frequently asked questions
Weddings & Special Occasions
The Trial takes place at the venue that you choose.
The purpose of the Trial is to give you an opportunity to try different styles until you find one that you are completely happy with. We work with your taste, outfit, accessories, body shape and face shape to advise on what will suit you and why.
It is an essential part of the
process, especially for weddings as, on the special day, time is limited. By
having a Trial beforehand means that on the day, no time is wasted and you can
relax.
What is the risk of not having a Trial?
Without a Trial, you risk not being completely satisfied with your look on the day of the occasion. Either that or the look takes longer to achieve which risks you falling behind schedule on the big day. This is why we always ensure our brides have a Trial.
In the case of Bridesmaids and/or members of the Bridal Party, if you are certain of what you want then you may be able to afford taking the risk of not having the Trial. We will ascertain whether on not we feel you need one based on what is discussed during the Consultation.
How do I prepare for my Trial?
If possible, have the outfit alongside any jewellery and accessories that you plan to wear on the day of the occasion ready as these tend to influence the chosen style.
It is helpful if you get ideas of what colours and looks you like. It is helpful if you have some pictures that you like ready to show us. It is even worth showing us pictures of styles you don't like so that we can get an idea of your taste. If you have no idea, don't panic - we can discuss ideas during the Trial & Consultation.
It is better that the Trial takes place in daylight. Ideally, the room will have a lot of daylight coming in and you will be positioned seated in front of a mirror.
Preparing for the Make-Up Trial
It saves time if you remove all make-up from the face before the Trial although if necessary we will cleanse, tone and moisturise. All our products are suitable for sensitive skin and I have a variety of moisturisers to suit different types of skin. If you would prefer me to use your products, that's fine, just make sure that you have them ready! Please let me know of any known allergies to any particular products or brands.
Preparing for the Hair Trial & Consultation
It is advisable that your hair is slightly greasy, for instance, if you wash your hair every 2 days, leave it unwashed for 1. This is because greasy hair is easier to put up and retains styles for longer with a neater finish. The only instance where greasy hair would not be appropriate is if your selected a simple hair down style like straightened hair or a blow dry. Either way, we will always advise you.
If you cannot stand the thought of having greasy hair then that's fine. If necessary we can compensate with lots of hairspray!
If there are any hair pieces or accessories that you are keen on having in your hair then have these ready too. We do have a selection of hair accessories that you can purchase from us.
What is the free Consultation?
Our free Consultation is a complimentary service we offer you so that you can 'try before you buy'. We will call you and discuss your needs, your taste and give you the opportunity to ask any questions that you may have. We pride ourselves on providing a high standard of service which is why we give you the chance to speak to us so that you can feel confident in our expertise.
Can I come to you for the Trial and On the Day?
You can do whatever suits you.
If we come to you then travel charges apply.
Alternatively, you can come to our home salon which many prefer to get away from the chaos that a wedding house has! In this case no travel charges will apply. We offer a chauffer service so that you do not have to worry about driving or wasting time - if you want, our chauffer will pick you and your bridal party (if they are also getting ready with us), bring you to us and then take you directly to your wedding venue.
To ensure that you are not too crammed, we take a maximum group size of 5 people at one time in our home salon - if there are more than 5 of you who want to come to us, we can stagger the booking times.
Contact us for more information.
Hair & Make-Up
Our cosmetics are all professionally branded and are suitable for sensitive skin. Sumantha will always endeavor to attend your booking in which case she mostly uses MAC foundations with some Maxfactor ones in her collection. On occasion where Sumantha sends you a member of the ANYA team brands like MAC, Charles Fox and Bobby Brown.
In terms of eye shadow's, blushers, lipsticks etc. our make-up kits contain a range of professional brands - Loreal, MAC, Make-Up For Ever, Estee Lauder, Bobby Brown, Cargo - just to name a few.
It is difficult to ascertain how long services will take as it depends on what you would like and the complexity of it. On average we reserve 2 hours for hair and make-up which actually takes around 1 - 1.5 hours - we always allow for some extra time, just in case.
We will have a better idea of how long services will take after the Consultation and/or the Trial and we will always advise you of this so that you can fit us into your schedule.
I have sensitive skin, should I use my own products?
If you have a medical skin related problem like Eczema we would advise using your own foundation brand at least, that you know works well with your skin.
If you have sensitive skin, the choice is yours. Our products are suitable for sensitive skin but skin reacts differently to different brands, so if you feel more comfortable using your own product, we are happy to work with that.
Nails
What is the difference between acrylic and gel nails?
Acrylic nail enhancements use a 2 part system. This means that they are extremely hard wearing. Gel nails is a 1 part system where the gel is applied and is 'cured' under UV light. This means that it is more flexible - so if it were to break it would just snap, mostly pain-free, whereas Acrylic nails can snap when force is applied which often hurts.
When clients ask which type they
should go for, I always ask them why they want them done. If it is something
which you intend on having on a daily basis I would advise acrylic, if it is
for an occasion or holiday, I would advise gel.
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Do acrylic and gel nails harm my natural nail?
