Been a client since April 2019 - the salon is always clean and appointments run on time. I see Madi for my color and she is honestly one of the best I have ever had. I have been getting highlights since I was in the 8th grade! A little over 10 years, I highly recommend her and the Arrojo salon for your hair care needs! read more

Very pleased with Eve's coloring and subtle highlights if my very curly medium brown hair. She rid me of gray roots with a warm and rich brown then added some touches of honey and caramel here and there for a lovely summer sun-kissed look. Looking forward to a Fall season update!! Hoping to find a stylist who will give me a cut to match. Oh, and the food is good too. read more

This is my second time at arrojó for color with Ariana who has been coloring my hair for a few years and WOW! Not only is she so kind, professional and pays great attention to detail but she also never ceases to blow me away with her coloring skills. I have curly hair so getting balayage and ombré to look good on curls is a challenge in itself. She always provides me with exactly what I'm looking for (which is usually some sort of blonde or brown balayage) without damaging my curls. My hair always comes out looking really healthy, full of texture, bounce and vibrant. Highly recommend this gem beyond her years. read more

Arrojo Studio - Hair Salons Near Me - New York, New York

There is a nothing more powerful than a confident woman and every time I walk away from Taramarie's chair, I feel confident. Taramarie has done my hair for years; I am forever changing my color and never making her job easy but she always manages to keep me content. She has corrected other stylists mishaps, taken me from dark to light and everything in between and I can honestly say that I am always happy. She is a true artist and beyond that she listens to what I'm asking of her, and offers me her expertise. Our conversations are always a pleasure- I never take the time to write reviews but I am so grateful for the way Taramarie makes me feel about myself time and again that I felt compelled. Go see Taramarie... I promise you will not be sorry! read more

Arrojo Studio - Hair Salons Near Me - New York, New York

Arrojo is so cute! Beyond it being a bright, modern clean space, I have a bomb stylist- her name is Dayna. Dayna is soo sweet and not overly chatty, unless that's clearly what you want - she's good at reading the signs. I felt instantly comfortable with her, she's funny, and I look forward to seeing her. Okay okay, blah blah let's talk about hair. She does a fantastic job and actually listens to what you want. She has years of experience and if you want to play it safe, she digs that and will abide by it - but she is also down to get funky with the cuts and can offer some suggestions. She also suggested some products for me the last couple of times that I was there that I love. I don't always go for this because I fear the huge price tags but honestly they're very affordable, have helped bring out my natural curl more (along with the great cut) help in the hydration department and smell like a dream. Overall, you can tell that she loves what she does and Dayna is an all around awesome gal. Need a new stylist ? Check out Dayna. Arrojo is lucky to have her on the team! read more

Been getting my hair cut and colored at Arrojo for 2 years and have always had wonderful experiences. I go to Corrinn for cut and receive a consistently great cut and style every single time. She's meticulous and is always extremely detail oriented. Megara does beautiful color and my balayage is looking PHRESH 3 months later. Not only am i always pleased with my hair, but I get complimented on both cut and color frequently at work, so I always refer people to Arrojo. Only con is that it's a little noisy in the SOHO salon and sometimes there's chair switching which isn't seamless, but the service is always great so I don't mind. read more

Arrojo Studio - Hair Salons Near Me - New York, New York

I preface this post saying that I NEVER write reviews.... I tried Arrojo for a walk-in full highlights and cut last week. I am always crunched for time trying to schedule haircuts so far in advanced I figured Arrojo was a safe bet. My colorist Noelle did a fabulous job. I actually had my hair highlighted by her once before- she is careful about knowing what you want vs what is realistic for your hair and the color LASTS a fair amount of washes! Would highly recommend. I had my haircut by a different stylist and asked for an inch-2 inches cut around where my current existing layers were- just wanted to get the dead ends off. I have fine hair and I made the mistake once before by not explicitly telling the stylist that my layers need to be BLENDED otherwise my hair looks choppy.... but figuring Arrojo is well established my stylist should understand that. I am so upset with my haircut. I can't wait for it to grow out. I'm not sure if there are any alternatives to save it. When the stylist blows out your hair- it usually disguises how the ends look cut but now that it's been a few days (i wear my hair straight and simple) it's very obvious how choppy it looks. Be careful who you go to! read more

