H E A LT H A N D BEAUTY
Clockwise: Zara Perry Hairdressing salon; owner Zara Perry; Sarah’s glamorous ’do
ON THE UP The lowdown on having an updo created by the Bath Life Award-winning hairdresser Zara Perry By SA R A H MO OL L A
T
he first and last time I had an updo, I went into the hairdressers clutching a picture of Audrey Hepburn and came out looking like Audrey Roberts. I vowed never again. Even when I took my wedding vows, I refused to consider big hair for my big day, and kept it well and truly flat. However, for the glamorous Bath Life Awards, I thought I’d give it another whirl, and Zara Perry, who opened her eponymously-named salon in St James’s Parade in November 2015, was just the person to inspire confidence in going off my usual hairstyle path. She’s upbeat, focused
LAST TIME I HAD AN UPDO, I WENT IN CLUTCHING A PICTURE OF AUDREY HEPBURN AND CAME OUT LOOKING LIKE AUDREY ROBERTS
and easy company. Better still, she not only knows her hairdressing stuff (she’s been in the profession since 2004 and through managing salons, has secured a loyal client base), she also has one of those rare and much-sought after hairdresser qualities – she instinctively knows what will suit, then carefully considers the practicalities. My first choice of look was dismissed as it was for someone with very-long tresses; my second choice fell by the wayside when Zara pointed out that straight hair wouldn’t suit the neckline of the dress I would soon be donning, and it was unlikely to stay sleek for long with Storm Doris hammering at the window, so she steered me to a third option – a tousled up-style, with a soft fringe. Slightly prom, slightly rustic and definitely ‘up there’ – something I would have previously dismissed. All this was discussed and decided upon in a matter of minutes and the whole process from updo nervousness to towering transformation, took just over 40 minutes. Zara made the transition effortlessly and painlessly as she tonged, teased and pinned my hair into a creation I utterly loved. I battled back to the office through the howling wind and rain, half expecting the
’do to explode like a haystack en route, but it more than held its own. As it did the whole night of the Bath Life Awards – even after jumping for joy when Zara was named winner of the Hair & Beauty category (the judges said: “Zara is a ball of energy putting so much into this business to provide the best experience for her clients”) and after spending the rest of the night at the aftershow in Circo. It even looked good up until three days later, when I finally, and reluctantly, bade farewell to my very wearable and super flattering style. Thanks to Zara, the memory of that former botched beehive has now long gone, and I find myself missing the high. For more: www.zphairdressing.co.uk
www.mediaclash.co.uk I BATH LIFE I 111