Last week I had the pleasure of spending some time with John Spanton, Master Colourist at Angelo Seminara Hair Salon at the Urban Retreat in Knightsbridge. As a self-confessed ‘hair geek’ who lives, sleeps and breathes the hairdressing industry, John and I had a chat about how skin testing is managed at Angelo’s salon, and how he has become a blonde hair expert
Emma xxx
ES: What skin testing do you offer at Angelo Seminara Hair Salon?
JS: We offer the option to have a skin test in the salon or Colourstart at home. We are located in the city centre and it’s not always easy for clients to pop in for a quick skin test. It can be inconvenient and costly in parking and travel, so Colourstart means we can simply post a test and it puts the client in control.
ES: Why did you decide to work with Colourstart?
JS: I have always been a fan of Colourstart, because as a colourist the biggest challenge to filling your column is the skin test. This takes away that hurdle and gives our clients choice. Colourstart gives clients a reason to commit to colour and takes away a barrier.
ES: Does the test have other uses in your salon?
JS: Yes. At Angelo Seminara we also offer eyelash and brow tinting, so Colourstart covers that as well.
ES: What’s been the biggest positive for you?
JS: What I love is that clients are in control. Plus, it gives us options to offer the client. We are a single salon, Angelo is a Goldwell ambassador, so we only use one brand of colour. However, for salons who are multi-brand, using Colourstart means you don’t have to worry.
ES: Colourstart comes with its own liability insurance, what are your thoughts about this?
JS: This is a very strong advantage. As an industry we all want to be professional and the reason we skin test is to protect the client and the salon, so this is a major plus point to using Colourstart.
ES: What’s happening colour-wise in the salon right now?
JS: Without intending to I seem to have become a blondes specialist over the years. I am doing a lot of balayage, classic highlights are still popular, as is grey coverage. I also have some male clients who have colour, which is great.
ES: What’s your top tip for colouring blondes?
JS: Perfection is all about getting the right level of lift. Be patient and get it right. Even if you think you have created the best balayage or highlights that you have ever done and you don’t want to adjust the tone, I strongly advise using a clear toner as this will be the cherry on the top! The acidic formula of the toner will seal the hair and give it the wow factor even if it doesn’t add tone.