Arrojo Studio - Hair Salons Near Me - New York, New York

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Nick is a wizard. He gave me a fairly dramatic change in my haircut. Interestingly not that many people have commented - BUT those who did are - every last one - "cool girls" - you know, super fashionable, impeccable taste, they've got everything always on point regardless of day or time of day. AND the boys seem to love it, just sayin. read more

Love this salon. Love Brittany Simone. She is THE girl. And such a sweetheart.. Been in the city 9 years now and have tried TONS of salons. The most expensive places with the "best" people who you have to book months in advance and I was still never happy with my color. Once I found Brit I refused to let anyone else touch my hair. She is the most talented colorist you will find. (Not to mention her amazing cuts/styling) Swear on my life. read more

Arrojo Studio - Hair Salons Near Me - New York, New York

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I needed my hair cut and colored in a pinch and Sima scheduled me same-day when she had an unexpected opening. Sima is a very special colorist; she gave me gorgeous color that only gets more dimensional and sun-kissed as it wears (this review is 2.5 weeks after my service). I cannot recommend her enough! The best part was that she did all of her incredible balayage work swiftly (I will sit in a chair for 4 hours for great color- but with Sima I don't have to). The cherry on top: Sima is amazing to talk to. Intelligent, energetic and lovely. I will be returning to her 100%. Sima recommended Gia to me for a haircut and coordinated my appointments to flow back-to-Back. Gia consulted with me and realized that I have always wanted to take the sides of my hair shorter- which is true! I feel like other stylists have been wary to do this because it is a serious *look* but Gia confidently brought my hair to celebrity-level fierceness. She styled my so that I could walk out into my Friday evening (and Saturday and Sunday) with bouncing, beautiful, perfectly coiffed locks. I STRONGLY RECOMMEND SIMA FOR COLOR AND GIA FOR A CUT AT ARROJO. Also, seeing Mr. Arrojo himself is always a pleasure. read more

Arrojo Studio - Hair Salons Near Me - New York, New York

Tina. Gives. Good. Hair. I loved my experiences with Tina! She was the one to cut my hair into a totally new style, and I love her for it. read more

Taramarie is a natural talent like no other- the BEST colorist I've ever met! She is simply revolutionary and a visionary! Master of her craft she's bound for Celebrity Status - get to her while you can to experience for yourself!! ‍ read more

Arrojo Studio - Taramarie Nocera - NYC Colorist @ Arrojo Studio Soho - Hair Salons Near Me - New York, New York

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I am always happy seeing Georgia. Her personality .. her uplifted spirits make my hair appointment above the top.. I am so thankful for having Georgia as my stylist.. she will always be my hair guru .. Loving my fresh cut .. she rocs .. love my girl read more

Haven't been here in a couple of years and thought I would try it again this weekend was disappointed from beginning to end. I arrived on time for my appointment but was unable to check in due to one employee on the phone and another one helping another customer. There was no one in the coat check area so I went to the cafe and the guy behind the counter was far more interested in straightening out the Saran wrap on the arugula then taking my order or communicating in any sort of fashion I was assigned to Tessa and she was running late with no explanation of when she would be ready. I went into extreme detail as to what kind of color I wanted including pictures of what I like and pictures of what I didn't like. when the color was done it looked nothing like the photo . when I told her that I was disappointed, she became very short with me and defensive. As if I had hurt her feelings. She was incredibly reluctant to accommodate my request. It's not like I had left the salon and wanted redo a month later. I told her immediately. Most hairstylist want to be told immediately if there's a problem so they can fix it and not lose a client. For a $200 color job I was really shocked that she was no longer friendly and accusing me of not looking at the color of the way she was looking at it. she said that the photo I showed her had a color filter on it. Could she not have told me this before starting the process? And even if the picture had been run through Photoshop, why couldn't that color be achieved through mixing chemicals. I asked her why the two lines of Goldwell color couldn't be mixed together and she said it's because of the chemical??? What kind of answer is that? And then she explained to maintain the color I should get a shampoo that doesn't have sulfates. Well I can buy a shampoo at CVS that doesn't have sulfate. Then she kept mixing up the terms of soap and detergent as if they were the same thing. The haircut was fine. So Two stars out of five for that. But now I know why I stopped coming here. I think the salon is focusing too much on the Williamsburg location and not enough on Soho. read more

