Author: Chloe Mellon

I have had almost every hair style and colour under the sun!
Long Shakira waves, perm, Amelie Poulin bob, pixie cut, V shaped fringe, blue, red, Leeloo orange, crimped, mohawk… the list goes on! But one style I had always craved but never dared give a go was shaving my head (I don’t mean shaved smooth like a baby’s bottom, but leave about 1cm of hair all over…). I was scared… what if it did not suit me, what if I felt exposed, what if my skull is shaped weird, what if (and this was my biggest and maybe dumbest fear) I don’t look feminine anymore.

But, come November 2021, with all this covid rubbish, I thought life is too short for what if’s, it will grow back, and if I really hate it I have many many (many!) hats and I can get some fun wigs!

This is what happened:
I loved it and all of my fears were wrong!

My neck now appears longer, and my head slimmer (everyone keeps on asking if I lost weight… I really did not see this one coming). Not going to lie, it makes me feel super elegant! And I LOVE wearing big earrings, and knowing that everyone can actually always see my fabulous bling (sort of like extra boojie hair).

I can play with colours and there is very little risk! Every month/month and a half I go back for a shave and a bleach and a pink toner. In month time, my pink will fade, so I can re apply a pink, or try a yellow, or a green… or whatever I want! If I don’t like it it fades, or I am back in the salon and they sort it for me! It is a lot of fun with basically no risk!!!

I am spending a lot less on shampoo and conditioner, so I can splurge on more expensive products in the salon!!! I mean this one is pretty obvious! A lot less hair, so I use a lot less to wash it. Just means I can now always get the fab Davines products I had my eyes on but could not always consistently afford!

I do a lot of exercise… and it is just so practical. If you love to work out or be active in anyway, its really revolutionary not to have to think about your hair anymore !

And my biggest fear… was my biggest surprise. I was worried I would not be feminine or like what I saw in the mirror. I have never felt more elegant and feminine in my whole life! Like the song “I am woman” by Emmy Meli, being a woman is really whatever you make of it, and whatever you want, which I guess I had sort of lost sight of!

So, any of you think you might give it a go? One word of advice, maybe wait until spring, I shaved my head in November and did not anticipate how cold my ears would be !!!

Have a great day. Oh and schedule that appointment at Anne Veck Oxford now!

xxxDFG
www.dirtyfrenchgirl.com

Brrr… the cold… it does not do wonders for our lovely locks!
With the lowering temperatures comes less humidity, hair damage caused by scarves and coat static and heating which harms our hair by sucking the moisture out and can cause it to break!

So what can we do to avoid looking like a dried out hay stack for New Year- other than tying our hair into contained pony tails and buns for the entire season (which works wonders, but leaves or ears exposed to the cold and it is nice to be able to treat ourselves to more than one hair style per couple of months!)

With less humidity in the air, our scalp produces less oil! But do not worry Anne Veck and Davines have this sorted! Davines has a range of awesome hair masks to choose from, to keep your hair moisturized and shiny throughout the winter months. You can have a look at our online shop HERE, or email us at oxford@anneveckhair.com with any questions, but also do not hesitate to stop in salon to ask us questions in person.

Another thing to bear in mind, which I think we ALL forget, is that if we are producing less oil, we do not need to wash our hair as often! But many of us (me included) wash our hair out of habit rather than need, so on top of the dryness caused by the cold, we are drying out our hair and scalp by washing it too often! Anne recommends maybe waiting an extra day before shampooing your hair in winter, and using the Davines MOMO Shampoo, specifically designed to give our hair that extra moisture.

I hope this helps you keep your hair safe!

xxxDFG
www.dirtyfrenchgirl.com

Christmas is upon us and so are the festivities that come with!
SO what hair are you going to wear this year round?
Here at Anne Veck Oxford, we have a few ideas as to what might look as banging as your Christmas crackers!!! So what ideas do the hair salon stockings have for us this year?

1. Vintage hair! It is not only the classic retro vintage Christmas songs that we love this time of year, vintage hair styles… well they simply never go out of style! 20s bobs, short fringes, and finger waves styles are always a winner this time of year!

2.Easy waves! If your more of a low key, comfy knitted clothes and hot chocolate kind Christmas gal or guy, this is the look for you! Gorgeous, easy to do in salon (or at home afterwards, we will tell you how 😉 wavey curls will make you look like you are straight out of a Disney Christmas special!

3. The French twist! Christmas is for sharing, so lets get our hand on some of that effortless French style! Great if you’re hosting, look fabulous, and keep your har out of the way! What more could you want!?

4.Hair accessories!!!! Hair ribbons, hair chains, hair anything! Anything that gives your lock that extra sparkle and bling is obviously going to look perfect for the festive season! So do not be afraid to pimp your hair out with whatever you think looks cool and make you feel fantastic!

