Courtney Monroe is my #1 reason for loving my experiences at Pura Vida Color Salon. She is endlessly kind, patient and professional. Courtney always listens and negotiates with me in our consultation concerning my wavy/curly naturally graying hair and the result is 100% even better than I had hoped for. I never feel rushed, but somehow, in the calmest way I can imagine, she is quick. There is no wasted time. My SOLID #2 reason is how comfortable, confident and protected I feel in the salon. Pura Vida Color salon has made a great effort to establish & to continue the practice of safe measures to ensure that we can all get the service we need without the fear of the pandemic invading the serenity of the salon space. read more

Raine runs an amazing business! The precautions being taken for Covid are evident and I feel perfectly safe being there for any service. The products used are high quality and the concern for the environment is very much appreciated. The talent of the stylists is over the top! Since I have been a client here my hair has been manageable and is very healthy. read more

I have thick, wavy black Asian hair and spent several years after moving to Ann Arbor searching for stylists with the appropriate skills to cut and color it. My search finally led me to Pura Vida, where Courtney knows exactly how to finesse my hair for a subtle balayage and Kristy gives me beautiful layered cuts and great styling advice. The airy, plant-filled interior is relaxing and the COVID precautions are excellent, and I rest even easier knowing that it's a Green Circle Certified Salon. read more

Made an appointment online on whim. Scheduled a full color and cut with Courtney. As soon as I made the appointment I was contacted by Courtney as I was a new client so she wanted to know what my hair was like (texture length previous dye) and what I was looking for in our appointment. I have pretty long hair, so I knew there was a chance couldn't get the cut in. After talking about a couple options, we had a general idea that I wanted a balayage ombré for my hair and that we'd talk more when I arrived for my appointment. I had a lot of color correction to do from multiple self dyes over the years. Additionally, most of the colors didn't match my natural hair and needed to be fixed before we could even handle the ombré. Courtney suggested a root shadow and a balayage ombré with a caramel toner and I am OBSESSED. She was so personable and understanding as I explained the history and past dye experiences of my hair. Not only that, but she always kept me updated on what she was doing and how that was going to make my hair what I wanted. It's been 24 hours since my appointment and I have gotten endless reviews. I am soooo pleased with my hair and would go back to Courtney for a different color in a heartbeat. I'd suggest this to anyone looking for something new or even someone just looking for a new colorist. It's Ann Arbor so you'll have to find parking not on the street (I think street parking is max 2 hours and my appointment lasted 3 hours) but there's plenty in the area. Hair was pricy (that being said I have long, thick hair and anticipated having to pay extra for the dye) but worth every penny. Check out the pictures for the before and after of my hair that she took. read more

Pura Vida Color Studio - Before and after of my hair. Root shadow and balayage ombré with a caramel toner. - Hair Salons Near Me - Ann Arbor, Michigan

Raine has been cutting my hair for about 20 years now. She's simply awesome, and she runs a great shop. Her color skills are amazing. She's constantly undergoing training on new skills or perfecting existing skills, along the other stylists. I highly recommend her shop! read more

Absolutely awful! I will never go here again. I had an appointment with Christy. The best way to describe this appointment would be rude, bitchy, and alternating between passive aggressive and openly hostile. I repeatedly asked for highlights which she refused to do. My single process color came out very dark. Then she cut my hair, if you can call a five minute trim a cut. I guess they make so much money that they can treat clients like garbage and not worry about it. read more

Professional comfortable inviting place . Stylists are great & easy to work with. I've been going to Courtney here for 3 years now and she is great working with my schedule to keep the hair it's most fabulous best. Davines color and Nou Nou line of hair care along with the OI Milk styling spray are great products. Pura Vida Salon is doing a superbly safe job during current COVID required health and safety measures. I feel very confident and comfortably safe guided through the safety measures during my appointments. read more

Pura Vida rocks!!! I've been going to Courtney for a few years now for cuts and color and she is nothing short of wonderful. Raine, the owner is really great too. Pura Vida completely lives up to its name as a beautiful and tranquil place to be. Their COVID safety protocols and space layout was extremely impressive and made me feel super safe. It is always very clear just how much thoughtfulness goes into this wonderful salon, not to mention every stylists major skills, kindness, and qualifications. You won't be disappointed. Highly recommend!! read more

