“Tabatha’s Salon Takeover” Star Visits Philly

As I drove out to Joseph Anthony’s Glen Mills salon for their third annual Style Wars event last Sunday, I was panicking about my roots. They were horrible, almost enough to warrant a hat, or even a wig. I cursed myself for not having fit in a touchup beforehand, and then prepared myself for the inevitable: I was going to meet Tabatha Coffey, notoriously outspoken (and slightly scary!) celeb stylist and star of Bravo’s Tabatha’s Salon Takeover, with six-inch roots. Sigh.

Tabatha looked taller and skinnier in person. She was wearing all black, as usual, with sky-high Louboutin booties. Her close-cropped hair was platinum, without even the slightest hint of a root (“It’s natural, I swear!”). She was charming and funny, and not the least bit scary (she told me she’s really a “big marshmallow,” quite unlike her straight-talking, curseword-spouting Bravo personality. She didn’t even chastise me for my roots.

We talked hair for a little bit, what’s in, what’s out, and the one accessory we all should be thinking about this season: bangs. Here’s the scoop. (Get your scissors ready.)

The Cut: Go short! This season, it’s all about the grownup pixie, with lots of texture.

The Curl: Forget perfect, springy curls. Now the look is undone and tousled. (Think Victoria’s Secret runway models, wind machine and all.)

The Color: Red. The color’s huge now, as is solid blonde. “Experiment with colors!” Tabatha says.

The Bangs: “I’m sorry, girls,” Tabatha says. “But bangs are back. A bold, thick bang. Really, it looks terrific.”

Forget the roots, I thought as I left the party. I had much bigger things to worry about. My shoulder-blade-skimming locks were way too long, my forehead was unstylishly bare, and my ashy-blonde color was totally wrong. I’ve got a hair appointment tomorrow morning. Who knows? Maybe I’ll come back with a short, red pixie cut and bangs.