1 star is being generous. This salon is staffed with delusional colorist who do not listen to their clients. I have spent 3 months, countless hours in the chair and hundreds upon hundreds of dollars trying to achieve a platinum white and each time the colorist ignores my requests and then behaves as if "we" have achieved what "we" want; a warm honey blonde. The many photos I've come prepared with could not be more clear. Even when a manager steps in the colorists are tone deaf. I've been a client at Arrojo for many years and ever since my colorist moved away earlier this year this salon has caused me and my wallet nothing but stress and frustration. Unless you're looking for a basic and boring hair color or style I recommend you save your money and your time. read more

I have been going to Arrojo for years. I have never had a bad experience and always leave the salon feeling my best. I see Tara Marie for color and Christina for my cut. I love them both and know that they will always be able to decode what I am asking for (what I ask for and what I want are not always the same!!). I refer everyone I know to them and would highly encourage them to all looking for a fresh color & cut! read more

I've had my hair cut a couple of months ago and in really liked it. I will go back to get a colo. The people who work here are so nice. The location is great. The facilities are clean I will back!!! read more

Joanna does the coolest hair styles. I've had the same haircut style my whole life. Bad version of it! until Joanna did exactly what I had always envisioned but never really got. I've been going to her for about 3 years now and I've seen other cuts she's done to other people and they are all the best versions of them. Check out her Instagram @joannatruminohair read more

Do NOT go to this place ! I have been there 4 times over the last 6 years, and each time the students get worse and worse. The instructors are no where to be found, so you are left in the hands of total beginners. The school cost $20K/year, and honestly, for the public and students--you'd be better off going to just any beauty school for services and classes. read more

I've been here multiple times and those times have been the best experiences ever, I do my hair with JOANNA and she is amazing, I trust her with my eyes closed, I can show her two pictures of the haircut or hairstyle I want and Bam, she works my hair on her own way, always detailing, when you think is done, nope there's always more, the way she works the details is so satisfactory and the results are always the AWESOME!!! I also do my color with BRITTANY, and OMG, my color last so long and not only that, once it starts washing out, the color just turns better and better, it last so long and again the results are amazing! She adds her own magic and Bam! You walk out looking like a rock star THANK YOU LADIES!! read more

I've been going to Brittany for years and followed her here from another salon. I could never trust anyone else with my color whether a single process to touch up my roots or a full balayage, the result is perfect every time! read more

JOANNA TRUMINO IS WONDERFUL. She is the most amazing hair cutter ever. She makes my hair sexy and voluminous and super flattering for my face. Highly highly recommend!!!! read more

My review is for Tina, who has been doing my hair for about a year now and is now the *only* person allowed to do my hair - she is that good. I came to Arrojo for tape-in hair extensions for a wedding last summer, but when I saw how great they looked and felt, I was hooked for the long run. I've had a bunch of different lengths done with Tina, as well as many sessions to re-set the tape as my hair grew out. She also trims my hair with the extensions and always blends them beautifully. Besides her skill and eye for the details involving hair, Tina is just absolutely wonderful to be around. She's fun, smart, sweet, respectful, and truly talented at what she does! You won't be disappointed when you come to this salon, ESPECIALLY not in Tina's chair. read more

I have been coming to Arrojo for education for over a decade now and it's still the best place to go. It's where the hairdressers go to keep up with their skill set. I recommend any hairdresser or student who is serious about their craft to look into Arrojo education. read more

