In an octopus's garden with you....

Without sounding like an opening to an advert for shampoo, when it comes to styling my hair, I’m no expert! I love looking through magazines or pinning ideas on Pinterest but I can never quite master the look I’m aiming for. Even learning to curl with straighteners was a mission. Thankfully, due to a win at a local charity event, I have been lucky enough to indulge in some much needed hairapy after winning a month’s free gold membership at what is now my new favourite salon, Octopus Hair.  

Based in St James, Northampton, the newly revamped salon has become a gem of a place to be pampered. It was obvious from the moment I walked in and met the owner, Dana, that I was in for a treat. Now I’m not one for taking hair risks, unless of course you exclude the time when I was 12 and opted for a Kylie Minogue perm which I thought looked amazing, especially with my goofy teeth and my favourite pair of washed denim jeans with zips at the ankles!  However, sitting me down with a latte and biscotti to discuss my hair needs I suddenly felt very important! She explained the membership included unlimited wash and blow dries, treatments specific to me, styling sessions and ending with a colour and cut. I was in heaven!  

Spending most of my life opting for blonde highlights my hair has been through a lot of dye and bleach, not to mention the copious amounts of spray, styling products and straightening so it came to no surprise when Dana suggested a course of conditioning treatments to start me off. Leaving the pro’s to it, I was more than happy to let them take control and do what they needed in order to replenish my mane! I assumed my first treatment would be one of those 10 minute deep conditioning packets you can pick up in your local supermarket but little did I know that it was so much more! Sitting back I relaxed into a deluxe four step process that involved stripping my hair of all its toxins and replacing it with goodness, along with having the most amazing head massage I have ever experienced!  

Styled and ready to party

Staggering back to my chair feeling drunk-like, I sobered up with another latte and biscotti whilst my hair was brushed, dried, styled and curled. Perfect timing as I was going out for a friends’ birthday that evening and I’ll admit I felt really good. I even got a few compliments throughout the night too!  

The rest of the month consisted of various other conditioning treatments from the team, who also tried out different styles on me too. From sleek and straight to wavy and loose curls, I feel like I have been thoroughly indulged and spoilt. My favourite of them all had to be the final cut and colour where I was treated to both foils and paint, something I have never had done before and I absolutely loved how it looked at the end. Definitely the best colour I have ever had. It’s no wonder they call themselves colour experts!  

Sleek and Straight

I enjoyed every appointment I had with the membership and actually found myself getting excited about each visit just so I could see what they were going to do next. All the staff are so friendly, nothing about them is pretentious or clicky like I have felt in the past from other hairdressers. Every member of staff comes across as extremely passionate about their job and want to make sure you walk out feeling good and most importantly, have great hair! They are dedicated and focused on ensuring your hair is well looked after and maintained and they give great advice on how to look after it too.  

Since winning the prize, I have been back for a colour and cut, and once again, they didn’t fail to disappoint. I’ve even booked in for another appointment next month along with one to get my hair styled for a wedding I’m going to…I can’t wait for that one! I’m so pleased I won it because I feel like I’ve found a business I didn’t even know existed and absolutely love it. I would definitely recommend them even to the fussiest of people because they have the ability to take you from feeling like an ogre to princess in an instant, and that is something worth shouting about. 

 

The end result!

 

 

To find out more about Octopus Hair, you can check out their Facebook or follow them on Twitter @Octopushair