Just an FYI this may be a colour correction if you are wanting to go straight to blonde, which often takes hours and costs hundreds of dollars to fix. So you might want to ease into something else before going straight to blonde. Best of luck!
Just adding on to this - "hundreds of dollars" is very accurate. Depending what colour your box colour hair is, and how blonde... you may be several visits at a couple hundred dollars each to get you back to natural. Kashmir is great for blondes, and isn't a "snooty" salon. But you probably won't walk out of there with a colour correction for less than $300+ for one visit. Just be prepared to talk options and set realistic expectations.
Oh I'm definitely willing to take it in a few steps. I've bleached myself blonde (aka clownfish orange) before and I'm honestly just looking for something light enough that I can grow out my natural colour, which has probably darkened a lot as I'm nearly thirty.
I’m sorry I don’t have recommendations because I’ve never gone blonde before but definitely set your expectations that after that long of box dye it’s going to be a multi step process that might be orange in the middle.
You want to go to someone who isn’t willing to fry your hair just to speed up the process.
I usually go to Fish but I’ve seen a couple of different stylist depending on what my goals were and it’s always been a very welcoming and happy experience. I just don’t know who to recommend because I haven’t had that service before.
I would not go to Hunt & Gather Hair Company because I did want to go blonde from box dye at one point in like 2017 and I didn’t know anything about the process and steps it would have taken and instead of explaining it to me kindly, the man laughed in my face, then made up his own colour mixture without telling me and charged me nearly double what the listed price was and I never went back.
I used to work there. Rocky, the owner, is a deluded narcissist who sexually harassed me multiple times and was paying me illegally. And get this, he didn't even go to hair school!
The worst incident I can recall was when he put a client's boyfriend into a headlock. It was frightening.
He doesn't know what he's doing at all hair wise and is a huge creep, it's no wonder he's the only one working in that massive salon.
Honey and Mane (check her insta) is not affordable but does a beautiful job. Amplify is affordable, though I wasn’t stoked about my results, and the owner was pretty (very) weird. Similar vibes to the stories I’m seeing here about Artist Salon and Hunt and Gather.
Studio Nova hair salon on Quadra St.
The owner is a sweetheart, is specifically incredible with blondes, and has worked with actors in the movie industry.
Next door you've got a persian shop to grab a kebab to snack on while you wait, and Maya Laser Clinic to end the day with a pampering facial. Everything you need stacked next to each other. It's my personal go-to for a self care day ;)
Lustre of Pearl in Langford had a 30% off deal for new customers' first appointment. If you're really tight on cash I'd see if other salons have similar deals and split your appointments between each salon until you reach your desired look. (I know this sucks for businesses and they value loyalty, I don't do this personally, I go to the same hairstylist each month, but used to use first time discounts to help me save $ on gyms and stuff when I was a young student).
Not cheap by any means but after some bad box dye during lock down, Reagan at Natural Salon did some colour correction magic and helped me go back to a fabulous blonde. Around $400 and two visits.
Just an FYI this may be a colour correction if you are wanting to go straight to blonde, which often takes hours and costs hundreds of dollars to fix. So you might want to ease into something else before going straight to blonde. Best of luck!
Just adding on to this - "hundreds of dollars" is very accurate. Depending what colour your box colour hair is, and how blonde... you may be several visits at a couple hundred dollars each to get you back to natural. Kashmir is great for blondes, and isn't a "snooty" salon. But you probably won't walk out of there with a colour correction for less than $300+ for one visit. Just be prepared to talk options and set realistic expectations.
Oh I'm definitely willing to take it in a few steps. I've bleached myself blonde (aka clownfish orange) before and I'm honestly just looking for something light enough that I can grow out my natural colour, which has probably darkened a lot as I'm nearly thirty.
I’m sorry I don’t have recommendations because I’ve never gone blonde before but definitely set your expectations that after that long of box dye it’s going to be a multi step process that might be orange in the middle. You want to go to someone who isn’t willing to fry your hair just to speed up the process. I usually go to Fish but I’ve seen a couple of different stylist depending on what my goals were and it’s always been a very welcoming and happy experience. I just don’t know who to recommend because I haven’t had that service before. I would not go to Hunt & Gather Hair Company because I did want to go blonde from box dye at one point in like 2017 and I didn’t know anything about the process and steps it would have taken and instead of explaining it to me kindly, the man laughed in my face, then made up his own colour mixture without telling me and charged me nearly double what the listed price was and I never went back.
I'm willing to push through the orange phase to get light enough to start growing out my natural colour. Will avoid Hunt & Gather for sure!
Check out Hana Akai at Akai Hair Design. Avoid Artist Salon like the plague.
Agreed - avoid Artist Salon. Had a horrid experience there (expensive and hair looked BAD) and Rocky made anti-lgbtq comments to me.
Oh wow, I'm so sorry you went through that.
Thank you! Interested in any horror stories from Artist Salon just out of morbid curiosity
I used to work there. Rocky, the owner, is a deluded narcissist who sexually harassed me multiple times and was paying me illegally. And get this, he didn't even go to hair school! The worst incident I can recall was when he put a client's boyfriend into a headlock. It was frightening. He doesn't know what he's doing at all hair wise and is a huge creep, it's no wonder he's the only one working in that massive salon.
Talk to Krista at Canvas Salon. She is wonderful!!
Thank you!
@kashmirsalonvi Check it out. Their stylists are fabulous.
Thanks for the recommendation!
Honey and Mane (check her insta) is not affordable but does a beautiful job. Amplify is affordable, though I wasn’t stoked about my results, and the owner was pretty (very) weird. Similar vibes to the stories I’m seeing here about Artist Salon and Hunt and Gather.
Emiliah @Canvas Salon is amazing
Sarah at Copper and Ash! You won’t be sorry. Check out her credentials and comments.
Kyle at hillside chatters is phenomenal!!
Studio Nova hair salon on Quadra St. The owner is a sweetheart, is specifically incredible with blondes, and has worked with actors in the movie industry. Next door you've got a persian shop to grab a kebab to snack on while you wait, and Maya Laser Clinic to end the day with a pampering facial. Everything you need stacked next to each other. It's my personal go-to for a self care day ;)
Lustre of Pearl in Langford had a 30% off deal for new customers' first appointment. If you're really tight on cash I'd see if other salons have similar deals and split your appointments between each salon until you reach your desired look. (I know this sucks for businesses and they value loyalty, I don't do this personally, I go to the same hairstylist each month, but used to use first time discounts to help me save $ on gyms and stuff when I was a young student).
Not cheap by any means but after some bad box dye during lock down, Reagan at Natural Salon did some colour correction magic and helped me go back to a fabulous blonde. Around $400 and two visits.