Coco Chanel once said: “A woman who cuts her hair is about to change her life.”  As we all know, finding a good hairdresser is like finding a good doctor or nail technician; you hold on and don’t let them go, even if you relocate. Luke Ormsby Hair at Primrose Hill has found a loyal customer in me thanks to the gorgeous cut, colour and style I had with them recently.

I’m passionate about finding a good hairdresser because, like many of us, I have been burned in the past. As Luke Ormsby, The Owner of Luke Ormsby Hair, puts it: “A colour change is an emotional decision. A big hair chop is an emotional decision.”

My end goal was by no means an easy feat, as after years of box-dying my hair black, I wanted to lighten it to my natural colour, an ashy brown, without turning the strands orange. 

My hair throws red, and I knew that if it became too warm, I would revert to putting a black box dye through it to cover it up as I had done in the past after spending serious money on going lighter (remember about being burned?). 

Luke said: “The key to a good consultation is extracting as much information from the guest as possible. So finding out what their expectations are, as I mentioned with you when we were doing our consultation, it’s about managing your expectations.”

I knew my hair wouldn’t achieve the colour I wanted after one visit, but as humans, we are impatient beings, so I couldn’t help but ask: what if we bleach it?

Luke assured me this would be a quicker process to get my hair to the colour I wanted, but it would mean I would have to battle through a red-orange phase which I, ultimately, wasn’t willing to do.

The plan was to let the base colour lift organically while using a semi-permanent on my roots and combing it through the rest of my hair before it’s washed out to seamlessly blend the colour. Luke also suggested I regularly cut my hair to ensure it keeps growing, letting me get to my end goal faster.

This was the first time I really felt heard during the consultation process, and I appreciated the honesty about the pros and cons of bleaching. Previous salons have gone with what I wanted without voicing their professional judgment.

Luke added: “I think a lot of stylists and hairdressers in the past have been known to over-promise and under-deliver, and I’d rather do it the other way around.” 

Luke started as a Saturday boy in Toni&Guy when he was 13 years old before first posting his name above the door of his Pinner salon in July 2020. There was a rush for his cutting and colouring services, and he soon built the business to overflowing.

To help with this, the Primrose Hill location was opened last year, a full-service salon that uses all organic products. 

Luke said he was sceptical about how well an organic and chemical-free colour would stick to the hair, but he says he’s found the perfect product that “does what is said on the tin”.

He adds: “We’ve been using it [the colour] now for a couple of years, and everyone’s been raving about it because you get such a lovely shine as well because of the essential oils in there.”

As I settled back into my seat with the most delicious complimentary cappuccino, I let my hairdresser Brooke work her magic.

She coloured, cut, treated, washed and then styled my hair to the exact brief. I left feeling as lightweight and bouncy as my blow wave. So much so that I didn’t want to sleep on it that night for the risk of flattening it.

But it was so much more than the hair: the sweet-smelling products, the investment in time with the customer, the massage chairs right through to the friendly staff, it was a spa-like experience.

Located on Princess Street, Luke Ormsby Hair welcomes complimentary walk-in consultations with a word of advice.

He says: “Be prepared for the consultation in the sense of bringing some visuals with you.”

“Bring some ideas of what it is that you want because, as people, when we explain things, it’s really difficult getting what’s in our minds over to anyone else, be that in any profession – be ready to play ball in the consultation and you’ll get great results.”

Use code Luxebible for a complimentary wash cut and blow-dry worth £70 with any full head colour, balayage or foils or 50% off of a wash cut and blow-dry (available until 15th March) *T&C’s apply. Call 020 7586 0969 to book, or book online here. 

*The deal is for first-time customers only – At the primrose location only – With senior stylists Brooke or George.