Hair!
July 8th, 2008 @ 2:40 pm by Mrs. Milkshake
I’d originally been a little wary of shelling out the dough for either a traveling hair stylist or a morning at the hair salon, but I guess it’s a necessary evil. While I will enlist a few friends to do our makeup, I guess our hair (or at least mine) should be left up to the professionals.
What I’m looking for is a bright, modern or colorful salon to create a great backdrop for my 12+ hours of video and photography. Unfortunately, planning from out of town, a lot of the top Vancouver salons’ websites leave a lot to be imagined. So if anyone has any feedback about these places, either hair-wise or actual salon-look-wise, or any other salon suggestions in or around Vancouver, I’m all ears!
Hello Suki’s, the salon that has ads plastered all over our University’s AMS agenda each year (Miss Shortcake, you know what I’m talkin’ about - it’s right up there with the Miso Horny ads from the eatery). With locations everywhere from Downtown to Richmond, I’m pleased that the one on First Avenue looks the best, because I’m not crazy about parking downtown, although a lot of salons do have their own parking spaces available.
Caramel is downtown, and closed on Mondays so I don’t have much more info to offer right now. They have a list of their music faves online that include Nick Drake and Death Cab For Cutie, and any stylist that is familiar with Tom Waites seems right up my alley.
Rain is a salon on West Second just outside Granville Island. They have stylists that range from junior to senior, levels 1-8, with prices corresponding to their levels.
Aru is in Whiterock/South Surrey, theoretically close to where I’d be staying the night before the wedding, which is a good 45 minutes from our venue. I could stay with the best man and his fabulous mom just minutes from the venue, but is it disrespectful not to stay with my parents the night of?
What all of these salons need (although the last one is miles better) is more photos! I can understand not necessarily posting photos of their hair creations, but at least some photos of the places! If it’s trendy and funky, I want to see it!
Mr. Milkshake is bugging me to do a hair trial the day of our rehearsal dinner/Chinese banquet and 1) I feel weird about doing it for that because it’s going to have 50 people that will also be at the wedding and 2) if a salon quotes me $150 for an updo, am I going to have to pay that both times? Or will they cheap out on the trial run so it’s not expensive but it won’t be as good as it could possibly be?
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6 Responses to “Hair!”
FYI, Caramel isn’t downtown, but on 7th and Granville, on the south side of Granville Bridge. They have their own parking out back.
And check with Suki’s about parking if you’re worried, because that location is just around the corner from the beach, so parking can be tough on a sunny weekend.
Have you looked at Blo? That’s where I’m getting my hair done, they have a couple locations, one on Granville & one in Yaletown, no cuts, just hair styling.
I recommend Blo for “do’s” that is all they do, so you are getting someone that specializes in that rather than a fabulous colourist doing your updo. Their prices are SO reasonable and they have a Blo- on-the Go service that will come to you. If I wasn’t so totally loyal to my regular stylist I would definitely go there. As for the look of the salons they are very trendy, all fushia and lucite, super modern.
lol…i think this is the first time i’ve heard of a bride hunting down a salon for its phot ops! you’re a trip girl!
I’m going to offer a caution about Blo… if you choose them, make sure you get a trial. I had my hair done at the S. Granville location for my graduation, and it wasn’t a great experience. I had my appt at 10am, my original stylist didn’t show up (!!), so the receptionist washed it, and then one of the other stylists did a rush job in between her appts. The curls had fallen out by 3pm. 
I’d heard nothing but good reviews before that, so it was a real disappointment.
i gotta warn you, don’t go with caramel, they are terrible. rain is AWESOME, though!
Mrs. Milkshake, Seattle/Vancouver, BC
Age and Occupation: 23, Pharmacist
Fiance's Age and Occupation: 25, Pharmacist
Engagement Date: May 2007
Wedding Date: August 2008
Blogging Since: December 6, 2007
Venue: Victorian Mansion
About Me: Despite the fact that I’ve invested many long years of my life studying the sciences in college, I’m glad to be out of there and I would never do it again! I’m super artsy at heart - I run an indie craft site, I grew up shooting and developing my own film, doing jazz and ballet, and the whole gamut of art classes. I’ve been called a Jane of all Trades… but I was also told many years ago not to make my passion my career because it’d suck the fun out of it. Hence my choice of day job. We live in Seattle but are having our wedding in Canada to be fair to all our family and friends.
The Red Room Salon on Howe is great - Paul is the best! (I’m a Californian, but visit Vancouver often because my mom is a Canadian)