A boutique beauty of a salon with old-fashioned charm and a refreshing dose of cheeky retro glamour, The Painted Lady is located on Redchurch Street a 5 minute walk from Shoreditch High Street Station. With its warm wooden floors, friendly chatty atmosphere and shabby chic vintage furniture, The Painted Lady is the perfect antidote to some modern chain salons which can feel impersonal and a bit sterile. Entering the salon, we were welcomed by the lovely receptionist who is not only dressed like she’s stepped straight out of a 1950s pinup painting, it also later transpires she’s actually a burlesque dancer. This salon, and its staff, have both style and substance. The décor is eclectic and interesting to look at – peacock feathers, book shelves, comfy sofas and dried flowers give a kitsch, homely bohemian feel. The girl next to me reads a paperback novel while she gets her foils done. The atmosphere is very chilled and unpretentious.
I’m lucky enough to get my hair done by Belinda, the salon’s owner. Originally from New Zealand, she was one of the original stylists at one of London’s most renowned salons, the award-winning Taylor Taylor. I’ve had highlighted hair for over 10 years and have never experienced such a light touch. Normally a trip to the hairdressers results in resigning yourself to sixty minutes of eye-watering hair-yanking as the stylist fights to keep the foils in place. Not so with Belinda which made the whole process far more relaxing. Downstairs is dedicated to hair washing sinks and nail art stations – perfect for if you’re having highlights and can squeeze in a manicure while you wait for the bleach to develop.
They may be retro in décor and style, but The Painted Lady is bang on trend when it comes to nail art. Belinda shows me the dedicated Painted Lady Instagram for nails and its full of innovative negative patterns, minimal dot work and creative nail art applied by yet another glamorous lady in a headscarf and red lippy. I went for a black shellac manicure with contrasting white ring fingernails and dot work.
Belinda tells me how much Redchurch Street has changed over the eight years she’s been there. From being the only salon on the street to now one of three, but luckily the amount of customers in the area has also grown. Belinda treats my poor bleached locks to some Olaplex, and takes the time to remove the pink tinges from my hair before applying a toner. All the products used in the salon are vegan or eco-conscious.
When I entered the salon, my hair was dull and lacklustre from the pink home dye kits I like to use. But I emerged from the chair a lovely creamy blonde colour with ashy tones. To finish, Belinda blowdrys my hair and pins it into curls to dry which when released create lovely soft waves. Two weeks on and its feeling better than ever from the Olaplex treatments. The Painted Lady blends good old fashioned hospitality and feminine beauty ideals with cutting edge treatments and techniques into the perfect cocktail. I’ll definitely be back.
Disclosure: IDEAL’s treatments were complimentary.