Best Salons for Haircuts - New York City (2025)

Alibi NYC
SAVANNAH BENTZ
Cut, $105
Roman K Salon317 Church St.212-951-0041

When we announced that our favorite styling gadget is a flatiron, Bentz produced her tool of choice: scissors. She got to work shearing off two inches of dead weight. After a thorough shampoo, she blew it dry and proceeded to cut, adding welcome volume to our fine, shoulder-length strands by crafting delicate layers and eye-grazing bangs. From now on, the only weapon we'll rely on for gorgeous hair is Bentz.

The Alma G Salon & Spa
ALMA
Cut, $120 and up
38 E. 21st St.
212-353-0600

We showed Alma a picture of a Rihanna-style cut and were describing more specifics when she jumped in with, "You want a classic bob." Before we could do more than protest, "No, layers!" she had the razor in her hands, and our hair began free-falling. We breathed deeply as she sliced a few inches off the back, then snipped all over. Thirty minutes later, we walked out with exactly what we wanted. Alma may have been blunt, but her cut was anything but.

Arrojo Studio
LINA ARROJO
Cut, $181
180 Varick St.
212-242-7786

When we discovered that salon owner Nick Arrojo was booked, we reluctantly agreed to an appointment with his wife—and hoped for the best. We needn't have worried. Arrojo began snipping our blunt ends into choppy layers, which instantly perked up our below-the-shoulder strands. Next, she produced a razor and started slicing shorter, thicker pieces underneath to keep our new style from falling flat, she explained. We left with a swingy, sexy cut that was second to none.

Arrojo Studio
NICK ARROJO
Cut, $500
180 Varick St.
212-242-7786

We've clipped the occasional coupon, but when it comes to our hair, we don't cut corners. Neither does Arrojo. He took a razor and began exhaustively layering longer sections on top and shorter, thicker pieces underneath to provide depth and maintain the overall shape, as he explained. We left the salon over an hour later with an edgy, distressed bob that suited our personality, flattered our bone structure—and made us feel like a million bucks.

Arté Salon
ANASTASIA KATEHIS
Cut, $95
294 Elizabeth St.
212-941-5932

We presented Katehis with a challenge: Give our shoulder- skimming hair lift, keep the length intact, and make sure everything air-dries to perfection. She listened intently, then came up with a game plan. "We'll get rid of bulk, but not inches," she said, and tapered our existing layers, giving them a sleeker shape that somehow made our hair look even longer. Better yet, our new, streamlined style fell right into place after we shampooed the next day. A winning haircut, if ever we saw one.

Arté Salon
JEMMA MURADIAN
Cut, $120
294 Elizabeth St.
212-941-5932

We've been to more expensive stylists who are highly skilled—at everything but listening. Muradian was all ears. She nodded thoughtfully as we explained that we wanted a new shape without losing too much length, and then began cutting layers at sharp angles, saying that this would prevent them from looking choppy. We started to panic as chunks fluttered to the floor, but when we looked in the mirror, we saw our bouncy hair was still well past our shoulders. We left with a swing in our step...and in our hair.

Arté Salon
KATE WERNER
Cut, $125
294 Elizabeth St.
212-941-5932

Werner takes her work seriously. She assessed our blunt, chest-skimming hair, then carefully laid out her plan: a smattering of layers and side-swept bangs to add shape and much-needed volume without sacrificing length. Once we approved, she went to work, pausing every so often to measure our ends. Werner's perfectionist streak paid off: Our newly laid-back cut left us lighthearted.

Blackstones Hairdressing
19 E. 7th St.
212-353-2680

With a heavily tattooed staff and taxidermy lining the exposed-brick walls, this quirky little salon is hipster heaven.

Hannah Lichtenstein: Tidies up fringe, zeroes in on the uneven layers, and finishes with perfectly smooth blowouts.

Joey Silvestera: DJ Leigh Lezark of the Misshapes, actress Parker Posey—Silvestera's roster of clients may be intimidatingly cool, but his attitude couldnt be more charming. "He keeps it real," says Alexis Page, the director of product development for Glossier. "And he's the first stylist to give me a superblunt cut that finally made my hair look fuller." Haircuts, $75-$250.

