Gavin Ryan is a Colombo stalwart of all things hair & beauty. With a loyal following, it wasn't too surprising he opened up his own spot. The salon is centrally located at Independence Arcade, and is pretty bustling. They appear to have a solid mix of loyal locals coming in (on great terms with the staff, hence my assumption), as well as tourist walk-ins.
Services Available
They're a full service salon, so you can get pretty much anything you want done here, from a full pedicure (under Rs. 2000), to their famous hot oil massages, to the usual hair and beauty procedures. We opted for a simple wash, blow dry and set, which starts at Rs. 2500. Given that my hair is pretty long and curly, they charged me Rs. 2800, which is usual.
Service
I found their service great. The place was absolutely full when I walked in (then emptied out a bit by the end of my session), but I was immediately greeted and seated. I was offered a selection of beverages, and my technician who washed/dried my hair was genuinely friendly and helpful.
He knew how to wash and detangle curly hair (which is a huge plus!), and took his time with carefully combing the tangles out, and ended with a relaxing 5 minute massage. The stylist who blow dried and set my hair listened well to what I had in mind, and was careful in handling my colour-treated hair. It's great walking out of a salon with exactly what you wanted, so kudos to them.
They ended the experience with a lovely little pot of green tea and some conversational chatter. Pretty pleasant.
Ambience
Their ambience is quite cosy, and they've managed to make the relatively tiny space work for them. There are about 4 chairs, a couple of private rooms for massages/waxing, and a section for pedicures and manicures. You'll also find a chintzy seating area, with high sofa chairs, a glinting chandelier, and plenty of glossies to keep you entertained.
There's a lot of cream, white, and gold accenting which makes the place feel luxurious despite its size.
Overall
So their prices are on par with pretty much any high-end salon in Colombo, but we liked our overall experience. From start to finish, I was there for about 1 hour 45 minutes, and was carefully attended to throughout. I would strongly recommend making an appointment in advance though, they appear to be pretty busy.
