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Vol. LXIV, No. 29
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Wednesday, July 21, 2010
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Vol. LXIV, No. 29
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Wednesday, July 21, 2010
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 CUTS AND COLOR: “I enjoy being able to provide service for my clients. This is our focus. I wanted to create a place where we will provide unforgettable customer service every time someone comes in.” Daniel Smits, owner of the new salon at 830 State Road, stands beside one of the unique “hidden” closets with storage space for styling tools as well as clients’ handbags and belongings. |
“Hair cutting and coloring have gone from function to fashion.”
Daniel Smits should know. The owner of the new Daniel Smits Salon at 830 State Road (next door to Lucy’s Ravioli) is an expert in both areas. He studied with Vidal Sassoon in London, later returning several times for workshops. For the past 15 years, he has been associated with salons in the Princeton area, including Metropolis, where he was a stylist and later artistic director.
“The Sassoon approach was to cut to hair texture and to bone structure in order to get the best haircut for the individual,” explains Daniel. “I love cutting both short and long hair. There are ways to cut hair both to remove weight and to add volume, depending on the situation.”
Hair style — both cut and color — should also be appropriate to the client’s age, he adds. “The stylist can help educate clients about what is appropriate and most becoming for them. I have a consultation with a client every appointment to consider changes.”
Popular Choices
Daniel enjoys both cutting and color, and as he points out, ”You can do something with color that can inspire cutting and vice versa. For example, sectioning for a hair cut could inspire highlights for color. Also, texture and movement are important because they bring life to hair. This can be achieved by cutting and color.”
Highlights are among the most popular choices for color, and when considering color, Daniel takes into account a client’s skin tone and hair texture. “Hair texture is especially important in color. For instance, finer hair absorbs color darker. There is a lot to take into consideration when deciding on color.”
While many people choose to cover gray, others like to leave some gray exposed, he adds. “Sometimes, with dark hair, you can leave the gray, but add a few highlights to the dark hair, which distracts from the gray. There are lots of creative ways to handle this.”
Hair color is safer than ever, he emphasizes. “Inoa is the new product for color, with no ammonia and more natural ingredients. The color will last longer too.”
Hair Straightening
Apparently, more people are opting for a straighter rather than a curly look these days, and among the many services at the salon, hair straightening is one of the most popular. “It can be for short or long hair,” reports Daniel, “and Keratin straightening is favored now. It’s not a chemical procedure, and it eliminates 99 percent of frizz. It lasts three to five months.”
For those who have experienced a bad hair day, the team at the salon is not only sympathetic, but capable and prepared to restore a more than presentable look. “We offer corrective coloring and cutting for coloring mistakes, and we also have products to treat a variety of conditions, including thinning hair and scalp problems,” says Daniel. “The Rene Furturer line is excellent for helping many hair and scalp conditions.”
When Daniel decided to open his salon, the setting was very important to him. He wanted it to reflect what he thought the ideal configuration, lighting, and ambiance should be. “This space became available, and we renovated it from top to bottom. We wanted clean lines and open space. Natural light is very important, and we wanted big windows.”
With customer convenience in mind, he selected sleek closet-type cabinets adjacent to large vertical mirrors. They feature hooks for handbags and storage space for styling tools, and this has eliminated the need for counters. Instead, the mirrors highlight every station.
Eco-Friendly
Concern for the environment has also been stressed in the choice of products and design at the salon. “We emphasized being green throughout the building renovation,” explains Daniel. “All the products we chose, including paint, were environmentally-friendly. We included Minardi lighting, which is not only perfect for color, but is eco-friendly. Also, we recycled everything ourselves. We did the entire renovation without a dumpster.”
Daniel’s concern for the planet has extended to the recent oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. All hair cuttings and clippings are donated to a Matter of Trust, an organization that uses human hair, animal fur, feathers, and fleece to create mats which can absorb oil.
The salon’s clients include women, men, and children, and Daniel is pleased that many of his regular customers have been joined by newcomers. The career he decided on when he was in high school (“I thought cutting hair would be creative”) has been all he hoped for.
As he says, “I enjoy helping customers to look as nice as they can, and finding the right style for them is so important. I want people to enjoy coming here and to be comfortable and relaxed in a salon where they are offered real personal service. Walk-ins are always welcome, and we also have free, convenient parking.”
Hair cuts start at $55 and color at $70. Gift packages will also be available, and refreshments are always offered to clients.
Hours are Tuesday through Friday 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Saturday 9 to 5. (609) 921-9051.