Haircuts. Hair colour. Hair stylists.
A hairstyle – or lack of one – speaks volumes about the person wearing it.
More than any other physical feature, hair is an ever present visible manifestation of a woman’s sense of personal style.
A hairstyle can say we’re serious. Or sporty. Or sexy. Or sloppy. It can say we’re young – or young at heart. It can be beautiful. Or bold. Or it can just scream boring.
Recently, I felt the need for a change. Not only was I ready to “break up” with my stylist after a few years too many, I wanted to convey something new. Something different. Something somehow more accurate, and I wanted to shout out “I’m me, and I like it!”. I wanted my hair to better reflect how I feel about myself at this point in my life, and I wanted to appear as authentic as I am finally beginning to feel.
I am young, but not that young, and I am both smart and sexy. I guess I would describe my style as 80% /20% classic/boho, with a penchant for vintage clothing, a weakness for high heeled boots and an addiction to big bags. I am medium maintenance woman who wishes to live gracefully, and who is serious about expressing personality without being short on substance. The more self-aware I become, the the easier it is to communicate who I am through my aesthetic choices.
Unfortunately, my hair no longer fit this picture. It was way overdue, and as is the case with hair – it was out of my hands. I needed to find someone who would understand, and who I could trust to help me make the kind of change I was looking for.
So after doing some homework, and reading about their hair philosophy, I ventured over to the Tinted Edge Artistic Hair Studio on Cumberland Street. This tiny little salon had been recommended to me by a like minded friend who raved about Christina, the owner and chief stylist. I was reassured that Christina would know exactly what to do , so I had high hopes and huge expectations.
Well – let me tell you – I have never had a better hair experience! I don’t think it would be overstating to say that Christina is a genius.
Walking into the Tinted Edge I felt immediately at ease. This was a place where everybody was happy. Really happy. Customers were happy, the team (stylists Zac and Allison ) was happy and Christina was downright pumped. It was almost 6pm, and they had been there all day having fun! What a relief it was for me to find myself among experts who were genuinely in love with their work, and who were so clearly serving their clients well.
From our very first exchange, Christina wanted to know all about me. Not just about my hair, but about who I am and how I live. She asked me what kind of style I wanted, which I couldn’t really say, and seemed to understand intuitively when I instead began to try and described how I see myself. She had definite ideas, but was careful to listen first to mine. Then she spun my chair around to face her with my back to the mirror, looked me square in the eye, and said “what colour are they?”. I was instantly and irreversibly impressed.
Not only was she going to apply her knowledge of shape and texture, Christina would also demonstrate her sophisticated understanding of colour. Here was an artist who was actually taking the colour of my eyes and the tone of my skin into account! So far in my life, I had only ever seen this happen on TV.
Over the course of the next while, we chatted comfortably about everything from our Moms and men to food and fashion, and I watched while she busily tinted and snipped. In the end, the change was subtle but significant. Having not really understood what I wanted, this new “do” was exactly what I needed.
Interestingly, we talked about our passions. While I confessed to my difficulty passing abandoned furniture on the side of the road, Christina “sees heads” everywhere she goes! Kudos to her for living her passion, and for bravely stepping up to share her talents through her business. She sets a fine example for women who wonder whether they can make a go doing what they love…
So, I left the Tinted Edge with a new friend, a fabulous hairdo and a renewed sense of myself. Upon returning home, I was met with a WOW. What more could a girlaboutotown ask for?!
Images from The Tinted Edge Hair Studio.
You’ve got me intrigued and just a little envious…Sounds like I need to see this new do, Kite!!