Review: 41391 Heartlake City Hair Salon
Posted by benbacardi,
The occupants of Heartlake City always seem to have immaculate hair, with not a strand out of place. It follows, then, that there must be some pretty good hair salons around to attend to everybody. It turns out that there was just the one: Natasha’s, opened in 2015. Now, however, there’s some competition in town!
41391 Heartlake City Hair Salon is a new hair salon run by Nina; it’s smaller than the previous, with 235 pieces to Natasha’s 318. Read on to find out what we thought of the set, and whether it’s worth adding to your Heartlake City.
Mini-dolls
Two mini-dolls are included; Emma, one of the standard Friends, and Nina, a new character so far unique to this set. They’re both given equal prominence on the front of the box, in the usual way that Friends sets highlight the characters they include, although Nina is not shown in the stylised group illustration of the five original Friends.
Emma’s torso is new for this year, only appearing in this set and 41404 Emma’s Play Cube. It features an off-the-shoulder top in a pale blue and white pattern, with a design of two pink flamingos forming a heart with their necks. The blue continues with the skirt, and her outfit is completed by some dark blue shoes.
Nina, the proprietor of the hair salon, has striking lavender hair, a part unique to this set. In fact, only Nina’s legs appear in any other set (41387 Olivia’s Summer Heart Box - Nina and Olivia clearly share the same skin tone). The head and torso are new, with the latter featuring a blue sleeveless jacket over a pink top, and a pair of scissors on a chain around the neck - vital equipment for a hairdresser. Perhaps we’ll be seeing more of Nina as the Friends theme continues?
Instructions
The first thing I noticed as I began the build was the somewhat unusual design of the instruction booklet. This may not be the first set LEGO have designed in this way, but it is new to me and I believe it's new for this year.
As usual, the mini-dolls are the first to be put together. However, in this instruction booklet, a full page is dedicated to Emma, with her name in large letters, and a close up portrait occupying most of the page, instead of the usual illustration of the completed figure.
The next page is also unusual, showing an illustration of a pile of the pieces you are going to be building with next, in front of a faded drawing of the finished set.
As you progress through the booklet, this faded image technique is used fairly often to superimpose the current sub-build onto its location in the completed set, which helps to give you a better sense of the part you're currently working on.
When the second mini-doll is introduced, Nina, her name is also shown in large letters, and the illustration shows her and Emma waving to each other.
Additionally, a progress bar runs along the bottom of every double page spread, along which Emma traverses from left to right as you get further through the book, slowly filling the bar up. This is obviously intended to give you a better idea of how far through the build you currently are, and works quite well. You can see Emma near the start of her journey in the lower left corner of the photo above.
Finally, some of the instruction steps include additional decoration that aren’t part of the build. For example, smaller standalone assemblies (such as the sink, below) are shown on a starburst background when complete.
To my knowledge, the inclusion of these kinds of techniques are new for this year, and so far unique to the Friends theme (I believe some of them were included in 2019’s employee Christmas gift, 4002019 Christmas X-Wing, but that was obviously not a widely available set). There are other little details included in the instructions that I haven’t mentioned here; I will leave them for you to discover yourselves. They were a fun addition to come across as I completed the build, and it’s nice to see LEGO introduce some whimsy into their instructions as well as providing some additional context as you go along.
The Build
We start off by building some simple furnishings for the interior of the salon. A sink, made of only five parts, uses the shell element (which, I’ve learnt, is available in surprising number of colours!) to good effect as the basin, and the pearl gold mixer tap looks great; a good choice over the standard tap element.
Two similar chairs are constructed, in a striking blue and pink colour scheme, and a dryer hood is attached to the top of one of them. When the build of this chair is completed, the instructions show an inset picture of Emma sat under the dryer; presumably in case you, like me, had no idea what it was! In fact, renders of the characters interacting with the build are common throughout the booklet.
A stand on castors is also put together, holding a pair of scissors, a brush, a bottle of some kind, and a hand-held hair dryer. I’m not sure how common such a stand would be; most hair salons I’ve seen keep all these items on a shelf under the mirror, but it looks effective here.
As a final separate build, an accessories stand is put together, with places to hold a pair of wigs, a bow, a flower, a tiara, and a pair of sunglasses. The wig stands are an effective use of the telescope piece, to which the wigs attach fairly securely. The alternative black hair piece looks like a straightened version of Emma’s usual wavy hair, which seems appropriate as she is the sole customer included in the set.
Once the accessories are built, the rest of the hair salon comes together fairly quickly. It is built with the usual Friends colours of purples and blues, and uses some round 1x1 studs to good effect for a Friends-themed barber’s pole hanging near the door. Usually these are associated with male barbers’ shops, but I can understand its inclusion here.
The brick-built scissors above the door look particularly good, making the purpose of the building immediately obvious. The handles make use of the same piece as the previous salon, but the blades are constructed differently. I think both techniques are an acceptable choice for what is a challenging mini model at this scale.
