I love my hair. Wait…let me rephrase that: I LOVED my hair. That is before the ravages related to pregnancy hormones and Shanghai water took their toll. I’ve always had really curly and full hair; hair that makes most people go: “OMIGOD I luuuuurve your curls!” and “Is that real?” *touch touch* - always my favorite.
But let’s be honest, I don’t let just anyone touch my hair. In fact, I was willing to wait a full year until I returned home to get my hair done again. A. Full. Year. Which is crazy, right? I mean, I have two boys which directly correlate to the amount of grey that pops up on my crown every day. Plus, I had the grand idea to get an ombre colour when I was in Canada, which turned out to be light at the top, brown in the middle, and light again at the bottom (I learned today this technique is called balayage - only mine wasn’t any kind of good). Although the technique is supposed to create highlights that give you a “sun-kissed” look, it gave me what I like to call the “Why the hell did I pay for this?!” look. Once my original color started to grow out I was not happy.
Then my friend asked me why I didn't go to a salon. I’ll tell you why - I need a black hair salon. It’s a very specific requirement and I’m simply terrified to go to anywhere else. Why you ask? Well, besides my own specific fears, local salons are terrified of me as well. In fact in other beauty related news, I went to the Sephora brow bar once for a much needed eyebrow overhaul and the “aesthetician” there almost refused to clean up my eyebrows because they were “too different”. My eyebrows. They’re not even curly.
After seeing my hair up in a bun for probably the 20th time in a row my friend referred me to her salon - a black hair salon…in Shanghai! I was referred 3 months ago. I finally worked up the nerve to go in today. Baby steps.
Studio Ebony is one of those Shanghai secrets that I guess a lot of people knew about except for me. Granted I had it in my head that a good salon for people with hair like mine was nowhere to be found but I was pleasantly proven wrong. After fixing up my colour and cut I felt like a brand new person. India, my amazing stylist and colorist who does all textures of hair, performed a flawless consultation (I know this because I watched "Tabitha Takes Over" like religion) and then went to work. 3.5 hours later - yes my hair was a mess - I emerged like a beautiful butterfly from its dead cocoon husk! After paying (and shedding a single tear, but the price was well warranted), I was outside in true Shanghai fashion taking selfies! If you have afro or biracial textured hair I highly recommend them! And even if you don’t, it’s all good, you can still go!
My glorious hair moment lasted for the next 3 hours. Then, at home while I was checking Facebook on my phone, Oren ran his banana smeared fork through my hair. Because I can’t ever have nice things.
xoNiki