I love Arrojo! I've been going for my platinum double process for the past year and I've never been disappointed. I see Madi regularly and she is very detail oriented, thorough and super friendly. Going to a new place for a double process is really scary because platinum hair can be tricky, so I'm glad I found this salon when I did. I highly recommend! read more

Tina is now at Prema in LES ! Looking forward to visiting her at this location. She is amazing - will always recommend

Really disappointed with my color. I came in for pinkish blonde highlights and ended up with some red looking washed out color. Placement was terrible. When I contacted them, all they could offer was a clarifying shampoo, gee thanks! Would never be returning, this was a waste of money and I have to now go to another salon to get this fixed. I am literally embarrassed of my hair. read more

Because I'm a blonde, I'm so specific about my hair color. I always get my color done by Tara Marie. She is Incredible !!!!! My color always looks fantastic after she's done it. She always listens and does exactly what I want and gives great advice about what services to book next time! She's also a fun, awesome person! The salon is also fantastic. So sleek and professional and with fun chill vibe. The desk staff is always wonderful to work with when scheduling/ rescheduling appointments and such. I've also gotten my hair cut by Gia and Veronica and loved their work too! Can not recommend this salon and Tara more!! read more

Preface: The hair gods were smiling on me, so I got everything below for free. I had the opportunity to step in as a "hair model" for an Arrojo class for visiting hairdressers, taught by Nick and some of his team. I knew that I'd need to be open-minded in terms letting Nick demonstrate the cut he wanted to for the class. Bring it on! I've always been a hair chameleon and hello: Nick's a visionary. Aside from his work as a TV personality, he's built a thriving empire in the midst of challenging times -- including a studio, a full range of products, comprehensive education / cosmetology programs and presence on social media channels. In other words, he can get his hands on my hair anytime! Of course, you probably also know that KRey's nothing if not a pushover for bearded, flirty, foreign men in the service industry, so I was done before I stepped in the doors ;-) I digress...I went in twice the week ahead of my cut. First up was a consultation with Nick (to give him a sense of what my hair's like, as opposed to a normal consult in which he'd assess what the client wanted). Next, I was booked for complimentary highlights with Ashley. She's technically a "stylist" (relatively junior in their food chain), but Nick trusts her and it's clear why. Ashley was precise, personable and artful. She took her time, sectioned my hair and removed the foils / shampooed my tresses at different times as she felt they were finished, as opposed to all at once. Highlights and a blow dry with her are approx. $115 (pre-tip). Not "cheap," but I'd say she's a great value considering their new hires are selected from an intense (22 month!) training program. So Ashley spent more time in Nick's school than my husband did getting his master's..I'd say she's well-qualified :-) Finally, the day came for the big cut. It was quite an experience to be seated in front of a few dozen professionals who'd come to watch Nick & co. do their thing. I saw several innovative / edgy cuts and styles demonstrated. Most of the talk was way beyond my level of comprehension, but I've had fun showing off my "undercut," bang-a-liscious bob (complete with super-short, hidden pieces under longer ones to eliminate bulk and help hair to move better). Even though they didn't owe me a thing, after my hair was styled in a fashion-forward way (read: not appropriate for everyday life) Nick personally offered to flat-iron it during the class break so I could leave with a more wearable style I'd be confident showing off. A man who commands $500-a-cut took the time to make sure I (Ms.-wasn't-giving-them-a-dime) was pleased! Obviously, I'm now predisposed to drink the Kool-Aid, but I eyed their clientele during my three visits and saw one contemporary, creative style walk out after another. And although you'll see lots of tattoos, tight jeans, piercings and "out-there" looks from the staff, everyone was down-to-earth and client-focused. If you can book a cut with Nick, go for it, but otherwise rest assured that everyone there is well-equipped to give your look an update and make you feel sensational. read more

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Christina has cut my hair for years. She is amazing and the only one I trust to do it. She's remarkably talented and a delight to spend time with. It's never the dreaded small talk, it's always a fun conversation while she's beautifying my locks! read more

