If you’ve read up on me, you learn that I dye my hair OFTEN. I have been every color from blond to black, to Run-Lola-Run red. I tried to dye my hair myself for a brief period of time, only to realize the following truths:
1) I have no idea what I’m doing.
2) I have too much damn hair. I mean, really, I do. Every stylist tells me this. If I go bald, ever, I’m asking God (or deity of your choice here), for my money back.
Anyway…when I first moved to Tennessee finding a salon was going to be tough for me. I had just left the Valhalla that was the Pierre and Carlo Salon, located in the beautiful Bellevue hotel in Philadelphia. [Yes, site of the first famous legionnaire’s disease breakout – It’s been restored and is BEAUTIFUL.] I had a superb stylist, named Peter. He was sweet, funny, and amazing. I was also there when he deal with the trajedy of losing his life-partner suddenly. I adored him. He did AMAZING things with my hair, and he was an AMAZING person. So, replacing him was going to be difficult indeed. [$150.00 color, cut and styling.]
So, when I first moved to Tennessee – I immediately began looking for a salon that gave me the same posh feel that I was used to. The search began…
Here’s the journey.
1: Salon Visage – My first trip to a new salon…I was nervous. Would they understand my love for slightly flamboyant hair color? Would they gel with me and endear me to them? Well…not this time. First of all, I was turned off by what appeared to me (at first blush), to be assembly-line hair. You went to one station to have your color done by a colorist, and then after you were colored, you went to another station to have your hair cut and completed by another stylist. I didn’t like this AT ALL. I kept thinking, how am I going to form a relationship with two different people who seemed slightly self-important? Worst part was, they TONED down my hair from pop-color red to dark moussy red/brown. I went home. I cried. They didn’t get it. They had the design esthetics inside right, but there was no “personal” feel. [$100.00 + up for color, cut and styling]
2: In an effort to regain my live out loud red, I tried to do it myself. Remember when I mentioned, I don’t know what I’m doing? Well, I bleached my hair and then deposited some manic panic pillar box red on it. I looked more pink than red, so I BLEACHED it again. Same week. Had no idea it would KILL my hair. You see, I have natural curl. After a double bleaching – curl was DEAD. The red popped, but in a scary way. My new employers were not happy with it and asked me to change my haircolor (has never happened to me before). I was freaked out. After the trauma of a bad experience at Visage, then a botched self-effort – I was scared. I even wore a wig to work for a few days until I figured out where I wanted to go next. Eventually, I found my folicle saviour. [$20.00 for coloring, crying, no cut and no styling]
3: Belleza Salon – I loved the design of the building and the inside was sweet too – so I was hopeful. I was also introduced to Matt, who was to be my styling guru for 2 years. He found a signature, pop-red formula for me – took care of my botched hair and really knew his craft with styling. While he had an assistant, I still felt he personally took care of me. I got to know him well and felt very comfortable with him. After all, he was a fellow dancer, was sassy and had just the right wit to roll with my own enigmatic self so he was a keeper. Belleza was there for my repair, my wedding and everything in between. I was IN LOVE with a salon again. Unfortunately, Matt went through a huge health scare and was in a coma for a while (I was really worried about him). Belleza, again, took good care of me. They were my salon. Then we moved to Nashville. That’s when my pompadour promiscuity began. [$150.00 + up for color, cut and styling].
I’m going to briefly list the LIST here…I never stayed with one salon long enough to develop a good sense – but here’s the full run down.
4: Salon FX (Nice, but overpriced – however great stylist named Athea, I think – where I went black). [$150.00 + up for color, cut and styling].
5: Some salon I cannot even remember the name of in Berry Hill. (Stylist was good, put some flamboyant red streaks in my black hair – really spiced it up. Had NO IDEA how to style naturally curly hair and never blew me dry – NEVER.) [$60.00 + up for color, cut and lack-of-styling].
6: Bishop’s Salon (I probably would have stayed here forever. I found a stylist who was divine named Russell – but we were in a tight money situation and I couldn’t afford it. Plus we were looking to move out of Nashville soon anyway). [$150.00 + up for color, cut and styling].
BACK IN KNOXVILLE…
My hair tramping days continued. I wanted to taste all that life had to offer. I left Nashville with a sense of distrust and lack of loyalty…
7: Belleza Salon – Matt was not back but I heard that he was in good health. Yea!!! I started with Michael and I really loved him – I really did. He was sweet and understood what I wanted from my hair. I loved him, but I was a hair hooker at this stage in the game. I asked him to dye my hair a “more natural” hair color. He did and it was beautiful. However, inside I was unsettled. I did the “natural” look – which takes a LOT of processing and color remover because my hair was black, red and a LOT OF MONEY. I got scared of the big money bill and didn’t go back. I was worried that after coming out of a bad financial situation in Nashville didn’t lend me to having expensive hair-services. I went in search of cheaper hair care…I want to go back to Michael, but I feel like a naughty puppy going back with my tail between my legs. I’d look for Matt again (he’s apparently at another salon now), but they’re friends and they’d talk. What’s a girl to do? With all the repair work, it was a steep price too, but understandable. [$200.00 + up for color repair, cut and styling].
8: Lox Salon – When I was younger, I would have LOVED this place. Total punk but classy. You’re greeted by a heavily tattooed suicide girl type and they will do whatever crazy thing you want to your hair! I need this…I went back to red and black again. I loved it. They were reasonably priced. I felt old though…so I didn’t go back. I would, however, recommend them highly for the person wanting to do bold hair design. Go for it babes! [$80.00 + up for color, cut and styling].
9: Salon Azure – I wanted to fall completely in love with this salon. I had found a great stylist and colorist and felt that I was done whoring around salon-wise. However, the price was TOO steep. I went twice hoping to have less money spent – I didn’t. I couldn’t afford the salon. They are great, the salon is beautiful and there is an amazing waxer who looks like Jane Weidlin…just outta my price range for not feeling personal enough. [$175.00 + up for color, cut and styling].
10: Julie’s Hair Salon – I went for the old-school, local shop. I loved my stylist (a beautiful drag queen named Angel), but I got what I paid for. I loved my hair – he did it flamboyantly and he went lighter than it’s been in years – but my hair suffered for it. I was dry and damaged. But hell, it was $55 dollars for a cut, color, and wax. Damn – I liked that! [$55.00 + up for color, cut and styling].
11: Salon Visage – Second try…maybe I’d like it better. Who knows. I did – I really did. I had nice and sweet stylist named Katie and a nice and sweet colorist named Andrea. The price was decent, the quality fantastic and I’ve even gone back a 2nd time. Still, it feels like assembly line hair and this time around, I felt like was “putting them out” as if they were in a time-crunch and I kept getting handed off. It doesn’t feel personal. I mean, I like the girls – but I need to connection. I set another appointment – but I have a strong feeling that I’ll be going back to my “old-boyfriend” and sucking it up. [$100.00 + up for color, cut and styling].
BELLEZA and Michael – here I come…sorry I didn’t trust you. Sorry you were my first “salon” after some bad experiences in Nashville. I’ll make it up to you – I promise, I will TRY to never cheat again.
LIFE with the RETRO-MODERNS 