Has anyone been to a really (s)wanky hair salon?

[fadingfast]

Just curious really. I dream of finding a hairdresser who will tell me what to do with my hair, which is a disaster. Has anyone been to one of those 'top' London salons where they tranform your hair and make you feel fabulous? Is it really worth the money?

I haven't been to one but I met a woman through having my daughter and felt compelled to ask her where she had her hair done because there was just something about it, it fell very well, really suited her etc. At the time I was looking for a local hair dresser. We live in the back of beyond in Norfolk. Turns out she goes to Charles Worthington.

So in her case I think you really could tell but she is one of those subtely classy people anyway so maybe just part of the whole package.

I go to Charles Worthington in London too! After a friend with fabulous hair recommended it. It costs £75 for haircut/dry etc. Which is very expensive, but I only go twice a year, as the hair is cut so well it grows out beautifully (I used to have to go 4 or 5 times a year before). I always get comments on how lovely my hair looks (especially when I've just had it done!).

Must book it in again soon.....

I don't know about "top" London salons but yy, it's worht paying a bit of extra money to get a good stylist. IMHO.

But I go to a provincial salon and still get a hairdresser who says "you need to do this" and I'm happy with that.

I have been going to Dessange International in Paris, which is as (s)wanky as it gets, for 15 years! But I brave the bling for the fab, fab cut (which my hair really needs!).

I don't think that £75 for a cut in a top London salon is that much actually.
You can pay similar prices in Norwich and am not convinced about the quality of the local places.
peona where is the CW salon you go to?
(I have bad hair which really needs a fab cut, am pondering the benefits of booking in a cut next time I go to London.)

Pre Ds I used to go to a senior stylist at Nicky Clarke. Cost £80 7 years ago. Hate to think what it would be now. Fab cut and lots of compliments but pretty high maintenance.

£75 for London is cheap. I was paying that almost £70 in the suburbs.

I think with all these things, it is the stylist that matters- if you were to have Charles W himself, it would be more like £375. If you pay £75 you will, with respect, be having a very junior/graduate cutter.

I have a cut in Clerkenwell and it costs me £60 though I have fares on top of that. salon used to be owned by my friend who hand-picked all staff.

She used to have hers cut at John Frieda and paid a fortune. It looked fine but not brilliant.

It really is all about each stylist. You are more likely not to get a bad cut with someone properly trained and up to date with cutting techniques and that will happen in bigger salons, but it doesn't follow you will get a great cut, as cutting is about arisitic ability as well, not just technique.

£70 is not that expensive for London. Last year I hadmy hair totally revamped and it cost me about £165. Last week I had roots done, trim etc and it cost me £108. But I think they forgot to charge me for something.

I have a master stylist at CW in Great Queen Street, The House of Charles Worthington, it's £75. The price differential from Junior to Senior is not that great.(£50 for junior, £60 for senior I think).

I used to go to Percy Street to Mathew, he was the senior manager and £85, but he has since become rather exclusive (he appears on GMTV etc) so I can never get an appointment with him. My friend still does tho (the one who recommended him), but she pays several hundred pounds as she has a colour too. Charles himself is £250 but I doubt you could get an appointment!

And yes, very expensive is relative. I paid £70 to get it cut in Clapham, so made no odds to me, but most of my non-London friends are horrified I pay more than £20 for a cut (although all admite it looks good).

I can really recommend Linda at CW. She does a lovely cut, the place is nice and snacks are good, plus it is just on the edge of Covent Garden for shopping afterwards!

My boss goes to Kiki at John Frieda. About £300 a go but her cut and especially colour is amazing.

I go to Nicky Clarke, have been seeing the same stylist (Lewis) for 16 years! He was a junior then and has risen through the ranks to be a creative director. Some of the juniors there are great, and therefore are excellent value. All their people try really hard to think about what will suit clients adn my cuts have always been great, and I am often asked where I go.

I think having a good cut is worth splashing out on - you wear your hair every single day remember.

