I feel blessed at having found two people who are consistently able to my frizzy, wiry, ugly gray hair to look smooth, shiny, and healthy. Before I found AKIMI, the genius colorist at this salon, my hair color was dreadful. My hair has been straightened with every process that ever existed and it was burnt and porous, so no colorist could ever get the color to look “even” or natural. But Akimi said she could--and she did! She’s wonderfully obsessive about getting color “right”: whenever you see her, she examines your hair carefully and then tells you the extent to which she can achieve the color or highlights you want, based on the current color and condition of your hair. (And even better, she’s very gracious and friendly.)\r
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And there aren’t enough superlatives in the language to praise RICCARDO (who’s nothing like I expected the owner of a very upscale Manhattan salon to be; he’s a sweetheart who makes everyone feel comfortable). On my first visit, he figured out my problem: The Keratin Treatment my stylist was giving me every few months was a waste of money because it can’t smooth out hair as frizzy and kinky as mine, and worse, these treatment has burned my hair. So he recommended a new kind of thermal straightening (like the “Japanese” one but much quicker and healthier). I was very nervous about it, but afterwards, I was thrilled at how beautiful my hair looked (and continues to look three months later). Riccardo is magical.\r
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By the way, the person who faulted the salon because she had to blow her own hair obviously doesn’t go to “high end” salons or else she’d know that this policy is true at every “good” hair salon in NYC. The stylists and colorists at these salons are entitled to the large fees they charge because they are the very best in the profession (which is why they’re in such demand). Expecting them to do an additional service (like a blowout) for free is naive and inappropriate. Maybe stylists in local salons or those who aren’t truly expert provide this service for free, but they probably have to in order to keep or attract business. Regardless, the bottom line is always that you get what you pay for. If you want to go to a cheaper salon because they include the price of a blowout in the price of the service, go there. Just don’t expect the results that people who go to Riccardo Maggiore always get.
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