There are a number of stickers included in the set. A large sticker provides some decoration to the corner of the large curved window, and an “open” sign hangs on the door. Completing the exterior of the shop, a 2x3 sticker depicting a pair of scissors, some hearts, and a woman, hangs on a sign to the side of the building.
The stickers are printed on a reflective metallic surface, and the reason for this becomes obvious inside the salon. A large square sticker is used to depict a mirror on the wall in front of the hairdresser’s chair, where the metallic background does present a reflection as a real mirror would (albeit a slightly fuzzy one.) This sticker, however, is applied to the inside of a 1x6x5 wall element, and is fairly tricky to apply neatly, and without trapping an air bubble beneath the surface.
Inside the salon, the majority of the space is occupied by the previously built accessories; the smaller chair is placed in front of a small shelf beneath the mirror, on which sits a biscuit and a pair of cherries, vital sustenance for the client (the biscuit I understand; not so much the cherries! A cup of tea or coffee may have been more appropriate.) Behind the sink are two bottles of hair product or similar; quite effective builds considering they are only constructed using two elements. Finally, the chair attached to the hair dryer is placed opposite the door. These mini-builds are attached to the floor using only a single stud on a route 2x2 plate, making them easy to remove to gain better access to the interior of the salon.
Four stickers in, and the final three stickers are used to represent a TV above the door (showing a baking show of some kind - perhaps that depicted in 41393 Baking Competition), and two magazines placed by the cash register.
As is vital to any hair salon, a broom hangs on the wall, and a small coffee machine is behind the till. The counter on which the till is placed splits the hair salon in two, and the space behind it seems somewhat empty. There is nothing placed there except for the coffee machine, and the only other accessories that were built but not placed inside the salon already were the mobile stand and the wig and accessories stand, both of which would make more sense to have near the hairdressers rather than behind the till.
Now that the model is built, all that is left to do is play! The accessories provided make for quite a few play opportunities, and as is the case with all LEGO figures, it is trivially easy to replace one wig for another; I’m not sure the pink hair Emma has chosen above suits her quite as well as her usual black, though. Mini-doll hair often comes with a small hole in which to insert accessories, so the bow and tiara etc beneath the wig stand can be put to good use.
Conclusion
Once finished, the build is exactly what the box promised - a small hair salon, complete with both a hairdresser and a client, as well as a number of personalisation options to customise the mini-dolls.
It’s quite a delightful little build (made more so by the new style of instructions), and made for an entertaining afternoon of build and play with my daughter. There’s plenty to play with for a small child’s imagination, with the additional wigs and extra accessories provided. It’s also nice to see a mini-doll included that isn’t one of the usual five Friends; somebody new is certainly appreciated.
The model, although smaller, is very similar to the previous hair salon, and wouldn’t add much to your Heartlake City if you already own the former. However, for an RRP of £17.99 / $19.99 / 19.99€, the set is a fun little build with some great personality that children will love playing with.
Thanks for LEGO for providing the set for review. All opinions expressed are my own.
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22 comments on this article
I was pleasantly surprised by the local price tag of this when I went to pick up my first LEGO DOTS packs a couple of days ago. This is a good deal even at full price — IMO better than 41390. Now I really wanna check out those instructions for myself too!
Friends sets are the best City sets out there. My only complaint is the color scheme so it limits what I purchase.
I'd buy this set if the colors were different as it's delightful looking.
The new instruction style is also seen in at least one Ninjago set- 71709 Jay and Lloyd's Velocity Racers also has the large pictures, character names, and progress bar in both of its instruction leaflets.
One thing that's seen in that instruction booklet that wouldn't be seen here is the mirrored sections of the build - for things like wings, in Jay's racer - are shown side by side, rather than sequentially. I'd be happy to see that in more manuals.
This was my first ever Friends set, after getting some minidolls via LEGO Movie 2 sets last year.
This fits right in my 3-in-1 sized town.
Great set at a great price.
Hopefully the 2020 Waffle House is similar sized.
Those new instrictions look great.
Don't collect Friend but always interested in reading reviews about the sets to see whats going on. I wonder if the new instruction format (like mentioned 4002019) is to make them a little less monotonous (somewhat interactive?).
I have to say this is quite the step up from the salon my sister had back in the day (https://brickset.com/sets/230-1/Hairdressing-Salon)
Why a progress bar...I mean,...progress is quite obvious by the number of pages left in the booklet isn't it?
@Tuun said:
"Why a progress bar...I mean,...progress is quite obvious by the number of pages left in the booklet isn't it?"
Visual indicator is better than numeral for kids
You can flip the pages quickly for an animated effect :)
Heh, ironic that this set in particular be reviewed the same day I’m getting my haircut!
That instruction style is new to Friends, and interestingly enough hasn't been used on any of the Friends sets that I've built from this year. Having the complete build in faded version behind the pile of bricks reminds me in some ways of Instructions PLUS.
