Where: Rush London, 26 Kensington Church Street, W8 4EP Tel: 020 3468 1503
Treatment: Full
head of highlights, Ladies Cut and Blow-dry.
Price: Wash,
cut and blow dry from £49 and highlights from £77.
The
experience: The last time I had my hair cut was more than a year ago. I've
been too terrified to go back since. That fateful June afternoon a scissor
happy hairdresser lopped off over six inches from my bountiful mane. It wasn’t
quite what I was expecting. The less said about the ‘angular fringe’ the better.
So it
was with some trepidation that I arrived at Rush on
Kensington Church Street one brisk, if
not busy Tuesday afternoon for the salon, which is newly opened, and part of the
burgeoning nationwide chain.
All the
essentials are in place. Bright and airy – check. Trendy hairdressers with
funky haircuts – check. Sparkly floor – check. You get the picture.
I'm
shown to my chair and offered complimentary drinks from an extensive menu until
my stylist arrives. In view of my previous experience I shun the wine on offer
in favour of a sobering mineral water. I'm taking no chances.
My
stylist today is John. In fact, he's a consultant, which in hairdressing – or
at least in Rush terms – means he's pretty senior in the
pecking order. He's young - well younger than me - but has a steely air of
confidence about him that is reassuring. He's also attentive and seems
genuinely to listen to what I want during our pre-cut consultation.
Both
John and my shampoo girl are Rush stalwarts; John has
worked for the company for over eight years. It seems that part of the
company's draw is the loyalty it inspires from its staff. Rush
endeavours to keep its employees up to date with the latest styling
developments and has recently triumphed at the British Hairdressing Awards.
High praise indeed. But are John and the salon up to scratch? Well, there were
no tears at bedtime this cut around.
After
the highlights were expertly inserted, and a hair wash and delicious smelling
conditioning treatment applied, John wielded the scissors with seasoned
efficiency. John explained, as he packed my hair deftly into neat little
foil packets, that a key differentiating feature of Rush
is the absence of segregation between stylists and colourists - unusual,
particularly in London salons. I rather liked the continuity of having one
hairdresser seeing me through from start to finish - so often after having
colour I find myself being shunted off to a new stylist, who often will not
have seen my hair in its dry state, and will hence have little idea about how
to style it most effectively. After a couple of hours sectioning my hair, I
felt John was completely au fait with my locks, and would do a great job of the
cut. Which he did. Even the blow-dry was a huge success. My pleas for a big
voluminous 'do' usually fall on deaf ears as my wavy hair is straightened to
within an inch of its life. But after just over an hour, my newly shorn mane
was shiny, curled and, importantly, not ‘angular’ in any shape or form.
Everyone
who knows me can rest easy. It's been a successful hairdressing experience.
What's more, it’s all very good value, particularly when you take into account
the 50% discount for first time bookings. Helpfully, the salon is open late
(until 8pm on weekdays, and 9pm on Thursday).
