Review: Hari's Salon
Unless you have a truly dreadful experience, which makes it memorable for all the wrong reasons, it is often difficult to distinguish one hair salon from another. You arrive, have a little chat, have your locks washed and then cut and/or blow-dried by a chatty stylist. Sometimes you even get a cappuccino thrown in.
It’s all very pleasant, but all a bit vanilla, which is why it is a real treat when you discover a place with a bit of extra oomph. Hari’s – a small chain with branches in Brompton Road, Kings Road and Parsons Green – has personality by the bucket load.
I visited the Kings Road branch on a busy Saturday morning, and was instantly enveloped in the buzz of the salon. There are lots of stylists, and also a lot of trainee assistants (dressed in sleek all-black), which means that everything is done briskly but smoothly. After a to-the-point chat with stylist Daniel about what I wanted from the appointment, I was ushered off to the basins to receive a wash and a soothing head massage.
So far so standard, but the difference comes with the atmosphere of the place. Rather than the usual hidden kitchen area, there is a full-on bar at the back of a salon, which lends a wonderful party vibe (in fact, for the duration of my appointment, there were a couple of people who didn’t seem remotely interested in getting their hair done – they were just enjoying the drinks). Each mirror station is also bedecked and bedazzled with a different theme: one sported a burlesque look, another a sparkly union jack, and all they added to the sense of fun.
Hari’s more than delivers when it comes to the business of styling too. Asking for a sleek yet bouncy blow-dry, that is exactly what I received, and in record time (without seeming remotely rushed, which is quite a feat).
I was in and out within the hour, feeling relaxed, pampered and a million dollars. What’s more, the party I attended that evening in all my swishy-haired glory had – dare I say it – less of a buzz about it than Hari’s. It’s a salon which takes styling seriously, but doesn’t lose sight of the joy of pampering. A memorable spot, indeed, for all the best reasons.
www.harissalon.com
It’s all very pleasant, but all a bit vanilla, which is why it is a real treat when you discover a place with a bit of extra oomph. Hari’s – a small chain with branches in Brompton Road, Kings Road and Parsons Green – has personality by the bucket load.
I visited the Kings Road branch on a busy Saturday morning, and was instantly enveloped in the buzz of the salon. There are lots of stylists, and also a lot of trainee assistants (dressed in sleek all-black), which means that everything is done briskly but smoothly. After a to-the-point chat with stylist Daniel about what I wanted from the appointment, I was ushered off to the basins to receive a wash and a soothing head massage.
So far so standard, but the difference comes with the atmosphere of the place. Rather than the usual hidden kitchen area, there is a full-on bar at the back of a salon, which lends a wonderful party vibe (in fact, for the duration of my appointment, there were a couple of people who didn’t seem remotely interested in getting their hair done – they were just enjoying the drinks). Each mirror station is also bedecked and bedazzled with a different theme: one sported a burlesque look, another a sparkly union jack, and all they added to the sense of fun.
Hari’s more than delivers when it comes to the business of styling too. Asking for a sleek yet bouncy blow-dry, that is exactly what I received, and in record time (without seeming remotely rushed, which is quite a feat).
I was in and out within the hour, feeling relaxed, pampered and a million dollars. What’s more, the party I attended that evening in all my swishy-haired glory had – dare I say it – less of a buzz about it than Hari’s. It’s a salon which takes styling seriously, but doesn’t lose sight of the joy of pampering. A memorable spot, indeed, for all the best reasons.
www.harissalon.com