Salon a sip and snip experience
A hair appointment should be a treat, not a chore, and a new salon is hoping a dab of luxury and a cocktail menu will distinguish it from the pack.
Customers at Alchemy and I in Palmerston North can get their hair cut, have a blow dry, refresh their nails, lashes and brows and have amassage or a facial, all with an exotic drink in hand.
The salon on Coleman Mall has a fully licensed bar and serves food.
Owner Haylee Benton, who has lived in the United Kingdom for many years, said New Zealanders had been used to rushing in and out of salons, when they should be slowing and taking time for themselves.
‘‘It’s thinking about it as a luxury experience, as well as a need. It’s all about coming with your friends.’’
People can order a drink, get their hair done and put their feet up.
Manicures and pedicures can be performed while clients wait for hair foils to marinate. There is also amenu of massage and facial treatments for women and men.
Benton visited her sister in Palmerston North just before coronavirus and the level 4 lockdown closed the borders in March.
‘‘I walked past [Coleman Mall] and thought it looked like a good place to open a salon.’’
She returned to the UK after the lockdown lifted, overseeing the creation of the salon and the hiring of staff via Zoom.
It is her first New Zealand enterprise, a mirror image of a salon she owns in the UK.
Benton said she wanted to open her salons in regions otherwise missing out on luxurious experiences.
Women in bigger cities were more likely to spoil themselves, but such pampering shouldn’t be exclusive to them.
Benton said that being a business owner amid the pandemic had been surreal but exciting.
She opened the Palmerston North salon and the following day her UK salon was closed due to Covid-19 restrictions.