I've gone back and forth about posting this because we live in a small town, and I truly don't want to harm any business. But several women have asked me about my experience here, and after explaining it, they encouraged me to share it so others can be aware.
I was a regular client at this salon for about three years. I came every two months for touch-ups, and I always had great experiences with my stylist, Lauren. She is extremely talented and I never had an issue with her.
About five months ago I had an event coming up, and since Lauren wasn't available, I booked with Danielle, one of the owners. I was a platinum blonde transitioning back to my natural dirty blonde, and for months I had only been getting a toner. I asked for something more long-lasting. I showed two inspiration photos to explain the warm tone I wanted--something like a teddy-bear brown with subtle warm/copper undertones, not ashy.
Unfortunately, the color I received was much darker and more red than what I had asked for. In certain lighting it looked purple, and the roots were noticeably red. I felt overwhelmed and didn't express how I felt in the moment, paid, and went home.
I called back the same day because I realized I really didn't feel comfortable with the color. Danielle offered for me to come in the next day. At that appointment they tried toning and then added highlights. After hours of processing, my hair became very damaged--rubbery, gummy, and breaking. I was extremely upset to see how compromised it was.
I was then charged again at checkout, which surprised me given that this was a correction for a result I hadn't been happy with. I was also later offered a $60 credit toward a future service, but considering the cost of the appointments and the condition of my hair afterward, it didn't feel like enough to make things right.
My hair has taken months to recover, and another salon actually turned me away due to the level of damage, which confirmed for me how serious it was.
Again, I'm not writing this to hurt a business. I just want to share my experience so others know to ask plenty of questions and make sure there is a very clear consultation before moving forward with a major color change.
After posting this, I also received private messages from the salon that made me uncomfortable. I won't share them publicly, but I have kept screenshots
I also included my before and after photos in this review so people can clearly see the result. The "after" photo is the one of me in the green shirt, which was actually posted on the salon's own Instagram. The "before" photo is the mirror picture showing my hair before this appointment. I also added another inspiration picture to show the warm tone and subtle red hints I originally asked for. read more