Taramarie is a stellar addition to this always reliably-great salon! She has done amazingly gorgeous highlights two times for me and not only is she talented in her skills and execution but she is an extremely nice and down to earth person. I recommend her highly for hair color. She has now become my go-to colorist! The salon is also comfortable, spacious, has a friendly staff and conveniently located to the 1 train. This time I went "pink" with two different fashion colors. Taramarie did an awesome job. Her talent, creativity and open mindedness are so appreciated in the world of color. I'm so happy I discovered her and you will be too! read more

Arrojo Studio - Hair Salons Near Me - New York, New York

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Ok, so, after talking with friends and other stylists, I really feel like I need to write this review as a warning. I've never gone to any salon and left so devastated before. I really just don't want what happened to me to happen to anyone else. I came here with pink hair and was basically just looking to get my roots done and the color touched up all over. What I left with was a nightmare. While processing, I told my stylist multiple times that my hair hurt to an almost unbearable level. Instead of immediately rinsing me, I was told to try and take my mind off the pain. In the end, I left with severe chemical burns and a literal open wound on my forehead that I am hoping will not end up being a permanent scar. My entire scalp was on fire for a week after with intense scabbing, and I basically had to live in coconut oil for a week. What happened when I called the salon about this issue? I was told it was my fault and that this is normal. Guys, this is NOT NORMAL. I should also mention that I was not seeing a student but a senior stylist (who I won't name). This place is also kind-of manic. There are too many stylists and customers for a small area with only a couple of sinks - leading to customers lining up to wait for sinks. Honestly, with the prices, I would expect to feel less like I'm in a car wash. Speaking of pricing: think you're just going in for a double process? Think again. Want color that won't fade immediately? That'll cost extra. Want to make sure your hair is in decent condition when you leave? That'll be another $50. Want a decent blowout even though you're already spending over $300? Also, extra. To top it all off, their capes completely do not work. I left with the entire back of my dress dyed pink and now ruined. And considering I walked around without my cape before I left, I'm sure people who worked there noticed and just decided not to tell me. I can't express how much I recommend avoiding this place at all costs. It's one of the more expensive salons I've gone to in the city and definitely the worst. read more

If you are willing to help a salon pay rent for a prestigious location by donating big bucks and sacrificing your hair - Arrojo Soho is the place for you. Personally, I would have preferred the excellent services advertised on Arrojo's website--but as they say: man makes plans, God laughs. Someone was definitely laughing the day I got my hair cut--and it certainly wasn't me. The haircut done by Grace made my hair look like a homeless man's underarm. Needless to say, this was not the plan. I showed her a picture of the hairstyle that I wanted (a girl's hair from a random Instagram post) and she assured me that my hair would match the photo. Suffice to say: it didn't, and still doesn't, and it won't until I grow my hair at least 4 inches. At the beginning of the cut, I saw what she was doing and desperately tried to intervene. I told her that it was coming out too short. "Trust me," she answered. "It will look just like the picture." I looked like a "picture," all right--with shaggy hair and a crying red face. Yes, I admit it: I cried at the salon. I couldn't help myself because I was realizing that I will have to grow my hair out for months just to start over and pay more money to get what I originally requested. I also wanted to get ombré (I dreamed about it for like half a year), but when the hair painter saw my hair my dream went down the toilet - my hair was too short for ombré. The hair coloring that should have been a work of art ended up being a rescue mission... I paid $300 for this disaster and wasn't even offered a discount. Instead, I was offered a bottle of skin lotion. They would have done better to offer me a bottle of whiskey, to be honest - that's how devastated I was. I'd love to believe that Arrojo is everything it makes itself out to be--but it's very difficult considering that every time I look in the mirror I'm reminded of that catastrophic day. read more

I really wanted to like this place by unfortunately I don't. I had John for my haircut. He was very unprofessional and I hate my new haircut. I had an appointment at 1:45 and it was right after my best friend's appointment. I came a little early and I saw her new haircut and I loved it so I was really excited to get my haircut. However, when he began cutting my hair, some other guy sat down next to me. He literally stopped and he began cutting the other guy's hair. He apologized but didn't offer any explanation. I thought it was very unprofessional of him to do that. Also, I don't have naturally straight hair and he didn't blow dry it straight. When he was finished I asked him to blow dry it straight and he kinda gave me an attitude. On top of all this I hate my new haircut. I'm not quite sure if I'll come back to this place. He gave my bestie a stellar haircut but unfortunately not me. I only have myself to blame since I didn't give him very specific instructions. read more

