A hair-snip at the price (Toni & Guy)

Member Name: chinnyli

Product:	Toni & Guy
Date:	12/07/01 (23565 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Contemporary haircuts without the cost, Free with advert

Disadvantages: Allow about 3 hours!, Restrictive appointments

This isn't about Toni & Guy's normal salons, which I'm sure some if not most of you will know charge a small fortune for a cut and blow dry (they're on a par with Vidal Sassoon), but about their two little known Academies in central London.

Argh, hairdressing schools?! But don't the students there get over creative and end up creating a hideous mess with your hair? Well, I'm here to dispel this myth (although I can't guarantee this has never happened!) as well as let you in on the cheapest way of getting a designer hair cut in London.

---- Getting in ----

Don't worry, this doesn't involve getting chummy with trendy hairdressing students, just a little bit of preparation. The Toni & Guy Academies frequently advertise in free London magazines for 'hairdressing models', the best magazines to find these are in either Ms London, or Girl about Town, which are usually handed out during morning rush hours outside commuter tube stations in central London, and outside the major rail stations. If you don't travel into London at this time, they're usually piled in boxes outside some stations along with a lot of Aussie/backpackers magazines. There are a lot of these outside Charing X station by the bus stop serving numbers 6/13/15/25/176, plus some outside one of the Leicester Sq tube entrance.

If you can't get hold of one of these adverts, it's not a major disaster. You can still get your hair cut, although you'll have to pay £5. Still, not a price to be sniffed at if you compare it to prices outside!

Next thing, is phoning up to book an appointment. This isn't strictly necessary, I'm sure the majority of models get away with appearing without an appointment, as noone ever actually checks who has made an appointment. So why bother, I can hear you ask. Well, it's useful just to make sure you get there at the appropriate time - they may have allocated specific
times for trims only, or restyles, or hair colourings, as well as to make sure they haven't already 'overbooked' themselves.

They only offer two appointments, either 9.45am or 1.45pm, and it's usually best to call them on the Thursday before you want to go, when they start booking appointments for the following week. Also, they're generally less likely to be busy if its outside university vacations (I use this as a guideline as it covers most of the major public holidays, as well as when all the students find better things to do than study!).

Note that they're only open weekdays though, and not on bank holidays.

---- Location ----

Toni & Guy have two schools. The first is for colour, perms and trims and is located at 33 St Christophers Place. The nearest tube station is Bond Street on the Jubilee and Central lines. The best way of finding it is to cross the Oxford Street from the tube station, look for a little pedestrian alleyway called Gees Court (you've gone too far if you pass Selfridges!), and this will lead you to St Christophers Place. They charge £15 for perms and trims even if you have a advert.

The second provides restyles and classic cuts, although I've also had a trim here, and occasionally they pester models to get their hair coloured, I assume for free. This is at 75 New Oxford Street, closest tube station Tottenham Court Road on the Central and Northern lines (Charing X branch). Wherever you end up above ground, look for the tallest white building you can possibly see from where you are, that is the Centrepoint building. Cross the roads so that you end up under it and walk down New Oxford Street until you see a large Toni & guy sign. You should see an Argos store on the opposite side of road en route, if you don't and for instance walk past the Dominion theatre, Virgin Megastore, Astoria, any Burger Kings or McDonalds, you're on the wrong road!

There will usu
ally be a queue just inside or outside the school about 15 mins before appointments. If you don't see people hanging around outside, it's worth going in to make sure everyone hasn't already gone in, if they're not ready they'll just tell you to go out a cup of coffee first.

---- Step inside ----

This is where you'll feel a bit like cattle being herded around. You have to register first - simply hand over your advert or £5 (or £15 if you're getting your hair coloured or permed) and sign your name on a list. They'll then give you an overcoat to wear, and might ask if you want to leave your coat/jacket in their cloakroom. I usually don't bother as I find it a bit tricky telling one non-descript black wool coat or denim jacket from any another. They'll then ask what you want done with your hair. You don't need to have a specific idea, just at least know how much (or little) you want cut off, and a general idea of what effect you'd like. I don't know, I always mutter something along the lines of "a few inches taken off, not a bob my face can't cope with harsh lines, something gentle that'll frame my face".

From here you'll be split off into groups, and led to another room.

