My New Summer ‘Do! Giveaway

This giveaway is now closed. Thanks for stopping by. The winner is Ki Ip. Congrats!

Despite the fact that we have lived in Orange County for five years, I still have ties in LA…and I’m not talking about friends and family. When you find a good stylist…someone who knows you and your hair and all of it’s intricacies…it’s very difficult to make a change. I have thick, curly, somewhat unruly hair that I like to wear both straight and curly. It requires the right person to know how to cut, layer, and style my hair in such a way that I can wear it both ways.

I was first introduced to Carlton Hair Salons a couple of weeks ago. I don’t know why I hadn’t noticed the salon chain with venues conveniently located in shopping centers across Northern and Southern California. The salon’s approach is to draw inspiration from the fashion industry, applying both creativity and knowledge about hair and style to create individual looks. Additionally, their elite stylists undergo 45,000 training hours each year which speaks volumes about their commitment to maintaining their skills and staying up to date on the latest trends in the industry.

Color can be tricky and I’ve definitely experienced less than optimal results from a salon so I appreciate their “tailor-fit” approach. Your stylist will choose two or three different shades and a timed developer lotion to create the color you’d like while also considering your skin tone and personal sense of style.

I initially went online to find the salon closest to my home to get a sense of their menu of services. Because this will vary with each location, you’ll want to find your location, then click on the tab that says “more information” to pull up a PDF of their menu. I have to admit that their tiered system still confuses me. From what I understand, you can opt to have a stylist with a lot of experience (mentor) or less experience and pricing will vary accordingly. I simply called my local salon, described my hair and what I was looking for, and they connected me with a stylist that was somewhere in the middle as far as price and experience.

When I walked into the salon, I filled out a short questionnaire and was offered snacks/refreshments, which immediately made me feel welcome and comfortable. The original stylist I booked the appointment with was sick that day, so I was offered a gal with comparable experience. We talked about the look I wanted and then she got to work shampooing and cutting my hair.

I went in with the idea that they would take a lot of the bulk and length off of my hair for a fun, fresh summer look. The stylist cut, layered, and styled my hair straight and I love the way it turned out:

The only thing I wish I would have known is how long it would take. It took about an hour longer than I was told (total 2 1/2 hours) but I think that might have been because my hair is difficult to straighten. Here are my before and after photos:

Overall, I was satisfied with my experience, including the professionalism of the stylist, the comfort of the salon, and the personal attention I received with regards to my consultation. I should mention that when I went into the salon, I never told anyone at the salon that I would be writing a review for a website so I truly felt like I received an authentic experience.

Through August 31st, you can enter to win a year’s worth of color services (which includes cuts and styling). Simply visit a participating Goldwell salon and complete an entry form at that location.

Want to try out Carlton Hair? Simply print off this coupon for 20% off all hair care services through July 31st, 2012. You must be a first-time visitor to receive the discount.

You can stay up to date by visiting their Facebook page.

Win It! One of you will win a $200 gift card to Carlton Hair! Simply leave me a comment about your dream hair color! Comments will close on July 31st, 2012 at 11:59 PM PST.

US Residents only. Duplicates and comments not including the above information will be disqualified. Comments are moderated. If you don’t see your comment in a reasonable amount of time, send me an email. Bloggers and non-bloggers may enter. If you don’t want to leave your email address, please be sure to check back for my announcement on the winner. Please note that winners must respond within 48 hours of being announced/contacted or another winner will be drawn.

Want an extra entry? Do any or all of the following and receive an extra entry for each one. Be sure to leave me a separate comment for each additional entry.

Like Carlton Hair on Facebook

Follow me on Twitter and tweet the following (or something like it) “ I just entered a #giveaway to win a @CarltonHair GC @rockinmama summercolor ” Daily tweets are allowed but please put the permalink so I can keep track.

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Rockin’ Mama Facebook fans automatically receive an extra entry

Subscribe to my feed via email or reader.

Blog about this giveaway. It doesn’t have to be a separate post. Just include a blurb about it when you blog about other giveaways.

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No compensation was received for this post. A gift card was provided which helped facilitate this review. Giveaway provided by Carlton Hair.

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Caryn Bailey

Caryn is a NICU nurse by day, blogger by night and mom 24/7. She savors the warm Southern California sun and loves to travel, shopping, baking, reading and frequenting her local tea room. Caryn created the column Lavishly Green for Peekaboo Picks Magazine to share her best tips for going green in style, she is the Former editor for Family Review Network, former OC Family Magazine online contributor, former Orange County Moms Blog contributor, former Evenflo Savvy Parent contributor, former member of the Totsy Advisory Board and former freelance writer for CBS Los Angeles.