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Thanks to Henry De La Paz at the Platinum Hair Salon, I've finally got what one could consider B.A.N.G.in' Hair -- that is Bad Ass New York Gal Hair! THANK THE LORD FOR SMALL FAVORS!
You all have been following my hair trauma for what seems like months (lets face it -- years!) now, with my last trauma being the ever so disastrous Red Hair experiment at a top anonylicarimous salon here in the city, where I had asked for a sort of Rita Hayworth Red and came out with a darker version of Ronald McDonald. Not Fun! At All.
But today, as luck would have it, yours truly happened upon not only her new favorite Hair Salon but also her new favorite Hairdresser, Henry! As in "The Henry Who Did A Certain Best Actress' Hair For The Oscars"! Here is the long blog version of how it happened:
I was on my way home from the studio on Wednesday night but was having a disaster of a time of a time. First, my Dames rehearsal went a bit awry giving me a headache so bad I went for a milkshake with wine after. It was just an unorganized hot mess. 2nd, after waiting for the train for over a half hour, I was all absorbed into studying the score for our new song that I totally ended up at The South Ferry, and then had to take the train back uptown to switch to a Brooklyn bound train! AARRRGH! By the time I got uptown and was ready to switch, the door was closing before I got out and so I stuck the sheet music in to stop it -- but it closed regardless -- thereby getting my music stuck in the subway door as it progressed past my stop! So I had to take the train further to 14th Street. By the time I arrived there I really had to relieve myself, so I decided to pop over to one of My Future Husband's Apartments to visit his Wash Room. In which case, he had company, which further led to my being there quite late enjoying the most interesting conversation about all the perfection of the Norwegian/Swede Life, and this led me to directly feel terribly slumberous....so I slept over.
I awake Thursday Morning -- bouncing out and about by 11am, whereby I had a few soft-boiled eggs to get my day started and then decided that since I was in the neighborhood I would go to a few favorite stores to dilly-dally before dance class. This brought me up to 23rd Street where I stopped into one of my favorite vintage stores, The Family Jewels. It was here that the ever so delightful and quite beautiful Laura Citron helped me with my wardrobe ideas for The Dames. This conversation inevitably leading to "my hair".
After I replayed the details of my current situation, (which by the way, she agreed looks fine but is NOT vintage at all!) my question to her (and she has GREAT hair!) was simple: Do you know any stylists who just "get it" when it comes to this sort of look I'm going for?
Her Reply? "Right next door at Platinum -- they are great! You should go over there and talk to them!"
(I digress: This is the really cool - yet incredibly frustrating thing about NYC. You can literally find great jewels / opportunity out of nowhere, by accident or by luck, and get things done wondrously by people you have never heard of and yet, literally feel like a jacka** for going to someplace "reknowned" or "talked up" -- coming out with only a burnt scalp, for example! So much in this city depends on pure luck, which is directly tied to your attitude and openness. To make things easier, NYC is the toughest place in the world to remain positive and open ... yet, had I not opened up to Miss Citron, and had she not been nice, well I would have never......you see where this is going?)
Anyhoo, after we concluded our little chat, I went directly next door and popped over for a "consult".
First, right away I could feel the good energy. For one they have screen siren sequined drapes decorating what is otherwise a clean cut / spare space. In many ways this salon appears at a glance like so many other pedestrian salons spotted in the city -- but let me tell you from experience, there is nothing pedestrian about the stylists. The Desk Receptionist (whose name I sorrowfully forget but will get asap!) was an absolute doll... I told him the 5 or 15 min version of my trauma and he got it right away - agreeing that "yes, this is not at all 30's/40's but more 80's/90's. And further, it's not a hair color red!" He said he had just the guy in mind for me -- and to have a seat and I would get a FREE consultation! YAY! I'm thrilled.
So I waited like 3 minutes (not even 5) and up comes this young, handsome guy who just had a beaming smile, whisking me away into his chair to chat it up! Immediately I warn him: I am patently horrific at communicating my ideas to hairstylists and to please use his good beauty school brain to figure out what I mean. I then go on to describe the what and whys of my hair ("trying to get a style that would fit in with the Dames", blah, blah). To which he looks at a few pictures, gives me his insight as to what could look good and THEN spotting my tentativeness goes and gets a huge book of hair pieces in all colors to look through! IMAGINE: actually seeing a few examples of the colors on "hair"! Of course I got the requisite warning that it won't be "exactly the same" (but who cares!) but at the very least we could look at the same color and I could go -- NO, YES, NO, YES, YES! It really gives you more to talk about -- and we can at least, given no one is color blind, be seeing near to the same thing. In fact, this leads me to a little bit of Advice to Obey: It should be a RULE that every hairdresser must whip this little illustration board out for any sort of drastic changes!
We decided on what we liked and then I asked how long I should wait in order for my hair to be healthy enough to do this -- and he replied that my hair was straight and strong, and that I really didn't have to wait, but that it was up to me.
Excited that I had a man with a plan I decided to just fore-go groceries for a few weeks and get my hair fixed PRONTO! Let me start by saying that the product line they used was wonderful! An Italian Brand, the lightening process was absolutely painless -- this after the little anonymous salon nearly put scars in my scalp -- and they didn't even lighten my hair! After my hair reached a brilliant orange - yellow (about 30 minutes) it was time for a rinse out of the lightener and the first application of color -- a vibrant red-gold-copper (level 7/8). After about another 20 minutes or so, we went for a rinse and our first color check, then back to the sink for an apricot-toffee glaze to deepen it a bit. Another 15 minutes and voila! I am a brilliant Red-Haired Broad -- right up the Madame's alley! I LOVE IT!
Not only did I get a color I love and not only does my hair and scalp feel great, but Henry was just a dream! Social yet Focused. Talented and Attentive. He also made sure to massage my very tense neck and even brought me tea! Then, come to find out, he just did Miss Best Actress' hair and travels between more than a few cities to work his magic. On top of that he also has a talent for fashion design and designs gorgeous dresses! And he's interested in The Lady Dames! Does it get any better? Well yes! Every other stylist, receptionist, assistant etc that I came into contact with was equally nice and professional! Plus, head after head of gorgeous hair came and went as I sat in my chair! Oh, and I was out in under 3 hours -- I wasn't really watching the clock but it may have even been in under 2! This sure beats the six grueling hours from my last little hair excursion! And the price? Well, even with a well deserved tip it was under $200! A STEAL and ya know it really felt good to spend!
Looks like the Good Hair Fairy is blowing some magical hair luck my way -- she must be tired of my bad hair too! Finally, I have found a salon to be faithful to and a hairdresser I can't wait to see -- what more could a gal want?
Stay tuned for more on Henry specifically in our Man About Town Column (coming in the next few weeks). Until then, go make an Appointment at Platinum -- Now!
I (HEART) My Hair!
Madame B.
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