John Frieda and Nicola Clarke at John Frieda Salons Newsletter

Meet Francesco De Chiara, Colourist at Nicola Clarke at John Frieda.

Originally from Naples, Frank came to London to train at our salon and is now an integral part of our team of expert colourists.

What are the main colour trends your clients ask you for?

Our salon is renowned for doing beautiful blondes, but I enjoy doing any kind of colour.

The colour that I’ve been asked for a lot lately is a “low maintenance” blonde. It’s a big trend at the moment and this is why I usually suggest having some pretty blonde balayage. One of my favourite techniques is to create a root shadow on the roots after highlighting. This allows the colour to grow out in a softer and more natural way, without that unwanted root regrowth but with a more blended effect. Another thing that I love to do is drastic colour changes, especially for movies. In October last year I had the great privilege to take Ariana Grande from dark brunette to blonde. I’ve also had to help her maintain the colour while she’s been filming in London this year.

I just love the big changes even if they’re a bit stressful sometimes, at the end of a long day I feel content and can go to bed with a heart full of joy and satisfaction. I love it so much!

What’s your best hair tip?

For my blonde clients I always advise to have regular restorative treatments such as Virtue Mask or Olaplex which strengthens the hair. We often forget that the most damaging thing for the hair is heat, that goes for blondes or brunettes, so using heat protection and oils is a must.

How do you spend your days off?

On Sundays or on days when I’m not working on sessions, I love spending my time in large supermarkets. I just love going through every aisle and marvel at all the different foods from all over the world. That’s what so amazing about living in a multicultural city like London.

I like to go for a swim and chill doing a bit of meditation, it helps me relax. I also love crystals and spiritual shops, one of my favourites is the Astrology Shop in Covent Garden.

What is your favourite meal?

As an Italian I have an obsession for good hearty Italian food, one of my favourite dishes is Orecchiette with Broccoli. I also love experimenting with Asian cuisine. I have a very imaginative mind and really enjoy the creative process in my cooking as well as in my job.

Our latest press release:

The secret to getting the Princess of Wales’s liquid Brunette hair as featured in the Telegraph.

“The liquid brunette look is about seamlessly blending a mix of different types of brunette with layers of gloss to create this natural, healthy-looking finish,” says British hair colourist Zoe Irwin, based at John Frieda’s Mayfair salon. Frieda offers a “liquid brunette” service on its colouring menu.

“The Princess’s mocha-noir colour may look like it’s one shade but it’s a mix of several colours. It’s slightly lighter around the hairline and on the ends to create this natural feel. It’s most probably a combination of semi-permanent and permanent colours combined with glosses which give it its beautiful gleam.”

Irwin always finishes her brunette clients with a combination of two types of gloss treatments to make sure they leave the salon with a Princess of Wales level of polish.

Irwin says that another advantage of this hair colour is that if you find the right shade of brunette it can be hugely flattering to the skin tone (a benefit which is definitely working to Her Royal Highness’s advantage). “Interestingly, the depth of colour can be flattering on the neckline and jawline too,” she adds.