Considering Charlie Miller for your wedding hair or a special occasion?
Occasion hair is part of our heritage at Charlie Miller. We began offering the service around 40 years ago, either at the venue or in one of our city centre salons.
All wedding and special event hair queries are handled at head office by our co-ordinator extraordinaire, Darlene Sparrow. She gets exact details of whatever is needed and then liaises directly with each of the salons to find the perfect fit for the bride’s big day. She checks availability as well as accessibility to each of our branches. If the bridal party require the stylist to travel to their venue, then that’s where we go!
Darlene takes into consideration all ideas the bride-to-be may have, which might mean matching her up with a specific stylist; more and more brides are going for simple, less intricate styles for their wedding.
Loose waves, natural curls or bohemian styles are looks that all of our stylists execute beautifully. But, the ‘less is more’ vibe can also work perfectly with a certain dress or theme.
But ‘hair-ups’, including those ‘undone’ up-do’s, half up half down styles, and the more intricate braids are a skill set all of their own. Requiring intense training and a love for occasion hair, this service is available with a select few. One such stylist with a passion for put ups is South St Andrew Street’s Karyn Holloway. Karyn has been mastering this skill since she was 19. Now a seasoned Senior Head Stylist, her ardour has only increased with experience.
There’s such a wide spectrum of wedding and occasion hair.
Ranging from classic chignons to modern fish-tail braids and beyond, Karyn relishes every one. “It’s so creative, so varied,” she tells us. “I love the journey with the bride from start to finish.”
Some brides have no idea where to start with choosing the right style and that’s absolutely fine with Karyn. She delights in the opportunity to help choose the best look and has a few go-to questions to help her client decide.
“I always ask to see their dress first as this helps us when deciding what will best suit their overall look. I also like to know if they plan on wearing anything in their hair- whether that’s a veil, comb or even fresh flowers.”
Darlene recommends a trial for every bride, whether you’ve chosen your look or know your stylist.
Most brides opt for the trial within 3 months of the wedding, when the dress, flowers and theme are all set – this means we can work around all these factors to choose the perfect look for the big day – but if that timeline is not feasible, don’t fret- there are ways and means around it!
Karyn tells us one of the most vital questions, even if someone has come in with their mind set on a full ‘up-do’, is whether they’ve ever worn their hair up before, and when she explains why, it makes perfect sense. “When a bride walks down the aisle, I picture them as a polished version of themselves. Do they think they’ll look and feel like a completely different person with their hair up? Is there a reason they’ve chosen never to wear their hair up before?”
Karyn’s goal is to make her bride feel “beautiful and super confident”, so she offers up a few different options or variations, demonstrating this in their dedicated consultation time.
Her most requested look is pieces softly taken off the face with gentle face-framing curls, which can be transformed into a new look in the evening.
Trainee Ruth from South St Andrew Street loves observing and assisting with brides and sees Karyn as a huge inspiration. “She’s so specific when explaining her thoughts to her client, describing her techniques and ideas in detail from start to finish. I love to watch as she adapts and alters to the client’s wishes and is full of ideas if the first look isn’t exactly what the client pictured. Nothing’s ever a problem and it’s amazing to watch her work her magic”.
If you’ve opted to come to the salon on the morning of your wedding day, you’ll be greeted with a team delighted to hear your plans and meet your bride squad. There’s always a fantastic buzz in-salon when a wedding party is due in.
If you’ve chosen for our team to come to your venue then your hairdresser, or indeed hairdressers, will arrive armed with their session bag, excited to get to work on giving you the wedding hair of your dreams.
Always happy to work and liaise with photographers for the perfect ‘getting ready’ shots, Karyn knows the best angles and has featured in many a wedding album over the years. She loves to see photos of her beautiful brides glowing on their big day and is forever honoured to have played a role in making this happen. “It makes me so happy to become a little part of a couple’s history”.
With her finger on the pulse at all times, Karyn let’s us know that Hollywood waves and messy buns adorned with jewelled combs are a big wedding trends for 2024. She also reckons we’ll see more front veils paired with classic, sleek up-dos, and she hopes to turn her hand to all these styles over the coming months.
It’s not just for weddings we can create a bespoke hair up; prom hair, graduation hair and even festival hair is becoming more elaborate.
Whatever the reason, we’re always up for discussing something that’s “off price list”. Charlie Miller stylists are thrilled to look after you whatever the occasion. Feel free to contact any of our salons to discuss all things braids, buns and chignons!
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Join us Behind The Chair with South St Andrew Street’s Senior Head Stylist Karyn Holloway.
Karyn became a Charlie Miller employee on the 30th of September 2013, becoming one of a handful of employees who didn’t originally train with us.
Feeling it was time to move on from her previousrole, Karyn pondered her next move. She recalled the words of one of her regular clients, who knew our Managing Director Josh and had often insisted she should get in touch with him.Karyn had followed Charlie’s, and later Jason’s, successes throughout her own career and deeply admired their work, and it felt too big a dream to become part of the company she’d known of since her early teens. But at that moment, she felt a change was needed and decided to go for it; she thought “What have I got to lose, the worst they can say is no”.
