I wonder if I took ita's class if she'd either:

A) pretend she didn't know me,
B) bust my nut especially hard, or
C) treat me like the teacher's pet

I suppose her answer to the above would be to tell me I should come to a class to find out.

Plei, these are from Allure's city directory. You should call them and see which ones do trainee nights, and which ones offer color as part of that. Usually trainee nights/days are on Mondays.

Gary Manuel Salon

Jeremy Novak

Highlights, $125 and up.

2127 First Ave.

206-728-1234

Putting our hair in Novak's hands made us feel ancient. Though he said he was 27, his boyish grin struck us as more high-school prankster than color perfectionist. But once Novak started wielding a dye brush, he proved he's an old pro. He suggested switching from our flat, one-tone gold to a trio of creamy beiges that would neutralize our ruddy skin. He was right. The shades of subtle wheat cooled our complexion and softened our once-frizzy texture. Novak ended the process with a quick lesson on extending the shelf life of our new hue: Wash every other day with a shampoo for color-treated hair, and when conditioning, focus on the tips so the color around the crown won't dull. As we admired Novak's beautiful handiwork, we learned something even better: He had successfully shaved a good ten years off our age.

Gene Juarez Salon and Spa

Christophe Soltaine

Cut, $125.

607 Pine St. (downtown)

206-326-6000

After analyzing our hair, Soltaine recommended a low-maintenance, shorter cut that would look professional without a lot of fuss. He cut quickly, but lingered over the styling, making us wonder how truly low-maintenance it would be. But once home, we found the look easy to reproduce. And the cut brought out our highlights so effectively that several people asked if we'd just had our hair colored.

Inis Hair Studio

Andrea Berg

$45.

5415 Meridian Ave. N.

206-545-2269

Berg's studio feels like a speakeasy since it isn't listed and serves fine wine. When we arrived, Berg asked us if we preferred white or red and invited us to settle into her chair. She gave our thick hair a shoulder-skimming cut with layers at the end "to thin things out a bit." Berg then smoothed our frizz with a boar-bristle brush. We polished off our glass of Zinfandel, and once we saw the low bill, we felt like we were breaking another law.

Marco Two Union Square

Ric

Cut, $125.

601 Union St., Suite 220

206-628-8881

Suave and strikingly handsome, the single-named Ric is as close as we've ever come to Warren Beatty in Shampoo. He began by really getting to know our hair: How long did we take to style it in the morning; what products did we use? After layering the front and slightly tapering the ends, Ric let us admire our new, tousled style in one of Marco salon's ornately framed mirrors—it was soft, romantic, and just plain sexy.

Marco Two Union Square

Walter Jager

Single process, $75 and up; highlights, $125 and up.

601 Union St.

206-628-8881

When it comes to hair color, we don't trust anyone who asks too many questions. So we were relieved when Jager took control of the situation. His advice: Get rid of the dull red and ashy blonde tones. "Going too light can make you look just as washed out as going too dark," he said as he applied our color. The salon is popular with Seattle's socialites as well as visiting celebrities—and us, now that our muddied shades are rich, chocolaty caramels.

Rodger Azadganian

Seven

$125.

1520 Seventh Ave.

206-903-1777

Sexy cuts for the likes of Catherine Malandrino.

Who wrote those? Truddi Chase?

Who's Truddi Chase? In any case, I think the answer is: yes.

Truddi Chase

Huh. Oprah interviewed her. [link]

Thanks, Rio. I have marked the post.

how is he going to look at himself in the mirror?

And how am I going to look at him in the TV screen? This is my concern.

OK, whatever, I'll find a way. Still.

ita, that so rocks! Go you!

Could someone explain sheets to me, so that I can explain them to my hairdresser here? She's really good with colour, but she's not really in the forefront of hair trends, you know? But she digs on learning, and I want to stay on her good side as I can't afford to go to a salon here (my hair woman is a British ex-pat).

I just gave up and got my ends darkened to match my roots, and I love it! It looks so much healthier. I wish I could do cool colors like pink or blue in my hair, but with the curl it comes out too diffuse or too clown-like.

Raquel, I am so glad you asked! I can't sleep and I am now able to answer this question and feel useful. Sheets are made by parting the hair horizontally, from the front of the head to the back up above the ear and using foil to only color hair in a line following the part.. Here's a picture, only I think the line needs to be a bit more horizontal. [link]

It makes for subtle but gorgeous color which is easy to grow out.

Ooh, thanks Robin! Although I hope you are asleep by now and having pleasant dreams.