Ashley J.
Yelp
It has been quite awhile since I last did a yelp review, but I think it is a good time to do so. I was in need of a dire haircut. The only problem is that I have had the same person (Luis from Hi-Tech in Coral Gables, FL) cut my hair since I was thirteen years old (now I am 32 so you see the longevity). He was the only one I trusted cutting my hair because I have naturally thick/wavy hair when not blow dried or flat ironed. I had a horrendous haircut in the past (bad memory when I was 11 or 12) at another salon in Coral Gables so I have always been weary of going to someone new. Apparently in the hair salon community, stylists tend to shy away from or get scared of cutting those with curly hair. It is a known thing according to Luis. Being a big fan of Yelp, I decided to see what salons were out there in Falls Church, VA that would be able to take me on. It was between Salon Virage and Salon Daniel. After reading the reviews for Salon Virage I was not totally sold. It seemed okay at best. I kept looking and found Salon Daniel. Sleek, chic, modern...those are the three words I would use to describe this salon. Upon entering I was greeted warmly by two ladies at the front. Even though I was late for my appointment, they were still kind and understanding. It felt a lot like the salon I would go to back home. I did not have too wait long. One thing I always loved about going to a salon...the magazines. I rarely read magazines anymore but it was always fun to skim through them and see what stars are wearing what or what beauty items are the next best thing. I am not all that much into glitz and glamour but feeling pampered every once in a while and kicking your feet up (not literally as I had to sit gracefully on the sofa there) feels fun and very much a blessing if not a gift. I was told to have the owner Daniel (who was extremely warm and inviting upon our first encounter) to take a look at my hair and see what he would be working with. I reluctantly allowed my braid to be undone by his assistant. I knew it had gotten long and I did have split ends. Plus I did not know how he would feel about cutting my hair. To my chagrin, he wasn't scared at all to do so. In fact, he himself said he had long curly hair once, so I knew at that moment I was in good hands. There was also a woman next to me who said she had been going to him since she was 13 actually, for 32 years exactly. I breathed a sigh of relief.
I was then led to a chair to have my hair washed and deep conditioned. It was recommended I do the deep conditioning. Typically, I would have shied away from adding on anything else as I knew that would make the total cost go up, but my hair needed some TLC. The woman washed my hair made sure the temperature of the water was just right and even massaged my head and neck! It was amazing. She made sure the towel was properly draped around my neck and that I was comfortable overall. After the conditioning treatment was done, it was time for my haircut. I got to know Daniel a bit more and what a success story, not that I measure a person's worth by their accomplishments, but I was more so in awe of the hard work and steps he put in to get there, coming from Lebanon, starting off cutting and ironing his friends and family's hair, learning English, I was amazed. And then to come to learn he has styled some major icon's hair like Miss Universe 1991, Fran Drescher, the Aerosmith band, I felt so posh for two seconds even though I am the most basic person (in a good way lol)..but it felt neat to have my hair styled by someone so experienced and well-accomplished in the hair industry. I was very happy with the results. I cut it pretty short l which is what i planned for anyways, but it was worth it. I needed a refresh and a reset in more ways than one and sometimes you have to shed the old you to have a new you and start anew. I did not know what the total cost would be and I never expected to spend as much as I did (as I typically would pay $95-$115 back home in Miami) but it was worth the cost. I also did buy the Kerastase deep conditioning cream that was used on my hair so that increased the cost but I looked at it as a bucket-list kind of salon visit. After all I have been through the past couple of years, I deserved it. I definitely recommend Salon Daniel. The cost is rather steep, but it is worth it especially if you want excellent and near perfect results, not average ones.