Bleach London is one of my dream jobs.
And a lot of people who know me, know that fact.
Bleach London is a salon that specializes in funky hair dye colors, to put it frankly.
They were unattainable to me because all their branches were in England until they opened one in California recently. I was ecstatic. I mean, it was still unattainable, but it’s LESS unattainable now!
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I came across a girl named Kira on Instagram (Her pictures are so great) one day and loved the pictures she was taking of her hair and other people’s hair so I followed her. I then realized (after some time), that I also follow her on Tumblr. AND THAT SHE WORKS AT A BLEACH LONDON IN ENGLAND!! I decided to pull myself together and ask her if I could interview her for this blog.
I came across a girl named Kira on Instagram (Her pictures are so great) one day and loved the pictures she was taking of her hair and other people’s hair so I followed her. I then realized (after some time), that I also follow her on Tumblr. AND THAT SHE WORKS AT A BLEACH LONDON IN ENGLAND!! I decided to pull myself together and ask her if I could interview her for this blog.
AND SHE SAID YES! I was ecstatic. So here are my questions and here are Kira’s beyond wonderful answers:
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1. When did you know you wanted to become a hairdresser?
"I always wanted to be a hairdresser when I was younger, but once I turned 12, I realized I couldn’t even tie my own hair up into a ponytail, so that kinda put me down a bit. So I jumped around with a few ideas, all work that involved being around other people, like a teacher and stuff, but i started doing my own hair on the side. I really liked the brand and idea behind Bleach, so it wasn’t until I was actually working for them that I figured that’s something I wanted to do for the rest of my life."
"I always wanted to be a hairdresser when I was younger, but once I turned 12, I realized I couldn’t even tie my own hair up into a ponytail, so that kinda put me down a bit. So I jumped around with a few ideas, all work that involved being around other people, like a teacher and stuff, but i started doing my own hair on the side. I really liked the brand and idea behind Bleach, so it wasn’t until I was actually working for them that I figured that’s something I wanted to do for the rest of my life."
2. What was the best part of working with Bleach?
"I guess it was working with such an amazingly talented and creative team who loved exploring the fashion world and their own abilities every single day. Everybody in the team is creative and has got their own style, which makes every day fun. They are all very helpful in making you better if you, yourself, are focused on getting better at what you do. Everybody is helping everybody. It’s a nice place!"
"I guess it was working with such an amazingly talented and creative team who loved exploring the fashion world and their own abilities every single day. Everybody in the team is creative and has got their own style, which makes every day fun. They are all very helpful in making you better if you, yourself, are focused on getting better at what you do. Everybody is helping everybody. It’s a nice place!"
3. What was the hardest part of working with Bleach?
"For me personally, it would have to be the fact that I just moved overseas, which means English isn’t my first language, but also the physical exhaustion from working in a salon which I hadn’t tried before. The language barrier can sometimes still create problems for me, although it becomes easier with time. And with the physical work you have to do in salon; you are always on your feet, long hours, but also you are interacting with a lot of different people on a day to day basis, not only with stylists but also with clients. It is a tough job and you are often dead on your feet by the end of a day in the salon but there’s nothing better than knowing and seeing how happy the clients are with their new hair."
"For me personally, it would have to be the fact that I just moved overseas, which means English isn’t my first language, but also the physical exhaustion from working in a salon which I hadn’t tried before. The language barrier can sometimes still create problems for me, although it becomes easier with time. And with the physical work you have to do in salon; you are always on your feet, long hours, but also you are interacting with a lot of different people on a day to day basis, not only with stylists but also with clients. It is a tough job and you are often dead on your feet by the end of a day in the salon but there’s nothing better than knowing and seeing how happy the clients are with their new hair."
4. What are your favorite Bleach products?
"I like the colors a lot. They are easy to work with and they’re brilliant when used the right way. Also I absolutely cannot live without the dry shampoo. I have been looking for the perfect dry shampoo for ages, and this is the only one I absolutely love. The smell is good and my hair does exactly what I want it to. I also have it in my bag."
"I like the colors a lot. They are easy to work with and they’re brilliant when used the right way. Also I absolutely cannot live without the dry shampoo. I have been looking for the perfect dry shampoo for ages, and this is the only one I absolutely love. The smell is good and my hair does exactly what I want it to. I also have it in my bag."
5. What colours do clients ask for the most and what is your favorite color on you?
"The demand on colors differ from time to time. It changes with the fashion world. When Kylie Jenner went and got her dusty blue hair, the blue colors were requested more, but a soft pink is always fun and looks amazing, so it’s a color we do quite a lot.
As for myself, I like the colder tones as warmer tones clash with my skin. I like purple the best, but blue is also very high up on the list. They’re difficult colors to use, but I like them a lot and couldn’t imagine going for warmer tones unless it is to neutralize unwanted colors coming through."
"The demand on colors differ from time to time. It changes with the fashion world. When Kylie Jenner went and got her dusty blue hair, the blue colors were requested more, but a soft pink is always fun and looks amazing, so it’s a color we do quite a lot.
As for myself, I like the colder tones as warmer tones clash with my skin. I like purple the best, but blue is also very high up on the list. They’re difficult colors to use, but I like them a lot and couldn’t imagine going for warmer tones unless it is to neutralize unwanted colors coming through."
6. What are your favorite hair products?
"I’ve got quite a few when I think about it actually.
I like the elasticizer by Philip Kingsley as a treatment, and then I use the heavier reincarnation mask from Bleach as a conditioner after my shampoos.
I like the damage defense spray by Philip Kingsley to help untangle my hair. It also works as a heat protector, which is really important!
For styling; as i said earlier, the Bleach dry shampoo is definitely a must have. I have just tried the miracle ends by Fudge and was really impressed with how well it helped my frizzy ends. (Side note by Megan: Miracle Ends by Fudge is one my favorite products for my ends. You can’t get it in America anymore, but I got it when it WAS in America. Fudge is my absolute favorite) and I use a lot of hairspray as well. I have been using the same one for about 7 years because it helped me through a lot of difficult (and questionable) hairstyles through the ages haha. I use Polywore by Schwartzkopf stronghold 3."
7. Was it difficult coming from a different country to London and what motivated you?
"Moving to London had been a plan for me for more than 5 years so I had heard a lot of stories before I moved, but everything really depends on you as a person and what expectations you have. I moved with no big plans except for the fact that I wanted to live in London for a year and I think that really helped me look at things in a positive light.
"Moving to London had been a plan for me for more than 5 years so I had heard a lot of stories before I moved, but everything really depends on you as a person and what expectations you have. I moved with no big plans except for the fact that I wanted to live in London for a year and I think that really helped me look at things in a positive light.
London is big and exciting but it can also seem very claustrophobic at times which has been difficult for me as I am from a much smaller city.
I love London though, and it still makes me happy seeing all these things and places everyday and I am definitely planning on coming back as soon as I can because it is the place to be if you want to do grungy, underground fashion.
What really motivated me was getting a job at Bleach and being surrounded by these talented people. If I hadn’t worked there i would still be unsure of my future."
What really motivated me was getting a job at Bleach and being surrounded by these talented people. If I hadn’t worked there i would still be unsure of my future."
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(This interview first took place in November of 2015!!)
I want to thank Kira for being so caring and answering my questions! All pictures here are respectfully from her Instagram.
Follow Kira on Instagram: @KiraHellsten
and Tumblr: @Bleachinme
(This interview first took place in November of 2015!!)
I want to thank Kira for being so caring and answering my questions! All pictures here are respectfully from her Instagram.
Follow Kira on Instagram: @KiraHellsten
and Tumblr: @Bleachinme
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