Style Guru
Five minutes with Global Dyson Styling Ambassador, renowned salon owner, educator & editorial hair stylist, Peter Thomsen
What do you love most about being a Global Dyson Styling Ambassador?
I love working with Dyson as they really listen to professional stylists and want to make not only our lives easier, but also the lives of our clients. They have intelligent heat control in all of their machines, promoting hair health, while continuously innovating new attachments to suit individual hair types and textures. But what’s really amazing is they never stop! They are constantly pioneering technology to allow people with all hair types to effectively style hair without heat damage.
Which Dyson innovation is your favourite right now and why?
I will always have a special love for the Dyson Corrale™ straightener Professional edition - it’s like nothing else on the market. I specialise in beautiful, healthy, blonde hair and Dyson’s flexing plate technology allows me to effectively style hair at a lower heat temperature of 165°C, making it the perfect styling tool. My clients love the fact that the Dyson Corrale™ straightener is also cordless. They find it much easier to create curls, waves, and my signature beach wave style at home themselves, as there is no cord getting in the way. As a professional stylist, the fact that it is a cordless tool is a huge advantage when I am working on shoots and backstage. I carry one in my kit wherever I go!
What do you think makes Dyson’s professional hair tools so unique?
Dyson engineers work with hairstylists all over the world. They listen to our frustrations and try to make our jobs easier. The Dyson mantra is to ‘solve problems others choose to ignore’ and I really believe they do this. They make tools that are lightweight, but still powerful, and that are cordless and don’t use extreme heat, helping to make our clients’ hair healthier and shinier.
What kind of looks are you enjoying creating with the Dyson Corrale™ straightener Professional edition and the Dyson Supersonic™ hair dryer Professional?
My clientele like an effortless look, embracing natural textures and a really undone feel. Dyson’s hair care tools give them the ability to achieve these looks themselves at home. When styling hair in my salon, I tend to blow-dry hair first using the Dyson Supersonic™ hair dryer Professional alongside the Dyson engineered Round Brush to prepare the shape first. I then use the Dyson Corrale™ straightener Professional edition to add detail and showcase the clients’ features, cut and colour, creating different bends and waves in the hair.
Any special tips or tricks you can pass along when using the Dyson Supersonic™ hair dryer Professional and the Dyson Corrale™ straightener Professional edition?
Be creative. Once you have built a beautiful foundation and have blow-dried the hair, you can touch up a style multiple times without washing the hair. I use the Dyson Corrale™ straightener Professional edition when I’m working on photoshoots. The possibilities are endless.
What are you currently receiving a lot of requests for in terms of colour in-salon?
In terms of colour, it’s all about suiting people’s individuality - working with their natural tones and highlighting them. People want low-maintenance and effortless hair but most importantly, it needs to be healthy and shiny! I’ve found that people are moving away from cool tones and embracing warmth: gold, soft coppers and rich, expensive brunettes.
What’s inspiring you in your work right now?
I’m really inspired by social media, and watching Gen Z on Tiktok. They are pushing the boundaries and people are not afraid to try something different, to change up their style and experiment.
What has been your biggest career highlight so far?
Becoming a Global Styling Ambassador for Dyson is a highlight. I have travelled the world with this amazing technology brand, using their innovative hair care tools to create new styles and promoting healthy hair. I have met some friends for life through the Dyson community, who are always pushing boundaries and pioneering in the styling space.
Why would you recommend the Dyson Supersonic™ hair dryer Professional and the Dyson Corrale™ straightener Professional edition to other hairstylists?
As hairstylists, we want to give our clients everything they want. Not only the ability to change up their look and style their hair the way they want, but also for their hair to stay healthy in the process. Dyson contributes to all of that, supporting stylists by innovating new tools and technology to help with our craft and maintain healthy hair.
What are you looking forward to for 2023?
Travel - it inspires me! I love visiting different countries and seeing how different hairdressers work and trends change. I’m also excited to see how styling evolves in 2023. In terms of trends and looks, but also technology innovation. I’m always on my toes to see what hair tools Dyson engineers will come up with next!