Bumble and Bumble
RAMONA ESCHBACH
Cut, $150
146 E. 56th St.
212-521-6500

Sick of waging a daily battle to straighten our fine, curly hair, we were ready to surrender our blow-dryers. That is, before we found Eschbach, who explained that a cut would make our waves more manageable. She razored off several inches and chopped long layers throughout. After she blew it dry with a round brush, our wispy strands had been transformed from vice to virtue. But the true test came the following morning, when our layers fell perfectly into place and our blow-drying session was cut in half.

Bumble and Bumble Downtown
BRONWEN MELVIN
INSIDERS' SPOT
Cut, $150
415 W. 13th St., 8th fl.
212-521-6500

Melvin crafts lush, swingy layers that air-dry to perfection for up-and-coming models, young editors, and designers (including the duo behind Ohne Titel). A plus: The salon's floor-to-ceiling windows give a sweeping view of the Hudson River.

Butterfly Studio Salon
KATTIA SOLANO
Cut, $375
149 Fifth Ave., 2nd fl.
212-253-2100

Solano, the salon's owner, transforms grown-out hair into a polished look. At the point when most stylists dust off clients' shoulders and send them on their way, Solano takes the time to demonstrate ways to style the new look. .

Bumble and Bumble Downtown
JORDAN M.
Cut, $165
415 W. 13th St., 8th fl.
212-521-6500

Jordan took one look at our perky bob with its flipped ends and pronounced it too goody-two-shoes. He sug­gested going supershort, explaining, "It would look sexy," which was all the incentive we needed. Using a razor, he began slicing all around, creating an edgy pixie with soft layers and wispy bangs that hugged our forehead. The close-cropped result wasn't just seductive, it was undeniably cool.

Bumble and Bumble Downtown
TASHINA TANTALOS
Cut, $110
415 W. 13th St., 8th fl.
212-521-6500

What we were after: A much-needed cut that would add shape and volume to our long, fine, curly style.
What we got: Tantalos cut several inches off our straggly ends, added layers at the sides and in back for fullness, and snipped soft layers around our face.
Bottom line: She gave us exactly what we asked for. Removing the dead weight from our ends made our curls springier. Our hair hasn't looked this thick since middle school.

Devachan Salon
ANA PAULA COTA
Cut, $145
560 Broadway
212-274-8686

We're not big joiners, so we were wary of Devachan because of its cult following. The religion: waves and curls. Cota converted us right away, explaining that she'd be doing a dry cut so that each layer fell just right. Nothing scary there—until she combed through our curls and made them bigger than Diana Ross's wig. Fortunately, we were quickly whisked away to the sink, where traditional shampoo is forbidden and a light conditioner is applied to deter frizz. After more conditioning, copious gel, and some time under a bonnet dryer, we were amazed. In just over an hour, we'd gotten impeccable layers, springy curls—and become believers.

Fox & Jane Salon
RITCHIE ANDREW
Cut, $74 and up
104 W. 83rd St.
646-478-7948

Hip young moms fill this laid-back eight-chair space on the Upper West Side—the salon's third Manhattan location. Removes pouf-inducing bulk and blow-dries hair with a round brush. (His cuts might look too mom-ish after the blowout, but they transform into a cool style after their texture is mussed up a bit.)

Eliut Salon
ELIUT RIVERA
Cut, $400
762 Madison Ave.
212-472-3440

After spending the past six months growing out a bad haircut, we didn't want sharp objects anywhere near our head. But Rivera spoke four words that allayed our fears: "I love long hair." Then he gave us the most perfect microtrim, delicately snipping away frayed ends and creating graduated layers from ear to chin. Forty-five minutes later, our hair looked bouncier, healthier—and somehow, even longer than when we'd walked in.

Eva Scrivo Salon
EVA SCRIVO
Cut, $350
50 Bond St.
212-677-7315

Our shoulder-length hair was bringing us down, so we headed to Scrivo for therapy. Sinking into a leather chair, we confessed that we had growing pains. Scrivo explained that we just needed long layers. She combined equal parts praise ("you have the body to pull off big waves") and tough love (when we balked that she was cutting too much, Scrivo insisted she was trimming pieces "that aren't doing a damn thing for you"). We were amazed in the end that our hair seemed to look longer. As we sipped coffee, a friend called our cell and asked if we were at work. "No, we're at home," we said. A Freudian slip, if there ever was one.

Frédéric Fekkai Soho
JORDI MARTINEZ FENOLL
Cut, $135 and up
394 W. Broadway, 2nd fl.
212-888-2600

We try not to judge a book by its cover—unless that book is absurdly good-looking and speaks with a heavy Spanish accent. But Fenoll definitely earned our admiration, too. To make our fine hair appear fuller, he delicately trimmed our ends, snipping them straight across for a sleeker, more polished look. At least in Fenoll's case, looks are not deceiving.

