HAIR REFRESHER AT SALON KAZUMI

I had received such a perfect haircut in New York in the Fall that I was loathe to get it worked on again since then, even for just a bang trim! But after being a guest at the one year anniversary fete of Salon Kazumi in Beverly Hills last month, and noticing how good the staff looked, I decided to take the chance on having one of them refresh my tired tresses.

It helped that Sayuri Tsuchitani, the stylist who worked on me, is also bi-coastal, so I can go to her again when I’m back in NY. (She goes back-and-forth to Hawaii, as well. That girl gets around, doesn’t she?) This experience worked-out so well that I want to share it with you.

First of all, Sayuri looks great herself, so I totally trusted that she would not make me look crazy. (You know how some hairdressers do that? They think their hair is the way everyone’s should be, even if it’s multi-lengths and bright blue!)

I really appreciated that she was compassionate when I told her about something I’ve been going through with my hair. It’s a much longer story than this, but, even though no one seems to notice anything different about my ten thousand pounds of hair, (knock on wood,) my stroke medications are making my usually stronger-than-steel locks much weaker than I’m happy with. I would say that I’m pulling my hair out over the situation, but I don’t want to make light of losing even one strand right now!

I discussed the issue with Sayuri before we began, and she told me that the highlights I had made my appointment for (at someone’s suggestion—I would have never thought of them myself,) would further damage my hair, and she suggested doing some special treatments instead. (I believe they were keratin, collagen, and gloss, but you’d have to ask her the details. I just put myself in her hands, and went with the flow.)

Before I tell you how it all worked-out for me, let me tell you about the salon itself.  Salon Kazumi is the most peaceful hair place I’ve ever been in! Nobody was talking loudly, either in person or, heaven forbid, on a phone! And the music that was playing was very cool and at a perfect volume. And I knew the entire space was as clean as it looked because a lovely woman was making it so, very unobtrusively, the whole time.

I realized that I was actually very relaxed for the first time in a long time.  Sayuri even brought me several magazines that I really wanted to look at, (so I didn’t have to forage for reading materials myself,) and kept offering me my choice of  beverages. I even enjoyed the way they did the heat on my hair to set the color! I stayed in my chair, and Sayuri brought a rotating heat lamp to me.  I didn’t even have to sit “under” it; it was just like a halo above me!

Speaking of color, I was happy that she colored my roots only, and let me keep my natural auburn shade.  Many stylists feel they have to tell you that you need that changed, as well as your style, to show that they know more than you do. (And she dyed my brows to match, which I was happy about.  I usually think of that service myself, but not until after I get home!)

Sayuri also agreed with me that my long, straight style is the best one for me, suggesting only that we cut it about three inches, which I knew I sorely needed at that point. And “three inches” meant just that to her; not the “six” it means to most other hair people I’ve visited!  She also shaped it overall and did a really cute bang trim, that I keep getting compliments on.

So, I came out looking great, rather than like someone else’s weird, artistic vision of what my head should look like.

An added bonus was that, to keep the roots intact for a while longer, Kazumi has developed her own brand for that purpose, Root Vanish.  The good news for me is that she specializes in brunette colors, so I was told that the dark brown should still blend in with my reddish tones. (I tried it out, and it does!) It’s also made with ingredients that are good for your hair, so that’s a bonus.

But I appreciated that the salon personnel didn’t try to sell me that, nor any of their very many other interesting hair products. They just gave me the room to explore on my own, and were there with knowledgable answers to my several queries about items I had never even heard of before! They carry not only unusual shampoos and conditioners, but also hair vitamins and accessories.

So, I got to relax, gain some follicle knowledge, and come away from Salon Kazumi with lovely, healthier, more attractive tresses. What more can one want from a visit to the hairdresser?

9725 S Santa Monica Blvd, Beverly Hills  310-751-0909  www.salonkazumi.com