We've all been there. You saw an amazing hairstyle in a magazine, on the red carpet, or maybe even in the car beside you at the red light. You have 'The Vision'. You guys know the vision I'm talking about, it's when you picture yourself with a hairstyle and you just can't shake it. Only there's one problem, you don't have a stylist to give you this dream hair. Sure, you could let your mom or your sister 'give it a go', maybe you'll even survive it, but it'll be a lot easier on you if just go to a professional.
How do you find this miracle-worker stylist you ask? One word: starts with "inter", ends with "net". Nowadays we have it pretty good. You can just google salons close by and read the reviews online to get an idea of what the experience will be like and even see a stylists portfolio. I'm absolutely smitten to say I found my hair fairy godmother while browsing instagram one day, and guess what? Yours is out there too.
Here are the apps and tricks I use to find hidden gems....
1. Pinterest
www.pinterest.com
If you aren't familiar with pinterest yet, go sign up right now (I apologize in advance for the 5 pounds you will likely gain from all of the dessert recipes). Pinterest allows you to browse through ideas and discover something you may not even have known you wanted. I thank this site and app for my obsession with pink hair, I had no idea how pretty pastel hair could be until I stumbled on someone's 'unicorn hair' board. Not to mention it is extremely easy to use (no hashtag knowledge needed), simply type in the idea you're thinking of into the search bar and get lost in the land of Pinterest- just remember to stop every couple hours and eat something.
2. Yelp
www.yelp.com
So you've browsed pinterest for a few days and you have an idea of the look you want to go with. Next step is finding someone relatively close to you geographically so that you can get it done. Enter yelp- my favorite app for finding just about anything in proximity to me. Yelp is an online review page that uses your geo-location on your smartphone to tell you what is around you. There are awesome filters in it to rank results by distance, rating or the most reviewed. For example, if I search for 'hair salons' in my current location, I get 20 results- top of the list is Boho House (obviously :P). I can click on Boho House to see details about the salon such as website, contact info and the reviews from other yelpers. Take a look at the results you have and note about 5 of them to research further on facebook and instagram.
3. Instagram
www.instagram.com
Now comes the fun part! Taking a look at the talent in your narrowed-down results. You can find most Salon's instagram profile on their website or by simply searching for the salon name using instagram's search feature. Once you're there you can really get a sense of a stylist's work and cutting/coloring style. When I found Michele, I was looking for someone to move me from an all-over foil highlight to something more natural. Her hair painting techniques were what I was drawn to (little did I know I was getting a 2-for-1 until I got a killer cut from her). No matter what it is you're looking for, they are out there! When you find the stylist that fits the bill give them a call (most have contact info in their instagram bio) and set up the appointment!
Instagram can also be used in another way if you skip the yelp idea. For instance, if you live in a heavily populated area like NYC, you may want to search the hashtag on instagram for #NYCsalon or #NYChairstylist. Or if you find an awesome salon and aren't sure which stylist to request, check out the pictures from other instagram users that were taken at the salon (in the instagram search feature, search for the salon under the 'places' tab) and it'll give you an idea of each person's style and specialties. I'm always amazed at the talent I find and hopefully you will be too.
Some of the Stylist that I love to follow:
@thisgirlmichele
@nicmayhair
@jennifer.neal.bridgman
@dillahajhair
@katiezimbalisalon
@hairbyelm
@emilyandersonstyling
@jaimieblumhair
@leahfittsbeautydesign
@thejennshin
xoxo
Sarah