I am not a hugely private person. I’m pretty much an open book. If there’s something you want to know about me, ask. Chances are, I’ll tell you more than you wanted to know. People who know me, know all the basics…like the fact that I’m totally in love with my grandbabies, I love Bon Jovi, I love costumes and dressing up, I love Halloween, and I love to host gatherings. These are things everyone knows about me.
There are, however, a few things that are not common knowledge unless you know me really well. One of those things…is how much I hate to go to the salon. Now…I do love to go get mani/pedis with a friend or with my S/O…I enjoy talking and laughing while we get our nails pretty. But going alone? I hate it. I hate the awkward conversation with the nail tech and sitting there feeling weird when they are not talking. I hate when they have full conversations in other languages and I have no idea what they are talking about. And I hate how long it takes. It’s just not fun or relaxing for me. And don’t even get me started about hair appointments. Oh, how I hate going to the salon for my hair. I hate worrying that they are not going to listen and then they will cut all my hair off or make my bangs too short and I’ll look like a twelve year old. I hate worrying about them adding services I didn’t ask for and then charging me extra. I hate how they ask questions as if they are interested in you but they don’t actually listen to the answer or offer any information about themselves. It’s just awkward and I hate it.
All that being said…I decided that I really wanted my hair professionally colored before my wedding. I searched Groupon and looked at local hair salons…but that hatred of salon visits just kept me procrastinating. Finally, I asked my friend Kari about her stylist. Her hair always looks fantastic and I’ve seen other friends on Facebook who go to the same stylist and their hair looks amazing too. So I asked for the info. The stylist’s name is Meredith and she seemed to know a lot of the same people I know. So I took a shot and made an appointment.
I was dreading the appointment. But at least it was a salon inside a shop in Deep Ellum that I had always wanted to see anyway…so maybe that would at least make it a little better. So off I went to see Meredith at her shop in Dallas Pinup.
I walked in the door to find this adorable woman with peacock colored hair sitting at the counter and she asked if she could help me. I told her I was there to see Meredith and she said “Great! I’m Meredith!” Her face lit up with a smile…and it was genuine. All the way to her eyes. A real smile. A real person. Not a robot hair stylist giving a standard fake greeting. Great start! She showed me to her salon and it was ADORABLE! Unlike other salons…she didn’t immediately usher me to a chair and start putting a smock on me like it was an assembly line. She sat down across from me and we…::gasp:: talked. We talked about ourselves for a few minutes. Then she asked what I was looking for. I felt welcomed and like she was actually interested…not just in getting me done and out the door.
Then she did something else amazing. She listened. She listened to everything I had to say about what I wanted and why I was there and how much I hated the salon and what I worried about. And for those who don’t know me…well, I can be a little loquacious. Ok, I a lot. But she listened anyway. Patiently.
Over the next three hours or so – she did my hair and helped customers in the shop. I came out and talked to the customers too, and she didn’t mind. We laughed and talked to each other and to the random people that came in the shop. It was fun!
I admitted to her that I had been hacking away at my own hair for months because I hated the salon. Instead of chastising me for this…she told me I did a surprisingly good job and it was not nearly as jagged and hacked up as I thought it was. She recommended products for my hair…but didn’t push any sales on me. She did exactly what I asked…and didn’t try to push any other services on me. When I asked her questions about herself and her life…she answered fully. She shared. She didn’t give me short, one sentence answers. She actually shared things about her life. I felt like I was making a friend…not just getting my hair done.
At the end of all this…I had this beautiful hair color that I absolutely loved. And I had just had the best salon experience EVER. I left feeling happy and relaxed and confident. And the next time I need a salon service, I will instantly think of her and want to go back to her. This is what a salon visit should be like.
That being said…if you need a hair stylist…do yourself a favor, take my advice and go see Meredith. She is just lovely.
Here is the information from her business card:
The Unruly Dame
Meredith
text only (469)534-9684
instagram@theunrulydame
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