Exciting news- I think I found a new hair stylist! 😂
Quick long story short: I used to get my hair done by this one girl at a big salon here in town. I liked her, although it always seemed SO expensive (cut/ highlights). Fast forward- she had a baby, then another baby. Her schedule became impossible, could never get in with her, etc. So I bounced around to a couple other stylists at the same salon. The new girl I was seeing was okay, mostly, but again- CRAZY expensive, and too many times I left feeling unsatisfied, or something just wasn’t always quite right. Plus, I didn’t completely love the salon experience there. While nice and all, it always felt really busy and kind of loud, with someone in the chair right next to you… I also often felt “rushed”. The stylist would always cut someone else’s hair while my color was processing, which is fine, but seemed to add some unnecessary time for ME just sitting there. The whole process always seemed to take for.ever.
Anyway, Ivan has been bugging me for a while to try a new salon. In part, because he wigs out every time the salon credit card charge comes through. And also, because he thinks it’s crazy to pay that much and then sit and complain about my hair cut and/or color.
So I finally poked around on the internet and found a few other local stylist names. I was specifically looking for someone with a bit smaller salon, who might have a slightly smaller operation and hopefully less astronomical prices (but still good at doing hair). On a whim, I made an appointment with a stylist I found who had some good reviews, and I went yesterday.
I’m so excited!! I can’t believe it, but I think I might have found a winner on my first try.
Things I loved about the new salon:
- It is just a “rental” chair, so the woman has her own private little room inside an office building. I LOVED this. Quiet, no other customers, just me and the stylist. (I always felt kind of awkward trying to tell the stylist at the other place what I wanted with some lady sitting next to me listening in, with foils in her hair. Or listening to me and my stylist chit chat…I don’t know. Maybe it’s me, but just always felt awkward.)
- She did a GREAT job! The cut turned out great, she touched up my highlights and fixed a few things I didn’t like from my previous cut. I even liked how she styled it at the end better than the other girl.
- Her prices were way more reasonable than the other place. From the cut to the color and even the toner I have used on my hair (since I lighten my hair- the other place would tack $25 onto the bill for toner!! The new lady only charged $10 for the same thing.)
- It was quicker! Since I was the only customer, I didn’t have to sit and wait for her to finish cutting someone else’s hair. It still takes time to do a cut/ color, but it was definitely a significantly quicker process overall.
- I liked her! She has a son Asher’s age, so we had quite a bit in common, and I just found her easy going and friendly. My latest stylist at the other salon was nice enough, but I honestly didn’t really love her personality. (I feel bad saying that, but it is true. I didn’t really enjoy talking with her! Which is kind of unfortunately part of the package when you get your hair done. So I almost dreaded going, because it felt sort of uncomfortable. (Maybe “dread” is an exaggeration. But I didn’t look forward to it.))
- Because she just has a private chair and not a huge salon, I think it will be easier to get in for appointments. I always had to schedule a million years in advance to get in at the other place. I’m not the best at scheduling out ahead, so I prefer a place I can call and GET IN within a couple weeks, ideally. (I asked her and she said if I have a flexible schedule/ daytime availability, it shouldn’t be a big problem to get in relatively quickly.)
Daily Gratitude:
I am grateful that I *think* our house and yard made it through this CRAZY wind storm last night unscathed. We had wind warnings of gusts up to 60 mph and it woke me up a bunch of times last night. I always worry about our trees. We also have solar panels on the back of our roof (for our water heater) and I always worry they will get ripped off in a storm!
GRATEFUL KAE 
Yay! So awesome to have a good hair stylist 🙂 I only go once a year or less but I’ve had the same lady 13+ years (wowzers)
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great that you found someone you like. now you have to show us the final “product”. 🙂
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Finding a good hair stylist is…so satisfying. I am, admittedly, very low maintenance. I don’t say this in a good way – I wish I did better things with my hair, but I just have no natural aptitude for styling it. I would love to get highlights, but am so bad about staying on top of it, I’m scared to even dip my toe into those waters (I self-dyed my hair in university a few times and went A LOT darker than my natural colour and it took several years to stop regretting that decision and it went orangey as it grew out and I COULD not get it to go lighter so had ombre hair long before ombre was a “thing”).
Like you, I am NOT a fan of a big salon experience. It makes me tense up and I also think that getting a haircut is an intensely intimate/vulnerable position. A bad haircut can be really bad so you feel vulnerable from the outset. And it does feel like when you’re that physically close to a person for that long – you HAVE to engage and that can be very challenging if the conversation doesn’t flow naturally.
