Have you ever heard of a Blowdry Bar? I've only ever known them to be common in London and the surrounding areas, but never up north - until now. Architect Hair Salon in Headingley, Leeds is one of the first to bring this trend to this part of the country, and I think that it has been long overdue! What is a Blowdry Bar, I hear you ask? Well, have you ever had an occasion where you want/need to get your hair done for an event, but haven't actually needed to have it cut or coloured? Say you fancied having someone mold your hair into a fancy up-do for you before a black-tie event? Well, this is exactly what a Blowdry Bar offers - express blow dry and hair-up appointments, with no cuts or colours necessary. Genius. There has often been a time where I wished that someone could take the stress out of sorting my hair out for me (last year's work Christmas party, for example), and now there is!

There is a variety of options for what you can have done to your hair at Architect's Blowdry Bar. With eight looks to choose from, ranging from 'Glamorous Curls' through to 'High Chignon', there is something suitable for every ocassion. The eight looks listed on the website are just starting points, as the stylist is happy to work with you to create the look that you require. An appointment costs £22 and lasts for just 30 minutes, meaning that it is easy for you to slot it into your getting ready routine. More complicated styles are charged at £10 per 15 minutes; for reference, my hairstyle took about 25 minutes if I remember rightly. Booking is advised, but they do offer walk-in appointments, subject to availability.


With my appointment, I didn't want or need anything too fancy as I wasn't going anywhere special that night. I really fancied the look of the 'Soft Waves' style, so that is what I asked for from my stylist, Shannon. Doesn't it look lovely? Having gone in with two-day dirty hair (don't worry, I did have some dry shampoo on!), Shannon explained that for my look it was actually best if she didn't wash my hair, as the style would last for longer on unwashed hair - giving it something to grip onto. I know that if I curl my hair straight after washing it, it falls out within a few hours so this made sense. She used a generous amount of Alterna's Bamboo Style Cleanse Extend Translucent Dry Shampoo (bit of a mouthful!) to give my hair some body and volume. This had no powdery residue whatsoever and it smelt amazing too - I couldn't believe the difference it made compared to my normal dry shampoo! Then, Shannon went in with the Babyliss Pro Porcelain Conical Wand, curling my hair in sections all in the same direction, which was the key to achieving the 'Soft Waves' style. I was left with some pretty comical ringlets for a few minutes, until she brushed them out and set it all in place with a hairspray. Finally, a chunky plait was added across the front and across one side of my hair, to complete the laid-back, 'boho' look.


I was so happy with the final look, and you know the best thing about it? It stayed in all afternoon, and evening too. I found it really helpful that Shannon explained to me how to recreate the look at home; I mean, it looks simple enough but even the tip of curling it all in the same direction is something that I hadn't picked up on just from watching her do my hair. Even though I'm useless at doing anything to my hair, I feel confident that I could do this myself if I needed to in the future - although of course, it was great to have someone do it all for me! The salon was very busy at 12pm on the Saturday when I visited, which shows how popular they are in a predominantly student area of Leeds. I think having a Blowdry Bar in such an area is actually a brilliant idea, as students are always going on nights out and want to look their best! I would highly recommend the Blowdry Bar, and Architect Salon as a whole due to their friendly and bubbly staff; even the salon owner, Louise came over and told me how "bonny" she thought I looked! So, if you know you're going to be getting in a stress about the state of your hair before a special ocassion, book an appointment at Architect Hair Salon and let them take care of it for you!