This Is New York's Best Haircut

I truly believe no one does it quite like her!

One of my dear friends here in London is known for her impeccable taste. She’s the kind of person who’s always wearing the perfect black cashmere knit, only paints her nails with Dior Nail Glow, and has a beautiful smelling home with an incredible sofa. Everything she owns and does is so refined and distinctly her, which means she’s extremely particular when it comes to making any aesthetic decision, and that, of course, includes all things beauty.

I give you this context to say, I think Shelby Samaria is so unbelievably good at what she does, that when this fastidious friend of mine was in need of a haircut in New York, I without hesitation recommended Shelby. And no part of me was surprised when she texted me afterwards saying that it was the best haircut of her life. Shelby is just that good.

I’ve had many unremarkable (and a few downright disastrous) haircuts in my lifetime. Over the years, I’ve learned that a great hairstylist won’t replicate exactly what you show them on your Pinterest board, but instead use their expertise to assess your hair texture, face shape, and style to create a variation of the reference photo that makes sense for you. But it’s in that very judgement call that things can go sideways—I’ve had people think I’m grungier than I am and ended up with a weird choppy layers. I’ve also left the salon looking like a pristine Disney princess, which I somehow found worse.

Shelby is not just talented, effortlessly cool, and a genuinely great hang, she’s also extremely perceptive when it comes to her clients. She knew when I said I wanted a mullet, I was really after a soft shag with curtain bangs. And when I showed her a photo of young Keanu Reeves as my reference, what I really meant was that I wanted a bob just beneath my chin with face framing pieces. She seems to always know what I want before I do.

In other hairstylist’s chairs I couldn’t help but tense up and hold my breath with each snip. But I don’t even really look in the mirror when I’m with Shelby, we’re too busy gabbing about astrology or new restaurants in Brooklyn or how bonkers it is to move abroad. I let this woman spontaneously give me bangs one day—do you know how crazy that is? And they were perfect! I’ve had bangs ever since!

Shelby’s cuts miraculously balance looking lived-in, a bit edgy, and (this is important) straight up pretty. She lived and worked as a hairstylist in Paris for a while and I feel like she’s able to capture that undone but elegant hair Parisian girls I know always seem to have. I never leave her salon with that prom-ready perfect cut and loose curl, nor do I feel like I suddenly have a funky new haircut that all my friends will comment on, I just feel like it was the hair I was always supposed to have. Me but enhanced.

So if you’re in need of a haircut, book an appointment with Shelby and thank me later. I also have to mention that if you’re looking to get your color done too, the cut and color combination of Shelby Samaria and Emaly Baum at Beauty Supply is simply *chef’s kiss* (more on Emaly and her magic hands later).

Get A Haircut With Shelby

Click here to book an appointment with Shelby. She sporadically uploads new dates, so if nothing is available, make sure to check back to see if anything has opened up.

More of Shelby’s Work