Continuing our search for good black hairdressers in London, I braved the (hot, sweaty) tube ride to Piccadilly Circus to review the Mizani treatments available at the new House of Rush.
There are Rush salons on most local high streets but the House of Rush is their flagship store and it sure is fancy! Lots of chandeliers, free Lindt chocolate and artfully placed lighting makes this salon one of the swankiest we’ve seen. Thankfully it isn’t full of pretentious wannabees; all the staff we met were very friendly and welcoming even if they were unusually attractive with great TV hair.
My stylist was Emmanuel who gave me the most through hair and scalp analysis I have ever had. And I’ve visited a lot of salons. He started out with a Kerastase analysis tool which is an odd looking camera/light/video which assesses the quality of your strands and can also take a photograph of your scalp (not cute). It’s not often you get to you see your scalp at such close quarters.
After assessing the condition of my hair (good but dry ends which is common with the ombre look) and scalp (dry) we spent ten minutes discussing my hair regime, diet, amount of water I drink, my lifestyle – like I said, a very thorough hair analysis!
Emmanuel recommended a Mizani Scalp Care Pre Treatment to refresh the scalp, remove product build up and any dry flakes. It was applied to the scalp much like a relaxer is and then massaged in for five blissful minutes.
We then moved over to the hair washing area where I was placed in an automated massage chair (heaven) and the Mizani Thermasmooth shampoo (£13.85) and conditioner (£13.85) were washed in and out.
Back in the styling chair Mizani D’Tangle moisturising leave in milk (£17.25) was combed through my very curly hair before it was blow dried and then straightened with Cloud Nine irons. There’s a fair amount of hair on my head so I had two people working on a side of my head each. Very celeb-esque.
When I go to a salon I always get my hair straightened as I can do curly pretty easily at home. After Emmanuel trimmed away the dry ends I left with the bouncing, swishiness I can only get from a salon treatment. My scalp (which we all now know is dry) felt light and fresh and my hair was extremely shiny thanks to a few drops of Mizani smoothing serum (£17.25).
The end product
I found it very encouraging to look through the services pamphlet at House of Rush and to see Afro hair options, right next to the ones for European hair. All the treatments are done using Mizani products and they can work on natural, relaxed and very curly hair.
There are various offers available if you book online with the current one being 50% off your first visit. Prices start at £40 for afro hair treatments and Emmanuel works on men and women.
If you’re looking for a good black hairdresser in London who will look after the health of your hair and scalp as well as give a great cut and finish, the Mizani treatments offered at House of Rush is definitely worth a visit.
The House of Rush
200 Piccadilly
London
W1J 9HU
Tel: 020 3642 9345
www.rush.co.uk
Nearest tube station Piccadilly Circus
Thermasmooth Shampoo – £13.85
Thermasmooth Conditioner – £13.85
D’Tangle – £17.25
Smooth Guard Smoothing Serum – £17.25
Very interesting read. I was wondering, are there not any good hairstylists in London for ethnic hair? I live in Virgina, USA, and we do something called a “silk press”, where we work on natural ethnic hair and give it a silk press to the hair to where it look’s as though your hair was relaxed and it’ll leave a silky feel. I’ve always wondered how Cosmetologists are out there when it comes to the diversity of hair textures. I was trained to work on every hair texture, and of course, the more diverse the more money you make, lol. I also wonder, are there any skilled people when it comes to extensions doing sew in’s out there? Great read, thanks!
Hi Frankie
It is hard to find good, professional stylists who are comfortable and proficient in working on ethnic hair. I’ve listed my favourite ones here.
x
Hi how much was the entire treatment you received? do they cater for natural 4b hair swell?
A cut and finish is from £60. Their price list is here http://www.rush.co.uk/pricelists/the-house-of-rush-pricelist/. The stylist I saw (Emmanuel) says they cater for all types of afro hair but I always recommend a consultation before committing to anything. Let us know how you get on if you do visit.
Hi there,
Love the review, I’ve been looking for a hairdressers that would give me the contemporary look I’ve been searching for. The salons I’ve been to/heard of are either unbelievably busy, using outdated methods or a million miles away – so thanks, great blog!
Thanks Tanya!