January 19th, 2012 
Last Wednesday afternoon, my hair was cut, highlighted and coiffed by the master stylist to the stars and political elite, Nuri Yurt at TOKA in Cameron Station in Alexandria, VA. I felt and still feel like a rock star/ super model/ movie star/ goddess. It is one of the best hair appointments I’ve ever had! Not only is stylist Nuri good at what he does, he is good at making you feel good too. He is very sweet and dedicated to making you look beautiful.
One pleased client! (Photo Credit: Marlene Hall)
Nuri is originally from Turkey. He is incredibly personably and told me about his beautiful 9-year-old son and how he slept on his chest when they vacationed in Arbua with his wife Teresa… so sweet. He travels to New York a lot to attend to clients at his salon on Madison Avenue as well as his salons in DC and VA. He is passionate about hair and making women look beautiful. His enthusiasm is infectious.
When I arrived I admired the beautiful settings of TOKA in Cameron Station off of Duke St in Alexandria, VA. It is spacious and serene. It sits in the lower level of a town house with great sun exposure. There is also plenty of parking. I met Teresa Yurt, a petite, beautiful blonde lady with a comforting voice, who is the co-owner of the salon along with her husband Nuri. They are super friendly, caring, and nice. They own 4 salons: 2 in DC, one in VA, and one in NYC. They have taken care of First Lady Laura Bush, the Bush twins, and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, among many famous other women. He has also been very involved with Fashion for Paws, a huge fundraiser runway show for the Washington Humane Society.
Once in the chair, he expertly cut my hair to a manageable length, as it was too long and getting shaggy. Hair flew in the air at a manic pace. It was so exciting watching him expertly move about. Next came time for the highlights. Mind you, I have a ton of hair. Next thing I know I’m surrounded by four people. One person watched in awe, well I guess it was two people if you include me. Yuri worked on one side of my head and his beautiful Turkish assistant, Sezgi Acer, worked on the other side of my head with assistance by Maria Rojas. My highlights were probably up in about 20 minutes max. I sat in my chair to let the highlights cook for about 20 minutes while drinking hot green tea and then was whisked off to get my hair washed. Of course getting your hair washed in a salon is such a relaxing and soothing experience. Maria did a GREAT job.
Toka and I (Photo Credit: Marlene Hall)
I was then taken to another chair and my hair was dried and curled under by Nuri and his assistant Maria. He pinned the curls up too. He spritzed my hair with Phyto 7, a daily hydrating botanical cream, which has protein in it. According to Sephora, Phyto 7,” is a daily leave-in treatment for fine and medium-texture hair. It is infused with seven pure and natural plant extracts, this weightless cream instantly hydrates, smoothes, and protects tresses while preventing frizz, static, and split ends. Hair is left shiny and manageable.” After the drying, curling, and styling, my hair had a lot of curls and volume. Just BEAUTIFUL!
The expertise of the staff, the fast service, and the excellent care blew me away. I am not the only one taking notice besides Secretary of State Clinton and the Bush twins, in fact, he was recently featured in the December issue of Vogue. Yuri and Toka have also been featured in: Washingtonian, The Washington Post, Allure, The New York Times, New York Post, Vanity Fair, OK! Magazine and the Financial Times. In 2011, Washingtonian ranked Toka as one of the best 30 day spas in DC.
Toka in the latest issue of Vogue Magazine
If you are looking to have great hair with professional service in a beautiful settings, I HIGHLY recommend TOKA. They also provide make-up, pedicures, manicures, and massages. Call today! You will not regret it.
WHERE:
TOKA Salon
Toka Georgetown
3251 Prospect Street – Suites 19 & 20
NW Washington D.C. 20007
Ph. 202-333-5133
Toka Penn Quarter
801 Pennsylvania Avenue
NW Washington, D.C. 20004
Ph. 202-628-5133
Toka Cameron Station, Alexandria, VA
4907 Brenman Park Drive
Alexandria, VA 22304
Ph. 703-370-5133
Toka Madison Avenue
768 Madison Avenue
New York, New York 10065
Ph. 212-517-5133
