My hair stylist moved out of state and I was a bit flummoxed about what to do. It took me several…read moremonths to gather the courage to try someone new, and after a lot of online research, I finally settled on Kuva. I am SO happy with my choice. I wanted a place that looked nice, like a place where I'd like to spend hours of my time. I wanted a salon that seemed like they had a beat on current styles. And I wanted a salon where they did amazing color work (both fun funky stuff and more traditional) because I've reached the age where that is a thing I need, apparently.
When I called to make an appointment, I had my first introduction to Dean, and I'm going to pause here now to just say that Dean is the *insert good four-letter word.* Friendly, helpful, positive and genuinely kind, Dean is the perfect front man for Kuva, and he makes a wonderful first impression for the business. Dean helped me find an appointment slot, and when I had to reschedule at the last minute, he continued to be friendly and helpful, without any trace of annoyance or frustration. It made me feel good about my choice before I even walked in the door, and when I DID walk in the door, Dean was the first person to greet me and set me right at ease.
I will admit, the only thing that gave me pause was the location. Right off of Hennepin in Uptown can be a nightmare for parking, especially when you need to park for say four hours when you have a full-blown color appointment. I made sure to get there a little early in case I had to scout a spot but was pleased to find that the salon is far enough away from the main intersection that there is free street parking and a neighborhood right next door with even more free street parking. So no worries about feeding the meter at all. In addition (HUGE BONUS), the salon is right next to the Black Walnut Bakery, which makes the most fabulous pastries should you want to treat yo'self after you get your hair done. So actually, the location is great.
The salon itself is very welcoming and it has some super cool features including a living wall covered with plants and a water wall. It was clean, I liked the plexiglass dividers and the safety precautions and staff was all wearing masks. A+ there. Also bonus points for the cool light fixtures.
My appointment was with Tami, who I learned is one of the owners of the business. Boy did I get lucky. Tami did a wonderful job of really listening to me when I explained what I wanted and what I didn't want, how I generally care for my hair, how far I wanted to go with the boldness of the color, etc. She checked in with me several times throughout the coloring process (highlights + color so it took awhile) to ensure we were still on track and she asked again right before she did the final color about where I wanted to be in terms of the brightness of the hue. In the times when I had to sit and wait for the dye to do its thing, she checked in with me there too to make sure I didn't need more coffee and was comfortable. I appreciated the care she took with my hair and also with little things like making sure she rinsed around my ears and got every single root. It was very clear to me she has been doing hair for a long time and is very good at it. I could tell even when my hair was still wet that I loved it, and I loved it even more when it was dry. Tami was fun to talk to and answered all of my questions about caring for colored hair, maintenance, etc. And, judging from the reaction of my Facebook friends, I am not the only one who thinks very highly of Tami's work.
I will most certainly be back. I've already made my next appointment!
