Since I've only been here once (thus far; I just moved to the area), I will hold off on the…read more5-stars, and give my first experience a solid 4-star review. What a great find! My hair type is: light brown; fine, but lots of it; straight with the barest hint of a wave; currently in a pixie cut. I go for very low-maintenance, with a reasonable amount of upkeep.
When I first called to make an appointment, I spoke with owner Dawn, who was friendly, conversational, and very helpful. We scheduled an appointment for several days out, and I was already quite satisfied with the level of customer service I'd received. The next morning, I received a phone call from Pennie, who had had a few slots come open in her schedule, and who wanted to know if I'd like to come in sooner (since they knew I had been looking for a closer time slot). I happily rescheduled for that same afternoon with Pennie.
The salon is located in a small, quaint strip of antique and gift shops, and shares an entryway with a comic book store. Upon entering the salon proper, Dawn instantly greeted me by name (even though she was with a client), and let me know that Pennie would be with me momentarily - only to have Pennie arrive, smiling, and letting me know that she was already ready.
Pennie was perhaps the best stylist I've ever had, especially in terms of how well she listened to me, how well she explained her thought process to me, and how well she described what she was doing (and why!). Once I had shown her a few reference photos, she took several minutes to comb my hair this way and that, figuring out which directions it grew, how thick it was, how it fell naturally, and talking to me the whole time about what approach she would recommend (AND WHY!), and how she would work with my natural hair type to achieve the desired results, and what my options would be.
As she trimmed, we chatted about her process and about ourselves; she has mastered the art of personable professionalism. She has also mastered the art of hair cutting and styling, as far as I am concerned - she listened to exactly what I wanted, talked to me about exactly what she was doing, and I have a final product that looks great as-is, but is also a significant step towards the style that I'm trying to grow into.
I talked to her about the possibility of putting in some color, maybe some highlights - she said she'd recommend waiting until my hair has grown out another inch or so, so that we can do everything at once. i.e., she was NOT looking to turn a quick profit on extra services that I would have just needed re-done in a month or two anyway. The final price was VERY reasonable, and I was in and out in just under an hour.
Overall, I found the salon welcoming, the people even moreso, and Pennie in particular very skilled and helpful. I will certainly be going back, and look forward to being able to upgrade this to a 5-star review once I can attest to their *repeated* excellence.
