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Review content:
I feel really guilty that I haven't gotten my act together to get this review posted sooner, because Ali isn?t just an amazing professional hair stylist and colorist, he?s also proven to be a good friend to all those who are lucky enough to experience The Cottage. I found him through CitySearch a couple of years ago and even now that I?ve relocated to Pasadena, I won?t ever let anyone else touch my hair ? Ali?s that brilliant, especially for dishwater blondes like me!
If you haven't already heard through the grapevine, Ali Hadjian does THE BEST work creating multi-dimensional, long-lasting and natural-looking blonde highlights in all of LA. (I think he works privately with a roster of celebrities, but he?s pretty cagey about that.) In the decade I?ve been in LA, I?ve tried out pretty much every big-name hair stylist imaginable searching to recreate the healthy, natural-looking blonde of my youth from the bleach-out, sun/salt/chlorine damaged locks my active lifestyle created. I?ve tried pretty much every major salon, including Goodform, Maxime, Fekkai, Cristophe, Umberto... But, I never returned to the same place twice because I never got personal attention, I always paid way too much, and I always left with the same, generic blonde ?Do? you seem to see on every soccer mom and street corner in the Westside. So, to say I was a little disillusioned by the time I read Ali's reviews on CitySearch and made an appointment is an understatement. But, I was SO pleasantly surprised with Ali and with The Cottage!
First, Ali spends A LOT of time with each of his clients. I think my appointments tend run about 2 hours with no overlap in appointments and no extra fee for the time (as I?ve experienced elsewhere). He?s never once been late or kept me waiting, or taken calls during our appointments, and I?ve never ever felt rushed. He also never ever tries to sell you product, which is a rare treat these days!
Second, Ali is a color specialist. At your first appointment, he'll do an assessment of the quality of your hair and what sort of cut/color you?re looking for and will offer you advice about how to make that work with the shape of your face/features and your individual coloring/complexion. (He actually takes notes, too!) Then, he'll offer you advice about what color or combination of colors will work best with your unique skin and eye coloration. (He typically weaves in 2-3 different color highlights into my hair, alternating every other appointment between highlights and lowlights.)
The result, for me, is that my hair looks healthier than it has in years (despite the damage I inflict upon it!), and I finally have my youthful blonde back. Ali?s done such a tremendous job masking my dishwater blonde/brown locks that I keep receiving compliments on the cut/color ? even weeks after my appointments when I think the roots are starting to show. In fact, Ali does SUCH a tremendous job with my color and cut, that I don?t even really have to come in to see him for touch ups that often ? maybe once every 2 months, since the highlights grow out so naturally. (That?s bad for him, but good for my pocketbook!)
Lastly, Ali is just a really decent human being and a whole lot of fun to talk to during the appointments. You can tell that he has good relationships with everybody at The Cottage. Also, unlike a lot of hair stylists out there (and again, I think I?ve seen a lot of the best LA has to offer!), he seems to really take pride in his profession and in getting to know his clients and helping them be their best selves. He and the entire team at The Cottage have created such a welcoming, ?family? environment, that I look forward to the commute out there and won't be seeing anyone else anytime soon.
Thank you, Ali!
Pros: Ali does the best, most natural-looking blonde
Cons: Um. What?
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