It’s strange that over the past fifteen years only three people have ever cut my hair. I’m not sure I’ve had that kind of relationship with anyone else. Back in my UCSB days when a man named Phillip took my hair from my shoulders to a rather amazing Russell Crowe Gladiator look, he must of somehow convinced me that his “precision haircuts,” and mastery over hair couldn’t be found anywhere else. Oh the hype. Interestingly, my Dad used to be a hairstylist in the 70’s and 80’s in Beverly Hills. He often created hairdos for celebrities and cut my hair for the better part of my adolescent years.
Fast forward a decade and every so often I would stray to someone new, have a mortifying experience, and cower back to my old stylist- even if they were an hour away. Over the past five years I’ve softened my ridiculous beliefs that there must only be a tiny handful of people who could cut my hair in the world, but because a couple of them we’re still geographically close to me, I’ve always just gone back to the classics. At the beginning of 2013 I said that’s it. So much in the universe is changing so fast these days and so easily that I am rewriting my beliefs and my actions on anything that doesn’t have a clean energetic to it. I’m cleaning up my feelings on this subject. Two months ago it was time to get my haircut somewhere else.
With the vast array of passions I engage in, Living in Studio City has been all about convenience. I’ve managed to figure out a way to have most of the things that I want appear at my doorstep or close to it and I love that. Amazon prime, private dance classes, teaching Acro out of the house etc. I decided I needed to do the same with getting a haircut. No more driving to Santa Monica. My usual guy was getting crabbier and crabbier as he got older and though he’s damn good, I wasn’t appreciating the feeling I had when visiting him.
I remembered there was an Aveda Salon (Experience) right down the street from my house by Laurel Canyon. I’ve probably used Aveda products for the last 13 years and, despite their five star price tag, I have always loved them. Scent and performance are everything and they continuously outdid themselves in both those arenas. So all of this buildup to say, I call Kriza Aveda on Ventura Blvd, and ask if there might be someone there capable of doing a mans haircut. Imagine that. There was, and so I quickly setup an appointment with a man named Ericmo. What follows has been THE best salon / haircutting experience I have ever had to date.
You walk in and the place is gorgeous, like many Aveda or Aveda Concept salons are. Product abound, alternative stylists, friendly faces, product specialists etc. I was greeted with Aveda tea, invited to sit, and within two minutes, Ericmo, a young Asian guy with wildly blown dry hair and shaved sides dressed in black greeted me. As a guy, I am expecting shampoo and a cut. Oh no no. I was sat down inthe chair and asked to pick my favorite scent of three botanical oils. I then received a 3 minute scalp massage and shoulder massage with those oils which instantly put me at ease. Then we went back to wash my hair. Feet up and laying back I got another scalp massage while being shampooed, and then while Aveda Conditioner was left in my hair, I was given… a facial!
First a hot towel was placed over my face with room for my nose and mouth to breathe, then Aveda cleanser, toner moisturizer… I was so relaxed I couldn’t believe it. Then a curvaceous blonde looked over at me a couple times and finally walked up to me and took my hand and started massaging it! She did the other and then continued on with her work. By the time I sat back in my chair I was so relaxed and in such a positive mood, only good things could have unfolded.
And they did. Ericmo took no less than an hour- and you all know how short my hair is- meticulously finding a way to create style, elegance and sharpness with my hair. By the time he was all done I could not be happier and the price? Only $5-10 more than I have paid for a hair cut in the last 15 years! $50! I was in. I knew I had to blog about it and share my experience. I will probably post this on Yelp as well.
So, if you’re in Studio City, or any place near by, Sherman Oaks or Woodland Hills, I would STRONGLY encourage you to have an Aveda experience for yourself. Oh one last thing. Aveda products never go on sale. They have a little points thing they do when you buy product… $10 to sign up and you get all sorts of free stuff and points and what not. I wasn’t going to do it at first until she said, oh and by the way it includes a 25 minute scalp treatment or facial. I was sold.