Karyn likens her quest to become a Charlie Miller hairdresser to being on the Apprentice; it took her 7 weeks to secure the role. In all, she had four interviews and three trade tests with Jason and Ian. She recalls how surreal it was to have people she’d watched in shows and read about it magazines look at her work. “I felt 17 again,” she says. It was hard work, but I wanted it so badly. Every time the phone rang, I was on tenterhooks.” Finally, she got the call she’d hoped for. “And”, she says “here I am.”
This moment was all the sweeter considering Karyn had been interviewed by the company before as a 16 year old.
She remembers waiting to be interviewed alongside a boy around her age who she described as looking like a new romantic, while she wore a blue outfit her mum had made her. She’d thought she’d looked “pretty funky”, but the new romantic pipped her to the post. “He’s not here now though!” She jokes, “But I am!” She describes herself as “a Charlie Miller diehard.” It’s clear to anyone who knows Karyn, just how much this company means to her.
She does feel that it’s always been her destiny to be here. She proved that perseverance is key. “30 odd years later, I made it!” She jokes. She does mention that she didn’t wear blue to any interviews this time, feeling it might have been unlucky for her.
Back as a teenager seeking out her first job, she felt there was so much demand for apprenticeships, that you really had to stand out. It just wasn’t her time yet. Instead, fate took her to Ian Cameron to begin her apprenticeship. It was tough, strict and seriously hard work but she gained her qualification, invaluable experience and memories that have stuck with her throughout her career.
“It was so different being an apprentice back then.”
Calling in sick was a last resort and a nerve-wracking experience, and there would be one trainee to each hairdresser. The rota system meant that they were paired with a stylist for a month. You’d have lunch when they did, run late when they did, and didn’t go home until they were finished.
One of the earliest memories in her career is competing with Chris Dickson, now of Dickson & Reid, to see who could dry the salon floor the fastest; “It was a really long salon.” She recalls. “Once we’d locked up, we’d put on Diana Ross, mop the floor, and shimmy across the salon on towels, to see who could get there quickest. Every morning and every night, someone would go in with a hand brush and brush the carpets of the three staircases, then clean the stairwell, and you had to do it quickly, or else you’d be late shampooing the first clients, or late to get home.” She would train twice a week at their night school, and if your model took you until 11pm, then it took you till 11pm.
It was tough but she loved it.
Looking at the fantastic hairdresser she has become, it was all worth it. She absolutely lived and breathed hairdressing. Always in her mind was the end goal and an appreciation for what she was learning... but she still remembers hiding in the tumble dryers to get a break now and again.
When Karyn was 19, the ‘done thing’ was to leave the salon you qualified in and do what they called an ‘improver year’.
This involved moving on to another company and did a further qualification there. This is exactly what she did when she went to work for Bruce Tennant in Fringe on Spittal Street. This is where Karyn learned to put hair up, something she’s now famed for with her clients and colleagues. Bruce taught her everything she knows about classic up do’s, like chignons and French rolls, and she remembers fondly that Bruce made it look like an artform.“I loved watching him do it.” It wasn’t something that Karyn had learned as a trainee, but she’s certainly not the type of person to ever stop learning. She made sure she asked as many questions as possible, soaking up Bruce’s knowledge. His passion rubbed off on her, and whenever the opportunity arose, she’d go on courses and to watch hairdressers like Patrick Cameron.
In Fringe, she also learned foil highlights, when lots of others were still using caps. She remembers there was only one hairdresser who did highlights– calling them ‘star lights’- and she’d always try to make time to assist her and ‘pass up’ to her.
Karyn remembers her time in Fringe fondly, saying she’s still in touch with Bruce now. When he retired, he even sent some of his clients her way. “He’s a lovely, incredibly talented man.” she says.
Karyn worked there until she was 21, then decided she wanted to live abroad for a year.
“Some of our friend group had gone to Tenerife in ‘89, so I had saved for around a year and went out to meet them. This was almost like a gap year for me. I didn’t hair-dress, I worked in bars or did PR for nightclubs.”
Karyn worked in a pub called The Brewer’s Droop, collecting glasses, and it was here she discovered her love for travelling. “I don’t think I was meant to be born in Scotland. I realised how much I loved living in the sun and when the money ran out and I came home, I immediately started looking for jobs abroad.”
Karyn’s parents were reluctant to let her go again, but she assured them, this was what she was meant to do.
In the days before social media, everything that was worth knowing about hairdressing came from Hairdressers Journal. There were advertisements in the back of The Journal for jobs on cruise ships or in exotic places.
An ad for a hairdressing job in Bermuda caught Karyn’s eye, and, as these were the days before the internet, Karyn set off to Waterstone’s on Princes Street, which was where the Apple store is now, sitting in the travel section and surrounding herself with books on Bermuda. Looking at photographs of pink-sand beaches and clear blue seas, there was no question about it: Karyn needed this job.
Karyn had never written a CV before, so being the creative and artistic type of person she is, she instead made a portfolio of her work, not only photographs of hair but artwork and inspiration. She painstakingly noted everything that she could do, how she went about it and how long it took her.
The lady who was recruiting was a Mancunian, who had married a man from Bermuda and had just bought a hairdressing business. She was home visiting family when she received the book Karyn had sent her and told her if she could get herself to Manchester, she would interview her.
Two weeks later, Karyn got the call to say she had the job in Bermuda.
It was all becoming a reality. By November of 1991, she was about to embark on a huge journey, combining her two loves of hairdressing and sun-drenched travel.
