Amazing place for hair color!!!
I've always been extremely picky with my hair -- either in terms of price or quality. In a city where you can find a hair salon on every block, its hard to pick a place to be truly comfortable and happy with.
After doing extensive research using Allure magazine's salon finder, I had narrowed it down to a couple of places worth checking out. And then I used a secondary means of filtering out those results -- Citysearch. But my work was not done yet.... I had the addresses of two salons so I decided to check both of the places out and pick the one that intimidates me the least. The next day, I booked an appointment at Janet Rufin's parlor.
The name of the stylist who was going to be coloring my hair was Karen, and back onto citysearch I went, "Ctrl+f" -ing for her name. I was relieved to find that all the reviews which mentioned Karen labeled her as a super-cool amazing colorist, so i was able to breathe a sigh of relief!
Saturday morning, I arrived on the dot for my appointment. The receptionists were very nice. You fill out this survey they give all the newbies, and without further delay, I was whisked into the changing rooms (where they had robes in 3 different sizes, perfectly organized) and sat down. The salon itself is small, containing maybe about 7 caramel leather chairs. The interior design was very minimal, but warm and cozy due to the warm palette of browns.
Within minutes, Karen came over and introduced herself -- a girl with style and edge! (I've always been weary of stylists whose own styles do not reflect what they may be capable of) She's super patient and takes her time with your hair. You never feel like you're being rushed (but make sure you allow plenty of time if your coloring process is more complicated. mine took 3 hours).
In the end, my hair was perfect. It was a dark multi-dimensional brown, the highlights were subtle, fine, and added the perfect amount of shine to my hair. Amanda had dried my hair smooth and super-straight without using a flat iron. I felt like I had Jennifer Aniston's hair.. dipped in chocolate.
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edit:
i've been a loyal customer of this salon for quite some time now. my hair has changed from that chocolate brown to a sandy brown with blonde highlights.. love it! karen is a super talented colorist and everyone who works here is soo extremely nice.
the last time i went, i stopped by around 5pm on a friday night, just trying my luck to see if karen would be free for a walk-in, and she was! karen, her assistant christine, and the receptionist all stayed late (they close at 8pm, but everyone had left around 7pm because it was a slow night) to do my hair. i didn't feel rushed, and my color came out gorgeous as always. now how many stylists will stay late on a friday night to accommodate a last minute 3-hour color appointment?! and christine, the girl who dried and styled my hair, she was great too, taking her time to make sure every last strand was straight and in place. I LOVE YOU GUYS!!! read more