Review: 42662 Hair Salon and Accessories Store
Posted by MeganL,
Hair salons have been found in Heartlake City from the start of the theme. I've always found it interesting that hair care has been a staple in the Friends world, but not so much in others, such as City. The 2025 version in Heartlake City is 42662 Hair Salon and Accessories Store. Actually, this set combines two common themes in Friends - hair care and accessories! I suppose it was only a matter of time before we had the two combined.
Summary
42662 Hair Salon and Accessories Store, 347 pieces.
£39.99 / $44.99 / €44.99 | 11.5p/13.0c/13.0c per piece.
Buy at LEGO.com »
The latest Heartlake salon is serviceable but expensive
- Several hairstyles in new colours
- Decent play value
- Why is there a skate ramp included?
- Expensive!
The set was provided for review by LEGO. All opinions expressed are those of the author.
Inside the box there are four numbered bags, one 6x14 plate, three instruction books and a sticker sheet. It's not surprising, considering the subject matter of the set, that the sticker sheet has a mirror background.
Minidolls and animals
There are three minidols in this set. Nova and Aliya are ready for a day at the salon. Nova is wearing a shirt with pixelated design under a purple vest, while Aliya is sporting a red polka-dotted tank with a matching necklace with horseshoe pendant.
Faraji is the stylist, and he is wearing a fabulous blue shirt with red and pink swirl patterns on either side of the placket.
The rear printing for all three minidolls is quite nice, but what I really like the most is Faraji's terrific blond dreads.
The completed model
There's a small side build of a skate ramp for one of the Friends. That appears to be for Nova, as she comes equipped with inline skates and a helmet (fortunately, they match). I'm really not sure why this build is included in this set, as it's not really an extension of the main activity of the set. I have to wonder if this was included to pad the number of parts in the set, unless it's accounted for in the series.
The store has a decent facade, but is rather plain compared to other Friends sets of this wave (thinking specifically of 42651 Horse and Pet Vet Clinic). The various wigs available for purchase are on display, and it is a pretty impressive selection. Several of these hairpieces are new colours found in this set.
The back view shows the two floors. Like many Friends sets, there are no stairs to get from one floor to another, but I don't really expect that at this price point.
Another side build that's a little more logical for the set is a photo booth. What better way to memorialise your new look with a Friend?
There's a gear mechanism in the back that when turned, allows the pictures to drop into the tray. It looks like Aliya and Nova have been having some fun - surprisingly, the photo strip is a printed piece - but I'm a little disappointed they didn't take pictures while they were trying on wigs.
Finally, there's a small display stand with assorted hair accessories. It's worth noting that both the photo booth and this display stand have bases that are in the very very very bright yellow.
On the ground floor of the salon, the centre counter can be removed. Displayed are an assortment of hair products as well as two very interesting looking wigs.
On one side, there's a large display window featuring a blonde wig in mid-swish, and floral accessories for it. A sticker shows the purpose of the building as if the wigs and accessories didn't give it away!
The top floor is the styling area, with a wash station and a stylist station. On the table between the two there are yet two more wigs, along with some tools of the salon trade - scissors and a hair dryer. The shampoo sink has a lounge chair for the Friends to recline and has some shampoo on hand.
The styling station takes advantage of the mirrored sticker and is framed by lights.
It turns out that the Friends aren't the only ones who can use some pampering.
(Note: pampered sloths not included in this set.)
Overall thoughts
I'll admit that hair salons are not my favourite kind of Friends sets. They seem very stereotypical, though there's a good argument that hair salons are places that kids (particularly girls) see adults visit, so it would be natural to reproduce with play. This set does have quite a bit of play value, with all the different hairpieces and accessories that are available. I like that there are some non-traditional colours for hair included. The skate ramp and the photo booth offer extra opportunities for play.
The big drawback for this set, as with others in the Friends line this year, is the price. Other sets I've said were a little pricy, this set is definitely expensive. $45 for 347 pieces is a lot. While it's great that there are three minidolls, and there are several hairpieces in new colours, I don't think this set is worth that price.
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14 comments on this article
No skateboarding sloths? I thought the skate ramp was included to keep the sloths busy while their human companions get their hair done.
"I'm at the hair salon...and the accessories store? I'm at the combination hair salon and accessories store!"
I like a set like this a bit. On the one hand, yes, a hair salon is a slightly stereotypical subject, but on the other, it's a natural fit for the kind of figure play minifigures or minidolls allow for (since swapping hairpieces is such an easy way to change up a character's look).