Well I'd better start saving the pennies then, but I would be so distraught to trek all the way to London, only to end up with an average cut in a posh salon (I am also in Norwich - Norfolk seems to be in need of a decent hairdressers!). I have a hairdresser who comes to the house and does me and the two DC for £30. She is really nice and used to work at one of the better salons locally, but I really want someone who could suggest what might suit me. Trouble is I want the impossible (for my hair at least) - a cut that looks fantastic and yet requires no effort on my part.

I also go to Charles Worthington (Great Queen Street) in London! Was there today in fact. A bit like Mummyinthedark, I have known my stylist for 11 years and as he gets promotion after promotion he keeps getting more expensive. It is definitely worth the money though.

As we're thinking of moving to Norfolk in a year or two, I am slightly disturbed by the apparent lack of good hairdressers there.

Commuting back to London to get my hair done might be a step too far...

When I lived in London I used to go to Toni and Guy's. The stylist there was great.

come on someone post a pic of their hair!!!

Panacotta and fadingfast (and anyone else living in or around Norwich) you should try Diva hair salon down St Benedicts, I have recently started to go there and am very pleased with the way my hair has been cut.

Thanks mankymoo, I will give Diva a try.
I have nightmare hair which always looks rubbish so decided to try Max Giamello. It was very expensive and am quite disappointed with my cut which is very average.
Who do you go to at Diva?

I splashed out on going to Trevor Sorbie on Floral Street in Covent Garden. They did a cheaper deal for same-day appointments (£46 nowadays according to the website).

I saw the most junior person imaginable, and he gave me a dull haircut and also was doing that extremely annoying thing of seeing two clients at the same time, so one of us kept having to wait while he dashed over to the other. He also didn't make me feel at ease at all.

I think if you do go to a top-end salon, it would be worth forking out for a more senior staff member. I noticed one particular staff member with amazingly good hair and a really nice way about her, and asked and was told she was one of the Directors.

The search for a decent hairdresser goes on...

In my more glam (& richer) days I used to go to Jo Hansford for cut & colour then when my stylist left I wasn't happy so left too!
I then tried various others including John Frieda for a crap haircut by a horrible stylist (1st and only time I've ever left a salon in tears so not one I'd be recommending in a hurry), Daniel Galvin where I had lovely colour but an average cut (eye-wateringly expensive from memory nearly £400 a good few years back) and then I gave up on expensive salons.

I wouldn't go to a 'top' salon for the name alone but I would seek out a recommended stylist (& a rec from someone with similar hair helps!)
LCN

i used to go to a posh indepedent one - the colour was fab and was always complimented on.the cuts were a bit average and you are kind of ignored a bit in the salon as they are such divas.

Panncotta I also tried Max Giamello once - the guy who cut my hair gave me the creeps and I felt as though I'd forked out quite a lot of money for the privilege of sitting in their 'designer' salon, rather than getting a decent hair cut. Might give Diva a go - do tell us who you see there Mankymoo!

Mind you, my hair is a nightmare so I should get used to being disappointed.

I think you'd be better off going to an image/style consultant to see what hairstyle would suit you. I've been going to DH in Conduit St for years but it took an image consultant to tell me that my hair as it was didn't suit me. I went back to the salon and asked for a fringe, and my stylist was quite reluctant. Once he did it was obvious how much better it was and then he suggested going shorter overall. I think they're scared of you hating what they've done and causing a scene!

I used to go to Charles Worthington down Percy Street too and they were brilliant. Now, I just cant be arsed to go into London.

Heidi used to do mine. They really look after you there and the prices arent too OTT

I have been over the years to Charles Worthington, Paul Edmonds and Michaeljohn - all central London and superswanky and all excellent. They are £££ esp Paul Edmonds but imo you get what you pay for, I'd rather spend more on cut and colour and less on clothes and make up, it makes the most difference imo

DIVA alert. My last experience was appalling. It's all about Matthew Brandish. Let it grow!