Last week I was invited along to Gary Hedley in Newcastle for Paul Mitchell's 'The Gift of Style' event. I'd never been to the salon before, but it's so easy to find. Located in the city center on Mosley Street (just down from Miller and Carter, which you need to visit if you're a steak fan) It's not the biggest salon but a great venue to get some bloggers together and chat about hairstyles and some great Christmas gifts.Ollie from Gary Hedley styled my hair on the evening. We decided on something girly with curls pushed to one side and a dainty little plait to add some detail. Sometimes it can be awkward making small talk with stylists (and if I'm honest, it tends to put me off going visiting somewhere new, or having a different hairdresser for an appointment) but Ollie was chatty and friendly. He knew a lot about the products and offered me a few tips to keep curls in my hair, as they have a tendency to drop like flies and a new technique to wash my hair. I can't comment yet, but I'll let you know if it works.The whole style didn't take too long and there was plenty of Prosecco and nibbles going around, the Paul Mitchell guys really did look after us and made what was quite a dull, cold night a whole load of fun.
It was lovely to see some familiar faces again, and especially to catch up with Hannah and Katy (above) and relax after the event with pizza. I really should take more time to see others, even if it's just a coffee every now and again. Definitely something to work on!If you're looking for some little gift sets this Christmas, have a look at Paul Mitchell's Gift of Style range. The drawings by Australian fashion illustrator, Sarah Hankinson are amazing and really make the gifts look extra special. We were all given a lovely goody bag of treats to take away and I'm very excited to try out my goodies. So far I've used the Daily Boost Root Lift and I really like the extra volume. I'm yet to report back on the shampoo/conditioner though they do smell really lovely, definitely a before bed treat! A huge thank you to Paul Mitchell for such a great event (and some lovely treats for my hair) and Gary Hedley for being great hosts! You can buy Paul Mitchell from selected salons (see their website for details) and online here.