Nightmare at Salon Nordine

It's hard to believe that a day that starts out with such promise can end in shambles. And what's more difficult to understand is that it can turn in the snap of your fingers...or for me, in the time it took my dye to set.

For our first anniversary, my thoughtful husband got me a mini-day at the spa at this seemingly posh salon and day spa close to my office. I decided to add a haircut and color to the end of my day of pampering, and figured that anyone who worked at this beautiful salon could do what I was looking for. (or maybe I just wasn't thinking) But, boy, was I wrong!

After I enjoyed a wonderful pedicure, a relaxing massage, and a cleansing facial, my day went from one of the best of the summer to one of the worst I've had in years!

Maybe I only have myself to blame. I mean, I should've seen the signs. First, my stylist asked me, while sitting in her chair, what I was going to do about my roots...um, excuse me? What did she mean, "what was [I] going to do"? That's why I went to see her, duh, so that she could fix them. She asked me if I planned to do my own roots...are you kidding? Isn't that against the cardinal rules of hair care and maintenance? After living with an incredibly talented stylist, I don't use grocery store products--not shampoo, not conditioner, and CERTAINLY not color. I should've stopped her right there, and bolted for the door, but I told her I wanted her to do what she needed to blend them. I told her I wanted highlights (think Jessica Alba--natural and not too light) and a cut like Sandra Bullock (angled to the front and pretty short...but not too short that my face would look chubby). I told her before we began that I was on a time crunch and asked if we would have time to both cut and color my hair, but she assured me we would have time to do both.

She proceeds to put foils in my hair--not as many as I'd planned, but I thought it would be fine. She said, when she was taking them out, that she didn't think they even needed a toner--weird, because they usually do need a toner, but I'm still going along with it. She cuts my hair, but says that I wouldn't want to go any shorter than she cuts because I wouldn't be able to pull it back...whatever. When she starts blow drying my hair, she starts at my chin-length bangs and almost immediately says, "Oh, yeah, I thought this might happen--see how your natural color at the roots picked up the bleach differently than the ends? You will need to come back tonight or tomorrow and get that fixed." I think it might not be as bad once it's all dry and styled...but she just keeps on reminding me of how bad it looks..."at least I'm honest," she says. Then she tells me that I can just color my roots a darker brown and that will cover it...COLOR MY OWN ROOTS? WHAT IS SHE SMOKING? SHE ENCOURAGES HER CLIENTS TO RUIN THEIR HAIR WITH GROCERY STORE COLOR? Now, as she is blow drying my hair, she is not doing it sections, like I usually have to; she is not using a big round brush, like I usually have to; she is not lifting up at the roots, like I usually have to. She is blow drying my hair like I used to in the eighth grade before I knew what I was doing. She stops drying at about 7:25, so that I can get to my appt. at 7:30, like I told her--but my "appt." is at least 30 minutes away. I was supposed to meet Mike at a bbq at George Mason in Arlington--at least 35 miles from where I am getting my hair done...my makeup is all off because of my facial, my hair looks like trailer trash, it's not dry all the way, which means it is fuzzy in the back, it's flat on top, except in the front, where she has poofed my long bang, and it's not nearly as short as I wanted. (I can't believe I'm saying that, but I somehow got really brave and wanted short hair.) And she tells me to call her tomorrow and let her know what I want to do. Uh, I don't think so. I paid $135 for the nightmare she did to my hair and called Lauren immediately, IN HYSTERICS, to complain. AHH! And, can you believe this lady actually had the nerve to say, "isn't it the worst to try to find a new hair stylist when you move?" I have never felt that horribly when I walked out of the salon in my whole life!

The next morning, after speaking with my mother in law and having a new stylist at the same salon recommended to me, I called her to ask her advice. Marissa, the new stylist, told me that she would fix my hair for free and that if I didn't feel uncomfortable at the prospect of seeing the stylist that ruined me the day before, I could come in that very afternoon. So, naturally, I went strait to the salon and three hours later, I had a the hair-do I wanted...or at least a lot closer.

I think next time, I will just book a flight to Utah every 6-8 weeks for an appointment with my REAL stylist...it would've saved me time, headache, and money, I'm sure.