At the salon with: Liz Hambleton, Beauty Director

We’ll admit it. Here at Treatwell when it comes to salon etiquette we’re totally nosy. We need all the deets. Do you loathe nothing more than chatting to your stylist? What’s the funniest thing that’s ever happened to you at the salon? And most importantly, what’s your favourite treatment? Introducing ‘At the Salon With’, our new monthly beauty series that lifts the lid on a host of expert’s and influencer’s salon rituals. From editors to chefs, models to business owners, we’re interviewing a wide range of in-the-know beauty lovers to find out exactly what makes them tick, and what they do religiously once settled into the salon chair. To kick off the series, we sat down with our very own Beauty Director Liz Hambleton at the new South Kensington hotspot Aer Blow Dry Bar to get the inside scoop on Olaplex, ponies, and the one question she asks every hair stylist. Read on to find out more…

By Rebecca Hoffnung

• 1 What do you always book in for?

  Even on one of the windiest days in West London this March, Liz arrived at the trendy new Aer Blowdry Bar with hardly a hair out of place as we sat down for our interview. After all, with over 10 years of experience under her belt, she could teach us all a thing or two about keeping our hair in check. There’s little she hasn’t tried when it comes to the big bad world of beauty, but her favourite treatment of all has to be having  her regular colour treatment. 'I find it such a luxury and just love that feeling of a freshly coloured head of hair, nothing lifts my complexion or mood like it,' says Liz. 'Currently I favour balayage over highlights for a beachy, summery look but the real pull is how quickly it can be done. Under an hour if you get the right colourist! I also find the regrowth way more subtle.' 
• 2 When are we most likely to find you at the salon?

  ‘I always schedule my beauty appointments during the week as my weekends are spent outdoors with my horse Merrybelle’ explains Liz. ‘I also tend to associate beauty treatments with work as it's my job to try and review the latest and greatest. Lucky me I know, but because of this I keep my weekends beauty free. Afterwork is always the best time for me go to the salon.’
• 3 Any salon habits we need to know about?

   ‘I'm not really a glossy, blown-out kinda girl,’ Liz explains, ‘I prefer a rough dry to give me the bedhead texture of my dreams so I always use the opportunity to ask the stylist to grunge me up little. Smooth and shiny I can do myself but good grunge is so hard to DIY.’ And when it comes to her food and drink order of choice, she has a tried and tested combination: ‘I always order a black americano, a green juice and if the salon offers food, a bowl of fries with ketchup. Basically the dream.’ We couldn't agree more…
• 4 Funniest salon experience?

  We’ve all got one! ‘My funniest experience was when someone mistook me for another client who was about to go from blonde to red!’ explains Liz; ‘If the receptionist hadn't clocked the mix up I could have had whole new look…’
• 5 Do you plug in or chat?

  Some people love nothing more than a bit of peace and quiet during their long awaited salon session, but Liz prefers to stay unplugged. ‘A lot of the time I know the stylist or colourist really well so I enjoy a good catch up. I also think it's so easy to zone out when you live a busy life and with social media as prevalent as it is, it's important to engage with people and actually have a conversation. Plus I get loads of feature ideas from a trip to the salon.'  
• 6 What's your most recent in-salon discovery? Please share...

  Like many of us, Liz has also fallen hard for Olaplex, the revolutionary new hair brand that fixes over coloured, overprocessed hair by creating a chemical bridge between the broken bonds, essentially mending the hair from the inside out. ‘I recently had an Olaplex treatment and found it made such a difference to the condition of my hair. I love that they can build it into your colour treatment, such a brilliant idea. I'm keen to try out a scalp treatment at my next hair appointment.’ It’s all about the upkeep!
• 7 The question you always ask your stylist is...?

  'Easy – I always ask every hairstylist  I'm in the chair with, what's the best dry shampoo?’ With so many on the market, it’s easy to get confused. ‘Right now I am obsessed with finding the best ones. So far Klorane, Oribe, Show Beauty and Bardou have proven to be great tip offs. The wrong one can leave your scalp irritated and ruin your colour.' 
• 8 Favourite thing about taking time out to get your hair done?

  ‘I love having my colour done because  it gives me the opportunity to sit still for a period of time and catch up on a whole host of things. Life admin being the main one, though I also find it the perfect time to have a bit of an online browse and make a purchase or two. These Valentino boots and Gucci handbag are both things I purchased online while having my colour done. There's something that feels quite girly about getting your hair or nails done and it always puts me in the mood to shop!'
• 9 What's your best beauty tip?

  'There's so many to choose from, but my best beauty tip would have to be double cleansing. It doesn't all have to be about expensive creams and lotions – if there's one thing that's made a real difference to the quality of my skin this is it. The first cleanse is to remove make up and surface grime, and the second is to really clear the pores and refresh the skin. It also leaves your face feeling super soft and moisturised. Heaven.'
• 10 Finally, tell us what's in your handbag!

  We couldn't end our intreview without having a quick snoop through Liz's makeup bag. 'I'm always on the hunt for the perfect lip balm, but this Rodin one is my current favourite – I have about five in rotation at any one time!' Another beauty staple is her Caudalie Beauty Elixir, a cult product you'll find in the bag of just about every beauty expert: 'I use this to keep my skin hydrated throughout the day and keep my makeup looking fresh!' Three beautifully bottled Ex Nihilo fragrance vials are also tucked neatly away for spritzing on-the-go: 'I was lucky enough to have a bespoke fragrance made by this chic Parisian brand' explains Liz, 'these are a few of their samples which I find handy to keep in my handbag – the Rose Hubris is my perfect day scent.'