The Bandana

Recently seen posing for one of the most famous 'girl power' shots of the century, Beyonce rocked a bandana in the recent picture, showing that not only is it coming back in to style, it's also actually quite functional... Want to wear one?  Here's how!

Wear it like a headband 

Fold into a triangle and roll into a band, then tie at the nape of the neck, this is great for a casual look, teamed with denim or a summer dress.

Wear it as a top / side knot

This look is the classic, and can be used to keep hair off the back of the neck whilst adding a chic touch to some casual outfits, pick brightly coloured prints to add some volume to otherwise plain t-shirts and tops.

Rihanna made this also work for a more dressed up affair, by matching a black bandana with the dress and cape jacket.

The Retro Pin-Up

Beyonce showed this recently as mentioned above, and it's a great combo with most summer outfits.  Add volume to the fringe or the top of the hair to accentuate the  piece and really add that retro feel to your hair.

The Bonnet

This is something that can disguise a multitude of hair sins if you are having an off day!  Fold into the triangle, and place at the back of the head and tie, tuck the bandana in and if wearing a quiff, then secure with pins or tuck underneath the bandana.  If you want to do it loosely this will also protect curls / pinned hair from too much movement before a night out!

THERE SHE BLOWS!

As with all Hairdressing tips, nothing quite beats the stylist when you sit down in their chair, they ruffle up your locks and within 15 seconds they've achieved a look that you would be battling in front of the mirror for a good hour to achieve.  Well here are our top tips from Llandudno Stylist Jonny Williams to achieving your perfect blowdry.

Prep tips:
First of all, shake it!  No not your best Miley Cyrus impression, shake your products before applying them! For lots of body and volume, layer a root lift spray at the top with a volumising foam such as the Volumactive Expansion Mousse from Kerastase, to give gravity defying volume. If your hair is coarse and frizzy use an oil product such as Shu Uemura Essence Absolue, remember this goes a long way so not too much. A lot of products don't have heat protectors in as standard, so check and use a separate one if not, I highly reccommend the Forme Fatale or Lift Vertige from the Kerastase Styling range, these are great styling hold as well as protection for heat.

1. Rough dry your hair without the nozzle attachment (this makes it a lot quicker) until it’s 90% dry, don't try to blowdry your hair into a style from wet, it just won't work. As you do so, lift the hair up at the front for root lift and tip your head upside down for volume. This means that the hair will be lifted upward and give more volume.

2. Attach the nozzle for directional styling and using a round bristle brush work on small sections, It may feel like it takes a while but smaller sections will make it easier, and give you a better overall finish. Start with the top middle section of hair to give this the most time to set. Dry it forwards and backwards against the roots for lift then roll the sections around your brush. Heat it up then cool it down with the ‘cool shot’ setting (ever wondered what that little button does on your hairdryer??).  Pay attention to the ends when you lift them up between the hairdryer and the brush as to what shape you want to achieve.  Concentrating more on these parts with the brush and the hairdryer will give you a more definite curl at the end, or roll up and heat slowly to achieve a more longer curl. Separate the hair from the brush and pin the section up as it sets.

3. Repeat this technique until you have done all of your head.  Then spray with a light hairspray to achieve a degree of hold.

4.  Take the pins out, and tip your head upside again, ruffling from the root to achieve even more lift. Back-comb the roots with a fine comb in the underneath sections to achieve even more volume, style, and if you want to concentrate more on the curl, then curl with straighteners to get the desired look.  Fix with hairspray, and then hit the town!

Festival Ready: A 4 Step Style Guide

Before you have even hit the "PAY NOW" button for your Festival Tickets, you have probably thought of at least 3 outfit ideas, agonized over the weather and mentally tried to remember where you left your wellies after their last outing (probably in the garage still covered in last years mud- but that's okay). You have envisioned yourself looking the epitome of Festival Chic, Vanessa Hudgen's has nothing on you girl! But Wait... Suddenly its a few days before and Chic seems like a distant memory and although you have your best festival get up ready to go, you have NO idea what to do with your hair. 

Take a deep breathe.... and relax! The Tommy's Team is here to wake you from your Festival Hair-mare with some Simple 4 Step Styles. Find out below two of Chester Stylist Sally's quick fix styles. 

Style 1...Boho Chic for Shoulder Length or Longer

Step 1. Curl the hair in loose waves using curling tongs or straighteners and then apply Volume powder to the roots.