So, which look do you think you’ll go for? we can’t wait to find out!

Bizous xxx

Chloe Mellen
www.dirtyfrenchgirl.com

COP26: what are hair salons doing to cut CO2 emissions, reduce waste and save nature?

The Glasgow Climate Pact was finally signed on Saturday evening 13th November. COP26 President Alok Sharma described the closing of the summit as a “fragile win” and he was reduced to tears after a last-minute intervention from India and China weakened the effort to end the use of coal power. Fossil fuel really was a big sticking point. It is generally agreed that the pledges on emission cuts fell short on what is required to limited global heating to 1.5 degrees, although this target is still possible. Climate finance was left with much unresolved and developing countries left the summit without the funds they will need to manage the effects of climate change or to move to cleaner energy. The day 1 agreement on stopping deforestation looked good until some countries rowed back on their commitments as early as day 2!

On a positive note, most commentators agree that ,despite shortcomings, COP26 is a major step forward.

What is also very clear is that saving the planet can not be left to governments alone. Both the public and business will need to play a massive part in the programme of change that is required to prevent the climate and nature crisis we all face.

So how can hair salons play their part? Can our industry make a significant contribution? UK hair salons and barber shops emit more CO2 than many small countries and that is not counting the CO2 emissions from our salons’ supply chain – in other words the large and small manufacturers who sell us products. And all the other businesses who depend on salons. So we most definitely can make a difference.

Each and every salon can play its part. The no brainer action is switch to green energy and do it now. Other obvious actions include reduce chemical waste, reduce use of paper and card in stationery and packaging and reduce single use plastic in the salon to zero. Use the train for business travel, don’t take internal UK flights! Examine the sustainable credentials of your product supplier ( and others too, from loo paper to coffee to towels) and change them if necessary! If a brand is part of the problem then don’t do business with them. So many brands in our industry are making real changes to be sustainable and ethical. They deserve our business.

What is the British Beauty Council doing?

The British Beauty Council Sustainable Beauty Coalition have published two ground breaking reports on beauty and sustainability and greenwashing respectively. “The Courage to Change” and “The Planet Positive Beauty Guide”. These are must reads and you can find links to them here

Salons and nature!

It is sometimes overlooked that reducing the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere sufficiently to restrict climate heating to 1.5 degrees more than pre-industrial levels, will be impossible without nature. The oceans, forests, peat bogs and other habitats are what absorb and retain all the CO2 we emit! Whilst salons don’t often have gardens and roofs that can be looked after with nature in mind (wildlife gardening, green roofs, etc), we can make a positive impact. The best plan is to simply be more sustainable- reduce energy and CO2 , reduce packaging both plastic and paper/card, reduce chemical waste, buy products from sustainable suppliers, etc – and help save forests, oceans and the nature that lives there. Living forests and seas full of wildlife absorb more CO2 than “dead” seas (eg Pacific gyre) and “dead” plantations of the wrong trees in the wrong place.
And of course, support your local wildlife trust with donations and sponsorship and by organising team building days with your team. The Conservation Volunteers can also help with this.

Salon Re:Source get it here! Simple, step by step actions all salon owners can take, starting today. It’s easy! Well some of it is!

As summer ended, so did the crazy home hairxperiments! And we know, it can be hard to find the right winter style: something cool, on trend, that suits you, and that can also weather the storm that is British winter. We have to deal with the cold outside, the heat inside, coat hair… it can be a right nightmare (in fact if you need some tips and bits on how to handle your locks during the winter months, keeping them at their best, click HERE to read a previous blog on the subject matter!)

But, fret not, for Anne Veck has got your back! Here are Anne’s top pick for this winter’s wants!

Undercuts! Especially at the back of your head around the nape. Totally fab if you have a lot fo thick hair, lightens the load without leaving your head exposed to the element and protects you from coat hair!

Choppy Cuts! These have done nothing but become more and more popular since summer. Low maintenance but high effect, look great with nothing but bit of salt spray and off you go!

Full thick fringes! With any length hair. They look great with hats, beanies, and just add a element of cuteness to any style. And fringe don’t have to be “long”, as i the just by the brow! Go a bit shorter for a statement and highlight your cheekbones!

The wet look! Sort of perfect for British weather, if it rains you’ll be on point (I jest!). However this look is forever glamorous, totally swag for all the upcoming Christmas parties and drinks. Make sure you get the right products, usually a combo of gel, cream and hairspray (ask your stylist in salon for the best way to achieve the look with your hair) and be the badass belle of the ball!

