Verve’s Ashlee gets pampered at Servilles in Newmarket.
Servilles flagship salon may be in the heart of Newmarket, but tucked away on Short Street it feels like a tranquil retreat in the midst of a busy retail and hospitality scene. As soon as I open the door I’m warmly welcomed and my shoulders drop as the hustle and bustle of daily life floats away. This is a swish salon you can feel totally relaxed in, with not a hint of the pretentiousness you might expect from top-quality hairdressers.
Salon manager Olivia Davies has been in the industry for 15 years. We chat about how I normally wear my hair, my lifestyle and routine, and she thankfully doesn’t judge me for my admittedly haphazard haircare regime of late. I’m here today for a simple and straightforward blow wave – taut and straight with a middle parting. I’ll never break up with the blow wave – I’ve blown my coarse hair straight, or ceded the task to a professional, my entire life. There’s something so soothing about it, I love the sensation of straight hair running up my neck as I untuck it from a jacket collar, the way it moves naturally in the wind, and delivers just the right amount of polish.
Olivia guides me over to the shampoo bar, an area designated as a ‘quiet zone’, giving me permission to close my eyes and just be, with no pressure to make conversation and very little stimulus other than the soothing feel of having my hair washed and scalp massaged.
Back in my stool I’m presented with a tea menu while Olivia blow waves my locks, leaving my hair feeling soft, silky and frizz free. We speak about my concerns around my dry, damaged hair and split ends, and Olivia suggests applying Davies Nourishing Keratin Sealer, a protective fluid that doesn’t need rinsing. Olivia explains that it works to seal hair cuticles, increasing their brightness and softness while at the same time strengthening hair fibre to prevent split ends.
Olivia also suggests I take home the pair of Davines Oi Shampoo and Conditioner – which I find to be an absolute godsend. The strong scent and milky smooth texture of the shampoo allows me to mentally transport myself back to the salon (or a retreat or day spa) while working it up into a foamy lather to deeply cleanse. Enriched with roucou oil, it simultaneously strengthens and protects against environmental damage, while locking in moisture for a refreshed and restored look. Davines Oi Conditioner is rich and buttery, smoothing every fly, and detangling and controlling frizz. I love the scent and the fact that after I rinse it out, my hair feels soft and manageable. Together, this shampoo and conditioner duo are extremely nourishing, providing me with salon-quality products I can use at home for soft, luminous hair on the daily.
Friendly, tailored and pleasingly unpretentious, Servilles is exactly what a luxe local salon should be in 2022. They have a wide service menu to choose from, and are a stockist of Davines quality hair products.
Servilles Salons: servilles.com
Shop Davines Online: shop.servilles.com
(PS: They offer 15% off your first online purchase!)
