Review- Hair Date Salon in New York City (East Village)

Packed among high priced/high end salons in the East Village is a great spot to have a very satisfying high end experience at a very low price! I have never written about a salon or stylist on Beautifile before because I have bounced around from place to place trying to find the right combination of customer service, attention to detail, expertise and price. Let's put it this way, in the past I've paid four times the amount elsewhere and received about one-fifth of the service at best... sadly... But now I am a dedicated client of Hair Date. My boyfriend has been to see Veronica (proprietor of Hair Date) on many occasions, even before she opened this salon. He has consistently returned to her for every hair cut since he's moved to New York, and I can see why.*

I spoke to Veronica several weeks ago while she cut his hair about wanting to do something drastic with my look. I've spent the past five years with jet blue-black home-dyed hair and I was ready for a change. What I really wanted was something close enough to my natural color that I could grow it out with no roots. Several master colorists told me this feat was impossible, that I would either have to grow my hair out (and suffer the nightmare of two-tone hair for 6+ months) or cut it brutally short. They told me horror stories of bald patches and hair with the consistency of a brillo pad. Needless to say, I was really depressed about being stuck with black hair. On top of this, in the past I'd had a bad salon coloring experience that left my hair bright orange and my brain SHOCKED, so I was feeling stuck. I decided to talk to Veronica about my dilemma and she was so knowledgeable! She suggested stripping as much color as possible and using a semi-permanent dye to reach as close to my natural color as possible, and assured me that it could be done with minimal damage. After talking this over with her I felt confident in her work, and as soon as some roots showed, I made my appointment.

I really wish I had a great camera to show everyone some amazing before-after photos (and maybe I can update later when I get some good outdoor lighting to show the detail), because while I spent a good few hours terrified my hair would fry off my head, I left with a nice natural looking highlighted brown color. What I was told was impossible by others came out fantastic, I couldn't have asked for a better outcome. My hair is even touchably soft, when I thought it would end up being as dried out as bale of hay. Not only was the color work great, but Veronica also trimmed my hair (and my super fussy bangs-from-hell) and gave it the exact amount of body I wanted.

There are so many fun/cool/awesome things about this salon that I can't possible cover them all in this little entry. For a few, the shampoos are amazing and sudsy and feel grrrreat. The space is insanely clean and organized. It's also aesthetically beautiful and crisp looking inside with an awesome birch branch accent in the manicure area. The space is quiet, comfortable and relaxing. Every employee is extremely friendly, no pretentiousness or snobbery. When I candidly told Veronica that I have a skin condition that sometimes causes my scalp to blister and peel, they took amazing extra measures to protect my scalp and to painstakingly work around the delicate areas on my head that could be damaged. The prices are ridiculously reasonable (see below) and the attention you receive is amazing (you even get a little shoulder massage!). Everyone came in with a smile and left with a bigger smile. I felt like I was fawned over and well taken care of. I would recommend this salon to anyone, you'll leave as a dedicated client and with a wad of extra cash in your pocket to spend on other fun things!

See below for the Hair Date website for full information and prices, but for now here is a brief list of the prices for a few select things they offer:
Hair cut: $45-60
Bang trim: $10
Color retouch: $75
Single process: $85+
Gloss: $30
Body perm: $85-150
(these are obviously subject to change over time)

Hair Date is located at 329 Bowery (between 2nd & 3rd street) in Manhattan. (212)228-8381 website here
Business hours: 7 days per week, 11 am - 9 pm

I highly recommend anyone looking for a new cut (or dye, or perm, or manicure!) stop by Hair Date and give them a try. I don't think you will be disappointed. This is a true find in NYC.

(*if you dig carefully, you will see his picture on their website!)

Review -Clairol Natural Instincts Loving Care Color

Natural Instincts Loving Care gives you natural-looking, illuminating hair color that leaves even fine or thinning hair looking full. Gently blend away your gray—and get volume that’s hard to resist!
natural-looking, illuminating color to flatter your skin tone
gentle formula with no ammonia or peroxide
subtle gray coverage from a one-step application
now with revitalizing conditioner!

I have used many brands and types of coloring in my hair. I have ruined my hair several times with my experimenting. However, for the last several years I have become addicted to this Loving Care coloring. It is very simple - doesn't take long - and best of all it works. The only problem I discovered from past mistakes is that I have to use an "Ash" in whatever color I select or I will look like a carrot. I have medium to dark brown hair and I must have the most red highlights under the color. If I do not utilize the 'ash' to control the red -- it is a flaming red. . . nothing attractive about it. I thought as I got white hairs -- now I won't have to worry -- the hair is white so I went to a color without the ash-toning. Yikes, the white turned red!! Ok, I give up -- no more fooling around -- only Ash colors for this fiery brown - white head of hair. One nice side effect is that it does add a little texture to the hair -- seems like you have a bit more body. It has no peroxide or bleach so I hope feel pretty comfortable with it and it lasts through several shampoos. The price is very reasonable at you local Walmart or CVS, etc. Also, look for coupons -- they are available. I have discovered some of the best coupons on EBay.

Review - Garnier Fructis

Each Garnier Fructis product is enriched with active natural ingredients, specially selected to give your hair the nourishing care it needs to look healthy every day.

Ok, so I tried to find the specific Garnier Fructis product that I tried really recently. It is the Length and Strength Leave in Conditioner. Unfortunately, I could not find an image of it on the internet, anywhere. Do check out their website though, it won't tell you specifically about ANY products, but it has nifty hints and tips about your hair, and which products might be wonderful for your hair-type. So ultimately I decided that I would just write an ode to my favorite product brand ever. It is relatively inexpensive, and awesome. I currently use their hair color, it isn't quite as natural as some other types, but it doesn't break my hair and it is always shiny and bright. I do a very light blond color and it never fades even if I let it go for a long time. I also use their shampoo and conditioners, all of them, and they make my hair smell awesome and look brighter and shinier than pretty much any other kind. The Length and Strength Leave in Conditioner is what I tried most recently, and it was really great for my hair. It even seems to repair the already there split ends, and makes my hair straighter even if I don't straighten it. It smells a little funky, but it doesn't stay for long. It also doesn't muck up your hands like some other leave-ins can. Also, my boyfriend saw me getting all of my many bottles of products out to look at them and fight with the computer, and it turns out that he uses my Sleek and Shine Leave In Conditioning Cream for his hair. Let me tell you his hair is really hard to handle, it is super curly and puffy and adorable, but he says that this stuff is the only thing that will make it calm down and look managed for the whole day. All in all I just really like this brand, they are consistently wonderful and amazing in every way.