1999 was a really tough year for me. I spent the year building a new life in NYC, sharing a 800 sq ft downtown loft and working 70 hour weeks for American Express. I was rebuilding my life after a ferocious break up with a controlling man who spent the last 5 years isolating me from my friends and family.
‘99 was the most difficult year of my life; I had to move from Boston to NYC to get away from the man that I now affectionately refer to as simply, “The Psycho”. I found myself in a new city with no friends and working at a job that I was in no way qualified for, in a city that is daunting even in the best of times.
August 28, 1999 changed my life, and I happened to turn 30 years old on that very day. I invited some friends from work to join me for dinner and clubbing at a hip restaurant. I knew it would cost me a fortune, but you only turn 30 once and it was worth going broke for. What do you do when you are going for broke; you spend your day at the salon and spa!
So the plan, in true NYC fashion, was to leave my downtown loft with my handbag full of makeup and a clubbing dress and head to mid town for the day. I left around noon and on the subway up to midtown, I realized that no one had called me for my birthday yet… well there is still time. I stopped at my favorite Vietnamese nail salon and got the “Cowardly Lion” treatment, you know when he goes to oz and they do all of his services at once.
Next stop Warren Tricomi on 58th. My hair had been cut many times before, but always just a trim and sometimes, if I was feeling daring, bangs. But I had never had my color done. When I arrived at WT, it was 2pm and still no one had called for my birthday—this is really before texting and facebook so I was truly getting no B-day love.
I spent the next 4hour hours drinking wine with my new Stylist friend Natalie, well I was drinking wine, she colored and cut my hair. She gave me my first “New York Style”. I became a delicious New York blond, complete with my first ever shaped and dyed eyebrows. I finally looked like a girl, Keep in mind I had been a tom boy and an athlete up to this point. It was like Natalie was my fairy godmother and she just said bippity, bobbity boo.
Natalie showed me exactly how fabulous my hair looked. She gave me the mirror to see the back, and it was absolutely gorgeous. Then, to everyone’s surprise, I spontaneously burst into tears. It was 6pm and no one had call me to wish me a happy birthday—not my brothers or my mother or my friends. I quickly explained to Natalie that I love my hair but it was my birthday and no one seemed to remember. I had not heard the words “Happy Birthday” out loud yet. Then uncontrollably I went into machine gun crying, it was like the entire staff rushed to their fire engine to save the crying client.
I was first taken away from the other clients…. Ushered to a treatment room and given a cup of tea, all the while each person wished me a happy birthday. Natalie just let me talk for a minute and I told her about “the pscyco” and my plans for a new life. The tea started working and I was a little tired from my emotional seizure. She told me to lie down and she would be right back. She returned with Helana from Russia. Natalie told me that Helana was going to do a quick anti swelling facial and later my makeup. She put cold compresses on my face and eye— I think I fell asleep for awhile.
They moved me out to the front and started doing my makeup. Everyone was going out of their way to complement me and say happy birthday. As Helena finished my makeup, the salon staff sang happy birthday and brought me a candle in a snickers bar. They then promptly taught me how to not screw up my makeup when crying….dabbing inner eye while tilting the head.
I changed into my evening dress that was hidden in my purse and emerge from that salon beautiful, sophisticated and most importantly, taken care of by the sisterhood of beauty.
That day changed my life; I realized that there is always somewhere to go when you are down. There is always a way to feel better; just go see the saints in the sisterhood of beauty.
When I met up with my friends from work I had one of the best nights of my life, a true Sex in the City kind of night. I even met a man- that one right over there.
This day changed by life in incredible ways…. First, I found the art of beauty, its practitioners and the love that encompasses a salon. Second, I realized I would be happily spending hundreds of dollars on beauty for the rest of my life. And finally, I found a mature love with a man that champions me, and believes that I can do anything.
Now you know when the Salon Profession hit my personal radar and I have been fighting to be involved with this community ever since.
I challenge you to help these salons as they have helped countless others.
I challenge you to give them back their power of choice in a salon professional brand.
I challenge you to sell salons the items that will enrich their lives.
Andrea and John Bogdan after 8 years of marriage!
