I've passed by Art + Science for quite awhile now and from the outside looking in, figured I would have no interest in what was going on inside. My hair is an amalgamation of Asian genes - namely it's course and full, far more cumbersome to work with than a person with thinner hair. As a result, I tend to toss it to a swoop and let it be (though I often get labeled by a certain three letter subcultural name - a price to pay for convenience I suppose). Those genetics combined with my dad's side of the family being almost entirely made up of hair dressers and my having atleast nine million ex girlfriends who were cosmetologists - well, I was cool with doing it punk rock style with someone coming over to our house and just cutting it in the living room or something. My criteria isn't high - choppy and longish, no big deal right?
I was lured into Art + Science after corresponding with Guy over a cut he was looking to work on. Over email I described what I was looking for (take an inch or so off and remove a bunch of excess off the top to increase volume) to which he replied that such a cut was what he was looking for before confirming the appointment. My reasoning for finally going to a higher end salon for my hair was due to the experimental arrangement of the affair - on Mondays, Art + Science have class. Up and coming stylists scout for willing guinea pigs to work on and the cut is free in exchange. Not the hugest risk right?
Upon walking into the shop, there was a bit of confusion and I waited until Guy came over and informed me that he had actually been looking to do a more complex bob cut for a female. In an odd snafu, he had assumed I was another gender due to the spelling of my name. No harm, no foul, it's happened a number of times before in the past - this isn't a new occurrence for me. He went on to explain that he could still do the cut I was looking for due to its relative similarity to the original cut he was looking to do anyway.
I apologized profusely for the mix up and I'm pretty sure that while he replied with phrasings of things being okay, he was actually somewhat irked - he of course never expressed it, but if I were in his position, I imagine I wouldn't be the happiest with such an inconvenience either. After giving my hair the initial shampoo, he began to get down to the cut. Utilizing a razor to take off alot of the edges and remove a majority of the excess, he seemed to have a bit of an issue with the back (even going so far as to consult with his instructor on the matter several times). As time went on though, the cut began to gel and the final product came out pretty spectacular. The elements of shagginess and choppiness were retained but were now fused with a more cohesive sense of order.
Guy's style of working is professional and on point and his quick conversations with his instructor showed a blatantly high standard in terms of attention to detail. I would imagine this is why Art + Science has the reputation it does - they take this seriously and aim for perfection. After asking me what I thought of the final cut, we made arrangements to do another cut within the next two months.
As of this writing, I'm extremely happy with Guy's professionalism (especially in terms of the mix up that happened from the off set) and the only reason why I'm not doing four full stars is because I would like to see how consistent the cuts remain in the future. As for now though, there's no where else in the neighborhood I'd rather go. For now atleast, the living room hair cutting sessions have been retired! read more