Les Elites Salon: Compact Hair Salon in Mohandiseen

Located on the corner ofAbdel Moneim Riyad Street's intersection withEl Batal Ahmed Abdel Aziz Streetin 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 inCairowho 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 inCairo, 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.