Sarah McKenna

Founder of vixen & blush and the london hair lab

Sarah graduated in 2005 from University College Dublin with a BSc(Hons) in biochemistry and an undergraduate award for research. A career in the pharmaceutical industry in the areas of oncology and diabetes was a natural next step and Sarah worked for 6 years in these fascinating fields of science. However, during this time Sarah discovered a passion for hair extensions. She began to employ her research and development skills in this specialist area of hairdressing and spent 3 years finding a reliable and high-quality source of human hair, before finally opening Vixen & Blush as a one chair salon in 2012.

Armed with this superior quality hair, direct from her suppliers, Sarah was able to offer a more competitive price for expert hair extensions services and the salon grew rapidly through word of mouth.

In 2018 The London Hair Lab was founded as a wholesale hair company so that Sarah could supply hair and training to high-end salons across the UK and the USA, while continuing to grow Vixen & Blush as a leading hair extensions specialist salon in London.

Sarah continues to strive for perfection and wants to provide the safest most discreet and wearable hair extensions for all.

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Danielle Pink

Director of Vixen & Blush

Danielle has been a key part of Vixen & Blush from the beginning. Joining forces with Sarah in 2013 Danielle has developed the salon’s offering and built #teamvixen from scratch. Danielle started her career in her hometown in Kent. Once qualified, Danielle worked in full service salons in Kent and London before joining Vixen & Blush and qualifying in hair extensions. Danielle is now the head trainer for Vixen & Blush and holds ABT teaching certification.

Danielle works tirelessly to uphold standards of service and care at Vixen & Blush and always remains focussed on the client as the centre of everything that we do.

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Brodie Norman

Acting Salon Manager

Brodie began her career as a salon apprentice in her hometown of Leicester at a well-regarded salon called George’s. She gained her NVQ level 2 and a lot of experience with session work and in the salon before moving to London.

Her experience included working alongside celeb hair stylist Chris Appleton on photoshoots and at fashion shows, where her passion for hair extensions first began.

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Laleta Bulkina

Senior Hair Extensions Specialist

Laleta left university with a degree in tourism but immediately retrained as a hairdresser and qualified in 2016 with an NVQ level 2.

Knowing she wanted to specailise in hair extensions only, Laleta started with a specialist salon in Newcastle where she was able to gain skill and speed and understand what clients want when wearing hair extensions. Laleta joined #teamvixen in 2021 and has brought her experience of big hair with her.

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Jade Doyle

Senior Hair Extensions Specialist

Jade is fully qualified in colouring, cutting, and hair extensions. She initially gained her hairdressing qualification at around 18–19 years old and later completed an extensions qualification approximately eight years ago, which she undertook independently.

Her career path into hairdressing was inspired by a personal interest in styling and experimenting with her own hair. Encouraged by her boyfriend at the time, who recognised her natural inclination for hair styling, she decided to pursue it professionally. She has now built a long-standing career in the industry spanning nearly two decades.

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Chloe Whiting

Senior Hair Extensions Specialist

Chloe trained and completed her apprenticeship at Vidal Sassoon Salon for hair extensions. She then managed a salon in Greenwich for over 10 years, where she did a mix of colour and extensions.

She then went off to have her children and is now starting her new journey, just doing extensions with us.

Chloe is meticulous and detailed when it comes to her consultations, building excellent relationships with her clients and is a fantastic addition to #teamvixen

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Amy Charles

Senior Hair Extensions Specialist

She’s built nearly a decade of experience in the hair industry, starting her journey as an apprentice at just 17. She trained through Hairdressing Education, and although the COVID pandemic disrupted the traditional path of completing her course, she adapted and continued to grow—gaining hands-on experience and developing her skills in her own way.

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Sophia Marston

Senior Hair Extensions Specialist

Sophia is one of the hair extension specialists at Vixen & Blush. She has over 10 years of experience in the hair industry, with the past 7 years dedicated to specialising in hair extensions. She trained in Level 2 and Level 3 hairdressing in Central London.

She began her career with an apprenticeship in Covent Garden, where she spent three years developing her skills while completing her qualifications. After that, she moved to an extensions specialist salon, gaining a further three years of experience before becoming self-employed and running her own business, specialising in hair extensions and colour.

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Zoe Bannister

Senior Hair Extensions Specialist

She spent a year in a local salon gaining valuable hands on experience before moving to an extension only salon, similar in concept to this one. It was there that Zoe truly refined her craft, spending four years immersed in all aspects of hair extensions.

During this time, she trained extensively in a variety of methods, working on campaign shoots and developing advanced application techniques, with a particular specialism in tape extensions. The fast paced, extension focused environment allowed her to gain the majority of her specialist training and confidently master her skills.

