I'll start by saying that this review is about 1.5 years late. It's taken about that long for my hair to grow out to a workable length in order to go to another salon to correct it.
I went to Judy's early 2021. I'd read the reviews & was convinced I finally found someone who would actually listen to what I wanted in a haircut. After years of mediocre haircuts, I assumed that since I wasn't paying super high dollar, maybe paying a little more would end in a better result. Nope.
PROLOGUE: To begin, I went in at the height of the pandemic--COVID cases were rampant at that point. Immediately upon entering, I very quickly saw that next to no one wore a mask--Judy included. This was an immediate red flag, given that masks were still required at the time. However, I put it aside & sat down while I waited for my consultation. She came over, & told me in a hushed tone "You don't have to wear that around here," which honestly made me want to put on about 10 more masks. I said I was fine & she asked me what I wanted.
SCENE I: I showed Judy about 3423 pictures, pointing out what I liked. I came into this knowing full well what cut & color I wanted. I wanted layers, some side bangs, & balayage. I already had layers, as well as long-ish bangs. I didn't ask her to reinvent my entire look. I am not Mia Thermopolis, heir to the kingdom of Genovia. I wasn't trying to create a makeover montage. Judy was quick to tell me it was too much change. She pulled out her color bible & said balayage was not the best option (ok?) but instead she could lighten it with another technique. She showed me some samples based on my hair color. She told me what kind of cut she would do & I sat down to wait. Mind you, Judy (at least at the time) was the only person allowed to hold a pair of scissors so she quickly consulted with me with one person in the chair & my friend in the bullpen, then it would be my turn. I just knew I was looking at a ridiculous wait.
SCENE II: I waited & waited. Then wouldn't you know it, I waited some more. I literally sat in a corner holding my breath (with my mask) because so many people came in & Judy told them all they didn't need theirs. Then, finally, it was my turn for my color. Judy calls over someone she calls a color expert & come to find out, it was her 2nd day. Totally fine. Given that the law states only Judy can hold scissors, it makes sense that others have to do everything else. Judy tells her what to do, what products to use, etc. The girl (the expert, I thought) asked about another technique but Judy held her micromanager ground. The employee did what she was told. After she was done, I was under the dryer for a while. Judy is cutting hair while everyone else was sitting around waiting for something to do. She came over & peeled the foil a few times & would say something like "Yeah, we're getting there" or "Just a little bit more" but I was under there a while. I felt like a drumstick at KFC. Once my scalp started to burn, my hair was then washed & I sat back in the lounge to wait for my life to end... I mean, wait for my turn in the chair.
SCENE III: I sat down in the chair & immediately didn't like my hair color. Judy assured me it would look better when dry or some semi-soothing remark. She starts to cut my hair & the thing is, just PRATTLED on endlessly about shit I simply don't care about. I learned every pet peeve this woman has. I am not wearing a mask at this point given that she is literally cutting hair off my head but she still could have. But nope. I got to hear an earful of her personal thoughts on masks & a number of other topics. Also, just as a side note, this haircut took FOREVER. I was not getting much cut, yet time just slowly rolled on & life slowly drained from me. I knew about halfway through this was going to be a horrible haircut. My bangs stood on end & it reminded me of the time I cut my own hair when I was 5. I had no layers. We get to the style portion of this saga, & I end up with this weird, feathered haircut & it took everything in me to not cry. I somehow mustered a "YEAH IT LOOKS GREAT" when she asked if I liked it. I hated it but I'm a people pleaser who couldn't dare say how pissed I was. I was ready to go.
SCENE IV: Well it was time to pay up & leave. I had literally been at this salon for FIVE HOURS. I had arrived at 5 pm & it was now 10 pm. What the actual...?! My butt was sore from all the sitting I had done & given that I loathed the results, I was in no mood for chit chat--I wanted to pay & leave.
I'll cut right to the chase. At the end of this adventure, I spent $431. The pricing was not mentioned before we started. My friend's was about half the cost & Judy hit me with the ol' "It costs more for long hair" excuse.
Overall, this was a horrible experience only made worse by the cost. I would've been mad paying $60, let alone 7x that. I will never return & urge anyone considering to think again. read more