We’re spoilt for choice with excellent hairdressers in Leicester, but as a new salon popped up on Queens Road we nipped in to meet the owners, find out more and, of course, get our hair done while we were at it! Introducing, Meraki.
Meraki has opened on Queens Road in the space previously occupied by Mooch and The Secret Salon and whilst Meraki itself might be a newbie, the face behind the salon certainly isn’t. Jamie has been involved in the Queens Road hairdressing scene for over 10 years now having been at The Secret Salon and, before that, Cease in the same building. After the closure of Mooch and The Secret Salon Jamie had the opportunity to take the leap of opening her own business and Meraki was born.
So why Meraki? The word Meraki actually means “to do something with soul, creativity or love; to put something of yourself into your work”, and that’s evident straight away with Jamie and the business.
The salon interior is sleek and modern, which gives a perfect indication of the style of the business. As with all hairdressers, the venue and the person themselves can be as important as the haircut sometimes and Meraki certainly has the perfect blend of personality, experience and style.
Championing a number of hair brands, Meraki uses Olaplex products to repair hair and prevent any potential damage from colour and heat products, which is certainly welcome when you use straighteners as often as we do. For the main products and colouring Meraki use Paul Mitchell’s award winning range of products, as well as offering Marula Oil to reduce split ends, increase shine, and nourish and hydrate your hair throughout the day. The products sit well alongside the high end nature of the salon and customers can be assured of a quality cut and style to match.
So what sets Meraki apart from the other salons in Leicester? Jamie has really brought her own personality to the salon and admits she’s picked up many of her ideas throughout the years of working in past salons. “I’ve got some customers that have been coming to me for years now at Cease then The Secret Salon, so it’s great now to be able to welcome them into a salon that’s my own.”
And being located on Queens Road, how has it been launching a new business? “Everyone has been really supportive. I’ve been lucky to bring some customers across with me and we’ve seen a fair few new faces too. We also offer nail services and male grooming, so we’ve been trying to reach a new audience as well.”
Of course the most important part, how was the haircut? With partial head highlights Jamie was quick to assure there’d be no missed roots, no colours blocks and we’d be left with a natural look, which having visited a range of salons isn’t always a given! The Olaplex treatment is certainly recommended and you could feel a real difference following the visit. With a colour, cut and finish taking around 2.5 hours, we weren’t left waiting and our time spent in the salon was highly enjoyable. Relaxed, comfortable, and most importantly, great hair at the end of it!
Price wise the salon fits firmly in the middle ground with a cut and finish starting from £28 and colour services from £38 (partial foils) to £58 (full foils). They also offer child and teen prices, wedding styling, hair extensions and more. Nail services include Calgel (lasts up to 6 weeks), Shellac/OPI (lasts up to 14 days) and nail art with Swarovski Rhinestones.
Having visited a number of salons across Leicestershire Meraki is right up there with the best service we’ve received, from the warm welcome of the salon to the end hair results. We wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it!
Meraki Hair is located at 69 Queens Road and bookings can be made by calling 0116 270 2888 or emailing [email protected].
