As a former resident of Notting Hill, I couldn’t wait to visit the legendary Samantha Cusick Salon. Situated in the heart of Notting Hill, the salon is located just off Portobello Road, it was the first of the three salons founded in 2016.
The whole premise is that a visit to your hairdresser doesn’t have to be intimidating or pretentious, empowering the women who visit the salons and delivering that hair-swooshing feeling of euphoria when you leave your appointment. Samantha Cusick salons create hair colours and styles that are wearable every day, using the latest technology and techniques, all within an environment that’s playful, unimposing, and individual.
Following over a decade of experience working with big hairdressing brands, Samantha Cusick is passionate about bringing clients’ hair goals to life, while making the looks wearable outside of Instagram. Specialising in balayage and transformative colour treatments with clients such as Tanya Burr, Mel C, Olivia O’Neil, Zoe Sugg (aka Zoella) and more, Cusick is the go-to for cool girl hair.
“To us, your hair journey is everything — from the first impressions you get when scrolling through Instagram, to the pre-appointment consultation, the in-salon experience, and finally, the advice and maintenance provided through our blogs, tutorials, and product reviews on our social channels.”
The Samantha Cusick team specialises in all things colour, working closely with you to understand your #HairGoals and create a look that suits both you and your lifestyle. By combining their colour expertise with beautifully cohesive styling, they have become the go-to destination for wearable hair, offering services like balayage, colour melts, ecaille, and of course their signature Samantha Cusick beach wave. So of course, when I visited THE original salon in Notting Hill, it would have been rude not to have asked for anything else.
The interiors are inspired by the Hollywood Regency era — picture Carrara Marble, gold accents, palm murals, the occasional illuminated neon expletive AND Gucci wallpaper (you can see a theme here can’t you? Why I’m now in love with this salon even more).
Did I mention there’s a cocktail bar? So, whilst they bring your hair to life, you can indulge in the complimentary cocktail menu. Their signature cocktail is the “Mermaid Martini” — an irresistible blend of candy floss, glitter, and champagne, I was my usual boring self and had an oat milk flat white with a flourish of glitter.
But, back to the hair! I could honestly write another piece of editorial describing the interior alone before I even get started on the incredible service and the appointment. I was beyond fortunate to have my hair styled by Daniel, super funny and incredibly talented; Daniel transformed my hair from a half-straight bumpy mess to quite literally the most beautiful waves ever, with a side of humour and a large amount of talent.
My hair is like me, it basically does what it wants, when it wants; add extensions to the mix, it’s even more contrary, however; I was totally blown away by what I saw in the mirror after and (don’t judge me) it lasted a good four days.
“Since the beginning, our emphasis has been on encouraging the individual techniques of our incredible team and sharing our knowledge, giving clients wearable looks in a place that wasn’t to be dreaded or boring. Our Notting Hill salon continues to step away from the normal salon cliches, proving that having your hair done should be fun!”
What started with their founder Samantha and a couple of friends has become so much more. Their insanely talented team has expanded and their loyal client family continues to grow, so much so that it became apparent that they needed to set up a second salon…and so they did, in Fitzrovia, followed by Liverpool Street.
For now though, as ever; Notting Hill has my heart, and I’ve already booked in with Daniel on my next visit to London. For more info click on this link Samantha Cusick.
Hair Perfection at Home
I thought I’d follow up on the above with some hair-at-home products. If like me, you aren’t based in London, here are some amazing products that actually work and smell (and taste in some cases) amazing.
Haer by Naeo
I was kindly sent some Naeo gummies to try. These have a great watermelon taste and are vegan, it’s a far tastier way to take your supplements! Naeo gummies are designed to efficiently deliver nutrients directly into your bloodstream, utilizing the dense network of blood vessels in the mouth’s mucosal lining, vitamins are rapidly absorbed through the capillaries’ thin walls.
This scientifically-backed approach ensures quick and effective nutrient delivery, enhancing the overall efficacy of the gummies, these contain Biotin to help with hair growth and strength. I’m two weeks in, so I’m really looking forward to seeing results, as I’ve heard such good things!
Hairburst
I was sent the most amazing package which consisted of the chewable hair vitamins, the longer stronger shampoo and conditioner, the award-winning elixir and the scalp serum. Using naturally derived ingredients, the brand understands the impact of the environment on our hair and targets common issues such as thin hair, split ends and excess shedding in their products. Helping to combat over styling, ageing, stress, poor nutrition and pollution, the brand’s site is a one-stop-shop for your haircare regime.
But better still, the formulas are developed by qualified chemists who have blended proven and active ingredients to deliver the best results. Ensuring the very best quality, every product is SLS, paraben, cruelty and GMO-free.
I used the shampoo and conditioner quite literally the evening it arrived, it certainly lived up to the hype from a moisture perspective ( for reference I have wavy dry hair and extensions, so two different textures here, my airwrap works overtime!). Whilst blow drying I used the Elixir, which provides instant hair volume, however, this multifunctional spray doesn’t stop there! Boasting a host of benefits, this combined with the Multi-Active Scalp Serum it will improve hair density and reduce hair loss.
The perfect addition to your hair styling routine, the products are easy to use and smell great, I’m looking forward to constant use to see the benefits. Shop Hairburst here.
Aveda Cherry Almond
Ok, hands up this is not a new product, but it’s been an absolute favourite of mine for a while, so I thought it was rather serendipitous when I had the loveliest delivery from them.
With over 70 hair and beauty experts, their philosophy of nurturing and developing creative talent has made Aveda the incredible brand it is today. From the way the interior is designed to the services themselves, the Aveda Lifestyle Salon & Spa continues to be the go-to salon for exceptional hair and beauty treatments, which consider their environmental impact.
Since 2001 their brand values have stayed the same, they pride themselves on, such as caring for the world we live in and using the power of plants to create high-performance products and services. Back to the products though!
I was kindly sent my favourite combination of Cherry Almond, this is one of the very first products they launched and you can see why it has had staying power, the smell reminds me of my favourite pudding, cherry bakewell; but it also has the loveliest post wash softness about it that is perfect for thick and wavy hair like mine! You can purchase Aveda products here.