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Katie Chesworth

Senior Hair Extensions Specialist

Having worn hair extensions herself for many years, she developed a passion for the confidence and transformation they can bring. She began her career in hairdressing at the age of 16 with a Saturday job in a salon that specialised in hair extensions. Watching the stylists work inspired her to pursue extensions as her main focus, rather than colouring or cutting.

She later gained further experience in hair extensions, allowing her to continue developing her skills and expertise in the industry.

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Louis

Senior Hair Extensions Specialist

Louis has been part of the hair industry from a very young age, beginning his first role in a hair salon in Hull at just 14 years old. His early introduction to the industry helped develop a strong passion for hairdressing, leading him to complete his NVQ Levels 1, 2 and 3 in Hairdressing.

With more than 7 years of experience specialising exclusively in hair extensions, Louis has developed an expert eye for creating natural, seamless transformations tailored to each client.

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Lauren O'Donovan

Senior Hair Extensions Specialist

Originally from Ireland, Lauren has been in the hair industry for over 16 years. She began her journey after completing work experience in a busy salon, where she discovered her passion for making people feel confident through beautiful hair. She went on to qualify as a hairdresser and has continued to develop her expertise ever since.

Having worn hair extensions herself from a young age, she understands first-hand the confidence they can give. After opening her own salon, she invested in specialist training to become a qualified hair extension technician and has loved creating seamless, natural-looking transformations ever since. She specialises in bond extensions and is continually expanding her skills across multiple extension methods.

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Chloe Oesterman

Senior Hair Extensions Specialist

She has worked in the hair industry since the age of 16, starting out as a junior in a salon. Hairdressing is the only career she has ever pursued, and by the age of 19 she was fully qualified. With nearly two decades of experience in the industry, she has continued to develop her skills and passion for hair.

Her interest in hairdressing began from a very young age. Even as a child, she loved styling hair and experimenting with different looks. Whether it was cutting the hair on her dolls, colouring her own hair, or trying new styles, she always had a natural passion and creativity for hairdressing.

Alice Howley

Senior Hair Extensions Specialist

Her passion for hair began at a young age, as she was always the person styling her friends’ hair and experimenting with extensions and clip ins herself. Although she originally studied business in college, she always knew that hairdressing was the career she truly wanted to pursue. She started out working in a salon focusing on colouring and cutting before gradually specialising in hair extensions.

Her journey then led her to London, where she further developed her skills and experience within the extensions industry. She also worked in a specialist extensions salon in Galway, Ireland, gaining valuable international experience and expanding her expertise.

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Fae

Head Spa Lead Technician

Nisha

Salon Co-Ordinator

Her career spans a wide spectrum of experiences, from honing her skills at prestigious salons like Toni & Guy to styling behind the scenes at London Fashion Week.

She is a natural leader with an eye for detail and a heart for mentorship, Nisha has spent much of her career not only delivering exceptional service to clients but also nurturing the next generation of stylists. She has proudly guided countless apprentices through the early stages of their careers, helping them build confidence, technique, and professionalism, something she considers one of her greatest achievements.

Now stepping into the role of Salon Co-Ordinator at Vixen & Blush, Nisha plays a vital role in supporting and training our emerging talent.

Natasha

Client Relations Manager

With over a decade of experience in the beauty industry, she has built her career around a genuine passion for helping people look and feel their best. Having long admired Vixen & Blush before joining, she was excited to become part of the team seven years ago a decision that has only deepened her love for the brand and its values.

Nancy Hollyoake

Junior Hair Extension Speacilist

From the beginning of her career, Nancy has always been passionate about the creative side of hairdressing. Inspired by behind-the-scenes styling in film and television, she quickly discovered that she enjoyed styling and transforming hair more than cutting and colouring. That passion naturally led her to specialise in hair extensions, where she loves creating confidence-boosting transformations for every client.

Nancy particularly enjoys taking clients from short to long hair and creating beautifully natural-looking results that feel just as good as they look. She is passionate about continuing to develop her skills and is always looking to refine her techniques to deliver the highest standard of work.

Known for: Dedication to ensuring the salon is running smoothly.

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Kelsey

Operations Manager

Kelsey qualified in 2010 from Kingston college and found an immediate passion for hair extensions / hair loss. She started a career at Lucinda Ellery in 2012 and amassed knowledge and understanding of hair loss and hair extensions.

During her 11-year career as a stylist and manager with this renowned hair loss salon, Kelsey was asked to manage the launch of their branches in Los Angeles and New York, before moving back to the UK to help with further expansion here.

Darcy, Veronica, Izzie, Sophia and Summer

Salon Assistants

Salon assistants support the daily running of a salon by helping stylists, preparing clients, and keeping the space clean and organised. They ensure appointments flow smoothly, assist with treatments, and help create a welcoming, professional experience for every client.