Not Another Salon

I think i’m a rarity but still a review does need to be written.
If you have virgin hair and want to go a bright color then these are your people. If you want a more mainstream look then this is NOT the place for you.
I wanted a summery balayage with some bright bits and darker bits, chunkier sort of not so natural looking bleachy bits.
I went for a consultation with whom i was told was «basically a manager because I have a key to the place», which i should’ve taken as a red flag for vagueness but hey-​ho, i was a believer. Consultation went well. Girl told me i wouldn’t get as bright of a look as i wanted because my hair was dark and I had previously colored it with vegetable dye. fine.
Went in for the big day and i was so stupid super excited about it. Like, i could. not. freaking. wait. By the end of the day and 5 hours later my hair was bleached to an orange tone and 2x. I went back a few days later for a fix and it was basically the same but a bit brighter.
but instead of having the mix of high and lows, the super lovely (the staff is simply wonderful) hairstylist basically bleached my whole head after doing hideous old lady highlights with foils really close together. Even after i had shown pictures DURING the process reiterating that i wanted chunkier pieces done and not the normal hightlighted look.
disastrous. I cried. I couldn’t take it. It was bad.
They didn’t charge me, the owner should’ve been called sooner but wasn’t, and all staff, ALL staff were super lovely and nice and chatty and helpful, except in this case it just didn’t work out for anyone.
This place isn’t for everyone, but its still worth a gander if you’re looking for a specific look.

I needed to get my hair colour fixed for AGES, and after chatting to the owner at the event hosted by Unilocal I decided to go for it. Let’s just stop the silly home hair dyes and hand my mane over to some capable hands. And capable they were!
I ended up spending a whooping 7h in the salon (yes, I did say it needed fixing), and Mikaela took SUCH good care of me and came out with the best colour I have ever had. No joke.
The venue is chilled and creative, and all the staff are fun and friendly. During your stay there you are offered complimentary drinks from a menu including over 20 sorts of tea. It’s the small touches that make a difference.
On of my favourite features was the lie-​down wash bassin. Had never seen that before, but OMG. It makes such a difference to overall comfort.
As I said I was there 7h as it included colour cleansing, balayage, olaplex treatment and cut.
The cut wasn’t amazing or revolutionary, but it was decent. I don’t think I would go back there for a cut, but I am never going to let anyone else colour my hair.
Olaplex is a new product that helps repair your hair from colouring and bleaching, and the results are stunning. You’re going to have to pay a little extra for it, but your hair will thank you for it, trust me!
All in all, I paid £200. Which considering is not overpriced.
Note: they are specialised in funky colours, BUT you can go for boring colours like me and they will still be awesome at it.

I can’t say enough great things about Not Another Salon! I was introduced to this place following a Unilocal event organised by the lovely Beth and was instantly impressed with the salon’s friendly staff and brightly coloured interior. The salon’s owner, Sophia, was happy to give me a consultation and book me in on the spot. I’m fussy about my hair and for a long time have been looking for somewhere to sort out my disgusting brassy roots. Everyone working here has coloured hair so I knew I’d be in safe hands.
Upon arrival I was remembered and given a warm and happy greeting, which instantly put me in a good mood. I was seated downstairs in the secret 70s room and given a menu of the complimentary beverages they have to offer. Everything from Coke floats to fancy teas are available — they offer so much more than ordinary salons! I went for a popcorn flavoured tea which was served to me in adorable glass crockery with sugar cubes on the side. They really look after you here and throughout my entire appointment I was offered refills on my tea, as well as biscuits (including Wagon Wheels!)
My appointment was with Annie, who was super nice, she chatted to me all the while applying the bleach and checked on me regularly while it was developing to make sure I was comfortable and happy.
I had my hair washed and toned by Jess, who was equally as wonderful as Annie, and we chatted non-​stop while she worked on my hair.
Overall, my appointment lasted around three hours and cost £110 (the £30 Innolux treatment was free due to a Unilocal voucher). It was worth every penny; despite having bleach on my hair for two hours, I walked out with my hair feeling softer and in better condition than when I initially walked in. This was thanks to expertise of the staff and the Innolux treatment.
My hair is now a beautiful shade of even silver with not a yellow strand in sight! I’ve already booked in for my next appointment. If you’re looking to colour your hair then definitely give this place a try. The staff are awesome and go out of their way to make you feel good. Also, anywhere offering complimentary Coke floats and popcorn tea will automatically steal a piece of my heart.
Thank you, Annie & Jess, for doing such an incredible job of my hair xxx

Brick Lane. Bright colours. Tattoos. It’s yet another salon.
To be honest I love colouring my hair and I’ve got more than 1 tattoo but when you walk in and it feels like a group of friends have just decided to have a go at hairdressing, it doesn’t fill you with the most positive start.
To be fair, I was only here to have my nails done. But first impressions have got to count when it’s about hair, right?
On to the nails! Nancy is very talented with her nail art and pain stakingly does everything freehand. She was really lovely and I’ve had non stop compliments which feels nice.
Will I go back? If I’m feeling flush. (For the same price I can get a shellac mani & pedi in my local salon who are pretty good, so nail art will have to be saved for those special occasions — like Halloween!)