So I made an appointment and met with Miranda. She took a look at my toes and agreed with Anna. She made recommendations for me and let me know there was really nothing I could do but wait for my poor big toenail to grow out since it wasn’t dead. Btw, that’s the worse…waiting for a dead toenail to grow out. Been there, done that too.

…well I wish I’d heard better news like she could fix my unattractive toenail right then and there, but I’d much rather have honest, good long term advice than the instant gratification I wanted to hear …just because it’s almost summer sandal season.

Okay so I’ll be back to the spa in a few weeks hopefully with better news. Oh, by the way here’s Miranda. She says she was having a bad picture day but I thought she looked fine.  The room she’s photographed in here is well lit and not dim like the other rooms and hallways.  So no, you won’t need your sunglasses in the spa.

Raleigh Synergy Spa

Then I went to Hair Color Xperts at Falls of Neuse. I had a good time there…that was a perk…my hair colorist was the partial owner and she did a good job but her store went out of business a few months later. Looking back I should’ve known as they had few customers I saw and top-of-the-line hair dryers and chairs that probably cost a fortune. When your hair got washed, you didn’t end up with a crick in your neck from leaning back as the case with most salons. She was memorable ‘cause she gave me and all her customers a fresh rose.

But after they went out of business, I went to their store in Cameron Village, and I ended up with a so-so hair color job. It was also a hike for me to get there. And my hair colorist didn’t have much personality…not that having an entertaining personality is a requirement, but maybe that was tell-tale of how my ‘do would look at the end. Just so-so.

And my husband can tell you, I’ve come home from many a hair color jobs crying about my hair! For awhile, when I was still experimenting with hair colorists, he was always there to comfort me when I got home. The “best ” memory was not in Raleigh, but when I came home with light roots and jet black ends…H-E-L-L-O! If I wanted to look like a punk or a record store employee, then I would’ve said that in the beginning. So from that experience on, I picked out photos of celebrity hair that that I wanted to come home with. I pre-empted any punk looks by telling any new hair colorists that had never worked on me, to give me a conservative hair look or one that would be suitable for a bank teller job. They got the hint.

So fast forward to after my third hair cut and color experience in Raleigh…from there, I went back to the drawing board. I called this one salon that I went to a few times that’ll remain nameless ‘cause I made a deal with the receptionist on the other end. When she answered the phone, I told her I was desperate to get my hair cut for an important event the next day. I can’t remember now what could have been so important. But anyway, the phone girl told me they were booked solid. She must’ve had empathy for me ‘cause she said if I didn’t tell anyone, she’d recommended a great place for me to go. …meaning at the time…don’t tell my managers I’m sending you to the competition. I said…of course! I was grateful and my lips were sealed! See what you can learn when you’re nice to people and they get to know you and your story. Most people want to naturally help other people. And they can do that if they know what your problem is and how they can help. This girl did.

…so, you’re dying to know where she recommended, right? I was TOO! So, I called Salon Blu right after that phone call and made an appointment. That was my fifth Raleigh salon –but whose counting anyway?

Whoaa…once you step in Salon Blu you notice right away the hair colorists’ artsy, cult-like fashion and edgy hair styles. Remember the ‘ol brat pack movie “Pretty in Pink”? …the first hair stylists I saw reminded me like the friend of Molly Ringwald who worked at the record store. Her character’s name was Iona and she was played by Annie Potts, in case you remember. My first thought running through my head was… are they gonna convert me to their cult??? But then I saw the place was packed …a good sign!…and the great looking, Planet Earth-like customers’ hair. A lot of normal Jennifer Aniston like-hair cuts and styles. So I was excited!

And about 45 minutes later, I wasn’t disappointed! Alan Michael gave me a great hair cut and he was a blast!! He’s a big 80’s music fan like me. I was just going home so I told him to give me a fun hairstyle for the day. So he gave me an 80’s inspired, big curls hairstyle. And most importantly, I had a great cut that I loved. The next time I wanted to book a hair color appointment, Alan Michael was off. It’s usually a 2-3 hour affair so it was hard for me to find the time back then to schedule around other people’s schedule. I’m such a diva…NOT! :-)

Anyway…so I went to Lisa who was available. As with all new hair colorists working on my hair, I came in with a magazine picture of what I was aiming for. From my first visit and every visit since, she and I really hit it off. By my third visit with her, she took that hair picture I kept bringing in, and she buried it in her drawer. She got it! Lisa’s a hippie in her own words, and she’s just a lot of fun to talk with. Every time I see her, she’s got a radically different hair color and short ‘do. She’s naturally a blonde but you’d never know it. Gosh, most people would die for naturally blonde hair! Anyway, she’s great! She knows exactly what I want…usually the mocha ‘do that she nicknamed. And I can trust her with my hair. And if it’s not what I wanted … well, one time I can remember she fixed it right away so I didn’t have to go home and cry about it. Now that’s service!

My Favorite Hair Colorist

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