The Chapel Review: Can a Hair Make-Over Change Your Life?

Comfy consultation sofas.

Arrrghhh! So I have been so excited to tell you all about my new hair but as I had some things that had pictures of me with my old hair that needed posting and I didn’t want to confuse everyone, I’ve had to keep schtum.  Until now….The title of this post is a tad dramatic, I’ll grant you, but unfortunately there’ll be more of that.  Prepare yourself for drama people; there’ll be gushing and there’ll be dramatic declarations as my new hair make-over was quite a rollercoaster ride.

Water with fruit in it (random picture but I thought it was cool)

So! To start off, I’ll introduce you to The Chapel which is an Islington based salon with a difference.  There are a few things that make this salon unconventional; firstly, there’s no menu of services as everything is bespoke, so you have a consultation to establish exactly what it is you want and then you’re told roughly how long the process will take.  You’re then charged an hourly rate rather than a set fee which again allows the stylists to work on you as an individual rather than to a set time.  This might sound a bit risky, but everyone at the salon knows what they’re doing and therefore will be able to specify the exact cost before you start.

Coffee and a Kit-Kat, I think I had about five…

My appointment was with Billie for my colour and Georgia for my cut.  I won’t bang on about their credentials (which are impressive so I suggest you click on their names and take a look) as this is going to be a long post as it is, but I will say that, without a shadow of a doubt, I have never met two people who know more about style and colour than these two.  They are absolute experts at helping you select and plan a new look (if that’s what you’re after, I’m sure they’re happy to do whatever you request for your hair too!) and during the consultation (which lasts 15 minutes and is very in-depth) they ask lots of different questions to get a really good feel for what it is that would work best for you.  They’re both happy to come forward with suggestions but equally happy to hear yours.  Billie worked through a few different ideas with me; not because I rejected any of them, but because she was waiting for a sign of enthusiasm and excitement rather than just agreement, which eventually came and we went ahead with the make-over.

Cutting area.

The Chapel salon is beautifully put together.  Your consultation takes place on a comfy couch where you can drink coffee, chomp on a Kit-Kat bar and work through your ideas together with your stylist.  The colour takes place downstairs in a gently lit room full of giant mirrors and unobtrusive incense, and whilst you’re waiting for your colour to take you lull about on a sofa with a foot rest and magazines, drinking more coffee and eating more Kit-Kats.  The cutting area is equally beautiful, but brightly lit and spaced out so you feel like you have your own little space for your cut.  There are so, so, SO many amazing things to wax lyrical about with this salon, but I’m already closing in on an essay sized review, so I’m going to instead focus on my treatments!

Billie doing my hair – apologies for the blurriness.

For the colour, we took my hair a few shades darker and warmed it up a bit.  Being reluctant to give up my blonde, Billie and I agreed to put a blonde panel beneath the overall colour which would then not only add edginess and interest to the colour whilst keeping it multi-dimensional, it would also negate any root growth issues as the roots are all underneath the main colour.  Lastly, my roots were given a slightly darker halo to add more depth, strength and shine.  Seriously! I’ve never had such a carefully formulated colour co-ordination put together on my hair and it was exciting to see it all come together.

Working a Cleopatra look.

After my colour was washed out (in comfy chairs – I was there a while as I had a couple of treatments and there are no back or neck problems to report…worryingly, I almost drifted off at one point: tired Sascha + dim lighting + relaxing incense = tricky territory!) I was taken up stairs for my cut.

Cutting area.

Georgia felt that the general length I was going for (mid) worked well for my face shape, but it needed to be sharper and more defined.  I’ve complained in previous posts about the length of my face and how I need width at the sides, so Georgia cut some layers in underneath to give my hair a better chance at texture and width.  We finished off with a soft, medium-thick fringe.  The fringe has always been a tricky one for me as I love my eyes and I hate the idea of anything detracting from them, but I went there with the intention of getting a fringe, although I did keep going back and forth!  Once the cut was complete, Georgia styled my hair so there was plenty of texture to the sides and the fringe was smooth.  I left the salon in awe of both Billie and Georgia as they are such fantastic women (who at one point lived and worked together and are very close which I found really charming) and they’re the sort of people who you can talk to about absolutely anything rather than just polite chit-chat.

Before…..

Now on to the rollercoaster bit.  I left the salon regretting having a fringe cut in; mainly because I’ve had it done before and I always ended up annoyed with it and feeling it was unflattering, so I was wondering why I’d determinedly decided to get one cut in.  Then the next day I was a bit bummed out about it all and dreading having to style it myself.  However, obviously I couldn’t just stay indoors until it grew out, so I cracked on with a hair wash and styled it myself and it was when I brushed the fringe and started drying it in place that I realised it was amazing! I honestly have no idea what my little drama was about, but ever since that moment I’ve been in love with it, as well as the colour and the cut.

After!!!

The cut has made styling a breeze; it’s a cut made to work with my super straight hair and I can wear it messy or neat and it looks fab either way.  I’ve always been all about the texture so I could add width to my face, but now I have a fringe that isn’t a problem any more, so I’ve been taking great pleasure in enjoying it glossy as my hair is in good condition and can work the glossy look well.  Speaking of glossy, the colour has made my hair look astoundingly shiny and I’ve been asked TWICE by strangers what products I use.

And another “after”!!

The confidence my new hair has given me is quite astounding.  I’ve never been particularly low on confidence, but this has given me a real boost and made such a difference.  Since the new style, I’ve been trying out and having lots of fun with different make-up looks, wearing clothes I wouldn’t normally and just generally feeling very good about myself.  I finally feel like I have both a colour and style that works with me and flatters in every way a hair style can and should.  I’ve always felt my hair was just ‘there’ but now I feel like I have statement hair and it is just. so. exciting!!

And another “after “again!!

Several friends are now planning to book in to see Billy and Georgia and even my mum – who really isn’t a hair person at all – wants to book in when we get back from holiday.  They are miracle workers who have taken the concept of hairstyling to an experience that it should be; they treat you as a complete individual and ensure they know you well enough to establish exactly what kind of cut and colour will be the absolute best for you.  I cannot praise them enough and I will definitely be going back; I’m so grateful for what they’ve done for me!  If you’re stuck in a style rut then GO and have a consultation with Team Chapel as I’m certain you won’t regret it.

Last “after”, promise.

The pricing structure for hair treatments ranges from £49 – £80 per hour depending on who you see.  Georgia and Billie are the Salon Directors so their time is priced at £80 per hour.  Head here for more info.  

Disclosure:  treatment provided for the purpose of this review.