No colour, no trim, no nothing. You might remember it being short, cropped and chopped? Well, for the last two years I've been growing it, or at least that's been my excuse to avoid all hair salons. Not long before then I'd had a few terrible experiences that left my hair lifeless, something it had never been before. I'd always taken such good care of my long, luscious locks, until somebody decided to bleach the bejeebers out of it when all I'd ask for was my existing balayage to be lightened up. It was worse than what you're thinking, trust me. And so, I ended up chopping it all off after many sessions of colouring and bleaching; more than I'd ever done in my entire life. What can you do!

Now my hair is quite long again, so it was time to freshen up the balayage and get rid of the split ends I'd been collecting over the last two years. Selecting a new hair salon is always a difficult and risky task, however a good starting point is asking your friends who have really, really good hair. My best friend Michelle has been going to Aradise for a long time now and her hair always looks impeccable no matter the cut or colour (I'm quite certain I've seen her sporting every colour of the rainbow, I kid you not). And so, I decided to see what all the fuss was about.

Located in a beautiful heritage building at Perth CBD's Brookfield Place, Aradise has cemented itself as a luxurious yet edgy boutique salon. The newly restored space oozes 'designer' while incorporating the rich history of the building. Walking up the small set of stairs as you enter, we're met with a stunning space featuring an huge range of high-end Aveda products, a small lounge area, makeup station and, of course, the reception desk. The high ceilings and quirky framed illustrations continue into the salon space.

Rebecca, owner and creative director of Aradise Hair, makes me feel comfortable as soon as I'm sat comfortably in the salon chair. It's clear from the very beginning; this woman knows exactly what she's doing. She understands what I want and how to achieve it straight away, and isn't afraid to give her opinion. We decide to go with a slightly more textured 'do, with a natural, slightly ashy balayage for summer. Before I know it, the colour has been applied and I'm enjoying a luxurious hand massage and a delicious Aveda tea. Now this is what a salon experience should be like!

Once my hair is toned and washed, Rebecca uses a leave-in Aveda split end treatment (ahem, definitely needed it at this stage!) and guides my back to the chair. Instead of going for the blunt cut I'd had for many years, she expertly adds a little more texture without any layering, as well as cutting in a few shorter pieces in the front to frame my face.

I'm not going to lie, the end result was incredible. In fact, my hair hasn't looked this good in, well, a very long time. If you look at the above image, you'll see a before and after shot, where my hair looks  much healthier and voluminous in the after (right) shot. And my goodness, does it feel amazing!

So, the end verdict; will I be back? Absolutely. It's safe to say that Aradise Hair is my new go-to salon in Perth.

A huge thank you to Rebecca for spoiling me at your beautiful salon!
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Shilla dress | Leather jacket | Windsor Smith flats | Najo silver bangle