Nancy Jacobs has a love-hate relationship with her hair. She’s happy to have a full, curly mane, but most hairdressers don’t know what to do with it.
“Problem is, I haven’t been able to find a stylist in Denver who isn’t afraid of my hair,” Jacobs, 50, wrote when applying for a makeover sponsored by The Denver Post. “It tends toward the long side; it’s curly, it’s coarse, at worst it’s frizzy. One stylist even yelled at me for having ‘ethnic’ hair.
“I’m a professional woman who wants a professional look, with layers, texture, something freeform and low maintenance,” she said. “I’ll do anything! (except use a hairdryer).”
Jacobs spends long, busy days as a quality assurance program manager for a nonprofit health plan and doesn’t want to devote a lot of time to getting ready in the morning. “I’d rather spend more time sleeping,” she said.
We knew just who could help her. Ed Gillespie, who has been at Venus Salon & Spa in Cherry Creek North for 15 years, is not only not afraid of anyone’s hair, he’s a storehouse of information on color, cuts, styling, conditioning and products.
The two spent four hours together on a recent Monday afternoon during which Jacobs finally had a chance to get the haircut and style of her dreams.
“I’ve worn it short and long and tried all kinds of styles. I’m ready for something radical,” she told Gillespie.
That’s a statement hairstylists don’t often hear, so he was encouraged to transform Jacobs.
Gillespie’s first job was to even out the color and add highlights. He mixed several different shades to create a rich brown base. Next, he created caramel highlights “to bring out her beautiful eyes.”
Gillespie applied the color with a brush and wrapped the sections in foil packets, working carefully from front to back, top to bottom. A gloss was added for extra shine, and a toner softened the highlights.
After the new color set for 30 minutes, Gillespie shampooed it with Phyto Curl from Phytology.
Then it was time for the cut.
“We’re going to bring it up to her collarbone, and she’s going to be able to wear it either curly or straight,” he promised as he began angle-cutting small sections.
Three-inch snips fell to the floor. Jacobs didn’t flinch.
Proving to Jacobs that she could indeed wear her hair straight and softly turned under at the ends, Gillespie next spent 30 minutes blowing it dry. He applied a combination of Chi Straight Guard, Chi Silk Infusion and Kusco-Murphy leave-in conditioner all over Jacobs’ head and dried her hair in small sections. He started with the bottom layers, keeping the top layers clipped on top of the head until he was ready to dry them.
Gillespie applied Phytology’s moisture balm with his fingers as a finishing product and then let Jacobs revel in her reflection in the mirror.
“I can’t believe my hair could look like this,” she said.
The reaction from her co-workers has been equally emphatic, Jacobs said. “First the eyes get real big, then the mouth drops open, then there’s a big smile and usually an ‘Oh my God!”‘
She’s still reluctant to dry it on her own, but has been practicing with different ways of letting it air dry, per Gillespie’s suggestions. “And the shampoo he gave me has been really quite remarkable in keeping it manageable, soft, and not overly fluffy. I expect that I’ll be experimenting with more of his tips and playing around with it for a while to come,” she said.
Jacobs said she was still getting compliments two weeks after her salon visit, including one from her female boss.
“She said I should keep going to Ed,” Jacobs said. Considering color and a cut with Gillespie starts at $125 and a blowdry is $50, Jacobs seized the opportunity to ask for a raise. The salary increase was denied, but Jacobs banked the ego boost.
Blow-drying tips
The smaller the barrel on your brush, the more lift and body you’ll get. If you want to straighten long, curly hair, use the largest barrel brush you can find (visit a beauty supply store).
Direct the dryer downward to eliminate frizziness.
Dry roots first so they’ll be smooth, and then continue drying down the length of the shaft.
Use styling products that are compatible with your hair type and the type of look you want to create. Ask your stylist for suggestions if you’re not sure what to use.
Staff writer Suzanne S. Brown can be reached at 303-820-1697 or sbrown@denverpost.com.