Little did she know that by the end of her first month there, she’d have met the other great love of her life; her husband Phil.
Knowing Phil was originally from London, we ask Karyn what he was doing there. “What was he doing there?! She exclaims. “He was waiting for me!”
There was a running joke between the couple, which his best man even mentioned at their wedding, that Phil was waiting at the airport with a sign, waiting for the fresh hairdressers to get off the plane. The majority of women who came to work in Bermuda were either hairdressers, beauticians or nurses.
Besides waiting for his future wife, Phil was living in Bermuda working as a printer, and the pair met each other at a rugby club fundraiser.
Karyn recalls Phil having nice eyes, good teeth, wearing a “rubbish black, purple and blue shell suit top with lime piping”.
“Have you got the bottoms to match that?” was her opening line. Phil confirmed he did. “Don’t wear them.” replied Karyn.
By the following February, they were living together, and Karyn was perfecting her hairdressing skills in Headway.
“I did everything you could imagine. It’s where I learned to do afro hair, cutting and relaxing it, and how to do braiding, dreadlocks and corn rows.” It was mostly the young trainees who taught her these skills, adept at it from a young age.
She worked there for 11 years and then moved to a salon called Tangles for two years.
Karyn had a huge Portuguese clientele, meaning she got to experience many different hair types and needs. Blow drying naturally curly, thick hair in intense, humid heat means that Karyn is now a dab hand at blow dries; those of us who’ve often felt a bit sorry for a hairdresser who’s had to dry our lions’ manes needn’t be concerned with her. “If I can do that, and I did it at 9 months pregnant too mind you, I can do any blow dry!”
In all, Karyn and Phil spent 13 years in Bermuda, getting engaged, married and having their daughter Ellana, whom they brought home to Scotland aged 18 months.
Karyn went straight back into hairdressing at Clowns and when they closed their doors, she moved to Vincent Bell. 8 years later, she was a Charlie Miller hairdresser.
With her she brought knowledge of afro hair, beautiful colour work, an outstanding ability to put hair up (not to mention serious strength for big blow dries) and a whole lot of hilarity.
Karyn is warm and friendly with a riotous laugh. These factors, plus many more, are why she’s a stand out teacher.
Watching Karyn teach is a joy. She is patient and a great communicator, and Karyn vowed to be this way many years ago. “Sometimes I’ll make it fun, or be a wee bit firmer, but I will always be patient and empathetic until they understand what I’m teaching in that session.” With all her years of experience, she can see the subtle signs of something ‘clicking’ for them.
Whenever the trainee finishes what they’re doing, I’ll get them to stand back, and look at their work. I ask them what they see, and I need them to tell me if there’s a hair out of place or if something could be improved. But if it’s perfect, I need them to be able to see that too.” Back in 2012 when she was considering her career options, something that crossed her mind was to retrain as a teaching assistant and then eventually a primary school teacher. We, along with many of her clients we’re sure, are very glad that she didn’t, but it’s clear she would have been brilliant at it.
“I’d like my legacy to be how I’vetaught people things and having made it fun.”
Karyn hopes that many years down the line, someone will pass on a tip, trick or some knowledge to another young hairdresser and say “That’s how Karyn taught me.” We can assure Karyn, that there’s no doubt of that. Many apprentices applaud Karyn’s abilities to instruct them, and you can often find a literal queue of trainees waiting for her advice in South St Andrew Street!
Naturally curious and inquisitive, if she sees one of the trainees doing a braiding or knotting technique, she’ll ask them to demonstrate.
“If I was ever to think I know everything, I should be hanging up my scissors!”
As much as a lot of trends that get spoken about on TikTok are new names for tried-and-true styles (a butterfly cut is just a new name for a shag, for example) she’s passionate that all stylists should know the terminology.
“I’m quite driven by the thought of someone sitting in my chair and asking me for something I didn’t know how to do; I’d be mortified!”
“Of course, with the advent of the internet, this opened up a whole new world for me, I was watching and learning so much on YouTube. Young trainees these days are so lucky to have that at their fingertips. I had to go and seek it out. I’d encourage anyone who wants to be a stylist to use everything at their disposal to learn. I’m forever telling them to follow this person and that person.”
Karyn’s dedication to her role is evident, but hairdressing is far from her only passion.
“I’m an all-in kind of gal.”
Her most recent pursuit has been Munro climbing, which she’d initially decided to do in an attempt to conquer her fear of heights.
“A friend had been asking me to go and do it with her for years, and I’d always said I didn’t think it was for me. But this year, I decided I wanted to quit smoking, get fitter and get outside more; so I thought, ‘Aw, just do it!'”
Her toughest climb so far was Benn Narnain in Arrochar, and she says to be honest, she can’t tell us much about it because she’s blanked it out!
But she does know that there was a sheer drop and that she couldn’t look further than where her hands and feet were going next.
“I started meditating this year, and it’s really helped, I did that before the climb. I kept repeating to myself; “It’s not a fear, it’s a thought,” and I made it. Not that I knew there was a choice, until we started to head back down, and I realised there was a pathway we could have taken!”
Karyn often immerses herself in what she’s interested in at the time, but she realises that she shouldn’t have watched ‘Sherpa’, a documentary about an avalanche on Everest, before this particular climb…
It hasn’t put her off though, she still plans on doing many more. She even wants to memorialise her new-found hobby with a tattoo of her first two Munro’s contour lines.
