It is oft said that the best hair colour for you is one that highlights your features and makes your eyes shine, but what if you have no idea of what that colour is? Step in Karine Jackson, who is well-versed in the practice of flattering hair colours and has a knack for knowing what will look good. If after a consultation with her you are still trepidatious, she’ll whip out a colour wheel to reflect different colour spectrums under your chin to leave you in no doubt.
I was a caramel girl (unsurprising, given my sweet tooth), so Karine and I conspired to warm up my hair and skin with subtly-placed highlights achieved with an organic colour. That’s right, organic hair colour. Karine was asked around 7 years ago by a customer with cancer to look into which dyes might be safe to use and was horrified by the contents of hair dye. When she realised that organic colour performed just as well as its chemical counterpart, she made it a big part of the agenda at the salon and started using Organic Colour Systems.
Whilst in foils, I indulged in a manicure with nail technician Jessie, who managed to turn my gnarled nails into perfect Really Red Essie tips in 10 minutes. Once my hair was dry, the results of the organic dye spoke for themselves – my subtly-placed caramel highlights were the sort of golden that is usually only possible with a dosage of sun.
Antipodean Karine is not only a colour supremo (she honed her skills at Charles Worthington once in the UK), but the sort of woman you go to see for a chinwag: her ebullience is contagious. Despite an imminent appointment after my colour, I stayed for longer than I ought just to soak up the atmosphere in the salon. Thinking about it, it’s time I headed back. After all, summer’s around the corner and the combination of a little more dye and Karine’s wisdom is hard to resist.