My stylist was Jaclyn (the owner), and this was my first time seeing her. For my first visit, I…read morebooked a haircut only so we could discuss color and I could get a feel for whether this would be a good match. I had seen my old stylist for 10 years before she left me, so I walked into this appointment genuinely anxious and nervous. I was very upfront about that -- and she completely exceeded my expectations and hopes for a successful visit and a great cut.
From the start, it was clear she truly understands fine hair. Her approach was thoughtful and restrained -- no over-thinning, no aggressive razoring, no trend chasing. She respected my length, prioritized movement, and clearly understood that with fine hair, volume is sacred.
She has a fun, quirky, boho-influenced but slightly eccentric aesthetic that is reflected in the space, and in her personal style. The salon, though tiny, envelops you in deep colors, vintage furniture, and funky and bold art and design choices. She herself has boldly colored hair and wore retro glasses and a vintage house dress. But what impressed me most was how DEEPLY she LISTENED. I brought several inspiration photos, and she analyzed what they had in common -- specifically where the visual weight and volume were placed, and how the layering supported that. We talked at length about volume, layers, face framing, and where the cut needed to hold weight to work with my hair texture.
It came down to a choice between holding onto length, or letting it go in favor of a shorter, fuller, healthier length. One thing that initially surprised me was that she declined to give her own opinion or tell me what I "should" do, even when I asked her explicitly. At first, I wasn't sure how I felt about that -- but I quickly realized it was intentional. She didn't want to be responsible for a decision I wasn't fully committed to. She slowed the process down and made me talk it through until I felt confident. In hindsight, that was absolutely the right approach.
She started the cut longer and continued only after I gave the green light each time. There was also a moment where we noticed my left side is significantly thicker than my right. Even though both sides were technically cut the same length, the left continued to look longer. Instead of insisting on symmetry by measurement, she worked with me visually. I'm glad I spoke up -- we kept adjusting until it was perfect.
Before styling, she asked permission and explained exactly what she planned to do. She used a very unusual curling tool that sucks the hair into a chamber and curls it internally -- something I'd never seen before. She took small sections throughout, set it with spray, let it dry, then brushed it out. The result was soft, natural, effortless waves unlike anything I've gotten before.
And finally -- her prices are shockingly reasonable for this area. Honestly, she could easily charge at least $10 more for haircuts based on her skill and instincts alone. She explained that her main specialty is advanced color work, so she keeps haircuts affordable and bundles them with color services. If you're coming in just for a cut, you're especially lucky.
I left feeling heard, respected, pretty, and confident -- which is exactly what I needed after such a long-term stylist change.