Highlights: Star style without the attitude. Expensive but worth it. Book in advance.
Davey Davey is the eponymous salon of brothers Paul and Ian. Although, it opened fairly recently (November 2010), these two, along with their colorist, Stephen Boyle, have extensive experience in the hair and salon biz - and it shows.
I was a first-timer at the salon today, and felt myself in very good hands with Paul Davey. He made me feel comfortable from the moment I walked in the door (I wasn't a "walk-in", however. I made my appointment more than a week in advance, which was a very good thing as he was fully booked.) He started by carefully evaluating my hair, and we had a good chat about exactly what I wanted. He also asked me specific questions as we went along (double-checking on the length, exactly how much he could take off, if he could cut a little more into my fringe, how I wanted it blow-dried/styled - and offering several options). These are things that I really care about it, and I love that he asked (don't you hate it when hairdressers don't and you are too shy and/or too late to do anything about it?!). My hair looks great and is incredibly soft, shiny, and full of body (Paul's way with the scissors and blow-drying technique are so skillful that it required only one product - a little mousse - to tame my frizz-prone hair - it usually takes at least three!).
It was a bit on the pricey side, but I am delighted with the results and a 100 euro shampoo, cut, and blow-dry also included a scalp massage and the most Zen-like chair massage ever. (And I had a curly blow-out, which frequently incurs additional charges elsewhere.) Most importantly, there were no upcharges and no sales pitch for product or additional treatments (which was a welcome respite from my typical experience at most salons. I was charged exactly as quoted on the prcelist card, No unwelcome surprises.).
Overall, the vibe was decidedly unpretentious with a diverse cross-section of clients in terms of age and hair. My cut was very on-trend for this season (shoulder-length grown out bob). I watched Stephen give one young woman a bouncy blow-out and then do a gorgeous chignon for another girl attending an awards ceremony. Paul's next client after me could have been somebody's mother (and he went through the same process that he did with me of assessing her hair and ascertaining what she wanted, even though she was obviously a regular.) Maybe because it is a family business (run by two brothers), but they really do seem to made everyone comfortable.
The salon is sleekly designed, but cozy (although a place to put my scarf and purse - or to have someone offer to put them up for me - would have been nice). I was provided with magazines and given my choice of tea, coffee, or water (and they had sparkling, yay!).
Alas, they are so focused on caring for hair that their website still needs work. It lists contact information and has a link to facebook, but not much else (e.g., stylist info, price list, etc.). It also takes some effort to tease their homepage and address out of a search engine. Adding some key search terms and doing the free business registration on Google would help their website appear more prominently. But, unless you pull your hair out over this, it shouldn't really affect your coif. And, if anyone knows the secret for getting one's husband to notice one's haircut, do let me know... read more
