How to Get The Hair Cut (And Color) You Want

By Elizabeth Angell, Allure magazine

I complimented a friend on her haircut recently and she gave me one of those scrunched up I-hate-it-but-thank-you-for-saying-you-like-it looks. She told me that she always asks her stylist to keep the layers long in front but he never seems to listen. "I wish I knew what to say so he'd give me what I want!" she wailed.

I hate to see a friend in distress, so I asked around-and here's what I learned:

Show, not tell:
Show the stylist exactly where you want the layers to hit, says Tommy Buckett of the Marie Robinson salon. If you want layers that will go back into a ponytail, make sure he pulls those front pieces back to where you'd secure your ponytail and then checks that point again in the front, so he knows exactly how long they need to be.

If you're still not getting a haircut you love-and you're feeling loyal enough to give him another try-Buckett recommends changing up the time of your appointment. Maybe he's a morning person and you've been going at night, or vice versa. "Maybe you need to try him when he's a bit fresher, before he's given ten women in a row shaggy bangs."

Compare and contrast:
To make sure you're getting the color you want, "Always have two pictures on hand. One that you love and one that you hate," says Amy Huson, a colorist at the Marie Robinson salon. "This way the colorist is sure to see-not just hear-what you want. You may see colors and shades totally different, and sometimes words just don't cut it. You can both discuss the right color, and be on the same page."

Get them on your side
: You don't have to defer to stylists' opinions before your own, but it helps if they agree a style or color is a good idea for you. "The most important thing is to make the stylist think that they are in it with you creating this new look," says Brad Johns, color director for Elizabeth Arden Red Door Spas. "After you tell them what you want to say, 'Do you agree?' It makes the colorist feel like a participant in your request, not a waiter just serving your wants."

Play the bridal card.
This probably won't work more than once, but Allure Beauty Editor Angelique Serrano reports that there's one phrase that produced flawless results. "In the weeks before my wedding, I told my colorist and hairstylist that my wedding was coming up and that I didn't want anything dramatic or drastic done to my hair. They really paid attention to every word I said. I was able to keep my hair long, add in a few long layers, and blonde highlights. My stylist didn't hack off extra inches because he thought it would look better; my colorist listened to how subtle and low-maintenance I wanted my highlights and gave me such subtle streaks that they blended right into my brown hair. So for me, 'I'm getting married in a few weeks' certainly worked like magic words!"

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Photo Credit: WWD