Sip away whilst they chop away at a new hair and beauty salon which hopes to bring a unique experience to Sudbury – filling an empty spot on the otherwise dying high street.

Ipswich Star: Abigail Cutter is opening her third salon in Suffolk, with her new Lipstick & Locks on Sudbury's main high street. Picture: ABIGAIL CUTTERAbigail Cutter is opening her third salon in Suffolk, with her new Lipstick & Locks on Sudbury's main high street. Picture: ABIGAIL CUTTER (Image: Archant)

Lipstick & Locks will open its second branch in autumn this year, putting a modern twist on the hairdressing and makeup experience.

The salon will be run by 25-year-old Abigail Cutter, who is the daughter of Julian Cutter and the grandaughter of Jon Cutter - both established names in the hairdressing scene across Suffolk and Essex with six salons.

The hair and makeup parlour, which has a prime location in Sudbury High Street, will be Abigail's third salon - after opening up a smaller Lipstick & Locks in Halstead and taking over one of her father's hairdressers.

Speaking of the new venture, Abigail said: "I am really excited - I have a huge client base in Sudbury and it is a lovely town so I can't wait to get started."

The salon will not only provide a hairdressing service, but it will also specialise in makeup lessons, special occasion hair and makeup, Easilocks hair extensions and cutting and styling - not forgetting the circular cocktail bar which will take centre stage in the building.

For Abigail, who is from Halstead, hairdressing is all she has ever known - after starting to shampoo hair from the age of 12 at her father's salon and studying hairdressing at West Suffolk College.

Despite many high street stores being forced to close down, Abigail is confident that her new venture will be a success.

She said: "I may be young but I work seven days a week and I believe that you get out what you put in. I am from an amazing family of hairdressers with a hard-working background."

The salon will boast makeup counters with director chairs down one side, and hair stations with a modern and forward-thinking feel down the other.

They will have bespoke hair colouring, balayage specialists, a blow dry bar, wedding and prom packages, a fully stocked cocktail and coffee bar, and salon hire for hen parties, baby showers and pamper parties.

"The great thing about hairdressing is you can't buy it online," Abigail said.

"People also love to feel pampered and my salon will offer the complete experience - it will be somewhere for people to meet their girlfriends and enjoy themselves."

Work is currently underway at the premises to transform the Grade II listed building into the huge pamper parlour.

The owners of the building have told Abigail that a desiccated body of a cat will be found inside the walls - as hundreds of years ago in some European cultures, a cat was seen as a good luck charm to ward off evil spirits.

The Mill Hotel in Sudbury is famous for its mummified cat which is on display - and Abigail says that depending on the condition of the cat, she may put it on glass display too.

Alternatively it will be kept in the wall, as she has been advised not to remove it from the premises.