City Weekend follows professional hair stylist Scarlet Salmons from Toni & Guy Hilton’s hair salon. It was an exciting and slightly nerve-racking day as Scarlet first cuts the hair of musician and producer David Zhang from FM3, and then proceeds to rub elbows with Tony Blair and style Cherie Blair’s hair for her book promotion at The Bookworm.

6:00 The Marc Jacobs number I picked up especially for today now seems totally appropriate, even though I’ve spent the past few days wondering what the hell I was going to wear for the big day ahead. Thankfully, the only witnesses to the frantic mood of excitement and numerous hysterical phone calls that preceeded the arrival of Tony and Cherie Blair today have been my dog Elvis, my three cats, and my boyfriend Lee, all of whom are now staring sleepy-eyed at their owner. Lee retreats into the fetal position under my leopard-skin bed throw. My tossing and turning all night last night must have kept him awake. This will be the third time for me to personally style the hair of the former British prime minister and his wife, Cherie. I really shouldn’t be this terrified—earlier this year I styled for Michael Jackson’s guitarist Orianthi and rock god Jimmy Page.

But nervous is not how the Blairs have seen me previously. I’ve been corresponding with Cherie’s office for weeks about this trip, and promoting her autobiography Speaking for Myself, that she also published in Chinese. I even suggested that she should visit a great little place while she was here called The Bookworm to talk about her life and promote her book. As Tony was on his own business in Beijing, she agreed, and asked me to escort her there. It amused her, and bemused me, how much her hairstylist was getting involved in an ex-prime minister’s wife’s PR. Hence last night’s attack of Blair-nerves.

10:00 I arrive at Toni&Guy Hilton hair salon to greet my first client, Christian, a musician and music producer from the band FM3. My business partner David Zhang and I set up this salon in December of last year, and we work hard to make it a creative, open, and welcoming place. Judging from our celebrity clientele and host of great regular clients, it apears to be working. Christian requests my styling services twice a year when he travels to Beijing. Today, due to his extremely quirky, indifferent image, I have to be at the peak of my creativity.

13:00 Christian leaves the salon making me feel totally inspired, as he always does, with his conversations about the music on his latest album, his European travels, and his unique, groovy dress sense.

14:30 It’s time for my makeup to be professionally done and a change of clothes.

15:30 I’m off to the Grand Hyatt hotel to meet with the Blairs. They’re due to arrive at the presidential suite at 4:30pm, flying in from Shanghai. They are running a bit late. After pacing the room for an hour and a half, Tony finally bursts through the door and all my nervousness fades away as he embraces me like an old friend, full of smiles and hugs. Cherie is just as lovely, warm and welcoming as ever, and we are thrilled to see each other again.

18:00 Though we’re strapped for time, Cherie is the epitome of calm. Without even so much as a cup of her usual hot water and lemon, she showers, changes clothes and I style her hair in preparation for tonight.

19:00 Cherie, her assistant, and I all pile into the waiting car, heading to The Bookworm to promote her brilliant autobiography.

19:30 There is a good turnout of people waiting to hear Mrs. Blair speak at The Bookworm. Escorting her into the venue, I swell with pride, still not really believing we are together in front of all these people. Taking my reserved seat in the front row, I sit grinning throughout her entire speech, and the rest of the evening for that matter.

21:00 The evening turns out to be a great success, and Cherie seems to be having a lovely time in the chilled out environment of The Bookworm, meeting and chatting with a few other lawyers I’ve invited along to meet her. Since the opening of Toni&Guy Hilton, my work and styling skills have been at an all-time high. Although I have new, exciting opportunities to style for celebrities coming to town, my absolute pleasure is undoubtedly reserved for my regular clients. Their loyalty and friendliness make me love working in Beijing. Toni&Guy Hilton has a great team, and we are all really close friends, having known each other and worked together for such a long time. There is such a family feeling here, which makes life in Beijing so special.