I have a confession to make – I’m a total hair salon commitment-phobe. I’ve barely ever been to the same place more than once, and I’m often dissatisfied with my results. Last week I was kindly invited in by Francesco Salon in Bournemouth to do an in depth review of their newly rebranded branch. Of course I jumped at the chance to try out another local business… and maybe even find my Hair Soul Mate (yes, that’s a thing!).
I have had my hair bleached a couple of times now and have been since battling growing it out. I’ve mostly been trying to turn it into an ombre by low-lighting the roots to be closer to my natural hair colour and leaving the rest bleached. However, I felt like there was still another ‘blend’ phase to go to get the graduation closer, and my hair was beginning to get quite dry and damaged. I was really hoping Francesco Salon could work some magic!
My cut and colour was done by Kinga (the salon manager) and she was truly fantastic. I came to her with no clue what I wanted and she was really decisive and great at explaining my options. We went for a low light and highlight mix to keep it fair but also blend everything through. I’m normally totally lost in all the hair salon jargon but she was a breath of fresh air!
Inside the salon is absolutely huge (way too big to fit in my camera!), and beautifully light and airy. The entrance is tiny, so I had no idea how much was hiding up there! There were several other clients in at the same time as me but it totally felt like an exclusive private salon because there were so many little areas and sections I was totally undisturbed.
We just genuinely chatted and laughed about the most random subjects and got on like a house on fire, no more “so do you have kids” here!
Here’s my little spot – with a great view too…
They’ve also got a massage room with hot stones, waxing, makeup, and everything in between, as well as a nail bar. You can get absolutely everything done in one place.
And yes, their refreshments are changing the game (#overexcited)
Kinga also did a hair mask on me to try and bring some moisture back in, and it’s made a huge difference. I normally avoid moisturising shampoo etc as I don’t want to get oily roots, but clearly that’s a mistake as I’ve left my bleached hair a bit parched.
Finally, the team kindly gave me some travel sized gifts to try out on my next adventure. At the moment I just use high street shampoos but I am increasingly learning that they’re not the best for your hair. These ones by System Professional are designed specifically for use in the sun so it was super thoughtful of Kinga to recommend them for my next trip to Thailand! I’m excited to try these out and get back to you.
Overall I had the most friendly and relaxing experience possible at Francesco Bournemouth. I am absolutely thrilled with the colour. It looks warm, natural, and is pretty much back to my natural hair – but still with super light ends to keep that bright blonde look. She just did a timeless blunt ends cut and a few little flicks to frame my face. Looks like I might finally have found my match…
