People rave and rave about this salon, I wish I could be one of them. I excitedly booked an appointment for my birthday and was really really looking forward to it. I was booked in for a cut and a colour, thinking that my hair would look completely amazing for my birthday party that evening. I knew that they did proper curls and updos so I thought I would look great.
I had fancied a redder colour, but my stylist said I should stick with what I had as it worked well for me. I thought that well shes a professional so I'll go with that. So she added some more pieces of colour to make it a bit more intense. My cut was quick, and was really more of a trim than a serious cut.
When the colour was washed out and my hair dried we set about styling it for my party. I had said I didnt want it all pulled back because I just don't like my hair pulled back, it has never suited me but they really wanted to pull it back so they coaxed and coaxed. As they had said that we could try a few things I thought 'well if I don't like it we can always try something with it down.' I had said that I'd like some nice disney style loose curls and was more than willing to pay for it. . The stylist started giving me tight curls round the base of my hair with the top sections piled up. I wasn't really liking it as it didn't do much for me and created a bit of a naff 1960s comedy photos look. I said to my stylist I wasn't sure about the small tight curls as I would like something a little bigger and softer.
I cant remember the exact words but I remember my stylist was quite short with me not liking it. She'd previously been very chatty and we'd struck up a great rapport. So the change was really instant and obvious. She had said we'd try a few things though, and I really didn't like this odd 1960s style, it really was what I'd said I didn't want. After I had expressed that I wasn't sure about it, she tutted a bit and started combing little bits. At this point it was pretty obvious she wasnt pleased that I didn't like this style. I sort of felt like an annoyance and really didn't want to feel like an annoyance to anyone who I was paying to do my hair. So when she pulled the quiff at the top up a bit I said 'yeah thats great!' and left it there.
I know some may say that I should have stayed regardless of what I perceived the stylist to think to get the style that I wanted but the atmosphere just felt a bit forced. I was slightly embarrassed too because Claire the salon's owner was doing a style on the girl beside me which was really beautiful and mine was just really ugly. So I got up and paid £85 for the cut and colour and left a £10 tip. So very little change out of £100 for a style I was honestly embarrassed about.
When I got home, my friends were a bit shell-shocked as they knew how excited I was and they were a bit bemused about the odd style with the band of frizz curls round my neck and the odd quiff rolls at the top. It was agreed we should take it out and start again. So I took it down and tried to straighten out the curls. Only to find that some of colour hadn't taken to the bits that were bleached up. So I had odd white bits in the middle of a plum highlight and pieces which had no colour on them at all. I honestly couldn't believe it.
To make a long story shorter I had to run into town and try and find more dye, redye my hair before my birthday party, wash out the previous curled style and start again myself in the couple of hours which should have been spent having fun with my friends getting ready before my party. Essentially I paid nearly £100 for a trim and a tidy up and gave myself more work having to fix the colour.
I've seen some gorgeous styles from them, but mine wasn't one. The colouring was just a unforgivable for a professional salon, I can't say anything else as that was my experience. If its any consolation the hair of the girl beside me that claire was doing was really nice.
In all bad experience and I wouldn't use them again. Which pains me to say as I was so excited. There are better salons out there, this was a little too much style over substance for me as the essential hair dressing was not up to scratch.
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