I really debated writing this review, but after trying to resolve this directly with the stylist, I…read morefeel it's important to share my experience. I actually waited until I left the salon to express my concerns because I didn't want to embarrass her in front of other stylists or clients.
I came in with a very specific inspiration photo for both my cut and color: an auburn/brown-bronze overall color with a softer caramel money piece and subtle ribbons underneath, and a long butterfly-style cut with face-framing layers while maintaining my length and fullness.
Unfortunately, what I received was very different.
My entire head was heavily highlighted/lightened, leaving me much blonder than requested, with very dark pieces throughout instead of the rich auburn/bronze color in my reference. She later explained that I had booked a balayage, but I never asked for my old highlights to be brought up or for my entire head to be lightened. If the service I booked wasn't appropriate for the photo I showed, I expected that to be explained before proceeding.
She initially offered to correct the color, and I agreed. However, the next morning, once the salon curls fell and I saw the haircut unstyled, I was devastated. A significant amount of density had been removed from the lower portion of my hair, leaving the last several inches extremely thin compared with the full ends I had before. It looked nothing like the long, full, blended layers in my reference photo.
I immediately sent her photos and videos showing what my hair looked like naturally. Rather than acknowledging what I was showing her, she maintained that the haircut was done "perfectly," said a butterfly cut "must be styled," told me I should have asked for long layers instead, and said I had "misled" her by asking for different things during the appointment. She also said she "might not have been able to read my mind."
I never expected anyone to read my mind--that's why I brought reference photos. If anything I said conflicted with those photos, I would have expected clarifying questions before making irreversible changes to my hair.
To be fair, she did offer to have me return and correct the issues at her expense. However, after repeatedly being told the haircut was correct and the problem was my communication, I no longer felt comfortable having the same stylist make additional changes. I requested a refund so I could have another professional assess and correct my hair, but she declined.
This was especially emotional for me because I spent years growing my hair back after losing it during chemotherapy. I was extremely protective of its length, density and health, so having so much of it unnecessarily lightened and the ends thinned out was devastating.
Miscommunication can happen and not every appointment turns out perfectly. What ultimately determined my review was how my concerns were handled afterward. I would have appreciated some acknowledgment that the result did not match the reference rather than being told the haircut was "perfect" and that I was responsible for the misunderstanding.
I'm including photos of what I requested, my hair before, the salon-styled result, and what it looked like afterward so others can make their own assessment.
