Review: I visited Roar Hair and Beauty to try their cut and colour services

ROAR Hair and Beauty was first opened in the Southside of Glasgow seven years ago by Brian McCallum, better known as ‘Leo’ to his clients, who had previously honed his craft in the well-renowned Rainbow Rooms and sought to place his own creative stamp in a corner of the city he grew up in. Responding to inclining custom, he subsequently opened a further two branches. There now exists salons on Pollokshaws Road, Muirend and Giffnock and it was the latter I visited. 

It’s a modest-sized unit with about four or five chairs and a modern chromatic interior. The shopfront is transparent and captures the light generously - this was apparent even when I visited on a rather grey and drizzly day. 

It’s easily accessible by public transport. I travelled via the 38 bus which took me directly from the east end of Glasgow to, essentially, the front door. It does also pass through the city centre. This particular venue is located in a residential area, thus it’s probably not as convenient for most who wish to journey on foot however the two other spots are more central. 

Upon entering I immediately felt comfortable - I had visited briefly a few days prior for a patch test yet the stylists recognised me and offered a warm welcome even despite the fact I was late. It was to be Leo performing my service. He took me to my chair and sat down beside me, eye-level, and we discussed the history of my hair, my current care routine and the results I was looking to achieve. 

The last time I’d coloured my hair was way before lockdown and any strands that held residue were cut off when I styled a bob. So it had been years at this point I’d sported a completely natural look which I was keen to largely retain, however I felt it had become dull and was seeking to uplift and brighten without bleach. My hair is brunette and I’m on the darker side of this category. It’s also curly and extremely sensitive to frizz which is the dominant reason I’ve refrained from chemically touching it for so long. The previous chop had also left my ends blunt which had grown out lifelessly and I was aiming for something with more character and less weight. 

I’m accustomed to this stage of the appointment, it’s what shapes the remainder of your session, so I’m not sure why I usually find it so awkward. You’re essentially sharing ambitions of vanity with, in most scenarios, a complete stranger. It makes me feel vulnerable. However I was at ease with the duty on this particular occasion, confident almost, and I think this was down to the dynamic. I was talking to Leo face-to-face, his response came directly to me rather than being filtered through reflections in a mirror, me talking up to him and him talking down to me. He was also detailed in his explanation of what his plan of action was, how he was going to achieve the results and what the final look would be, which made me feel certain going into the process as I knew he understood what I wanted. 

I was given some water and a cappuccino and the dying commenced. We agreed to go for a balayage so it faded into the hair and didn’t touch the roots, making it long lasting and low maintenance. This suits me because I do not have the time nor the means to visit salons often for touch ups. The colour would be slightly lighter than my own hair so it wouldn’t drastically change the tone and the difference would be in the subtle detail. 

Once my head was engulfed in tinfoil it was time to let it soak in. Leo placed a box on the shelf in front of me containing manicure tools, moisturiser, guidance for a hand massage and other items to help pass the time. This was a nice touch. It’s the first time I’ve ever been in this situation and offered anything other than a magazine. I like how the activities were focused on wellness as well, much healthier mentally than spending the entire 25 minutes on my phone. During this time I was also given information on all the products that were to be used in my hair.

Julia, the lovely salon assistant then brought me over to the sinks to wash the dye away. The chairs were reclinable and comfortable. She gave me a head massage within this process - this is generally the part I look forward to most. 

It was then time to cut the hair. We agreed not to take anything off the length which was brushing the top of my shoulders and instead focus on the layers, brining them up to the tips of my ears so create an effortless messy kind of look. ‘Kind of French’ was how Leo described it. 

I’d actually asked for this specific style the previous two times I had my hair cut professionally, in other salons. It was never quite achieved though, I always assumed the hairdresser perhaps wasn’t confident I’d be happy, or even suit, the real result. I’m very happy my vision has finally been executed and I’m pleased with the look. 

To finish off my hair was styled into a bouncy curl with the hair dryer and then I was given a tour of the transformation through a hand held mirror. Upon first inspection I was already confident. 

Following the appointment it took me a couple of weeks to get used to self-styling the new cut and working such short layers. But I did eventually get the hang of it by practicing drying techniques and trying to mimic the style Leo achieved in the salon. This process is common for me during the immediate period after a fresh cut. 

Overall, I rate my experience with ROAR very highly. I felt comfortable in the salon and I genuinely liked my stylist. Leo is clearly an expert in his craft, he’s passionate about hair and a great communicator. I left feeling good about myself and was ecstatic with how the service turned out.