Please raise your hand if you've been a victim of a haircut gone horribly wrong. Now please raise your hand if you've heard your "stylist" mutter "this must be karma" when dealing with your gorgeous hair. Alright, what about getting charged extra because we were born with ringlets? Now for the kicker, feeling ashamed or different because our hair won't fall flat.
None of the above are any fun to experience, but us curly girls have experienced them all. It's also a little bit insane that more salons don't cater to our ringlets since at least 80% of women wake up with curls or waves.
When it comes to our hair, we all have a story that tells the struggle of understanding our roots (pun intended), finding the perfect cocktail of hair products, and then finding the right stylist + salon that gets it.
It took me a really, really long time to finally understand my hair. Then an even longer time to find products that didn't cause ticking frizz bombs. And when I finally found my salon, it felt like I came out of the dark ages. It was such a life-changing moment which is why Devachan will always get rave reviews here.
So when I wanted a big change, I knew exactly where to go.
For kicks, I decided to take a stroll through memory lane featuring my hair from super long to my new dreamy haircut. It starts with the first photo and ends with...
Jessica F., my Devacurl stylist, took me super short with a side of bangs back in May. And for the first time since my accident (+ surgery), I felt amazing inside and out. My gorgeous curls perfectly cascaded around my face and had this amazing healthy, sheen radiate from within each ringlet. Jessica, if you're reading this -- you were a godsend just when I felt like giving up on and turning into a recluse with a bad wrist.
It's amazing how a great haircut can impact your life.
If you have never been to the salon, then I'd love to walk you through the experience.
When you first enter the salon, you'll be greeted by a friendly receptionist who will escort you to the waiting room. You won't wait long if anything this is when you'll change into a silky robe and be served delicious ice tea. Refill please!
Next, your stylist will meet you and bring you back to her chair. This is when your stylist will ask all the heavy-hitter questions such as how do you style your hair and what kind of cut are you looking for. She'll also learn about the texture of your hair. I usually bring in a picture of a particular cut that I'd like to achieve or an old photo of when I loved my haircut best. It makes the process easier.
After the consultation, your stylist will start to cut your curls. The Devachan stylists believe in cutting your hair when the curls are in their natural state and dry. My favorite part about this is how they take each ringlet into consideration. It's easier for them to see how the curls will fall which will make it easier for us to style and achieve our desired cut!
Next up, is their famous wash and set process. You'll get escorted to their zen-like washing station where each shampoo sink is connected to basically a daybed. Needless to say, I have fallen asleep during this step more than once. At this stage, your curls are gently cleansed, conditioned, and detangled. This is a really great time to learn how your stylist uses the products or you can be like me and take a nice nap.
After your curls are cleansed and conditioned your stylist will walk you over to her drying station. Each individual ringlet will get styled and shaped using a prescribed curly cocktail of Devacurl products. This part is worth taking notes on and if you have questions make sure to ask away! Once your curls are styled your stylist will start the drying process and check in to see how your hair is drying.
Once your hair is fully dry, your stylist will make the final assessment and snip any needed ringlets to give you that bombshell cut. It's honestly quite the experience and could take two hours, but it is so worth the individual attention and education you get from each session.
If you can't make it to NYC or are just curious about my prescribed curly cocktail, I am totally down to share the goods. They have an online store so their products can be shipped almost anywhere.
I cleanse and condition my hair using two products from their Decadence line. It hydrates my curls and brings them back to a softer state from all the heat-styling they have endured this summer: No-Poo and One Condition.
For styling, less has always been more in my book. My stylist took that into account and recommended their B'Leave-In to help hydrate and plump up my curls. Once I scrunched my hair with product, I move onto their Ultra Defining Gel for lasting hold and crunch-free, frizz-free texture. I let my hair do it's thing while it air dries but once ready I shake my curls out at the root for a soft, touchable look. And for days I want to extend my style (or zero time to wash my hair), I've been loving their No-Poo Quick Cleanser. Spray at the roots and it'll sop up the extra oil to give your curls a refreshed look.
Phew, what a long post! Devachan will forever be my curl bae so I wanted to be as thorough as possible on what makes them amazing. Other salons just don't compare.
Here's more helpful information:
425 Broome Street
Hours: T-Sa 8a-8p, Su-M 10a-5p
Shot by Lydia Hudgens + Victor Cerejo.
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