A few weeks (months? I’ m not sure) ago, a new hair place opened in town.
I have a confession. It’s quite consistent with what I said in my Author profile, about not being a girly girl. I rarely get my hair cut, lately it has been about twice per year. When I do get my hair cut, it is a pretty straight forward adventure, there’s nothing fancy about it.
The place I go most of the time couldn’t fit me in for a week and a half or so, so I decided to check out the new place. They couldn’t take me as a walk in, but they had an opening in the evening that week. Evening appointments? Big checkmark of awesomeness, for me.
Of note, I had no earthly idea what this would cost, but as long as it wasn’t going to be obscene, I didn’t really care. We don’t have any Great Clips type places in town, all of the available options are more or less the same price.
I went, had a very lovely chat with the hairdresser, and came home gushing about amazing it was.
My spouse interjected, after a few minutes of this, with “not one thing you’ve said has had anything to do with the actual cutting of your hair.”
“I know. I’m paying for a service! My haircut is easy.”
One reason that lots of people like to get their hair done is for the social experience. My coworker’s spouse owns a hair salon (the one that I had trouble booking into in a timely manner), boy oh boy do they always know the latest gossip in town! I am fairly indifferent to the social aspect, though chatting can be fun. I like the rest of the things that were on offer, really bringing the whole thing together, as an experience.
What Makes My Salon Awesome:
- Keurig and large selection of teas, with nice huge mugs to use. There’s also real milk/cream in the fridge.
- Mini fridge full of cold water, pop, iced tea, OJ and gatorade (oh if only the liquor laws here were more lenient!)
- Big comfy couches in the waiting area
- Massage chairs in the waiting area. I’m not kidding. So amazing.
- In-mirror television screens. Whoa cool. Plus, you keep your head up this way, unlike if you were reading a magazine.
- They still have a great selection of magazines, not all hair and girly-girl ones. I love me some Macleans, Atlantic, Economist, etc.
- Awesome hair products being used and described to me. I might not buy the product, but telling me that you’re using paraben free organic mint shampoo is nice to know, ya know?
- Mini-cupcakes. Yes. So delicious. Tucked away safely in the mini-fridge, free for the taking.
- The chairs are spaced out well, so you don’t have to hear the conversation the next person over is having, there’s a front desk, or a wash station in the way.
- There’s reasonable music playing in the background. I don’t know why and how so many salons mess this part up, by not having any, or by having the obnoxious local radio station playing (obnoxious regardless of where you are, local radio doesn’t invoke a relaxing spa-like atmosphere!).
- They’ll do before and after photos of your hair, if you’d like, and email them to you.
- They do all sorts of events and whatnot. For example they do princess parties for little girls, wedding prep (helloooo massage chair!), and girls nights out.
- I already mentioned this, but they’re open in the evenings!
All in all, that was $50 well spent, I must say. What do you love about your hair salon? Is Your Hair Stylist as Awesome as Mine?
Great post! It is certainly important to find a great hairstylist. Thanks for sharing!
It’s good that you found such a positive alternative. It’s unfortunate that the first place lost your business with the delay.
You make a good point about paying for service. And it’s great that you can identify exactly what you like most about a salon so you can always find the best fit.
It’s really helpful information for me. I love Nature’s Gate shampoo and conditioner. I’m glad you recommended a good product. I love all natural anything….
Free mini cupcakes, massage chairs, $50 rates – how do they make a profit?!
When I lived in China the hair salons would give a head and neck massage after the cut – pure bliss. If only my hair would have grown faster!
Your site is gorgeous by the way.
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Wow! Your salon sounds like heaven! Great article, hopefully I will come to find a salon with mini cupcakes and on mirror tv as well. The price you paid for your visit seems very well worth it, kind of like an adventure of sorts. Thanks so much for sharing your stylist experience!