Get the American Wave perm if you want your hair to smell like a skunk FOR WEEKS. Formerly a loyal Arrojo client here, until they messed up my American Wave 8 days ago and consequently, my hair has REEKED so terribly and washing it 3x a day everyday has NOT helped the stench one bit. Let me start from the f**k up: The American Wave process begins with raising the pH of your hair to open up the cuticles and let the chemicals set in. Then they're supposed to rinse it all out, and then they lower the pH of your hair to close the cuticles back up. My stylist DID NOT rinse my hair thoroughly enough, so there were still pungent chemicals in my hair when she closed my cuticles and essentially locked the smell in my hair. Proof #1: After the rinsing step, the back of my dress got completely soaked, so my stylist removed their protective black cloak and she asked another stylist to handwash my dress and put it in the dryer. Droplets from my wet hair hit my dress, and the stains were BROWN. If she had rinsed my hair thoroughly, the droplets should have been clear. Yet the other stylist had to handwash my dress to make sure it was spotless. So yes, my hair was dripping brown drops. Proof #2: When she blotted my hair with paper towels, some towels came back with brown stains. So yes, my stylist did not rinse the chemicals thoroughly, and now the pungent stench is TRAPPED in my hair. I have washed my hair with apple cider vinegar, with lemon, with Dawn dish soap, and NOTHING had alleviated this horrid stench. When I got on a plane, the person next to me complained about the sulfur smell of my hair. When I saw my cat, she got one whiff of my hair and BOLTED away from me, terrified (which is the same reaction she had when she smelled a skunk). The offensive perm smell has seeped into all my clothes, my fur coat, my pillows, my sofa, I CAN'T GET AWAY FROM THIS SMELL. I am tempted to shave off my entire head. This American Wave perm is the BIGGEST MISTAKE OF MY LIFE. I just want to smell neutral again, but I fear this smell is with me until I cut everything off. One thing has helped SLIGHTLY: my effort to undo the perm as best I can. Since the problem is that the smell & chemicals are trapped in my cuticles, I tried opening my cuticles back up by raising the pH with baking soda. I used an entire box of baking soda on my head and let it soak it up for 30 min. Then I rinsed, and then lowered the pH back down using apple cider vinegar. This helped the smell a little bit. However, it has also undone the curls from the perm. So the $650 I spent on the cut, the perm, and products has been flushed down the toilet, but at this point I don't even care--I just want the horrible smell to go away!!!! Unfortunately, when I washed my hair the next day, the pungent odor was back in full force. I couldn't even sleep because the perm smell woke me up. I truly fear that my hair is ruined. When I called Arrojo, my stylist said that the perm smell is "normal" but since I flew to a state many miles away, I can't just go back to the salon and SHOW them that this smell is NOT NORMAL. It's getting in the way of my relationships--my boyfriend doesn't want to bury his face in my hair anymore, my cat thinks a skunk has possessed my head, and strangers on the subway and on the plane complain about the smell. So no, this is not a slight "scent" this is an offensive odor that is trapped in my hair because they didn't rinse well enough! For the record, prior to this perm, I haven't colored or dyed my hair, I didn't use any products on it, and I didn't even blowdry it or use any heat tools. I had virgin hair, so there was nothing that could have reacted to the perm chemicals to cause such a stench. This is completely Arrojo's fault and now I have to either live with a skunk on my head, or go Furiosa and just shave it all off. So thanks for the $650 skunk, Arrojo. I'm never coming back and I made sure to tell all my friends about your American skunk perm. read more

