Ever since having that hair colour done at the beginning of this year, I’ve been incredibly biased towards one London hairdressers.

Taylor Taylor London is, quite possibly, the most pleasurable experience your hair can ever endure – and this, coming from a hair-phobe like me, is high praise indeed for a salon that’s been opening its doors for little more than three years.

I’m painfully fussy, self-confessed and signed. I’m the girl who pays to have her hair done only to go home and rewash it to style it the way I like it. I’m the girl who gushes ‘I love it!’ through gritted teeth, hands over too much cash and promptly leaves the salon mumbling expletives all the way to the tube. I’m the girl who hates hairdressers.

But when I popped into Taylor Taylor a month back to have my hair re-done (and to see if my first impressions were just a fluke – I told you, I’m a cynic) I was, to my surprise, even more impressed second time around.

But I digress. This isn’t a hair review, nor the main reason I visited Taylor Taylor last month. You see, the salon has unveiled its new collection and, as I presume you are, I was plagued with intrigue.

Inspired by the decadence and glamour of the Forties, a series of sophis shots line the black floral walls of the spiral staircase, each expertly styled to an editorial level to suit the ‘do with welcomed subtlty (I’m so bored of seeing over-styled, experimental hair shots in your average salon that are neither wearable or attractive).

Wearability, as it goes, is key to the new collection, Bradley Taylor, Taylor Taylor London’s creative director, tells me. He wants women to take once glimpse at these images and feel inspired to try it themselves; it’s the measured fusion of fantasy and attainability that makes this series sit so well. That and Bradley’s adorable Spaniel, who crops up in several of them.

As Bradley showed me around his small but exquisitely-crafted space (he does all the designing himself, I’ve half a mind to ask him to my home), it dawned on me this is what every salon experience should feel like: an afternoon pamper with fabulous friends you’ve never met but who are more welcoming than egg nogg on Christmas eve.

I bet if every salon had a Bradley Taylor, the world of hairdressing would be a very different place indeed.

Visit taylortaylorlondon.com for more.

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Photo credits: creative director Bradley Taylor, art director Sarah Cromwell, photographer Robert Harper.

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Want a super saving on big-name beauty brands in time for Christmas? Of course you do, so here’s 15% off one of online’s hottest luxury hair and beauty sites – Look Fantastic.

We’ve teamed up with our fab friends at Look Fantastic to give MyFashionLife readers an exclusive 15% off all products* until tomorrow.

So, whether you’re after a gorgeous Christmas giftset, a miracle hair mask or must-have anti-ageing cream, you can pick up the perfect pampering present and pocket the change.

Just enter code MFL15 when you get to the checkout and thank us later.

Click here to shop!

*Offer excludes GHD, Stila, Phytomer, Decleor, Gatineau and Moroccanoil and ends at midnight on Thursday, 8th December.

Psst… don’t forget to check back on our advent calendar tomorrow for more great gifts and exclusive deals!

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Want to start wearing spring’s hair trends now? Good news – you can! We asked our hair friends at Toni & Guy for a few tips on how to recreate our favourite looks from the spring 2012 runways. Next up today – Todd Lynn’s pinned ponytail.

This is such a simple update on a classic hairstyle, we’re wondering why we’ve never tried it before. Hair at Todd Lynn next spring is sleek, simple and sophisticated with an edgy twist, as low ponytails are given attitude with metal pins clamped in place.

Effective without being try-hard, we can’t wait to give this look a go. Watch the video below for tips on how to recreate the look:

See how to get the rest of our spring hair looks from London Fashion Week here.

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Want to start wearing spring’s hair trends now? Good news – you can! We asked our hair friends at Toni & Guy for a few tips on how to recreate our favourite looks from the spring 2012 runways. On our radar this morning – Bora Aksu’s textured looped ponytail.

We love Bora’s modern take on Victorian hair, where a sleek but natural centre parting leads into a backcombed, textured looped ponytail to the back.

Soft and ethereal but packed with style, it’s a great way to fake that “oh, I just threw this together” look. And the best part? It’s easy to do yourself.

Watch the video below for tips on how to recreate the look:

See how to get the rest of our spring hair looks from London Fashion Week here.

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Want to start wearing spring’s hair trends now? Good news – you can! We asked our hair friends at ghd for a few tips on how to recreate our favourite looks from the spring 2012 runways. Next on our to-try list – David Koma’s tribal ponytail.

