The Reed

– Okay, so I love Madonna and I love Dolce e Gabbana. So check out these images – amazing!

And as if that wasn’t enough, take a look at this
www.dolcegabbana.com/dg/fashion-show/man/video_runway
True genius!

 I love this website. I am always looking for
quirky pieces – chairs, lighting, storage – and the guys behind Circus Antiques really know their stuff. They have some great pieces.

Lanvin was my absolute favourite show in Paris, and this morning I was praying at the altar of Alber, that this whole collection miraculously appears in my wardrobe. And don’t even let me start on the shoes!

I also wanted to include a couple of bits from one of my favourite clothes companies, Acne. I love their clothes, their use of colour and the fabrics that they use. I have already put in my order for my holiday wardrobe!

Junya Watanabe – I loved the Mod feel of this amazing collection. I would choose just about every look for myself!

Raf Simons – Absolutely. BLOODY. Amazing! I want each and every piece from this collection. PLEASE!!!!!

Viktor and Rolf – Fantastically quirky collection.

I saw Alexandra while on one of my regular visits to the bottom end of Carnaby Street. I started in the Eastpak shop, where the staff are as nice as the bags that they sell. They told me about their newest collaboration with Christopher Shannon, so I had a look on their website and have already written my wish list for the summer!

It was when I popped next door to American Apparel to pick up some holiday essentials that I spied Alexandra’s amazing do that she had whipped up for herself earlier. Braids being totally on trend, the dishevelled finish was totally worthy of a place in my tribe!

Name: Alexandra Leary

Job: store supervisor/ freelance photographer

Style: usually lazy, but when I do pull it together I’d say a messy/modern take on the 1930s. Playsuits. Red lips. Brogues.

Key product: Sugar lip treatment by Fresh

Style icon: Eva Green

Next season’s trends: muted colours. Thick knits over printed dresses,
and cycling shorts WILL be a must-have item coming into summer. Promise!

I love Ren products and was first drawn to them by their beautiful packaging, and of course loved the product inside. This clay-based masque is great to get a really good clean finish on the skin without leaving it feeling raw – skin looks healthy and refreshed.

In my quest to find the best products, I came across this great exfoliator, and am amazed by the instant results. I’m not normally keen on rough exfoliators, but I love this lotion and after applying it then leaving for about five minutes, I was amazed at how smooth it left my skin.

I love tattoos! So when I saw the Chanel Temporary tattoos go down the runway this season, I was over the moon. As far as I am concerned, tattoos never really go out of fashion, but with them making an appearance at Chanel, it really cements them as a staple accessory for 2010.

Alexander McQueen – Alexander McQueen is GOD!!!!

Versace – I am totally loving the Versace menswear: beautiful fabrics, beautiful colours and beautiful cuts!

House of Holland – I have attached pictures of the pieces that I have chosen from Henry’s last amazing collection. I love the denim and I am really looking forward to wearing the coloured pieces. Henry, you’ve done it again!

Jil Sander – Raf Simons is a genius. The structure of his clothes always leaves me speechless!

Prada – If I could,I would buy Prada every season. I have to say that I
absolutely LOVE the models’ hair!

Totally AMAZING! I’m a bit of a magpie when it comes to shoes, and these works of art are my greatest find yet! I love it when designers break all boundaries and produce what can truly be described as works of art!

I love this new London-based menswear designer. His clothes are contemporary with a quirky twist, and his use of colour and fabric is magical.

I absolutely LOVE this umbrella and this man is a true artistic genius! Talk about creativity in its purest form… I have been truly inspired by what I have seen on this man’s website, and if I could, I would buy pretty much everything on it!!

I wanted to share a few of my fellow bloggers sites. I love catching up with what is going on all over the world, and seeing emerging trends. Here are a few of the blogs that I have been following recently…

www.thetantalist.com – James Read is London’s Man about Tan. There is nothing this man does not know about achieving the perfect tan, and he is located at London’s Uber Spa Agua at The Sanderson
So you can get the Perfect Tan then pop to the bar for a perfect cocktail. Genius!

www.simonnygard.blogspot.com –  Probably one of the most stylish men in Helsinki, Simon shares what he is wearing and what he is wanting to wear, choosing amazing pieces from the most current collections.
He also makes some cool accessories!

I wanted to share this with you as it really cheered me up this morning.I came out of the Tube and they were dressing the Oxford Circus Gap window and it really made me smile!

I am getting ready for The Coterie event next week and I have to say that I am really nervous! It’s always difficult to get up and talk, but when it’s to your peers and some of the most amazing people in our industry, it makes it even more nerve racking. If you are coming along, please be gentle on me!

Charlotte, a regular Percy & Reed fashionista, popped into the salon today for our pastellising technique. We lifted her roots using Majiblond 904, then washed through Majirel 10.01 with an inch of copper to pastellise the look.

Afterwards, we quickly whipped up Charlotte’s hair into a Wendy James (my new style inspiration) inspired do, and she had her nails done by our nail guru, David, in this season’s hottest colours!

Describe your style
“Understated 90’s glam twisted and stirred with romantic Goth.”

Key product
“Matrix shampoo and Maybelline Falsies mascara.”

Style Icon
“Karen O from the Yeah Yeah Yeahs.”

Key trends this season
Plum Lips; nails with two shades (purple and yellow); bleached eyebrows.”


