I indulged in the ultimate of luxury with a Sunday afternoon hair salon visit.
Settled in High Holburn in the very grand and stately 1914 Rosewood Hotel, is the Sense Spa which is home to Matthew Curtis hairdressing.
Image from Time Out
This is the first London salon from the hairdresser Matthew Curtis who is well established in his flagship salon in Stafford Upon Avon and a fellow branch in Staffordshire.
Matthew Curtis is a well-respected stylist with experience in runway shows, award ceremonies, 5-star hairdressing, and celebrity styling. He also has won awards in hair cutting. In all a very impressive resume. Matthew handpicks his teams that work at the Stratford and London locations.
The salon based in Sense spa at Rosewood London, a hop and skip from the tube station, is one of a kind. It is a boutique service where the clients can come to the salon itself or they offer a personalised service to hotel guests where the stylist can come to your room fully equipped.
I have to say it is totally worth stepping out of your room to visit the salon. It opened its doors in 2016. The salon décor is designed to look like the Orient Express and the decadence of high living. I particularly liked the attention to detail in the luggage cases, the water spray made to look like a drinks decanter and the beautiful upholstered chairs. The hair dyes and tools are kept in a luggage chest that is antique and matches the same set that is used in the guest’s rooms for the mobile stylist.
It is an intimate salon but very quiet and friendly. You are welcomed by the spa therapists and then taken into the salon. I was greeted by Bryon, my stylist for the afternoon. Byron was handpicked by Matthew to wok at the signature salon. He has worked with Matthew for many years on catwalk shows and awards ceremonies and I can tell Matthew must think highly of him.
The salon smelt amazing and I was welcomed to a warm chair and a chat with Byron about my desired re-style. I was asked about my styling, lifestyle, what I like and dislike about my hair and how I want to change it. I felt like all bases were covered and I was in safe hands. It is important that a stylist understands if you can replicate blow-dries and styling at home or not. For me I wanted a style I can still put into a ponytail for the gym.
The salon offers everything from cutting and colouring to express blow dries and conditioning treatments. I was lucky enough to have a conditioning treatment while I had my hair washed at the basin. It is these added extras and attention to detail that really impress me.
Before
Before
I was then welcomed to the chair where Bryon worked quickly and the hour treatment seemed to fly by. I was apprehensive at first that maybe my style was boring for those used to catwalk shows. But I was totally wrong, Bryon enjoys cutting wearable styles, ones the client can feel comfortable in and manage. Some aspects of the catwalk and more wacky themes can come into play but untimely they understand the requirements of the general client coming through the doors.
Bryon showed me how to style my hair both straight and curly. Showing off the precise cut of the long bob. He also showed me how to style a lose curl with straighteners at home.
After
After
A cut and blowout at the salon starts at £70, but there is also an express dry and style menu that starts at £30. For the level of service, the décor and the overall brilliant re-style I think it is worth every penny.
For bookings check out www.sensespalondon.com/matthew-curtis and to find out more about Matthew Curtis and his salons, please visit www.matthewcurtis.biz
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