Amongst those who know me, I am notorious for taking an incredibly lazy approach to self-presentation, letting my political and cultural critiques come in the way of maintenance. A testament to this, for over a year my hair was set free to grow, yet I refused to buy a comb, and would only pile the resulting rat's nest of split ends on top of my head in a massive clip. A few days ago, on impulse, I cut 13 inches off at a low-key salon in Brooklyn, which filled me with joy for all of maybe one or two days at best. Then the love faded. My hair was clearly Dull, which for its price, and the fact alone that someone was paid too do something so unbelievably low on my list of priorities, simply would not do. This cut managed to spark a change, though...
So I went to Arrojo yesterday morning, again on impulse and out of laziness, as I work in the same building. Tatum, my stylist, had an immediate flurry of ideas based on my incredibly imprecise hopes ("Um, so, kind of architectural, maybe, but, you know, still feminine? A symmetrical is good, of course, and just, uh, different, you know, like everyone probably asks for?"). He knew just how to compliment the shape of my face, texture of my hair, and personality, handled a razor with a supple wrist and flair, and was constantly open to my haphazard vetoes ("Um, can we, uh, you know, have more of a sharp angle or something?"). This is one incredibly talented and creative man- he had me absolutely shimmering over my haircut, gurgling with laughs for the rest of the day and up on through this morning! I've been receiving so many compliments already, I feel like a walking blushing cheek.
Thanks to Tatum, my hair is refined and unique, elegant and playful, cut with precision and detailed sculpting. Not once have I come away from a haircut actually feeling relieved and truly comfortable in my appearance, until yesterday. He totally spoiled me with his southern charm, absolute excitement about his craft, and skill, and now I doubt I'll ever be able to settle for less. He's permanently changed my mind- a feat few can accomplish- about hair styling.
Additionally, the studio itself, for all Nick Arrojo's What Not To Wear fame, the awards, and experience of their master stylists, was incredibly relaxed, unpretentious, just downright welcoming, and their discounts are killer. read more