Was at the hairdresser yesterday, and this is the fruit of their labours. It's beautifully shiny, and I love how they dried my hair, although it dropped quite drastically on my rainy walk to the tube, but ... well, I did NOT enjoy my salon experience all that much.
I've mentioned before that I find trying new hairdressers a bit stressful, particularly when it comes to colour, and yesterday's experience wasn't one that'll have me beating a path back to to this particular salon's door, I'm afraid. During the initial consultation, the stylist ignored my requests not to make it too dark, and completely dismissed my suggestion that maybe she could mix two shades, (the sample swatch was a really "flat" brown, and my hair has a lot of red in it, naturally, and I wanted the colour to reflect that). Then, she called over another colourist with the express purpose of having two people telling me I was wrong.
Nice.
The rest of the colour process was fine, two colours were mixed and it was pretty uneventful (except being repeatedly called "hunni", which drove me nuts, "Are you alright, hunni?" "Do you need a magazine, hunni?" "I'll just be another hour with this other customer, hunni, okay?" Seriously I could practically see the heart-shaped dot over the i), and after the least relaxing, and actually quite painful rinse-out - seriously, I spent the entire thing in a flinch, and I LOVE having my hair washed! - I went over for the blowdry, with another stylist.
And I loved it! She asked me if I wanted something bouncy, and she did a wonderful job, just what was needed. My hair was glossy and full of body, bounce and shine. Simply perfect.
But ... the colourist then came over, and pronounced "See! Not too dark at all! We knew what we were doing all along!". Well, actually, it is too dark - and it hasn't escaped me that it would have been darker still if I hadn't put put my foot down - it's just not as dark as I was scared it was going to be.
But I was feeling thoroughly patronised at this point, so when she went on to point out the virtues of me not ever using permanent dye again (in that special voice people tend to save for the elderly, the insane or the foreign, you know the one I mean), I'd about had enough. I know I'm not trendy, I know I'm not young'n'funky any longer, and I know I've made a few jokes recently about being senile, but I am not ready to be treated like an elderly maiden aunty who has just asked for a violet rinse in Toni & Guy ....
I didn't complain, because, really, how do you complain about being patronised by someone half your age? And what would the salon have done anyway? My hair, actually, is fine, I just hated every moment of the experience!
Here's a pic to exmplify how much darker it is than usual:
Like I said, it's not bad, it's just ... not what I wanted.
So, can everyone tell me about their hair disasters please, so I don't feel too much like Morticia's granny any more?
I hate new hairdressers to, the last new one I tried was blood awful!
ReplyDeleteI HATE the way some of them speak to you as well...I had a brown flash behind my fringe and the hairdresser I went to was like "why would you have that? A bit of brown in your blonde hair?" I really liked it!
I have had so many crap ones now if they start I tend to just say well I guess I should go then.....if you don't want to do that because that's what I want and smile sweetly! They usually backtrack once they realise I am more than ready to walk out rather than be bullied into a trim I don't want. I have no idea why they all seem to act like they know it all, so smug!
ReplyDeleteNaming no names, is this the salon you mentioned on Thursday by any chance?
ReplyDeleteHair looks lovely in the pic, but a salon experience is about much more than just the results - it's about being listened to. I normally like the ask the hairdresser what they think about my ideas and want them to be honest - if they don't think the cut or colour will suit my face shape/colouring then fine, I want them to tell me. But if I have my heart set on something then I want them to listen and do it! Its basic customer service.
It's a shame it was such a bad experience for you though.
I think it looks lovely, but it does sound like an infuriating experience! I had mine done my a new stylist last week and while the haircut was fine, she persisted in speaking to me in that voice people use for either the very, very young or the very, very old, which was weird to say the least!
ReplyDeleteI have lots of hairdressing horror stories - I really hate having my hair done and put it off for as long as I possibly can, because I find the whole process excrutiating, but the worst one was the girl who gave me a mullet. And it actually WAS a mullet - needless to say, I never went back, but every stylist I went to for over a year after that looked at my hair and said, "But...this is like a MULLET?!" That's happened to me twice now, which perhaps explains why I really hate having my hair cut and always spend twenty minutes telling them I don't want ANY LAYERS AT ALL.
