Ana Goulet
3/5
The vibe there is very friendly, and the staff seem to enjoy each other and enjoy working there. They offered complimentary drinks and snacks. I had Ashlyn as my stylist. She was quick to sit me down and start on my hair, without taking enough time to get to know what exactly I wanted. I got some pictures out for reference and she seemed confident she will get it done. I sat in the chair for 4.5 hrs, this is a long process and very expensive. I was quoted $480 and I have medium length hair and I only asked for partial balayage, I can't imagine how much a full balayage would be. Unfortunately, I was really unhappy with the results. My highlights are yellow instead of platinum blonde. I'm not a stylist but I believe the toner she used was a yellow toner instead of a more natural platinum hue. I left the place feeling really dissapointed and sad about my hair after spending so much money and time there. I wish she recommended a product to tone down the yellow, but she didn't. The pictures were taken a day after in my bathroom. The bathroom light is not the best so it might make it look even worse but my hair has yellow/gold hues.
REPLY:
Thank you for the thorough reply Elani, I do appreciate it. Your salon is lovely and Ashlyn was very sweet, I don't mean to question the integrity of your business or Ashlyn's character. Ashlyn did have a quick consultation, however I didn't find it thorough. She did present me with a swatch to show me how light my hair would be, which I had no objections to, it was maybe 2 swatches away from the lightest grade which I was ok with, it is the tone of my hair that really bothers me. Maybe it is my fault I didn't stress the importance of me wanting ash blonde, which I should have, so I admit blame in that respect, but I only had this done once before and got the desired result right away, so I went into it expecting the same, why a more thorough consultation is important for the inexperienced like myself. I was aware of the price before committing, my only point with that was how expensive and time consuming the whole ordeal was for still disliking the results. I know the price is justified because the process is long, so I do not fault for charging so much. As mentioned, I had this done on my hair once before with a stylist that came to my home (because it was COVID) from Brantford and she achieved a close to ash blonde in that one session, I posted a picture of it. I could appreciate the concern for the health of my hair, however my hair is already damaged from this, yet I didn't get the desired result. From my understanding there are toners that yield a more gold yellow tone and some that yield an ash blonde tone, my apologies if I'm wrong, but the toner she used was bright yellow. I gave this review the next day out of feeling really upset with my hair, and I want to say the overall experience was good, but the result, which is most important, I am really unhappy with. We could blame me for not effectively clarifying what I wanted, and going into this with expectations, but I think the onus is also on the professional to diligently inquire what the customers expectations are and to consider the level of experience of the individual and make recommendations. It's quite an investment and commitment on my part, and I heavily relied on Ashlyn to guide me through it and one thing I didn't appreciate was the lack of suggestions. She did mention I can come in a month to try and get it fixed but after spending so much money and time for this session, the thought of coming in again and paying more, was difficult to digest. The picture you posted was taken at the salon and granted it looks better than what I see in the mirror under indoor light. I posted a picture with window light as well, and keep in mind I started using purple shampoo to tone down the brassiness. The last picture is of the last time I got highlights where I got more of the ashy tones that I desired and only from one session.
REPLY:
I will book to get it fixed in a few weeks. Thank you.
