Saloon is Canberra’s first blow dry bar, and since opening on October 31, customers have been turning out in droves to check out the new space.

Owners Jaki Bradley and Sarah Wright enlisted renowned interior designer and friend, Sally Hieatt, to bring their concept to life, and the result is amazing.

Jaki and Sarah are both former Mecca employees, and having always wanted to work for themselves, decided to open their own business after a suggestion from a friend.

“I think we had both always wanted to do our own thing,” explains Jaki.

“It was just about finding the right time and place. Finding someone to do it with was something I’d never thought about. We just happened to meet and get along really well!”

Sarah left school to do a degree in photography, and after a stint in New Zealand learning makeup on film sets (including a little flick called Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon), moved back to Australia to study hairdressing.

Jaki has experience as a cosmetic tattoo artist, and has been putting her skills to work in the form of digital tattooing, a relatively new innovation in the beauty world.

“It lasts longer and gets a better result than micro-blading or feathering,” said Sarah.

“You use a machine that’s really precise in the number of punctures it makes in the skin per second, and you get a really consistent dispersion of the pigment.”

The overall concept is to be somewhere you can get ready for a night out; everything you would normally do at home, but in a luxury environment. Drawing on their diverse range of skills, the staff at Saloon are able to do your makeup, brow waxing and tinting, lash lifts, spray tans, blow outs and more – while sippin’ on that bub!

Designed to be a relaxed, but glamorous experience, Saloon has something for everyone. The selection of blow outs (all named after nineties supermodels) are all priced at an affordable $50, no matter what length your hair is.

To top it all off, Saloon is fully licensed, stocking a range of champagnes and local wines for you to enjoy while you get ready.

“You can bring a friend who might not be getting her makeup done, but she can sit, have a drink and enjoy the vibe,” said Sarah.