Karyn and her friend Catrina have a fantastic way of deciding which climb is next; they decide where they’d like to go for dinner afterwards and plan their next Munro from there.
Ben Nevis is the ultimate aim for Karyn, she hopes to have climbed it before 2024 is out.
Spending so much time in nature brings back fond memories of her childhood, when she was her dad’s shadow. “I was always a daddy’s girl. I know places like the Pentland Hills like the back of my hand because my dad taught me so much about the outdoors, and about life really, on our walks together.”
Aside from spending time outdoors, Karyn does actually have some more relaxing pastimes!
Her comfort show is Friends; she remembers watching the very first episode in Bermuda. She also enjoys anything by Steven King and has recently rewatched Mr Mercedes (a particularly risky thing to be watching on the bus as she tends to do, given the amount of jump-scares). She loves old school musicals like those by Rogers and Hammerstein, particularly The Sound of Music. Her karaoke song would be from one of these movies, or- as anyone who knows her will confirm- “anything by Beyonce.” Her favourite kind of music is Northern Soul.
Karyn is happiest at a concert or watching something in the theatre and makes the most of the Fringe festival. “I won’t say no to any concert. We were robbed of all that for two years!”
A keen foodie, the best meal she ever had was in Locanda De Gusti, a Napolese restaurant in Dalry, for her 50th birthday. They enjoyed a seafood platter that she recalls was fresh, rustic and delicious. On this particular evening there were lots of Italians eating in the restaurant, where an Italian football match was being shown; the atmosphere was incredible. At one stage, she came back from the loo to find Phil in amongst an Italian celebration, napkin in hand, waving it wildly over his head alongside the others. She hadn’t even been gone 5 minutes.
If she herself were a food, we come to a very solid decision that she would be a fajita; colourful, fiery and fun, Karyn is soft round the edges but spicy on the inside.And, she likes to get wrapped up and cosy. The fajita is of course, everyone’s favourite dinner. We defy anyone to answer that question better than Karyn just did, because this truly sums her up.
Her manager Roz tells us that there are so many reasons why Karyn is a fantastic hairdresser and a busy stylist.
“It’sbecause of how enthusiastic she is, of how well she keeps on top of her career as well as what’s happening in the industry. It’sabout her energy, her vast experience, and just the manner in which she treats people. Her regular clients are people who have similar personalities to her, and so she’s developed deep friendships and become huge parts of their lives. She’s not ‘just’ their hairdresser. She’s aware. Aware of trends, products, and she is incredibly thoughtful, a good listener and always present.
She pays attention to the smallest details and wants to remember as much as she can about the individuals who choose to come back to her.”
When you’ve been in the industry a while, your clientele does begin to reflect who you are as a person, so you must be your genuine self to make that happen, and this is exactly what Karyn has done. On top of that, she’s an incredibly passionate, intelligent and wise woman who has brought so much to the company in the time she’s been here.
“I love my job.” Says Karyn. I love standing behind that chair, creating and making people feel good about themselves. It’sa great job to have, and a wonderful thing to look back on and say you’ve done. For any bad experience you might have, you have so many more amazing ones. Those moments of changing someone’s hair and they cry because they love it so much, or seeing that you’ve made someone more confident, that’s truly special.”
Thankful for the career she chose, she’s also incredibly grateful for her family, her health and the life she’s led to this point. She’s grateful for every single day, and the fact that she has no regrets.
She may not have begun her journey here, but we, in turn, are grateful that she will be with us until she does indeed hang up her scissors.
Karyn talks more about her love for occasion hair here.
You can also keep up to date with all the things our wonderful teams get up to by following us on our social channels, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Tiktok.
Behind the chair with Lauren Tait. She’s been Assistant Manager since the turn of 2024 at our salon in Holy Corner, and is a recent winner of not one, not two, but three awards at our annual Charlie Miller Achievement Awards!
Our awards night is a huge event in the staff’s calendar, full of anticipation. It’s an honour to win anything, but three in one evening is no mean feat!
Lauren’s first award was in a brand-new category; The Cat Nicholson Award. So named for our dear friend and colleague who we lost in March of 2023. Cat had a flair and passion for creativity and show stopping avant-garde hair. She was a pioneer of out-of-the-box thinking, and this is what The Cat Nicholson Award recognises.
Lauren was joint winner with South St Andrew Street’s Molly Rufus due to their successes in the 2023 L’Oréal Colour Trophy. Lauren reached the Grand Final, (the second time she’s done so in her career) and for the support and guidance she offered Molly in her bid to win The Star Award at the same event. Molly went on to win in her category. Poignantly, some of the last conversations Cat had with the team was about how the photographic entries for The Colour Trophy were going.
You can imagine then, how incredibly emotional this was for Lauren to win, and this alone would have made her evening, had she not gone on to win ‘Head Technician of The Year’ and the biggest prize of the evening, ‘Outstanding Hairdresser of The Year’.
We can’t quite publish exactly what Lauren said when she heard her name called for this final award, we’ll leave it to your imagination!
Frozen in her seat as her colleagues got to their feet around her, it took a few seconds for it to sink in. Even after ‘a good few drinks’ Lauren was nevertheless able to deliver an emotional speech expressing her gratitude and disbelief to rapturous applause. “I never usually drink at the awards”, she says, “as I quite often drive. But this year I just went for it. I definitely wasn’t expecting to win!”