Fringe Salon
CAROLINE MCGOVERN
Cut, $90
248 Broome St.
212-674-8383

At the risk of sounding unreasonable, we've never been 100 percent satisfied with a new haircut. All the artful slicing and strategic layering in the world can't endow our baby-fine hair with the fullness we crave. So when we walked into this quirky downtown salon and saw its exposed pipes and kitschy wall art, we steeled ourselves for disappointment. But McGovern surprised us from the start. Rather than suggest cutting our shoulder-length hair into a joyless bob—if only we had a dime for every time we've heard that solution—she evened out our wispy ends, then pumped up our pin-straight texture with delicate angles in front. Our new style didn't just have body and shape: It was easily the best cut we'd ever received.

Graceland
CORVETTE HUNT
Cut, $95
677 Lorimer St.
Brooklyn, NY
718-384-7677

Being music buffs, we adored this shrine to rock and roll, with its Elvis records and turntable. Our hipster stylist (and Graceland co-owner), Hunt, escorted us to one of the salon's four vintage chairs. We asked for bangs, but once he had shampooed our hair, he said he felt a "Julia Roberts-type pretty thing" (à la Notting Hill, not Mystic Pizza) for our middleparted wavy hair, and recommended short layers around our face instead. Hunt also snipped longer layers in the back to prevent our hair from looking heavy, then carefully but quickly blew out our hair for a soft look that lasted a full three days. Even after we shampooed, we had defined waves, newfound volume, and another King to revere.

Hair Rules
ANTHONY DICKEY
Cut, $250 and up
828 Ninth Ave.
212-315-2929

Three stylists, one colorist, five assistants, and seven ginormous fashion photographs fill this bright, industrial salon. The cofounder of the Hair Rules product line specializes in every kind of wave, curl, and kink, creating healthy-looking styles that work with your natural texture.

Ion Studio
TIM NOLAN
Cut, $150 and up
41 Wooster St.
212-343-9060

Top models land in Nolan's chair with damaged photo-shoot hair and leave with shades so natural and glossy, you'd swear they'd never been touched by a bottle of peroxide.

James Corbett Studio
JAMES CORBETT
Cut, $150 and up
25 W. 19th St.
212-388-1296

Cool moms relax and sip Kahlúa-spiked coffee at this garden-level salon. Corbett gets to know his clients and prescribes hair color over a glass of wine from his salon's generously stocked bar. .

John Barrett Salon
JEROME OBRY
Cut, $175
Bergdorf Goodman, 754 Fifth Ave., 9th fl.
212-872-2700

We'd heard that actresses like Dominique Swain had sought out Obry, and when we met him, we quickly realized why. Obry's handsome, French, and completely unavailable. After a simple "hello" and a terse "You need layers," he went mute. He gestured silently for us to stand up while he sliced and diced. It wasn't until he shot us a smile as he brushed clippings from our shoulders that we realized he wasn't being rude—just concentrating intently. And when we saw how his perfectly placed layers added just enough volume to our stick-straight hair, we were grateful for his focus.

John Barrett Salon
JOHN BARRETT
Cut, $450
Bergdorf Goodman, 754 Fifth Ave., 9th fl.
212-872-2700

Although we wanted just a cut, Barrett, who styles celebrities like Kate Winslet and Catherine Zeta-Jones, also coaxed us into getting copper highlights, throwing out phrases like "huge change" and "I think it's important." The huge change he suggested turned out to be beautiful but subtle, with understated layers (accentuated by colorist Tina Costa) that made our hair naturally fall into place even when we styled it ourselves.

Julien Farel Restore Salon and Spa
Loews Regency Hotel, 540 Park Ave., 2nd fl.
212-888-8988

HAIRCUT
Julien Farel: After seven years at Frédéric Fekkai, Farel left to cut his soft lines in a more intimate setting: his clients' homes, offices, and hotel rooms. When he's not tending to Sigourney Weaver and Catherine Deneuve, he's styling models' locks at the Ralph Lauren and Armani fashion shows. $650.

André Davis: The secret to model and blogger Olivia Palermo's bouncy, full, and impeccably healthy lob is a regular trim with Davis. "He cuts my hair like no other. I never have split ends," she says. $305.