I know how shite it is when they don't listen and don't do what you want them to. Also, being patronised is really bad indeed. I think you look absolutely fabulous.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, to console yourself, I hope you can read this http://forum.lush.co.uk/Forum/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=60520&st=0&sk=t&sd=a&hilit=hair+disaster and page 3 for pics. xx
I go to the same hairdresser that I have been to for the last ten years to avoid exactly situations like this...it's very basic: some junior sloshes my head with water in a near-drowning experience, my hairdresser cuts it, we talk about the latest in Hello magazine, her kids, my kids, how crap men are etc, I'm in and out in an hour and hopefully we'll end up in the blue rinse brigade together. I don't want a head massage from a stranger (no other place would this happen!!), I don't want a long *clearly disinterested* 'discussion' over how my hair is going to be cut - I just want it the same but a bit shorter please and mostly I don't want to spend 3 hours of my life over analysing the condition, who cut it last, how it would be better if I etc etc. I just want to wash and go to coin a phrase. Although it has to be said that your hair does look lovely and glossy so they did something right!
ReplyDeleteI have to oppositel everyone always treats me like I'm younger than them but it's patronising in the same way probably. And again the opposite regarding hair cuts and styles; the hair dressers NEVER make it as edgy as I want it, they always play it safe. I often ask them to make my hair look really messy with a heavy sideways fringe (I even bring in PRESENTATIONS on my laptop to show them pictures) but do they listen? No. I have one good hairdresser who I now always go back to. xx
ReplyDeleteFor what it's worth I think you look stunning. I hate going to the hairdressers too. i always feel far to frumpy and I rarely seem to get what I actually want.
ReplyDeletexxx
I think it is a bit dark, and the before picture is a better colour for you (it's at least a step lighter and has more warmth in it.) It's well done, but I think you're right that the before colour is more sympathetic to your colouring.
ReplyDeleteIt will soon wash out and fade a bit though, especially if it's not permanent, but that's still not a great experience, particularly as you said you didn't want it too dark.
When I was 14, I went to get my first haircut ever. I wanted a cute, pixie crop. I have thick, curly, uncontrollable hair, and I didn't even own a hair dryer.
ReplyDeleteTo make things worse, I lived in Hong Kong at the time and the hairdresser didn't really speak English. Also the average humidity was around 150%.
The result? Not A Good Look. I have no one but myself to blame.
I do really like the dark hair!
ReplyDeleteMy hair disaster was when my mom took me to her salon when I was maybe 8 and the stylist thought it was a good idea to give me a short hair cut with bangs (bangs are bad on me!). My hair is thick and curly and poofs out if it is too short (it poofs out whenever I brush it even!). I walked around looking like a poodle for about 6 months. I have never gotten bangs again.
And my mom still insists I looked cute.
Sorry to hear you had such troubles, I think I would have walked out, seriously. I have never had anyone colour my hair, I do it myself. Not that there are not great people out there who COULD do it. I used to have one stylist, good stylist, but he always had that condescending tone when I would colour or perm my own hair (over paying $100-300 to him). One day he said "who did this to you?" meaning my colour. It was the last time I went to him. Next guy was great, told me what a super job I did colouring it. Like night and day. Yours will lighten up a bit, and maybe you will love it more :)
ReplyDeleteOnce I went to my old hairdresser wanting a pixie type thing with a properly full, side swept fringe... She gave me something more along the Twiggy line, with a long fringe that could only be pulled behind my ear... It wasn't really a fringe at all. It was a little bit hideous.... I look moonfaced with no fringe, frankly.
ReplyDeleteAlso every single hairdresser I've ever been to bar one leaves the very back of my hair far to long when I ask for a pixie- it touches my neck, grows out really quickly and I just hate it! Is it to make it a more 'feminine' cut or something? So infuriating.
I think the colour is lovely, and as the sun is coming out more it'll get lightened and you'll love it :)
I HATE hairdressers like that >=| I dont understand why they dont just give the customer what they want - it'll keep them coming back, opposed to being complete assholes.
ReplyDeleteI agree that you look better with the "before hair" .
ReplyDeleteUnfortunatelly I have the opposite experience. I wanted to have a dark hair but all the "professionals" told me that I would look better with lighter shade. It was ok but NOT what I wanted.
Also they told me that the thing I was asking for is too expensive so maybe I should try something else. WTF?! I know what I want and it's not your business how much I spend.
You poor thing. I can relate. After 4 months' travelling with no haircut or colour I took my greying stripey frizzed-out mop to a 'cool' London salon (recommended by mates to boot) and paid over £200 I couldn't afford for an effing Pob. I specifically told the moron who butchered my hair that I did not want to look like Posh effing Spice. They also dyed all my natural sun-kissed highlights a greyish dirty brown. ALL my friends and husband say it looks horrible. Thieves! Swindlers!
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