Hiya,
I have finally after all this time been able to put up salon profiles for 2 new salons I decided to checkout in Lekki Phase 1.
I decided to merge the two salon profiles because I have a lot to say about one and little say about the other...Read On
Let me start with Studio 6, Salon and Spa
Address; 11B Fola Osibo street, Lekki 1
This is the salon I have little to say about. Why? Well because I got to the salon with my hopes high because it looked new and fresh but then I got inside and what did I see? Recycled stylists! I was stunned, the salon was full of almost all the stylists from a salon I have profiled here! I couldn't even hide my surprise, I called out to one of the guys and said were you not the one at so and so salon? He said yes oh, we are all here!!
At that point I decided nope, I cannot subject my hair to the same old stylists I had to endure at the salon they were before. I was disappointed to say the least but I didn't want to be such a quick judge, may be they had undergone some form of re-training...
So I decided I'll get my nails done, at least it will allow me have a feel of the salon. I was taken upstairs in a secluded room just for manis and pedis (you guys know I am not a fan of such seclusion, it's usually quiet and lonely especially when you are the only one doing your nails) Well let me tell you this time around I was anything but lonely oh!! The guy that did my nails( with great reluctance, I don't like guys in salons, it's just uncomfortable allowing some strange guy touch your hands, hair is manageable-maybe its just me being an uptight married woman) well this guy could TALK!!! My goodness!
He was willing to say anything and I mean anything!!
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| I took this pic while he was doing my nails and chatting away, its darkened for anonymity |
I asked him about his previous place of employment and he told me he was at yet another salon I have profiled but the madam's wahala was too much!Lolz then he proceeded to tell me that his new madam(owner of studio 6) got the salon as a present from her hubs( sweet!). I asked him how he got the job, he said he was passing by one day and said to himself-I will work in this salon some day and that's how he came there when they were recruiting. I asked if he was tested in anyway he said he has qualification from a cosmetology school where he paid N200,000 for the tuition-hmmm. Then he went ahead to talk about his girlfriend, mum and everybody in Nigeria!! I was just given free entertainment! I told him I was a blogger and would blog about my experience and he begged me to say good things so I was thinking I am going to leave the salon with the best acrylic nails I have fixed in my life since he knows their rep is on the line!!
I paid N4500 for the nails, with such a price tag you should be guaranteed top notch service but not this time!! My dear readers you will not believe that I got home that evening and by the next morning 2 of the acrylic nails had fallen out!!! I just paid 4500 for those nails!! I couldn't believe it! So I went back there, luckily it was a Saturday( had the nails done on Friday) by this time 2 more had fallen off! The manager was nice, she simply said they will be redone! I was taken to another male nail guy, he seemed more cool until this other guy came and they somehow roped me into a discussion about men and being faithful! Nail guy no 1 was going on about how it isn't possible blah blah... He wasn't even bothered that I was getting the nails redone, he blamed it on the fact that I came late and he was getting ready to close then blamed the glue for being old glue( excuses, excuses) his colleague even said I was lucky I came the next day that if I came later than saturday I'd have had to pay again!! Had to pay for your shabby job? I'd have loved to see that happen!
Anyways, I endured the chitty chat and was glad my nails were done when he finished! His nails were short and neat just the way I like it
But sadly in about 8 days these nails started falling off, the middle and the pinky fingers fell off first; can you see my sour attempt at covering them?
I used to fix nails in Uni and those nails used to stay for at least a month until I start begging them to fall off, why must Naija things always be subpar!
To cut the long story that was supposed to be a short story short, I was not impressed with Studio 6's salon especially the nail guys!! I really wish salon owners can be passionate about not only making their salons look good but about the quality of service. This salon looks good; see pics below but the service had me wanting more...
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| salon floor |
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| waiting area-love the color!! |
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| facials room |
I am thinking, if you are going to charge high prices for services and your delivery is not up to par, your clientele will dwindle and stylists of now a days who seem quite fickle minded will leave you once there is a sign that there are fewer clients coming and there is a new salon where they will carry their crap salon practices and ruin the new salon and leave to a newer salon and the cycle continues...
In sum, based on my experience at Studio 6 salon and Spa, I will rate them a 5/10.
I humbly advice that salon owners should focus more on the craft of owning a salon than the business of owning a salon...my next salon profile is about a salon that I just have a strong feeling that the owner has to be about the craft of owning a beauty establishment...
Let me introduce you guys to Pride and Joy Salon and Spa!!
