Ref: Red (shown to braider) and dark brown hair pictures are examples of the size braids and triangle style I wanted (wanted triangles to be obvious). White braids picture is what I expected to get after being assured that my hair would be fully tucked.
Burnt orange hair pictures is the style I got.
Pros:
1. Wore masks throughout service
2. Nice, greeted me, on-time, QUICK.
Neutral:
When I first got to the shop, I had just left a salon for a wash and blow dry. After, I moisturized my hair with Shea moisture. I don't think the braiders liked this because they began blow-drying my hair. Then, my hair was hard and tangled; it is only manageable if something moisturizing is on it, not when it dries. I assume that the moisturizer made braiding difficult.
Cons: NOT WHAT I ASKED FOR
I specifically asked at least twice for my hair to be completely tucked (see white braids pix) under the colored hair. The primary braider agreed. Some braids are kind of, but most aren't. I asked many other braiders if they could tuck hair and they honestly said no, which I wholeheartedly respect. This shop said yes. Two people were working on my hair. The primary braider would attach the weave and another lady would finish the braid; the latter did not tuck at all and when the primary braider mentioned this she said somethings seemingly along the lines of "oh well" in her language.
I asked for bigger braids (twice as big) and triangle parts (see red and brown braid pix). I paid $20 extra for the triangle parts. I got the parts but because the braids are so small they cover all the designs. This defeats the purpose. The picture with the red braids was shown beforehand and was the goal design and size. My hair is completely different. No one is going to notice the triangles. This takes away from the uniqueness of the style.
Third, mostly with the second braider, some of the braids are poorly done. My hair is sticking out. This was done less than 2 hours ago. I guess they felt this was okay because it was hidden in the back; it's definitely not.
I try not to give low stars, especially to a new shop, but I am also tired of people just taking others' money and not delivering the service they asked for. The braids are okay but not what I wanted to spend my money on. What good is a triangle pattern if you can't see it? Also, I did ask for more tucking during the service and maybe a few braids got better but then it went downhill. I also wear glasses and mostly had them off during the service so it wouldn't interfere with the braiding. I could not see that the triangle pattern could not be seen well until the whole head was done. I'm not the person to ask someone to do it over because they know it's not correct. I assume they don't care; otherwise it would have been correct at first. Second, it wastes my time. Also, this can sometimes lead to bad things happening to your hair or you (arguments, violence etc.). A professional is supposed to know how to do these things or say they cannot. If this was a family member who was just doing this for fun or free, I would understand, but it isn't. I really wished I had not gone here. If the braider had said I can't completely tuck this hair, then my expectation would have been different and so would the rating.
I'm leaving this review as a warning for others. You may not get what you ask for. These size braids are popular, but not with me. The situation I'm in truly sucks, but what will be done about it? Given this, a close friend of mine, who also agrees these braids aren't completely tucked, advised me to ask to see a one braid sample for next time. This may be a good idea; however, for things such as designs etc., you still cannot picture how this will turn out until it is finished. However, you expect a braider can, since they do this over and over. I'm not happy because this isn't what I asked for and the quality could have been better. I really hate leaving a bad review like this but if I'm not happy or satisfied and didn't get what I thought I was paying for, then I can't put others' feelings and money above my own.
Lost a star each for: 1) braids not tucked, 2) braids smaller than asked and obscured triangle handiwork, 3) some braids in the back done poorly. If I had asked for non-tucked braids or didn't ask for tucked braids and also gotten regular box part, this would have been at least a 4 star review. read more