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28 June 2010

NEW! [salon review] hiwot/salon revive in DC

my first salon review! i am excited, but sad that i won't have any real pictures of the salon to show you/to open my post.


i took a trip on the metro last saturday into DC, in desperate need of a corrective color. i'd been thinking of going blonde for the summer, but wanted to grow out my fade a little bit. so, on friday evening, my impatience got the best of me and while browsing a local beauty supply shop, i'd decided to go ahead and pick up my color now. i picked up my powdered bleach and mixing medium, and two boxes of color (simply because i couldn't chose between the two). i'd decided how hard could it be? people dyed their hair themselves all the time, so this should be a breeze.

first sign of a bad idea? a racing heart beat. as i stretched on the plastic gloves, my heart was thundering in my chest! i had never been this nervous, not even for either of my big chops. this should've been all the sign i needed to stop. but me being me, blissful in youthful ignorance, carried on. the box was opened, the formula mixed, my cautionary towel wrapped tight around my shoulders, so might as well carry on.

another sign i should've stopped? the fact that i was afraid bleach would hurt! there was a season on next top model where i girl went bleach blonde and was in actual physical pain. so, why oh why, did it seem like a good idea for me to attempt it at home?! your guess is as good as mine. i was worried about my scalp since my hair was so short, but that didn't stop me either. luckily, my scalp felt completely fine, not so much as a tingle, despite the way my heart pounded away erratically, echoing in my ears.

the instructions in the box said to do a strand/patch test first (which i never do), so i was virtually going into this blind: i wasn't sure how long to let the color process for, so i just checked the mirror often. the directions instructed that coarse/natural hair might take 30-45 minutes... cool, no problem, i had natural hair... but it had been over an hour! i knew it wouldn't get any lighter than this faint, coppery brown i had achieved (which wasn't bad, but not what i wanted), but i just left it on for thirty minutes longer... poor izzy was probably dying now that i think of it. :(

when i rinsed, it was a terrible, horrible mess! my hairline, edges, and behind my ears were still dark brown! and my color was spotty. i absolutely hated it. i looked up the number to salon revive (recommended to me by charz)and programmed it into my phone, ready to call first thing in the morning.

i woke up to a hot and balmy saturday and made an appointment for a consultation. i was a little disappointed to learn that i couldn't have a consultation and color in one visit, but i did feel better knowing i would at least be looked at by a professional. i was so grateful they had an opening! i showered and set out, hiding my face with a huge pair of (cute) sunglasses. despite the state that was my hair, i oddly didn't feel too badly about it. population was sparse on the metro and the streets and i shouldn't have been easily recognizable, so i set forward to the salon.

salon revive is situated on U street, which adds a certain gritty-stylish appeal. the inside was very clean and neatly decorated. i arrived early and was invited to sit down. i was waiting no more than five minutes when hiwot greeted me and took me to her chair. we briefly discussed my hair and tried to make plans for my second appointment. today didn't work because she was booked solid, sunday too. i had school and work all week, but thursday, my day off, seemed too far away to be walking around a hot mess. i offered an early wednesday morning, but that was her day off. it really seemed like i would have to suffer through the atrocity on my head for a little while, in which case, i wasn't sure what i would do. i couldn't go to work or school like this.

hiwot took a good look at my hair before saying, "i can't let you walk out like this," to which i readily agreed. she decided to try to at least start the process today so i wouldn't walk out looking how i came in. she mixed up the bleach and applied it to my hair, explaining that she at least wanted to reach a uniform color, focusing on my dark edges and behind my ears. despite having another client on the way, hiwot kept a close eye on me, she and her assistant always checking in on my scalp and comfort level.

her clients slowly trickled in, but she continued to make time for me when she could. she decided to apply my color now, instructing her assistant to keep an eye on me. although the assistant did much of the washing and styling in the latter half of my visit, i was far from feeling like hiwot had simply passed me off to be someone else's problem while she tended to her to scheduled appointments. she watched over the entire ordeal carefully, even going back several times to better give me a uniform color and recommending a steam, which i obviously so sorely needed.

i have to rave. this right here is excellent customer service. i was so floored and humbled and appreciative of hiwot, i really can't say enough good things about her. i had nary a complaint, which i am grateful for because it seems that so many ladies have nothing but negative things to report about their salon visits. hiwot handled me with such grace, and an ease of generosity that was so new to me. she made time in her busy schedule to see to me and she seemed genuinely interested in my progress and the state of my hair. i have gotten so many compliments on my color and it is absolutely gorgeous. i can definitely see myself going back to her in the future.

the entire salon visit was a dream and more than i could've asked for. i would recommend hiwot to anyone looking for color, but i kind of want to keep her to myself, hee hee. ;) but it goes without saying, i would recommend her in a heartbeat and look forward to visiting salon revive again.

i know you all are waiting for those pictures i keep promising and they are on their way, i promise!

3 comments:

Skeeta said...

HA! Love this post.

"first sign of a bad idea? a racing heart beat. " and

"i can't let you walk out like this"

There are way too many lines for me to type but the post was too cute. Anyhoo, So the color a couple post ago, was that before or after the new color? I thought it was cute!

Well I may need a DC salon in a couple months when I move back so I will keep your secret *hiwot* - but only in case of emergency! ;o)

Melyssa said...

hiwot is AMAZING!

and the webcam pics i have now are of the post-salon visit. :) i should have the other pics in a few days!

Styling By Numbers said...

I go to Vonetta. She's really good too..she's a little full of herself though