Fair warning - this salon is NOT cheap so if you are going for a very simple style that other hairdressers can pull off I'm not going to recommend it. It's most definitely a high-end place that I recommend only for special occasions of if you're really looking to treat yourself. With that said, I've been to 3 "high-end" salons so far in Cardiff - Guy Christian, Hair Bauhaus, and Ken Picton and I can definitely say that if I were to pick one that I'd come back to - it'd definitely be this place. I came here for hair and makeup for my wedding and made a booking right at opening time (9 AM). - HAIR - (£55) They sat me down straight away upon arrival after taking my coat and umbrella and Matthew was in charge of my hair. Absolutely LOVED him! To preface, I don't really have great fashion sense so when I'm paying for a stylist, I'm hoping that they took full control. Matthew was happy to do so and styled my hair based off what dress I would be wearing. He also walked me through all of his decisions and why! I told them that the top of the dress is lacy with long sleeves and he decided that he wanted to go for an elegant soft look with hair up to focus attention on the lace detail of the dress. The result was fantastic! The picture I included was near the end of the day (I neglected to take a photo of the initial result) so it looked a bit messier than it initially was, but you can still see the very pretty design! - MAKEUP - (£40) I was with Sarah for my makeup and she was very friendly and fabulous. She was a bit more hesitant to take full control compared to Matthew, but she was still nice as she slowly realised that I don't know much about makeup myself! The end result was lovely though and she even taught me which spots I should contour if I were ever to try it myself in the future. I also mentioned to her that I'm a crier so my only request was that my under-eye makeup is limited because it would bound to be ruined (a prophecy that later came true as I started sobbing at the first line of the vows lol). --- Overall, I'm very pleased with the service I received at Ken Picton's salon and would definitely come back. I don't normally do much to style myself, but Ken Picton's is now going to be my go-to in Cardiff if I wanted to do a bit of pampering again. 5 stars for Matthew and Sarah! read more

Ken Picton - Hair by Matthew (was end of the day so a bit messier than it was originally but still nice!) - Hair Salons Near Me - Cardiff, CRF

The experience of going to Ken Picton is more like a day out than a hair cut. Being a male is an advantage as the pricing is slightly better than for women, having a colouring a cut can set you back £110 approximately but a good hair styling for £40 is typical. The staff are always polite and very accommodating offering drinks (alcoholic and non alcoholic) magazines and generally talkative. There are apple macs you can use while your colour is setting. They make a point of remembering you from previous sessions so as to create a real report. They text reminders to keep you informed. It's a very stylish interior hair salon. Opening late on thursdays. Word of advise book in advance. read more

Ken Picton - Hair Salons Near Me - Cardiff, CRF

This plush salon in the Mermaid Quay area of the Bay has a great location, a luxurious environment, and well-trained, ambitious staff - and is one of the best places in Cardiff to get your hair cut. I'm a nervous customer when I go to get my hair cut anywhere - but probably less so here because I have never had a bad experience. If you pay for Ken himself to cut your hair, your purse will be quite a bit lighter when you leave, but there are different levels of stylists and they all seem to be experts at suggesting and executing good cuts and colours. At the top rung of the ladder, Ken Picton charges £80 for a ladies' cut and finish, the salon director charges £55, and then there are various levels underneath that - right down to £35. If you're only after a simple trim (and you're not made of money!), I'd say it's fine opting for one of the stylists at £35 - whereas if you're after advice on a dramatic style change, you might want to fork out a bit more for the experience of more senior staff. The salon downstairs is lovely, and if you head upstairs it's quite surprising how much space there is up there, even squeezing in a little coffee bar where they make customers cups of tea or coffee, or pour you a glass of wine. All very civilized and relaxing! read more

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My mother has been going here for 17 years and is completely shocked at the lack of customer service. My 18th Birthday present from her (cut and highlights) was cancelled on the day. They made no attempt to make up for this other than offering to cut my hair without the dye and said they had no power to do anything else. Surely some money off or any equivalent would have been appreciated. A deposit is put down on some appointments and if you cancel on the day you lose that money, does this not go both ways? A man hairdresser came down and with his hand on his hip and was aggressive from the second he saw us. I was so shocked that a 'professional' could talk to a younger girl this way without even hearing our side of the story first. I am not usually one to write long angry paragraphs but I was so upset that this was happening a few hours before my 18th party and couldn't understand why they didn't see the need to make up for the lost appointment. They kept saying things like 'what you want someone to come in who's ill?' Of course not, we would just like it to be made up for with some attempt. The owner Ken agreed that nothing should be done and that was it. I have been to Ken Picton a few times because it's nice to spend time with my mum but i've honestly never had a good experience. I spent £200 to have my hair permanently straightened and i was not spoken to once for the whole 4ish hours appointment. It was honestly embarrassing. Both my mother and I as loyal customers will never be returning. I am truly shocked and hurt by it all. read more

My hair dressers of choice! I love this place, I love the location, I love the stylists and I've never had a bad experience there. It looks especially snazzy these days after a make over of it own, but don't let that put you off. Prices here are about the same as you'd pay at Tony and Guy's but the staff here seem to be more interested in really listening to what you want instead of just trying to make you look cool. A women's cut starts at £35, with the top price a cut from the Wales and West Hairdresser of the year, Ken Picton himself costing £80. Men's cuts start at £25. This salon is like the Tardis. Upstairs you can have your nails done, massages, tanning, facials, waxing, even get your teeth whitened or get a bit of botox done if your wallet stretches that far. I can't vouch for these services but if the staff are as well trained as the hair stylists then you can't go wrong. read more