Step 2. Place your favorite flower head band around the head (over the hair), gently tease up the hair to create a bit of volume and secure.

Step 3. Take the side sections and curl back, securing with more grips to hide the elastic of the headband.

Step 4. Use a strong hold hair spray (Such as Kerastase Lacque Noire) to fix your style and adjust the curls accordingly. 

Style 2... Messy Side Bun

Step 1. Take a section of hair from the opposite side to where you would like your bun, plait this section and bring it back around the head. Securing with an elastic band and grips.

Step 2. Take the hair on the opposite side and curl it over, bringing it back to meet the plait. Secure in place using grips.

Step 3. Scoop up the hair hanging down and fold up into a bun, securing in place.This should hide the grips previously used in step 1 & 2.

Step 4. Fix in place with Hair Spray and accessories with boho inspired jewelry pieces.

There are so many inspiring hair looks to recreate this summer, these are just two of our favorites to do when your in a fix. If you would like to see a simple step by step guide of any more looks please be sure to leave us a comment below.

We love seeing your recreations so don't forget to Tweet us a photo using the hashtag "TommysFestivalStyle" . 

Lots Of Love

Tommy's xxx

Festival Hot Picks 2014

It is impossible to think of Summer without thinking of the back log of British Festivals on offer and there is A LOT on offer. Britain hold some of the biggest festivals and although the performances and genres may differ, the festival styles and hottest looks can be seen through all. 

We are currently witnessing a fantastic display of confidence in self expression in this era. It is becoming more apparent that a large number of us are becoming more confident in expressing our personality through our style. It started with Geek Chic (let's face it most of us have worn glasses we don't really need) and its carrying on through body art and hair colour. Chester Guests, try and count how many different colours Sally's hair has been this year!

For those of you who might be regular festival goers looking for a hair style pick me up or for festival newbies looking for some quick ideas; do not fear Tommy's is here to offer you our Festival Hot Picks for 2014. Keep reading to find out our Top 3 Festival Styles and Hair colours for this Summer.

Top 3 Festival Hair Styles 2014

1. Boho/ Beach Inspired Waves... A common staple hair style for festivals, especially for

those of you with long locks. Tousled curls worn with a center parting is the statement curled style to wear in a festival and 2014 is not making any exceptions for this. For the perfect waved look Jessica, our Colour Technician,is inspired by Vanessa Hudgens. She says "I love her festival look. She always finds the right balance with her style, she is definitely my festival hair inspiration." 

2.The Top Knot...The top knot is a style that we wear through out the year and during different occasions and events. It is something you can dress up or down and is one of the most versatile looks. Our funky top knot festival hot pick comes from the gorgeous Whitney Port. 

3.The Braid...The braid is a versatile hair style and can be worn in a multitude of ways to suit different hair lengths. For shorter hair we are loving a braid using grown out or side fringes, plaited across the forehead. Tommy's Ultimate Festival braid style is the Dutch inspired braid using all the hair and wrapping it over the top of the head. Think Jennifer Lawrence and Scarlett Johansson. 

Top 3 Festival Hair Colours

1. Peacock Blue Hues... Courtesy of Kylie Jenner, Katy Perry and Demi Lavato, Blue is most certainly the new black for 2014. Chester Stylist Sally has been blue for a month now and here is what she says about this latest colour trend "Before this I was lilac for quite a while and I fancied a change. I decided to go blue as it is still a vibrant colour but I feel its more sophisticated and can be worn in different situations. I think it is going to be a popular colour through this summers festival scene" 

2. Fuschia Pink... Festival Queen Vanessa Hudgens has recently been spotted with fuschia dip dyed waves and braids. This has always been a popular festival colour and is definitely one of our Hot Picks for 2014. Our favorite pink look for this year has been inspired by Little Mix's Perrie Edwards. We love the contrast of her bright two-toned pink tresses against her pale skin tone. 

3. Multi Coloured... Ok so "technically" this is not one colour but it is most certainly one of our hot looks for 2014. Multi coloured slices under the hair, dip dyes etc have become more and more experimental over time. Think Cruella Deville as a nice person and you somehow end up with Kesha in the Timber Music Video. These funky out there looks are amazing, especially when they are created with non permanent colour such as our much loved L'Oreal Hair Chalk. Kesha's Latest coloured look is getting the Tommy's Team pumped for some serious Hair Chalk over load. Adam our Academy Assistant in Llandudno says "Walking through town with majorly multi coloured hair still isn't a common thing but for people who want to release their wild side and have a bit of hair excitement, using non permanent hair chalks for a Festival is a great way to express yourself without any long term regrets."