---- The students ----

To start off, very few of them will actually be beginners. The ones that have cut my hair have often been cutting hair for aeons, either at another Toni & Guy branch or an independent hairdresser from anywhere else in the county, and will be there to learn new techniques. Others may have been trained intensively for six months, and have already been guaranteed employment at one of Toni & Guy's many salons, where they will be able to duplicate what they have learned in half an hour!

---- Interaction ----

In the salons, plonk yourself on a random seat, and wait. This is where the teachers will walk around all the models and ask them properly w
hat they'd like done (although if you have a trim, I've found that you don't get much say in the matter), he or she will then allocate students to each model depending on what they want, and what the student needs to learn. This takes a while but everyone does get a student eventually... although I saw one girl once who was still waiting after everyone else was halfway finished! The teachers will then talk shop with the students on how best to achieve the hairstyle you want with your hair type, and this may involve words like "forward graduation, layers, feathering, slicing, disconnecting", I always seem to learn a new hairdressing term each time I go there!

I've also found that they tend to be quite reluctant about changing hairstyles too dramatically. Every time I go there determined to have most of my hair cropped off, but they always convince me not to, and are probably right to! I've found the teachers here tend to be more experienced at understanding how different types of hair work with faces, as well as what styles would suit certain types of hair. I've certainly found that they deal with mine better than at Vidal Sassoon's school (although that's an unfair judgment, I've only been there once!)

The teachers and students will always talk to your reflection, rather than directly to you. Don't be perturbed by this, I think they see the effect of a hairstyle better in a mirror while they work, or something.

You'll be taken to another room to have your hair washed, using their own brand shampoos and conditioners (TIGI which I love, very soft and smells delish, although I think they may have switched to their new brand) - you can leave your belongings under the table before going to get your hair washed.

Your student will then begin to cut your hair. This takes the longest amount of time, even if the student is very experienced, because the students are only allowed to cut th
e hair in stages, and have to wait for the teachers to check each stage, discuss improvements, and show the next stage of cutting and techniques. This is a very effective method of quality control though, as it means that the student isn't allowed to veer away from the intended hairstyle and start experimenting!

The hair will eventually be blown dry, and maybe cut some more. They do have a tendency of putting too much gloop (gloss, wax, mousse etc) in your hair though, while the hair is being cut, as well as at the end, I sometimes leave the school feeling as though my hair has been weighed down by concrete - completely unnecessary I feel as it looks silly bouffed up! But once washed out at home, you'll have a lovely, sleek haircut for everyone to admire for, erm, a few weeks before it grows out!

I may have given the impression they only do girls' hair. They do cut guys' hairs too, though I have rarely seen them here (twice only). They won't just give you a "short back and sides", so it'd be helpful if you had enough hair to create something trendier! I'm afraid though, just because you usually have short hair, doesn't mean it'll be any quicker to cut your hair!

Occasionally, after finishing on your hair, students may ask to take pictures of you for their portfolio, you should allow it considering the amount of hard work they put in!

Is it worth the time and hassle of getting into London just to get my hair cut free here? I certainly think so, although this is because I have easy access getting into London, and get a day off midweek from work every fortnight to do what I like, so spending an afternoon here doesn't seem like a waste of time, particularly as I save so much money.

It's not quite so convenient for anyone working full time, even within walking distance of Oxford Street, and by the nature of its appointments is probably best suited for students, part time wo
rkers, or anyone else with a lot of time to kill and are usually based in London! (Oops hope I haven't just offended students and part time workers!)

I've been using these schools since I finished my A'level studies, and have my hair cut there about once every 4-6 months. I've been happy with most of my haircuts with maybe two exceptions, although on those occasions there was nothing technically wrong with the cuts themselves, I just didn't think they suited me!

If you have plenty of time to spare, and not much cash either, I would definitely recommend coming here, although I wouldn't travel from outside London just to do so, as a visitor you'll have far more interesting things to waste time on!

General info:
Toni & Guy Academy
Appointments available 9.45am and 1.45 pm Mon-Fri

For colour, perms and trims
33 St Christophers Place
0207 487 3435

For restyles and classic cuts
75 New Oxford Street
0207 836 0606

Also says on advert that you have to be 18 years or over to have your hair cut here!
Adverts are usually valid until the end of the month that you get it.

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