Tart is right down the street from the SPL Ballard branch in an obscure basement, but it's an unexpectedly cute space - aided by ample skylight, spiral staircase, airy interior colors and the cute resident pug Rocco. I was lured in by the free haircut offer with coloring services, and upon contacting Jami who runs the salon by email, I was promptly scheduled for the next day appointment.
Overall I had a good experience - Jami is friendly and fun to talk to, and she was easy to work with. She brought me a couple of cups of herbal tea, too. She helped me pick out a cute hair color that's a bit different and fun, and weaved in that color with violet hue with more traditional brown since I had my wedding coming up. She showed me some neat styling tricks for my wavy hair. They also have cute accessories and fun cosmetics (Susan Posnick mineral makeup, etc.). They touch up your makeup for fun, too.
I only gave the business a "good" rating because:
- Many good salons I'd been to usually put a protective cream (or a strip of cotton) around my hair line before coloring, so the hair color doesn't stain my face and is easy to wipe off - this is an extra amount of detail, but it shows they care. Even not minding that, I had to point out a couple of big spots where the color got on my face to get help to take it off. (It was starting to itch since I have sensitive skin.)
- Also other salons may have a big powder brush (or in a pinch, a towel) to go over your face and neck, brushing off cut pieces of hair, so your cut hair is not prickly and unsightly after you leave - this wasn't done.
- She worked into the ends of my layers with a razor, which I should've stopped, because my hair is wavy and use of razor tends to get the ends all frizzy for my hair type... this of course depends on your preference I realize, but other stylists I'd worked with had asked me if it's okay to use a razor before they wacked ends with it.
I do realize as a small business there are costs you need to cut, but an extra attention to detail wouldn't hurt. I'll have to see how my hair grows out, too, since a good cut would grow out well... Definitely a nice neighborhood salon with a really friendly atmosphere, but I think it could improve if it wanted to compete with some of the better salons.
P.S. Customers next to me had a bright idea of ordering in lunch while they were getting their hair done. Nice laid back atmosphere lets you do that. Cool. I don't know if I'd do it because of all the chemical smell, but it's a good option if you're pinched for time.
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