I paid over $100 for a hair cut I could've given myself and what looked like a poor attempt at a self box-dyed ombré
Preface: this was my first time purchasing a salon Groupon & balayage/highlighting my hair.
One of the worst experiences I've had at a salon. I went with my friends after reading positive 5 star reviews about this salon on Yelp. When I made an appointment for 3 balayages, the receptionist was polite & promised to honor the Groupon prices without us having to purchase the actual Groupon -- sounded great. When you first walk into the salon, it's very nice and well kept. The stylists were nice as well when I first met them. The stylist who did mine and my friends' hair was Glory. We sat down and I brought in a picture of what I was looking for: a subtle balayage/highlight with a soft brown/ashy sun-kissed color. I specifically asked for hair that wasn't blonde and was more brown/natural looking. She acknowledged my requests and confidently told me I was going to look great.
Long story short, my hair became a dark hair girl's worst nightmare. My hair came out brassy/bright orange, didn't blend AT ALL into my darker natural hair (choppy), I had random patches of light orange near the top of my head, and my hair felt & looked processed/fried. The entire process took about 7 hours (with my 2 other friends). The appointment was for 10AM and I left around 5:30PM.
Dissatisfied with the outcome, I politely asked Glory to retouch the color of my hair so that it wasn't orange. She proceeded to tell me that she didn't see any orange and that the lighting on my iPhone picture was skewing the color... the pictures are self explanatory. She then reluctantly agreed to re-tone my hair after I tried to nicely convey why I was unhappy with the color. After complaining to a co-worker about having to re-do my hair, my stylist told me she was going to charge me extra to fix a mistake SHE made with my hair. I had to inquire back and forth with her and the receptionist until they agreed to "accommodate me this time" because I was "causing them trouble".
Even after I apologized for taking more of the stylist's time, she denied and didn't own up to anything on her part. She did not apologize nor seem apologetic at all the whole 7 hours I spent at this salon.
The color after the re-toning was better than the brassy orange hair before, but it still was nothing close to the color that I originally asked for. Also, after trimming an inch from the bottom of my hair (no layers, just straight across) I was charged $45 and had to argue with the stylist when she insisted on charging me an extra $30 for toner. So, if you were under the impression that the $49 or $59 Groupon would get you a highlight and style (like it says on the Groupon) don't be fooled,you will be charged $30 more without question.
The check out process was unprofessional and took at least 30 minutes because the receptionist left early and the other workers didn't know what they were doing.
Ultimately, I cannot speak for the other stylists except for the one that did my hair. I am aware that these sort of things happen at salons (especially with dark hair), however, my frustration lies more so in the lack of customer service (that they strongly claim) and lack of accountability on my stylist, Glory's, part. I suggest asking for the owner/director specifically if you want a better experience. However, if you have asian or more course dark hair, be careful who your stylist is or just stay away from this place all together. I now have to go to a different salon ASAP and spend even more money to undo the damage. I will definitely not be returning nor will I recommend this place to friends or family. read more