For spring, Koma’s collection fused abstract patterns with femininity and sharp, graphic lines. We love the way his Polynesian inspiration carried through to the models’ hair, where basic ponytails were transformed into tribal masterpieces.

“I wanted to create a sleek, tribal look,” said ghd’s creative director, Kenna, who created a feminine ponytail structured with sharp, bold panels of hair slicked to the scalp. “One that looked almost futuristic in its construction.”

Here’s how you can get the look:

Step 1: Prep the hair with ghd Heat Protect Spray and ghd Straight & Smooth Cream and blow dry smooth. Iron the hair with straighteners and smooth over with serum for a glossy shine.

Step 2: From the centre of the forehead, section off a diamond panel that ends an inch below the crown and slick back using ghd Final Fix Spray and a brush. Secure with an elastic.

Step 3: From the top of the ear, create another section across to the side point of the diamond panel you’ve just made. Then, divide away a small piece from the middle of this diagonal on each side.

Step 4: From the back of the earlobe, take another diagonal section of hair across to the centre back point of the diamond section and create exactly the same on the other side.

Step 5: Mist all the sections as you go with ghd Final Fix hairspray to ensure all lines between sections are clean and visible. Tie each mini section with clear elastics and keep them flat to the head.

Step 6: Join all the remaining hair from the ponytails together to make a bridge, using hairspray to keep them together. Upper sections should join into the main ponytail at the top of the crown, and then be joined by lower sections several inches above the nape of the neck. This creates one ponytail with your remaining hair underneath left out long and straight.

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Want to start wearing spring’s hair trends now? Good news – you can! We asked our hair friends at ghd for a few tips on how to recreate our favourite looks from the spring 2012 runways. Next up – Sass & Bide’s plaited basket weave bun.

Doesn’t it just sound fun? Stylist Renya Xydias had a brief to capture the same sense of duality that featured throughout the design duo’s collection. “I took inspiration from the clash of textures and the energy of the clothes,” she said, “so the look explores dual textures and personalities – it’s both hard and soft, masculine and feminine.”

The result? Hair that looks strict, slick and graphic from the front but altogether softer at the back, with multiple braids giving way to a romantic basket weave bun.

Here’s how you can get the look:

Step 1: Mist dry hair with water and brush through using a dressing brush to smooth down any frizz.

Step 2: Using a tailcomb, create a neat centre parting and section the hair into three pieces starting from the crown.

Step 3: Saturate hair with a heat protecting spray like ghd’s Straight and Sleek and brush through the mid lengths.

Step 4: Using straightening irons, smooth out the lengths of your hair until sleek and straight. ghd recommend using their Gold Max Styler irons.

Step 5: Take tiny sections from the back and braid tightly, creating no more than seven individual plaits. Secure with clear elastics.

Step 6: Once you’ve created your mini plaits, gather all the sections together and braid into one big plait, then fold it a knot and secure with pins.

Step 7: Finish with a spritz of hairspray like ghd Final Fix spray to hold in place and add shine.

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Want to start wearing spring’s hair trends now? Good news – you can! We asked our hair friends at ghd for a few tips on how to recreate our favourite looks from the spring 2012 runways. First up – Basso and Brooke‘s dishevelled ponytail.

We loved the simplicity of hair at Basso and Brooke – the natural, messy ponytail is easy and elegant, and is the perfect pared-down style to sit against the designers’ bold eye-popping prints. Plus, we reckon it’s really quite versatile, looking ethereal and a little edgy all at once.

“With such a vivid collection the hair needed to be toned down and almost underplayed so as not to compete with the mixture of print and colour going on,” said Kenna, ghd’s creative director, who led the team backstage at Basso and Brooke this season.

Here’s how you can recreate the look:

Step 1: Blow dry a volumising spray like ghd’s Root Lift through lengths and ends of your hair to create a natural, slightly waved texture.

Step 2: Using heated irons, wrap sections of your hair around the wand to create a haphazard bend. ghd recommend their Gold Classic and Max Stylers to achieve natural, different size waves.

Step 3: Using your fingers, create a natural parting to suit your face shape. Don’t worry if it’s not quite straight or perfect – this look is all about appearing undone.

Step 4: Backcomb hair at the crown to create volume – you can go build as much height as you like, but for this look a little lift works best.

Step 5: Gather your hair into a low ponytail at the nape of your neck and secure loosely with a clear elastic band, allowing baby hairs to fall out. This will ensure a homemade effect.

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