Review: Mayra Segovia F Studio

In desperate need of a haircut yet on a time crunch, I stepped into a hair salon located up the block where a scruffy guy in tight jeans chopped up my hair and left me in a horrified state of tears and disgust. A month later, I needed another haircut so I returned to the same place, but this time I would ask for someone else, someone European named Fife or Svetlana (with names like that they were bound to understand the complex nature of my hair). I walked up two flights of stairs and when I opened the door-things had changed: new owners.

I was greeted by a gorgeous Eva Longoria look-a-like who scheduled my hair appointment and then introduced me to Mayra Segovia, owner of Mayra Segovia "f" Studio-where the business is beauty and the vibe is "f"ashion. Mayra, with her long black tresses and a smile that completes with the sun's radiant energy examined my hair, turned me around and in her charming yet confident tone asked, "What type of cut are you looking for?" I responded by patting my hair all around then making quick scissor movements, razor sharpening motions, and other hand gestures that might be offensive in some third world countries. And before I knew it, I was sitting in Mayra's special barber chair with a huge white cape that she snapped around my neck and draped all over my body. I felt like Cleopatra, Queen of the Nile.

I noticed some of the original décor remained like the pea-green colored walls adorned with large gold framed mirrors, the old-fashioned barber chairs and the rare antique chests that substitute for the typical stylist booths found in every Manhattan salon. My eyes caught glances of the new style that defined Mayra's "touch" like a fire place mantel converted into a beauty display case-showcasing her signature product line. I was comforted by the whispers of John Meyer playing in the background and relaxed in the warm and cozy atmosphere this three-week-old salon evoked. Was I in a hair salon or a spa?

Mayra trained and worked in New York City with colorist Joel Warren and Sak's 5th Avenue Salon's Tony Alvarez. Training under these hair gurus she's acquired the essential skills needed to successfully cut and style hair and run a business, but her charismatic persona, stylish sense and chic sophistication that "Wows'" her clientele is something she developed on her own. When you enter her salon, you're not just getting a haircut; you're having a glamorous hair experience.

With every chop, snip, and cut- Mayra explained her every move and technique in order to achieve my desired effect. She revealed that as a young girl, her Barbie dolls were her first clients; she applied shoe polish to their hair for seductive highlights and nail polish was converted into sexy eye shadow. That conjured up memories of my Aunt Mera, a 45-year-old overweight Mexican woman who also used shoe and nail polish for highlights and eye shadow.

Mayra knew my secret and made me confess. "Do you sometimes cut your own hair?" she asked while examining a section near the back of my head. "Yes," I answered in a sheepish tone. She noticed my eyes sparkle when I saw her trademark Mayra technique; she took a chunk of my hair and twisted it around and with a regular pair of scissors, in rapid short bursts attacked my hair leaving the left-over locks in a state of jagged perfection. "I see you looking at my technique," she said , "'close your eyes-if you try this at home and get it wrong-you'll chop half your hair off." I shut my eyes in excitement.

After the final touches on my hair were complete-she dusted me off and handed me a bottle of "TWISTED" a fiber styling paste-an exclusive Mayra Segovia signature line product. My hair was not only ready for the "red-carpet" it was begging to be dipped in gold. "The next time you come back, we're adding some midnight blue streaks in your hair, she explained. I'll do whatever she tells me-how can I not? She's the hair goddess.