It all started when I saw Lily Aldridge in the latest issue of Tatler. My first thought was, "Gosh, those Victoria Secret models can even wear baskets and look hot". My second was, "Her hair is beyond awesome".
Because Aldridge's colour looks properly natural - it's a lovely deep brown at the roots but then has lighter highlights and tips. It's like she spent all summer hanging out on the beach with Caleb Followill (swoon) and picked up some natural bleachyness at the same time. It's sexy, relaxed and best of all doesn't say "I spend two hours every four weeks with my hair in foils".
So I take myself to ombre, balayage and general colouring expert Jack Howard at Rossano Ferretti and tell him all this. "All the girls love Lily's hair," he says. "It's the way ombre hair should be. Rather than that harsh line you get with dip-dye, it's more natural and the colour should ideally be three shades lighter than your own. It's a mixture between brown and blond - it's brond - and what's really going to be on trend this summer."
Jack applies the colour freehand and never goes anywhere near root. The point of this is to enhance what I've got - to add a little bit of summer to my hair. And the nice thing about Rossano Ferretti is you sit at a table in a comfy chair while your hair is coloured. You can be working while their colourists are sorting your hair out - it's all the joy of a new look without worrying about how many emails you'll have when the process is finished.
Anyway, in truth I do no work at all because Jack and I are having all the chat instead, but it's nice to have the option. And within two hours my hair is being blow-dried into soft curls. It's natural looking colour except it has a little bit more precision and zing. I love it. Instead of friends asking if I've had my hair coloured, they tell me I look "really well".
"Have a fabulous time at festivals this summer," says Jack, "and then come back in September and we'll decide where to take it next." I promise I will and mean it. I'm already looking forward to my next session and getting even more ombre-d.
For more information on Rossano Ferretti, visit its website here. Prices vary.