Coloured...

I've been thinking about getting my hair coloured for a while now and my friend A finally decided it for me by saying "I am going to Nalini &Yasim to get my hair done, should I get you an appointment as well ?" A is posh that way, what with getting her hair styled every two months, she almost never has bad-hair-days. I on the other hand seem to have an occasional good-hair-day, where my hair and I don't look like we have been in a cat fight, if you know what I mean. So I decided to tag along and accordingly we booked our appointments well in advance (with the one that I have been visiting all these years, all I need to do is present myself at her door step and she accomodates me). The receptionist at Nalini &Yasim asked if I would like anyone in particular (I was like WOW, not only do I get a proper stylist I get to choose who does my hair) and when I told her it was my first visit, she put me on to Nicole who is a senior stylist.

On the glad day I arrived at the salon with an army of butterflies fluttering in my stomach. First, I have NEVER coloured my hair (OK I occasionally do apply henna but thats about it), second I've never seen the insides of a professional salon (OK been to Enrich a couple of times) and thirdly I was scared I would stick out like a sore thumb in the midst of all the glamorous Bandra ladies (we went to the Bandra branch). I've nothing against Bandra, infact I share an emotional bond with it, for some reason when ever I am at Bandra I feel like I've come home, it is the only place other than Andheri where I get this feeling. OK I'm digressing, so coming back to the point, I told A about my pre-salon visit jitters and she brushed them aside with a "Once they are done with you, just see, you'll be looking like one of them".

I was presented to Nicole and I knew I was in good hands the minute I saw her. I told her what I was looking for and she heard me out patiently and then explained what she was going to do with my hair.

Nicole: First I'll give you a cut, give it a few layers, so there will be some movement happening (till then the only movement happenning with my hair was the frizz that set in after each wash) and then we colour it a deep red with hints of brown. I know you won't want a bright red, so on the whole the finished look will be very muted with just a hint of colour.

My faith in Nicole just got a stronger from that point on. In the next fifteen minutes she gave me a haircut in which to be honest I couldn't recognise myself. I always wanted a layer cut, but was always told "it won't look good on your hair", Nicole not only gave my hair layers, she gave it a new lease of life. Post the haircut I was dispatched to get my hair washed and shampooed. Then it was blow dry time and really funny as a guy was blow drying my hair and running his hands through my hair with gay abandon, now to be honest the only guys who have touched my hair are my dad and possibly my brother when as kids we must have had one of our tear-each-others-hair-out fight.

Then the colouring began, she applied a bright red colour goo on to hair and looking at the apprehensive look on my face burst into laughter saying "Don't worry your hair won't be this bright, when we are finished". On alternate strands she applied a white colour creme and stuck the whole thing into bits of foil, by the time she was finished with me, I looked like an alien out of a George Lucas film. Then I was dispatched to get a complimentary back and hand massage while I waited for the colour to set. After forty five minutes the foil was removed and my hair washed, blow dried and set. The result a brand new me with soft manageable hair that swishes as sways at each flick and a colour that is so rich but muted...I'm never going back to my boring black again :)

Now I just can't resist mirrors...:-p