Lauren’s award categories are notoriously tough to win, and not many people would expect to win their first, second and third awards on the same evening. It’s testament to how much she has flourished since she first joined the company aged 15.
Lauren’s career began with Charlie Miller in 2000.
It was only once the tough years of training, and the trials of qualifying gave way to running a column and a busy clientele, that Lauren truly felt she was doing what she was meant to be doing.
I didn’t dream of being a hairdresser when I was younger, I wanted to be an artist,” says Lauren. “Once I joined Charlie Miller, learned about the company, and actually got better at hairdressing, that’s when I found a love for it. I don’t truly like anything until I’m good at it.” She laughs. It took qualifying to confirm that she really did have a talent for it. “I considered art college at first, because I didn’t want to stay at school, but then I realised I didn’t want to do yet more education in a classroom environment and not know where I’d be after that. So, I needed a trade. And I’m lucky, because I love the one I chose.”
She does still paint, keeping it as a hobby. “There’s no pressure with it, if I want to paint something I’ll do it, but it’s for me. I paint whatever I feel like.”
Lauren’s been creative as far back as she can remember.
Originally from Bathgate, Lauren’s first memory is playing with her little sister, Jennifer, four years her junior. She would build doll’s houses for her, stacking video cassettes to build the walls and cutting up her Mum’s tea towels for blankets. Jennifer is autistic, and she and Lauren have an amazing bond. Her best childhood memories are of creating, building, and generally making a mess.
School wasn’t bad for Lauren, she just, in her own words, “wasn’t the model pupil”.
“I wasn’t bad! But if you read any of my old report cards, they all say, ‘Lauren’s a really nice girl but she’s very easily distracted.’ I’d get into trouble for chatting and then I wouldn’t like that class anymore. If I’d applied myself a bit more, I’d probably have been a straight A student. I enjoyed Art, Craft & Design and Religious Education. They interested me so that’s what I flourished in. I survived! But it was more of a laugh than anything else. I left in fourth year as soon as I finished my standard grades. I was 15.”
Young Lauren told her parents she was leaving school, and as her mum, Lyn, had been a hairdresser, talk inevitably turned to a career as a stylist.
“My mum had been following Charlie’s career since since she had watched him in a hair show. She felt this was the a great opportunity for me, and got me the application form herself.”
But in case that didn’t work out, Lauren’s dad Bill wanted to ensure she had some other options. “One morning, my dad had a meeting in Edinburgh. He asked me to get up, get dressed and do my make-up, then dropped me off at the West End, and told me to hand my application into Charlie Miller, then go into all of the salons I liked the look of and ask for more application forms.
He dropped her off on Stafford Street, right outside Charlie Miller. “Everyone looked so cool, dressed in great clothes and the girls all wore heels. I knew that was where I wanted to be.”
The following week, her dad dropped her off again, armed with the now filled-in applications, and she handed them all back in.
Three other Edinburgh salons offered Lauren a position as an apprentice, but her heart was set on Charlie Miller. They were the last to offer her a position, and she remembers her first day vividly, not least because she was wearing four-inch heels, took them off as soon as she left and walked to the train station in her bare feet. The first and last time she ever did that!
Lauren remembers one of the stand-out days as a trainee was when everyone was busy making pompoms with real hair in the run up to the 2003 MTV Europe Music Awards in Edinburgh.
“I remember watching it and seeing the pompoms we’d made for the backing dancers, and being so excited that I’d helped make them, and now I was watching them on stage at the MTV Awards.”
Lauren reflects on how much she’s grown as a hairdresser, even down to which celebrity she’d choose to do the hair of. “Someone asked me this years ago, and I said Slash from Guns ‘N’ Roses… but thinking back, that’s really not my cutting style!” Now she’d choose Julia Roberts. “She seems like a nice person and her hair is beautiful.”
Through our long-standing partnership with the Edinburgh International Film Festival, Lauren has actually styled a number of celebrities in her time. “I try not to do too much research into them beforehand, or else I’d get nervous. I want to treat them the same as I would every other client.”
One of her fondest EIFF memories is doing Jamie Campbell’s hair.
Also known as Fifi la True, Jamie is a British drag queen who was the inspiration behind the musical ‘Everybody’s Talking About Jamie’ and its film adaptation. “He was with his mum and Gran that evening, and I ended up doing the hair for all three of them,” recalls Lauren. Whilst she was doing Jamie’s hair, his mum was ironing an incredible fuchsia pink, French Renaissance-style gown that had been made by his grandmother, and before Lauren left, she helped him into it, whilst he towered over her in beautiful 6-inch Louboutin’s.
Another stand-out career moment was assisting on a shoot for Rachel Scott Couture at the Balmoral Hotel.
Charlie Miller had been enlisted to style the hair at a special shoot for Rachel Scott Couture*, one of Edinburgh’s luxury bridalwear retailers. Rachel was launching Vivienne Westwood Bridalin her Dundas Street store; the first time VW ever launched outside of London!
Lauren was sent a mood board full of braids and crimped hair, and by the time they were finished, the model was wearing a stunning satin gown and a crimped mohawk.“I didn’t want to leave!” says Lauren. “I wanted to stay and watch the photo shoot, and watch every shot taken by Blue Sky Photography, but I had clients booked in, and I went back to the salon on a high”.
