The only thing harder to find in the Ashburn than a tattoo parlor is a hair salon with stylists who can do black hair- “hair-itage”- not hair color!

I called no less than 5 local salons looking for someone who could relax and cut my hair. Only one even had a stylist who knew how to do ethnic hair- and she was only available every third Thursday of the even months of the year if the moon was full… so I was going to head back to Exclusive Hair Design in Centreville- the only excellent, professional black hair salon I have found this side of D.C.

Depressed about adding the cost of gas and the traffic on Rt. 28, I made one final effort to find a local salon and stopped into Salon Cielo in Lansdowne. With desperation in my voice, and a hat covering my tangled mass of hair (I didn’t want any birds mistaking it for a place to build a home,) I expected the answer I’d already heard twice: “ Uh, you mean, like, not blonde?” I was thrilled when the very professional girl (yeah, I’m old enough to call anyone under 25 a girl!) behind the counter said, “Of course, when would you like to come in?” I scheduled an appointment with Ari for the next day with high hopes.

Salon Cielo itself is pristine, chic and quite upscale, even though the prices are more than reasonable. Trendy remixes of the songs I used to dance to in European nightclubs pipe through the discreetly placed speakers. The vibe is hip, cool, and somehow you just know you going to saunter out of there knowing how goooood your new ‘do looks! The professional staff makes you feel confident that you will be well taken care of and your appointment time IS the time you will be in a chair with your stylist. They also have a full menu of spa services and sell top of the line beauty products... I am sure I will have the chance to review those at my next appointment.

Now, there are two main tests to see if a stylist really knows how to do a "sistah’s" hair- it’s different than most other ethnicities: the relaxer (perm) has to be applied just right so all of your hair ends up the same texture, and you can’t cut it wet because the way our hair shrinks up when it’s dry.  Email me if you want more details on black hair care!

Ari proved not only that she knew the right way to do my hair, but she proved to be a master stylist that took extra steps I have never experienced at a salon! I have very thick hair and she took her time combing gently through every section to ensure that the relaxer would be evenly applied. She patiently worked through the tangles from the ends- not the roots- to ensure my hair didn’t break off.

I chose a pretty drastic change to my look- I walked into Salon Cielo with shoulder length hair with a few sad layers trying to hang in there. When I left, Ari had designed a fierce looking cut with perfectly straight bangs, and a modernized bob that was just below my hairline along the back and gradually angled longer to curl under my chin at the front. HOT HOT HOT!

Her attention to detail, like cutting small amounts at a time to ensure symmetry at every level, and the time she took to smooth out and slowly dry small sections at medium heat so my hair wasn’t damaged by too much heat… truly professional. I felt like a movie star! And not just because Katie Holmes recently wore the same cut Ari gave me, but because Ari styled my hair as if I told her I was on my way to a Hollywood premier, not  going back home to work in my La-Z-Boy.

Every stylist in Salon Cielo sat up and took notice of her transformation of my hair- they all saw what scary-hairy I walked in there with! They ran their fingers through it, stood behind me and complimented how well she made the cut fit my face, and were wowed by her expertise.

Ari is clearly a specialist in her field and could give anyone who sits in her chair a gorgeous, esteem-building style. She is friendly without talking your ear off, serious without being humorless, and just as beautiful and original as she styles she creates. Whether your current style needs a shape up or you are ready for a big change- make an appointment with Ari at Salon Cielo. I hope she never moves overseas… I’ll end up adding the cost of a plane ticket to the price of my haircut!

Thank you Ari for making my summer do a HOT one, and thank you Salon Cielo~

for Passing with Flying Colors!