720 5th Ave.
11th Fl.
at 56th St.
New York, NY 10019
212.586.4343

If you have blonde ambition, look no further than Rita Hazan: She’s the master of transforming tired tresses into luscious locks. Walking into to her pristine salon just off Fifth Avenue in Midtown, you are immediately taken aback by the beauty–and the glamour–of this establishment. A fast-paced, high-energy atmosphere pervades in this full service salon and spa, where even the assistants seem to have assistants (and the busy worker bees actually wear earpieces). The main attraction is obviously Rita herself, whose A-List celebrity clientele has made her legendary as the go-to girl for b-l-o-n-d-e. Renowned as she may be for the platinum look, her genius does extend to every spectrum of the hair color rainbow. However, with fame comes a steep price tag (highlights with Rita start at $550), but her talent is worth every penny. Not to mention, she also has the killer combination of being both friendly and fast. So there’s a reason why she has the reputation for being the best colorist in town: because, well, she just is. –Meredith Stebbins