After over two years of searching, I've finally, FINALLY, found my hairstylist! And ~ he happens to be a guy. But not just any guy. He's Chris, THE Hair Guy, of Haven Salon. First, let me tell you about Haven Salon. It's located in the Double Diamond area in South Reno. The building they're in used to be a spa, so instead of a single open space for the stylists, each stylist have their own room, so appointments are more private, personal and intimate. Chris decorated his room bistro-style, complete with a small table and a couple of chairs that reminds me of having snacks al-fresco style. His walls feature an artwork by his wife and photos of their travels. He's window also faces Mount Rose, so the view from his chair is quite beautiful.
Chris was highly recommended by a friend, who mentioned he was running a first-time customer special ($15 discount). And since my prior experiences with other stylists have been ok at best, I thought, 'why not?' Setting up the appointment with him was a breeze. He uses an app that you can use to confirm, modify and see other openings in his appointment book. Very high-tech and so convenient. His haircut appointments usually run for about an hour, but he sets aside an hour and a half for first-time clients because he want to take the time to get to know the client and how to meet the client's hair needs.
From the moment I met Chris, I took to him immediately. He exudes energy, joy and warmth. And when he started talking about hair, not only is he super professional, this (hair) guy knows his stuff! He studied in the Vidal Sassoon organization, and was one of the pioneers of the Paul Mitchell academy. He was an instructor at the PM academy for over 10 years, and has just recently came back to cutting hair again. Lucky me!
After he welcome me to his 'bistro', he asked me to fill out a short form (whaaat?, in a hair salon?!) But it makes total sense. The form is mainly for record keeping, but it also asks what I want to have done, what do I and don't I like about my hair now, and what do I want most to have in my hair. I know we are asked about this every time we see a new stylist, but this is the first time I see someone actually have these things written down. Chris then took a photo of me, and load it to this app that captures facial shape. Once my facial shape was determined, it then recommended the hairstyles that work BEST with my shape. Surprise, surprise, it's the haircut that I want, so boom! But my favorite part of all, when he finally sat me down and talked to me about the style that I was kinda HOPING to have, he said the magic words: 'May I make a suggestion?' And I was like ~ YES, PLEASE! I can't tell you how many times I've asked stylists what they thought I should do with my hair and they stared at me blankly and sort of lost. Not Chris. He was confident. He knew exactly what I wanted and how to make it happen. After shampooing my hair and giving me a quick hair massage, Chris went to work. Usually, I don't like to chat too much with my stylist because I want them to focus on my hair. You see, I have short hair and any imperfection (read, mishap) can be very obvious and there's nothing I could do but just wait for it to grow out and hope that the next cut will be better. But Chris and I chatted, and I'm glad we did. I got to know him a little bit and what he's about, and I have to say, I'm kinda digging him as a person. We share a common love for travel, for simplifying life and letting go of STUFF, and compassion for people less fortunate than we are. He's funny, he's honest, and he's open. And as for the haircut ~ well, I just wanna say, he nailed it! I am super impressed. He was just cutting and gabbing away (at one point, I offered a 'suggestion' that he can use the clipper if he wants, and he refused because it's the same as using a machine vs. hand-made), and the next thing I know ~ voila! The best haircut I've had in YEARS. It looks modern, it's clean, it has shape, and best of all ~ it's easy-breezy maintenance! I'm very happy with it, and I'm very happy to have met Chris. He did a GREAT job. So ~ if you're looking for a new stylist, or if you're just 'meh' with your current one, I highly recommend Chris, the Hair Guy. But before you do, PLEASE let me know so I can give you this $15 discount card that's burning a hole in my wallet. Holler! read more