Just got an adorable cut from Gabriela last night - she did a great job! I saw a woman leave who had just gotten a cut and color from Raine and she looked *phenomenal* so I can definitely vouch for the skill level here. The space itself is bright and airy and it's fun to people watch through the big windows onto 4th Ave. I believe they opened just this past fall and it still feels like they're growing into their new digs a bit, but that's to be expected. Also: cash only! I give them props for not bowing to credit card fees, but I don't really know if you can get away with going cash only for something like haircuts and color, especially in card-happy Michigan. I personally find it very inconvenient. I'd come back, though, so I'd say PURA VIDA is worth a trip to the ATM. read more

Raine, the salon owner, is absolutely fantastic. I moved out of the state and came back to visit just so I could have her cut and color my hair. I followed her from another salon and would follow her anywhere. Raine is a master colorist (I think one of only 2 or 3 in all of A2) and I have never been disappointed with my color. She spends a long time with me before anything happens, showing me different techniques and colors and making sure to answer all of my questions so I can sink down in the color chair without worry. My hair is super fine and delicate and her color and cuts just make it look full and fantastic. She seems to always be working on her education so she can offer the newest styles and colors...she even was talking about feathers way before anyone else...now we are on to glittery hair flair...love. I don't want to sit here and just gush about this salon but Raine really is an amazing stylist with about a million certifications I know nothing about. She is not necessarily inexpensive, but well worth the cost as we do wear our hair everywhere, everyday soooooooooooo its a well worn investment. My hair looks better than it ever has in my life...you would be jealous...seriously. read more

Raine recently colored my hair and I have received many compliments on it. I have not tried her for a cut yet (didn't need one when I saw her) but am excited to go back and try her out for a cut too! The salon is nice, not too trendy or mainstream, very comfortable. She did tell me when I was scheduling that it was cash/check only which I appreciated knowing in advance. read more

Highly recommend this talented group of stylists. Raine has been cutting my hair for years and does an amazing job every time! Super cute boutique style salon with a great downtown vibe! read more

This review is for a particular stylist...Christy! She is an awesome stylist, trendy, and has a good eye, for color and what best suits each individual. The salon itself, gets the same high remarks! Nothing worse than getting a bad color (or a haircut) that doesn't fit your face...WON"T HAPPEN HERE! Highly recommend! read more

Courtney is the best! She talks you through the entire process regarding covid safety regulations, what she is going to do to your hair, asks your thoughts and opinions before moving forward. The whole salon followed covid precautions perfectly. A great color and cut! read more

I have been coming to Pura Vida for about two years and have only the best experience every visit. My hair is short-to-medium length, so I go in for a cut/color about every 6 weeks. On average I spend about $100-$120 for a cut and color (which ranges from a full color to just a root touch-up and highlights). After my previous stylist left, Christy took me on as her client, and she is amazing! Every time I come in, I have a different idea about how I want my hair to look. Christy is very accommodating and gives awesome suggestions for coloring. She styles my hair at the end based on what I typically do on a day-to-day basis so that I'm not stuck learning a new styling routine. Pura Vida now accepts credit cards which is definitely a plus! The salon is bright and open on the inside which makes a comfortable, relaxing atmosphere. The services are a little pricey (this is not a $10 haircut kind of salon), but Raine and the other stylists are super friendly, professional, creative, and are experts at coloring - worth the price in my opinion. read more

Raine is simply amazing! She is extraordinarily skilled at customizing cut, color and style to your hair type and what you hope to achieve. Love Pura Vida :)) read more

Had an amazing experience here yesterday with Christy doing my hair! I had a horrible choppy haircut from another place done earlier in the day. I originally only had a coloring appointment, but I asked if she could cut my hair because I hated how it looked so much. Christy was more than happy to oblige and did an amazing job fixing the haircut while keeping it at the long length that I liked. I had a balayage done and showed Christy a photo of what I was thinking of, she took that and ran with it. She knows what color looks good on you and is really talented in her technique. I had a leftover ombre from before and she somehow made the balayage look amazing, even having to work with the previous color. Could not be happier! read more

I let a few more days go by and I'm much happier. The fuzziness in my hair has gone down, and the color's looking better. I still wouldn't repeat the flamboyage, it just hurt too much on my scalp. But I did really like the cut Christy gave me. read more

Christy there is so great! No matter what crazy idea I have she is always able to do it AND makes it look better than I could ever imagine ! read more