Hopefully we have inspired you for some new or updated Festival ideas for this Summer. We would love to see photos of your ideas and re-creations of any of these looks so don't forget to take a selfie and Tweet us using the hash-tag TommysFestivalStyle 

Lots of Love 

Tommy's xxx

Learning a lesson

2014 will see a new era of Tommy's come to fruition.  Tommy's personal ambition to give opportunities to individuals who want to make a long and passionate career in hairdressing has always been a driving force behind his education ethos, and the Academy hub based at Llandudno is now under construction!

The advancement of knowledge and tuition of quality skills is a foundation that Tommy and Esther believe should be available to everyone mapping out a career in this industry, and not just for those that are conveniently situated in or near cities.

This ambition led to the Llandudno Salon being acquired not just for it's great location, but also the volume of space at the venue, available to create an Academy to educate in.  The Llandudno Salon will become the hub of training in a bespoke and nurturing environment, that can deliver quality to the industry in the North West and UK.

Seeing that young people were struggling to reach quality education due to their rural location, meant that some individuals are poorly prepared for what the real life of hairdressing has to throw at them.  Delivering quality knowledge, and making sure that there are real life experiences to include int his education will enable us to deliver a curriculum that will create well rounded, prepared, and employable individuals to the industry in the UK and into our own salons.

The Academy will open to external students later in the year (see below for contact details) enables the facility to become an independent identity to make the delivery of this high standard of education available to trainees.

We have immersed ourselves in different training providers, structures, and qualifications available to the industry.  Building a relationship with an industry leading NVQ qualification provider, VCTC has ensured the qualifications the Academy provides are delivered in the best way possible.

So if you have a desire to make a real career out of hairdressing in the future visit our website here and get touch with us, and take the first steps into an exciting and amazingly creative career!  We look forward to hearing from you soon!

The Botanist: Possibly the friendliest place in Chester

As soon as the Tommy's Chester Girls heard about a quirky new bar on St. Werburgh Street , we wasted no time checking out their website and Social Media. 10 minutes later we had booked a table for food and planned Pre-Cocktails on their sun terrace. You could call us fickle but were suckers for a themed venue and knew this would be right up our street.

We arrived at The Botanist quite excitable, the sun was shining and for the last 24 hours we had been studying the drinks list and knew exactly what we were going to start with; a Watering can. Yes that's right a watering can. For those of you who don't know The Botanist is completely themed around plants, herbs and all things green fingered as A Botanist is someone who specializes in the study of plants. Although this theme would have been very fresh and unique had it just been down to decor, it was superbly played through from the hanging bicycle over the bar down to the obviously well researched knowledge of the bar staff.

The watering can we choose was the "Raspberry and Sage", its based on four people sharing,  we each ended up with 3 drinks from it and I think this was well worth the price and the wait for it to be made. For those of you who visit The Botanist (and I urge you all to go) you will find that the drinks take a little longer to make as they are extremely passionate about making sure each drink sold looks and tastes perfect. I found it personally really refreshing and honest that they test the drinks with a straw before passing them over the bar and will add a little bit extra of the ingredients to make sure its just right. I truly could not fault the customer service of the eye candy... I mean staff behind the bar.

We took a seat upstairs on the sun terrace and naturally took a million selfies and group photos with the watering can. We possibly looked over excited but the detail that The Botanist puts into every aspect of their drinks is incredible. Our cocktail glasses were actually mugs shaped as a flower pot with a caterpillar as the handle. Each "flower pot" came filled with ice and herbs in a small wooden crate complete with grass (plastic but sssh). I think by this point we were all completely sold on the place.

Once we had finished our drinks we asked to be seated and were directed to large picnic style table inside over looking the bar. Ellen and Emily ordered the Chicken Hanging Kebabs which came with chips and myself and Jessica ordered the Burgers. Let me just take a second to talk about the chips... I'm not a huge chip eater but I have been dreaming of these chips ever since, they were literally the best chips I have ever eaten. The only way I can describe them would be salt and pepper fries, we all agreed that we would go back their for the chips alone. Needless to say the food was incredible and although we did not have room for dessert we most certainly had room for more cocktails. We did try the "Peach and Rosemary" watering can which was equally as delicious as the first, although we did not seem to get as many drinks from this one, it may have been down to the fact we didn't spend half an hour taking photos of it first haha.

