I recently moved to New York from the City of Brotherly Love (a.k.a. Philly) and it’s true what they say—New Yorkers are as fast-paced as they get! But that also means they need to have a place to relax their bodies and minds from their long days at the office or wherever they call their second home. In Philly I would go to the spa as a special treat but since I’ve been here I feel as though it’s become more of a necessity. I am always on the go, whether it’s running down the subway stairs while trying not to trip, holding my work bag, my gym bag and my extra-large double-shot skim latte, or going to meet a potential source for an article at an 8:30am breakfast. Time doesn’t stop here but you definitely should every once in a while to get back to your center and find your chi—or to just not look so sleep deprived! There’s nothing better than getting a relaxing massage or covering up those roots that you swear you didn’t have last year. So, that’s just what I decided to do and I picked the most fabulous place to get it done!

Le Salon Chinois on 44 West 55th St. screams style from the moment you set your foot in the door. The entrance is a little hidden so I walked past it at first—you have to ring the bell to get buzzed up. It looks like an apartment building from the entryway but once you get off the elevator it’s like you’ve stepped into a world where only pretty things happen. The elevator smells like a salon—but like lavender beauty products and fresh haircuts, as opposed to your grandmother’s perm. The receptionist greeted me with a smile and the colorist’s assistant took my coat for me and offered me a selection of tea, coffee and cake before I even sat down to fill out the new client form. So far, so good! The assistant showed me to one of their changing rooms, equipped with body powder, lotion, towels and frocks (if I wasn’t feeling fresh, I was about to get there). I changed and was led to my colorist, Jose. His station was toward the back of the salon surrounded by a plethora of bamboo plants and his assistant was there making sure my hair wasn’t tangled, I had everything I needed and seemed eager to help Jose.

I must admit, I haven’t strayed from my regular hairstylist for quite some time (I have some explaining to do when I go back) so she’s used to my methods of description. For example, when Jose asked me what color I wanted to dye my hair I think I responded with something like “I want it dark brown but not too brown. And there can’t be any red in it at all because I hate red.” OK, check with the no red but what was I talking about when it came to the shade of brown I wanted?  My hair and I have a history of coloring and up until my last salon appointment, I was a over-highlighted blonde (which I really liked at one point but now that I’m in NY I feel like I need to ditch my hippie ways and get down to business a little more with a serious hair color—and, let’s be real here people—brunettes are hot!) When I finally took the plunge and decided to go back to “mah roots” the dye job came out with these red highlights that I despised. There’s just something about red hair that I hate atop my head. I couldn’t tell my hair stylist I wasn’t really feeling it because, well, she’s like my friend since I have been going to her for so long and I didn’t want to hurt her feelings. Besides, I knew it was just the blonde trying to come through and hold on for dear life. So, Jose came out with about four magazines and showed me some examples of brunettes…I finally went with a Sandra Bullock shade of brunette, which I later admitted to him that I wasn’t sure if I chose it because I thought the color would look good on me or because I thought it looked good on her. Either way, I figured why not?! Worse case scenario, I have to re-dye my hair. Besides, this was all in the name of destroying those pesky grays that have somehow prematurely made their way onto my scalp!

While Jose was mixing my color I witnessed a girl with the most beautiful hair I had ever seen. Her stylist was doing Japanese straightening and wow did it look awesome. Her hair looked like it should be on a Pantene Pro V commercial—you know the ones where the women have that long, lustrous hair that seems to be magically illuminated from behind and always blowing in the wind. I think that might be something my curly top might invest in next visit. While I daydreamed about the day I don’t have to blow out my hair for an hour at a time, Jose did his thing and we chatted away about life and his career as a hair stylist.

The dye was cool but luckily I had a nice warm cup of tea to keep me cozy while my timer was clicking away. There was also a good selection of magazines to read, something I find to be key while waiting for the dye to set! But when the buzzer went off I got excited for my favorite part of a trip to the salon—the wash. There’s just something about when someone else washes your hair for you. When do you give yourself a really good scalp massage? That’s right, you don’t. But at Chinois they go the extra mile to make sure your shampooing experience is spectacular! They even have neck rests on their sinks so your neck never starts to shake from trying to hold your head up while they are rinsing the bottom of your hair. I don’t know if the assistant had a crush on me or I just want to flatter myself, but he massaged my head for at least five or ten minutes. It was miraculous!

Now that my time with Jose was over, it was time to get the locks chopped. Like I said, it had been a while since scissors had graced these split ends so I was a little nervous to sit in the hot seat (a.k.a., the stylist’s chair). Ilda was a friendly young woman who asked me what I wanted done. I wanted to say, “Chop it!” but I’m really not that exciting when it comes to haircuts. I did ask her how much my split ends suggested we take off. She knew right off the bat I was a fan of the straightening iron and I hadn’t realized how damaged my hair had gotten over the past five months that I apparently had been torturing it. It also doesn’t help that while I will pay top dollar to get my hair done, I never seem to make the splurge on quality shampoo and conditioners. She suggested I start immediately! Apparently, it really does make a difference. I guess she should know—she is a professional and her hair was amazing! She was even wearing it up and I could tell that it was close to perfect.

I decided to succumb to her expertise and the only guidance I gave her was to not cut my layers too short in the back. Curly hair likes to poof so if my back layers are too short they don’t want to be tamed! I also said I’d like to try bangs, but again the curls sort of prevent that from happening. The closest I can get is really long bangs that I can wear sort of side-swept. They look good when my hair is in a ponytail or down but they are never too short that I can’t pull them back in a snap. Ilda was pretty much great! She took off about three and a half inches and trimmed a little at a time at my bangs so as to not chop them too short. She was very attentive to what I wanted but also wasn’t afraid to tell me her opinion. She also mentioned a few times that my hair was pretty dry and I would need at least one or two more cuts before it would look totally healthy again. Well, I might just have to go back to see about that! She did straighten my hair for me (she sprayed a heat-protecting spray on it before anything hot got near my head, though)—I had a very special date that night and I wanted to look perfect! Let’s just say that I think it was an overall success because the compliments kept rolling in!

So, if you’re looking for friendly service, a luxurious atmosphere (including yummy cake and hot drinks!), and to walk out the door with your head high then you might want to think about calling and scheduling an appointment at Le Salon Chinois. Don’t forget to check out their killer spa on the fifth floor, too!

Le Salon Chinois
44 West 55th Street
4th Floor
New York, New York 10019
212-956-1200
lesalonchinois.com