I've cheated on my colorist!!!

Yes, I've cheated and I feel guilty about it. I was seeing my colorist for over 3 years and it really feels like I've betrayed her. Why did I do it? Well, I was unhappy after the last two, possibly last three appointments. I felt like she wasn't really listening to what I wanted and each time I left I was like....was that what I wanted? I guess I should explain that I'm not afraid to change colors, add highlights, lowlights, etc. And until recently I had been extremely happy with the results I was getting. The happiest I was with her was when about 1 1/2 years ago I went in for an appointment as a light brown, with blonde highlights and I came out as a deep brunette with no highlights. It was EXACTLY as I'd pictured and I felt my colorist was so in sync with what I wanted. since then I'd taken the color very dark and then back up a bit and with warm red highlights. It was fun. I don't change my hair style much, except that I'm in the latter stage of growing out bangs, but I like to change color. So I don't know what happened. I know there was tension between my colorist and the salon. She only works two days a week and I know they wanted her to work more, but I think the salon knows that she has a good client base, so they haven't pushed her too hard to work more days. There were also some other salon issues that she'd told me about that led me to think all wasn't rosey. Also, because she is only in two days a week, it's gotten harder to book with her, and when I did have an appointment, she'd alwasy be booked solid, so I'd often not be able to see her after I was rinsed and had a cut by a stylist. I'd think she'd want to check on her results.

Anyway... a friend at work recommended a colorist at a competing salon and based on the fact that her hair looked FAB, I thought, hmmm...maybe it's time for a change. So I made an appointment with this colorist and had my hair done a few days ago.

So here's the deal....I think I may have made a mistake!!! ;-( I feel guilty for not confronting my colorist and being honest and saying hey...I'm not happy, but I want to stay with you. I'm not terribly thrilled with the way my hair looks by the new colorist. It's alright and yeah, it looks ok, but I'll admit, I have high standards in what I want from a colorist and I'm picky about how I want my hair to look. I guess if this colorist had hit a homerun, out of the park with this color job, I be thinking, wow, great!!! I know many would say, hey, you pay for a service (a not a skimpy price at that), you can go wherever you want until you find someone who gives you exactly what you want, and I don't argue that, but I think after a long service relationship, and let's face it, it's not "just a service", it's how you feel about yourself, at least you can have the courtesy to tell someone who is a professional what's not working, before taking your business elsewhere, otherwise, what are they suppose to think? How can they keep from making the same mistake with another client and possibly losing another client. SOOOOOOOOO, I guess I've made my decision...I'm going to face up to my former colorist, tell her I went elsewhere and see if we can't get back to that great hair relationship we had before. In the end I really do think she's a great colorist, and maybe I just need to speak up! I don't think I'll feel AS MUCH guilt for not going back to a colorist who I'd only seen once. The complication to all of this is that I'm happy with the stylist I have at the other salon. She was my colorist's assistant and had just recently gotten her own chair at the salon and was so excited to be getting clients....and she did a good job, so I didn't want to leave her, and really how could I see her at the old salon if I was seeing another colorist at another salon? I know, it sounds crazy. There are more important things to worry about in the world, hell, in daily life, but these are the kinds of things I worry about... LOL. But not so crazy, I came to the conclusion really quickly that I just really like the old salon better. I like the vibe, the way they take care of you, even something so insignificant as I like the way the old salon looks. Or IS that insignificant? Why would they spend the time and effort to put fresh flowers at each stylist/colorist's station, why would they have the place painted in warm relaxing colors instead of just drab greyish white, why would they offer cheese and wine on Wednesday afternoons? They know what they are doing! And hey, they are in th exact same price range as the other place, so.... why not go for the place that is actually a spa, with that spa vibe?

Gosh, it must be nice to be a guy!!! LOL My husband totally doesn't get this. Yeah, it's probably a girly thing!