THE DAILY NEWS
Feb 2005


Pilo Arts Day Spa & Salon featured in The Daily News Article - Beauty at a Bargain

Beauty at a bargain
 
Trainees cut hair, and prices,
at these chic salons
 

Pilo Arts Day Spa & Salon featured in The Daily News Article - Beauty at a Bargain

 

Pilo Arts Day Spa & Salon featured in The Daily News Article - Beauty at a Bargain
Stylist Moulay shows how to cut Tina Barry's hair to trainees Rachael Tewel, Cheryl Gasero and Irene Serrano (l.-r.).

The star smiling from the cover of InStyle magazine has skin so flawless, it looks sprayed on, legs as narrow as a 10-year-old's and hair with that "just rolled out of bed" sexiness. She also has the big bucks to pay a trainer, makeup artist and hair stylist to whip her into understated perfection.

Yes, life isn't fair. But take solace — fine salons, many with A-list clientele, offer weekly "training nights" when cuts and coloring are reduced to a fraction of their cost.

What's the catch? The salon's "head of hair" oversees in-house stylists who need more experience or want to practice new techniques. One evening, trainees will concentrate on razor cuts, scissoring hair into loose layers, while others learn where to apply highlights for a sun-kissed look. You receive the cubic zirconia of hairstyles and coloring — all the bling of the mega-dollar stylist's work without the sticker shock. Here are several salons that make the cut.

PILO ARTS DAY SPA & SALON
8412 Third Ave. (at 84th St.), Bay Ridge, Brooklyn(718) 748-7411

Bay Ridge babes always look hyper-groomed. The salon responsible for their sleek good looks: Pilo Arts. In the loft-like space with its light wood cabinets and brushed metal chairs, head stylist Tony Chez instructs trainees on proper blowout, straightening and up-to-the-minute cutting techniques.

When: Tuesdays from 12:30 to 4:30 p.m. Call the salon several days ahead for appointment, or walk in.

The bargain: Cut: $15 (usually $40-$120); color: $35-$65 (usually $58-$125); straightening and perms: $65 (usually $120-$200). Cash, Visa, MasterCard and American Express accepted.


PRIVÉ SALON
310 West Broadway (between Grand and Canal Sts.) (212) 274-8888

Moulay, one of Privé's top stylists, shears the locks of Sigourney Weaver, Gwyneth Paltrow and Paris Hilton. He oversees 12 stylists in the spacious, modern salon, correcting everything from scissor technique to fuzzy communication skills. "Don't say, 'I'm going to cut off 6 inches,' hold up her hair and show her what 6 inches looks like," he instructs one student. The handsome Moulay used my curly hair to demonstrate a razor cut with "lots of movement." The result — a very sexy cut with lots of movement. When: Every Wednesday from 7 to 10 p.m. Call the salon for an appointment. Expect a one- to two-week wait.

The bargain: Cut: $35 (usually $90-$175); color: $35-$70 ($110-$300). Cash only.

SALON ISHI
70 E. 55th St. (between Park and Madison Aves.) (212) 888-4744

In this peach-colored, Zen-like space, stylists and assistants clad in black gather to practice haircuts and learn new treatments. Before cuts or color are administered, clients fill out a questionnaire to determine the easiest style for the customer to maintain. On the evening I visited, Ishi, the salon's owner, instructed a stylist who clipped a teenager's long, straight hair into heavy layers that framed her face perfectly.

When: Wednesday evening at 5 for color; 6 p.m. for cuts. Call to set up an appointment. One to two weeks' wait.

The bargain: $15 for all services (usually $85-$230 for cuts and $92-$250 for color). Accept cash, Visa and MasterCard.

SPACE SALON
155 Sixth Ave. (at Spring St.), (212) 647-8588

Walk across the cement floor of this huge, techno-chic SoHo salon and sit at one of the stations behind the silver-beaded curtain. Trainees, who look like they moonlight as rock 'n' rollers, will give you any style you'd like, but, judging from the roar of the blow-dryers, Space's clients prefer straight, shaggy styles.

When: Tuesday mornings from 10 a.m. to noon for color; Wednesday mornings from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. for cuts.

How: Call the desk and tell the booker what you're interested in. A trainee will call back when there's an opening. Expect to wait one week to one month. Cash, Visa, MasterCard and debit accepted.

The bargain: Cut: $35 (usually $95-$150); color: $35-$55 (usually $95-$175).

VIDAL SASSOON
90 Fifth Ave. (at 14th St.), (212) 229-2200

Call (212) 535-9200 for information on training nights at the uptown Vidal Sassoon (730 Fifth Ave., at 54th St.). After a consultation, clients are paired with the stylist-in-training with a knack for whatever hair design the "model" craves. Vidal Sassoon is known for precise, clean cuts, which is just what clients receive in the sleek, 25-seat space with floor-to-ceiling mirrors.

When: Day and evening appointments. Wednesdays at 6:15 p.m., client "models" come in to discuss the style or color they're trying to achieve. One- to two-week wait.

The bargain: Cut: $20-$40 (usually $92-$154); color: $30-$60 ($80-$250).

Originally published on February 13, 2005