Review by Joeybunny - Being a hair model at the Ouidad Salon!

If you remember my flat iron review from a week or so ago, you’ll recall that I mentioned that flat-ironing was such a big deal for me because my hair is my trademark of sorts, and that if I ever cut it people would freak out, cities would crumble, and the world would explode.

Well everyone, it’s time to pay a visit to the closest bomb shelter available, because I cut my hair. I CUT MY HAIR!!!!!!

(By the way, I can’t be held responsible for causing the end of the world, ok?)

On Monday, I had the wonderful opportunity to be a hair model for the Ouidad Salon in Manhattan. If you have curly hair, and you’re not familiar with Ouidad, then immediately get familiar with her. Ouidad pretty much revolutionized how curly-headed women cut and style their hair with her Carve and Slice technique and awesome products such as the Climate Control Heat and Humidity hair gel. I had not had my hair professionally cut in about seven years or so because I had never been able to find a stylist who could cut curly hair without making me look like Rosanne Rosannadanna.

So, when I was presented with the opportunity to volunteer as a hair model for Monday’s training session, I jumped at it. Hello, free haircut and deep conditioning! Oh, and the opportunity to say hello to Ouidad herself? HELL YES! I more than gladly woke up early to take myself down to the salon.

(this was me at the train station - notice the HUGE THICK ponytail!)

The Ouidad salon is spacious, friendly, and they play great music (always a plus when you know you’ll be there for a while). Ouidad herself was as pretty and friendly as I imagined her to be, and her staff was very warm. I felt immediately reassured I wasn’t going to get a hack job done on my hair. My stylist Renee was visiting from Napa, California - she specifically chose me because she thought my hair would be “a challenge” to cut and style. That’s a very polite way to put it, I think - Renee worked on me for about four hours (granted, this four hours included a very long deep conditioning for my frazzled hair, plus some wait time while Renee worked on someone else).

(this is the challenge Renee took up - I HAVE SO MUCH HURR)

My haircut started with a consultation with Renee. She was so warm and happy that I immediately trusted her, and I told her I wanted my dead ends cut off: at least three inches worth. She played with my hair to study my curl pattern, and then took me for a wash and condition.

(the washing station!)

The Carve and Slice cut followed - this is what Ouidad is famous for: this way of cutting the hair eliminates bulk without taking away length, and allows the curls to fall flat down in harmony instead of poofing out from the head. Once Renee was done, then she proceeded to cut about 4-5” from my hair (yes, it’s more than I had asked for, but my hair was more damaged than I initially thought and when I saw how terrible it looked, I said I was all for the chop!). The famous Ouidad Deep Treatment Intensive Conditioner followed, and I sat under the dryers until Renee was ready to style me.

(post cut Bunny!)

(getting deep conditioned!)

(right before being styled, after Deep Treatment was washed out)

She parted my hair exactly how I wanted, and gave me lots of volume with an expert placement of duck clips (I love big hair!). Back under the dryers I went so that my hair would dry, and then Renee finished with a diffusor and some more product.

(almost done...)

(DONE!!!!!!!)

(me and Renee, my awesome stylist!)

(me in the elevator, taking pictures for Elvira and my Twitter followers)

The result? A head of hair that Ouidad herself called “a knockout!” I was stunned by my hair transformation. I went from my butt-length wild leonine mane to a gorgeous, sleek but curly, manageable head of hair that now lands right below my shoulder blades. I could not stop thanking Renee, or Ouidad, for the incredible opportunity to have such an incredible experience for free!

If you’re interested in the salon I highly recommend checking out the website - there’s a form to fill out to volunteer to be a hair model! Try it, you have nothing to lose but a ton of bulk and poof! Also, if you’re interested to know what products were used on my hair, ask in the comments - it was quite a list, so I was hesitant to type it out, but I’m more than happy to tell whoever asks.