took full advantage of. The Duck & Dry team sure does know how to throw a killer event! It’s also worth noting that the bar usually serves Prosecco, as well as orange juice and tea and coffee for those who want something slightly less bubbly. Can we just also take a moment to discuss the goody bags? My word, it was crammed with the most delightful products ever. I have fallen in love with my Jiya bracelet – perfect for Summer festival vibes.
Blow dry, styling, and updo services start from £20, so I’d highly recommend grabbing your girls and heading down there before a big night. GO GO GO!
By Holly Earp
