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After being stuck in quarantine for what felt like all of 2020, us girls were starting to go in withdrawals of not being able to get our weekly or monthly beauty treatments done. One thing that I noticed that everyone (literally, even guys) could not wait to have done was getting their hair treated. Whether it be a simple haircut, a Keratin treatment or a root touch up. Clients were constantly texting and emailing their stylists to get on their long waitlist and be able to get their hair done as soon as their county gave the okay for beauty salons to open.
Now I am a natural brunette. Between a medium and dark brown color and have been coloring my hair since I was 19. Trying to find someone that was able to transform my hair from one shade to a completely different one can be a bit difficult. Especially if you are on a budget and cannot afford to spend hundreds at these high caliber salons. Being in college, I really could not afford to drop that amount of money. If any of you have transitioned to blonde, know how expensive the upkeep can be.
Nonetheless, I always made it a point to find a salon that had a reputable name and a stylist that would post their work on Instagram to see first hand what transformations they did. After trying out a few salons in Manhattan and Los Angeles, I think I found the right one that literally made my blonde dreams come true!
After Los Angeles county opened back up, I knew I wanted to get my hair done. The fading of my then blonde and the split ends were driving me insane! I have to admit, I was a bit skeptical given that everything was going to be so different. I had no idea how salons would be implementing safety precautions while offering that luxury service that you are paying for, especially at a Beverly Hills salon. But after my first session I was extremely impressed with all that the salon was doing to make sure safety came first.
WHAT TO EXPECT
So let’s start with the obvious, you have to wear your mask. That’s a given for obvious reasons. You’ll then be greeted by someone from reception that asks your name, appointment time and the stylist who is going to be working on. The stylist will then come out and take you to her section (I booked Alyssa Pace and she is AMAZING). The one thing that I noticed automatically is the space between each client. It is usually more than six feet away from each person and depending on the day that you come in, it can be empty and you have nothing to worry about.
Usually if you find your stylist on Instagram you are able to book with them by sending them a text, email or dm since many of them handle their own book. So you’ll be able to send them pictures of your current hair situation and your desires that way they kind of get an idea before you walk in. But once you get there, you both will usually discuss in more depth what you hope to achieve and how many sessions it’ll take to get there. The stylist will also get a chance to feel your hair and give you any advice before they get started.
For me, Alyssa told me that my hair was going to get damaged because of the blonde which I already knew and that my texture was going to change. But do not worry, one thing I love about these salons is that although it is a bit pricey they treat your hair with as much care as possible. But be prepared to be at the salon for five or more hours, trust me at the end of it all it will be worth it.
During the time, I was offered the usual coffee, tea, champagne but out of respect chose to only take a sip when there was no one around which was a bit uncomfortable. Additionally, when it was time to wash and rinse Alyssa always made sure that no one was at the station and if there were, there was at least one or two empty seats separating everyone from each other.
AT HOME CARE
When are you going to invest and drop a few hundreds to get your hair done I cannot stress enough, you invest in your home care regimen as well. Just like going to the gym will only change your body so much if you do not eat right. It is the same concept. They have a few options of brands to choose from but my favorite that I have tried so far is the Virtue line as well as some of the Davines products. I also try to implement a type of hair mask or treatment once a week, as an upkeep until the next time I am in the salon. The one I have been using for almost a year now is the Olaplex but I have heard great things about the Sephora brand hair masks too.
CONCLUSION
At the end of it all, COVID has definitely changed the way our beauty services will take place from here on out. Whatever we are having done it is great that these small businesses are putting their clients’ needs before anything else. I have now been going to see my stylist every 4 weeks since July and will continue to do so! Bomane will definitely be a place that I will support for years to come!
MY FAVORITE PRODUCTS
-Virtue Smooth Shampoo
This brand has amazing smelling products, it is not a foaming shampoo so do not be alarmed. You should always leave any product on for at least one to two minutes to get the full benefits from it. I love this shampoo to cleanse my hair and get rid of any dry scalping I may have.
-Virtue Recovery Conditioner
Now this conditioner is no joke! Literally the best, I know it says it is supposed to “recover” but I think it does a mixture of things. It definitely smooths out the hair and detangles it in a sense. I like to leave it on closer to five minutes then brush it out as I rinse. You can find the Virtue products at Sephora.
-Davines Oi All in one Milk
I love to use this when my hair is wet or right before I use any type of heat on it. It helps with smoothing out the hair and eliminating some of the frizz you might have. It is on the pricier side of things but it lasts a while if you are not using it everyday.
-IGK Direct Flight Multi-Tasking Dry Shampoo
Another find you can pick up at Sephora. IGK developed a ton of different versions depending on what your hair concern is. I believe I have the medium one which does soak up some of the oil but also creates volume for your hair. If you use a little bit everyday leading up to your wash day, you will have no problem with looking oily.
-Proclaim Glossing Polish
I had to include this! It has been an OG, ride or die favorite of mine for so many years now. My mom used to use this back in the day and got me into it. Literally makes a world of difference. You can find this at your local beauty supply store and it literally lasts a lifetime. You only need a pea sized amount or two, but be careful because there is a very thin line between polishing and looking greasy. I usually apply it on dry hair, when I am done styling it or when I need to revamp my hair for the next day and I don’t want to use hot tools again. Using some of the Davines and this will literally help with the frizz and make your hair so smooth especially if you are suffering with split ends.
-Swissco Hair Brush
I know this might seem like a redundant choice but a good brush will make the world of difference. My friends who are swimmers used to rave about these brushes and how great they were. I could never took the plunge because as a broke student, I could not fathom spending over $10 for a brush (I was cheap okay!). But once I did it literally changed my hair game! Regular brushes pull and tug at your hair where as these are gentle detangling especially with wet hair.
There are so many out in the market! I found mine at Target and it was pretty cheap than others I have seen, around $6. A quick side note. A tip I got for ensuring you are not pulling your hair is to brush bottom to up. This allows you to not put so much strain on your hair and you won’t be yanking chunks of hair.
HAIR SALONS AND STYLISTS
-IGK HAIR
I’ve done my hair a few times in the city and found that my favorite is IGK located in Soho. The best thing is that they have a few other locations around the U.S. such as Los Angeles and Miami. Their ambiance is amazing and everything inside is beautiful. They have their own brand of beauty products that they use in the salon. You can find them at Sephora and Ulta to and it is amazing. I only got a chance to book once, next time I’m in the city I’ll be sure to go again! I booked my hair color with Alyssa you can find her on IG under “alyssahair_”.
-BOMANE
This is a cute little salon in Beverly Hills super close to Rodeo and many restaurants. I found them scouring the internet trying to find a great salon in LA county. I fell in love with Alyssa Pace’s work, you can find her as “alyssa_pace” on IG. She specializes in so many things but her niche is definitely making the most beautiful blonde color on anyone! Alyssa is the sweetest soul you’ll ever meet! You will literally look forward to the next time you are in the chair with her. Some experience she is with Kesha’s, Simon Cowel and his family, as well as doing hair for fashion week!
