Reviews by bellaella

Paul Edmonds (Hair Salon / Salon)
20 May 2008

Took advantage of the offer and tried Biolustre. My hair is coloured and dry, so I expect I will need a few more treatments before I see the results. However, my blow dry was lovely and Benedicta even stayed behind to make sure it was exactly how I wanted it! Will definitely go back for blow dry and try a different conditioning treatment - there is so much choice these days!

Daniel Galvin (Hair Salon)
09 May 2008

I read the excellent reviews of Daniel Galvin's salon, and since I am a big fan of going ash blonde (from my natural very dark colour) this sounded like the best place to go to in London. I booked with Gemma, who was very understanding of my wanting to be blonde, initially at least. However, she went on to explain that my hair was likely to get very dry and even break and it wasn't a risk she wanted to take. She suggested I go just two shades lighter to a medium brunette with highlights. When I said that I would prefer to try and find a salon who would be more enthusiastic to take up the gauntlet of turning me several shades lighter though, she changed her tune, saying that she was more than happy to do her best in turning my hair blonde. She then went over to Daniel Galvin (the one with the grey hair) and they had a chat whilst looking in my direction a number of times. I did see DG shake his head in the discussion but I thought nothing of it at the time.

I had a whole head of highlights and a root colour applied. The result was nothing even close to ash blonde. It was almost dark orange and at this point I really wanted to cry. Gemma could see I was upset and began to explain the ABC of how difficult it is to lift dark tones lighter and more blah blah that every colour customer knows already. She said that the best way to go lighter would be for me to come to the salon 2 or 3 more times and they could then achieve the perfect colour I was after. But why should I go to a salon 3/4 times for the same thing that other salons can do the first time (for example, my old salon in Covent Garden, who I will have to go back to now with my head hung low!)? When I made this point and couldn't help a few tears, some others came over. Then DG came over and explained pretty much the same things in different words. He then said I should look a lot better after a cut. I assumed that this was complimentary in the circumstances, but not so! After toner was applied (twice) and I'd had my hair cut (2 inches shorter!) and styled I felt a little more presentable but still a million miles from the picture I had had in my mind when I walked in of how it would look.

I do think it would be fairer if the salon asked more concretely what was desired and were more honest in saying whether they would or would not be able to achieve it. They should ask you to show them exactly which colour you are after in a salon like this one. Then they should say yes we can or no we can not. After all, in this day and age it is closer to a science than an art and one that they have plenty of time in training and experience with, so the result should be a lot more precise than it was with my hair.

I also couldn't believe that the cut and blow dry was added to the bill, although by that time I had already decided I would never want to set foot in this establishment again. The Daniel Galvin Salon is a sad example of how big hair salons use the brand name to exploit the needs of customers. The whole experience felt cheap not 'expensive'. To sum it up, it is completely hit and miss - hit with the easy stuff and complete miss with anything that's a challenge.