I've had almost every hair color and cut under the sun. Really though - "Blondes & Bagels" is an ode to my naturally blonde locks, but I'm the experimental type. I've always thought hair was so NOT permanent. Cuts, color - they all grow out. So why not try something new?
You can actually check out my full hair history & evolution in this blog post if you're interested.
But that aside - I'm digging the blonde locks. Specifically I'm digging the blonde lob. After years with long, flowing blonde hair I hit a wall. I was over it. Long hair is so hard to manage. Beautiful, but hard to manage.
I chopped my hair off after a whirlwind trip to Italy and never looked back. Basically after sweating it out in Rome in September I couldn't take the sweaty hair anymore. Lolz.
Finding the best hair salon in San Francisco has been a labor of love. There are hundreds of salon options to choose from and even though I'm into experimenting - I'm also a stickler when it comes to who I let touch my hair.
I'm super excited to take you guys through my trip to Patrick Evan Salon. This gem of a salon has crazy amazing ratings online - and was actually voted the best hair salon in San Francisco by Allure mag! So basically I knew I'd be in good hands.
Nothing but the best, ya know?
Let's kick it off by discussing my "before" situation.
I had tried to go blonder early in 2017 and ended up with sort of a botched job. It was pretty devastating. Sure, maybe it didn't look so bad to the average eye, but my hair was fried. By November of 2017 I needed some serious color correction. I had a clear line of demarkation where my natural hair color started and where the yellowy bleach blonde was.
Not cute.
I found an awesome colorist that fixed my color issues. That being said - it truly was a fix. The stylist was clear that getting my hair to what I wanted would take time. I was thankful she didn't want to damage my hair any more than it already had been, but I didn't leave with the exact color I was after. I knew I'd have to revisit the color sitch months down the line.
Coming into Patrick Evan Salon, my hair needed some serious TLC. My lob had lost it's luster and was too long. The color definitely needed a refresh.
I told my amazing stylist, Pam, to just kick things up a notch. Like, me, but brighter. Know what I mean? I just needed that little bit of freshness.
Before
Pam plopped me down in the chair, handed me some Starbursts (candy - YES), and got to work.
I truly don't know what sort of magic dye she had mixed up, but she skillfully hand painted onto my hair balayage style. Balayage is like highlights but better. Because of the "hand painting" technique, the color is blended making it look natural and also easier to maintain. Harsh highlight line once you'r hair grows out? Non existent with balayage.
Pam actually gave me a quick walking tour of Patrick Evan Salon while my dye marinated. I had no idea when I walked in, but Patrick Evan Salon is literally THREE STORIES. Three full floors of hair magic. Everything is super sleek and chic - sort of like a New York loft...but not pretentious. Not intimidating. Every single human inside Patrick Evan Salon was NICE. Like not just "hey how ya doin" kind of nice - like actually good, funny humans. Every. Single. Person.
I hate going to salons and feeling out of place.
After the tour it was washing time!
Can I just pause and say that Pam kind of has the hands of an angel? My fave part of any salon experience is the shampoo and conditioning portion because I LOVE a good scalp massage. I was able to fully relax and my scalp was super thankful for the extra attention.
Pam gave me a blowout and a good curl...
And my "after" is AMAZING. There's something about a fresh cut and color that seriously gives me life. Again, no clue what magical dye was mixed up, but shoutout to Pam for picking a shade that literally made my skin look brighter.
It was like getting a facial...without getting a facial. WITCHCRAFT.
Anywhoosen - photo below. I'm obsessed. Pam is a genius. And Patrick Evan Salon is officially new new go-to salon in San Francisco.
After
If you're in San Francisco and need a hair cut, color, or treatment - I HIGHLY recommend making an appointment at Patrick Evan Salon. Seriously, the Yelp reviews speak for themselves (5 stars and 650 reviews as of March 2018 - just saying). They're also known as color, cut, Japanese straightening. and keratin specialists. Brand loyal? I gotchu. Patrick Evan Salon carries Goldwell, Wella, Redken and Kevin Murphy color as well as styling products from Oribe, Kevin Murphy, R+Co, and Kerastase!
Drop me a comment below if you pay them a visit! Or maybe I'll catch you there because, ya know - I'm a FAN.