Post food we decided to take a seat down by the bar to enjoy some more cocktails off the menu. Any Mojito fans will love the "Raspberry Mojito", it was deliciously sharp as well as minty smooth. A run down of the other cocktails we sampled between us are the "Strawberry and Cucumber Breeze", "Blueberry and Apple Cooler" and their signature cocktail "The Botanist". We found that a lot of the cocktails were so fresh they did not taste alcoholic but "The Botanist" was definitely the strongest cocktail we tried and three out of the four of us loved it. We also loved the Strawberry and Peach Melba Bellini's.

The Botanist holds such a fantastic atmosphere and slowly transforms from "few drinks down the allotment" to "Garden Party" before you know it. We were so lost in conversation and laughs that we hadn't realized the lights go down and the eclectic cheesy (but not too cheesy) music turn right up. I can honestly say, the girls also agree, it was the best most relaxed night out I have had in such a long time. It is not often you can find somewhere you feel relaxed enough to stay from food to multiple drinks. We contemplated going elsewhere but we just knew it would not be the same and although we left their by 8:45pm we felt we had made the most of the evening.

If you are looking for a relaxed, comfortable, friendly and refreshingly unique Bar/ Restaurant experience, I urge you to try The Botanist and you will not be disappointed. Keep your eye out for  "#emptyyourwateringcans" while your there and don't forget to #TOMMYSrecommends

Lots Of Love

Carys x

12 Easier than Check-in Holiday Hairstyles

You are on  holiday, you wake up and realise that you look like you have been dragged abroad.  Don't worry!  Here are 12 easy to do styles that will give you some easy inspiration, day or night!

1. Au Naturel - I know this thought may terrify you, but look how effortless Alexa Chung looks with her natural wave.  It honestly may not be as bad as you make out!

2.  Turban Headband - Eva Mendes wears it beautifully, and it can be a great addition to a hair up, half down, or all up style. Literally takes the thought out of everything!

3.  Flick out bob - We know it sounds ridiculously simple, but getting those curling tongs and flicking out the ends of your bob is a beautiful way to add texture and style to natural hair.  Follow with some refreshing spray to give it body.

 4.  Half up - such an easy style, that can be made as elegant or as simple as you like with twists, braids, and plaits.

 5.  Plaits & Braids - if you want a look that will see you through day and night, then think about plaits and braids.  Keeps the hair off your face, whilst still able to be as messy or neat as you like!

6.  Off your face - no were not talking about too many mojitos at the pool bar.  Use cute little plaits or pins to simply take your hair off your face and leave your hair with it's natural body.  Think about adding some subtle slices of blonde in your hair before you go on holiday, they will brighten in the sun and really add to the look!

 6.  Twist & Pin - This look here by Khloe Kardashian is literally as simple as it gets.  You can add as many or as little as you want, will go through to night, and if you've been in the sea, the salt will add some great texture to your long locks!

8.  The low ponytail.  This is a great look, can be back combed for texture, or made as sleek as you like.  We personally love the messy low pony, and you can take a section of hair and wrap around the bobble to disguise and add some sophistication to the look.  The great thing about this style is that you wouldn't even need to wash your hair!

 9.  Mid length curls.  People always think that you need to curl the whole length of hair when going out. Simply  blast dry the top with serum, grab sections and curl the bottom half.  It adds fab texture and style and simply add a good hairspray to finish off!

 The hat & the plait - What could be easier?  Invest in a decent trilby, side plait the hair, and then carry on with your holiday cocktail!  Backcomb the plait a little to add texture, or mess around with the plait style, fish braid etc.  Miranda Kerr carries this look off effortlessly.

11. Be blunt!  Don't even want to think about your hair whilst on holiday?  Your pre-holiday appointment (ideally about 1-2 weeks before you leave) Speak to your stylist and get a blunt style like Reese Witherspoon here. The straight lines will literally let you get away with hair murder on holiday.  It will hold it's shape, and the straight lines mean that no matter what it's shape it will give a great look.











12.  Refresh. Let's be honest if you've got hair like Penelope Cruz without a team of 40 stylists running behind you then you are going to be in trouble on holiday.  Want a tip?  Refreshing Spray!  Shu Uemura do a great depsea foundation refreshing spray. Pop it through the hair, blast back into shape and boom! You are ready again.  Great if you are in a rush or just want to revive a style!