Lustrous hair: Paul reveals how to get locks that gleam with vitality
When it comes to hair, dullness is the enemy. Nothing makes your locks look more lifeless than brassiness, coarseness, and breakage. This season's must-have hair trend is health in all its gleaming vitality. Nourished hair is now!
Paul Edmonds is here to give you his salon secrets on how to get lustrous hair and, most importantly, how to keep it!
'Lustrous hair' meaning: what is it, and how can you get it?
Contrary to what you might think, 'lustrous hair' isn't just about shine; it's about overall condition. The passion for lustrous hair stems from the SS22 glossy hair trend — people now view haircare as the new skincare and everyone's looking for their perfect restorative routine.
Paul says: "'lustrous' hair should be thick, glossy, with a deep shine that shows health and vitality." According to Paul, you should start by assessing the quality of your 'blank canvas'. That is to say, your hair.
"Wispy split ends don't do anything for anyone," says Paul. "Blunter cuts can give your hair a chunkier, healthier look. Texture or layers are also great, but wispy, unruly, split hair isn't!"
By getting your hair into great condition, you'll be one step closer to the lustre you lust after. For example, our Battersea and Knightsbridge salons take a 'care first' approach. We believe that by nourishing and healing the hair during your appointment, the finished style looks even better and lasts longer.
Our experts assess your hair during the initial consultation and then tailor a hair wash protocol from over 300 combinations of luxury shampoos, conditioners, and complimentary masques. This is your bespoke backwash experience, and it's totally unique to Paul Edmonds London. It ensures good hair condition and amps up your natural lustre — especially the masques, which Paul uses to kickstart the effectiveness of your at-home protocol.
Lustre hair products for at-home care
Once your hair has been assessed and restored by our attentive team, you're ready to revamp your home-care routine to maintain that bright, nourished salon look. After all — lustre is about health, and the best way to keep things in great condition is to give yourself the best home-care possible.
"I would always recommend asking your hairdresser about what to use at home," says Paul. "I have a few favourites for that lustrous look."
Shu Uemura Silk Bloom
The Shu Uemura Silk Bloom range restores damaged hair by reinforcing its resilience and structure. It's a must-have for both strengthening and nourishment. If you've been hard on your hair, this option might be for you.
"Silk Bloom shampoo and conditioner are amazing for those that have dull hair that maybe needs a bit of a push into lustre," says Paul.
"The beauty of Shu Uemura is that it can be layered or mixed with other products in the range. For example, if you want to restore damage and protect your colour, you'd use your shampoo to focus on the primary concern and your conditioner for the secondary concern. You'd use Silk Bloom shampoo for damage and Color Lustre conditioner for your colour."
As well as keeping dullness at bay with your cleansing routine, Paul also recommends using the Silk Bloom Restorative Treatment Masque as part of your ongoing ritual.
"Using a regular mask on the hair will pay you back by keeping the mid-length and ends glowing with vitality and bounce," he says. "Treatments don't have to weigh your hair down — they should add life and swing to the hair."
Kérastase Chroma Absolu
Coloured hair can look dull over time, so Paul recommends a colour-care specific range like Kérastase Chroma Absolu. It's formulated to suit all types of coloured hair, including grey coverage, brunettes, and blondes.
"If your coloured hair is looking a bit dowdy and dull, add an extra gleam with the new Chroma Absolue range. I especially love Chroma Absolu Soin Acide Chroma Gloss — it's got a very long name, but it leaves the hair glossy and the cuticle smooth and compact."
Read more: Holistic colour care with Chroma Absolu
Add finesse: styling products that enhance hair lustre
The right styling products can add polish and finesse to healthy hair. Here's what Paul likes to use when styling hair for added lustre!
Shu Uemura Essence Absolue
"My first go-to product is a bit like reaching for your vitamin C serum for your skin," says Paul. Shu Uemura Essence Absolue multi-use hair oil is a mainstay in Paul's styling kit. And for good reason! It rebalances that hair and controls frizz, giving your finished style a wonderfully soft shine. It also offers UV protection, so you can save your lustrous hair from sun damage.
"Run a pump or two through the middle lengths and ends before blow-drying to protect the hair while adding lustre," says Paul. "If you overlay your favourite styling product, you'll get a much better, faster result because the oil helps push out the water, so it helps with drying."
Kérastase Thermique
When it comes to hot styling, hair condition must remain a priority. Paul recommends selecting from the range of Thermique blow-dry creams, treatments, and primers from Kérastase.
"Use the product that suits your own hair type — you can ask your stylist to recommend one. They won't make your hair greasy or flat, even when they feel like a cream. They're brilliant at protecting the hair from heat damage. Three pumps smoothed through the hair will add hold and 'Lustre'."
L'Oréal Professionnel Steampod Steam Straightening Tool 3.0
We all know that intense and prolonged heat styling is brutal on hair. Luckily, L'Oréal has developed an ergonomic styling tool that smooths and shapes the hair with a continuous flow of high-pressure steam rather than overheating your locks.
"The Steampod is the greatest styling tool for that full-shine look, without the iron damage," says Paul. "It's fantastic for people that have those frizzy bits that make your hair look and feel in bad condition. The steam helps smooth and gives great shine for straight looks and that full, bouncy salon blow-out."
Get back to good hair health at the salon
Paul is an advocate for holistic hair care — it's the foundational approach in both of his London salons. For Paul, truly healthy hair needs a blend of salon treatments and top-notch home care.
Collagen Treatment
Restore body and shine to hair by booking a collagen treatment with our experts. It's excellent for infusing hair with moisture and giving deep nourishment via vitamin-rich collagen.
"It takes about an hour. We'll apply it to pre-shampooed hair and use steam heat to penetrate deep into the hair shaft. It's great for the scalp, too," says Paul.
Our collagen treatment is great for the scalp as well as the hair. It's infused with menthol, so you enjoy a pleasant tingling sensation as the formulation works on your pores and stimulates healthy new hair growth.
Iles Formula in-salon treatment
Formulated to restore the frazzled tresses of Hollywood's elite, Iles Formula is your luxurious yet potent rescue remedy. Celebrity hairdresser Wendy Iles designed the products as an instant restorative treatment for her celebrity clients. She worked with chemists to formulate an instant reparative lustre-boosting treatment, perfect for giving short-term oomph for a special event or night out.
This treatment is a complete system, so you enjoy a luxury shampoo, conditioner, and treatment. It takes an extra ten or fifteen minutes at the backwash, depending on the length and thickness of your hair (and it's well worth the extra time!).
Request a masque at the backwash
No time to lose but still want that healthy lustre? Why not request a masque as part of your bespoke backwash experience?
"Requesting a masque at the backwash is a good taster. It'll basically show you how good your hair can be; a little can really go a long way when it comes to hair care," says Paul.
Our masques take between five and ten minutes to work and can be tailored to you from a range of high-end hair care brands, including Kérastase and Davines. Request one when you make your next booking — you won't regret it!
Get the glow of good hair health! Book an appointment at our salons or shop for lustre-boosting styling and care products in our online shop now.