I agree with you that a good hairdresser makes all of the difference. My wife had a similar experience to the one you had. She’s usually not into her hair, but when she went to a nice hair styling place, she loved it. Now she wants to get her hair cut and styled all the time.
I for one love going to my hairdresser because she makes me feel like she really cares! One of my favorite features is that she does before and after pictures. I love seeing the difference after the haircut, so I can see the improvement!
I love getting my hair cut, because when I get it cut it’s so simple and easy. Every time I get it done by a co-worker of mine who’s second job is the hair dressing place. She is absolutely amazing at it! She always seems to make it look better than if I get it done by a random stylist.
Anne, that sounds like an awesome place to go get a haircut! I just moved and am trying to find a good hair salon I can go to. Like you, I usually have time to get my hair cut in the evenings. I guess I better start my search by seeing what salons are opening then!
I gotta admit, those would be some pretty sweet perks to a hair salon. We tend to spend a lot of time there to get our hair done and these would be so great to have to past the time. If you ever make a salon like this, then let me know so I can visit this wonderful place.
Overall this sounds like a really great hair stylist! I just moved to a new town, but I need to get my hair done soon. It sounds to me like a salon like this would be great, just because they seem to take really good care of their customers. This is definitely something that I would love to have, mostly because you say that you enjoyed it so much. Do you have any thoughts on how I might be able to find a salon like this for myself?
Ask around and stick your head into salons! That’s the best advice I’ve got 🙂
i found my current stylist when I wasn’t looking for one. I had just met a new guy and on the second date I don’t know why, but I went on a rant about my many Bad experiences at the salon and how I was going to have to cancel our date on the weekend because I needed to get a haircut. I guess to prepare him to deal with hair not looking so great or a bad mood. He offered up that he could cut my hair for me and I said that would be great, he could cut my hair and then we continue with our plans. Yes, it sounds crazy but net result is that he gave me a great haircut. Better than I can remember being happier with from a salon. To be fair, he had cut women’s hair before, it wasn’t his first time. So now I get my hair cut by him every other month. As I want, not the scissor happy stylist. I prefer the coziness and individual attention I get as we plan it when we are alone together. I have even gotten him to be my colorist, and I have saved hundreds of dollars. I cannot even imagine letting someone else touch my hair. A coworker invited me to go to the salon with her to try a nice place she heard of, and I politely declined informing her I was extremely pleased with my current stylist and had no intention of “cheating” on him with another and having to pay for it to boot.
I shave my own head about once a month with an electric trimmer.
I know it’s a boring hairstyle, but it looks good on me.
So I guess my hairstylist rocks (hahaha)!
But if I were a girl, I’m sure I’d love your stylist. The tea is a big win!
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I like my hair stylist, but they do not offer ANY of the awesome extras that you have listed above! She’s easy to get an appointment with, she does a great job, and it’s never cost me more than $50 for a cut. Definitely not something I’m going to complain about, but mini-cupcakes and massage chairs would be nice 🙂
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That is a GREAT value for $50! My hair costs substantially more but I only go once every half a year or so for a cut and colour. I don’t get free coffee or drinks, though. I love me a good massage chair. If only I had one in my living room..
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I go to a good stylist who works out of her home so she is cheaper than the salons but she is not cheap. However she is a great colorist and keeps up her training. I have no complaints, other than it’s about a 30 minute drive.
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Finding those gems is tricky, but so awesome once you have.
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I’m in between stylists after moving and not finding a good one yet in my new city. I used to pay $45 for my hair cut and it was always great (plus she did my eyebrows as well since she worked out of her house). She has turned into one of my good friends, so I think you can tell we got along great and the social aspect was important to me.
I disagree with Cindi’s comment about overpaying at that rate. Since I moved a year and a half ago I have tried five different cheap hair dressers (all under $30). Every time they mess something up. Every time! I always end up going home and have to trim sections. And how can no one cut a good fringe/bangs? Sure, sometimes there is a good person at those cheaper places, but it is WAY more hit or miss.