Kevin Mancuso Salon
KEVIN MANCUSO
Cut, $700 and up
By reservation only
917-952-4578

Knowing Mancuso has worked on the famous heads of Britney, Uma, Drew, and Cameron, we were worried that his own head would be inflated. We soon discovered he lacks any Hollywood swagger—he treated us as if we earned $30 million a picture. He cut our hair meticulously, practically strand by strand, with an unerring eye for the smallest details. But the tedium was worth it: We were able to re-create his flowing style the next morning—and we were just as thrilled with the heady results.

KIMBERLY WYMA
Cut, $125 and up
House calls only
646-460-9829

Wyma travels from her home base in Nashville to craft swingy layers for stylists and fashion PR people, such as Asa Larsson of Marc Jacobs.

LINDSAY BLOCK
By appointment only
917-697-6568

HAIRCUT
Block has a knack for keeping long hair buoyant. Celebrity fitness trainer Simone de la Rue and Chantecaille creative director Olivia Chantecaille call on her for full and shapely waves that dont fall flat. $175 and up.

Marie Robinson Salon
JESSICA GILLIN
Cut, $225 and up
155 Fifth Ave., 4th fl.
212-358-7780

When a frosty receptionist instructed us to reserve our appointment with a credit card, cancel within 24 hours, arrive 15 minutes early, and pay tips in cash, we had some reservations. How could a place with so many rules produce the laid-back cut we were after? But Gillin lightened things up—literally. Rather than adding new layers, she expertly streamlined our existing ones, explaining that too many choppy pieces would turn our thick hair bulky. By the end, our formerly dense mop had bounce and sway. At least the rule of gravity doesn't apply here.

Michael Angelo's Wonderland Beauty Parlor
MICHAEL ANGELO
Cut, $275
418 W. 13th St.
212-524-2800

The place: Pink chaise lounges, giant chandeliers, and blue streamers at the sinks make the space look like part Barbie's Dreamhouse, part Katy Perry video.
The word: He's prepped models for Fashion Week and has worked with Steven Meisel and Mario Testino. But what you hear over and over about Angelo is that he is honest and kind and loves his fox terrier, Bartleby.
What we got: Angelo removed our frizzy ends and cut a few angled pieces around our face for a more energetic look while sharing gossipy stories from photo shoots he's worked on.
Bottom line: A youthful lob invigorated our lackluster style. We were most impressed with his blowout—the softest and shiniest in memory—although it wasn't as easy to replicate at home as Angelo had promised.

Mingle New York
SHEILA CHUNG
Cut, $100
141 E. 55th St.
212-459-3320

We love the edginess of our thick Bettie Page bangs, but our blunt ends were looking kind of...square. Chung suggested removing three inches from the bottom and snipping angles in front to soften—but not sweeten—our gutsy style. We left the salon with sex-kitten volume and such shapely layers, we felt like a bombshell in our own right.

Mizu Salon
DOMINICK PUCCIARELLO
Cut, $200
505 Park Ave.
212-688-6498

Walking into a salon with clunky layers is a little like wearing sweatpants to a lingerie boutique—especially when your stylist is the man behind the waves worn by nearly every Victoria's Secret model. But Pucciarello just assessed our chest-length mane from every angle and pronounced it too heavy, then painstakingly removed weight, first with scissors, then with a razor. At two hours, it wasn't the speediest cut we've ever had, but it certainly was the shapeliest.

Mudhoney Hair Salon
ALICIA TRANI
Cut, $95 and up
148 Sullivan St.
212-533-1160

A fairly swanky uptown stylist tipped us off about Mudhoney, so we were somewhat surprised by the salon's small size and dive-bar atmosphere. Trani liked the general shape of our cut but suggested making it choppier, reducing the bulk that was throwing it off balance. In 20 minutes, she'd updated our outdated punk bob into a prettier shag. The multipierced clientele may be a bit intimidating, but Trani is a rare stylist who can inject a Madison Avenue cut with downtown edge.

Nunzio Saviano Salon
NUNZIO SAVIANO
Cut, $250
130 East 65th St.
212-988-0880

Our long bangs had gotten to be a drag, so we asked Saviano how we could spruce them up. He fired off questions and studied us from several angles before deciding on a wispy, barely there fringe that was heavy on sex appeal. He made deliberate cuts while our hair was wet, then snipped a sliver at a time after blow-drying, tousling our hair as he went along to make sure that it fell exactly as he wanted. All of this diligence paid off: With weightless bangs, our sleek, shoulder-length cut was quite possibly the most flattering we've ever had.

