Girls Night Out Blogger Event with Hair Cuttery

Girls Night Out Blogging Event at The Hair Cuttery in Cranston, RI.  Bloggers from the following blogs include: Frugal Living & Having Fun, Koupon Karen, A Life Less Complicated, Stephanie's Mommy Brain, FunkE PunkE MonkE, and Brandy's Big Bargains

I recently had the opportunity to share in a Girls Night Out Bloggers Event this past Tuesday night at The Hair Cuttery in Cranston, RI with several other great RI bloggers.  Not only did we all get our hair done, but we also received massages, had our nails done, and then dinner at Ted's Montana Grill.  You may want to grab a cup of coffee before reading on...

I am like the many of you out there that are very apprehensive when going somewhere new when it comes to your hair.  I will admit, I was a bit leery at first of letting someone new work on my hair.  I will also admit that I have been through many, many hair professionals, some have called me picky, and even a bit bitchy, and yes I have on one occasion, unintentionally, made a stylist cry.  On the other hand, I know what I want and what I like when it comes to my hair.  So being able to let go and try someone new was a bit scary. 

One of my favorite things about being a blogger is learning first hand about companies, going behind the scenes, and learning what makes a company stand out among the others.  If I don't like or agree with an event that I attend, a product that I review, or a service that I receive, I find it difficult too difficult to write about, so I don't.  Blogging has it's perks, however with those perks come responsibilty.  I know that the readers of Brandy's Big Bargains rely upon my honest opinion of what I thought. So all opinions expressed are 100% solely mine.  No compensation, monetary or other, ever determines the outcome of any post I write.

Fast forward to Tuesday night.  I arrived at Hair Cuttery, about to try a new hair professional.... {gulp}  I opted for the massage first.  {Yes, you could say, that I was putting off the hair, for the moment.}  A 10 minute massage from a massage technician from Massage Envy... I could have stayed in that chair for the next 45 minutes and been very happy!  I think maybe the massage loosened me up and relaxed me, just enough to where I was a little less apprehensive about the whole hair thaang.  

After getting my nails shaped and painted, {Still avoiding that chair.}  I had no where to go, except that chair where it would either make or break my night.  I could, potentially, come out of this looking like a complete witch, and that's putting it nicely. 

I was paired with Stylist Rhodie for the night.  Upbeat?  That's putting it lightly!  A little whacky?  Oh yes!  That's exactly what I needed to put my mind at ease.  She was personable, friendly, and funny.  You could see in her attitude that she is passionate about what she does, something you don't see in a lot of chain hair salons. 

I like being able to talk and chit chat with the stylist, while they are working on my hair.  Having to sit in a chair and the stylist be quiet, and only hold a conversation with another stylist, to me, is reason enough to walk out.  At the Hair Cuttery, that's all you heard, stylists laughing and having fun with the person they were working on. 

Styled... hmmm.  This is usually where I turn into my evil twin.  I can say straight, and for some reason, the stylist will insist on putting a curl on the tips of my hair.  Why?  I don't know.

 Rhodie took the time to actually listen to what I wanted to see in my style.  She asked me what I was looking for in a cut, and how I liked it styled.  She new that my "inch" and her "inch" were two completely different lengths, so before cutting, she made sure just how much I wanted trimmed off.  I had a moment or two of butterflies in the stomach when she turned me away from the mirror... but I surrendered to the experience for the night, with a somewhat open mind.

Now, I have a lot of hair, I can honestly say, she took the time to blow dry E-V-E-R-Y layer of hair on my head.  I don't think I have ever had a stylist do that.  Usually they try and rush through that part, and they always end up pointing the damn blow dryer right into my ear.  Nope, not tonight, not once.  I was impressed.

When I saw the ends of my hair, I was floored.  The tips were straight, not curled.  My hair was parted where I wanted it parted.  Okay that sold me right there.  Sold me to the point where I will be bringing my girls to get their hair trimmed and styled, and sold me to the point where I will go back to have foils put in at The Hair Cuttery.

After everyone had been pampered with massages, nails, and hair, we then headed to dinner at Ted's Montana Grill next door.  This was the first time that I had eaten in this establishment.  Ironically when my husband and I were without a kitchen, we had talked several times about going to Ted's but for some reason or another, just had never made it.  I had been told from friends that their Bison Burgers were fantastic, so I opted for the recommended dish, the Bison Burger, and cannot wait to bring my husband back again! 

Cooked to perfection, onions perfectly sauteed, bacon nice and crispy, it was one of the best burgers I have had.  The booths there have the high backs, which is nice, it gives you just the right amount of privacy, which you don't see in a lot of restaurants now a days. 

Ted's Montana Grill was a great choice to go for dinner, as it's not a loud place, it's well lit and comfortable so we were able to sit and talk with the stylists, the salon leader, Meghan, and the New England Region Market Leader, Michelle, over dinner.

Do you ever notice how food brings people together?  You learn things you wouldn't normally know about people when you share a meal with them.  For instance, I was shocked to learn that when it comes to either shampoo or conditioner, you should only use a nickel sized dollop!    HA.   My girls will soon be calling me the shampoo & conditioner Nazi, and I think the women at Hair Cuttery would have a heart attack if they saw the amount of shampoo and conditioner we use in my house!  {Bring on the new household challenge in the Bacon Family!}

And here is yet another interesting fact.  Genuine Paul Mitchell products are only sold in and guaranteed when purchased through a professional salon, and the Paul Mitchell products you see on the shelves at your local drug and grocery store are not genuine Paul Mitchell products, but products from what is called the "Grey Market", "Counterfeit", or "Tampered with"?  I did not know this, and I'm still not sure how they can then be legally sold on the shelves of local drug and grocery stores....but I will be finding out.  There is actually a number that you can call to report a finding of these products.  {This has got my curiosity up, more will come in a future post.}

I won't go into ALL the facts and knowledge I gained, but I will tell you that Hair Cuttery also supports many charitable endeavors.  Charities like Dress for Success, Special Olympics, Locks of Love and Susan G. Komen for the Cure are just some of the charities you will find Hair Cuttery involved with.  To speak with the stylists and leaders about these causes, and their line of work, you can see the dedication, and passion these women have, which makes going there a great experience all the way around from the moment you walk in, to the moment you leave. 

Before I knew it, the clock was now at 10pm.  Yes, time has a way of blissfully escaping from you, when you are comfortable, laughing {and lookin good!} and having a good time.

Hair Cuttery's prices pretty much coinside with the average price, you can get a children's Shampoo, Cut & Blow Dry  for about $18.  Their services include any of those that you would find elsewhere, what you wont find elsewhere is the level of personal service that you'll get at Hair Cuttery. 

Want to try it out for yourself?  Print out this coupon to get $3.00 off a Shampoo, Cut & Blowdry service.  The coupon is good through 2/28/11.  Maybe I will see you in there!

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