I'm not hard to please. I've always been generally fine with the haircuts I've gotten for $65 from fancy stylists, for cheap from random ladies the Astor Place barber and for free from Bumble and Bumble and even from Arrojo's affiliated beauty school (even when they do take forever). It's just hair. If you fuck it up, I will fix it in my bathroom. That said, I'm through with getting haircuts and color from apprentices at Arrojo. $25 may be a cheap cut in New York, but it's still enough that the person cutting it should give a damn what I want my hair to look like, especially when I'm paying up front. Both times Arrojo apprentices have cut my hair, I've gotten haircuts that were not remotely similar to what I requested and not remotely good. They looked like old lady haircuts. Given that I am 26 and already have hipstery hair, that's pretty hard to manage. However, I will say that I had one great experience getting color done by a student in an advanced class. The student was not a salon apprentice, but was a teacher at the affiliated beauty school who happened to be training alongside the color apprentices. The other times weren't so pretty. Color experience #1: I show up with short bleached hair which the (also bleached-blonde) color apprentice plans to turn a light auburn. She starts but halfway through, after accidentally turning my head mauve, discovers that (whoops) red doesn't take to bleached hair well. She decides her only option is to put permanent dark brown dye over the whole thing. It looks sort of like a sheitel, but at least it's not mauve. Cut experience #1: Since my short and very thick hair is grown out, poofy, wiggy and shaggy, I tell the apprentice that I'd like a girlish pixie cut that's longish around my face, requires little maintenance and is thinned out a LOT with not much volume -- Michelle Williams-style. After a lifetime of careful cutting, I end up with a round, puffy bowl cut. The cut has taken so long that neither the apprentice nor his teacher has time to fix it. I go to another salon a few days later to get it fixed. Color experience #2: SUCCESS. A petite young woman named Kristin who has long bleached blonde hair and a soft, southern-ish voice confidently and professionally turns my again-platinum hair back to my natural color via a double process. After the coloring it is remarkably healthy-feeling and almost identical to my natural color after a few washes. If you get the chance, get your color done by Kristin. Cut experience #3: I tell this apprentice basically the same thing I told my first one: Cut it to 2 inches or so around the edges, keep some length around my face, remove the volume, and leave some movement and messiness. He then describes the cut he wants to give me, and since it sounds nothing like what I've requested, I tell him I'm not sure that's what I want. He interrupts: "Don't worry, it's gonna look good." He sits me down and, right after I remind him I want length around my face, snips the sideburn-area hair by my cheek to half an inch long. I tell him I wasn't expecting it to be that short; he replies, "don't worry, it's gonna look good." (This isn't the last time he says it.) He spends over an hour cutting all the hair around my entire head to that same length, while leaving a long floppy section on top -- sort of the white girl equivalent of a flat-top, or of that emo teenage boy bang. Eventually his teacher comes over and advises: "Time to go to plan B." At this point the apprentice sort of seems to give up, and for the next fifteen minutes the teacher rapidly slices out hunks from the flat-top with a razor until I almost have the haircut my mom had in 1992 (still better than what apprentice had given me). Apprentice then takes over and, with scissors, starts trimming the short parts again, insisting on finishing the details even after I ask him to stop. He says, "I'm sorry you don't like it," and when I tell him it is not remotely what I asked for and that I will fix it myself at home, he blames my instructions for the result. I try to explain how he can fix it for me, but he resists. As I leave, I can sense some "yikes, poor girl got her hair fucked up" looks from other stylists. I head home and fix the top and front so that it resembles the haircut Jean Seberg had in Breathless, albeit way too short on the sides and in back. I wonder why on earth an actual salon apprentice could not do what I, an idiot with scissors, did in her bathroom and vow not to return to Arrojo. read more

Let me just put it out there that Tina is a hair GODDESS!!! I've seen her twice now, and I might never let anybody else touch my hair again. She's the first stylist who's ever really listened to me when I said that I wanted to keep as much of my length as possible. That woman is a wizard with a razor... She most recently gave me an American Wave treatment (highly recommend, such a cool offering from Arrojo--lots more info on their website) and when I got home my roommate audibly squealed--it's to die for!!! She really makes dreams come true, plus chatting to her always makes the time fly by! Thanks Tina! read more

