Spa gazer: Real Hair, London SW3

What: Colour correction

Where: Real Hair, London SW3

How much: highlights, from £250

Real is not the obvious name for this swish Chelsea Green salon, because with its solicitous service, air of calm and minted clientele, it definitely feels a bit surreal; the hairdressing equivalent of booking a suite at the Hempel. After years of attending the same out-of-town salon, our spy’s subtle caramel highlights had slowly morphed into a homogenous Caramac mess. Real’s Debbie Bhowmik (whose clients have included Pussycat Dolls and Girls Aloud, as well as Rosamund Pike) first asked our spy to remove the salon’s black gown so she could assess her hair colour against her skintone and what she was wearing – key to achieving natural-looking results. She quickly diagnosed a bad case of overbleaching, which could be remedied with a bespoke blend of three shades of highlight. The result was fabulous – flattering, glossy colour that, three weeks later, still looks salon-fresh. Expensive – but worth it.