Lauren credits her three experiences with the prestigious L’Oréal Colour Trophy as defining moments in her career.
“It taught me a lot. I was given trust and freedom from Jason to do what I wanted with my model’s hair,” she says.
“I got to support Molly during the photo shoot too and doing that made me realise I knew more than I thought I did; I didn’t feel nervous or out of my depth in that situation.”
She credits Company Director Jason Miller with teaching her so much on previous photo shoots. “I’ve always been part of the Colour Trophy shoots over the years, assisting in the background and watching.”
Lauren’s inspiration for her entries comes predominantly from social media.
Her love for hair colour means she always tries to have her finger on the pulse and has gotten to the stage that she finds herself picking up on trends before they happen.
Having a mum who was a stylist has also been a huge influence for Lauren. Her advice and support has always been invaluable. Particularly so when it came to preparing to enter the L’Oreal Colour Trophy from helping her choose outfits to calming her when she has a bit of a wobble. “She’s always unbelievably proud of anything I achieve. When I phoned to tell her about the three Charlie Miller Awards I won, she was in tears.”
When Lauren was newly qualified, she worked in the salon we used to have in Harvey Nichols, where Cat Nicholson was her manager. Cat taught her the art of communication, and Lauren, who describes herself as naturally shy, values this immensely.
A great consultation comes from asking investigative questions to get to the root of what the client truly wants, as well as the skills to help them understand their own hair shape and texture. As someone who’s passionate about colour, it’s important to Lauren to impart her knowledge on the vast differences between professional colour and box dyes.
“It takes experience to be sure you’re explaining things properly, and confidence in your abilities to give the correct advice,” she explains.
Lauren is open and honest, which has created a great relationship with her clients. “I just want them to be happy!” she says. “That’s my main goal. Becoming part of a client’s life, doing their wedding hair and their hair for their birthday is a great feeling.” Her favourite element of hairdressing is working with people; “to show a client the end result in the mirror, see them smile and know I’ve contributed to that; well, it’s just amazing.”
There’s nothing that a client could ask for that would faze her, and she would take on any challenge, but experience has taught her that when it comes to a couple of colour techniques like balayage, that it’s okay to say, “I’m happy to do this, but my colleague here is even more amazing at it!”
Lauren feels like an entirely different person from who she was a decade ago. “I’ve had a good few years,” she reflects. “I’ve had great experiences at the L’Oréal Colour Trophy, won my [Charlie Miller] awards and become Assistant Manager.”
She’d always known she wanted to lean into the artistic side of hairdressing, but her rise to Assistant Manager was a natural progression.
“I remember Charlie himself doing an interview where he said that everything that’s happened with the business was organic. And I feel like my journey has been, too. I’m not naturally the first to put my name forward for things.”
“My life really changed about 7 or 8 years ago.”
“I moved out when I was really young but found myself properly on my own a few years back. I lost my dad around the same time, and he was my go-to, the one who would fix anything for me.”
It’s clear that Lauren’s dad was her rock. “He was amazing. Incredibly supportive. That forced me to grow up; I was entirely responsible for myself. I came out the other side of that, 6 or 7 months later, much stronger and clearer. I got through it with constant support from my mum and the rest of my family, but it became obvious that if I wanted something, I’d have to do it myself.”
“I was always a bit wild.”
Lauren recalls that she and her fellow trainees worked hard, but always had a laugh. She remembers one of the girls getting into a towel box, but Amber came in for her lunch while she was in it, so instead of just getting out, she stayed in said box until Amber left the staff room. She’s unsure if Amber ever found out; of course, she will now!
Lauren loved a night out (or an all-night rave, to be exact) and has experienced many a hungover Saturday as a trainee, but would never have dreamt of phoning in sick. It just wasn’t the done thing. “You just got on with it!” Lauren’s generation of hairdressers have certainly grown up now. “We’re all into wellness, yoga and matcha lattes now!,” she says.
Lauren has a novel way of relaxing on her breaks that might surprise a few people; she listens to Julio Iglesias!
“He was my dad’s favourite.” she explains. She’s also a fan of Andrea Bocelli. Her favourite genre of music however, is rock or metal. She does throw us a bit of a curve ball though, when we ask what her go-to song for karaoke would be… “Without Me, by Eminem! I know every line, and Karen from Stafford Street will vouch for me on that!”
She also loves watching Schitt’s Creek, her comfort show, and an ideal day off would be spent with her little sister and mum. They often drive together to places like Callander or Kenmore. “Anywhere with fresh air and water.” She also loves quality time with her partner, Murray, who’s she’s been with for 7 years. She describes him as “incredibly supportive, encouraging and gives me space to do what I want to do.”
Murray has encouraged Lauren’s love of travel, contributing to her exploring more of the world than she has before. “I love travelling with him, he’s a lot of fun, really funny. He’s helped me feel confident about travel and I think I’d be able to go away on my own now.” Her favourite place so far has been Croatia, which is also where she had her favourite meal of all time, a traditional Croatian dish called Cevapi.
And on the subject of food; if she were one- what would she be?! She gets some input from others on this one, and two people say ‘melon’ (apparently, it’s a ‘chilled out’ fruit?!). Two others inexplicably say strawberry… Ultimately though, Lauren goes with “marshmallow, because I’m the world’s biggest softie!”
