What is it: RPZL (as in Rapunzel), a brand-new salon in N.Y.C. devoted solely to three levels of hair extensions: clip in, tape in and keratin, all done with their in-house hair line (so no preliminary hair-matching consultation is needed)
Who tried it: Style and Beauty Director Andrea Lavinthal and Senior Style Editor Alex Apatoff
Level of Difficulty: 0 for effort (but all that royal treatment doesn’t come for free!)
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Andrea’s Level of Extensions Experience: Intermediate
Andrea’s RPZL Experience: I had a full-head of Gisele-like extensions years ago and loved the way they looked. What I didn’t love was the maintenance (I was at the salon at least once a month to have the loose extensions replaced with fresh ones or what I referred to as “crop rotation”) and the damage they did to my hair (the new hair is basically glue-gunned to your own hair). RPZL created their own high-tech heat-free process that minimizes both issues, but I was still reluctant to fully commit to the upkeep extensions require (as owner Monica Thornton says, “it’s a lifestyle”). So I opted for clip-ins and worked with stylist Azzy Parisiani on choosing the perfect color and ideal length. Parisiani is insanely knowledgeable about all things hair and extremely patient when it comes to teaching clients how to use the clip-ins. Luckily, if you’re as unskilled as I am at putting in each piece, RPZL will do it for you, and give you a killer blowout for $40 (once you’ve purchased the hair).
In about an hour my hair went from shoulder to chest-length and I couldn’t wait to get home and see my boyfriend’s reaction. The bad news: He didn’t notice. Like, at all. Like even when I twirled a piece of hair around my finger across from him at dinner. The good news: They look so natural that your own boyfriend won’t even know you’re wearing them!
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Andrea’s Pros: I love that RPZL is making the world extensions way more accessible and less cost-prohibitive (they makes their own extensions using Remy human hair from India, which keeps the price on the low end for such high-quality hair).
Andrea’s Cons: You’re not supposed to sleep in your clip-ins (I did and they were fine, if a little flattened) so they’re really a one-night only thing unless you learn how to put them in yourself and have the time to do so every morning.
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Alex’s Level of Extensions Experience: What’s more beginning that beginner?
Alex’s RPZL Experience: As someone born (cursed?) with truly enormous hair, I was nervous and more than a little skeptical about the extensions experience (particularly the price — it’s in line with other N.Y.C. salons, but definitely not a budget experience by any means). But when I told them I was a complete rookie, stylist Jose Antonio Velez patiently walked me through all the options before we settled on clip-ins for my first experience. He carefully matched the color to my hair, had me stand so he could style the extensions exactly right and then curled them beautifully before putting them into the fabulous Blake Lively fishtail of my hair dreams. I walked out feeling famous!
Because I had them done on my day off, I slept with them in, then brushed them and recurled them a little in the morning. Everybody (except for my husband, who was alarmed by the human hair aspect) loved them. All day, I heard how gorgeous and natural they looked. But even though they were lighter, more natural and much easier to maintain than I imagined, I was happy to take them out and save them for a special occasion: I can never deliver on the level of glam that the extensions promise!
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Alex’s Pros: Price aside, it’s a completely painless process for rookies — the extensions are high-quality, the stylists are pros and everything is seamless and easy. I’d send anyone here for wedding extensions or another very special occasion.
Alex’s Cons: RPZL is just a week old, so there were still some kinks being worked out. For instance, there were no magazines or iPads to read, TVs to watch or even charging stations, like other similar “styling bar” places, so you had to sit pretty patiently and run out your phone’s battery during the two-hour appointment. I also would have loved instructions on what to do with my clips once I removed them (right now they’re wrapped up in Saran wrap under my bathroom sink). But those are easy fixes to a very cool concept.
Would you go to an extensions-only salon? Have you had extensions before?
