What Experts Wish You Knew: Hairstylist Edition

“Mommy can’t cannonball into the pool with you this afternoon. She got her hair highlighted yesterday.”

 This is a good excuse for many reasons.

#1: It’s true.

#2: It’s important knowledge for our little blondies to have, as it will make them grateful their sun-kissed locks don’t require 3 hours at the salon and pool abstinence for a few days.

#3: It’s short.

 Today -- for my 2^nd official “What Experts Wish You Knew” feature --we’re going to tackle that age-old nemesis: excuses.

 There is much for a hair stylist to love about a client: the opportunity to give a gal that “Pretty Woman” makeover moment and sparkling repartee about trashtastic television. These are the main ones.

 But, this just in from Pepe, my guru of hair and style and all things fabulous, there’s a dark side: being late for the appointment. It gets even darker: the excuses we gals make about being late.

 In a nutshell, here’s Pepe’s view: He’s not thrilled if you’re 10 minutes late, but he’ll give you a pass on it. Life happens, your 6 year old spills Gatorade all over the car’s backseat, your dog squiggles under the fence and has to be tracked down, you couldn’t find your cell phone (probably because it’s jammed in the seat and covered with Gatorade), yada, yada, yada.  

 Pepe doesn’t want to hear about it. If you’re 10 minutes late for the appointment, don’t come in and take another 10 minutes telling him why you’re late. This just makes it worse. Instead, zip in, sit your ass in the chair, say a simple “I’m sorry I’m late” and be done with it.

 Pepe will forgive you. Especially if you make sure to tip him 20%. None of this 15% percent, ladies. We’re not in Europe. Pepe didn’t actually say this last part. This is me editorializing.

He’ll be even quicker to forgive you if you also watched last night’s “Real Housewives of O.C.” and agree with him that Heather’s surgeon husband is hot. How can anyone think that? He’s “husband hot”, says Pepe, not “hot hot”.

I question his judgement on this one. But I do not question his judgement on these great honey streaks I’m sporting or his wisdom about incredibly long excuses.