OCTO Salon & Spa

I love earning my clients' trust, to the point where they feel playful enough to venture into new looks.

Cindy and I had a few appointments on the books to blend her grays, softening her natural silver so it would melt into the rest of her hair. Funny enough, we both reached a point where we wanted to play a little more and leave the grays alone until they take over more boldly. Until then... let's play! Tons of highlights all over and a striking blonde bob.

This look is fun and elegant at the same time, and it represents her so well. She can leave it messy and it still works, no daily styling needed. Low maintenance most days, super sleek on the days she wants to play dress up.

I used the AirTouch technique for the highlights, so they grow out super soft, with no harsh lines.
The result is superb and she looks fantastic with her new hair.

This blondie is going to have more fun, guaranteed. ✨

Watching clients grow up in my chair is one of the true blessings of this profession. Daisy has been coming to me since she was 11, and she always arrives with the most creative requests to brighten up our days.

This time she asked for her usual bright red, with a peekaboo of bright pink underneath.

Her red had always been very vibrant, though still a little on the darker side. About three months ago she played around at home with some bleach to make it brighter, and ended up with a peachy blonde. Not light enough for the pink, and not dark enough for our usual cherry red.

So I lightened her peekaboo section underneath and applied our cherry red from Insight to the top half. On this lighter base, it came out brighter than ever.

For the cut, we went with a soft butterfly scissor cut and curtain bangs that will grow out beautifully while she is back home in the States. Upkeep will be easy. She will only need to refresh her pink, or she can have fun with it and swap it for any colour she is in the mood for.

Exactly 10 years ago, this was me arriving in Costa Rica for the first time. Mint hair, a backpack, and no idea how much this trip would change me.

I only came to visit, and I went back home to London. But the seed was planted, and I was never the same again.

Today I get to do what I love most, right here in Playa Chiquita, at OCTO. Thank you, Costa Rica, for calling me back.

Amelle walked into our salon and asked if I could give her soft golden highlights, something to brighten her hair and camouflage the few grays that had started to take over. She told me several hairdressers had turned her away before, and she wasn't sure it was even possible.
Her hair was natural, with only a bit of colour residue on the longer areas, so I absolutely took this one on.

She had only recently chopped off her long locks, and while she felt great with the shorter hair, she wanted to play with the colour too. Something low maintenance, that lasts a while and grows out beautifully.

Golden highlights suit her complexion so well and brought out such a playfulness in her. I love the final look, and watching her glow was heartwarming.

My dearest friend Erzsi was ready for a change, and this time it was all about the colour. We had just cut her hair, and after a good month of regrowth she wanted something a little more vibrant.
So I did a full set of highlights, and while they were still processing, I touched up her regrowth with a dark blonde natural base. Her wavy hair runs on the dry side, so we finished with a hydrating mask to wake those waves up.
I've been doing Erzsi's hair for so many years that this felt like routine maintenance. Not a big change, but look how beautiful it turned out.

Marina came to me with a real grow out, and on top of that, someone had tried to tone her hair with something that was clearly not a toner. It left the front and top of her head a brassy gold, while the rest of her hair was still waiting on old highlights.

She wanted her natural dark blonde roots back, covering that brassy tone, and her highlights refreshed to a bright blonde again, like she used to have.

Her hair is fine, so I took my time. No shortcuts, nothing that could put her hair at risk. Three hours of work before we even got to styling.

When it was done, it all came together.
Marina loved it, and honestly, so did I.

Colour corrections are a huge undertaking, and Madeleine's hair was a perfect example. She had about two and a half inches of regrowth, months old highlights that never turned out right, and a toning attempt that left her with a brassy blonde.

She just wanted a colour she could relax with. No harsh roots, no heavy maintenance, just healthy lush hair with delicate baby highlights for movement.
Her natural colour is dark, so we went a shade lighter, with highlights that pop just enough without losing that rich, dark feel. Timing was everything here, so I worked systematically to protect her hair along the way. We finished with a rich conditioning mask that her hair soaked right up.
This was the great reset for Madeleine, and she is glowing so youthfully again.

Another long process, but for me it is like a giant 3D puzzle. Every head of hair is a different challenge, and I take it on eagerly.

Kristal’s thick, heavy lob has been transformed into the sweetest little razor-cut textured bob and it suits her face and personality so much better.
It opens everything up, shows off those gorgeous eyes and cheekbones, and gives her hair so much more movement without looking overly styled.

For the finish, I used just a little shaping cream, hovered around her with the diffuser for a few minutes, and did a bit of hand styling. No brushing, no fussing, no forcing every hair into place.

And look how fabulous it turned out.