I'm so stoked to share my experience with you!
I recently visited the beauty salon, Imidzh-Laboratory 'Persona'. I'd heard of this chain since my teenage years, and it's always been synonymous with quality and reliability. However, I never had the chance to try it out myself, and it fell off my radar as life got busier. But when I received a 5,000-ruble voucher for Persona's services as a New Year's gift, I knew it was time to treat myself!
Imidzh-Laboratory Persona Artplay
Location
Check out their website
The website is for Persona Artplay
Address: Moscow, Nizhnyaya Syromyatnicheskaya St., 10, building 10.
Getting there was a bit of an adventure for me! I took the metro from Kurskaya (blue line) and ended up on the opposite side of the tracks. After making a few wrong turns, I finally spotted the Artplay sign and realized I'd forgotten how to get there. To avoid my mistake, exit at Chkalovskaya and follow the signs to Artplay – it's about a 10-minute walk.
Persona is located in the first building on the left on the Artplay territory.
Hours of Operation:
10am – 10pm daily
Interior
Walking in, you're hit with a festive vibe thanks to the massive red ribbon on the door. The interior is spotless, cozy, and modern. There are shelves stocked with various skincare and haircare brands, and you can even pick up your favorite products to take home.
Imagelab Perona Artplay
In the waiting area, there are plush couches and all sorts of goodies to sniff out, like hand cream testers, massage oils, and fashion mags.
Staff
The staff is super friendly and welcoming. The administrator greeted me, helped me with my coat, and offered me a coffee with a sweet treat. When I first booked my appointment, she explained that she wasn't sure what treatment would be best for me, but we'd discuss it with the stylist on site.
Imagelab Perona Artplay
Before my treatment, the stylist gave my hair a thorough once-over, asked about my regular hair care routine, the products I use, and what kind of results I'm looking for. She even asked about any pain I was experiencing.
Imagelab Perona Artplay
Background: it's been 8 months since I gave birth, and my postpartum hair loss is finally starting to subside. I don't have a lot of volume, so in November I just lost it and chopped my hair to just below my shoulders. What was, is - as they say, with the trim, I lost around 20-25 cm of hair.
I was worried that I'd end up with a bad dye job, but it turned out okay in the end - I got a warm blonde color a few inches below my shoulders. The camera does make it look a bit yellow, though.
I really appreciated how they explained everything to me in detail, from how to care for my hair to why they recommended certain treatments. Nothing was pushed on me - they just explained things simply and clearly, and we worked together to come up with a plan. We decided to focus on scrubbing my roots to add volume and shine, followed by some extra moisturizing and a light styling product. I was planning on an event right after the salon, so we kept things pretty low-key.
Hair treatments
I made sure to ask if I should wash my hair before coming in, and they said it was best to do it there. The treatment itself was called something like 'hair nourishment' - I don't remember the exact name.
During the treatment, I could really feel my hair getting the nourishment and moisturizing it needed. Everything was done carefully and slowly, and you could tell that the stylist really loved her job. She massaged my scalp for a good 30 minutes, working in different creams and serums, and rinsing them out before applying the next one.
Imagelaboratory Persona Artplay
Next up was the styling treatment. They dried my hair with a blow dryer, and even at that point, I could see that my hair was looking healthy and restored. It felt super soft and silky to the touch.
They looked amazing - full of life, volume, and shine. The best part was the way they felt - like silk or liquid gold. I was seriously impressed.
Image Lab by Persona Artplay
I have to admit, I forgot what it was like to spend hours poring over different shampoos, carefully styling my hair, and not just throwing it up in a ponytail all day. Maintaining my bleached blonde hair requires a lot of time, effort, and money – and until I prioritize my hair care routine, that's just not something I can commit to.
So, I opted for a low-maintenance solution: a quick curling iron session. I curled my hair and then rough-dried it to achieve that 'just woke up with yesterday's hair' look. The result was great – I got volume and a nice wave, even if it wasn't perfectly defined curls. And the next day, my hair still looked amazing, the styling held up.
Image Lab by Persona Artplay
What I appreciated most was that the stylist didn't use any heavy styling products – my hair was light, airy, and didn't feel weighed down. Plus, it didn't smell like a salon – a major plus in my book!
I also loved that the stylist gave me some simple tips on how to care for my hair at home. For example, she suggested switching from hair oil to a cream, thinking that my dry ends might be due to using oil too frequently, even with my recent trim. And you know what? After making the switch, my ends do look healthier, and I've been using my favorite oil only a couple of times a week now.
Image Lab by Persona Artplay
My Takeaways
The whole hair care process cost me 3000 rubles, while the styling session was 4900 rubles – since it was a stylist who worked on my hair (the salon has a 4-level expertise system: master, top master, stylist, and top stylist). The whole process took around 1 hour and 40 minutes.
I'm still blown away by how my hair looks after washing it - the same shine I got from the salon visit two weeks ago. I attribute it to the amazing job they did cleansing my scalp, finally giving my hair some breathing room. The result? A healthy-looking shine and super soft locks.
I've also picked up some valuable tips on how to do a decent braid.
Imagelaboratory Persona Artplay
All in all, I was thoroughly impressed with the service I received. It's clear they care about the health of your hair. I'd highly recommend Persona Artplay to anyone looking for luscious, healthy-looking locks.
I'm obsessed with my new hair - it's like liquid gold thanks to Persona Artplay!