Photo Credit: wellandgoodnyc.com
EUREKA! THE PERFECT NYC HAIR COLORIST
Despite having had my hair primped and styled by many of the worlds’ top hairdressers and colorists, I had yet to meet ‘The One.’ But I have now, and I am going to come out and declare James Corbett as the best colorist, not only in New York, but “The World.â€
With previous colorists, for some reason my hair color always turned into burned gold as they say in the industry. In other words it was ugly duckling yellow. But thankfully now I have found the man who “Gets My Hair.â€
It all started at a friends’ birthday dinner one night in New York. I was seated next to James Corbett, we had a total laugh, and he invited me in to his studio.
After having had many free colorings, cuts and blow-outs during my career and many offers of more—I know, lucky me—I was so thrilled with what he did that I now pay to see James. In the world of beauty editors, this is un-heard of.
I bounce out of James’ salon with new confidence and his work gets more compliments than I have ever had. He simply has the best eye for color. And James has just opened a new studio and salon in Chelsea where clients can have a pedicure in the garden followed by one of those before and after hair experiences that you only see when the Today show takes a soccer mom off the street and turns her into Megan Fox. He’s even been known to make me up before an event.
James also recently picked up the pieces after a hair disaster. Tactfully not chastising me for my infidelity (“it was free,†I confessed as he graciously avoided rolling his eyes), he took one look at the patchy, yellow “Balayage,†a French technique of painting the hair color directly onto the hair, so minimizing all that foil action that takes so long, and declared, “On your hair Balayage is cheating. It would be fine for a touch-up, but you need highlights.â€
Before - notice the yellow
After - a very happy customer
What is unique about James’s approach is that he doesn’t simply look at your hair color, but considers your skin tone and heritage as well. Now given that I am of Irish, English, Welsh and Armenian extraction—no challenge there—he explained, “Like me you have a lot of red in your skin. If there is too much yellow in the hair color, it accentuates it.†He described a technique he calls sandwiching, “I use a light color for the roots and then a gentler color through the ends.†He then put in a darker color in between the foils to get rid of the crazy yellow base and then when this extravaganza was complete, an all over ashier toner. He only employs the best hair stylists—Gigi and Danielle—and Jefferson does an all out keratin straightening treatment and blowout. He has a fabulous range of skincare and organic make-up including the RMS line and my favorites, De Mamiel Face Oil and Beauty Teas.
James also runs Hair2Help, a charitable organization that arranges salon and spa days for cancer patients and their caregivers. “I’ve been doing it for two years because my father and step-father passed away from cancer and my mother has pre-leukemia. I realized that caregivers are often the forgotten people.â€
Top colorist and great guy? Without a doubt. Get down to Chelsea for some Corbett magic. Prices range from $140 for a single process of color and $200 for highlights with James.
The James Corbett Studio, 25 W. 19th Street, New York, NY 10011, 212 388 1296 www.jamescorbettstudio.com.
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