I was hoping for a positive experience at Salon MK with Giselle Q, but I left very disappointed…read more The photos clearly speak for themselves but here's what happened--
When I first reached out to Salon MK in June, I was connected with Giselle and specifically requested a light brown, neutral balayage. We booked a balayage ($280) and a haircut ($85). I sent photos of my hair and several reference photos. During the appointment, she explained that balayage is essentially highlights, which made me a bit nervous, as I understand it to be more of a blended, ombré-style look. Still, I trusted her professional judgment. Unfortunately, the final result looked nothing like my reference photos..... The highlights leaned much more yellow and brown rather than the neutral tones I had requested, and they were also uneven, with some highlight sections noticeably thicker than others. The haircut itself was uneven, and the top layers were longer than the bottom section. She offered to fix it, which I appreciated, but by that point I already felt uneasy.
I decided to give her a second chance since she was willing to fix the uneven haircut, so I went back in October for an all-over color before an important work event. I was very clear and specific about what I wanted and provided several reference photos beforehand- a dark, natural brown with subtle purple/reddish undertones. I explicitly asked to avoid black, copper, blonde, vivid red or purple tones, and NO highlights. We discussed this thoroughly, and I even said that if there was any hesitation, I'd prefer to play it safe with a darker brown balayage instead. Giselle reassured me she could achieve the color.......
Unfortunately, the result was again nothing close to what I requested. My hair turned out coppery brown/red and still showed highlights, which I had specifically asked to avoid. I felt embarrassed going to my event with it. When I reached out the next day with photos, I was told that the custom conditioner I purchased should temporarily fix the issue. This was frustrating, as a conditioner with very minimal pigmentation shouldn't be relied on to correct a $165 color service, especially after I left a 20+% tip out of kindness.
Overall, the results did not align at all with what we discussed or the reference photos I provided. My concerns weren't resolved, and I ultimately had to attempt to fix my hair myself before the event. Everyone's experience is different, but I wanted to share mine so others can make the decision that feels right for them and choose a stylist they feel 1000% confident with.