Oscar Blandi Salon
STEPHEN THOMAS
Cut, $100 and up
545 Madison Ave.
212-421-9800

The salon's 13 shampoo sinks and 53 stylist stations can accommodate a full house of socialite and celebrity clients, though it never feels crowded. And floor-to-ceiling windows flood the space with natural light. His shampoo sessions may be splashy, but Thomas takes more care with the cuts, blending in subtle layers and finishing with a blowout that leaves hair shiny. Hair's newfound body lasts through the next day and holds up even after its been washed and dried (which takes half the normal time).

Nunzio Saviano Salon
RYAN KAZMAREK
Cut, $125 and up
130 E. 65th St.
212-988-0880

The place: A friendly space with no Upper East Side attitude. There are only six chairs, and superstar owner Nunzio Saviano is always around to help his stylists with a blowout.
The word: Lorde (the queen of natural curls) trusts Kazmarek to style her hair when she's in town.
What we got: A sexy, shoulder-grazing wedge. Kazmarek evened out all the choppiness that made our fine, collarbone-length curls look even finer by cutting short layers in the back and long, face-framing ones in front.
Bottom line: The blunt layers made our curls look bouncier. And the cut left us with the thickest, most defined hair we've ever had.

Ricardo Rojas Hair
30 E. 66th St.
212-721-5900

Pregnancy may be hard on the lower back, but it sure is easy on the hair. Ours seemed to grow at warp speed, so we decided we could afford to try out a shorter, perkier style. Our stylist chopped off two inches and began slicing layers all around, creating a rough-and-tumble chin-length bob. We loved the playful shape, but soon discovered that all of those thickly cropped pieces looked boxy without a laborious blowout. Now we have aching biceps to go with that lumbar region.

Rita Hazan
720 Fifth Ave., 11th fl.
212-586-4343

The celebrity colorist's full-service flagship.

Sean James Decuers: Removes bulk and adds bounce with every snip, creating polished, healthy-looking styles. $250.

Juan Carlos Maciques: Though it looks as if he hardly takes anything off, Maciques makes curls fall in pretty spirals and long waves seem much softer. $300.

Roman K Salon
GREGORY PATTERSON
Cut, $150
253 Fifth Ave.
212-951-1137

The word: Originally known for blowouts, Patterson is gaining attention for his ability to cut any texture since joining this salon.
The place: It's not on the most appealing stretch of Fifth Avenue, the building's lobby is a bit shabby, and the elevator is jumpy—but the salon is clean and comfortable. It even has a three-seat bar where we sipped a decent chardonnay while we waited a few minutes for our appointment.
The experience: We always ask a new stylist for a cut that doesn't look too precise, along with loose, rough curls. And we always get short, blunt ends and overstyled waves. But Patterson broke the pattern by giving us the exact cut we asked for—and then finished it off with a killer blowout.

Roy Teeluck Salon
ROY TEELUCK
Cut, $350
5 E. 57th St.
212-888-2221

We're the oldest child, so we're definitely not used to being bossed around—even by a hairstylist. But Teeluck skipped the standard flattery and small talk, then nixed our request for "just a trim," insisting that a shoulder-length, piecey cut would give our baby-fine strands more oomph. We begrudgingly agreed, so Teeluck divided hair into sections and layered the back and sides with a razor—an alarming sight, given our fine hair. But once we saw the result, we admitted that he'd actually been right all along. We left the salon with sex-kitten volume, perfect side-swept bangs—and spent the next day basking in the compliments from our little sister.

Sacha & Olivier Hair
SACHA COHEN
Cut, $175
6 W. 18th St.
212-255-1100

Parisian expatriates Cohen and Olivier Mikhailoff are masters of understated style, a "je ne sais coifs", if you will. The six-chair cut-and-color salon is more cozy (with wood floors and faded rugs) than chichi. Cuts are done on dry hair for a more precise assessment of the way it falls. Intensely focused, Cohen cuts hair the way a good dancer leads: no words, just quick, self-assured gestures with a firm hand. Afterward, clients are likely to receive a kiss on each cheek and a sample packet of a styling product from Leonor Greyl.

