I love salon time. I especially love the feel-goodness of defuzzed legs, painted toenails and new roots it’s almost enough to make me feel like a queen (now that I’m probably too old to feel like a princess).
Choosing a hairdresser though can be a bit of hit and miss can’t it? There are great ones, good ones and not-so-good ones, as (of course) there are in any profession. Finding a hairdresser that you love requires more than considering a haircut alone. It’s about personality and connection too.
My hairdresser, Kylie, and I go back a long way now. She’s tops and I wouldn’t go anywhere else. Why? Because she gets me. She listens, she doesn’t fluff or fuss and after 6 years she knows me. She knows what I’m expecting, she knows the right conversations to start and best of all she knows how to do my do without second guessing. PLUS she makes a great cuppa (without having to ask me each time how I take it) and she knows that I like to have my coffee alongside a trashy magazine. We work well together, me and Kyles.
If I had to think about what makes Kylie the right hairdresser for me, here’s my take on the qualities of a stylist that count …
- someone who can cut MY hair well – they can identify what will look flattering and be honest in telling me what will look like crap
- someone who can engage in conversation attuned to my interests and
not someone who chitter-chats for the sake of noise
- someone confident enough to suggest a color or style or technique that will end up looking good because they really know their stuff
- someone good at maths – who understands that “just a bit” is not a crew cut and more likely to be the equivalent of a centimeter in measure
- someone who stocks their salon with products that smell like lollies and other delicious things
- someone who appreciates that the head-massage during a shampoo is always the highlight of an appointment and then works hard to make it sooooooo good!
When putting a new stylist through their paces, what qualities are you on the hunt for? What would make a hairdresser a ‘keeper’ for you?
photo credit: x-ray delta one via photopin cc
