LIVE TRUE LONDON

Hairdresser Live True London threw open its doors last July – in fact seven sets of doors across the capital with locations including Battersea, Brixton and Hampstead – with a firm focus on making hair make you feel 'more you'. I visited the Fulham branch yesterday (not a million miles away from new favourite Parson's Green cafe Hally's) for a few mid-week pampering hours.

The photogenic salon is a happy mash-up of contemporary warehouse juxtaposed with glamorous furnishings; a velvet sofa, tiled coffee table and extravagant mirrors. The space is vast, and symmetrical, and flooded with light. I turned up 10 minutes early (unheard of – I walked due to yesterday's ridiculously beautiful weather, might this be the key to being on time?) but my designated stylist Libby was promptly out to look after me.

First up, hair wash and all important head massage, followed by an All Soft Redken treatment which was applied almost up to the roots and left in for 5-10 minutes, then finished with a sealing spray. I was initially booked in for an Olaplaex – a bonding agent treatment which hit headlines after Kim Kardashian dyed her hair blonde – but this option is best for coloured hair.

Libby gave me a healthy trim – a few inches in long-hair-speak – and tidied up a slightly childlike shaping around my face from a cut I attempted on myself last week (I can't help myself). She sweetly described my efforts as 'not bad' which was refreshing since I've often found hairdressers more inclined to give you a bit of a b****cking for this kind of thing as you apologetically shrink down into your chair. After drying, she worked her (magic) wand to tease my hair into tousled beach waves and used a fat ceramic base brush to dry my fringe forwards before reverting back to the wand to blend the ends into the rest of my hair. I clocked Libby as a stickler for clever little details that make all the difference – and she's happy to talk you through how to do it yourself too.

And finito!

If you follow me on Instagram and Stories you'll have seen my relatively-tragic-yet-also-bring-me-a-lot-of-joy David Sockney socks, Christmas present from my dad (major dad jokes), which I hadn't realised were on show in the above picture...

PS The team couldn't have done more for Luna, sorting out water for her when we arrived, not batting an eyelid when she did her usual sitting-on-my-knee at the back wash station and then choosing a shelf by my feet to curl up in throughout my appointment. Thank you for having us!

The above Live True London salon is based at 376 North End Road in London.