Zappas Hairdressers

I remember when the first Zappas Hairdressing Salon first opened in about 1992 when I was nine. I was initially upset as it moved into the space previously occupied by a video rental store. At this age the opportunity to rent Disney movies greatly outweighed my need for a stylish haircut. However, as I got a little older I was lured away from my previous salon, attracted by the stylish image that Zappas generated.

---The Salons---
...---The Price---

Zappas is quite a pricey salon (think along the same lines as Toni &Guy) but I really do feel that in this case you get what you pay for. There are different levels of stylists, from a simple ‘stylist’, senior stylist, designer, to the salon director and the price varies according to seniority and experience. I pay about £30 for a cut with my ‘stylist’ and I think she achieves great results! ... more

I remember when the first Zappas Hairdressing Salon first opened in about 1992 when I was nine. I was initially upset as it moved into the space previously occupied by a video rental store. At this age the opportunity to rent Disney movies greatly outweighed my need for a stylish haircut. However, as I got a little older I was lured away from my previous salon, attracted by the stylish image that Zappas generated.

---The Salons---

Zappas now have three salons located in the Reading area:

*87 Beanoak Road, Wokingham, Berks, RG40 1RJ,
Tel: 0118 9790043

*21 Peach Street, Wokingham, Berks, RG40 1XJ
Tel: 0118 9776577

*The Old Post office, 9 High Street, Twyford, Berks, RG10 9AB
Tel: 0118 9321777

Inside the salons are modern and spacious with an open plan design (and those oh-so-trendy wooden floors). Having not been to the Twyford salon I don’t feel able to comment on it, but I find the Beanoak salon far more relaxing and stylish than the town centre one. There is free parking outside (although as I live about 200 metres away I’d be incredibly lazy to walk!). It is much bigger and has a nicer feel to it and, despite the large number of customers, you never feel cramped and get the impression of privacy.

For more information and pictures check out the website at www.zappas.co.uk
(but don’t expect too much- it’s not a great site!)

---My Experience---

I have always worn my hair long and a few years ago I had an unexplainable urge for a change. I wanted a haircut that was modern, funky and stylish but I have always been one of those people who hate having their hair cut (I’m a complete control freak- I hate the thought that someone else is responsible for my hair!) so I decided to try a new salon with the emphasis on pampering. On entering the salon, my coat was taken and I was lead through, shown to a seat and offered something to drink. Looking around I noticed that the stylists all seemed very similar- bleached blonde, very straight hair and lots of make-up. I started to get nervous and began fidgeting (I told you I hate having my hair cut!). It was then that my stylist appeared and introduced herself. She instantly relaxed me, discussing exactly what I wanted, showing me pictures and encouraging me to tell her which ones I liked and suggesting features from them which she could incorporate into my new style. She asked me questions about my hair type to determine what kind of products to use on my hair and whether it would suit the style. We settled on a really choppy style, falling just above my shoulders and adding a choppy fringe (apparently to disguise by rather large forehead! Put in the nicest possible way of course!)

I was then shown to the shampoo area where another girl shampooed and conditioned my hair before returning me to my stylist. The cut was fantastic- exactly what I had asked for and better than I had expected (although I nearly cried when I saw all my hair on the floor!). She used techniques which I was unused to (and at first rather dubious about!) such as razoring the ends which gave a really blunt effect. She spent a lot of time finishing my hair using straightening irons and applied some gorgeous smelling TIGI Shine Junkie shine balm. The final result looked really choppy and trendy and the cut itself was so good that months later it still looked good (I really can’t afford to go to the salon every 4-6 weeks so this was a great bonus for me!).

---The Price---

Zappas is quite a pricey salon (think along the same lines as Toni &Guy) but I really do feel that in this case you get what you pay for. There are different levels of stylists, from a simple ‘stylist’, senior stylist, designer, to the salon director and the price varies according to seniority and experience. I pay about £30 for a cut with my ‘stylist’ and I think she achieves great results! I’m dreading the day when they promote her! My sister insists on having a Senior Designer and pays about £40-50 for a trim (way out of my price range!). Zappas sell student cards which can be purchased for £10, and allow you 20% off a cut every time. They also allow their trainee stylists to cut and colour hair at discounted rates on a Wednesday afternoon.

---Styles, Treatments, and Products---

Zappas is a cutting edge salon that likes to keep up to date with the latest styles. However, they tailor their styles to suit each customer and recognise the need for individuality. They offer a range of colour services (prices starting at about £30) which are carried out by colour specialists including highlights/lowlights, a half head of highlights (for cheap skates like me!), colouring and perming. They also offer shiatsu head massages, wedding styles and consultations and even have their own nail bar!

They sell a range of products, including the TIGI range, Tec-ni-art and Kerastase. Every product that the stylists use can be bought in the salon- I even bought the straightening irons that they use.

---The Service---

The service here is a bit of a difficult one to comment on, sometimes you can feel utterly pampered and relaxed while at other times I have felt unwanted and in the way. I think this is really down to which staff you come into contact with. All of the stylists that I have had have been really lovely, but sometimes I have found the receptionists to be rather unfriendly (maybe this is because of my age- people generally aren’t polite to teenagers- but I still feel that I am a customer and should have the right to good service).

Once you are in the salon, you are offered complimentary drinks (coffee, tea, hot chocolate, orange juice etc) and are usually given some trendy magazines to flick through (Vogue, Cosmopolitan etc) to banish the boredom. However, I find that the stylists here are very good at keeping your interest, not so much with “So where are you off to on your holidays” type talk, but with conversation centring on your hair and how you can maintain the style.

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Since opening one very small salon a few years ago, this company have become incredibly successful, expanding their original salon and opening two new salons. In my opinion, this is one of the best salons in the Reading area- right up there with Toni&Guy but at a (slightly!) cheaper price!
 

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