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The newly transformed salon Kudos, in Pontyclun, offers all the treatments you’d expect from a high end salon and more...
IN PRAISE OF KUDOS
I used to think that if I wanted the ultimate cut and colour from a salon, I would have to go to Cardiff. Magazines are full of salons offering more or less the same thing so how do you choose between them? The answer is probably by visiting each one.
With only so many hours in the day and only one head of hair to play with, the chances of getting around them all is going some, to say the least. If I were to give one salon a try, it would have to be Kudos in Pontyclun. I chatted with owner Nigel Lewis, and his enthusiasm for what can only be described as a centre of excellence, made me realise that expertise, honest customer service and forward thinking on a grand scale was truly on our doorstep.
Nigel – what’s your background?
I come from Carmarthen from a family of five brothers and sisters who have all done well in our respective careers but I suppose I was very much influenced by my sister who works as an actress with the BBC. After a fourteen month stint in college on a civil engineering course, my creative side and the need to work with people took over. I applied for a job and worked in a popular local hair salon, working my way up, acquiring cutting and colouring skills and progressing to management training locally and in London as my ambition was always to run my own salon.
When did you set up Kudos?
I launched Kudos in 1993 and we grew from three to seven staff within eighteen months. We achieved Investors in People status in 1995 and now have seventeen staff, five of whom are male and most are local.
Why Pontyclun?
Pontyclun is an up and coming village enjoying a high level of investment and attracting high quality businesses. It also has the benefit of free parking.
You have just introduced a new male grooming salon. Please tell us about that.
We felt that there was a market for male grooming so we’ve introduced a separate area for men with their own entrance where they can enjoy all of the treatments afforded to our female clientele. There’s even an area for watching sport or even playing on our PS3 while enjoying refreshments!
What are your specialities?
We offer all the treatments expected of a high end salon to all ages and we also take our creative skills to venues if needs be. We have travelled to clients in Carmarthen, Aberystwyth, Newport and the Vale of Glamorgan Hotel.
We can also create a style for a wouldbe bride and take a photo of it so that she can take it with her wherever she gets married. Now that we’ve included Smoothlines into the mix, I truly feel that we offer the complete hair and beauty package. We also have quite a few Welsh speaking staff here, myself included.
Are your clients local?
Many are, but we also have clients who come from west Wales, London and Cardiff. Our Cardiff clients know that we are competitively priced with the same high standards but they don’t have to worry about parking fees.
Do you choose products that other salons don’t stock, if so, why?
We’ve built a good relationship with top brands including Redken, Elemis, Jessica, St Tropez, GH2, and Tigi.
You’ve accomplished a lot here. Have your family been supportive?
My parents have been very supportive throughout mine and my siblings’ careers. Family is very important to me and I’m lucky that my wife Karin is fully supportive of what I do. She’s also very creative, designing bespoke tiaras. My motto is, “do it as well and as best as you can and enjoy it”.
“We offer all of the treatments expected of a high end salon and we are also able to take our creative skills to venues.”
Husband and wife team Beverly and Ian Hodges run Smoothlines, within Kudos to offer customers cosmetic procedures.
SMOOTHLINES
What are your backgrounds?
BEV I qualified as a registered general nurse in 1989 and later trained as a registered sick children’s nurse. Between gaining my degree and my Masters degree I trained as a beauty therapist. Two years ago I decided to expand my skills and train in nonsurgical cosmetic procedures with a view to setting up Smoothlines which I did, along with my husband Ian in February 2007. Most of this training took place in Harley Street.
IAN I qualified as a doctor in 1973 and initially went into adult medicine after full registration with the GMC. In 1979 I gained membership of the Royal College of Physicians. I took up my consultant post having spent two years in research in 1986 and was elected to the Fellowship of the Royal College of Physicians, London in 1995, and to the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health in 1997.
Why do clients come to you?
We’re passionate about what we do and talk with clients to find out their aims and to set realistic goals. We’re open and honest and will let a client know if we think they don’t need a treatment - there’s no pressure. Offering a compli - mentary, no obligation consultation, we advise clients to take time to think about things if they’re not sure, whilst providing them with any information they require. It’s important that the client makes an informed decision to suit them, as timing and readiness to have a procedure is essential.
We ensure all of our clients are offered complimentary follow up appointments after a procedure. They are also provided with our contact number in case they have any concerns, worries or questions.
What services do you offer?
We offer a range of services that aim to counteract the signs of ageing including anti-wrinkle injections, dermal fillers (hyaluronic acid) and collagen fillers (Evolence) to smooth lines and folds and Sculptra to stimulate the build up of the body’s own collagen to smooth out lines and wrinkles, adding volume to the face - this is our most popular treatment.
We also offer facial rejuvenation using chemical peels - we use glycolic peels and TCA peels and prescribed skin care packages for the treatment of acne, dry, sun-damaged and sensitive skin and anti-ageing.
What skincare range do you offer? We essentially use two ranges of prescribed skin care. These are Skin Tech and Neostrata. Both skin care ranges are designed to treat a range of cosmetic skin care problems including acne, pigmentation, ageing, dry and sensitive skin. |
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