Gielly Green have thought of everything to make your appointment a treat. As you'd expect of a beauty editor, I've experienced my fair share of the old wash-and-blowdry routine. I've actually hated having my hair washed since childhood - with knotty hair falling way past my hips, I threatened a call to Childline everytime my mother came at me with the falsely-named 'No More Tears' shampoo. I've since got used to pitfalls of the salon backwash - the cricked neck, the earful of suds, the squirt of water in the eye, the pitiful drizzle of luke warm water from a sub-par showerhead - but it still tends to be my least favourite part of the hairdressing appointment. Until I went to Gielly Green and discovered… the king of the backwash.
Modelled around a boutique hotel, considering hairdressing a pleasure for its clients rather than just part of a mundane routine, Gielly Green is a small but perfectly formed salon in Marylebone. Owners, Shai Greenberg and Fred Gielly have focused their entire team on the pursuit of a personalised service to suit each client, set up in a stylishly designed space that heightens this feeling of comfort.
But back to the backwash. I was led to the fully reclining chairs - think a first class flight with Virgin - and settled in to find my neck fully supported rather than dangling over the lip of a basin. My head was then cradled throughout by the assistant, as though my head was a most treasured head. He gently lifted it to the left to make sure the right side of my scalp was fully rinsed, then to the right and finally raised it slightly to make sure the underneath was clean, something I've always had to ask for in the past to avoid a greasy residue of product. The Indian head massage had my tongue lolling rather attractively - the pressure was perfect. My blowdry - a big, bouncy Manhattan-style look - took into consideration my face shape, hair type and length, and so I left feeling as though I had indeed received a treatment tailored to my specific needs. One that I'm keen to experience again, if only for the cradling.
Other services at Gielly Green include Brazilian straightening by Shahar Geffen, Balayage highlighting with Laurent Derame, plus a full make-over from Andre Suard and Ila and Environ treatments with Holly Gumble. I highly recommend a visit.
Text: Grace Timothy
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