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FR2DAY's Alison Rentoul gets a cut above in Nice

After an introduction from a friend leading to a fantastic haircut and highlights this month, Alison Rentoul was left wondering how she had not heard before about the talented husband and wife hairdresssing team of Kate and Arno Boyer, founders of Identity Hair Salon in Nice. Here Alison interviews Kate to find out how they came to open their salon and what top tips she can give us to help care for summer hair.

How did you get into hairdressing?
I fell in love with hairdressing at the age of 17, working in a Knightsbridge salon and then moving to Stephen Way in Bond Street where I worked up from Apprentice to Artistic Director. As well as building an international clientele I also worked as a platform artist for different product companies and won a place on an artistic team which took me to Australia, America, Italy, France and around the UK.

How long have you been based on the Riviera?

I have been based on the Riviera for 5 years where I live with my husband ( the reason I moved here!). I worked in Nice and in Monaco before opening Identity.

Why open a salon in Nice?
After working with a largely English speaking clientele here on the Côte d'Azur I came to understand the demand for good quality hairdressing by an English speaking hairdresser. Many clients complain of misunderstandings or communication problems when speaking French and so opening a salon where English is fluently spoken to accommodate this diverse and international clientele made sense.
I was fortunate to work with a fantastic boss in London who had an open mind and a dynamic philosophy when running his company and I was shocked and surprised by the difference in business mentality when working for companies over here. Quite a contrast and another motivation to open up our own space where we have more freedom and flexibility. With Arno and I working in the same industry it made sense to join forces and focus our energies on a joint project. We share the same passion for hairdressing and had always dreamed of having our own salon.

What are you hoping to deliver that others are not?
We try our very best to really listen to our clients and the consultation is so important. We deliver personalised haircuts that work, colours that make a client glow and in-depth personalised service which gives results as individual as each client. All our team speak English and know how to make real builders tea!

What services do you offer?
We are all about hair. We offer everything from blow drys to personalised haircuts, chignon and hair ups for weddings, parties, special occasions. Hair extensions. Technical services such as colouring using ammonia-free gentle products which deliver fantastic shine, multi-tonal highlights for the most natural results. The revolutionary Brazilian blow dry service, also contemporary straightening and perming techniques. We have a fantastic made-to-measure in-house treatment which repairs and rehydrates hair using Shiatsu massage. We retail the full range of Redken products, Pureology, GHD Stylers.

Do you have any specialties?
We specialise in wedding hair and chignon (up-do's) and Kate specialises in colour, while Arno specialises in cutting.

Do you have any summer hair care tips for our readers?
During the summer months you should increase the amount of moisture in your regular shampoos and conditioners and it's essential to use a professional masque at least once a week. There are a number of intelligent products on the market today which protect the hair from damaging UV Rays and the drying effects of sea salt and chlorine like Redkens UV Rescue Shimmering Oil and the Colour Extend Sun Range. The most effective form of protection for your hair is a hat or scarf. We should pay as much attention to our hair as our skin in the summer so when you apply sun protection to your skin you should also apply a hair protection product.
Always rinse sea salt and chlorine out of hair with fresh water before allowing hair to dry in the sun. Sun + salt + wind = dehydration. Cut down the use of heated appliances on your hair during the summer and use a heat protection spray before using straighteners. Try to exploit the natural movement in your hair by letting hair dry naturally when possible.