Samuel Cole Salon = It’s not a haircut, it’s a lifestyle.

     Driving up Six Forks Road, I was nervous. In my head, I was thinking that this might be a major mistake, and berating myself for being one of those people who enter every contest that sounds remotely interesting. It was a facebook post from Raleigh Moms Blog that offered a free cut and color from Samuel Cole Salon. You just needed to post why you should be the mom who needed it. So I (jokingly but it was serious) posted Because my hair hasnt been out of a ponytail in two months. True story. For the most part it had been the more professional low pony, or sometimes a low bun for work (Im sure theres a librarian joke in there somewhere), and then at home a higher ponytail.  I actually would occasionally read articles about the variety of ponytails you could wear.

            So when Jill Kornegay sent me an urgent message about winning this particular contest, I read it about 3 times.  My first thought was that I almost never win anything. I did win this awesome school bingo in 5^th grade. So this was kind of a shock. I responded with No! I didnt see that I won! But Im excited!  This was a truth and lie sort of statement. I was excited, but at the same time faced with the reality of both pulling my hair out of a ponytail and getting it highlighted were daunting tasks, to say the least. I received the details from Jill, which were essentially to call Samuel Cole Salon and get set up.  Below are the details:

      I can say without hesitation that I have never had $400 worth of anything done to my head before. Plus or minus? Not sure. When I called, the front desk was great. They seemed excited to be able to schedule me with a relatively new stylist to the salon, assured me she was amazing and were enthusiastic.

            I arrived hot (it was more than 90 degrees and I had been working in the library for several hours), and just on time, literally!  But instead of staring me down, or making a remark, they were all

            Oooh, are you the Raleigh Moms Blog winner?

            Do you want to see our drink menu?

            Menu, friends. Menu.  You want to see me happy? Offer me coffee and the new issue of Vogue with Nicole Kidman. ANDlet me drink the coffee while its still hot.   The combination is perfection. I would have happily just sat there and read and drunk coffee. But there was more coming. Like this really adorable stylist who, instead of just throwing me in a chair and messing with my head, sits me down and starts talking to me about my life. What I do, why Im there, what I imagine my hair could be. I think that stylists are equipped to be psychologists on the side.  She listens to me go on and on (because I know the antics of a two year old are the highlight of anyones day, yes?) and then says she has an idea and begins showing me images of how my hair could be. She is warm and encouraging and believes she can bring it back. So I make one of the hardest decisions of my life. I say, You know what? I trust you. You can do whatever you like.  Then I sit back in the chair with my coffee and Vogue and get to work on catching up on the important stuff. Like what people with absurd amounts of money are going to be wearing in New York this fall, and is Nicole Kidmans marriage still going well?  In case youre interested, rich people will be dressing like Mad Men with a touch of color this fall, and Nicole Kidman is currently living on a farm in Sydney when she isnt working.

 

 

            While Im hanging out, drinking a French Vanilla Latte, Katie is hard at work behind the bar mixing and mashing a variety of colors in so many little dishes for me. She tells me shes going to pull out the color my hair had at age 12. I had really pretty hair at age 12, so Im super excited. She foils my entire head, and then I am left to hang out again.  Looking around Samuel Cole Salon, I realize what I am also really loving is that it isnt salon-y. Sure, there are typical salon chairs, a washing station, color station, etc, but the ceilings are high and there are so many windows, you feel like you could be in a lounge. The air doesnt smell strongly of chemicals and everyone in the chairs lookshappy. Hands down, this was the best salon experience of my life.

 

 

 

            When Katie comes to get me a little while later, she tells me that she uses Oribe (pronounced Or-bay) and Wella products- vegan, never tested on animals, and free of chemicals that have been recently linked to cancer. Then she reminds me that not only am I getting this amazing cut and color, but I am also due products. I try to play it cool, like Im always getting free shampoo, but break into the same smile I had in tenth grade when my braces finally came off.  Katie recommends a shampoo, conditioner and gloss that I pay for because my hair looks that good.   

 

            One deal that Katie and I made was for me to wear my hair down every day for a week, and to really practice working with it to see how to make it both beautiful and every-day manageable. Thank you Samuel Cole Salon! I am in week 3, and not only is it still down most of the time, I am still getting compliments on it. Win, win, win.