ITV This Morning Christmas Crackers – WATCH MAKEOVER HERE
I can honestly say, hand on heart; the current Christmas Cracker feature on ITV This Morning is my absolutely favourite yet to work on. We chose three women from hundreds who were nominated by family and friends and we set out to give them a complete body overhaul. The aim of the makeover is not to make the three lucky ladies look better, but to make them feel better, feel more confident and a little more polished.
First up and shown on ITV today (you can still get it on ITV Player) is the very lovely Joanne Sparks. Joanne has had a bit of a rough time of it in recent years after splitting with her husband then losing her son. The absolutely devastating events had taken their toll on Joanne’s hair, skin and teeth and we set about changing this. As well as a teeth whitening treatment and skin light treatments, I invited Joanne for a day of pampering at the Leo Bancroft Salon. Joanne’s hair was looking tired and lank – she has been home colouring for years and this had built up creating a dark, dense base, which left her skin looking washed out, and pasty. I spent an entire day safely lifting this colour whilst conditioning and nourishing her dry hair. I lifted to two shades lighter and added a stunning warm caramel shade to add warmth and depth. Joanne has a petite face and her hair over powered this so I cut it into an angular bob that highlights her fantastic cheekbones and gives her a younger, fresher look.
I’m sure you will agree that Joanne looks absolutely stunning, and I think I got the ultimate seal of approval live on ITV – her mum loves it! Result!
Cheers,
Leo x
December 12, 2011 at 11:43 am
Last weekend, the Leo Bancroft team travelled to the beautiful new Fetcham Park wedding venue to session style backstage at the launch event and catwalk. Now I won’t deny that often wedding hair and bridal shows can be so cheesy and really old-fashioned, but this couldn’t have been further from that, and that’s why we got involved. The dresses, make-up, flowers and venue itself oozed London style and we worked with the lovely Penny at Tigerlily, Emma at Miss Bush Bridal Wear and Laura at Fetcham Park to come up with a theme and style that smashed it. And well, to be honest, we did.
Check out the photo gallery below courtesy of the guys at efc photography (www.efcphotography.co.uk). We worked with different bridal styles including the vintage bride, the rock chick bride (definitely my favourite) and the natural bride so there was something for everyone and every look. I always say on your wedding day you should look like you only better – not like an entirely different person. I think the photos speak for themselves so have a look and let us know what you think.
Leo x
November 7, 2011 at 10:39 am
October 24, 2011 at 2:33 pm
This weekend marks one of the biggest events in the hairdressing calendar Salon International at Excel, London and it’s an amazing (but very full on) weekend packed full of all things hair.
In previous Salon International weekends, I’ve been working on the Fellowship stage doing hair demonstrations with Balmain hair or speaking with attendees about everything from photo-shoots to bridal hair. Events like these are great for networking – which is what the hair industry is all about; you’d be surprised at the amount of opportunities that come from ‘who you know.’
My favourite day has to be the Monday because that’s when all of the students come and it inspires me to see them so enthused and full of energy about hair – they’re so keen and excited about everything, and man do they love a goody bag! It reminds me of being a young stylist (which no doubt you will have seen on Channel 4’s The Salon) and always leaves me buzzing for the few weeks after.
This year I’m not working, I’m going just to enjoy the amazing shows from the likes of the guys at Sassoon and Toni & Guy and get inspired. I’ll also be visiting the Balmain stand to see what’s new in the hair extensions world.
And last (but certainly not least), in fact this is the bit I’ll probably be looking forward to most – is seeing the BHA Gallery to see my collection up there on the wall amongst the other finalists for Southern Hairdresser of the Year 2011. It’s always a great chance to scope out the competition and also see the amazing collections from the nominees for British Hairdresser of the Year – it lets you know as a hairdresser what you can aspire to do and some of the work these guys produce is unbelievable!
If you’re going and you see me there, stop and say hello! It’s going to be a great weekend.
Leo x
October 12, 2011 at 3:17 pm
Another catwalk season has flown by and before we start looking to Christmas party styles. I thought I’d share a few of my favourite looks as seen on the catwalks in New York, London, Milan and Paris.
Headscarves and hats played a big part in various different shows, – Emporio Armani, Burberry Prorsum, Marc Jacobs, DKNY and will definitely play a huge part in next summer’s accessories trends. Although I’m not sure if Burberry’s straw bobble hats will be quite as popular.
Model Charlotte Free worked one of this winter’s biggest trends pink hair. Celebs are loving this look with earne Cotton and Katy Perry have both opted for the pink dye in the recent months.
