Heather Allen

Hi, my name is Heather and I hate paying for haircuts.

I heard of programs where salons will give free haircuts for training purposes, and when I google searched in the NYC area, there were plenty of options, but the Bumble and bumble. University Model Project was the first to pop up.

From my first email expressing my interest, until this past Tuesday, the entire process took almost two months! I came in for a “casting call” on May 9, then made my appointment for the next available class, June 28! The waiting was the worst! The casting call is to determine what kind of hairstyle you want and if you have the right hair for it. I wanted a Razor Bob after looking at the website options. After having long hair for so long, I just wanted it to be gone.

I’ve had short cuts in the past so I wasn’t really worried about the shortness of the bob. They do have other options including long layers, styling long hair, curl cuts, coloring classes, and other options, so you don’t feel obligated to get a haircut you know you won’t like.

The “models” are sent an email a few weeks before the appointment about arriving 15 mins prior to the appointment time, washing our hair the day before or day of, and that Bb.U won’t provide hair drying after the cut (what?!). So I was a bit paranoid going in because I didn’t know the experience level of the stylist and my appointment was in the middle of the day, so I would have to return to work with unstyled, wet hair? Ugh.

But this is a free hair cut, right? So I shouldn’t complain…

Here’s what actually happened: I arrived at the correct time, but wait about 20 mins before the class begins and the stylist evaluates my dry hair. The instructor comes over and gives some pointers to my stylist. I get a shampoo and condition before she starts cutting because even though I washed it this morning, it’s already greasy (thanks, hair). I ask the stylist if I’ll have a chance to blow dry my own hair before I leave and she says she’ll do it.

During the cut, I say a few things to the stylist trying to start a conversation, and I can tell she does have experience, but I’m not really her client so I mostly just sit and watch what she’s doing. As she’s cutting she continually sprays Bumble and bumble hair “lotion” to moisturize my already wet hair.

Thankfully, the hair is the same even length around my head. When the stylist gets to the time to cut my bangs, she asks for help from the instructor about technique. He ends up cutting the bangs just to make sure they turn out okay.

To finish, the stylist sprays something else on my hair that I’m guessing is a setting spray or finishing product and then kind of blow drys my hair? I’m not really sure what she’s doing. She pointed the blow dryer away from my hair so the low heat was not directly hitting my hair. So in addition to that weird finishing product, plus all that hair lotion she sprayed, when she finished, it looked like this:

It was kind of sticky and greasy, but I loved the cut and I loved having short hair again. So I told the stylist that I was happy with it. When I returned to work everyone was shocked and liked how it turned out, but all I could think of was washing and styling it myself. The next day, it looked something like this! So much softer and healthier!

Overall, I’m happy I didn’t have to pay for my haircut and I would recommend the Bumble and bumble University model project to people who are not particular about who cuts their hair or where it gets cut. It’s also a good option for anyone who wants salon quality cuts without the big price tag.

♥

---