After years of leaving the salon unsatisfied, I tapped into an internal messaging system at the university I work for; I asked the faculty/staff at large if anyone could recommend a hairstylist and I explained I really wanted to find someone who worked alone. I got A LOT of responses and had my mind made up when someone wrote with another suggestion; I wrote back and said “Thanks so much, but I actually have someone else that came recommended by two people and I’m going to try her first, but will definitely keep the contact information for this person you’re suggesting.” A few minutes later the person wrote back and said: “Cancel your other appointment and go see Jill. I promise she’s better.”
And I did! And I love her. The kids love her (I cut my husbands hair) and she ADORES Levi – I honestly think he’s at his most precious when he gets his hair cut by Jill. He is so serious, talks like a grownup the whole time, and he obeys every single word she says about moving his head this way or that. I was so nervous for his first haircut years ago, but she was amazing and she reinforces every time that he is her best child customer which I actually think might be true! That positive feedback from day one, I think, has made all the difference. He is usually bouncing off walls, but the instant he sits in the chair the wiggles just leave him.
She works alone. She’s fine at small talk, but also doesn’t mind working in silence some too. She’s efficient, has reasonable prices ($35 for a wash/cut/dry; it’s $11 for kids!), and I never have to engage with other clients.
A good hairdresser/hairstylist is definitely something to be grateful for!
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This is a great story about your own hairdresser experience!! You look like you have great hair- I love your wavy hair look in the picture in your post today. And this was the first time I ever went to a private chair instead of a big salon- life changing! It was sooooo much better! I don’t know why I never thought to seek out that situation instead. I’m glad you found someone you love, too! That’s so cute about Levi. My husband cuts my boys’ hair which is awesome, because….free!! haha!
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Finding a good hair person is such a HUGE thing, and I’m so glad you found one! The salon you used to go to sounds suspiciously like the one I used to go to. Huge, impersonal, dozens of chairs lined up, etc. I don’t color my hair – super-low-maintenance over here – so never had the multiple person issue but ooof, that would drive me bonkers! I just started with a new person who works with her best friend, in a small place closer than the old place. The prices are comparable, but on the other hand, I’m now supporting a small, woman-owned business. I’m much happier paying those rates for THAT than for supporting Big Corporate Salon. 🙂
And yes, now you have to show us the results! 🙂
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Yes- the smaller salon experience was so amazing, compared to the big one! I feel like- how did I not realize this all these years??!!!!
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A good hair person is SO KEY. I love mine and have followed her to 3 or 4 different salons! Now she has a set-up identical to yours – she has a little private room at a salon. That has been especially great during covid as I didn’t feel great about going to a busy salon. When she worked at a salon, she would do a male hair trim while my color set but it was always a speedy, quick trim so I never felt like I waited too long. Now she doesn’t do that anymore. She’s also cut way back on hours as she had a baby a month after I had Will. But I can always seem to get an appt with her and now I just text her when I want to come in and she will fit me in. Plus with my WFH flexibility, I can go during the day and think of it as my lunch. So it has worked out great. I think she has been cutting my hair for 12+ years? I only see her 3 times/year so while it’s not cheap, it’s not terrible since I go so infrequently! Phil does grumble a little bit when he sees the charge, but he pays like $18 for his haircut so he doesn’t have a realistic idea of what a cut/color costs. Plus I give a really generous tip since she does such a great job and always finds a way to fit me in. But I do not break down the cost to Phil! Ha!
I’m so glad you found someone great that is reasonably priced and a perfect fit for you!
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I hate going to the hairdressers. But for the last thirty five years or so I have been going to the same man who just knows what to do. He talks to me in a soft voice – I can’t actually hear him a lot of the time, but it never matters. He talks about his travels, his teeth, his lack of a girl friend etc etc. when I’m ready to engage with him he shows me his paintings and his interior design projects. We reminisce about my mother -,he used to go her hair – and talk about my kids and friends- st one point he did everyone’s hair. Now he just does one or two heads, as and when. I’m dreading him retiring -,he’s only slightly younger than me, but he’s the only hairdresser I’ve ever felt absolutely comfortable with. Oh and he told me to dye my own hair. That has indeed saved me a fortune. Though the first time we had to repaint he bathroom!
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