We ask Lauren if she happened upon a magic lamp, what her three wishes would be; she’d choose for her friends and family to be happy and healthy, for inner peace, and to be able to give her loved ones a comfortable life. If she could choose a super power, it would be to become a healer.
Ultimately, she’d like to be remembered as someone who was kind, chilled out and funny.
We’d go a little bit further than that; Lauren is a great support to the team at Holy Corner, a very talented and creative stylist and a great mentor. As much as Lauren credits others for teaching her how to communicate, her salon manager Amber tells us that Lauren’s abilities are very natural.
“It isn’t taught, it’s a feeling.” Amber tells us.
“Apart from her fantastic ability to look after each client with a great level of care and remembering all the details of previous visits, Lauren is incredibly intuitive at looking after staff and really listening to what they need. Lauren never seeks praise & always tunes in to the emotional well-being of the team.”
“And,” adds Amber, “she always knows when I need a cup of tea.”
It’s word like these that show exactly why she’s a fantastic Assistant Manager, and a great asset to the Charlie Miller family.
You can also keep up to date with all the things our wonderful teams get up to by following us on our social channels, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Tiktok.
We asked some of our stylists what colours, styles and general vibes were here to stay for winter and beyond, and the resounding answer were phrases such as ‘quiet luxury’ and ‘old money hair’.
South St Andrew Street’s Salon Director Roz predicts this winter will be all about ‘quiet luxury,’ and while richauburns, velvety brownsand beautiful brondeswill be prominent, soft golden blonde is very much what she’s being asked for at the moment. “Think expensive Bond Street blondes that makes you question whether it’s the client’s realcolour or not!”These colours are effortless, not overdone.
These thoughts are echoed by South St Andrew Street’s Molly. Molly is one of our Senior Salon Stylists and a Salon Technician, who has noticed that “Old Money Blonde” is a popular search on TikTok this season… Think Sofia Richie Grainge’s soft multi-dimensional blonde or the lit-from-within caramel highlights of Blake Lively. She also highlights the amount of searches for “Old Money Hair” in general, which incorporates styling withsoft, polished waves,low buns or big bouncy blow-dries, and cuts with curtain bangs and lots of layers.
Quiet luxury isn’t just for those with long locks either- French bobs and flicky, voluminous lobs are still very much in demand.
Asides from the length, it’s about finding a classic shade that compliments your complexion as well as your wardrobe.
We’ve certainly seen the return of clients investing in luxury haircare again over the last few months, and one key factor in maintaining opulent shades is to choose products that will genuinely contribute to its health, particularly giving it nourishment, lift and shine.
Whatever the tone, it looks expensive, along with a glossy finish, born from fabulous haircare.
We’ve certainly seen the return of clients investing in luxury haircare again over the last few months, and one key factor in maintaining opulent shades is to choose products that will genuinely contribute to its health, particularly giving it nourishment, lift and shine.
Hydration is a must for luxe hair. Our Hydrate Shampoo and Conditioner duo work magic on dry hair and scalps, making hair happier, healthier and thoroughly hydrated. Finish sleek styles and gorgeous waves, or repair dry and damaged hair with our luxurious hair oil. Our oil won’t leave your hair greasy! Just use one or two drops to make hair extra-healthy, sleek and shiny.
You don’t have to frequent the Upper East Side of Manhattan or have a Bond Street adjacent post code to look a million dollars.
The beauty of ‘quiet luxury’ is that it embraces minimalism when it comes to colouring.
Taking care of your hair at home can keep your colour for longer. Enhancing your natural colour might mean you can stretch out the time between highlight appointments (perhaps going from a full head of highlights to a half head) or focussing on tinting and toning rather than going in with a lightener at each appointment. An honourable mention should be given however, to how far hair lightening has come; with the advent of professional use products such as L’Oréal’s 9 Levels Lightening Powder and epres Professional Bond Repair, our colourists can lift your colour more safely than ever.
Big hair is back.
There was a clear shift in 2023 from slicked back, sleek hair and more demand for lift at the root.
Something that can truly elevate your look is a quality blow dry; nothing says “luxury” like hair with body and bounce, which can be achieved with a round brush or a wide straightener.
We’ve seen an influx in ingenious ways to create a wave or curl since the days of lockdown; whether it’s with heatless curls or tong techniques.
From the humble roller to hot brushes, there are ways and means of getting that ‘blow out’ look with a little less arm pain from wielding your hairdryer!
Your stylist wants you to be able to recreate the look they give you at home; ask as many questions as you need, soak up as much knowledge as you can.
Stafford Street’s Senior Stylist Cameron loves creating big, voluminous blow dries and is often our staff’s go to to create glamorous looks that last the night. If you’re recreating the ‘blowout’ look at home, Cameron recommends bending the ends of your hair in sections with a straightener, then adding a roller to keep your look bouncy for longer.
If you need to enhance the body and bounce, our Volume Shampoo andConditioner can give you that, without foregoing the moisture hit- no overly squeaky-clean hair here! Follow by applying our Volume Mousse before your blow dry; not only is it a conditioning mousse but a heat protectant which will give your hair so much body. Swap this out forVolume Spritz if you’d like an extra shot of shine with your root lift; our blow dry spray boosts hair volume and adds extra shine, making hair look fuller and healthier
Thick headbands and bows are very on-brand when it comes to the quiet luxury, or old money aesthetic. Black velvet, lace or cream satin will add to the vibe perfectly.
