This episode was so, so quotable! Some of my favorites:
“For someone that was begging to be banged, she should’ve gotten a bang.” (Roy Teeluck)
“I have three faces, the two I use during the day and the one I use to stab you in the back.” (Charlie)
“We worked that Chewbacca hair down for you.” (Dee, to Charlie)
“I’m all personality. And good looks.” (Nekisa)
“Big titties can’t get you out of every jam, darling.” (Charlie, to Nekisa)
Charlie’s Red Carpet Hair Challenge win from last week makes it to the Allure Wall of Fame and Nekisa grumbles her annoyance over his double victory and double immunity. I think she needs to just focus her energy on learning how to do hair right. Am I right? This week’s shortcut challenge, guest-judged by Nexxus Editorial Director Roy Teeluck, is the Nexxus Salon Swap. The contestants must cut, color, and style while juggling multiple clients; the first round entails a mandatory color and the stylists will be judged on the overall style of the final client they receive.
Dee’s prior experience as the Art Director at a Miami salon and spa leaves her totally comfortable with the prospect of switching clients. Charlie, on the other hand, frets over model choice and selects a woman with less-than-desirable hair in the hopes that he won’t end up with her in the final swap. Good strategy, you’d think. Meredith decides to pull a dramatic turn with her client’s style by dying her blonde model an intense shade of red. A red not found in nature, a red not suitable for the naked eye. Charlie calls it “Kool Aid red” and just plain “fugly.” Meredith, wow. You got some brass ones, girl. Or you’re stupid. Let’s go with the latter. Paolo’s client is a trip. He’s the lucky recipient of first model choice and makes a point of selecting a woman who claims to be up for anything. Then halfway through the challenge, she starts bawling over bangs and highlights, forcing Charlie, of all people, to play Dr. Phil. I really don’t understand the point of crying over something that continues to grow even after you’re dead. (Okay, that’s just a myth but it sounded good, didn’t it?)
The stylists don’t appreciate musical hairs, but the frustration and fear is great to watch. Each time Roy informs them of a new swap, they pout and sigh because they’re not done and they don’t want to deal with someone else’s mess. When the final round is announced, stylists must return to their original clients. Tough luck, Charlie. Tougher still for Meredith. Roy is as shocked by the hair color as the rest of us and places Meredith in the bottom two, along with Nekisa (surprise, surprise). Nekisa tries to blame Charlie for her client’s cut, but Roy isn’t buying it. Although Nekisa fails to pull off a coherent style, Meredith is the challenge loser. Top two: Dee, for planning ahead well; and Daniel, for creating subtle changes to highlight his client’s natural beauty. Dee grabs the victory and gets choice of models in the elimination challenge.
Roy returns the next day and joins Rene Fris for the elimination challenge: Nexxus Salon Look. The stylists must create a look that their clients can maintain at home. The hair show will occur the following day and the models must replicate their fresh from the salon look in thirty minutes or less without assistance from their respective stylists. Dee selects her model and then begins pairing up stylists with the remaining clients. Her first choice: her not-so-secret crush, Nekisa. Still seething from an argument the night before, she chooses Charlie last. Meredith is grateful to receive a curly-haired client because she already teaches classes geared toward styling curly hair. An obvious advantage for her, right?
Much like the shortcut challenge, the elimination challenge is about relinquishing control while still retaining a vision. It’s also about communication – relaying that vision to their clients through simple instruction. Meredith is way too complicated and her client struggles through remembering the many styling steps. On the other end of the spectrum is Nicole who teaches her client to style with her fingers.
Next day, the contestants stand around with frozen stares, trying not to rip the brushes out of their clients’ hands and style their hair “the right way.” Charlie is lazy and hardly does a thing to his client’s thick, dark hair. Paulo’s client looks like the victim of a hair serial killer with locks hacked to death by a semi-blunt machete. According to judge Kim Vo, Meredith’s model looks like both a “mushroom” and a “squid” – round and top-heavy with bedraggled tentacles hanging down the back. Nicole gets points for shaving down her client’s styling time from one hour to eight minutes!
Top three: Dee, Glenn, and Nicole. And the winner is… Glenn! Glenn’s win is a bit of a Cinderella story and the other stylists rejoice in her victory. Although I really think Dee should’ve won, it’s a genuinely warm moment. Previously unpublished Glenn and her client will be featured in a Nexxus advertorial in Allure Magazine.
Bottom three: Charlie, Nekisa (Good Lord, let’s get rid of this woman), and Meredith. Charlie is only saved by his immunity but is reprimanded for resting on his laurels. Nekisa finds herself in the bottom again because she doesn’t teach her client the correct methods to replicate her style, and the style itself falls flat. However, this week’s loser is Meredith, who blames her expulsion from the show on curl bias – that’s a new one. And now I’m reminded of another fave quote: “You win some, you lose some… Oh, wait. No, wait. I haven’t won anything yet.” (Meredith)
And then there were eight…
Next week: Tears flow and Nicole tears her own hair out. Why? Not sure, but I think it might have something to do with wigs.
