Hey Lady….You Look Like A SKUNK!!!

I always longed for streaks in my hair, admiring other women who had them.  Not the big adventurous type, I kept putting it off.  Then one day, I glanced in the mirror, saw far too much gray and made a decision right then and there to take the plunge.  Previously, I had been dying my hair box-style from the pharmacy shelves; a true pain-in-the-neck practice.

An older woman downtown owned this small hair salon.  Cutting my hair on a regular basis for some time, I was impressed with her knowledge, and booked an appointment for streaks and color.  I discovered that in today’s society they are not called ‘streaks’, but now ‘highlights’.  Hey, I was a teen in the ‘70’s.  I phoned prior and quoted $48.00 for color and highlights.  I thought this a little low in price as phoning around everyone else’s price was higher.  But, I was used to this woman’s talent and went with her.

Arriving, I repeated, “$48.00 for BOTH”, she replied, “NO, that’s just for permanent color”.  Then she said, “I’m feeling generous today, I will do both for $48.00”.  Hmmm, bells should have gone off…was this too good to be true?

She applied the color, which turned out very nice, dried my hair, fluffed it up a bit and now was the time for the highlights.  Here goes…  She began parting my hair on top…just on top, first mixing this white goop.  Then applied these foils, but only on top, and only down the middle.  I really didn’t question as I thought, maybe this is the way you do highlights.  The foils were in place, she applied the goop, and I did ask, “what about the sides”, she replied – “this is the way I do it”.  And so, I waited and waited for the goop to do its thing – read a couple of ho-hum magazines chiefly ignoring the models with trim figures, placed under the dryer and waited some more.  The time had come…drum roll…  She removed the foils and TA DA! I didn’t observe at first, but did deem it too blonde.  Subsequently, more blow-drying.  I kept staring, my eyes as big as saucers, and was almost in tears.  Fluffing my hair up and all excited stating, “aren’t you excited with your new look?”   UUUUGH – no.  I couldn’t believe what I was seeing – I LOOKED LIKE A SKUNK!  I HAD A MOHAWK!

I don’t know why, but I paid my $48.00 bargain and ridicule quickly leaving the salon.  Wondering if it was perchance just the mirrors in the salon, I sought to assure myself that perhaps I really didn’t look this way, and took every opportunity to gaze at my reflection in store windows.  EEEK, yes, this was genuine and gruesome looking.

My husband, arriving home to find a wife with a whole new look, found a woman with brown and blonde hair resembling a skunk with a Mohawk, and in tears.

So my next move: to refurbish this baby.  Should I do the pharmacy box color, or play safe and visit a different salon?  I knew better than to approach the ‘bargain lady’, and instead phoned a few salons crying on their shoulders recounting my disaster.  Two salons both advised that using box color to patch up the blond would result in green hair!!! Oh gasp!  Also, my $48.00 bargain would have resulted in $175 to repair a possible green hair touch-up.

To conclude, the new salon did an excellent job and although the procedure took hours, the blonde chaos was repaired, re-colored and lastly my hair highlighted properly.  I was thrilled.

  

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