My daughter and I had a wonderful experience at your salon. From the moment we arrived we felt very relaxed and the team there were so welcoming. Harriet and Hayley were so lovely and made us feel totally at ease as it can be a bit overwhelming going to a new salon for the first time. I would recommend this salon to everyone. It is the most friendly hair salon I have ever been to and I have been to many over the years! Thank you to Harriet and Hayley, you are both very talented in your profession and lovely to talk to. It was a complete pleasure and we were really delighted with our hair cuts. After our excellent experience, my other daughter will be coming too and we look forward to seeing you again soon. xx read more

I was expecting a lot more from this salon. First impressions - beautiful salon, well designed and very stylish. The reception staff looked a bit miserable not particularly helpful or welcoming. Had an average hair cut, it was just OK. I wanted a new style but came out with an expensive trim. What really struck me was how dirty the salon was. It could do with a really good dusting. I was there at 9am and the seat had hair (presumably from the day before) on it. The salon could generally do with a good clean. Overall not a bad place but not great. Looks good on the surface but not much substance. read more

This is a very stylish hair salon.... probably the most stylish salon I have ever been too. It is pricey BUT seriously it is worth every penny. It is one of those places that I would be happy to save up for months to be able to afford a visit. I have only ever had my hair cut here but it has a beauty salon which I am hoping to pay a visit to soon. I have seen the beauty salon price list and so far I can afford half a manicure ;-) The website for Ken Picton is as glamourous as the salon itself. So if you cant afford to visit just yet type in www.kenpicton.com and dribble over the services this place has to offer. The salon is next to Mimosa which is a very nice little restaurant serving fantastic freshly cooked food. Ken Picton has teamed up with this restaurant to provide food to clients whilst in the salon. What more can a girl want? read more

Great little salon in the heart of Cardiff Bay with friendly staff and a relaxed atmosphere, though a little on the pricey side. A cut and finish from the great man himself will set you back a whopping £80 and over in the beauty section a facial can cost up to £75. They do offer a great selection of treatments though including teeth whitening as well as the more generic beauty treatments. It's great for pampering but I'm not sure my purse could take the battering of more regular use. read more

Ken Picton - Credit:http://www.kenpicton.com - Hair Salons Near Me - Cardiff, CRF

Yes, it's expensive. Yes, it's a bit swanky. Yes, it's worth the hassle of parking down the bay. Every time i've visited this salon I've been impressed. The prices are astronomical, but boy, do they take care of you! The stylists are highly trained and spend AGES on you. From consultation to polished finish, via a free glass of wine in the evenings or plenty of tea and coffee, you are made to feel like a special individual. I went here on the morning of my 30th birthday and when I told the stylist why I wanted my hair coloured and curled in a 1930s way (fancy dress party see), she spent hours making sure i got exactly what I wanted. The style stayed in for days afterwards and the colour was bloomin brilliant. The salon is gorgeous too. Plus they do manicure, pedicure, eyebrow and eyelash tint and lots of other beauty treatments. read more

This is definitely only a place for a treat. In fact, if you're a student it might only be a treat if someone else is buying. But if you ever manage to save up enough pennies to get an appointment, then you won't be disappointed. Especially because Ken Picton has been awarded the British Wales Hairdresser of the Year, and the South West Hairdresser of the Year (I think those are the titles). Given this, you do expect to be paying quite a lot more. Anyway, the staff are really friendly (you'd hope they would be, really!) and you feel as though they are going to pamper away all your worries. To reiterate, though, they will not be pampering away your financial worries. Definitely only one for the special occassions in your life. (If you want Ken, that is. A haircut from a stylist, for example, will only cost you £35 - not bad at all) read more

OMG what an amazing experience. Macey who is a trainee coloured and cut my hair. It looks incredible and the first time I washed my hair afterwards my hair fell into the style with ease. To me , this shows it was a good cut. I have had so my lovely comments about the colour too. Thank you Macey I'll be back read more

I first started going to Ken a couple of months after he opened his first salon Zoo, I now live in Pembrokeshire and make the 220 mile round trip when I want a restyle because in 20 years I have not found anyone as good. read more

This is an amazing hairdressers with a superb reputation. From the simplest trim to the most complec muti-coloured mohawk, then this is the place for you. read more

I've been going to Ken Picton Salon for over a decade. I will be finding a new hairdresser though after the most recent visit. The stylists are lovely but the customer service is appalling. On two separate visits they have got bleach on my clothes whilst colouring my hair. Expensive clothes which cannot be replaced. They make it very difficult to get a complaint resolved - asking for receipts when the item of clothing might be over 12 months old - who keep receipts that long? No gestures of goodwill offered either. They simply sent a cheque in the post - no offer of a complimentary visit by way of an apology. Given that this has happened twice I won't be trusting them again. read more

Brash salon without a great deal of charm. Ken Picton cut my hair, but didn't seem interested in the photo's I had brought which gave an idea of the style I wanted and i clearly ended up with what he thought I should have instead (why do hairdressers keep doing that????) The actual cut was good - but not the one I paid for. I like to get what I pay for so this is a thumbs down for me! read more

It's the 3rd time that I've not been happy after a cut and colour at Ken Picton. The cut is fine but I've had some disappointing experiences with colour. This last time I said I wanted as white blonde as possible, and it turned out yellow - The same colour I came in with. I told them it wasn't what I wanted and different to the time before (when I was happy with the shade). They said it was the same toner as last time. It wasn't. They suggested I go home and see it in a different light. I said I liked it in this light last time. So after giving me a lecture about their colours being numbers so pointless me saying 'white blonde', and telling me my hair won't go a certain shade (even tho I had it the time before!!) they put a more ashy toner on (and charged me for it) only for it to wash out within two washes. It seems like they're afraid to colour with bleach and just cover it all up with toners that don't last. I've given them too many chances. Not going back. read more