Cork has a new OTT salon… and it’s already hair, nails, and makeup goals

Kopper City has arrived!

Imagine it – it’s the opening scene from Legally Blonde; hair is being brushed, nails are being painted, and everyone is having the best time. Yes, it’s a scene we all remember well, and I couldn’t help but feel like a cast member in the opening scene of Legally Blonde when I walked into Cork City’s newest hair salon - Kopper. Calling it a hair salon is somewhat of an understatement – this is a house of beauty. Growing up in the rebel county, boutique hair salons were not really a thing. Hairdressers were filled with as many chairs as they could fit, magazines that were years out of date and if you got a biscuit with your tea, you'd count yourself lucky. Moving to Dublin, visits to the salon became a real pampering. Boutique salons are a dime a dozen here, and the lack of them in Cork had since become something I'd noticed. Well, that has all changed thanks to the newest addition - Kopper City. Having stalked the social media updates of the salon’s owner, Sabrina Hill, for the weeks leading up to the opening, I couldn’t help but book myself in to get my mane looked at.

A post shared by Sabrina Hill (@superstylesabby) on Nov 14, 2017 at 12:25pm PST

Arriving in the door, you’d be forgiven for taking a minute to stare at the incredible interiors: exposed piping to carefully curated furniture, it’s easy to tell that this was a project taken on with a lot of love and care. With more styling stations than you'd think they could fill, fancy schmancy massage basins and it's very own coffee bar (hello!), the 325 square metre space is the stuff of Instagram dreams. For Cork natives, you might already be aware of the Kopper family’s first salon in Glanmire. For 12 years, the Glanmire salon has worked hard to develop a fantastic reputation for high-quality results from a super talented team – and Kopper City aims to do exactly the same. A favourite among many Irish celebrities and influencers, you’ve probably scrolled passed multiple results pictures on Instagram without even knowing it. I visited the new salon on my day-off and while usually, a trip to the salon seems like something to squeeze into an already busy schedule, I wanted to give myself plenty of time to explore all the new space has to offer. Not really sure what I wanted to do with my hair, I asked the advice of my fab stylist, Martina. Kopper's stylists never make a snap decision or tell you something just because it's what you want to hear. They share their expertise and advice to ensure that you leave the salon feeling fabulous. While I waited for my colour to develop, I made use of their huge space by getting a little work done and I even had my eyebrows shaped – no, ladies, I wasn’t lying when I said this was a one-stop shop. After a quick trim and an incredible blowdry (goodbye and good riddance to the Rachel Green blowdry!), I was ready for my Instagram shot. Yes, I felt like one of those girls that I usually add to my Saved list on Insta and I was totally OK with it.

A post shared by O R L A I T H C O N D O N (@orlaithcondon) on Nov 19, 2017 at 11:44am PST

“To say I am proud is an understatement,” owner Sabrina Hill says of the new salon. “I really wanted to create a space that was not just a salon but somewhere for our clients to come and feel relaxed, and not in a rush to get from A to B, it is a social space with lots of talking points throughout the interior design.”

While going home to Cork to get my hair done might seem a bit extravagant, having found a salon that I know and trust and now offers every other service I could possibly want or need, it's become totally worth it. See you for a root touch up soon!