the best kept secret (sort of) in beverly hills

Shhhhh--Nelson Chan is a color genuius!

Last Friday I was out the door early to make my appointment at the Nelson J Salon in Beverly Hills, so sorry for the long Labor Day Weekend with no post. Hoping you all had a great one!

Like most women I know, I get nervous when I try a new hair person. Who hasn't had the traumatic hair experience? I've had lopsided cuts, black hair when it was supposed to be brown, orange glaze when it was supposed to be brownish-blond, and once was given so many layers that it took a year for my hair to grown in again--all this from highly recommended stylists. Although I am now partial to my favorite guy, Barry at Juan Juan, my editor wanted me to try some new hair places. The new Nelson J Salon in Beverly Hills approached me to try their eco-friendly hair treatments, which include the non-toxic EcoColors Haircolor line that Chan uses to color his clients. It contains no petroleum, glutens, or sulfites, making it ideal for chemically sensitive people. I decided to see if Nelson could color-correct my hair which had become dry and over-processed during the summer.


You must try: Nelson has the most comfortable shampoo stations ever!

Nelson Chan is not exactly a secret--his celeb clients includes Sarah Michelle Gellar, Heather Graham, Alicia Silverstone, Maggi Q, and Devon Aoki, but I was still a little nervous when I pulled my hair out of a pony tail to show him the several different shades it had acquired during the summer. Within seconds he had diagnosed my problem and how to fix it. In under two hours, he matched my roots to my hair color, lightened the ends which had gotten too dark, plus I got shampooed, his signature deep-conditioning treatment, a quick trim, and blown out. Phew!! It was efficient and fabulous!


Moments after it was all over: lunch at Barney's.


The Nelson J Salon is tucked away in the heart of Beverly Hills at 350 N. Bedford Drive and offers an array of services, ranging from cuts, color, color correction, blow outs, conditioning treatments, updos, hair straightening, makeup application, manicures and pedicures, as well as head and neck massage services. A Nelson J all-natural hair care product line is also on the way. For more information about Nelson Chan or the salon, please call 310-274-1553 or visit www.nelsonjsalon.com.


A quick note before I sign off: Every month I receive hundreds of queries from cosmetic companies wanting me to feature their products in my columns. I'm always looking for great new products, so it's a pleasure when I get each and every query. Please keep in mind that I'm committed to writing about products that are not associated with health risks. I feel a responsibility to share information in this confusing market that allows products to promote themselves as "all-natural" when many are far from it. I ask a lot of questions before writing about products, so please do not be offended when submitting queries if there is a short back and forth dialogue to ascertain whether products are certified organic (they don't have to be, but I like to know) and if there are parabens or other harmful ingredients in the products. I'm also lucky to have many committed all-natural/organic cosmetic manufacturers reading Trust Your Style, and they are the first to tell me when I've made a mistake--so thank you for understanding and I look forward to hearing about lots of great new products. If you would like to tell me about your cosmetic company or your favorite new healthy beauty product, please submit your query to trustyourstyle@cox.net with a website and brief description.