Editorial
Front Page - Friday, August 7, 2009
Weekly Indulgence
Samara Litvack
I’ve lived in Red Bank for a little over a year now. I love it there because you’ve got everything you need in a few-mile radius – Wal-Mart, Cato (they have great clearance racks), Dollar General, Bi-Lo and a few really good local eateries my roommates and I frequent. One establishment I’ve passed often but never took the time to visit is a small building right off Dayton Boulevard, with a sign out front that reads “Salon Haven.”
Before my trip to Atlanta a couple weeks ago, I decided it was time for a haircut. I’ve written before about the distress of losing my hairstylist not too long ago. My Corey was more than a hairstylist; he was one of my best friends. He knew my hair like his own, and could interpret what I wanted him to do when I didn’t even understand it.
When he moved to Boulder, Colo., and became a hotshot stylist in a ski resort, I was lost. I mean, it takes a special person, one with a keen eye and a unique understanding of naturally curly hair, to intuitively cut my mop into something that was not only flattering, but also stylish.
I’ve visited various salons in Chattanooga and had a couple good and several bad experiences. But, when I met Salon Haven owner Samantha Jones at Mellow Mushroom a few weeks back, she assured me that stylist Eddie Garza was an expert with hair like mine. (That’s code for unruly, easy-to-mess-up, mind-of-its-own hair.)
My appointment was at 11:00 on a Saturday morning. Eddie greeted me warmly, took me back to his “office” and seated me in the chair. He asked what I wanted and I explained, as best I could. I definitely needed at least a trim, but I didn’t want to go too short. I’ve recently embraced my curly hair and begun fighting the urge to flatiron it straight every day. As I told him about my tendency to look like a mushroom head when my layers are cut too long, he took my locks into his hands and focused intently on what I was saying.
We both watched in the mirror as he created the illusion of different lengths. After a few minutes of deliberation, he explained the way my hair tended to lay and said he wanted to cut it slightly shorter (only about an inch) in the back, so it wouldn’t look as heavy back there. He also wanted to add in some short layers, but nothing too far apart. (This assured me he was working to avoid the aforementioned mushroom head syndrome.)
His words were like music to my ears. He shampooed and conditioned my hair, then draped a zebra print cape around me. As he snipped, he told me a little about himself. Originally from California, Eddie got started in hair about eight years ago. He moved to Nebraska, where he had an amazing mentor at a salon in Omaha. There, he got the distinct pleasure of working with the cast of the movie “To Wong Foo Thanks for Everything.”
Eddie has curly hair himself, as does his daughter, so I’d guess that’s where his knack for styling it comes in. After he finished the cut, he put in a few products to finish the curls.
Salon Haven uses the Bumble and Bumble product line, and their Curl Conscious collection was exactly what my hair needed. He worked in a defining crème, which supports soft, fine curls like mine that tend to droop a little after a day in the office. He added a little holding foam, which keeps curls together through heat and humidity. He told me, also, about the reactivating mist, which hydrates your hair and reawakens curls. (Eddie says people with hair like mine shouldn’t wash it every day, and this product is perfect for that second-day ‘do.)
After my hair was dried (with a diffuser, of course), the girl looking back at me in the mirror had more curl and body than I’ve ever seen on her. I was more than pleased with the finished product, and couldn’t wait to get home and play with it some more. (I’m kind of a freak about new hairstyles. I love them with all my heart.)
When Eddie was finished with me, I moved into a different room so I could get the pedicure I’ve wanted to get for months now. Beth Durham let me pick out my nail color before I took a seat. I’ve been on a purple kick all year, so I picked out a metallic shade of plum and handed it off to her.
Beth let my feet soak in the gloriously warm water and then scrubbed each one with exfoliant. I swear, there is nothing more relaxing in this entire world than a foot massage…
She filed and buffed my nails, moisturized my feet and applied the most summery shade of purple I believe I’ve ever seen. She finished with a topcoat called Seche Clear, which she said could be purchased
at Sally Beauty Supply. This is what finishes the polish, she explained, and to make the pedicure last longer, she recommended reapplying a topcoat every couple days.
(I have done so for the past couple weeks, and I haven’t had one chip of polish yet. She’s a smart girl, that Beth Durham. I recommend listening to what she says.)
I had an overall fantastic experience at Salon Haven. The staff was very friendly; I felt right at home in their establishment. I was even Facebook friends with them before I left the building. I definitely plan on returning in the future.
Eddie was nice enough to extend a $10 discount to people who mention this column at their next appointment, so make sure you stop in and see him sometime soon.
Contact Samara at samara@hamiltoncountyherald.com
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