Suedey Salon by Mark Alexander, Bloomsbury

I exited Suedey salon with two things: beautiful, glowing, much improved hair, and a lovely new friend. Mark Alexander's new salon is a treat, a petite corner shop with charm and character aplenty.

Suedey is located in Bloomsbury / King's Cross, an area of London that is seriously up and coming. The whole street is just delightful... I'd absolutely love to rent one of the unused properties for a creative pop-up shop, or just as Thoroughly Modern Milly headquarters. Very tempting.

Owner and creator of Suedey, Mark Alexander has been working from home for the last eleven years, opening this salon a couple of months ago after spotting the adorable venue whilst cycling by one day. He acquired it that very day, a few weeks later and he's open for business.

With an impressive list of fiercely faithful clients, the salon is always buzzing with friendly faces and happy customers. Mark has been rushed off his feet, and after visiting I can understand why... thanks to the simple concept and his caring, friendly personality it is a joy to spend time here.

He is dedicated and talented, not just at hairdressing... but at making delicious (spicy ginger) tea, decorating the main room (with blooming tangerine coloured roses) and creating a lovely ambience (with an intriguing playlist, and subtle scent through the air).

But of course Suedey is primarily a salon, and at this it excels. Sure, it is still a little rough round the edges - for instance, the sign still needs to go up outside, but there is plenty of time for the finishing touches. Mark was refreshingly thorough with his analysis of my hair, bringing out drapes of violet and red material to gather information about what tones and colours suit me naturally. We agreed that my hair had an excess of ash tones, a khaki green hint that needed to be eliminated. Examining my roots and ends, he decided on an interesting method to increase the brightness and creaminess of the blonde. First a brighter tone was put carefully through my hair in foils, then the remaining hair was painted with a pretty shade of blonde. Though the method is lengthy, the time flew by as Mark and I discussed everything and anything, and I drank endless cups of tea!

The results were glorious: a much brighter and fresher looking colour, more Marilyn-esque and generally a hue that suits me much more.

You will understand if (or should I say when) you visit Suedey why I think it so exemplary. Mark Alexander is a brilliant hairdresser and host, and I cannot recommend him highly enough.

More info here, website coming soon.