As I’ve mentioned before, it takes a long time to streamline a kit bag so you’re not carrying around the contents of a whole salon, and my pins and grips box is no exception. Its contents are one of the most important parts of my bag – I’ve spent years tracking down the best grips and pins, searching junk shops for old classics, making regular visits to Boots and scouring chemists while working overseas.

Black and White – This is one of the first products I used when I started experimenting with my hair at school, and now it’s a key product in my kit bag. Sometimes only the classics will do  – with Black and White I love the hold and the flexibility, and of course I love the smell.

Brylcreem Original – My grandfather always had a pot of this in his bathroom cabinet, and if I thought nobody was looking I would take a big scoop and swipe it across my hair. My grandparents never let on that they knew what I had been up to, but sentimentality aside, this product is great for the clean, dressed military-style men’s hair that will be such a prominent trend throughout spring and summer.

Alpiane Forte – This is an amazing non-aerosol hairspray that I picked up in Italy. I use it to give extra hold and strength to a style, but it still allows me to brush the hair out afterwards.

I am often asked about vitamins and supplements that will promote a healthy scalp and healthy hair growth, and although I am in no way educated enough to recommend these things, and recommend my clients seek professional advice, Udos Choice is one supplement I am happy to endorse. I am not going to go into the science of it – you can read that for yourself on their website – but I will say that the results on my hair and nails and those of my clients are fantastic.

I am the proud owner of No 422/1000 of the limited-edition Maybelline calendar 2010, and what a calendar it is! It is totally going to take pride of place on my desk!

Estée Lauder Private Collection Jasmine White Moss – One of my new favourites, this light, white floral scent is perfect for the spring!

Fracas – My all-time favourite perfume, this heady floral is the most evocative of fragrances and conjures the most amazing memories every time I smell it.

Les Senteurs– By far the best scent website. I can spend hours exploring the amazing world of fragrance, and taking a trip to the shop in Belgravia is like walking into the most amazing sweet shop.

Postweiler Hauber – With a great mix of structure, design, colour and fabric, this German design house was a fantastic find while shopping in Berlin last year. I love the fact that although the clothes have a quirky modern edge, they can be mixed with classic pieces and worn every day.

Omar Kashoura – As I’m sure you are all aware, I love Liberty, mainly due to the fact that they have one of the best buying teams around who really know their stuff. I also love trawling the Internet, and recently came across this amazing designers website. Again I love the mix of contemporary and classic design and his use of colour is totally inspiring.

Carga Bags – These are the best bags I’ve seen in a while.They have a beautiful design aesthetic with a real utilitarian feel – perfect for the summer!

As I have said, my kit bag is packed with all of my favourite things.

LottaBody Setting lotion -

I have been setting a lot recently for editorial work and have always loved the crispiness that old-school setting lotions give, and this is by far the best! I dilute it at around 2 parts water/1 part lotion and apply with a water spray. It looks really glossy and brushes out brilliantly without drying or flaking.

Another staple in my product bag is Klorane Gentle Dry Shampoo

 by far the best dry shampoo I have ever used. It gives a clean, fresh finish to the hair, leaving it amazingly soft, and it smells great too, which works for me.

I either spray it into the roots to get a mattified finish, or spray it onto a brush and work it through the hair for a light textured volume.

It has taken a long time for me to get all of the right tools, equipment and products, but now I have my essential kit down to one bag, my wig bag down to one, and my bits and bobs kit down to a small bag – so I never have to take more than one bag with me at any one time. GENIUS!

To start I have to have something to carry everything in!

I have always used Eastpak bags – they’re a good size, hold everything

I need and seem to last forever, which helps as they do get battered around. They also spread out the equipment, making it easy to find things really quickly. I keep everything clearly set out in my bag using Muji carriers

Makes me sounds like a control freak, and takes a lot of time, but it is really worth it, trust me.

So what’s in the bags? I will keep posting items for you, and of course, please let me know if there are things that you cannot live with out.

Over the years I have tried so many tools and have now whittled these down to what I consider the best of the best, so I’m going to share these with you and you can let me know what you think.

BaByliss Pro Nano Titanium Straightening Iron – this is definitely the best iron I have used – ultra-thin and light, and gives the glossiest and longest-lasting finish without leaving the hair lank and lifeless. I use them at a cooler heat for ultimate shine. I have also got a cute mini pair that are great for ultra-smooth fringes. Love them!

Babyliss Pro Crimper – for years I couldn’t find a good crimper. Then BaByliss produced the Ceramic crimper and all that changed. It’s essential that we have tools to create different textures, and this iron gives a lovely strong groove that can be brushed to seriously voluminous texture, which is really on trend for this season.

This man is a total hero of mine, and one of the reasons I decided to be a hairdresser. He is also a very handsome chap!

Anyways, I have always loved his work, and a while ago he produced some great hair pomades with colour in amazing shoe polish-style tins that at the time were a staple in every stylist’s kit bag.

I was lucky enough to have found some on a beauty website in the States, although have not been able to find them since, and am quickly running out of them.

So I was over the moon when on a recent kit bag shopping trip I stumbled across his 24K Gold Pomade. This is great for a bit of instant glamour, adding a bit of bling to the simplest hair do!

On the subject of hair heroes, I cannot let this pass with out mentioning Julien d’Ys.I spend a lot of time looking for inspiration in many forms, but there are some hairdressers who continuously blow me away with their artistry and talent.

I was having a look at some videos and found this on You Tube. I really wanted to share it – prepare to be left totally speechless!