We look forward to seeing you all in the salon, and making you all look even more fabulous than before!

xxxDFG
www.dirtyfrenchgirl.com

Many hairdressers aren’t skilled or experienced in working with textured/black/afro hair and so some salons can’t or won’t do your hair if you are black. That’s a fact. The recent review of the relevant occupational standards have resulted in it now being mandatory for students to be trained in working with ALL hair types. In fact this has been the case with apprenticeships for several years. So change is coming.

Black hair care, treatment and how to cut and colour it has been sidelined in our college courses and many salons, that don’t specifically specialise in afro hair. This is not OK, which is why at Anne Veck Oxford we make sure we can provide care for ALL types of hair!

I don’t have afro hair, so I asked one of Anne’s clients who does, what her her take on this topic is, including what’s it like to find a salon which can do your hair!

“When I was younger, I never really thought about my hair and who does it. Growing up, my hair was done by my mother or other members of my family. I think, before finding Anne Veck, I had been to the hairdressers, for my own hair, once in my life. I was young, I’d noticed that most of the people in the salon looked like me. Their hair texture was closer to mine, the styles they were getting were styles which I recognised; I’d grown up around them. At one time, we had a specific hairdresser, that did all of our locks. However, as I grew older, I found it easier to do my own hair. Something that I will always take from my hair journey, is the excitement I felt when we found Anne Veck, a person who could do my hair. Because for me it was never as simple as leaving home to go to any of the four salons on our high street.”

Anne has been on a journey learning about black hair since she opened her salon back in 1991. As she explains “Hair is hair is hair. If we can’t welcome people with textured hair it is like not welcoming people with red hair!

Anne is currently a finalist for both the British Hairdressing Awards Afro Hairdresser of the Year and The Big One for Afro Hair (which she won in 2020). As some of you will know, the secret guest artist (Tuesdays and Wednesdays OK it’s Desmond Murray) is an internationally renowned afro, all round and men’s hairdresser.

So spread the word, the entire Anne Veck team is trained in or being trained in Afro hairdressing!

xxxDFG
www.dirtyfrenchgirl.com

I think that by now, it is safe to say that we have all, to some greater or lesser extent, tried to implement more eco friendly habits into our lives! Whether it be bags for life, installing solar panels, going veggie or vegan, going to work on a bike, or all the above plus even more, there is still one aspect of our lives we often forget to consider: the services we use regularly.

Consider the experience of an average colour appointment; bright lights, dryers going, music playing, screens on. Highlighting foils, refreshments, gowns, towels, washing, rinsing, more towels…Multiply this by an average day’s clientele and you’re potentially looking at a large energy bill and an even larger carbon footprint.
Well I’m here to tell you that if you get your hair done at Anne Veck, you do not need to worry! Fret not, as they are THE carbon neutral salon!!!

In 2013, Anne and Keith redesigned and refurbished the whole salon to be eco friendly and sustainable. Since 2019 they have held the accolade of “Certified Carbon Neutral” from Carbon Footprint Ltd and aim to work with companies who have the environment at the forefront of their business ethos! So from the moment you enter Anne Veck Oxford you are greeted by a business that’s both commercially successful and environmentally sustainable.

Anne says, ‘We work with sustainably conscious companies because not only do we love the results that they achieve but we love what they stand for. They manufacture with renewable energy, use recycled packaging and naturally derived ingredients, are carbon neutral and some are B Corp. We also love that we can provide our clients with a refill bar for Davines Shampoos and conditioners.’ Anne and Keith work hard to not only let their clients know what they are doing, but also get word out in the trade media, so that other salon owners what options are out there, and hopefully also start to run their business in a greener fashion. To speed this up they wrote SalonRe:Source, a toolkit for salon owners.
So, to answer the title question of this article, if you’re part of the Anne Veck Oxford community, your hair do is hella sustainable!

Have a great day!

xxxDFG
www.dirtyfenchgirl.com
PS forgot to mention, they won “Sustainable Hero” at the Creative Head magazine Most Wanted Awards 2021!
DFG

We’re out, We’re About, and Anne Veck Oxford is keeping us fresh!
As autumn approaches, with it’s gusty winds, falling leaves and cooler weather, what looks are we trading our “keep my neck fresh” buns and pony tails in for?
I took Anne Veck out for coffee and picked her brains, so here is what the AV team thinks you should be keeping an eye out for!

-Raw Textures and Layers
Movement and face framing layers, with minimal styling and working with your hair natural texture, will be a go to this autumn! Still “recovering” from a lot of DIY lockdown hair experiments, this trend is gorgeous and great for growing back that healthy hair!

-Buzz Cuts
This can be a radical change and look for women, but also very low maintenance and keeps you looking on point whether it be for work or a night out. So if if you want to look swag with minimal effort this is a great way to go!