When properly applied, maintained
and removed, acrylic and gel nail enhancements should not damage your natural
nail. This guarantee does not apply if you do not look after them or if in the
rare case, you get an allergic reaction.
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Why are you more expensive than a some of the high street salons?
Many of the oriental run nail bars use a industrial strength acrylic powder which is cheap and contains a substance called MMA. Superficially, this makes the nail enhancements extremely hard wearing but are also harmful to your nails - which is where the common 'rumour' of them damaging the natural nail stems from. In order to make the acrylic 'stick' to the nail, shine has to be removed, and due to the strength of MMA products, nail technicians also have to use electric drills which when used in excess or incorrectly, will also damage your nails, and sometimes cause pain.
Acrylic powder that we use does not contain MMA and is more expensive than its cheaper alternative - you pay cheap, you get cheap.
The actual application of enhancements should be completely pain free. If you experience any sort of pain or bleeding, ensure that you tell your nail technician - don't suffer in silence.
I have had some acrylic/gel nails but my fingers hurt, what should I do?
Experiencing pain or discomfort can mean a variety of things, and your best course of action is to call us or speak to another professional.
If you experience:
Throbbing - with gel nails this could be due to 'shrinkage' and if the feeling persists after 24 - 48 hours, seek professional advice. If you have acrylic nails, you are very unlikely to experience throbbing.
Itching - this could be a symptom of an allergic reaction. Take an antihistamine and have your nails removed as soon as possible.
Can I remove my nail enhancements at home?
The correct procedure for removing nail enhancements depend on type of enhancement you have. Without using the correct procedure, you run the risk of damaging your nails, wasting money on products that don't work, and wasting your time trying a method that doesn't work.
Whatever you do, do not pick the nail enhancements off as this can cause pain, bleeding, soreness and significant damage to your nails.
Can I do my own nail enhancements?
Acrylic and gel nail enhancements use a variety of strong chemicals. For this reason, it is highly unadvisable that anyone who has not undergone the correct training should use them. Furthermore, there are many products on the market which contain illegal or damaging ingredients, so unless you know what to look for, you could cause damage to your natural nail if you try and apply them yourself.
Pamper Parties
What is the maximum group size you can take?
We don't have a maximum size! As Pamper Parties are usually held at your home or venue of choice, it completely depends on how many people you can fit in! In order to keep it personal, most of our clients have a maximum size of 15 people but between 5 - 10 is more popular.
Pamper Parties are held at your home or venue of choice. This means that travel charges may apply (free within 5 mile radius of Northolt, UB5, and 40p per mile thereafter).
Henna & Body Art
Our henna artists are professional and fast so the length of time your henna design will take totally depends on what you would like done. We always endeavor to give you an estimate time frame beforehand so that you can factor it into your schedule.
Body Art comes in all forms but the type we specialise in is the creation of small elegant temporary tattoos commonly applied to places like the arms, hands, shoulder blade, upper or lower back. These designs can be painted or can be combined with the use of temporary skin transfers.
All materials used can be removed using cotton wool/tissue and warm water.
If you suffer from any skin conditions or have very sensitive skin, we would not advise body art.
Hairdressing
For permanent and quasi colouring Sumantha only uses Loreal colours as she is Loreal trained. Bleach and other types of colours may different brands but they will always be professional products.
Styling product brands range.
The time that your service takes depends on what you would like done and who is having it done, e.g. children can sometimes take longer as they do not tend to like getting their hair cut.
Generally a simple haircut will take around 30 minutes, a re-style will take around an hour and colouring will take 1 - 2 hours (depending on what you would like).
If you are based within a 5 mile radius of Northolt (NW London) we will come to you with no travel charges. If you outside this 5 mile radius we may come to you at an extra cost - contact us to find out.
For all cases, we only come out for bookings that amount to a minimum of £15 (if you are extremely local we can reduce this at our discretion, contact us for more information).
The short answer is 'yes'! We have a small home salon that you are welcome to come to. If you wish to come to us, we ask that you pay a small deposit to secure your booking. This deposit is deducted from the cost of the booking.
Face Painting
What brands do you use?
We use Snazaroo face paints, which is an industrially recognised and approved brand. Click here for more info.
How long does it take?
The length of time it takes to paint each face depends on what sort of design/look the child wants. On average, it takes around 10-15 per face.
Bookings & Payment
Payments can be made via cash or through electronic payment (PayPal). Please refer to the Terms & Conditions for more information.
In order to secure most types of bookings, we ask you to pay a small deposit which is deducted from the total balance owed. We will always advise you in advanced of your deposit details. Please refer to the Terms & Conditions for more information.
What do I do if the booking details have changed?
If your booking details change, you must let us know in writing (via email) as soon as possible so that we can update our records.
General
Sumantha can tie saree's to any style you choose and endeavors to attend every booking where possible.
Our travel charges are free within a 5 mile radius of Northolt (UB5). It is 40p per mile thereafter. For more information, please refer to the Terms & Conditions.
Anyone who comes to you from the ANYA Team is fully qualified and insured (Public Liability).