Ponytails featured heavily on many catwalks in New York – Slick and Sleek at Derek Lam, three part ponytails at Herve Leger, hybrid fishtail plait ponytails at Marchesa and tucked under at Carolina Herrera.
Models on the Acne runway sported highlights of various bright colours, two tone hair and dip dyes.
Wet look hair was a huge hit, wet look buns at YSL, slicked back at Victoria Beckham. I love this look even back when Megan Fox tried it at the MTV Movie Awards in 2009. It’s definitely a love it or hate it look.
October 5, 2011 at 3:15 pm
On Saturday 1st October team members from Leo Bancroft will be taking part in the SHINE WALK in aid of Cancer Research UK. Shine is Cancer Research UK’s night-time walking marathon using light as a symbol of hope and the progress in the fight against cancer. For more info on SHINE or Cancer Research please click here
We would love you to help support our guys in this brilliant event and ask that you consider sponsoring one (or all!) of them.
Please click on one of the the names above to go through their dedicated sponsorship page.
Your money will go some way into helping the scientist to find a cure or help a family cope with the unimaginable pain that it is to lose a loved one.
Thank you!
September 28, 2011 at 3:50 pm
I was on ITV’s This Morning showcasing the best way to style and manage grey hair. It’s a sensitive subject and lots of people are immediately frightened at the prospect of grey hair- but this shouldn’t be the case. Grey hair has never been as chic and on trend as it is this autumn/winter and with celebrities like Helen Mirren and Dame Judi Dench flying the flag for growing old gracefully, now is the time to learn how to make the most of your silver tresses.
It is important to understand why hair loses its colour in the first place; grey hair is a result of the body producing less melanin. It can happen at any time but it tends to happen more with age; as well as going grey, the hair also loses moisture and elasticity and will change in texture, which is why it can feel lifeless and thin. It is important to use a shampoo and conditioner which is specially formulated for grey hair; specialist shampoos will moisturise the hair but also clarify it to ensure pollutants do not build up giving it a yellowish tinge.
Here are my top anti-aging hair tips for colour, cutting and styling grey hair:
Overall it is really important not to get stuck in a hair rut, getting older does not mean you cannot experiment.
You can watch the video here
Leo
September 27, 2011 at 1:08 pm
Salon clients John Terry and Fernando Torres called upon Leo recently to tame their locks before a crucial Premier League match against Manchester United.
Leo who has become Chelsea Football Club’s number one hairdresser after visiting the Russian owners home in Belgravia London, delighted friend John Terry by opting for his routine millimetre perfect haircut and recommend to Fernando Torres to go back blonde with some highlights like the good old days!!
September 22, 2011 at 7:17 pm
All this talk of fashion week has got me thinking about next season I’m excited to see what trends designers have for us this year. Models during New York Fashion Week worked the masculine look with slicked back hair at Victoria Beckham, bouffant up do’s at Diane Von Fustenberg and retro waves were a big hit at Zac Posen, so I’m looking forward to seeing what London can do. The Brits definitely do it best!
But what about models and their off duty style, they always look perfect whether they’re working catwalk glamour or off duty grunge. During the madness of fashion week the model’s hair will have to fight off damage from heat styling, changes in climate as they travel from city to city and general over styling and this is the time when a model needs her hair to look it’s best and nothing less. When I’m was working backstage I make sure all the models use Shu Uemura Silk Bloom Restorative Treatment, it contains Argan Oil which helps to repair the structure of damaged hair and soothe any flaws whilst vitamin e helps build strength, body and shine.
Off duty, most models will use minimal styling. Chanel Iman, Karlie Kloss and Jessica Stam are huge fans of the top knot an effortless style that is perfect for the girl on the go. The secret to perfecting the top knot is height. If your ponytail doesn’t sit high enough on your head it won’t work.
When model’s aren’t sporting top knots they’re usually opting for that ‘I just got out of bed’ look. Kate Moss and Dree Hemingway are huge fans of this leaving the hair to dry naturally is the best way to achieve this look although if unlike Kate and Dree you’re not lucky enough to have naturally perfect hair then a curling tong is your new best friend.
September 14, 2011 at 3:05 pm
We are delighted to introduce to you our NEW technician LUCY.
Lucy is our latest recruit from a top Central London salon and blew us away with her hairdressing skills during the interview process.
Lucy not only has the highest Level of colour degree you can have but is a fantastic precision cutter with excellent blow dry and finishing skills.
ONE OFF INTRODUCTORY OFFER:
Book 1/2 Head or Full Head Highlights and receive a complimentary Cut and Blowdry worth £69.95!!
CALL NOW 01932 844443
Offer is valid for the month of September only. Click here to view price level of Technician
August 9, 2011 at 9:00 pm
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