On Romaincolors website, a silhouettes fairy guides you through Romaine's range of organic products and his natural haircare philosophy. His non-fairyland salon’s located in 6e, in the smart quarter between Montparnasse and the Eiffel Tower.
The salon is relaxed and welcoming if slightly cluttered (wooden Buddhas, dried grasses, trellis fencing and real trees are just some elements of the décor) and is divided up into small spaces, so that each client can relax in private. There’s also a treatment room where a therapist provides massages and other treatments from the Doux Me range.
Romain will discuss your hair history in English or French.
I tell him I want an ash-tinted dark chestnut. He disagrees. “A base of ash, yes, but you need some highlights in copper.”
“I don’t know,” I say.
“Trust me,” he replies.
I have to admit I’m nervous. I’ve had some bad colour experiences in the past, particularly with conventional chemical dyes, so I really want to know what goes into Romaine’s colours. He doesn’t need to tell me: he shows me the cabinet where he mixes them by hand for each customer from natural pigments with a clay or olive oil base. He can whip up a totally natural temporary colour or add the tiniest touch of artificial ingredients if you would like your hair lightened or coloured permanently.
As he paints my head with sinister-looking blue clay, I worry about the highlights while Romain brings me a coffee. The clay hardens. I become rigid with terror.
"My hair won't be this colour when you wash it off, will it, really?"
"No." says the guy at the baisin. "Ne vous inquietez pas." (don't worry).
A post-colour head massage with mint oil leaves my head tingling.
A cute bouledog, who seems to belong to the salon, waddles over to watch my blow-dry.
“What’s his name”
“Nestor. Scratch his head. He loves it.”
“Does he have his hair done here? He’s a smart dog.”
And the result?
Well, Romain, you were right about the highlights. They look natural. My hair is shiny and in great condition. Probably the best colour I ever had.
37 Rue Rousselet, Paris
+33 1 42732419
www.romaincolors.fr
Can you give an idea of the price range?
Posted by: ksam | May 01, 2009 at 04:11 PM
Around 90 Euros for permenant all over colour, and 40 Euros for a temporary vegetable-only dye. Hope you get to meet Nestor...
Posted by: badaude | May 02, 2009 at 08:31 AM
I'll be spending about 8 months in Paris from the rentrée and have been concerned about being able to find a good, reasonably affordable, colorist and hair cutter. Thanks for the recommendation!
Do they cut hair as well?
Posted by: Shelli | May 04, 2009 at 06:39 AM
you were right about the highlights. They look natural. Your hair is shiny and in great condition. Probably the best color I ever had.
Posted by: Term papers | February 10, 2010 at 06:24 AM