Zara Hair & Beauty ★9.3

About the salon

Zara Hair & Beauty is a Rusholme salon, set along Wilmslow Road on the stretch Manchester knows as the Curry Mile. It is a women-only space with a long local following, and it trades on being unpretentious rather than glossy: nothing about the shopfront announces itself, and the room inside is considerably larger than the entrance suggests.

Services

The salon works across four areas — hair, brows and facial threading, waxing and nails, with facials alongside. Threading is what most regulars come for, and eyebrow appointments are the backbone of the diary, with many clients on a monthly cycle. Cutting and styling, waxing, manicures and pedicures fill out the menu.

Technology and brands

This is a hands-and-thread salon rather than a technology-led one. Brow and facial hair removal is done with cotton thread, which suits sensitive skin and fine hair better than wax and leaves a cleaner line around the arch. Waxing and nail work use standard professional salon products.

Team and stylists

The salon is run by a team of women therapists who between them cover hair, threading, waxing and nails, and who have built the business on repeat local custom rather than advertising. Clients regularly report going back to the same therapist for years, which is what keeps brow shape consistent.

The Space

The Curry Mile setting is busy, but the salon sits back from the pavement and is reached up a short flight of steps, which gives it more calm than the street outside would suggest. Inside, it opens out well beyond what the frontage promises. Treatment areas for waxing and facials are screened off, and the women-only policy means the whole room stays private.

Who it’s for

It suits women who want reliable brow and threading work close to home, and it has a strong following among students and residents in Rusholme, Fallowfield and Victoria Park. The women-only rule makes it a practical choice for clients who need that for religious or personal reasons.

Questions and answers

Can I book in advance? The salon works largely on walk-ins and phone bookings; a call ahead is sensible for waxing or a longer hair appointment.

How long does an appointment take? Brow threading takes a few minutes; waxing and facials run from around half an hour, and cutting and styling take longer.

Do you treat men and children? This is a women-only salon, so men are not seen. Girls can usually be brought in with a parent.

Can I combine several treatments in one visit? Yes — brows, waxing and nails are commonly done together in a single sitting.

Do you sell gift vouchers? Vouchers are not advertised as a standard product, so it is worth asking the salon directly.

Opening hours