(1 of 2)
I have a lot to say about my experience, and there is a 5,000 character limit. You can also only leave 1 review; thus, I created another account to post the second half of the story. (Still under "K.S.")
I went in for a color correction 2 months ago and waited to review until I could cool off. 2 months later, I am just as upset and appalled by the results and overall service. I came in, because I wanted "honey brown" color (my hair is naturally super dark brown, and a recent home color made it a bronzy brown). The stylist was Virginia (part owner).
SHORT STORY
My scalp was raw with blood and yellowish translucent puss following the color correction. In addition, the color was orange, and when I complained about my scalp and hair color, I was bullied by Virginia. She refused to admit anything was wrong with my scalp or hair, called me "ungrateful", and refused a refund. The reason their reviews are so high is from makeup application (and maybe some of the other stylists).
LONG STORY
I came in on a Friday afternoon and met Virginia for a color correction consultation. She seemed nice and asked some good questions. I told her I want honey brown hair. I tried to color my hair myself, but it turned out an orange hue. The process would include bleaching to strip out color, so the color would be pure. She said this is her expertise, and it would take about 4 hours. I was desperate to have it fixed fast, so she squeezed me in the next morning (extra early). I was really impressed that she would come in an hour before opening to fit me in.
The next morning, I arrived on time, and Virginia wasn't there. I met her assistant who offered me a drink and said Virginia would show up soon. Virginia showed up about 20 minutes late. She apologized, and I figured it was OK, since she still came in earlier than usual just for me. They each took a side and started bleaching my hair (all except my roots). Once the bleach was applied, the assistant stayed with me and ran her fingers through sections of my hair, kind of pulling the bleach from the roots to the tips. She said this would make sure the bleach didn't dry out, and the bleaching would be more even. After 30-40 minutes, the assistant washed the bleach out and blow dried my hair. Then they both and started on my roots with a lower volume of bleach. The brushed the bleach on with the tip of the brush directly onto my scalp then blended it to the rest of the unbleached hair. The brush tip was a bit harsh, but I didn't say anything. After about 20-30 minutes, the assistant washed my hair and blow dried it. During the blow dry, I kept flinching, because it felt like my scalp was burning. The assistant and Virginia just said I must have a sensitive scalp and kept blow drying my hair on the same temperature.
Next, the assistant applied the color, and I immediately felt a strong burning sensation and communicated this to her. She called Virginia over, and Virginia said that it will go away in 5 minutes, and I should just be patient. After 5 minutes, the burning sensation was stronger, and it felt like my entire body was trembling in the pain. I've only felt this level of pain once- when I got a 5 inch tattoo on my back. Even then, it only felt this way the last 10 minutes of my 2 hour session. I explained this to the assistant, and I was crying at this point. The assistant brought Virginia over, and she asked me what they could do (with an annoyed expression). I had no idea what they could do; I don't know anything about color processing. So, they gave me a cup of cold water and I sat through it: crying for another 10 minutes. After about 15 minutes, I felt the burning sensation slightly easing (probably cuz my nerve endings were burned out). When about 20-30 minutes total passed, they washed my hair, put in a conditioning treatment, and added some toner.
The assistant then got the blow drier out, and I asked her to use the diffuser attachment instead of the direct heat, because my scalp was feeling really sensitive. She diffused my hair, but it still burned in a few spots. Once she was done, I felt relieved. I wasn't sure how I felt about my hair, but the assistant and Virginia seemed to really like it, so I felt like I should be happy. I paid the whopping $200 + a $40 tip. I also bought the recommended shampoo and hair mask. Once outside, I took pictures of my hair in different lighting. Sometimes it looked like a grey/green tone, and sometimes it looked kind of orange. I figured it was because the color was too fresh and I had styling product in my hair.
Please see part 2 for the detailed results of my scalp/color and treatment I received from Virginia after complaining. read more