-Grown out Fringes
Blunt, choppy or curtain fringe, a grown out bang can look utterly fab on straight or curly hair! But do it right! Get it trimmed in salon so it looks purposefully 70s negligent rather than just a bit ill forgotten.

-70s Vibezzz
Perfect intro to our next trend: 70s everything, everywhere! Fashion is a cycle, and the 70s are for sure coming back around. Keep your eyes peeled for chic and understand 70s references, in people wardrobes, hair…. everything!

-All the Bobs!
The bob. Timeless! Not sure when this style is ever out of fashion! Any cut with a distinctive shape is always a statement and always in! The “wash and go vibe” is great now that we’re getting back to our busier lives.

So… what style are you thinking of sporting this autumn? We can’t wait to see you in salon to find out!

xxxDFG
www.dirtyfrenchgirl.com

The politics of hair… hair is so much more than just a fashion statement. It can convey strength and power (although if done wrong can also make us look ridiculous and taken less seriously… *cough cough…Boris…Trump*), and carry some heavy political statements. I wanted to look back on a couple iconic styles, that actually have a loaded history, which you may not have thought about.

The Bob. This iconic crop really rose to popularity in the 1920s and is closely associated with this era’s flapper fashion. But women started sporting this cut in the early 1900s, for the same reasons though! It was a feminist statement. Cutting one’s long hair was a way of cutting ties with society’s expectations of women, a not so subtle way of cutting away from tradition. It created a fresh erogenous zone and was a very visual way for women to assert their independence. Read more Here!

Corn Rows. So, maybe this is common knowledge, but I found out that corn rows used to be used as maps to freedom! While we sometimes think cornrows to be a modern trend, it is a style of braiding hair that has been around for more than a millennia. They have been traced back as far as 3000BCE, but in our more “recent” history, it is a style that is loaded with political meaning and used as a tool of resistance against slavery and bondage: braided into intricate patterns, they could map out routes to escape the homes of slave owners. This link has loads of interesting information on the history of a today’s many black hair styles, looks often thought to be just modern trends.

Are there any other hair styles you’re curious about? Let us know and I can do a bit of research 🙂

Have a great day!

xxxDFG
www.dirtyfrenchgirl.com

After almost a year and a half of yo-yoing between being locked in our homes, the occasional liberties and momentary freedom, it is safe to say that everyone’s everyday day lives have irrevocably changed! Professional and social landscapes have altered and the reflection of this is visible in so many overlooked mundane happenstances!
And our hair is no exception! The reasons why and the trends that have surfaced as a result, are really refreshing. Lockdowns have caused many of us to re-evaluate our priorities: what we hold dear and important. As a result, a new wave of self acceptance has bubbled to the surface.

Working from home
Make shift kitchen and sofa desks are now a standard feature for many! And let’s be honest, we’ve all worked from our bed too. And unless there is a 9am Zoom meeting, simply getting dressed seemed like slight overkill when you can’t leave the house! Just brushing and detangling our hair had become enough. And why shouldn’t it be?

Salons were closed
Some tried out every hair dye under the sun, others just embraced what God gave them. Regardless, without the pressure of leaving the house everyday and being seen, we just didn’t care as much and allowed ourselves to try things we might not have felt conformable doing before. But salons are well and truly open now, so whether you are going au naturel or crazy coloring your way through summer, pop in so we can help keep your hair healthy!

Considering Costs
Furlough was great, but we have all felt the financial pinch of Covid. We are re-evaluating many things, from our values to our spending and as much as we LOVE having you back in the salon, we are aware that people’s spending habits have changed. Luckily for us, you guys still enjoy treating yourself and taking care of your hair!

THE TRENDS

Natural hair!!!!
This is a huge trend since lockdown! Maybe it’s all that time spent alone, allowing self reflection and self acceptance, but we have definitely noticed that fewer of you are hiding the grey and instead you are embracing it! Either leaving it be, or enhancing your natural colour, we’re loving the celebration of the organic vibes! To keep silver strands shining, we recommend silver or grey shampoo.Many think these are only for bleached hair, but not at all: they do a fabulous job of removing brassy tones from all hair, coloured or not.

Crazy Colours!!!
OK… so it may look like I’m contradicting myself, but either you guys are going au naturelle, or you are craving those crazy colours! After so long without a hairdresser, you want some thing that pops, sizzles and cracks to celebrate your re-entrance into society! And actually naturally grey or white hair is a fantastic base to try a bit of paint on!

Face Framing!!!
A very low maintenance and subtle colour! Framing only your face with colour, but not touching the bulk of your hair! So all that healthy regrowth stays that way, healthy, but your face is framed, highlighted and refreshed!

As always, hope you found my two cents interesting! Don’t forget to book your next appointment at Anne Veck Oxford….
Stay safe.

xxxDFG
www.dirtyfrenchgirl.com