I agree that the skate ramp is a sort of odd inclusion, not just because it doesn't directly relate to the main subject of the set but also because when wearing the helmet a character doesn't show off their hair at all!
Uhhhhh.... Why are there pictures of severed heads smiling on the sticker sheet?
@HAL_9001 said:
""I'm at the hair salon...and the accessories store? I'm at the combination hair salon and accessories store!""
Hair store and accessories salon.
Good review! This set is less exciting to me than a lot of the others this year — the very flat and rectangular facade isn't doing too much for me, even with the stylized parapets along the top, and the exterior colors feel very pale and sterile (reminding me in a negative way of the sort of whitewashed, sun-bleached look of many of the Paradisa sets from my childhood). Still, it has some nice features going for it.
First off, I always LOVE to see reflective sticker sheets in sets like this that require mirrors — it definitely bummed me out a bit that https://brickset.com/sets/41743-1/Hair-Salon didn't have a working mirror, so this is an improvement in that regard even if I don't care as much for the building itself. The graphic designer also made great use of that foil background for metallic details even on the more decorative stickers like the signage and shelves.
The building's interior is also a lot more colorful and peppy than the facade, with colorful tile floors and a nice ceramic tile sticker on the shop counter. And the photo booth is the sort of play feature that's always fun to see whether in a salon or a shopping mall.
Faraji has a great sense of style, with colorful clothing that matches the interior colors of his workplace, and hair that's dyed and styled as creatively as some of his clients might be looking for! The various hairstyles on the mannequins are also fun, and I'm glad there are not only a variety of colors, but also a mix of straight, wavy, and coiled hair textures (particularly since being able to mix and match hair pieces as the characters try out new styles is such an important play feature of hair salon sets).
I am a bit puzzled by the skate ramp — it matches the design language of the set and provides some action play potential in a set otherwise lacking in that, but narratively I'm not sure why one would decide to go skating after getting a haircut or vice-versa (and it's not as though the accessory shop sells sporting goods like skates or skate helmets). Plus, the helmet piece provided isn't even one of those which shows off the wearer's hairstyle!
That said, inline skates are a very neat new piece that I hope to see in many more colors in the future — whether other vibrant colors like this, which remind me a lot of the sort of inline skates that were so trendy back in the 90s when I was growing up, or more subdued ones. Besides skates, this piece could have a lot of utility for greebling on mechanical builds, or for wheels on microscale vehicles like trains.
Overall, I think this set is serviceable for what it is, but isn't really doing much we haven't seen before — aside from the vibrant aesthetics of the interior, which I can't help feeling are let down by the mundane-looking facade. So this one is an easy pass for me. I suppose they can't all be standouts. Even so, thanks for the detailed review!
Good that it is more than just a facade.
Nice hairpieces, can pass on the rest
"I've always found it interesting that hair care has been a staple in the Friends world, but not so much in others, such as City." In fact, Homemaker is the only other theme two have more than one set tagged with "Hair Salon." Although there are three such sets with minifigs that feature minifigs in a modern-day city setting: 10246, 31097, and 60380.
@Ridgeheart said:
"Hold the phone, is that... trans neon green?!"
As disappointing as it is to say, probably not, although I'd love to be proven wrong.
@Ridgeheart said:
"Hold the phone, is that... trans neon green?!"
The parts inventory says it is https://brickset.com/parts/6518820/parabolic-element-%C3%B816
@tedgarb said:
" @Ridgeheart said:
"Hold the phone, is that... trans neon green?!"
The parts inventory says it is https://brickset.com/parts/6518820/parabolic-element-%C3%B816"
That's Bright Green. What Bricklink calls Tans-Neon Green, Lego calls Transparent Fluorescent Green.
@TheOtherMike said:
""I've always found it interesting that hair care has been a staple in the Friends world, but not so much in others, such as City." In fact, Homemaker is the only other theme two have more than one set tagged with "Hair Salon." Although there are three such sets with minifigs that feature minifigs in a modern-day city setting: 10246, 31097, and 60380."
Though neither Town nor Paradisa had any hairdresser/barber sets, the ideas books 6000 and 200 both had rather good versions and had their own special stickers. The one in 200 had building instructions and used pieces from 6374.
There is something missing in this building...
I dont know what though, as I see a really solid barber playset...