Bucks &amp; Oxon

<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="alignnone wp-image-62849 size-full" src="https://bucksoxon.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2018/02/hidden-secret-salon.jpg" alt="hidden secret salon interior grey chairs mirrors" width="1000" height="577" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2018/02/hidden-secret-salon.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2018/02/hidden-secret-salon-150x87.jpg 150w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2018/02/hidden-secret-salon-300x173.jpg 300w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2018/02/hidden-secret-salon-720x415.jpg 720w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" />
THE LOCATION
<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="alignnone wp-image-71344 size-full" src="https://bucksoxon.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2018/06/Hidden-secrets-sign-resized.jpg" alt="" width="991" height="794" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2018/06/Hidden-secrets-sign-resized.jpg 991w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2018/06/Hidden-secrets-sign-resized-150x120.jpg 150w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2018/06/Hidden-secrets-sign-resized-300x240.jpg 300w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2018/06/Hidden-secrets-sign-resized-624x500.jpg 624w" sizes="(max-width: 991px) 100vw, 991px" />
It&#8217;s in the name! Hidden Secrets is a bit tricky to find first time, tucked behind the high street in the large village of Kidlington, North Oxford in an unassuming modern brick building. Unusually for a small salon, it offers both hair and beauty treatments and does both well &#8211; Hidden Secrets is a certified Guinot salon, and also one of the few Oxfordshire salons to offer KeraStraight Keratin Treatment and Great Lengths Hair Extensions (100% ethically sourced human hair extensions). It also offers L’Oreal, GHD, Guinot, Jessica and Lycon.
THE VIBE
<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-71335" src="https://bucksoxon.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2018/06/Hidden-Secrets-sofa.jpeg" alt="" width="1000" height="750" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2018/06/Hidden-Secrets-sofa.jpeg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2018/06/Hidden-Secrets-sofa-150x113.jpeg 150w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2018/06/Hidden-Secrets-sofa-300x225.jpeg 300w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2018/06/Hidden-Secrets-sofa-667x500.jpeg 667w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" />
A village salon can&#8217;t thrive without being friendly and these guys have it in spades, but clearly they also know what they&#8217;re doing &#8211; there&#8217;s a L’Oréal Colour Degree Specialist on the team and earlier this year they were given Silver Salon status by Great Lengths.
<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-71330" src="https://bucksoxon.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2018/06/Hidden-Secrets-reception.jpg" alt="" width="1000" height="750" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2018/06/Hidden-Secrets-reception.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2018/06/Hidden-Secrets-reception-150x113.jpg 150w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2018/06/Hidden-Secrets-reception-300x225.jpg 300w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2018/06/Hidden-Secrets-reception-667x500.jpg 667w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" />
However, there&#8217;s no attempt to be urban or overly funky in Hidden Secrets and if you like flashes of neon or clever gimmicks this place isn&#8217;t for you. Think feminine rococo-style wallpaper, gold gilt mirrors and scrolly signage.
THE TREATMENT
<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-71332" src="https://bucksoxon.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2018/06/Hidden-Secrets-bed.jpg" alt="" width="1000" height="750" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2018/06/Hidden-Secrets-bed.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2018/06/Hidden-Secrets-bed-150x113.jpg 150w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2018/06/Hidden-Secrets-bed-300x225.jpg 300w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2018/06/Hidden-Secrets-bed-667x500.jpg 667w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" />
I like the way you can have a massage and get your hair all oily and then &#8211; ta-da! &#8211; make it all beautiful again with a hair cut or wash and blow dry. I&#8217;m all for saving time so to have beauty and hair in one place is a real plus here.
There&#8217;s just one treatment room &#8211; fairly small but it does the trick with a crushed velvet throw on the bed, technical machine in the corner and rows of beauty products.
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I tried the Guinot Hydradermie Youth treatment, a customised facial that offers one of eight versions depending on your beauty objective &#8211; beauty therapist Hannah correctly identified mine as anti-ageing (*sobs quietly*). Massage rollers release a galvanic current that maximises the absorption of specific gel serums into the skin before a Thermal Electrode stimulates cell oxygenation and circulation. It&#8217;s billed as an alternative to aesthetic treatments and certainly my description sounds quite &#8216;medical&#8217; and invasive but actually it&#8217;s a pleasant treatment &#8211; I&#8217;m not a great fan of pain, even in pursuit of great skin and always want to try and balance results with relaxation.
Afterwards hair stylist Laura gave me a simple trim as we were both intent on sorting out my colour  &#8211; more grey than brown when I entered the salon. The tint took me back to my happy place, it was exactly what I wanted.
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THE VERDICT
<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="wp-image-71362 size-full aligncenter" src="https://bucksoxon.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2018/06/Hero-collage-1.jpg" alt="" width="750" height="750" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2018/06/Hero-collage-1.jpg 750w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2018/06/Hero-collage-1-150x150.jpg 150w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2018/06/Hero-collage-1-300x300.jpg 300w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2018/06/Hero-collage-1-500x500.jpg 500w" sizes="(max-width: 750px) 100vw, 750px" />
Here&#8217;s a beauty and hair combo before and after. I think I look perkier don&#8217;t you?! I&#8217;d definitely use this salon again if I was slightly closer to Kidlington (I&#8217;m a good 30 mins away) but you may want to make the pilgrimage from further to access the KeraStraight Keratin Treatment and Great Lengths  &#8211; apparently much of the clientele for the hair extensions aren&#8217;t the teens and twenties you&#8217;d expect but women like us.
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PRICES
Very competitive &#8211; with nine hairdressers in Kidlington alone you have to be! Cut/blow dry £40-52; full head tint, regrowth tint PLUS cut and blow dry £68-82 (great value in anyone&#8217;s book). KeraStraight from £150; Guinot Hydrodermie facial £77.
7 High St, Kidlington, Oxford, OX5 2DH. Tel: 01865 377590. <a href="http://hiddensecretltd.co.uk" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">hiddensecretltd.co.uk</a>

Hidden Secret

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