{"id":341,"date":"2018-10-30T11:34:45","date_gmt":"2018-10-30T11:34:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/me\/?post_type=articles&p=341"},"modified":"2021-04-02T11:54:43","modified_gmt":"2021-04-02T11:54:43","slug":"the-cult-of-yin-yang-how-this-jbr-salon-became-a-not-so-secret-club","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/me\/articles\/the-cult-of-yin-yang-how-this-jbr-salon-became-a-not-so-secret-club\/","title":{"rendered":"THE CULT OF YIN YANG: HOW THIS JBR SALON BECAME A NOT-SO-SECRET CLUB"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Dubai knows a good blow-dry, that much is true. It\u2019s also a dab hand at Shellac mani\/pedis, a fantastically arched set of power brows and the kind of eyelash extensions that have people doing a double-take before asking what mascara you use.<\/p>\n

All these beauty rituals, however, often come with an extortionate price tag, a one-in-one-out, conveyor-belt facelessness and a cup of very average coffee for the privilege. Not so at Yin Yang The Salon; a small, Brit-run operation in an unexpected corner of JBR, presided over by Margaret Raffan, an Essex-born den mother whose coterie of hand-picked beauty talents are quickly earning themselves the reputation of the best in Dubai.<\/p>\n

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“Walk in on a Friday morning and the atmosphere is electric; akin to getting ready for brunch with a group of your most excitable \u2013 and glamorous \u2013 besties”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

After taking over the place in March last year, Margaret took an ailing business with four employees and turned it into a jam-packed girly paradise that now boasts 21 staff and an overflowing client list.\u00a0Walk in on a Friday morning and the atmosphere is electric; akin to getting ready for brunch with a group of your most excitable \u2013 and glamorous \u2013 besties<\/span>. Gossip rises over the sound of hairdryers busily doing bouncy blow-dries, ring-light selfies are taken in front of what is now probably the most famous flower wall in the UAE\u2026 it\u2019s something of a club, and if you know, you know. But in a place like Dubai, where salons are ten-a-penny, how on Earth did she do it?<\/p>\n

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“It\u2019s definitely not boring. I often describe it as organised chaos!”<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s like a family,\u201d Margaret explains, audibly passionate about putting 100 percent into every small detail.\u201cIt\u2019s definitely not boring. I often describe it as organised chaos!<\/span>\u201d she laughs. \u201cPeople like familiarity. The girls that come to us are often single, living on their own and they don\u2019t have their mothers or that family mechanism, so when they come to us they love it \u2013 they get really excited!\u201d<\/p>\n

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YIN YANG IS THE FIRST SALON IN DUBAI TO OFFER LOLA LEE GEL POLISH<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

That alone may well have been enough to catapult Yin Yang into fully booked territory, but Margaret is staunch on quality and affordability, too \u2013 music to, well, everyone\u2019s ears, surely? \u201cThe formula is being friendly, but we also always try to better ourselves and the treatments. It\u2019s back to basics really \u2013 you just have to give people value for money and a smiley face,\u201d she shrugs. \u201cIt doesn\u2019t work if you don\u2019t care about the client.\u201d<\/p>\n

It\u2019s not just the clients she cares about, either. \u201cThe girls working here know I\u2019ll look after them,\u201d she tells us warmly \u2013 and we believe her. It\u2019s no wonder everyone\u2019s queuing up to join the club.<\/p>\n

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NATALIE WEARS PLAYSUIT BY BEACH CITY<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Natalie Murphy<\/strong>, Receptionist and Lash Technician<\/p>\n

\u201cI first came to Dubai on holiday over a year ago and just fancied a change, so I came over from Dublin, where I used to own a dance school, to test the water. I loved it. I\u2019ve worked here for four months; I used to come down to get my hair done, met all the girls and then got offered a job. It\u2019s a really happy workplace; everyone is laid-back. And the customer service is second-to-none; if you really welcome the clients then they\u2019re always more likely to come back.\u201d<\/p>\n

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FAYE WEARS JUMPSUIT BY BEACH CITY<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Faye Truman<\/strong>, Nail Technician and Artist<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve only been in Dubai for six weeks but I\u2019m loving it. I had a salon for five years back home in Liverpool, but I messaged Margaret on Instagram for some advice and she replied saying she wanted to employ me, so it went from there. I\u2019ve been doing nails for nine years and what I love about it the most is the creativity\u2026 and all the glitter! The craziest nails I\u2019ve ever done were covered in Swarovski crystals, but it\u2019s not just all about the bling here. People love it as \u2013 apart from the atmosphere \u2013 the salon is really current, keeps up with trends quickly and has things like the flower walls by Victoria Lauren or the sweets on all the desks. Little touches like that make a big difference. We\u2019re also the first salon in Dubai to stock Lola Lee, which is an amazing gel-based polish that dries in 30 seconds.\u201d<\/p>\n

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MEGAN WEARS TWO-PIECE BY BEACH CITY<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Megan Wheatley<\/strong>, Hair Stylist and Extension Specialist<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve been a hairdresser since I was 14 and I really believe that in order to be a good one you need to be passionate about your job. I\u2019m also quite nosy and love hearing people\u2019s life stories, but my favourite part of it is doing shoots, extensions and colour. I think when girls come in here they feel like they\u2019re in a salon back in the UK, and the reason it\u2019s been such a success is because you get a lot for your money. For example, our massages are Dhs189. Word of mouth is really powerful, too. If they see a friend with hair extensions they\u2019ll go, \u201cOh, I want those,\u201d and come in. Girls here are quite impulsive \u2013 it\u2019s good!\u201d<\/p>\n

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NICOLE WEARS TOP AND EARRINGS BY BEACH CITY<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Nicole Connon<\/strong>, Lash and Brow Technician and Make-Up Artist<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve been in Dubai for just over a year now. I studied Theatrical and Media Make-Up in the UK before working for Chanel and then got the job at Yin Yang by messaging Margaret, as I\u2019d seen the salon a lot on social media. The best thing about working here is the whole vibe \u2013 it makes going to work so much easier when you\u2019re heading into a positive atmosphere every day. That\u2019s one of the secrets to its success really \u2013 it has a great team and everyone is truly amazing at what they do, be that hair or nails or lashes. It\u2019s not overpriced \u2013 we do a full set for Dhs249 \u2013 and all the staff are down to earth. What more could you want?\u201d<\/p>\n

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BETH WEARS TOP BY BEACH CITY<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Beth Sturdy<\/strong>, Hair Stylist<\/p>\n

\u201cI always wanted to do hair \u2013 I grew up doing my friends\u2019 and my own all the time. I\u2019m from Liverpool, been in Dubai five weeks and already noticed a difference in styles in what girls here want. I think people come to Yin Yang because they love the atmosphere. All the girls are so nice and everyone is just having a conversation with one another. In other salons, you go in, get your nails done and leave. There\u2019s no relationship between the clients and the staff. So much of what it takes to be a good hair stylist is the relationship you have with your client. It\u2019s all about how you make the client feel, at the end of the day.\u201d<\/p>\n

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