MasterCuts

I did not have time to get my hair done before heading to Columbus on a business trip, so after dinner, while my colleagues were shopping I went to Mastercuts in the mall. It was 8:25, and the location closed at 9:00 pm. There was one girl working, Roxanne, and I asked her if she had time to do a cut (I knew they were trying to clean up for the day.) She happily said yes and gave me a great cut! I was very pleased with this experience!

I am not from the U.S. And I usually waited to get to my home country to have my hair cut. I had a great stylist at home that cut my hair for $ 20. To get the same kind of hairstylist here would cost at least $ 80… Thats until I found this place. I just gave it a try one day and I loved it! I was so scared because all I wanted was try trim my ends and add some layers… For salons like great clips that usually means take off 8inches. Devon is the greatest stylist in this place! She did a perfect job and exactly what I was expecting. I’ve been going here ever since… Even though it’s a good 10 miles out of my way.

Ok. I am a hairstylist. I charge $ 50 a cut in Seattle. I have great Unilocal reviews for myself and my salon. So, being in a pinch, needing a haircut badly and being in the middle of Ohio, I was worried about going into a place like mastercuts.
To preface, I was in the mall with my mother and I just couldn’t take my hair anymore (I’m trying to grow it out). I decided that I needed a cut righteffinnow! I wasn’t sure about the any of the salons in the mall, since none of them seemed to have decent reviews (or any for that matter). I walked by mastercuts going «No way am I going in there» just because of the reputation. But I stopped, looked inside, and noticed that all the stylists had nice and funky hair (fun colors, lots of texture) and their clothes were cute (not a uniform, had they been wearing a sort of uniform, I would have walked on past). I thought that it would be an interesting experiment to see what sort of cut I would get at a place that charges less than $ 20 for a cut. I had low expectations, let me tell you.
The girl i got, I don’t remember her name, was super friendly. I explained to her what i wanted — I was trying to use non-​stylist speak as much as I could (remember, experiment! I wanted to be like a normal person), but after 13 years, it’s sort of ingrained. She understood pretty perfectly what i was trying to go for.
She suggested a wax, which i gratefully accepted — I neglected my brows this month. She was quick, painless and honestly, it was one of the best brow waxes I’ve ever had in terms of shaping. My skin is super sensitive, so i did break out afterwards, but that was not from lack of trying on her part. I got the full treatment for skin soothing (alcohol to clean, nice wax, wax cleanup, baby powder, aloe) but my skin, as usual broke out. This always happens — but if you have really sensitive skin like me, you will probably break out.
On to the cut! The conversation was nice and we talked and laughed a bit about being stylists and working in corporate environments (I no longer do, but I remember those days… ugh.) I was looking for a pixie bob, like Lena Dunham had on «Girls» this season. I was very worried I’d wind up with a pixie (that’s ok, but then I’d have to start growing it out all over again) or a wedge (which, if I was going for retro would be ok, but I’m not going for retro.) When she was done, it was the *perfect* length. She really knew exactly what i wanted. The cut could have had a liiiiitle more texture via slice or point cutting, but I’m not complaining really. It’s a great cut, honestly.
I did buy some product that was actually more expensive than my haircut, but that’s ok, I needed it.
(BTW, I know the last review was written in 2011, but if $ 18 is steep for a haircut… ummm…yeah. And i do a LOT of dry cutting on curly hair, in fact, a good dry cut is crucial to a good curly style — with a wash and style after the cut, of course.)
Anyway! I am happy to say that i was extremely pleased with my experience at mastercuts. I highly suggest you check them out, and at those prices, geesh! DO IT NOW! Thankfully, this particular mastercuts isn’t in Seattle, or I’d be out of a job. ;)
(I knocked off a star for a corporate salon. I know I know, so snobbish. But I know what a crapshoot it is to find a good one and then I know what it’s like to work for one.)

I think $ 18 for just a haircut is kind of steep! I’m assuming you’d have to pay extra for a wash. I absolutely loathe dry cuts and shops that don’t even attempt to dust the hair off you. I don’t know… The cut was fine, but after sitting there for 20 minutes talking about hating my hair crunchy or curly, the stylist «styled» my hair crunchy & curly. This place is your typical mass produced haircut «store». No different than Great Clips etc, so if those places work for you, I’m sure you’d have no protests here. I just like a little brains behind the scissors. :(The products seemed overpriced as well.