A little extra help…
Since we’ve launched our extension service, we’ve found that most of the requests have been less for length, more for thickness.
Whether with bonds or tapes, the added strands create a fuller head of hair encouraging bounce and movement, often adding to a client’s confidence. A luscious mane can work wonders for one’s self esteem! With thicker, more voluminous hair, you can also experiment with various looks and styles.
Our blow dry prices start at £43. Book your appointmentonlinetoday!
Gone are the days of ‘grey hair only suits men’. So many amazing women are showing up online to encourage others to ditch their preconceptions about grey hair, and fully embrace their natural locks.
You might be warming to your natural grey but feel a bit apprehensive after years of colour treatments and have no clue how to begin your transition to a new look.
Fear not! We have rounded up some of our top tips from our professional colour specialists, to help make your journey to silver locks as smooth as possible.
photo credit: @silverstrandsofglitter on Instagram
Create a Natural Transition with Colour Treatments
Your stylist knows best. They know you and your hair and will be able to recommend the best colour treatment, specifically for your needs and preferences. They will advise the best combination of lowlights, highlights and toners that will tastefully phase out any existing colour.
Some of our clients prefer this gradual process, but some choose to bleach their colour out completely, and use silver shampoo and toners to enhance their cooling tones as their hair grows out. Every head of hair is different, so speaking to your professional stylist is the best way to choose a method which will work best for you.
Metallic and ash tones are hair trends that aren’t going anywhere, so there really hasn’t been a better time to make the transition.
Keep Your Grey Fresh with Silver Shampoo
Silver shampoo is our number one hero product for silver/grey hair, bleached or blond highlighted hair as it’s formulated to neutralise and remove yellow tones. Using a Silver Shampoo once a week in your hair care routine will help to keep your grey looking lively and fresh. Our Charlie Miller Silver Shampoo is also formulated with antioxidant rich sage oil, which promotes hair development and helps your hair to retain moisture.
photo credit: @k_growing_gray on Instagram
Master Your Grey Hair Regime
White and grey hair has a very high porosity, so it is crucial that you invest in some good quality haircare to keep your hair looking its best. Grey hair can be silky but can often be a little coarse in texture too, so it’s very important to use products which encourage smoothness and add moisture to your hair. Always use a heat protectant when heat styling, and finish with a nourishing oil.
Don’t Underestimate The Haircuts
Finally, invest in a great cut. Short, cool, choppy styles work great and help speed up the process to full head grey. A chic bob, if it’s really sharp, can also look just as fabulous. No matter what your hair goal is, haircuts are essential to maintaining the health and condition of your hair.
If you need more inspiration to embrace those natural greys, have a look at the following hashtags on Instagram: #silversisters #silversistersinternational #greyhairmovement
photo credit: @the_gray_gal on Instagram
To keep up to date with all things Charlie Miller, make sure you are following us on our social channels. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. To find your nearest salon click here.
Originating in Paris in the 70s, Balayage is a trend that grew ever more popular in the 2010s and is here to stay. It’s the perfect mix of having a WOW hair colour whilst ensuring your style looks effortless.
Holy Corner’s queen of balayage, Head Stylist and Senior Technician Carla addresses frequently asked questions and common misconceptions about this sought after colouring technique.
Why do you think balayage is so popular?
Balayage is the most asked about style, personally I think it’s because you can achieve so many different tones and add extra impact to your hair style. It’s also all over Instagram!
I also think regrowth is a main factor; clients often believe that because part of the look is a soft root, it means less maintenance – this is not the case!
How often do you recommend maintenance?
Like all colouring services I’d say 8/10 weeks is perfect to keep the blonde fresh.
Everyone stretches maintenance as they think it doesn’t matter but, on certain styles, brassy tones will occur and some balayage techniques require a toner in between. Being aware of this extra commitment is a must.
What is the difference in techniques between highlights and balayage?
Highlights, balayage and baby lights (delicate highlights created using a fine colour technique to achieve subtle dimensions to your hair. An up and coming trend!) are often mixed up.
The most stand-out difference with balayage compared to the other techniques is the seamless blend from root to tip!
Balayage is very bespoke to each client’s preference and is all down to how much shadow or depth of root they want! Consultation is key to see if it’s the right technique for you.
How long does your hair have to be?
No set lengths as such, certain styled bobs to long hair are where you see the main techniques best. Clients often find their inspiration from Instagram and Pinterest.
How important do you think bespoke colour placement is?
Placement is key! Fine placement always wins for a softer more natural effect, dreamy for face framing!!
Bespoke colour services, including balayage, will require a consultation first so pop in and check it out with any one of our experienced and skilled stylists. To book all other services, you can simply book online here or call your preferred salon.
Please also note that all colour services require a colour allergy test 48 hours prior to your first colour appointment with us.
Keep up to date with all things Charlie Miller, and follow us on our social channels, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Tiktok.
Little did she know that by the end of her first month there, she’d have met the other great love of her life; her husband Phil.
Spending so much time in nature brings back fond memories of her childhood, when she was her dad’s shadow. “I was always a daddy’s girl. I know places like the Pentland Hills like the back of my hand because my dad taught me so much about the outdoors, and about life really, on our walks together.”
When 
Big hair is back.
