It saddens me to write this after 2-3 years as a Rare Byrd customer. This review concerns only my…read morestylist, Sabrina Huish, not the salon or its other stylists.
For years I enjoyed our conversations and valued Sabrina's experience. But lately she seemed rushed and distracted, sometimes moving on while I was explaining what I wanted. On several occasions, I was double-booked without advance notice. During one appointment, she was enthusiastically working on another client's elaborate, waist-length rainbow color, which she said had taken 6-8 hours. Much of my own service was handed to an assistant, and I felt like an afterthought. Creative color may be her passion, but clients requesting conventional colors and cuts deserve attentive service too. My mother had similar difficulties feeling heard and eventually stopped seeing her.
I'd also had several bang trims that were too short, uneven, or unlike the reference photos I'd shown. I began trimming my bangs myself, but continued seeing Sabrina for color and overall cuts, with only occasional bang trims alongside a full haircut rather than at my monthly color touch-ups. Our history made me want to give her the benefit of the doubt.
At my latest appointment, I wanted a lighter, more neutral brown and brought ideas about color levels. After color remover, Sabrina said lighter brunettes naturally have warmer tones. I respectfully explained that my natural medium brown hadn't had the reddish warmth I'd noticed since coloring it. She clarified that dyed hair behaves differently. I understood, and said I was happy to wait until another appointment for my preferred shade if that was healthier for my hair, even though I'd hoped to have it done before my birthday celebration the following week. I wanted to discuss a plan together.
Instead, I felt increasingly uncomfortable with her annoyed expressions, laughter, and responses that came across as condescending. I'm quiet and dislike confrontation, so asking questions when someone seems irritated takes effort. I tried to stay friendly and assume she was having an off day. When she explained that the shades I'd suggested would be too dark, I thanked her and asked whether a level six would better suit my goal. I appreciated her advice and was happy to follow it. I wasn't challenging her expertise; I simply wanted input into decisions about my own hair.
I also asked her to blend my bangs into face-framing layers. They looked fine at first, but at home I saw that one side had been cut much farther back than the other, leaving noticeably uneven thickness and an inconsistent transition into the layers. I politely texted asking if I could stop in the following Tuesday for a correction so my hair would look nice for my birthday. I simply explained the unevenness and asked for a fix.
Her lengthy, feelings-focused reply stunned me. Although she offered other days to look at my bangs, she suggested I find another stylist because of my supposed "lack of faith in my professionalism and argumentative nature." She revisited our color discussion, said my questions made her uncomfortable and stressed, and wrote, "I also don't feel it's necessary to have to explain my reasoning for everything I do."
What felt especially bizarre was the complete reversal of what I'd experienced. During the appointment, I had felt anxious about asking perfectly reasonable questions because her responses seemed defensive and dismissive. I'd consciously tried to remain respectful and friendly despite feeling uncomfortable, only to receive a message afterward portraying me as the argumentative one who had made her uncomfortable. Her account felt completely at odds with my experience.
I'd paid approximately $400 and left my usual full tip despite the tension because I didn't want one uncomfortable appointment to overshadow years of good experiences. I don't expect perfection, and I respect a stylist's professional judgment. In fact, I want that expertise! But clients should be able to ask questions, express preferences, and collaborate with their stylist without being made to feel difficult. A professional consultation shouldn't require blindly agreeing with everything suggested.
To be fair, Sabrina did offer alternative dates to correct my bangs. However, after receiving a message criticizing my behavior and explaining how uncomfortable I'd made her, I no longer felt comfortable returning to sit in her chair. What should have been a straightforward correction became an unnecessarily personal and unpleasant situation.
After years of loyalty, this was an incredibly disappointing end to the relationship. I left with uneven bangs just before my birthday, and a simple request for help ended a years-long client relationship. I can no longer recommend Sabrina to clients who want to discuss their hair goals.
I've retained our complete text exchange and would be happy to share it privately with salon management if they'd like to understand what happened.
