Nicky Clarke Salons

I got a Groupon voucher and was really excited about getting a great cut from a top salon. I have been to a senior stylist at Nicky Clarke long ago, when I was flush… However, this was disappointing. The junior stylist was friendly and polite, I showed her a photo of the sort of graduated bob I wanted and she said that would be fine, but what I got was just a blunt cut with no graduation or shaping at all. Perhaps she was not confident about a technical cut but really I’ve had young stylists do perfect graduated bobs before. It was only £32 for the voucher, but I feel I need to go and get it cut soon elsewhere, because it really doesn’t fall well and is quite unflattering. If this is the best they can do, the salon’s reputation will soon be tarnished.

This salon is rated one of the top ones in Manchester. So when I moved here, I had to try it out. I got my hair trimmed (less than ½ inch) and it cost 55 pounds. The lady who did my hair was fine but I was never offered anything to drink either. An intern washed my hair (no massaging of the head either which I didn’t like). Altogether the service took like 20 minutes. It was rather disappointing for the cost.
I won’t be back sadly.

After years of searching, I have finally found The One.
I’ve never really got on with the hair dressers. I like being pampered and preened as much as the next gal, but I’ve always felt awkward during a consultation and been disappointed with my barnet at the end of it. I’ve never been sure whether I’ve been bad at communicating what I wanted, or if stylists have just never got what I’m after, but I’ve always left the hairdressers feeling a little let down by the experience.
Because of this I’ve been chopping and changing between stylists and salons, going on what feels like hundreds of first-​dates, all of which have gone no where. Until now.
I’ve found The One. She’s a wonderful stylist at the Spinningfields branch. We’ve been seeing each other for nearly a year now and it’s going great. She’s taken the time to really listen to what I wanted, and after five or six great cuts even pushed me to try something new (a fringe) which I have been proudly sporting ever since.
Nicky Clarke salons are not cheap, but I feel that you really get your money’s worth. They take the time to talk you through what you’d like, and pamper you with head massages and gorgeous products. Unlike a lot of other salons I visited whilst wandering in the desert, the stylists do not push you to buy any products, and I’ve even been recommended high street brands to tame my tresses.
The reception staff are polite and helpful, offering to call you back if they are very busy, and sending reminder texts before your next appointment which is handy.

I did a lot of research after moving to Manchester for grad school to find a hair dresser that had consistent reviews. I had a cut and finish with a style designer for £45. Even though it was the least experienced level, my hairdresser had 6 years experience and had done her training at Nicky Clarke as well. She was very attentive and listened to what I wanted and made some suggestions based on my hair type. Reception was incredibly nice and helpful in helping me choose some products and made me feel welcome, and not awkward like I have felt at some other hair dressers. It is pricey though. Students can get discounts on certain days, but there are other hair dressers that would probably do an equally good job without such a hefty price tag.

To say this salon markets itself as a luxury high-​end hairdressers, I was hugely disappointed. Don’t get me wrong, the salon is beautiful and well located if you work in town, just in Spinningfields. What is important to me however is the cut itself and the quality of their work. I found this place terrible, the stylist didnt really listen to what I wanted and literally when I walked out it looked like two different cuts because it was so disjointed. I was really hoping for good things from this place but I have had better hair cuts from places a lot cheaper. I would have been unhappy if i had got the cut for free, never mind paying the 45 quid i paid.

Go here regularly. Always excellent service and wonderful cut. Staff are great, chatty and it’s well worth the money. Which is much cheaper than other ‘trendy’ high street chains! Go, but please don’t make it too busy as I want to keep my spot at weekends!

When I received my 50% voucher for Nicky Clarke, you can imagine I was smiling none stop until the day of my appointment arrived. As a student with a student loan that never seems to appear, I was pretty damn excited about my first trip to a proper hairdresser in since forever.
So what can you expect from a designer haircut? Pretty much exactly what you should be getting for a cut and finish ranging from £45 to £260 for Mr Clarke himself. I still opted for the Style Designer however and she was amazing. She was attentive, truly knew what she was talking about and gave me confidence that she’d transform this dry, mess of a mane into something you’d find on a L’oreal advert.
I’ve finally found a regular hairdresser who I could possibly invite to the wedding, one of those who you can share the gossip with on a monthly basis. Shame I’ll have to go back to my studentness for now. Nicky Clarke did definitely not disappoint. Most of all, my fringe has finally been sorted out. I’d say much better than Toni and Guy folks.