Hey, does anyone remember the last time I got my hair cut and colored? Anyone?
Let me refresh your memory!
Also note that the date on that post was last MARCH. That was the last time I stepped foot in a salon. Because I was scarred, man. Scarred for life. Also, the parking ticket I got that day turned out to be THREE parking tickets (nice of them to come back and add on, no?), and that just seemed like the final nail in the debacle coffin.
Now, I made a conscious decision over the summer not to color my hair, because I’d rather swim all summer than worry that I’m stripping out my color, but still. Um. Summer’s been over for a while. Otto gave me a certificate for salon for my birthday (back in August) and I just managed to get to the salon… yesterday.
The good news is that my husband is thoughtful and thorough and—more than that—probably REALLY tired of listening to me bitch about my hair. So he both got me a certificate to a fancy place AND found out who the “curly hair genius” is there so that I would know who to go see.
Did you know there are entire websites dedicated to curly hair? Curly hair maintence! Curly hair styling! Curly hair stylists, all over the country! This woman he sent me to? I expected her to have a little golden halo and fairy dust, because the People Inside The Computer claim that she CHANGED! THEIR! LIVES!
She did not have a halo. But she did have a very pretty necklace. And she did a kick-ass job on my hair.
First she actually DYED IT BROWN like I asked her to, which started things off right, because that’s not what happened the last time. And she did JUST A FEW foils for highlights, which were markedly NOT RED OR BLOND. And she did all of this while I chattered on nervously, which I’m sure makes me a REAL JOY to work on.
“Oh, hey, the last time I got my hair done she put in a million foils and left me for a couple of hours and then my hair was all RED and BLOND and I was just in SHOCK and WHAT ARE YOU DOING NOW?”
Yes. If the stylist has a blog, today’s entry is probably titled “Let me tell you about the crazy, twitchy woman I worked on yesterday.”
She finished up the color and it was BEAUTIFUL, and then she SHOWED ME A PICTURE of how she was going to cut my hair. And it was pretty. And then she did it. And it was pretty!
And then I kissed her. With tongue.
(That’s a lie. Probably.)
Then she whipped out her fancy flat iron and made my hair all straight and shiny and totally alien. So needless to say, I luuuurve it. I slept on it VERY CAREFULLY last night so that I can wear it straight again today. I just had to hermetically seal it in a complicated series of plastic bags so that I could shower this morning. (Totally worth it.)
And yeah, I got a parking ticket (just one!) and had to pay her in gold bullion (for the tip and stuff), but I didn’t even care because I don’t believe you can put a price on a non-traumatic hair experience. Seriously.
I’m holding off on sharing pictures until I figure out if this is something I can do myself here at home or if it was SALON MAGIC and after I wash it on my own, I’m screwed again. I mean, I fully expect that to be the case. But for right now I choose to believe I’ve had a religious hair experience.
Amen.
Hallelujah Sister!!!
Praise be to the hair gods and goddesses for sending their angels to earth to do our hair.
Think of the parking ticket as tithing.
As for what happened in March, well, satan sends stylists here too.
I have curly hair, too. It is so hard to get a cut that works that does not make my head look like a triangle.
Can’t wait to see pictures. Hopope yuou are not goign to straighten it all tehtime because a) you have pretty curls, and b) those straightening irons are murder on your hair. I use one once in a while– I love having shiny straight hair. But if I use it too much, my hair becomes a dry broken mess.
Glad you had a good experience this time. : )
LMAO!!! Being the (not-so) proud and (not-so) happy owner of a very curly head of hair, I sooo sympathize with you. My latest stylist actually has curly hair and actually understands why I hate it. I knew she was the one for me when she said: Oh my God! Your hair is soo curly!! I will never complain about my curl again!!
At that point I wanted to bow down and kiss her feet!! But I didn’t… ;o)
Get yourself a high end flat iron, you will LOVE it. They are so easy to use when you have a good one. I have two cheap ones in my closet, collecting dust and the expensive one gets used pretty much every day. :o)
I’m really glad that you found someone who knows what you and your hair need… :o)
OH please share the best website. I am dying for ideas on what to do with my hair… you know it’s bad when HUBBY says “you need to go get something done.”
