Color Blind or Blind-Sighted?
December 16, 2009 by Smart Diva Online
Filed under Hair Care
The search for a good stylist can take years and in some cases, a lifetime. The process is a lot like dating. In the initial interview, you try them out, tell them what you want, and hope they listen. The beginning phase is built on blind trust so make sure you’re clear at the outset. Set your expectations and demand they meet them.
Hair is one of your main defining features, what others see first and remember. Your hairstyle makes you feel sexy, cool and stylish. You love to toss it over your shoulder or close your eyes when the wind hits it. Hair is important to you and it should be more important to the person with the power to make you look and feel gorgeous. Expect an expert and as you sit there, you should feel like you’re the only one in the room. If they turn out to be The One, then that is the beginning of a beautiful relationship. And you hope it lasts forever, that is, until you move or they move on.
Find your salon soul-mate by following these simple but often skipped over instructions:
1. Research, research, research. Google the best salons in your city, see how they rate and ask women whose hair you admire where they go. Recommendations are always the safest bet.
2. Book a consultation and make an appointment with the same stylist. Bring in celebrity photos, formulas, and cherished photos of you in your peak time, if you had one. Demand to look exactly like that.
3. Don’t underestimate the power of a product. If you have a preference, like Wella or L’Oreal, state it. Some brands are stronger than others, and your hair will care. Be sure they use the same product for base color, highlights and lowlights.
4. If you’re price conscious, go for base color and half-head highlights only. The next step would be to add a whole head of highlights, and the next would be to add lowlights for a 3D effect although a base color and highlights should achieve enough depth.
5. Enquire what technique they use, like foils or painting with a palette. Painting is good for a natural, blended look whereas foils guarantee that colors stay separated. Other factors are the stylist’s experience with your particular color and where they learned how to do it.
6. Keep the base color, highlights and lowlights in a close hue family. Blondes: know ahead of time if you’re aiming for ash, platinum, beige, or creamy blonde. You can go by skin tone, but really, it’s all just preference. Just be sure to state it right away.
7. Dynamics are essential when you spend several hours with someone you’ve just unleashed onto your hair. Some stylists talk a lot and you may appreciate it, but for a big job, it’s best to have a silent type. You catch up on your magazines and they focus 100% on your hair.
8. Experiment at your own risk. Go lighter, darker or cut it all off, but be prepared to face the consequences when things don’t go the way you envisioned it. It’s best to get past the blind trust stage before full-on experimentation.
9. Speak up when you don’t like it. It’s easier to say you love it than hate it, especially right to your stylist’s face. When there’s awkward mutual incomprehension over precise shades of blonde, brown or red, that’s not a good sign. And silence after the wash and towel dry is even worse.
10. All along, you should hear words like, “I know exactly what you mean.” They can tell you not to worry, they know what they’re doing, but make sure they’ve listened to what you want and seen the photos. Ask for a money back guarantee or a deep hair treatment if they can’t put money where their mouth is.
When it comes to your hair, don’t take any shortcuts. Be over-prepared, plan to pay a little extra, and take a deep breath. There are stylists out there who “get hair” and there are ones who don’t. Don’t feel bad jumping ship when things don’t go your way. Keep searching for the perfect match and leap off the right foot with the reigns in your hands.
This holiday season – don’t wait until the last minute. Get it done exactly the way you want it, the first time.
Author: Sarka Kocicka
