Reality shows have proven time and again that things don’t always go as planned. However, local hairstylist Aslana Schlif didn’t expect that a trip to the hospital would be a part of her time on the Style Network’s “Split Ends.” The show follows two stylists as they switch places and spend several days in the other’s salon. Schlif, who works at the Ruby Room (1743-45 West Division) switched places with Robert Rodriguez, a Florida salon owner. Schlif practices holistic and Fung Sui hairstyling, while Rodriguez is a colorist and entrepreneur. Though it won’t air on the show (“the producers were mortified,” says Schlif), her most memorable experience involved a “joke” her new coworkers played on her—they poisoned her water bottle with numbing gel Anbesol. Says Schlif, “my insides went completely numb and I had to go to the emergency room.” Though she was reluctant to finish the show after what she calls a “horrendous, mortifying experience,” Schlif stuck it out. “I would do it again,” she says, “but I wish that they had focused where my talents lie—as a wellness educator and inner-beauty consultant.” “Split Ends” airs December 23rd on the Style Network.
Santa Soldier
During this holiday season, most charities are sending gifts to the troops in Iraq, including Chicago’s Hotel Allegro. This year is a little different for the hotel, as they specifically picked the 759th Military Police Battalion to receive gifts. “They chose this group because the brother of a hotel employee is in it—so it’s a little closer to home,” spokesperson Deanna Dugo explains. So Hotel Allegro is giving them a bit of home and asking for specific donations like phone cards, packaged food, electronics (new and used) and toiletries. “They’re stuck in Iraq—we want to bring them something that reminds them of home and show our gratitude,” Dugo says. The donating has just started this month and runs through December 31st, with the items being shipped out right away. But if you have a hard time finding the perfect gift, Dugo says that money will be just fine. “The staff will purchase more gifts to send,” she says.
