I've held out on writing this review for a long time because I contemplated if I should really write it, but a month after I got my hair done here, I literally dread every time I look into the mirror and see my hair.
(1st attempt)
Back in mid October, I came in to get an ash gray balayage (as pictured). At the time, I sent her a photo before my appointment, and before we got started, she said knew exactly what I wanted and went out of her way to get the best balayage products on the line.. She told me how most salons use high volume developers and damage your hair, but she wouldn't do that to maintain my (then) healthy hair. I trusted her and told her that my main thing was I DID NOT WANT BRASSY HAIR and I DID NOT WANT TO DYE MY ROOTS. (Because the whole point of balayage is so that it grows out naturally without having to redo your roots all the time).
Initially, she estimated only 3-4 hours to go through the whole process. After stripping my hair twice with low developer, my hair was pretty much orange and I was so confused. She then said she would dye my whole head ash brown, and I said I didn't want to. She suggested that I do that because the colors will blend better. I assumed she knew what was best, and the first photo shows exactly that. I noticed she uploaded a picture of my hair on here as a good example of "balayage" but she knows very well that it was not what I wanted AT ALL. My hair looks like she died a ponytail and dipped it in dye. There is no blending whatsoever! So after nearly SIX hours of sitting in that salon, I was MORTIFIED to see that my hair was orange, brassy, AND my roots were dyed. (Let's not even talk about how she failed to measure to see if my haircut was even.. ) She had done everything I told her not to. I was so angry that I just wanted to leave, so I paid her and tipped her (way too generously).
(2nd attempt)
As time went by, I was more and more angry about my hair, and I contacted her saying that I was not okay with this TERRIBLE work on my hair. She knew very well that she didn't deliver what I had asked for. So then, she says "Oh, you were supposed to come back in to get your hair toned. I wasn't done." SHE DID NOT SAY THIS EVER. I came in because I felt that I should get my money's worth.., and I don't know with what mindset I even let her try again, but I did. I was LIVID because as she was redoing my hair, she kept talking about how it wasn't about the money for her, and she was doing this out of the kindness of her heart. She also said, "Well it's hard for asians to get this color, and even if you do, it won't last. You should have known this before you came in." EXCUSE ME? She should have told me this BEFORE my first appointment, because I wouldn't have stayed. Also, I had to tell her that balayage was more than just dying the bottom, but you need to take strips of the hair from the top to more naturally blend it. SHE DIDNT DO THIS THE FIRST TIME. In addition, I asked her to fix my hair length, and she gave me the choppiest cut ever ( I STILL HATE IT).
Anyway, it's the same process of low-volume developer bleaching, 5-6 hours later, I was more FURIOUS because not only was my hair three distinct colors (photos 2 and 3 come from the same day! I was so embarrassed to take a picture..), there was no blending, the colors (red brown, gold, and GRAY!) were all so ugly, I wanted to cry. I told myself I'd never recommend that place to anyone else, and here I am a month later. I still cringe when I look in the mirror to see my ugly blonde hair, and I'm so embarrassed when people look at my hair and say.. "Oh... you dyed your hair? What color is it supposed to be?"
Also, I went to several salons and asked what I should do to my hair to fix my brassiness and uneven dye. They all told me that my hair is too damaged, and they can't do anything to fix it unless I dye my hair back dark or cut it off.
TL;DR: If you have the time and money to get your hair done with fancy balayage, take your money and time elsewhere. read more