'A woman's haircut can change her life' is what fashion icon Coco Chanel once said, and she is oh so right.
Sporting an attractive style can leave you feeling like an entirely different person, filled with a new inner confidence.
But finding the perfect salon, where you can rely on a stylist trim can be a tricky job. Pick the wrong venue and your life could be changed for the worst as you hide away and wait for your hair to grow back.
So when I heard Bristol's Toni & Guy had been voted the best in the UK - beating more than 200 other outlets - I was quick to book an appointment and experience for myself their talents.
Top stylist and owner James McDonnell met me at the venue's swanky entrance which has just been refurbished to look and feel more like a cosmopolitan coffee shop.
From the onset chatting to him felt like I was talking to an old friend rather than a stranger. He assessed my hair before finding out what I hoped from my new look.
Then his wife Kim, who runs the salon alongside her husband - they met while training for Toni &Guy and then set up the Bristol base together almost three decades ago - washed my hair.
She massaged in a honey and oat shampoo followed by a label.m colour revive treatment - both smelt amazing.
From there I headed back to James who started cutting my long and frizzy mop.
It was clear to see why this spot had been voted the best in the UK - not just for the haircuts it produces but also for being the best at customer care and colouring.
James was a true wizard with his scissors and in less than half an hour I had new layered, silky hair with lots of volume.
The key to the venue's success James explains is because it feels like one big family. Most of his employees have worked there since they were teenagers, being trained up by the company.
Many of his staff have won personal awards and all raced round the busy salon with a smile on their faces.
I left the salon with a new bounce in my step and show-stopping hair.
*The salon is based on St Augustine's Parade and is open six days a week.
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