Quite a long review, apologies!…read more
This is my first time ever writing a review, which I hope goes to show how much I was not satisfied with my experiences at Hair and the City. While the woman who cut my hair was lovely, the standard of the salon and the way my hair now looks have made this one of the worst salon experiences I've had. I went to the salon recently on a LivingSocial voucher, which was for highlights, cut, conditioning treatment and blowdry. Perhaps it had to do with being on a voucher? Regardless, here is a list of what I experienced below:
-When I got there, the salon was incredibly hot - and when I say hot, I mean BOILING - but because there were animals in the salon (that's right, a dog and some uncaged bird were sitting directly next to me the entire time I cut my hair. Is that even hygienic?!), they could not open any doors/windows. From that alone, I couldn't wait to leave the establishment; I couldn't even focus on what my hair looked like!
-No music was playing the entire time - not a deal breaker, but again not the best experience.
-After checking in with reception, I was not offered a drink or a magazine - and I was not offered either of these until about 45 MINUTES into my haircut. Certainly not standard in a salon experience.
-The salon itself is quite dilapidated, with cracked mirrors (the mirrored area by my feet at the salon station was completely cracked but not taped over), cracked walls, dirty and with wires showing everywhere.
-The woman who did my hair was lovely - very nice and we had a good briefing. We discussed giving me just a bit more than a trim and just maintaining my long layers. As for the highlights, we discussed a VERY subtle gradual lightening towards the bottom, with lighter ends blending in to my natural hair colour (what I already had, just maintained).
-However, what I ended up with is bleach-blonde looking ends (my hair is light brown naturally) that begin half way up my head, with some parts higher than others. It's completely haphazard and very streaky. The actual cut, too, is no better; MUCH shorter than discussed and also very haphazardly cut. It's aged me by about 10 years and looks, for lack of better word, trashy. I now need to pay to have it redone to look a bit more professional and, well, normal!
-The lighting in the salon made it very difficult to see at the time (it was lit by natural recessed lighting, which at 4pm is not very bright). I was also not offered a personal mirror to examine, so it was only what I could see from the large mirror in front of me. So, at the time, I couldn't tell just how streaky the colour was until I went home and could properly see.
-Other notes: the 'conditioning treatment' offered in the voucher was actually the hairdresser spraying my hair with leave-in conditioner (I only realised this later when I queried with the salon how I was not given a conditioning treatment).
-Hygiene concerns: the scissors she used were sitting on a towel COVERED in someone else's hair that were sitting there when I first came in (and thus I can only imagine were used on someone else). She dropped a comb a few times on the floor and would pick it up and use it in my hair again. Plus the animals out in the open with hair cuts happening. Maybe it was just me but I felt that a bit unhygienic.
Needless to say, I have called and asked to have my hair fixed. I now need to spend ages commuting back into Greenwich (nowhere near where I live/work). While I think Hair and the City has great potential - and as I said, the woman who did my hair was lovely - this salon is in major need of some higher standards and better quality colours and cuts.
Just be wary if you are going on a voucher.