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That’s awesome that you became friends with your stylist, it would make it so much more fun to go!
That sucks that you’ve had poor experiences… I’ve only had a few, thankfully!
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I go to Super Cuts, which is a franchise. The cut you want in NYC is the same you will get in Chicago or Lake Winniechoochee (provided they have a store there :). All the hairstylists are trained the same way and are up to date with the latest cuts and styles.
I don’t go to a hair salon to eat, socialize, watch television, listen to stupid gossip or drink funh yung imported tea. I go to get my hair cut, every 6 to 8 weeks in a sporty pixie cut (as short as possible). I look smart and cute. I don’t talk and it doesn’t take the stylist long to figure out I don’t want to chat with her either.
My cut costs $12.95 with a $2 tip (it’s just a wet and cut) no fancy crap or mousse globbed into my hair either.
Most of the men I’ve met throughout my lifetime have told me that the first thing they were attracted to was my hair. I still get compliments to this day on my stunning gray/white spiky hair!
Your salon sounds like a super rip off. They are blowing $50 dollars worth of smoke up your butt IMHO. And you have fallen for their hype. Le sigh.
Oh, and my shampoo and condition, I buy them at the dollar store for quess what???? a dollar!
BTW, post a pic of your do……….we’ll be the judge.
If you want an experience, go on a vacation or take a train ride downtown or something.
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I live in a small town that doesn’t have any of the cheap chain options; I used to get my hair cut there. So, it comes down to quality of the stylists work and the perks that they can give me. As I mentioned in the post, my hair cut itself is rather simple.
My salon looks suspiciously like my bathroom. Oh wait, it IS my bathroom! I’ve been cutting my own hair for years now. I got tired of getting a good cut maybe 1 out of 4 times. I’d try different salons. I’d find a girl who was good at it, but then she’d quit for some reason (hope it wasn’t me, I”m paranoid that way). I got a girl for a while with bad menstrual cramps and I’d always seem to end up with my appointment at that time. I could commiserate with her, but it was painful watching her cutting my hair practically doubled over in pain (she left a long lock of hair that was under my cape one time and I didn’t see it until I got home). I went to one girl way too long – she’d wash my hair and hand me the comb and ask me to comb my hair afterwards. That’s WAY too comfortable. For her anyway. So with much trial and even more error, I taught myself how to cut my own hair. Sometimes it takes 3 days to tinker with it to get it just right, but I’m never unhappy with the results. And yes, I do layers! My fine hair requires them. And a good fluffing with hairspray to boot! My favorite part? It’s free! That makes happy the ‘frugally’ part of me. 🙂
Wow! That is quite the history of hair experiences, I definitely don’t have anything similar. I am very impressed that you can cut your own hair, that is not even on my radar!
My hair stylist is pretty cheap, and her salon is nice. I’m not like you though, I just like to get in and out! haha
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I don’t stick around at all, it’s the same amount of time spent, but it’s a lot nicer with all of the perks!
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I have used the same stylist since the age of 16 so that’s 22 years of a hair relationship with the same woman! I keep telling her that she needs to train a replacement because I don’t trust anyone else with my hair especially with precision cuts. Worse yet, she is in Montreal and I’m in NYC so I get my hair cut whenever I’m back in Quebec. Her salon is a really warm and inviting space also.
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That is dedication!!! That’s neat… I’ve never had that kind of relationship with a stylist, my Mom follows hers from salon to salon, though.
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My salon has pictures of 90s magazines cut and fading on the walls so you can choose to have a “Rachel” cut like in Friend’s. For $2 I don’t complain! I try to apply those little service pluses to my guest house though, nice sheets, nice toilet paper, nice soap, it doesn’t cost much more and makes people really happy.
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I can picture the type of place you mean. $2 is a sweet deal.
Those touches make allllll the difference in the world in a guest house! It’s all about comfort and perceived quality.
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