LBS Salon Review: Mirror Salon at Carol's Daughter in Harlem

I first stepped into the Mirror Salon at the Carol's Daughter flagship in Harlem, NY with the expectation that it would be wildly similar to many other hair salons I'd been to. You know how it is - salon chairs, hooded dryers and stylists. Very simple. Upon walking into the Mirror Salon however, you quickly come to realize there's way more to this salon than meets the eye. 

From the attentive salon hostess to the stylists that not only make it a point to know your hair goals and challenges but actually educate you on the condition of your hair and the steps necessary to get it at its best. Oh, and don't forget about the enchanting mirrors above and below that reassure you that stylists are focusing on your hair's health and doing it in a transparent way.

Check out my experience at the Mirror Salon:

Walking into the Carol's Daughter flagship in Harlem has always been an enchanting experience for me. What makes it even more beautiful now is the hair oasis that is waiting for you towards the back of the location, now equipped with hair stylists who specialize in curls and kinks.

Your treatment at the Mirror Salon starts off with a thorough consultation. Before they even touch your hair, they make it their mission to find out as much about your hair as possible. They have you fill out a questionnaire about your hair challenges, your hair goals and your hair type. They focus on finding out your hair's porosity as well as texture before recommending a hair treatment and regimen for you. I found out I have high porosity curls with a cotton texture.

My wonderful stylist Tlisha did a thorough evaluation of my scalp and hair and then told me what she planned to do for my hair including a cleansing, deep conditioning treatment and a twist set using Carol's Daughter products.

I love that they have mirrors in the ceiling right above the wash/treatment chairs so you can see everything your stylist is doing, from the products they use to the techniques they implement.

After my shampoo, Tlisha had me sit under the steamer for a deep moisturizing treatment. She explained the benefits of steam treatments to me in locking in essential moisturizing properties for the hair.

After my steam treatment, Tlisha went to work detangling my hair from root to tip in sections.

Next up, she twisted my hair (both my natural curls and my Indique extensions) using the Macadamia Heat Setting Foam ($18.00). She sat me under the hooded dryer for about 30 minutes but since I had to skip out to run some errands, I just allowed the rest of the hair to air dry out and about. See my results below:

Here are my two-strand twists before unraveling!

They are flat twists at the crown and then two-strand twisted at the ends. This really helped with curl definition!

Love how defined the curls came out!

Overall I'm thoroughly pleased with my Mirror Salon experience. It was by far one of the best salon experiences I've ever had. From the warm atmosphere, to the seasoned stylists and the personalized service, I would recommend this for anyone who wants a really educating and luxurious hair pampering session.

Here's a snapshot of the services offered & prices:

If you're in the NYC area, head on over to the Mirror Salon and tell 'em LoveBrownSugar sent you! Also, for those of you in other major cities in the US, stay tuned for announcements as Carol's Daughter has plans to open up a few more locations nationwide before the end of the year!

Mirror Salon at Carol's Daughter

24 West 125th St (between 5th & Lenox Ave)

New York, NY 10027

212-828-6757

Disclosure: The Mirror Salon provided me with a complimentary hair service for this review. As always, all opinions expressed herein are mine and not reflective of the company.

For those of you curious about Mirror Salons's straightening services, check out Ijeoma of Klassy Kinks who received a Ceramic Fusion treatment there. See below:

LBS Salon Review: Idalias Salon in Brooklyn

Last month, I paid the Idalias Salon in Prospect Heights, Brooklyn a visit. I was preparing for my trip to LA and I needed to get my hair washed and conditioned. I also needed to get my Bounce Deep Wavy/Coil Curl Indique Hair extensions sewn in by a professional stylist. One of the first things I look for when heading to a salon is a specialist who knows how to properly care for and maintain natural curls. It's been 2 and a half years now that "Cece's Curls" have been alive and well so I go to great lengths (no pun intended) to make sure they're protected from breakage and heat damage.

The professionals at Idalias took great care of me! Their motto is "Healthy hair first equals stylish hair always," so they place an emphasis on hair health.

As such, salon owner Darlene was very delicate with my curls and gave me a thorough shampoo and deep conditioning treatment before I sat down to be braided up and styled.

They used a great combination of products and made sure that my hair was properly protected. I get the question alot about how I blend my natural hair with the curly extensions so the difference isn't easily detectable. You know I only give my secrets away to y'all so here it is:

Depending on which way you want your hair to lay, you need to leave out just enough of your natural hair to cover the tracks once the styling is done. See below for how much I normally leave out.

I chose a middle part this time around so the stylist at Idalias sewed my hair in a U-shape so that there was an ample amount of my natural hair on all sides to cover the track once she was complete.

Next, she fluffed my hair out and began to apply a light styling cream. My absolute favorite is Jane Carter Curl Defining Cream for this, when I do it at home.

Before I left, the stylist flat-twisted my natural hair along with the extensions so that when I released it the next day, my curls would naturally follow the curl pattern of the extensions.

This process is really easy to replicate at home. You simply retwist each night with the curl product of your choice and wrap your head with a silk scarf or bonnet to maintain.

Needless to say, they did an AWESOME job and my hair was on point for my trip to LA!

 Next week I'll be posting an exclusive Q&A with the salon owner who has some really helpful tips on installing and maintaining extensions while keeping your hair healthy. Stay tuned for that. In the meantime, if you're in the Prospect Heights, Brooklyn area - check out the Idalias Salon and let them know LoveBrownSugar sent you!

Idalias Salon

677 Washington Ave 

New York,  NY 11238

(718) 636-5521

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Disclosure: The Idalias Salon provided me with a complimentary hair service for this review. As always, all opinions expressed herein are mine and not reflective of the company.