When it comes to bold, bright, fun looks, colourist Harriet Muldoon is putting a fresh twist on things – literally – with her unusual ‘Sun Bun’ topknot dyeing technique. We sent Alix Fox – who’s partial to a crazy colour – to give it a whirl, then give us a twirl…

Name of treatment: SunBun

Name of salon: Blue Tit in Brixton

Booked in with: Harriet Muldoon, Head Colourist and Technical Director for Blue Tit Salons and Academy

Price: The SunBun ranges from £70 – £120 and it’s £32 for Olaplex to be used alongside the colour.

What they say: Blue Tit reckon the SunBun is a “brand new, truly unique, playful and quirky” colouring method invented by their rising star Harriet Muldoon, who’s responsible for the lusted-after locks of Made In Chelsea’s Jess Woodley and singer Nina Nesbitt.

SunBun is designed to be applied to light hair – blonde or grey being the best options. The hair is twisted into several small buns, before a mix of pastel or vivid shades are painted freehand onto each topknot. Once the colours have developed and the buns are removed, you end up with a bespoke ‘tie-dye’ appearance.

“The great thing about this approach is that no two finished styles are ever the same, so it really is the ultimate in originality,” says Harriet.

What we say: I rocked up to Blue Tit’s new Brixton branch on a bleak Saturday afternoon and was greeted by friendly, upbeat front-of-house staff and a glass of wine. The Coldharbour Lane salon is achingly edgy, with concrete walls, neon tube lights, exotic plants dotted about and a huge picture of a bird created using hair extensions. But while it’s definitely a very cool place, it’s not cold; I felt warmly welcomed rather than intimidated.

I’d previously had my naturally mousey brown, shoulder-length hair dyed a peachy orange shade, and had about 2cm of regrowth. Harriet asked me what my goals were (for my barnet, not my future – she’s not a life coach!). I told her I was open to her imaginative ideas: I’m someone who likes to leave the hairdressers looking radically different to when I walked in, and I’m not afraid of having out-there, make-you-stare hair…

She suggested we begin by bleaching the roots and lightening up the lengths, using Olaplex to help us to achieve a paler result while reducing damage.

Next, she added an ash-grey toner near to my scalp, and a sunshine yellow through the ends. “The Sun Bun technique leaves a lot of your base colour showing through, so you’ll end up with a grey-to-yellow ombré effect with brighter hues mingling through it,” Harriet explained. “For a more straightforward look, you could just leave the base blonde.”

 Final thought: Whether or not the Sun Bun is your slice of pie, I’d certainly recommend Harriet Muldoon. I expect her name to become a familiar one on the hairdressing scene: she’s ambitious, utterly dedicated, hugely inventive and a genuine joy to natter to. A little birdie (a Blue Tit?) tells me her next big project involves UV colours… So, whether you’re after festival tresses or a fluorescent rave look, give her a glow!