Nice review!
@guachi said: "Friends sets are the best City sets out there. My only complaint is the color scheme so it limits what I purchase."
I think the building looks great, I just wish they'd finished the darn roof. That's my one bugbear about Friends buildings, and why, if they actually do a properly-formed building -- like last year's excellent Art Studio, which not only had walls but also a proper ceiling -- *that*, I'll buy on the spot.
Interiror of this set looks much better than the forementioned Natasha's hair saloon (41093). I got that one for my daughter and although she played with it a good bit, it always looked a bit messy to me. I might modify it to tidy the things in the saloon.
@Lego_lord said:
"Interiror of this set looks much better than the forementioned Natasha's hair saloon (41093). I got that one for my daughter and although she played with it a good bit, it always looked a bit messy to me. I might modify it to tidy the things in the saloon."
Good idea! I think I will do that as well.
I love the pink beehive hair!
It worries me that the equipment stand thing has the scissors with the points pointing upwards. The same thing is in Emma's art studio. Have they never read a health and safety manual? Or even just have their nursery teachers teach them how to use scissors safely. Or maybe Emma is secretly out to get everyone. CSI Heartlake City - the mystery of the scissor murders!
The first wave of Friends sets in 2012 included a primitive hair salon: 3187-1 Butterfly Beauty Shop. As much as I complain about the repetition of some buildings, it’s pretty neat to see the evolution of builds.
@Tuun said:
"Why a progress bar...I mean,...progress is quite obvious by the number of pages left in the booklet isn't it?"
Didn't you know? Kids nowadays aren't able to grasp such complicated correlations any more. Better not to overtax them, the poor things.
sarcasm_off
Honestly, I don't mind a little fun, I find it rather more interesting to see that TLG is now copying ideas that have been used in instruction manuals from alternative manufacturers for years, like Cobi.
@Zordboy said:
" @guachi said: "Friends sets are the best City sets out there. My only complaint is the color scheme so it limits what I purchase."
I think the building looks great, I just wish they'd finished the darn roof. That's my one bugbear about Friends buildings, and why, if they actually do a properly-formed building -- like last year's excellent Art Studio, which not only had walls but also a proper ceiling -- *that*, I'll buy on the spot. "
I have five Friends sets and the Art Studio is one of them and the proper building look was a big reason.
Interior looks good, but 41093 had a much nicer art deco exterior.
@lordofdragonss said:
"Visual indicator is better than numeral for kids"
But then again they are probably already gauging this by the number of pages remaining... I find this more than just a bit redundant and it's once more an example how LEGO underestimate kids. I also downright object to interfering with the children's imagination by spelling out what the various parts are supposed to represent with additional illustrations. Not everything needs to be dumbed down to the point where it hurts and I don't find it conducive to fantasy play. Other than that it's an okay set. Funny coincidence that I just reviewed it last week myself. (https://myleniumsbrickcorner.wordpress.com/2020/02/28/magenta-hair-anyone-heartlake-city-hair-salon-41391/).
The kind of set I'd loved as a kid.
Hair dryer build is just superb.
@guachi: As frustrating as it might be, there does actually seem to be some rhyme and reason to which LEGO City and Friends buildings get full roofs and which do not. In particular, buildings that do get roofs tend to be a lot shallower than buildings that don't, with a footprint 8 studs deep at most. That way, plenty of light can get in, and kids have no trouble moving figures and accessories around inside without knocking having to worry too much about knocking over stuff between the front wall and the open back.
There are ways to fully cover a building without impeding play or visibility, of course, such as adding a hinge like in 41122-1. But I suspect that with a single-story building where all the interesting features are inside and at ground level, the "closed" version wouldn't really add enough visual appeal to be worth a solution like that which might drive up the price point.
@Mylenium: Relax, it's just pictures. LEGO turned the instruction manuals for Fabuland sets back in the 80s into entire STORYBOOKS following a scripted narrative, and it's not as though it stopped that generation's preschoolers from ever learning to make up stories of their own. No great artist or storyteller in the world has ever gotten to that point without first experiencing the wonder of art and storytelling by experiencing works created by other people.
If this format catches on, it catches on. If it doesn't, it doesn't. I don't see any way that this will somehow impair kids' creative spark when comic books, movies, TV, video games, the Internet, etc. have all failed to realize that oft-prophesied outcome. At worst, if kids find this as grating and pointless as you do, it'll probably end up as a short-lived and forgettable experiment.
But I know that in my KFOL and TFOL years, I got a lot of enjoyment out of gimmicks like the mini comics that they put the back of Alpha Team, Knights' Kingdom, and Exo-Force manuals, or the tiny movie stills at the top of each page in early LEGO Star Wars manuals. So honestly, I'm glad LEGO is still willing to experiment with ways to add extra fun to their instructions, rather than sticking to a more utilitarian formula at all costs.