I’ve been spending a lot of time in London recently for Graduate Fashion Week and LCM and the show schedule has been hectic (just the way I like it). The last few weeks have seen me running around all over London with barely time to stop to rest my weary feet. So, to save me time and effort, I’ve been visiting Blo Blow Dry Bar in Covent Garden to be primped and preened and ready to take my place on the FROW.
The blow dry bar is a relatively new concept to the UK and the last few years has seen them popping up in major cities all over the country, however Blo is a little different. There’s no dyeing, no cutting, in fact no scissors of any kind; this is a salon dedicated to the art of the blow dry and other artistic finishing techniques. Hugely successful in the States and endorsed by none other than Gwyneth Paltrow, Blo prides itself on making clients look and feel great, their ethos is simple: Wash, Blow & Go.
The salon offers a set menu of blow dry options, from the smooth straight lines of the Executive Sweet to the plumped up curls of the Holly Would, there’s something here to suit every face shape and every hair type. Located in the basement area of Covent Garden’s Market Piazza, just minutes from the tube station the salon is cool and contemporary in feel, operating a simple but effective colour pallete of fuchsia and white which runs across all of their branding. When I arrive at the salon I’m greeted by a gorgeous girl covering front of house with an uber wide smile and amazing hair (natch).
The reason I’m here is to check out the newly introduced Braid Menu, perfect for Festival Season there are a range of styles to choose from, each incorporating different braiding techniques and each dramatically different, from the Russian Princess styling of the Crowning Glory halo braid to the fashionable Fishtail braid.
For Graduate Fashion Week I opt for a Crowning Glory Halo Braid, it’s pretty hot out and I have a lot of running around to do so I figure this will keep me cool and looking slightly less frazzled.
My Creative Stylist Michaela gets to work telling me that braiding is her favourite thing to do, particularly the Crowning Glory braid because it looks different on everyone”. She tells me that typically a clients hair is washed and dried in the salon before being styled however because my hair can be slippy when freshly washed, I opt for my braid to be put in from dry. Literally within minutes Michaela has worked her magic to create a gorgeous halo braid perfect for Graduate Fashion Week. She pulls at the braid to “fatten” it up and give it more of a messy, undone look and then uses a tail comb to pull some tendrils out from the front which she gently waves using a GHD Curve. In no time at all I have a completed style in less time than it would have taken me to wash and dry my own hair, perfect!
A week later, I’m still in London and my schedule is off the chain as LCM is now underway so I decide to pay Blo another visit for another amazing plaited creation – It’s another red hot day and the last thing I need is my hair sticking to my face! I arrive at the salon and am instantly recognised by the girl at front of house and am seated straight away. With Tasha, my Creative Stylist today, I decide on a French Fishtail braid with a brushed back front, think Elsa from Frozen and you’re on the right track. That’s one of the great things about Blo; if there’s something you have in mind the Stylists will work with you to create an amazing and unique look tailored specifically to your hair.
Tasha preps my hair and pins the top section of my hair up before starting to fishtail braid the lower section. Again, within minutes she’s created an intricate French Fishtail braid, with the top section she backcombs and sets it into place before pulling out some thin sections at the front and waving them with the GHD Curve.
If you’re planning a trip London to catch a show, go shopping or just for a City break, I’d highly recommend booking an appointment at Blo, you’ll be pampered whilst you’re there and you’ll leave with a fashion forward style that’ll turn heads during your visit and make you the envy of your friends back home when you share your selfies. If you live and work here in London then check out the Blo Breakfast Club, you need never have a flustered morning again!
The salon can also be booked for Batchelorette Parties and Pamper Parties and pretty much anything else you might want to do with a group of your best girlfriends, owner Irina is big on girl power and loves seeing the transformations in clients from when they arrive to when they leave. With gift cards available, you’re able to gift a blow dry or an up do and speaking from experience, the last thing you want to do when you’re out of town is have the added hassle of doing your hair so it’s a win all round for me! Who knows, maybe I’ll see you there….
Pixie x
Blo is at:
34 The Market (Covent Garden – lower courtyard)
The Piazza, London
United Kingdom WC2E 8RE
To book a blo out or just chat about
your fringe, call +44 (0) 207 836 5115
or email blocoventgarden@blomedry.com
Monday to Wednesday 7am to 8pm
Thursday to Saturday 7am to 9pm
Sunday 11am to 5pm
*Open as early as 7am by appointment.
