I think I now know how Nick Arrojo gets his clients and people on TLC’s What Not to Wear to cut their hair off. He looks them with his puppy dog eyes and smiles. And then cuts before they can overcome the urge to really, really say no.

I met Nick yesterday while he was in town to promote the opening of PureBeauty at the Mall of America (more on that later). We had a quick chat about cuts, colors, his new line of haircare products, and more.

He promised a thirty-second hair consult to all that come to visit him for his autograph and check out PureBeauty Thursday (today) from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. So of course I asked him for one.

“How long you’ve had that?” he looks at my hair, not unkindly.
“Um, a lo—“
“Long time,” he finishes in his British accent. “It’s time to cut.”

But-uh-what? I just had my Beauty Metrix done at PureBeauty, and my hair was magnified almost too close for comfort—and it looked smoother and glossier (“no visible damage”) than I’d expected. I know better than to argue. I see people argue with him all the time on What Not to Wear. And always, ALWAYS I’ve thought people look better after he touches their tresses.

Hair sure is the most important identifier for most women. I’ve always been a long-haired girl. Maybe it’s my own insecurities (I don’t have the daintiest features in the world), or inexperience with big change, but I’ve always shied away from the latest cuts or anything much shorter than my shoulders. Instantly, he said, “Above the shoulder.”

Gordon Nelson, International Creative Director of Regis Salons (and also a Brit) said, “Yes, and less fluff at the ends. And lowlights, lowlights. Some highlights on top.” It’s interesting when you allow arbiters of style to let fly with their opinions.

Well, as you can see from my blog photo, I did once do a demi-permanent all over light brown dye with some highlights on top—I sort of have been trying to shed the whole super-blond thing. It’s getting a little boring for me. But I have been so busy with life that I haven’t taken care of my hair the way I really should in the last six months. My hairstylist probably thinks I've deserted her.

Which brings me to PureBeauty (which will be the first store to carry Arrojo’s namesake line outside his New York City salon). I stopped in for a preview on Tuesday, and I have to say that I came away impressed. PureBeauty will eventually take over all of the Trade Secret stores that hair junkies have come to know and love. But don’t panic! This is really a boutique experience with haircare, skincare, and cosmetics in both professional and prestige lines. Done up in apothecary style and modeled after Burlington Arcade in London, browse among products such as Arrojo’s line (“Proof is in the pudding,” he says, “We’ve road tested on clients.”), Chi, T3, BedHead, Ojon, Dermalogica, Murad, Kenra, and PureOlogy, among many more. Hair services, facials, and waxing are also available, along with the fifteen-minute GoSpa, which offers $15, 15-minute services for ladies and men on the go.

And then there’s Beauty Metrix, which takes up-close-and-personal photos of your pores, scalp, hair, pigmentation, and more, to give you a good read on your hydration, sun and hair damage levels, and more. Then you get a list of products that the store sells for reference—what will work best for you—not for the person selling you the products. If you become a repeat customer you can actually track if the products are making a difference or not. (Psst, the esthetician I spoke with told me that using salon- or professional-quality hair products does make a difference in hair quality.) A Beauty Metrix consultation is free with the membership to Club PureBeauty (also free). 

I think I might try and take Gordon and Nick’s advice. Ten percent change each time I hit the salon. Then I’m always evolving.

After the wedding.

PureBeauty, Mall of America, 952-854-6496