I was so excited to find a salon that uses Olaplex and does balayage since moving to the area…read more Unfortunately, it wasn't a great experience.
I got there about 10 minutes early and waited, then another client arrived 10 minutes later, at the time of the appointment. We soon found out we were double booked. The stylist (who owns the salon) arrived about 15-20 minutes after the appointment time.
The stylist/owner was good friends with the other client so she asked me if I minded if she did her friends hair really quick first. I said that's fine. She sat me in a salon chair with a drape next to her friend while I waited.
Come to find out it wasn't real quick, it was about two hours before she got to me.
I have extremely thin, blonde hair, and just wanted balayage highlights, so they tend to always set very fast. I am usually in and out of a salon (including drying and styling) within 2-2.5 hours max.
It turns out she didn't know what balayage was, nor was she trained in it, because she thought balayage was the same as ombré. I had to show her pictures of my previous balayage highlights, but she then showed me ombré hair and told me that was balayage, and that I needed foils if I wanted highlights near the top of my head. At this point I was tired and ready to get it over with, so I said sure, do foils.
My stylist was on the phone with her daughter the entire time, doing my hair with her phone between her shoulder and ear. She put her on hold and spoke to me a few times asking about my daughter (I don't have a daughter, which I told her 3 times.) She ended up taking 4 hours after the additional 2 hour wait from her friend. I've never experienced anything like this, and was hoping at least this would be cheap.
I witnessed the client in the other chair next to me, done by another stylist, having a very unprofessional experience as well, but I won't get into that.
After it was finally done, she told me she did an extra treatment in my hair (without my consent or knowledge) which is why "it took a little longer" and she gave me a "free" sample size bottle of hairspray for the wait. I never complained because I'm not that type of person and didn't feel comfortable doing so. So there was nothing took off my bill and it was a 6 hour appointment for the full price of $175 before tip.
I have went to a very professional salon in my previous town for a long time by someone who is fully trained and experienced in hair for less than this cost in the fraction of the time.
If this costed $75 or so, I wouldn't write a bad review. But to charge as much or more than a professional stylist for something they didn't know how to do, plus the unprofessional experience and wait time was very frustrating.
I hate writing bad reviews or treating anyone poorly, but I just feel compelled to make sure others won't make the mistake I did, or that the salon can learn and grow to be better.