2.5 hours and $160 later I had a nearly imperceptible highlight job. So subtle that no one in my life noticed I had anything done -not my husband, best friends, or coworkers. I wanted to return to see about getting a more noticeable highlight. When I contacted my stylist to see about a redo she was incredibly defensive and patronizing, telling me that my highlights were "definitely noticeable" [see note above where my friends, family, and coworkers couldn't tell I had anything done!] and that maybe I just "needed a minute" to get used to the highlights. Why would I need any time to get used to something that no one, not even me, can really notice. To be fair, she did ultimately offer to redo it, but I declined due to her negative and belittling responses to my complaint. read more

I recently got my hair cut by Raine at Pura Vida and she did an absolutely fantastic job. I've never had this hairstyle cut so well -- it looks great even when I don't style it! She also gave me some tips on hair styling and heat care. The reasons I gave 4 stars instead of 5 is because the haircut was pricey, at least in my opinion: $50 if I remember right. They also only accept cash, so you have to make sure you plan ahead and have some. Overall though I liked the place a lot and I love my haircut. I would definitely recommend it to others if they can afford it. read more

Impeccable service. Period. I was given Raine's name as a recommendation from my friend and her mother. After having several botched color jobs elsewhere I figured I couldn't lose - and boy was I right! I came in and didn't have a clue what I needed/wanted. Raine spent a good 15-20 minutes consulting with me and then squeezed in the entire color service and cut even though I was not booked for the full service. She listened to everything I requested and delivered! Stylists who listen, provide quality services, and are willing to accommodate you are hard to find! The atmosphere was relaxed and professional without being snooty. The prices were reasonable given the quality of services. The entire experience was wonderful. I will be returning! read more

I have limitless amazing things to say about this place! Last week, I went in for a base color; I loved it so much I followed up with balayage. THEN, after they said ALL the right things about cutting curly hair, I went in for a haircut. My hair is SO happy. Gabriella did my base color. Raine did my highlights. Christy did my cut. (And I watched Courtney do color while I was there -- beautiful brunette color with amazing highlights.) They are also very friendly and the atmosphere is relaxing and welcoming. Three things: 1) I am from LA, where I had so many amazing options for hair. I have seen several different stylists since I moved to Ann Arbor 4 years ago. Pura Vida has, hands down, the most skilled and talented stylists I've seen here. And they listen to you. They will give you what you envision, after making 100% sure you're on the same page. 2) It is so difficult to find stylists who truly know how to work with curly hair. Many come close, but that doesn't really work when you wear your hair on your head every day. Christy started my cut dry and touched it up wet, then reviewed it again for more touch ups after it dried again. My hair has tons of different texture -- some is crazy curly and some is almost straight. And it. Looks. Fantastic. 3) It is so hard to find inspirational photos of brunette color. Whenever I see online photos of highlights on a brunette base, the highlights are always blonde. After Gabriella found a base that looked beautiful with my skin, Raine painted on highlights that give my hair dimension and fun in a subtle way. I am just so happy. I found my place. read more

I made an appointment for my daughters 22nd birthday and she was about to go on vacation. It was supposed to be an all-over color and highlights. She wanted the balayage technique and an ombre. She asked Gabriela to trim her bob. Her hair was pretty dark and wanted to go blond. She was nervous but I told her not to be because they specialized in color. She brought pictures of what she wanted. I could tell right away the process she was using did not look like balayage. My daughter told her the most important thing was she didn't want the color brassy. Her "highlights" were super brassy. Gabriela didn't put any toner on it. When my daughter told her it was brassy she darkened it. In the front, the stripes were orange brown and instead of an ombre the stripes didn't even make it to the bottom of her hair. It was light brown orange in the back and to top this all off the bob was very uneven and just the worst cut I have ever paid for. I paid 173.00 For this. The next day when she got a real good look at it in the daylight. When she called to tell me I was very disappointed. Mostly because she was 2 hours away and was leaving the next day for her vacation. She ended up going to a local shop and they fixed it. 4/18/2017 I'm adding some more to this review. my daughter's hair was so fried by what this lady did when she applies any heat her hair breaks off. I can't believe how bad she damaged my daughter's hair. I'm calling BBB on them read more

I was first introduced to Christy, a stylist at the salon, via a Groupon. She was late for the first appointment, but I excused her. The cut was good, and I made a second appointment. For the second appointment, I arrived at the salon three minutes early for my appointment. Christy had another client in her chair and after waiting 30 minutes, I had had enough! Christy never came over to me and apologized for her tardiness, when confronted about her poor customer service, she said, "I smiled at you." Really? You have got to be kidding. If you enjoy being abused by your stylist, by all means, make an appointment with Christy. However, I still believe in good old fashioned customer service. An apology for her lack of consideration of my time and her self centeredness. Guess what Christy? There are a thousand other stylists out there who show up on time and treat their customers with the respect and consideration they deserve. I found one and I'm sticking with him. Good luck to you and Pura Vida, you're going to need it when you guys go out of business. read more