My girls both had hircuts at the fancy salon yesterday. I just about had a heart attack when I realized we are spending almost $1000 a year on haircuts/tips for the 3 of us. Yes, she does a really great job, but seriously? $1000? I’m on a mission to find something more reasonable.
I haven’t had a haircut since January last year, when my husband scheduled one for my birthday. Before my baby gets here in February, I want a haircut, a pedicure, and MAYBE a brazilian (I dunno, the thought of getting waxed while pregnant frightens me). How do you ask for that stuff for a baby shower / Christmas / birthday present?
I’m almost 29 and have yet to die my hair… I would love to try. But I like my natural hair color and what if they mess it up? A mere year before my wedding? Can you hear the panic in my thoughts?
And I just realized it’s been over a year since I got it trimmed. I am pathetic!
What is that website, please? Because on my last haircut I spent $80 at a brand name salon. Hair was cut by salon owner and trainer and…absolutely the wost hair cut I ever had. I wanted to cry daily for weeks. And now I have no hairstylist and have anxiety attack every time I think of trying to find a new one.
I have curly hair too. For a while last winter I decided I’d had an epiphany and that I would wear it curly every day. It was very healthy and very big. Then I realized it wasn’t really me and that I hated my hair and now it’s straight again. Damaged and straight. Just the way I like it.
Glad you got a great haircut. That makes all the difference I’m learning. I have the exact opposite problem: extremely fine hair that is strait as a stick, doesn’t hold curl AT ALL, and shows every single cut (and grey hair). God Bless my daughter she has the same hair so I can’t cut it. We must pay to get her a decent hair cut.
Oooooooh, I wanna see a picture! I could use a religious experience today.
It is right to give your hair goddess thanks and praise.
Maybe your new hair (and the light box) will help clear the funk.
The first stylist in a long time who could cut my super-thick, coarse, curly, unruly hair so that I looked human instead of Sasquatchean, up and got married and moved to another state. I WEPT. A lot.
Isn’t the best thing ever to not only have a fabulous experience, but to not have to pay for it! Yay for gift certificates you can actually use!! I can’t wait to see if you can work the magic, and we get to see pictures.
A good cut & color is worth it’s weight in gold bullion. As is Otto. I mean buying a gift certificate and researching the curly hair genius? Priceless.
There are a few things out there where you truely do get what you pay for. And hair stylist are one.
I would like to find a curly hair genius for my children. And one that would teach them how to style their hair, which I don’t think can be straightened by them because it is way too thick. I can’t wait to see pictures!
Woohoo! So glad you discovered the world of online curlies. I just wish I lived a little closer to a large metro area where one might find said curly hair geniuses. But, I have found someone who is willing to be trained. :D
Mir, my stylist talked me into a wet to dry flat iron. Best decision EVER !! While my hair is not curly it is wicked wavy and this thing is wonderful. Got it at Wal-Mart for around $25.
Ca’t wait to see pics !!
I have a “Hair Goddess” that never ceases to make me beautiful. Just found out she is expecting. My live is over.
Wooo on the new hair, and once again, I love that Otto! I wish I could find a hair goddess. I’m currently going hippie because I’m still traumatized by my last salon visit.
You have a husband who not only gave you a salon certificate but who also made sure to know who the curly hair genius is?
I am in awe. I bow down to Otto’s manly genius.
Which is a rare thing for me…to bow down to a man, that is :).
There is little better in this world than having a good hair salon experience!
I got a good haircut myself yesterday. It’s kind of hit or miss at the place I go to, but I should ask for the gal who did my hair again…she did a good job. I never have had my hair dyed, though. I remember there was one salon where I used to live called “Curl Up and Dye” which I always thought was a cool name.
Ha! You must still be high off your religious experience if you can’t put a price on it! You know. Or the fumes. And I’m sure you look FABulous. Please, please, please post the pics?
