Does this stylist provide the most diva-worthy haircuts in Dubai? We put him to the test…
The stylists at JetSet Dubai are known for their star-studded client books — and the salon’s brand-new style director is no exception.
Simone Resta has treated the tresses of songstress Mariah Carey and Brazilian football legend Ronaldinho, in between styling for photoshoots, product launches, and VIP events, including London Fashion Week.
The stylist, who was born and raised in Italy but has spent much of his career working in London, landed in Dubai a month ago, bringing his signature precision cuts to JetSet in Emirates Towers.
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Here’s what happened when we took a turn in Simone’s chair…
From Dowdy… To Diva
The problem? A boring, ruler-straight bob which lost its shape long ago. We’re trying to grow out our locks, and have been told regular trims are a good idea.
Simone informs us it’s a myth that trimming your hair will help it grow faster — depending on the condition of the hair, you can actually go for three to four months without needing a chop. We like a hairstylist who doesn’t guilt us into parting with our dirhams every four to six weeks on the dot.
What he can do, however, is create a style that will add body and movement to our tresses, without sacrificing any of the length. In fact, the right cut can even make your hair look longer, he says.
When Simone suggests layers, we’re slightly nervous — we’ve experienced mullet-like mistakes in the past. But he insists the style will grow out beautifully, with little to no maintenance. FYI: Curling irons and straighteners are out, and the slept-in, slightly messy look is in.
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During the consult, we enjoy a good goss with Simone. But as soon as the haircut begins, he is silent. He admits he doesn’t tend to chat while cutting hair — he likes to concentrate on his art.
Over two hours, he nibbles away at our ends, before slicing in cheekbone-length, choppy layers. He lets our hair air-dry as much as possible before going in with the blow dryer, a trick for creating texture. Another technique for livening up pin-straight strands is to gently rub the hair between your thumb and forefinger, before sealing with spray.
Simone is a perfectionist, and it takes lots of “finishing touches” to ensure we walk out of the salon looking fabulous. The result is wearable rock chick hair, with natural waves and body we’ve never been able to achieve with our irons. In fact, we haven’t needed to touch our tools since — our daily routine now involves spritzing on some Lush sea spray and walking out the door.
PS. The day after our cut, we were stopped by a stranger in the Mall of the Emirates who wanted to know where we get our hair done. We can assure you this has never, ever happened before.
Careful Simone, you might just have created a brand new diva…
Q&A: Simone Resta dishes on styling Mariah…
What are some of your favourite hair trends you have noticed in Dubai so far?
Dubai is a very glamorous place, a lot of the women have amazing, volumized, thick hair – lots of body and texture – very elegant!
Summer is fast approaching – can you share your best warm weather haircare tips?
Keep your natural hair as much as possible, try an uplifting mousse from Kerastase to define textured hair, and finish with a good serum. Good nourishing masks, depending on hair type, also keep it healthy and glossy.
What about the best styles for curly and frizz-prone hair?
Maintain the curls/frizz with the right products but also the cut – wear the natural look proudly. I use specific techniques to reduce the weight/frizz of curly hair which makes it easier to wear natural.
We’d love to know about one of your celeb clients… what are Mariah Carey’s hair secrets?
Mariah’s hair is gorgeous and glossy, I styled her hair in Ibiza during the summer. She has quite fine hair with a natural frizz so she usually applies a mousse on the roots and anti-frizz on the length before drying. We finished the style with a texturizing spray and a small amount of serum on the ends.
Haircuts with JetSet style director Simone Resta start from Dhs310. To book your appointment, phone (04) 330 0886 or email priority@jetset.ae
Images: Supplied, Instagram
