I bid sayonara to blonde

I recently bid sayonara to my blonde hair. 

Let me tell you a story.

A couple of months prior, I aimed for a faded blonde color. I went to Bangs by Tony and Jackey and they told me the color I wanted couldn't be achieved right away. It needed to go through the process of "fading" and "waiting". I went with it because I trusted they knew what they were talking about. 

They were right. Upon leaving the salon, I had dark brown hair, perhaps even ashy in the sunlight. About two months afterwards, I was surprised to see a different color on my hair. People were complimenting me, some even asking if I had it redyed. I didn't. 

But I loved it. I sported the color as much as I could until I realized my black hair was catching up on me. I needed a retouch. But then I realized I couldn't go back to Bangs because hell can I afford a retouch there. I went to an average salon and although they managed to mimic the color, later on I noticed it was a completely different hue. I ended up hating my hair all together. 

I needed a hair color that normal salons could mimic just right. So I figured I needed to go dark. But I didn't want to go back to black either. 

Yesterday I went to David's Salon, hoping that their price list is cheaper to Bangs. It actually was but here's the problem. I entered the establishment with a "sample" photo in my hand. I showed it to the receptionist and asked how much it would take to achieve my desired hair color. Her response was a comedy. She had the expression of a "laughing inside" lady. She started lecturing me about the process before she even told me the price. She was like "Oh before you achieve this, you have to do this or that" with an implied it's going to be expensive. It was if she wasn't interested to help. She didn't look excited. I was awfully surprised given that David's Salon held such a good reputation in the country. When I was young, I used to get my haircuts there. But apparently, as they make it appear, unusual hair colors are foreign to them. I was turned off. I was mad.

I went straight to my favorite salon, "Essensuals by Toni & Guy". It was only a couple steps away from David's. I first acquired of their service about a year ago and it was exceptional. However, it's expensive as hell. Because I was frustrated no one would help my "goals", I walked in there desperate for comfort. I was entertained right away. I showed them the picture and right away the receptionist began suggesting better options. The difference is that instead of lecturing me of the tedious process, the receptionist at Essensuals reassured me that the same process will be worth it. She then wrote down the price for me, with a total breakdown of how it would cost each stage of the process. She sound as excited for me as I was to get the change I was aiming for. She talked to me like a professional. But she also talked to me as a friend. She jumped along my ideas and made it better. She was cooperative. Everything she puts into my hair, she tells me beforehand. Even when she switched from hot to cold water when she was washing my hair, she told me. And that's why I love Essensuals. They are very warm. Everyone was helpful. It's like "tell me your dreams and I'll make it happen". They will let you in like you're the master of your own game by telling you "this will take 10 minutes", "I'll extend it for another 10 minutes", etc. You are a part of the team and it just feels wonderful.

Besides that, they ask every customer if the temperature in the salon is conducive. They offer them water, tea, or coffee (in the house). It's like being treated right. Their services may be pricey, but considering getting stuck there for two-three hours, you need every good vibes that you can get.