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| - Shawn Paul Salon recently moved to a new, larger location a few blocks up Lee Road and is revived with additional staff and services and a really playful, eclectic decor, so I thought it might be a good time to update my years-old review! I have been going to Shawn Paul and his great staff for several years now. I've followed Shawn Paul through several previous salons he's worked at, and I just can't quit. It' s been exciting to see the salon grow and change, and I really can't say enough about how awesome the new improvements are. At last, it's a spacious full-service salon, offering the usual hair/color services, but also body waxing (every part you can imagine and more!), nail services (including nail art and gels), and other services. Very convenient to have all those options under one roof!
I see Shawn Paul for haircuts but have seen the other stylists occasionally (There are 7 total). Having been with SP for so many years, we have a tacit understanding of what to do with my hair, and I have never been disappointed in a Shawn Paul haircut. The other stylists are also incredibly talented and I really feel it's hard to go wrong with any of them. If you're shopping around for someone who is great with color or a specific hair type or cut, call the salon and ask who they'd recommend!
The new location is in the Rockefeller Building, on the Lee Road side. It's not particularly hard to find, but parking can be awkward. There's street/meter parking on Lee and the side street adjancent to the back side of the building, and a $1 (cash) lot off Mayfield. I've never had a problem with the cash lot. Just remember to bring cash!
The decor of the salon space is eclectic and fun, but relaxing and comfortable at the same time. It's really a beautiful and unique space that reflects the quirkiness and personality of the staff and the salon's guests too. The best part of the space: there are swings in the waiting area! It sounds strange and maybe a little too precious for words, but trust me, as someone who is no a fan of anything manic pixie, I think the swings are super-fun! They work as a kind of ice breaker almost...it's easy to let your guard down and enjoy your salon experience after a few minutes of swinging. There's also a station with a puzzle and coloring books available for guests waiting on their appointments or for color to set, which adds another layer of ice-breaker and relaxation to the whole experience.
Since moving to the new location, a number of new staff members have been added on to the roster, including a few nail techs (I have seen Yana twice and she does an amazing pedicure; Lily does great things with nail art), an aestetician who specializes in sugaring (I haven't visited her yet but have heard from other guests that she's amazing), and a new stylist, too. Overall, same great, friendly, talented staff as before, plus a few more to choose from!
The former salon space was TINY (see my 2011 review), which created a great sense of intimacy. It wasn't great for the staff in terms of maneuverability, but I always enjoyed it and I know other guests did too! You could chat with your stylist, with the people waiting for cuts, with the stylist and guest in the next chair over...it always led to some interesting conversations. The new space is probably 5x larger, but somehow the salon has retained that intimate and fun feel. Same banter, same sense of just hanging out with your friends for an hour or so while you're getting your hair chopped.
Shawn Paul uses and sells Davines products, which are really incredible and worth the splurge (they're pricey, but a little tends to go a long way, and you're worth it, right?). I love the Oi line and the sea salt spray.
The salon's retail space also focuses on local products with an emphasis on natural ingredients. Every time I visit there's something new available to browse and impulse-buy - from fun greeting cards, to the lotions that are used by the salon for nail services, to locally-made glassware.
Online booking makes planning your appointments easy, and the salon is constanly offering deals and specials, so it's worth following their social media to stay in the loop.
Overall, while the salon has grown by leaps and bounds since my first review 5 years ago, I have to say not much has changed in terms of quality of service, overall experience, and atmosphere. If you're looking for a good cut/color/wax/pedicure/gossip sesh in Cleveland Heights, I totally recommend the Shawn Paul Salon!
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