T Gardens is a hair and nail salon in Midtown East, New York City. The dark interior is similar to that of a sake or sushi spot, but it is definitely a salon, once one sees styling stations and hair care products. The Japanese/Asian stylists who work there are dedicated to their craft and try to make the hair care experience as convenient and relaxing as possible. My stylist, Min, originally born in South Korea and educated in Japan, made the trip worthwhile. She showed me style images on her cell phone, of styles and we discussed the nature of my hair length, layering, color and texture. The phone brought up images of looks and I chose a straighter, yet, blow dried wave with a trim. Asians have naturally straight hair and often choose a digital perm. Not all customers are of Asian descent, so they have experience with other hair types. My hair is wavy and I wanted a look that was easy to blow dry. Min spoke of her experiences in Japan and mentioned that many Asians get lighter brown, red tones, or blond highlights to accentuate their black hair tone. The hair salon business is competitive, especially in a cosmopolitan city such as NY, yet T Gardens strives to be on top of hair care trends. The new nail design area, by Tomoko, takes care of nail care and focuses on design with patterns, gel and decals.
The Cosmopolitan Compact 