Was asked to be a hair model with a senior stylist. We scheduled for the next day at 1pm. A couple of hours way before the scheduled appointment I asked the stylist whether the haircut was free and the location of the salon. She texted back immediately telling me the address but did not address the price issue. I assumed it was free since I've done hair modeling before, and usually the service was free or they'll tell me way ahead of time. Half an hour before I arrived at the salon, I texted her again to make sure the service was complimentary. Again, no answer. Traveled 1.5 hours to the salon, got dressed, and was introduced to my stylist. She then told me how we had a "miscommunication" about the pricing of the service. She said she "thought I knew" and insisted that I pay the $25 for her "quality service since I'm a senior stylist." Umm... no, I texted you beforehand TWICE, but you chose to ignore my question. "You travelled all the way here anyway, so might as well pay for it," she said. Really?? You made me travel 1.5 hours as a way to convince me to pay for the service. No thank you, I rather you be honest with me in the beginning so we could save both of us the trouble. *Anything in quotes are her actual words read more

After five months as a hair model, I've had really good experiences at over twelve salons in the city. Two, however, did irreparable damage to my hair - Edris Salon & Arroyo. Granted, for those with non-wavy hair that use shampoo+conditioner in one, Arroyo is the cheap-man's godsend. For everyone else, go to a real salon that's not caught in a hair styling time-warp. Responding to a Craigslist ad for a free blowdry, I figured it's impossible to eff that up so I signed up. Unfortunately, Arroyo teaches their students the fine 1980's style of hair drying - high temperature hair dryer placed DIRECTLY ON the hair, combed out with PLASTIC bristle brushes (that tear and rip hair ends). For those with curly hair, this kills all the moisture in eternally dry follicles and adds frizz to your final look. So, after an hour of hair singeing, the trainer and stylist decided it was time to add volume to my hair by further blowdrying my already frizzed out split ends. I bolted out of that place and scheduled a conditioning treatment with my regular stylist. It was a noticeable mess and the trainer passed it off as their "style" of blow-drying and not once acknowledged that I was walking out the door with the "electrocuted" look. So, thanks Arroyo for the free blow-dry and the $75 bill in repair treatment it required. read more

Kermit said it's not easy being green. ha, I tell you, ha! Try being blonde, go ahead, I double dog dare you. Yeah, now I got Kermie crying in the corner, so what are you gonna do about it? Huh? I took the plunge last summer and went the color of my childhood dreams. As much as I love being a blonde, and those of you who know me well, know how ditzy I can be, the color is perfect for my personality. But, and of course there's always a but, being blonde is a bitch. There, I said it. The stylist who released my inner blonde and gave me fab color, decided to do something funky with my hair the next time I came in. She gave me brown roots. Sorry, but I don't want to look like something out of a coloring book, especially without my permission. So I went hunting for a new stylist. So I went hunting for a new stylist. So I went hunting for a new stylist. So I went hunting for a new stylist. Yeah, after awhile I felt like Goldilocks- no pun intended- one stylist gave me black roots, one stylist gave me crayon yellow hair. One stylist gave me great highlights but was afraid. One stylist ate all the roast beef and ran away home. Um Um Um I did go to Louis Licari and while I liked the highlights I got, the educator refused to allow the stylist to do my roots. Summer's here, my hair is growing and growing. What do I do??? Do I go back and torture Kermit over the fact that it's easier being green than blonde? Do I take candy from a baby? Should I mug some school kids for their lunch money? I decide to check out the assistant program at Arrojo Studio. I met with Ashley and we had a great consultation. She lightened my roots, didn't make them uber blonde because as she said it would be super high maintenance and look wierd, softened the color and gave me incredible gorgeous highlights. Of course I had more tinfoil on my head than Grace could ever imagine. I looked like a cross between a satellite and a TV antenna. Three hours and only $30 later, fabulosity in action. Feel free to pm me for Ashley's contact information. She's a total color rockstar. HAPPY ENDING!! And yes, I'll promise to lay off torturing Kermie in the future. That's of course, unless he deserves it. read more