Hello ladies and gents,
I am new on the Forum, I found it after I desperately searched for some answers on the Internet. I will give you some backround about my query.
For years, I have had my hair highlighted in very expensive London salons, where I live. They generally charged £160 for half head highlights, a trim and a blow dry. But, half of the time, my highlights were yellow and brassy, and when I used to complain, they would just say: "Oh, we'll just put some toner on, it will take the yellow out". But it never looked quite right, it was still brassy and not a good colour.
Having researched on the Net and on the Forum, I realise that the bleach was not left on the head long enough, so it did not lift properly (I am natural level 5-6). And, the salon was often busy, so I believe that they did a very rushed jobs, so that they could fit as many clients in. After leaving lots of money in the salon, I changed the salon, but the same thing happenned (all the salons were recommended to me by friends).
So, after years of looking like I had an eggyolk on top of my head after leaving thousands of pounds in the Salons, I decided to go back to my natural hair colour (medium/light brown).
So, I went to a highly recommended Salon on a Hair and Beauty Website. I spoke to the stylist, told her about my woes, and asked her to take me back to natural, but perhaps, a level or to lighter to start with, so I don't get the shock after being blonde for many years. My hair was very porous at this time, and very dry.
So, she chose demi colour, level 5 and 6 on the colour chart.
I said that the colours looked too dark (especially 5), but she sounded very confident and said that they would be fine, that they only looked so dark on the chart.
So, she put the mixture on my head, left me alone for about 40 minutes, and then, the assistant took me to the basin to wash it off. After it was dried, it was almost BLACK! It was the deepest, darkest brown, with ugly, solid, flat, dark auburn tint on it (looks like level 3). Totally wrong colour and depth for my pale, pinkish skin. I told her that it was way too dark, but she convinced me that it would fade quickly, so £120 lighter, I left the salon.
It is now 3 weeks later, and the hair is almost as dark as it was in the Salon, just very slightly faded (I scurbbed it every day with Head and Shoulders shampoo, which really dried out my hair). I did some research on the Internet and realised that the stylist had skipped a couple of steps: prepigmentint, and possibly treating the hair for extreme porosity. And that, in essence, she should have chosen about 2 levels lighter colour to start with, as it often turns much darker with very porous hair.
After this long post (if you are still here, lol), my question is:
Why is it so difficult to get good, consistent stylists out there?
How much money do I have to spend to get them?
When I read this Forum, I see that there are people who really care about what they do, but I can't seem to find them (I live in London).
It makes me really upset, because I feel that what they did with my hair, I could have easily done it myself, with some research and with buying the proffessional tints over the Internet. Honestly, after this latest experience, I researched and read a lot about colouring techniques, colour chemistry, porosity, shades and tones, etc, I feel that I could now do it myself! There is a wonderful site on the internet, called "killerstrands", and also several great Forums, and even an Internet book. Had I done it myself, I would not look any worse, that's for sure.
But I left thousands of pounds of my hard earned money in the salons, to have it nicely done only a few times. You see, this is the problem, INCONSISTENCY by the same person.
Once, she would do it wonderfully (nice, creamy white highlights). But, next time, the same stylist would do the "eggyolk". So, I kept returning to her, thinking that she could do me nice ones again, but it was a real hit and miss affair
.
Sorry about the vent, but I am very angry and upset. And when I complain, they b.....it me, oh, this and that, we'll just put the toner, or, it will fade, don't worry, not taking any responsibility.
Anyway, I really needed this vent, it looks to me that there are lots of people out there charging big money for a very bad service. Was I just unlucky, or this is the norm?
Can anyone recommend a good stylist (colour and cut) in Central London, can be the mobile one, as long as they know what they are doing, I don't care. Thank you!
I am new on the Forum, I found it after I desperately searched for some answers on the Internet. I will give you some backround about my query.
For years, I have had my hair highlighted in very expensive London salons, where I live. They generally charged £160 for half head highlights, a trim and a blow dry. But, half of the time, my highlights were yellow and brassy, and when I used to complain, they would just say: "Oh, we'll just put some toner on, it will take the yellow out". But it never looked quite right, it was still brassy and not a good colour.
Having researched on the Net and on the Forum, I realise that the bleach was not left on the head long enough, so it did not lift properly (I am natural level 5-6). And, the salon was often busy, so I believe that they did a very rushed jobs, so that they could fit as many clients in. After leaving lots of money in the salon, I changed the salon, but the same thing happenned (all the salons were recommended to me by friends).
So, after years of looking like I had an eggyolk on top of my head after leaving thousands of pounds in the Salons, I decided to go back to my natural hair colour (medium/light brown).
So, I went to a highly recommended Salon on a Hair and Beauty Website. I spoke to the stylist, told her about my woes, and asked her to take me back to natural, but perhaps, a level or to lighter to start with, so I don't get the shock after being blonde for many years. My hair was very porous at this time, and very dry.
So, she chose demi colour, level 5 and 6 on the colour chart.
I said that the colours looked too dark (especially 5), but she sounded very confident and said that they would be fine, that they only looked so dark on the chart.
So, she put the mixture on my head, left me alone for about 40 minutes, and then, the assistant took me to the basin to wash it off. After it was dried, it was almost BLACK! It was the deepest, darkest brown, with ugly, solid, flat, dark auburn tint on it (looks like level 3). Totally wrong colour and depth for my pale, pinkish skin. I told her that it was way too dark, but she convinced me that it would fade quickly, so £120 lighter, I left the salon.
It is now 3 weeks later, and the hair is almost as dark as it was in the Salon, just very slightly faded (I scurbbed it every day with Head and Shoulders shampoo, which really dried out my hair). I did some research on the Internet and realised that the stylist had skipped a couple of steps: prepigmentint, and possibly treating the hair for extreme porosity. And that, in essence, she should have chosen about 2 levels lighter colour to start with, as it often turns much darker with very porous hair.
After this long post (if you are still here, lol), my question is:
Why is it so difficult to get good, consistent stylists out there?
How much money do I have to spend to get them?
When I read this Forum, I see that there are people who really care about what they do, but I can't seem to find them (I live in London).
It makes me really upset, because I feel that what they did with my hair, I could have easily done it myself, with some research and with buying the proffessional tints over the Internet. Honestly, after this latest experience, I researched and read a lot about colouring techniques, colour chemistry, porosity, shades and tones, etc, I feel that I could now do it myself! There is a wonderful site on the internet, called "killerstrands", and also several great Forums, and even an Internet book. Had I done it myself, I would not look any worse, that's for sure.
But I left thousands of pounds of my hard earned money in the salons, to have it nicely done only a few times. You see, this is the problem, INCONSISTENCY by the same person.
Once, she would do it wonderfully (nice, creamy white highlights). But, next time, the same stylist would do the "eggyolk". So, I kept returning to her, thinking that she could do me nice ones again, but it was a real hit and miss affair
.Sorry about the vent, but I am very angry and upset. And when I complain, they b.....it me, oh, this and that, we'll just put the toner, or, it will fade, don't worry, not taking any responsibility.
Anyway, I really needed this vent, it looks to me that there are lots of people out there charging big money for a very bad service. Was I just unlucky, or this is the norm?
Can anyone recommend a good stylist (colour and cut) in Central London, can be the mobile one, as long as they know what they are doing, I don't care. Thank you!
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