I saw a girl with an amazing haircut serving drinks at a local watering hole, and I had to ask her who cut her hair. Her answer: Gabriela at Pura Vida. I went there and got my own completely amazing cut. Exactly what I asked for, super-cute, and EASY. No prep-n-primp needed - it just falls into place. That's a cut worth its weight in gold. The salon itself is cute, too. (And by the way, maybe it was cash only when the previous reviewer went, but it isn't now. Brandish your credit card freely.) read more

I was disappointed with my haircut from Donielle. I know she was trying, but I don't think she understood what I wanted or what style would look good with my facial structure. I had shown her a picture from Raine's (the owner) portfolio, and that's not the style I got. I wonder if I would have been happier with Raine as the stylist since she has some positive reviews on Yelp and other sites. Unfortunately, the cut is too short to fix, so I suppose I'll just have to live with it. read more

Christy is amazing! I came in for foil highlights and a cut and am so happy with the results. The highlights are subtle and very natural looking and the cut was exactly what I wanted. I've gotten so many compliments on my hair! read more

I got a haircut and all-over color from Christy. This place is just wonderful: a very relaxed atmosphere and great and health/environment-conscious products. There were a lot of customers who seemed to be usuals, which is a good sign. Everyone I saw leaving the salon looked perfect! Thank you! I will be back! read more

I went to Pura Vida to get fixed a horrible bleach job that had been done a few days earlier. I didn't really know what I wanted done, but Christy did an amazing job and my hair looks so good!! She really knew what she was doing and I am very happy with the end result. I would definitely recommend. read more

I hate having to write a review like this but it's weighed heavy on my mind for a few days now so I'm doing it...not because I was unhappy with my hair (which I was...) but because of how my stylist made me feel. I am totally aware she will know exactly who I am if she reads this. I bought a Groupon for highlights, cut and a blow dry. I'm 2 weeks out from having a baby and thought adding in some side bangs and a root touch up would be a great idea since I know my pampering time will be limited once the baby arrives. Christy was on time for my appointment and all smiles at first. She had discussed a fun color option that would involve an up charge of $15 in price plus an additional $20 in toner. I immediately shot down this idea as I just wanted to pay for what my Groupon covered. She insisted that I would need a toner even though I told her I haven't used toner in years and the last stylist I used did not tone my hair. The former stylist (also found on Groupon) just threw some low lights in to break up my highlights, but no toner. It was as if Christy wouldn't take my word..as if I was lying. She did not speak 1 word to me the entire time she foiled my hair which made me feel so uncomfortable. I felt like she was mad at me...so awkward! Now on to the haircut...the cut looked great except for the side bangs (let's just call them what they really are...bangs!) I wish she would have asked me if the length was okay before hacking them off...but it was too late. She knew I was dissapointed by the look on my face and said, "Oops I probably should have let you say goodbye to your hair first!" No...you should have just asked me if the length was okay before cutting them...such a simple thing. I am totally shocked that I was treated this way being that I was a potential new client. Not to mention I could have been free advertising as I work at a busy coffee shop where tons of people see my hair. I will never refer to this salon after my experience. What was meant to be a relaxing day of feeling pampered before my delivery turned into one of the most awkward, uncomfortable experiences I've ever had at a salon. read more

I called Pura Vida desperate for someone to fix a bad color job by a Toni & Guy colorist in another city. My hair was many different colors and it looked horrible. Not only was my color uneven and patchy, the ends of my hair were completely fried. I had to be in Ann Arbor for business, so I took a chance with Pura Vida based on the good Yelp reviews. The stylist that I was scheduled with, Nancy Debrak, is a superstar. She started with a very thorough consultation, explaining her recommended strategy. Nancy even showed me pictures to help me understand what she would do. The outcome was better than I could have imagined. I left with a rich, golden brown base color and gorgeous face-framing highlights that looked completely natural. Nancy also cut my hair about an inch to remove some of the damage. She knew I was apprehensive about losing length, so she took off just the right amount. I only wish that Nancy lived closer to me, as she would be my go-to stylist for sure! read more