Address;
Corner building on Niyi Okunnubi Street off Bisola Duro Sinmi Etti Drive, Off Admiralty road, Lekki Phase 1. As soon as you drive in to lekki, its the 2nd turning on the right you cannot miss it!
So I was driving home and I spotted from the window of a building, huge bright chandelier lights, I took a closer look and realized the building housed a salon, spa, interior decor shop and boutique. I mentally made a date with the salon.
One Saturday, I went to the salon armed with cash because I'm thinking there is no way this salon will be cheap...NO WAY! I decided I'll get my hair steamed. I walked in and the attendant downstairs ushered me upstairs, as we walked up and my eyes roamed around all the beautiful lights and decor, I made the mistake to ask her if I could take pics for my blog! You know how Nigerians are, when you acknowledge them, it gives them the power to make life difficult( case in point LASTMA). Anyways, she said a big fat NO. I said I have a blog and I want to let people see how beautiful this place is and she said they don't allow people take pics here, I'm thinking how many people have come here saying they want to take pics here or you just made that rule up right now in your head!! So I asked to see the manager so I could explain, of course conveniently she said the manger was not around and even if she was around she would not let me take pics... I refused to allow the attendant dampen my mood because there were going to be pics taken one way or the other!!lol
Got to the hair salon section, the fittings in this salon are really gorg!! It's the kind of room you'd see in a French mansion boudoir!! White crisp fittings, a very large wide window that allows so much light in with white airy chiffon drapery, clean glass open shelves displaying all their Kera care and Morrocan oil products and clean purple towels with their logo monogrammed on them, neat white drawers, the cutest egg shell style pedicure station... I could go on!! In fact you need to see this salon for yourself!!
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| sneakily took the pic of the egg shell style pedicure station when no one was looking! |
So how was their service oh Dabs!! Well the first thing I noticed is the salon was filled with grown women( yay for women) stylists in neat spa style purple uniforms, I did see just 1 male stylist...one of the ladies came up to me and asked what I was there for, I told her I came to steam my hair then I asked her how much(I always ask first- read this post to find out why) she said N3,000 with my products!! Frankly I was surprised! Was bracing myself to hear N7000.
Then she went ahead to prep the.... Steamer!! Not a dryer that serves as a steamer, was very pleased about that. I stayed in it for about 45 minutes with a mix of Shea moisture's hair masque and Organix hair mayonnaise applied from root to tip.
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| yeap took another one, I am allowed to take myself a pic!! (spy the dangling chandelier behind us) |
When the timer went off, I got my hair rinsed out (not shampooed) as usual I decided to get a roller set.-
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| see me in their super clean toilet trying to get a picture- what I do for you guys :) |
The stylist was receptive but initially tried to do things her way till she realized she had to do them my way! I had her oil my scalp with grapeseed oil, and when she whipped out their beloved tail comb I said please ma, use this big comb, she said but it is too big, I said I want it like that, I don't mind, saw her make a face but she quickly got her act together. Then I asked politely to detangle my hair myself, her fellow stylist made a comment about me wanting to do everything myself and my stylist said that's why her hair is long :), glad that I eventually got her on my team!!
The roller set results came out good, I just took the rollers off and finger combed as usual, she helped me take the rollers out, walked me to my car insisting on carrying my salon bag and asked me when next she should expect me and told me her name.
THE RESULTS;
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| Yay no more Inverted V!!! |
My overall experience at Pride and Joy was very good! I will rate them a solid 9/10 and will definitely re-visit. I also read about them on a popular make up artist's blog and she said their spa treatments are divine! I'll definitely check their spa out, can already imagine the opulence!
So I have come to the end of these salon profiles, they are an honest re count of my personal experiences at the salons and in no way a personal vendetta or otherwise on any salon. I do not know any of the owners of these salons and objectively profile them so readers can know what to expect if they ever decide to visit the salons. I also hope that salon standards will be raised as a result of my salon profile endeavors. If you have visited any of these salons, please comment below and let me know how your visit went... Did you have a different experience? I am all ears!!
Recruiting... Be a NHCG SALON SPY GAL for the chance to get a NHCG t shirt for free!! Simply write about your experience after visiting any salon in Nigeria, take pics and send to my email, you must state the good, the bad and the ugly without being vindictive. I will review the write up and if its cool, post it up and send you a tee!! You can write anonymously if you'd prefer!! So what are you waiting for ladies, get your salon spy shades on and lets whip these salons into shape!! :)
Xxx
Dabs