So glad you had a wonderful experience!
I have to second the person who said get a wet-2-straight iron, so quick & easy to use! I have the remington version from Amazon, under $30 and my own little between-salon-visits miracle. :)
awesome. do take a before and after pic! you know..like before wash and after wash. :) sorry bout the parking ticket! but beautiful hair makes up for that misery ..i think!
I got my hairs did yesterday…went dark brown from blonde/brown. I love the color, still hate my straight fine hair
Seriously, when you’ve had a traumatic hair experience, a non-traumatic hair experience is worth all the gold bullion you can find. And quite possibly also sexual favors.
Whenever anyone finds out how much I pay to get my hair cut, I just tell them I stopped caring how much a good cut and color costs ever since the time it ALL FELL OUT. And that I will eat ramen noodles and learn to knit my own clothes before I cut (ha ha!) the hair costs out of my budget.
That is fantastic! Fingers crossed it wasn’t just SALON MAGIC and you’ll be able to reproduce the look at will.
I haven’t had my hair cut since August. If I’d known long hair was this easy to maintain, I’d have grown it out long ago!
Pictures! We need pictures!
Can’t wait to see a picture! I love it when I get someone who cuts my hair right. I finally found someone to do just that.
Pictures, please! I figured after reading your deals at WantNot (flat irons), you would have pictures here to see. Imagine my disappointment! The suspence is killing me…
Nothing is better than good hair. Nothing.
Was it NaturallyCurly.com? I love that site. They have some great product recommendations and salon recommendations. And I like their curl type system (I’m a 3b/c, personally).
Otto rocks!!!
I too have curly, curly hair. My hairstylist finally talked me into a straight “do” and I love it!!! I use the flatiron every day now, but I use some products to keep the shine in and the ends from from splitting. I was being lazy yesterday (and not going out of the house at all) and left my hair to curl after my shower. I am so used to the straight hair now that I was kinda shocked every time I went by a mirror!!
Please post some pictures!!!
Amen….from another curly haired girl…..
Nothing would make me happier than to be happy with my hair….I finally grew out my nails….I now have to find a way to be happy with my hair….Here in Podunk Maine it’s not going to happen….
Oh, well…I live vicariously through you anyway….even though I don’t know you…Hope that wasn’t creepy….LOL
Great haircuts are one of life’s gifts. Let me just make sure that an appropriate amount of praise gets heaped on Otto, because he is The Hand of Fate here. The actual Heavenly Stylist was a mere sidenote.
Full Disclosure: I’m trying to help set a precedent for my own benefit in case I ever do something so awesome for my wife.
I need a magical morning hair genie. Right now I don’t get time to fix mine because I spend half my morning with my head in the toilet…dang morning sickness. My hubby almost has a heart attack when I actually don’t get sick and have time to fix it. I’m trying to grow mine out now too and its headband hell for me when I can’t get time to fix it.
Testify! Oh man… I’m a curly girl too and it is VITAL to find someone who knows what the heck they’re doing with the curls. I’m so glad you had a good experience this time. Down with Foils McGee!
At least the parking tickets are like, $3.
Is that bookstore downtown still giving discounts if you bring in your parking ticket and give it to them to trash instead of paying it? Protest greedy local government with bookstore coupons. Sweet.
Oh, that straight from the salon straight hair experience. Bliss, nirvana! I wait days and days and days until my hair becomes a grease blob because I know I can never duplicate the shiny, bouncy straightness.
Please, show us a picture!
Last week I got out of the shower to find I had (!!) run out of curly hair leave-in conditioning products. I did my best and thought everything was OK, but the next morning, at the back of my head, I found… an enormous dreadlock.
(I should mention my hair isn’t even really curly, it’s just very fine. And there is a lot of it).
I haven’t had my hair cut for going on a year. The last time I went to a salon, the stylist was too scared to do much with it, and I came out looking much the same as I looked going in. Next time, I will not put my head in the hands of anything less than a Curly Hair Specialist.