Update: Rady has since left Blow but Sebastian and I have been reunited! He has now joined the Blow team and still does a great job with my hair. I even recently let him cut it a bit shorter (not an easy thing for me to do!) and it looks great. Happy to have him back 🙂
I wrote a post about some of the better hair salons in Brussels a little while back. Unfortunately, my favorite hairdresser of late, Sebastian, has left Toni&Guy Schuman. Without him, I’ve found that the salon has really gone downhill. They have a lot of junior staff now and the service just isn’t what it used to be. Toni&Guy have even closed two other salons, the Royal location (near Port de Namur) and the one in Antwerp. Not a good sign…
But luckily for me, the former owners of Toni&Guy have opened a brand new salon – BLOW Hairdressing. It’s tucked away on a quiet street near Merode (just off Rue de Linthout) and has a modern, industrial (yet warm) interior. There are about 15 work stations upstairs, with the hair washing area downstairs. Everything is brand spanking new, including all the ghd hair dryers and the heat lamps that look like they’re from outer space.
I went for highlights and a cut last Saturday, their opening weekend, as I was in desperate need. Frances, the lovely owner with her husband and stylist Russell, greeted me along with Rady who also used to work at Toni&Guy. After a quick chat with Rady for the cut, Kara, a fellow Midwesterner from the US, got started on the color. She of course also used to work at Toni&Guy and I’ve known her for years, so it was great to have her do my highlights again. She really is the best.
One of the best parts of the salon is the washing station, which has amazing reclining chairs that lift you into a horizontal position to get your hair washed. No more bent, cramped neck! Brilliant.
Rady did a great job with the cut and blow-dry after. It was so nice not to be passed between five different people and have quality service from experienced staff. Here’s a picture of me with aluminum foil in my hair under the dryer gizmo and an after shot. Rady went a bit big and glamorous, which was a fun departure from the normal straight blow-dry.
The salon was full of old Toni&Guy clients, mostly expat/anglophone, who seemed to like the slightly more mature vibe (no loud techno blaring) and personal service. The team currently includes Russell, Jef, Rady and Kara, but may expand if business grows. They may also offer additional services like manicures and pedicures in the future. And one additional plus, they’ll even be open two Sundays a month, a rare thing here in Brussels. You can follow the latest news on their Facebook page.
I have definitely found my new favorite hair salon in Brussels!
10 Rue Charles Degroux, 1040 Etterbeek
Tel: +32 2 734 08 00
Open: Tuesday & Wednesday, 11am-7pm, Thursday & Friday, 11am-8pm, Saturday 9:30am-6:30pm, Sunday by appointment (closed Monday)
Images via BLOW Hairdressing.
Best of Brussels 