Sally Hershberger Downtown
425 W. 14th St.
212-206-8700

This Meatpacking District salon has a concrete-and-steel look and a high-energy vibe bordering on frenetic. It's populated with some of the best hair stars in the business who turn out cool, textured cuts and impeccable color.

Rebekah Forecast: Victoria's Secret models come to her for cuts that deliver sexy curves and major volume. $250.

Hansen Liu: Slices pointy layers that give thick, unruly hair a tousled beachy texture. $175.

Edgar Parra: His regulars—fashion publicists, socialites, actresses—aren't known for their edgy, look-at-me hair. And that's precisely the point. Parra turns out flattering cuts that look offhand and carefree. $175 and up.

Tim Rogers: His short cuts have a feminine gamine vibe—no soccer mom bobs here. $400 and up.

Salon AKS
MIKA RUMMO
Cut, $135
689 Fifth Ave., 10th fl.
212-888-0707

Former bartender Rummo has heard her share of sob stories, so she didn't flinch when we told her it had been six months since our last trim. She lifted layers to help us visualize the shoulder-length cut that would break up the lanky mass around our face. Rummo then refined our once shapeless hair as she commiserated with us about man troubles. In the end, our newly resuscitated waves were downright intoxicating.

Salon Ishi
ISHI
Cut, $250
Caretrico Treatment, $150
70 E. 50th St.
212-888-4744

The clout: "I send every model to Ishi for his reparative hair treatments to fix the damage that comes with their jobs," says makeup artist Fulvia Farolfi, who likes his cuts.
The scoop: Ishi's longtime clients say he has a great eye and can handle any hair texture.

Seagull Salon
SHAUN "SURETHING" COTTLE
Cut, $190
240 W. 10th St.
212-989-1807

There are no guarantees in life—unless you've booked an appointment with Shaun "Surething." Then you're certain to encounter a friendly eccentric, a diverse clientele, and obsessively precise scissor work. Using confident, calculated snips, Cottle tidied up our ends and removed bulk from all the right ­places. The results were so flattering, we're certain we'll be back.

Serge Normant at John Frieda Downtown
SERGE NORMANT
Cut, $600 and up
825 Washington St.
212-675-0001

He puts the glory in Sarah Jessica Parker's crown.

Serge Normant at John Frieda Downtown
TOMMY BUCKETT
RISING STAR
Cut, $220 and up
825 Washington St.
212-675-0001

Six months (and one baby) since our last haircut, our waves were limp and overgrown. Buckett gave us some TLC, saying he'd keep our collarbone length and add a sprinkling of long layers around our face. After what seemed like only a few snips, our waves had new bounce. And when Buckett showed us how to create a wavy blowout at home—without a round brush, even—our once-laborious styling routine was reconciled.

Shaggy Hair Studio
PINI COHEN
UNDER $100
Cut, $85
1405 Third Ave.
212-772-2288

This cozy Upper East Side salon is modest; Cohen, however, is not. When we asked which cuts he specializes in, he answered, "I specialize in everything." But this rocky start became more pleasant when Cohen picked up the scissors. He lopped an inch off our overgrown bob, then tapered the ends so they hugged our chin. As we admired our flattering new cut, he smiled and handed us his card. Now, we'll be singing his praises, too.

Sharon Dorram Color at Sally Hershberger
CHRIS LOSPALLUTO
Cut, $175
By appointment only
17 E. 71st St., 5th fl.
212-535-3519

We've always admired Brigitte Bardot's hair, but ours had begun to look far more anemic than Gallic. We sheepishly produced a picture of the French icon, and Lospalluto told us that was exactly the style he wanted for us (quelle surprise!). He began creating tousled layers before cutting an eye-grazing fringe, adding a few graduated pieces around our face to update the look ("Bangs that start and stop at the forehead are too retro," he said). Our voluptuous new cut had so much body, we left feeling like a bombshell in our own right.

Sharon Dorram Color at Sally Hershberger
YUVAL SHEMESH
Cut, $200
17 E. 71st St.
212-535-3519

What we were after: Some shape for our overgrown bob and a low-maintenance style that would fit in with our daily swim.
What we got: An angled bob that was longer in front. Shemesh also sliced light layers into the ends so it swished effortlessly.
Bottom line: Shemesh was sweet and solicitous, and while the cut is not as wash-and-go as we would have liked, after a round-brush blowout it looks better than we could have imagined.

