Before and After

So I wrote a few weeks ago about how I got the worst haircut of my life. It was so terrible and I know it will be the cut that I measure all other bad haircuts against. My simple trim (of my all one length hair) left me with some layers only reaching the top of my ears.

You know how when you leave the salon you know your hair will never look as good as they styled it - well this was me when I got home. I had resigned myself to the next 6 months-year of growing out out the haircut and hiding my hair in ponytails and clips (see Nathan's graduation). But after only 3 weeks I was sick of the hiding.

This is me after my first hair wash....oh dear.

I have a friend with gorgeous hair and she goes to the Lumine Salon that is only a 10 minute drive from my house. She recommended a stylist and I was nervous to try someone new but I was desperate.

The salon was tidy and modern and all the stylists were cool and trendy. There weren't any trashy magazines, but instead there were books about flower design and ethnic cooking. The walls were covered in oversized clocks, french posters and hand drawn facial features is baroque frames. I definitely didn't fit in. My stylist was Brea (see the pic that I took from the salon's instagram) and she was horrified by my hair.

She was kind and understanding (she attended the Paul Mitchell Hair School here in KC) but she confirmed my belief that my hair was butchered. She told me that my choice was to let it grow or chop it off. She offered to clean it up so I could keep the length but I said to chop it.

I love how it came out, not because I want hair this short, but because it looks like a normal haircut now. She said that I'd have to come back in a couple of month because my right side had been cut so much shorter than my left, and by then she could cut it all back again and it would be even.

I enjoyed my experience immensely. Brea was quiet but attentive, she was fast (I was out in under 45 minutes), and respectful of my situation. For example, when I asked her about how often I should be getting my hair cut, she said 6-8 weeks, but that it depends of schedule, family, work, and budget, and that an exact time line doesn't work for everyone. I thought it was one of the most realistic things I've had a stylist say, especially one in a pricey salon.

I will absolutely go back and I'm happy that I'm headed in a good hair direction.