Okay, so I’m not a blonde.

But it’s not from a lack of trying! What’s trying is your hairdresser refusing to color your hair as you request because she doesn’t think it’ll look good. She also said, “It will be too much maintenance for you with the babies and all. And I don’t think you should go blonde, it’ll pull a lot of red.” Then, in the desultory conversation we had as she painted on highlights, she commented in response to my remark, “I might grow it out a bit and have a China doll bob again,” “Oh, I don’t like a heavy bang with your face. It won’t look good. It’s just my opinion.”

Bully for you and your opinion. And what on earth does pull a lot of red mean exactly? And, if blonde shades are high maintenance, doesn’t that mean more frequent trips to the salon and more money in her pocket? Color costs $90 at this place, a cut is $40. I did tip $20 the last three times I saw her to seal myself as a “good” client in her mind, but no dice, apparently. AND if I want to go a certain color because I feel like it, who is this snippet of a hairdresser to talk me out of it?

As it was, she also said we would not enough time to lighten my hair, then apply the three or four shades I had in mind to get the streaky, chunky look I wanted. Not enough time? When I booked her for a cut and color a month ago, I booked an hour and a half at her request. So, suddenly there’s not enough time, fine. I suggested to do the color that day, and I would get a cut another day, but she did not seem to like that and said again that we would not have enough time. Hello? After arguing for ten minutes, and her being ten minutes behind schedule, time certainly was running short. Does it really take more than an hour and a half to color hair? On the box of Clairol Expert Color I picked up at Stop and Pop today, it advises 25 minutes for base color and 20 minutes for highlights. It should only take 2 minutes for a professional to wash my hair between application of color, right?

Contrary to recent evidence (see previous post discussing my ill chosen venting audience) I am not a fool. The hairdresser overbooked that day and did not want to admit it. I arrived at this conclusion based on the following facts. She was blow-drying someone when I arrived and did not get to me until 12:10; my appointment was scheduled for 12 to 1:30. Also, a customer arrived at 12:30 for a cut while my color was processing. I’m cool with that, but what’s up with the next party arriving at 1:00? Besides all this, there is another reason for her distress at my request for a multi-color, light over dark look. Based on the lame-o highlights I ended up with, she is just not a good colorist.