For a long time, I didn’t have a hair stylist. Whenever my hair started getting uncomfortably long, I would go to the most conveniently located salon and got a trim. It was usually a simple enough request to not worry about a haircut gone horribly wrong. Then one day I went to a salon whose owner went rogue on me and decided to try out, what she thought was a “cool” style that is good for me. I ended up looking like a female version of Jim Carrey in Dumb and Dumber.
Over the years, I’ve gotten a lot wiser about who I let handle my hair. Also, my hairstyle preferences have evolved into involving the complexities of perming and coloring. This opens up a greater chance of stumbling into bad hair. But there is a very simple solution to avoiding this problem; Go to someone who knows how to balance one’s personal style while providing some guidance based on their professional experience. And only try a new stylist if highly recommended by a trusted source. That’s how I met Tracy Rasmussen, owner of the recently opened Bull in the Heather (219 Calyer Street). There I discovered the wonders of my new favorite coloring technique, Balayage and left with a natural looking beautiful do.
Tucked away in a quiet corner of Calyer and Eckford Street, Bull in the Heather’s black tiled exterior is unassumingly chic. It opens up to a minimalistic interior peppered with some original detail. It’s “modern and open but still feels homey.” Careful thought was put into every detail of the space by Tracy and is a reflection of a “grown-up version” of herself – one that is ready to take her craft and create a full experience for her clients because “haircutting is all about design.”
To Tracy, “Every person is different. Every person has a different head shape, they’ve got different textures… it’s making somebody looked balanced… and color is all about enhancing the haircut. Making hair pop.”
It’s not an easy task to lighten up dark hair while keeping it looking natural. At Bull in the Heather, I got balayage-d by their color specialist, Kaitlin into “sun-kissed” looking highlights that were hand painted to work with my natural color. Instead of using foil like in traditional highlights, every few sections are wrapped in cellophane and is mostly left free standing. This way, “you can just paint it and let it lie on the head so you can see where the brightness is and where the last highlight was so you can control what it’s going to exactly look like.” It’s better for the overall health of your hair too because “it’s not sitting from root to end in a foil kind of baking and drying out your hair.” Since it blends in so well with my natural color, I can expect a much softer grow out. On a daily basis, I do very little to maintain my hair style now. And I won’t have to return to the salon for several months for any kind of touch ups. Low maintenance beauty enhancements rule!
For those of you who are familiar with the trials and tribulations of having curly hair, the Bull in the Hair team is complete with curly hair specialist Sara Beth. As evidenced by her own beautifully coiled golden locks, she knows how to tame the most unmanageable of curls. The secret is dry cutting. It’s hard to gauge how much hair will shrink up when cutting wet so Sara Beth cuts curly hair dry, styles it, and sets it under the hood dryer before editing to the final cut. It’s about an hour and 15 minute process but with a good haircut, you can go 4-6 months before the next cut. It’s a lot about using the right products too. Bull in the Heather is stocked with upscale products by R&Co and luxury brand Oribe. For curly hair, Sara Beth recommends sulfate based creams by R&Co and hydrating products by Oribe.
Tracy has assembled a team that is ready to take on every aspect of hair styling. Each specialist has honed her skills enough to be able to provide a personalized service. In cutting, “a good base for shape is really important.” In color, “you can look at somebody’s head and decide where you want a little more lightness or a little bit more diffused.” A well maintained and proper shape curly haired folks can have “bangin’ hair.” Your hair will be treated like an artfully crafted piece. Most importantly, it will simply look good.
Bull in the Heather is located at 219 Calyer St. and is open Tues-Sun from 12pm-8pm. Check out their site for more info.
