Ok, so this is a story of the GOOD HAIRCUT THAT SAVED THE WORLD. Seriously, I'm waxing hyperbolic here, but hang with me:
I got a bad cut -- I mean, it happens, right? But this was the bad haircut after the bad week and the bad break-up. But I'm a big girl, I figure it will grow. So, I go home. Wash it. Two days later, the color is starting to green up, the shape is wrong no matter how I style it, and I'm getting more upset.
I decide to ignore the color (figure that it will fade) and call Henry's about the cut (FYI: I got the poor cut at Henry's too, but I really don't want to focus on that. The stylist was very nice, and I think this was just a mistake. Anyways, this is a happy story!) and Amy Knoblauch answers the phone. She's so nice, so understanding, that I just tear up on the phone, apologizing for being so emotional and trying to sound *not like a crazy woman. Anyways, she just tells me to come straight in, even though it's 4:15 on a Saturday and they're closing in an hour. Just to reiterate: Amy is awesome and friendly and competent.
I get the salon and I'm handed over to *DJ Taylor*. I'm sorry it took until this point in my piece to actually mention him, because the whole point of this post is to say DJ IS AMAZING. He spends 3 solid minutes just piecing apart my hair and examining it: the structure, the color, the remains of the cut underneath the cut I'd just gotten (srsly), and asking me to tell him what I'd been originally looking for. Then he pulls up a chair and sits down, turning me toward him. And then he lays out his thoughts, his plan of action, and what he thinks I need. He is brutal -- and this I love. I mean, I want my stylist to listen to my vision and also to my life situation (I've got no more than 20 min to do my hair and get out the door -- curlers cannot be part of the daily grind) but I've come to the salon because these people are the experts.
Anyways, he says, "You've got a round cut grafted over a square one. I can make improvements....also, you need a different all over color because these highlights are wrong for you, and make your hair look dry and flat at the roots." (I paraphrase.) Now, remember, I only came in because of the cut, but he recognized the issue was bigger than that, and even though it was the end of his day, and even though the rest of the salon was closing, DJ started to work on my head.
We ended up being the last two people in the salon, and I know he was probably very tired, but he was friendly, brusque, professional and caring as he spent a full hour fixing my head. And when he was done, I looked like a different person. A warm chocolate brown with subtle and fading highlights in a blunt ended bob with a sloping bang and gradated layers, turned me into a modern take on an Italian screen siren. Totally swish-tastic, and I haven't had a bad hair day since.
To conclude: I don't even live in Denver, but I'm going to plan travel to see DJ every few months. The man's a genius. read more