As part of their Black Friday blogging week, I was invited to go along to Stuart Holmes Hair and Beauty Salon on Imperial Square in Cheltenham. I love having long hair and the times I have felt brave enough to have it chopped, I've instantly regretted it and missed it until it grew back! When I was given my appointment, I felt a mix of nervousness and excitement and immediately headed to the Stuart Holmes Pinterest page for inspiration. Initially, I felt like I should ask for a major restyle, then I thought about requesting a colour change but in the end I put the before and after photos and blog post to the back of my mind and realised that I'm pretty happy with my hair but wished it was in better condition and that it had more of a 'shape' to it.
Booking is simple, you can call or book online and you can even have a free, online consultation before you book! On entering the salon, you are greeted by a team of super friendly, helpful receptionists and once you've checked in with them, you are invited to relax in the lounge with a drink while you wait for your stylist. The decor is modern, stylish and has a luxurious feel to it, it's a truly relaxing place to flick through magazines, make use of the free wifi or munch on sweets from the giant fishbowl (well played, Team Holmes, well played)!
So, let's talk about the location. Just two minutes walk from The Prom, the salon sits directly opposite Cheltenham Town Hall. As I sat down in the chair at eye level with the Town Hall balcony, I was struck by what an amazing view that was and it was all the prettier framed by the salon's festive decorations! The salon is so convenient if you're shopping or eating in town and there are plenty of car parks nearby if you're making a special trip.
When I have my hair cut, I usually just ask for a trim and have dabbled with different types of fringe over the years. It's so important to me that a stylist sees my hair dry, my hair is naturally curly and I like to go along to a new stylist with it freshly washed and naturally dried so they can see how much 'ping' it has and cut accordingly. I was lucky enough to have been booked in with Rob, who spent loads of time chatting to me about my hair and asking me what I had in mind in terms of cut and finish, he was also great at helping me make my mind up about what would suit me, which I really appreciated. For some reason, he seemed to understand what I was saying as I babbled on about mermaid hair and he explained his vision for my hair in language I could get along with (we may have discussed electrocution and rainbows at this point...)
What can I say about the hair wash, a hair wash is hair wash isn't it? Well no! Given that i'd only washed my hair the day before, after just the shampoo, it felt cleaner and lighter and after the conditioning treatment I was ready to remortgage my house to fund the products if that's what it took! The products were Shu Uemera, which are developed in Japan and are only very lightly fragranced, so not overpowering at all. These are available to buy in the reception area, along with an array of other products to suit a range of hair types and budgets. I love a scalp massage but sometimes feel like it's a bit of an aside whereas today, it was very much part of the experience and I felt so relaxed, I was in danger of dropping off! Luckily for everyone, that didn't happen and I was delivered safely back to Rob so he could get started.
I often find the actual haircut a bit nerve wracking with a new stylist, I once abstained from having my hair cut for over a year because the stylist I loved and trusted left my chosen salon and I didn't know where she'd moved to! Things run through my head, what if they cut off more than we have agreed or what if I don't like the result but I can honestly say that I felt calm and relaxed and I really trusted Rob to get it right. The atmosphere in the salon was busy but calm and Rob worked precisely and methodically on my hair, the time flew by.
The moment of truth, the blow dry... Again, it felt like this part was as important as the rest of the experience and Rob took time to talk through the different ways he could style my hair before taking plenty of time to style it to perfection! Once he was finished, he made the final cuts, spritzed my hair and had made my hair dreams come true! Better condition, check! Hair has a shape, check! Happy Steph, check!
Throughout the experience, I never felt rushed and felt that all the staff couldn't do enough for their customers. Everyone was offered drinks and these were regularly refreshed, there were magazines available in each room and on meeting some regular customers of the salon, I could tell that they all felt valued and were keen to book in future appointments before they left.
With a comprehensive website, an active Instagram account and Facebook page, a Pinterest page and a YouTube channel you can easily keep up to date with everything going on at Stuart Holmes and if you sign up to their newsletter, you can even bag yourself a £10 gift voucher! So next time you're in town, why not pop in and book a treat for yourself or buy some gift vouchers to give this Christmas?
Booking is simple, you can call or book online and you can even have a free, online consultation before you book! On entering the salon, you are greeted by a team of super friendly, helpful receptionists and once you've checked in with them, you are invited to relax in the lounge with a drink while you wait for your stylist. The decor is modern, stylish and has a luxurious feel to it, it's a truly relaxing place to flick through magazines, make use of the free wifi or munch on sweets from the giant fishbowl (well played, Team Holmes, well played)!
So, let's talk about the location. Just two minutes walk from The Prom, the salon sits directly opposite Cheltenham Town Hall. As I sat down in the chair at eye level with the Town Hall balcony, I was struck by what an amazing view that was and it was all the prettier framed by the salon's festive decorations! The salon is so convenient if you're shopping or eating in town and there are plenty of car parks nearby if you're making a special trip.
When I have my hair cut, I usually just ask for a trim and have dabbled with different types of fringe over the years. It's so important to me that a stylist sees my hair dry, my hair is naturally curly and I like to go along to a new stylist with it freshly washed and naturally dried so they can see how much 'ping' it has and cut accordingly. I was lucky enough to have been booked in with Rob, who spent loads of time chatting to me about my hair and asking me what I had in mind in terms of cut and finish, he was also great at helping me make my mind up about what would suit me, which I really appreciated. For some reason, he seemed to understand what I was saying as I babbled on about mermaid hair and he explained his vision for my hair in language I could get along with (we may have discussed electrocution and rainbows at this point...)
What can I say about the hair wash, a hair wash is hair wash isn't it? Well no! Given that i'd only washed my hair the day before, after just the shampoo, it felt cleaner and lighter and after the conditioning treatment I was ready to remortgage my house to fund the products if that's what it took! The products were Shu Uemera, which are developed in Japan and are only very lightly fragranced, so not overpowering at all. These are available to buy in the reception area, along with an array of other products to suit a range of hair types and budgets. I love a scalp massage but sometimes feel like it's a bit of an aside whereas today, it was very much part of the experience and I felt so relaxed, I was in danger of dropping off! Luckily for everyone, that didn't happen and I was delivered safely back to Rob so he could get started.
I often find the actual haircut a bit nerve wracking with a new stylist, I once abstained from having my hair cut for over a year because the stylist I loved and trusted left my chosen salon and I didn't know where she'd moved to! Things run through my head, what if they cut off more than we have agreed or what if I don't like the result but I can honestly say that I felt calm and relaxed and I really trusted Rob to get it right. The atmosphere in the salon was busy but calm and Rob worked precisely and methodically on my hair, the time flew by.
The moment of truth, the blow dry... Again, it felt like this part was as important as the rest of the experience and Rob took time to talk through the different ways he could style my hair before taking plenty of time to style it to perfection! Once he was finished, he made the final cuts, spritzed my hair and had made my hair dreams come true! Better condition, check! Hair has a shape, check! Happy Steph, check!
Throughout the experience, I never felt rushed and felt that all the staff couldn't do enough for their customers. Everyone was offered drinks and these were regularly refreshed, there were magazines available in each room and on meeting some regular customers of the salon, I could tell that they all felt valued and were keen to book in future appointments before they left.
With a comprehensive website, an active Instagram account and Facebook page, a Pinterest page and a YouTube channel you can easily keep up to date with everything going on at Stuart Holmes and if you sign up to their newsletter, you can even bag yourself a £10 gift voucher! So next time you're in town, why not pop in and book a treat for yourself or buy some gift vouchers to give this Christmas?
