When Clare Afshar started Vintage Rocks Hair Salon in 2009 in a little Avenue in South Belfast, she hoped, but she never dreamed of the success that would come her way as the business grew in size and prestige over the years. Word of mouth ‘marketing’ would swell her customer base month by month, as tales would be spun about the little, retro hair parlour near Forestside, creating the most stunning coloured barnets in Belfast, and bohemian curls to die for. (click any photo for a closer look)

Clare took on more stylists, trainees, and even an in-house makeup artist in the later years, as business kept booming. Clare and her team are known for beautiful, intricate wedding hair, weaving in fruit and flowers. They are kept busy all year long with weddings, and Clare loves making someone’s special day flow easily.

But as the books grew bigger, Clare felt that part of what made Vintage Rocks unique, was being lost- she wanted to scale things towards a private salon.

Private salons are very common in bigger cities like London, L.A. and New York, and Clare can keep her client list and work to an appointment only schedule in the brand new salon she has had made especially for the relaunch.

Introducing, The Cactus Cottage Hair Parlour.

Vintage Rocks was Belfast’s first vintage hair salon, and Clare will still specialise in those styles, along with coloured hair and curls. She uses beautiful products which are all cruelty free.

All appointments are one-to-one, and whether Clare is working with someone who is young or old, she just loves making them feel wonderful when they leave the salon, and happy with their style.

Being a private salon allows a more ‘distilled’, exclusive Vintage Rocks experience, which is more true to the origins of the parlour and what Clare envisioned from the beginning, and what she wants going forward for the salon and her clients.

There’s a reason Vintage Rocks boomed in popularity so greatly, and why Clare is in such great demand. Personally, I have been going to Vintage Rocks since it opened in 2009, and I drive from Bangor, which is a good 90 minute round trip to get my hair done- but it’s worth it, and I wouldn’t go anywhere else; and of course I will be following Clare to the Cactus Cottage.

Find Vintage Rocks on Facebook.

Vintage Rocks on Instagram

Phone 07565753900

click any photo of the salon below to enlarge

My long term go-to salon is Belfast's Vintage Rocks Hair Parlour. When Michael was a toddler he used to bring his own G-tech sweeper with him and brush up all the hair. With this year being so hectic, I hadn't had a chance to visit in months, so my hair had grown really long and definitely needed a makeover.

This is the 'before'. A home ombre job which wasn't too terrible, but that has roughed up the texture of the hair. Unstraightened this is the nightmare I'm faced with.

I'd been watching a lot of MTV's Laguna Beach and The Hills recently and was totally sold on the over the top 90s' style dramatic highlights.

What I love about going to Clare at Vintage Rocks is she will always try to do what you actually want. If I approached another hairdresser and asked for 'un-natural looking, 90s' mega highlights please' they'd probably assume to themselves I'd end up happier if they made them more natural and go ahead and do that. Clare will listen to what you want, should it be shaved sides with leopard print, or pink roots and blue ends, and if she can do it, she'll do it, and it'll look good too.

On a similar note Clare isn't one of those heart stopping hairdressers who you ask to take an inch off and ten seconds later they've chopped about six inches off and you're getting a lecture about the ends being split. No, you're in safe hands with Clare and you'll never leave Vintage Rocks in tears!

So somehow, from dark brown roots with bleached ombre ends, Clare got my hair in one highlighting & toning step to an all over even effect. It's exactly how I wanted it, as usual!

My hair being the straightest it will probably ever be

Vintage Rocks is pretty much your default destination in Northern Ireland for cool colours too. They are weird colour experts, so visit their website and send them an email if you want to chat rainbow hair ideas.