The Definitive Guide to Living in the Capital , Cairo , Egypt

Located on the corner of Abdel
Moneim Riyad Street’s intersection with El Batal Ahmed Abdel Aziz Street in
Mohandiseen, Les Elites is a tiny hair salon that consists of one front room
that packs six hairstyling chairs, three hair washing seats and a small waiting
couch by the entrance.

The salon doesn’t offer a private
room for manicures or facial treatments – at least not during this reviewer’s
visit – instead; the manicurist will take care of your mangled nails at your
seat while you’re getting your hair cut or blow-dried. While this is fine for
some, others who feel shy about getting their face threaded in front of the
whole room may find this awkward.  Also,
the fact that only one woman is available for these services means you’ll have
to wait a while, even if you have an appointment.

That being said, the manicurist does
a pretty thorough job on your nails and toenails, cutting and shaping
painlessly. The major downside is that the utensils weren’t sterilized or even
cleaned in front of this reviewer’s eyes; so we’re not at all sure how
hygiene-conscious the salon is. The fact that the pumice stone had lost its
sharp edge wasn’t at all comforting either. Manicures, pedicures and eyebrow
tweezing will set you back a total of 115LE.

The highlight of Les Elites is
unquestionably Maroun, the laidback and charming Lebanese hairstylist and owner
of the salon. Unlike other Lebanese hairdressers in Cairo who use their heavy
accent and charm to persuade you into a haircut you don’t want; Maron actually
gives sensible advice on cuts and colours that would suit your hair texture and
colour. His haircuts are quick and effortless, and the results look both natural
and befitting your face shape.

If you have thick wavy hair;
rejoice: Maroun is good at shaping difficult hair into cuts that not only suit
you, but require minimum maintenance to look good. If you’re the type that
rarely goes further than using leave in conditioner or serum; communicate that
to Maroun and he will give you an appropriate cut. If you also like your
blow-dry and hairstyle to be simple and natural looking; come to Maroun. He’s
good at creating up-dos that accentuate the face and hair without going
overboard on the hairpins and hair spray.

Maroun charges 100LE for a haircut;
that’s higher than several major hair salons in Cairo, but given the outcome,
this reviewer thought it was worth it. Hair colouring and highlights cost
between 200LE and 300LE using L’Oreal colour products. This reviewer paid 300LE
for a full head of subtle, natural highlights.

All in all, Les Elites is a great
option if you need a natural-looking hair colour and bouncy hair cut.