Valentine's Day "Bang"
Seeing as how I am due to visit New York City this weekend, and the fact that the first attempt didn't turn out exactly as planned, I decided to go to a professional colorist and have my hair re-colored. I figured a professional could do a better job than a box of Clairol from CVS. I got some recommendations from some of my female colleagues and made an appointment a few days ago at Salon Bang which is located in the renewed and increasingly chichi U Street corridor of DC.
I was very impressed with the salon over all. It was clean and bright and really hip and modern. It was also quite expensive but not as high as some places. Salon prices can just get ridiculous depending on where you go.
Anyway, so I get there for my appointment and the reception staff was "polite" but over all lukewarm in presence. It was apparent that if you weren't a regular they knew by heart they were a standoffish. That was disheartening, after all I had heard such rave reviews about the place. But even more upsetting was my colorist.
I will be merciful (and legally smart) and not name him here. The Bang website has his picture and name and I would hate to get slapped with a character defamation suit. But yeah he was a cold fish. A lot of it had to do with the fact that I was clearly not part of the DC Hip crowd and the fact that we're both gay. gay men, especially ultra hip and pretentious gay men, are very territorial and get threatened for no apparent reason very easily. This seemed to be the case. After talking to me about what I wanted done he went to work on my hair.
The man reeked of Tag body spray and it was all I could do not to gag. I don't know what was colder, his hands or his demeanor. he didn't speak to me at all, unlike the other stylist and their clients, and after applying bleach to my hair, he sat me in an empty salon chair and left me to my own devices. I stupidly forgot to bring a book and he didn't offer me so much as a magazine to read or even a glass of water. When it came time to have teh color applied to my hair he repeated the same process. No offer of anything to read, no questions on how I was doing, nothing. the shampoo girl and other stylist were nicer to me and at least said hello or had a few words with me. By the time my hour appointment was over I was very irritated and unimpressed.
The color turned out fabulously and I was really happy with that but not with the service I received or the HUGE bill I was slapped with. It cost me over $100 to have my hair colored. $60 just for the color, another $30 for the beaching and then the gratuity. Thank God I was smart enough not to let the cold fish have his way and cut my hair. That service is an extra $30 as well.
I knew I would pay a lot for this coloring but I was not anticipating it to be quite so high. I like what he did but not the attitude or the price. I am going to see if my stylist can match this color in future. I didn't go to her originally because there is a bit of a communication barrier between us and I was afraid I'd come out with orange hair. By having the color that I want already in place it's easier to tell her to match it.
So yeah that was my salon experience. I'll have pictures up soon of the new color. For now I need to get back to work. Have a Happy VD everyone. 