Suite Caroline
MARCOS DIAZ
Cut, $150
65 Greene St.
212-431-4400

The place: Clients are encouraged to take a post-appointment #suiteselfie in the salon's bathroom. Typically we'd see this as a cornball promotion, but models Anja Rubik and Dree Hemingway did it, so we did, too.
The word: Diaz is a hunky former firefighter, a master at all kinds of braids (waterfalls, fishtails, you name it), and stylist to the stylish Mia Moretti and Giovanna Battaglia.
What we got: We were eager for a major change from our waist-length hair, but Diaz talked us out of a blunt bob—and possible panic attack—by cutting our hair to just above our shoulder blades.
Bottom line: We couldn't wait to show off our tousled bedroom hair—or one of the many braids Diaz taught us.

Ted Gibson
TED GIBSON
Cut, $1200
184 Fifth Ave., 2nd fl.
212-633-6333

Gibson is one of those rare men who knows what a woman needs before she asks. Our stringy ponytail made it clear we were desperate for attention. Gibson enthusiastically shared his plans to restore life to our strands (keep the length and add shape), then spoiled us with a scalp massage. We left satisfied with our bouncy waves—and the knowledge that we'd finally found a good man.

Ted Gibson
DEVIN TOTH
Cut, $200
184 Fifth Ave., 2nd fl.
212-633-6333

Our wish list: cleaned-up layers, no loss in length, and a shape that flatters our waves. Toth delivered on all counts, at one point twisting all of our hair around like a rope, then snipping into it. "This will give you wispy layers," he assured us. Sure enough, our layers now cascade perfectly around our face.

Tosler Davis Salon
PATTY MOCARSKI
Cut, $105
89 Fifth Ave., 10th fl.
212-229-0100

We're notorious slackers when it comes to getting a trim, even cutting our own bangs on a few regrettable occasions. But Mocarski didn't judge. Instead, she proposed a wash-and-go cut that would grow out seamlessly. She sliced a few barely there layers to pump up our hair's pin-straight texture, then softened our blunt bangs, adding some graduated pieces in front that subtly lifted our cheekbones. Before we left, Mocarski invited us back for a free bang trim, so we'll never have to take matters into our own hands again.

Varin Salon
YANN VARIN
Cut, $250
762 Madison Ave.
212-734-9055

Varin's easy manner didn't quite prepare us for his meticulous approach to cutting. After examining our thick mass of hair, he asked us to stand so he could slice away bulk from every angle. We were on our feet for almost the entire 45-minute appointment—in four-inch heels. But by the end, our hair looked so healthy and buoyant, it put a bounce back into our step.

Warren-Tricomi Salon
The Plaza Hotel, 1 W. 58th St., 2nd fl.
212-262-8899

HAIRCUT
Edward Tricomi: Assesses hairstyles after clients have spent 40 minutes being shampooed and blow-dried, then begins whirring his razor. His chair-side manner may be brisk, but being buffeted about pays off—his visitors leave with cuts that are nothing short of perfect. $350.

Emiliano De Pasqual: Italians are masters of food, flirting, and, apparently, feminine haircuts. The Venetian (and absurdly good-looking) De Pasqual dry-cuts overgrown layers to make sure each piece falls flawlessly, then slices inches all around, adding bounce with every snip. And just when his devotees think their sexy new styles couldn't get any better, he assures them the cuts will also air-dry gorgeously. $206.

White Rose Collective
ANDREA DONOGHUE
Cut, $100
144 Bowery
212-387-9591

The place: A two-chair studio filled with flowers and cool artwork...but no shampoo sinks. Donoghue asks that clients come with clean hair.
What we were after: A cut to streamline our poufy, wedge­like layers without making our hair noticeably shorter.
What we got: A swingier version of the style we walked in with. Donoghue tapered the layered ends with a razor to prevent a pyramid effect.
Bottom line: We missed the shampoo (well, really the head massage) at this no-frills salon, but we loved our cut so much that we've already recommended Donoghue to all of our friends.

Yui Salon
MEGUMI NARUSE
Cut, $60
323 W. 11th St.
212-647-9303

Naruse greeted us with a warm smile and a thick accent that made us slightly concerned (OK, seriously concerned) that our request to keep our length would be lost in translation. But Naruse didn't waste any time easing our nerves, first with a marathon scalp massage, then by lavishing attention on our hair. She followed our request to a T—making our strands look healthier without making them significantly shorter—and shaped soft, face-framing layers to accentuate our cheekbones. Now that's speaking our language.