I have a guy in Puyallup. Been seeing him for about five years. But our once-fabulous relationship is on the fritz. Or should I say frizz? What used to sizzle between us has fizzled out. Faded like an overdue dye job. He never has time for me anymore. He never returns my calls. So, enough is enough. I’m breaking up with my hair stylist.



Our relationship has been full of highlights and lowlights, but I don’t need to read Greg Behrendt’s latest book to figure out this lack of attention means he’s just not that into me. As for me and my mousy brown root grow-out, well, we’re over it. I’ve reached the hair breaking point.



How exactly do you break it off with a hairdresser? For me, silence is golden. As with all my breakups, my plan was to disappear into the night. Without a word. With never a look back through my shaggy bangs.



With my newfound follicle freedom, I couldn’t just curl up and dye myself in the solitude. I had to get back to the roots of what it was that I wanted in a stylist. I reflected philosophically on my hair needs. I wanted it all. The salon experience. Of course, I wanted to look great, But I wanted to feel special inside too. I needed to be loved. Could somebody do all that for less than 100 bucks?



So I did what any 30-something woman would do in such a hairy position. I took my curls and my cause to Craigslist. I felt hopeful and somewhat brazen as I typed out my list of cosmetologist criteria and posted an ad looking for a new hair stylist in Tacoma.

The ad started getting hits immediately after posting. Apparently, I had won 1.2 million in the Nigerian lottery. Delete. A retired beautician with a private salon run out of her basement in Yelm offered her services. Delete. Then the ad that stole my heart: Heather, a stylist at Embellish Multispace Salon in downtown Tacoma, wrote to let me know she does wonders with color and cuts. Her specialty was naturally curly hair. We were practically soul mates as far as I was concerned. I called Embellish immediately to book an appointment.



Heather is the first to say she’s not just a stylist. She’s a Day Maker. During my first visit, she patiently explained how designers at Embellish are referred to as such because they are trained to literally make their guests’ day. The salon business mission is offering clients technical expertise, craft knowledge and superior customer service. To me, that sounded like the salon experience I craved. And that’s exactly what I received — a decadent afternoon of creative coloring, scissor savvy, warm towels, pampering potions, a friendly face, a listening ear. Tender loving care for the hair and the spirit.



My first date with Heather included an all-over color job, a haircut and an eyebrow tint. Total cost: $118. In addition, I received a few perks to include an organic yogurt deep conditioning scalp massage at the shampoo bowl and lots of hair product samples. All-in-all, my hunt for hair happiness brought me to Embellish. Although they say that breaking up is hard to do, I know I did the right thing by pulling out of my Puyallup flop. Now, I’ll be hanging out with Heather —growing my roots in Tacoma.



[Embellish Multispace Salon, 1121 Court D, Tacoma, 253.752.8144]