Tag Archives: hair

Oct 17 2012
25 Comments
Wellness & Beauty

Blow Hairdressing

I wrote a post about some of the better hair salons in Brussels a little while back. Unfortunately, my favorite hairdresser of late, Sebastian, has left Toni&Guy Schuman. Without him, I’ve found that the salon has really gone downhill. They have a lot of junior staff now and the service just isn’t what it used to be. Toni&Guy have even closed two other salons, the Royal location (near Port de Namur) and the one in Antwerp. Not a good sign…

But luckily for me, the former owners of Toni&Guy have opened a brand new salon – BLOW Hairdressing. It’s tucked away on a quiet street near Merode (just off Rue de Linthout) and has a modern, industrial (yet warm) interior. There are about 15 work stations upstairs, with the hair washing area downstairs. Everything is brand spanking new, including all the ghd hair dryers and the heat lamps that look like they’re from outer space.

I went for highlights and a cut last Saturday, their opening weekend, as I was in desperate need. Frances, the lovely owner with her husband and stylist Russell, greeted me along with Rady who also used to work at Toni&Guy. After a quick chat with Rady for the cut, Kara, a fellow Midwesterner from the US, got started on the color. She of course also used to work at Toni&Guy and I’ve known her for years, so it was great to have her do my highlights again. She really is the best.

One of the best parts of the salon is the washing station, which has amazing reclining chairs that lift you into a horizontal position to get your hair washed. No more bent, cramped neck! Brilliant.

Rady did a great job with the cut and blow-dry after. It was so nice not to be passed between five different people and have quality service from experienced staff. Here’s a picture of me with aluminum foil in my hair under the dryer gizmo and an after shot. Rady went a bit big and glamorous, which was a fun departure from the normal straight blow-dry.

The salon was full of old Toni&Guy clients, mostly expat/anglophone, who seemed to like the slightly more mature vibe (no loud techno blaring) and personal service. The team currently includes Russell, Jef, Rady and Kara, but may expand if business grows. They may also offer additional services like manicures and pedicures in the future. And one additional plus, they’ll even be open two Sundays a month, a rare thing here in Brussels. You can follow the latest news on their Facebook page.

I have definitely found my new favorite hair salon in Brussels!

10 Rue Charles Degroux, 1040 Etterbeek
Tel: +32 2 734 08 00
Open: Tuesday & Wednesday, 11am-7pm, Thursday & Friday, 11am-8pm, Saturday 9:30am-6:30pm, Sunday by appointment (closed Monday)

Images via BLOW Hairdressing.

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May 31 2012
22 Comments
Wellness & Beauty

Hair salons

A little update on this post – my favorite hairdresser Sebastian has left Toni&Guy and so I’m no longer going there. I’ve discovered a new favorite place – BLOW Hairdressing – which you can read all about here.

For some of us a good hairdresser and salon is the ultimate search in a city. I’ve tried a few over the years in Brussels, with both good and bad results. Like a lot of women, I’m very protective of my hair and get nervous when anyone comes near me with scissors. So finding someone you can trust and rely on for consistent results is a must. Here are some of my picks for the best hair salons in Brussels.

My longest standing relationship is with Toni & Guy, the UK franchise that has three locations in Brussels (Schuman, Port de Namur, Waterloo). It started back in 2005 when I was fed up trying to explain what I wanted in French and thought an English-speaking hairdresser would solve my problems. My French is pretty good but finding the right way to describe layers and highlights is challenging.

Since then I’ve probably had three good regulars at T&G and a couple of not-so-great “experiments” in between. My go-to-guy now is Sebastian at the Schuman location – he’s a bit of a character (and very chatty!) but friendly and always does a nice job. And most importantly, he listens to what I want. For color I usually try to see Kara (a fellow American and Midwesterner) who always does great work.

Toni & Guy is known for its more experimental style, but can do a classic cut just as well. Prices for a cut depend on the level of stylist. For me, half-head highlights, cut and blow dry come to around €150 (just a cut is around €60). Expensive I know, but hey, you don’t mess with the hair. If you happen to work for one of the EU institutions or other participating companies (see website for list) they offer a 15% discount Mondays to Thursdays and 10% on Fridays & Saturdays.

By the way, the husband also goes to the T&G Schuman salon, so it’s not only for the ladies :)

184 Rue Stevin, 1000 Brussels
Tel: + 32 2 737 52 80
Open: Monday and Wednesday 10am-7pm, Tuesday 10am-6pm, Thursday and Friday 10am-8pm, Saturday 9:15am-6:15pm

Before my T&G obsession, I used to go to Jacques Dessange in the Galerie Louise. I always found them pretty good, but again sometimes difficult with the French limitations. One of my good friends currently goes to their salon on Avenue Louise (close to the corner with Rue Lesbroussart) and swears by it. She sees Christophe for both color (henna) and cut, who she really likes. I love the last cut she got so would agree this is a good recommendation. The salon has a beautiful garden out back where they let her dog play while she’s there – how cute! For henna wash, cut and blow dry the cost is around €160. Dessange has several other locations in Brussels which might also be worth a try.

184 Avenue Louise, 1000 Brussels
Tel: +32 2 640 50 88
Open: Monday to Thursday 9am-6:30pm, Friday 9am-9pm, Saturday 9am-6:30pm

Another good friend who lives near Place Brugmann has found a great little salon, John Fraga, just next to her house. It’s a smaller place than the more commercial two listed above and offers good, friendly service. The cost for color, cut and blow dry is around €80. My friend often goes for blow outs for her curly hair, which last for days and cost around €30.

64 Rue Darwin, 1050 Ixelles
Tel: +32 2 345 35 06

Where do you think is the best place in Brussels to get your hair cut? Leave a comment to this post as I would love to hear from you and help share “insider” info!

Images via Toni&Guy, Google Maps, John Fraga.

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