ADVERTISEMENT
As the lead colorist at the Oscar Blandi salon, I'm probably busiest during the holiday season. It's a crazy time of year for everyone, but I don't mind the chaos and long days; they're festive and fun. Also, full disclosure: I definitely don't mind receiving those generous holiday tips!
Although I'm well-versed in the etiquette of gratuities in a beauty salon, after a recent trip during which I became flummoxed about who to tip at the hotel I was staying at (bellboy, receptionist, doorman?), I realized that a lot of people could benefit from a breakdown of who and how to tip at the salon — especially this time of year.
My gratuity advice is based on years of working alongside assistants, a housekeeper, and a coat-check staff. Tipping will, of course, depend on the structure of the beauty establishment. For the sake of thoroughness, my guide arms you with information on tipping everyone from the receptionist offering you a beverage, to the staff member taking your coat, to the assistant giving you a tingling head massage while she washes your hair.
Keep in mind: Unless you know your beauty pro extremely well and have a firm idea of what they'll like, you're better off just giving a bigger tip than you normally would and not worrying about an actual gift.
ADVERTISEMENT