With the new spring season, you might be thinking of freshening up your look. Whether it’s a simple tweak, a completely new ‘do, or a self-care day full of pampering, treating yourself to some serious hair care should be in your spring refresh.
And, that’s exactly what I did at Sanctuary Salon (667 Lorimer St). The eco-friendly and cruelty-free salon is a haven for haircare lovers – the shop exclusively carries Sachajuan products that are environmentally-friendly and aren’t tested on animals. How neat is that?
Sanctuary Salon is a welcoming, bright, and airy space. Essentially, the open layout is inviting and puts you at ease for a some serious haircare. Whether you’re looking for a sultry blow dry, next level highlights, a charming pixies, or that edgy angled bob, you’ll find what you’re looking for in this space.
It’s no surprise that this salon has an eagle eye for aesthetics and products that nourish your locks. Owner Jill Syslo has a beauty background and medical esthetician by trade, plus she’s also the co-owner of a FiDi-based holistic skin spa, Sacred Skincare.
Upon entering the calming space, I immediately knew I was in good hands. There’s a cool and hygge-infused vibe, the space boasts cute air plants and minimally-designed salon stations. With Prince grooving on the speakers, Jill and my stylist Paige were super warm and friendly. Oh, and there was wine. Talk about about a great way to kick back and relax. The salon boasts stylists with over 10 years of experience, so you’re going to get super personalized and detailed care. Cuts for ladies start at $95 ($68 for dudes) and hair color ranges from $120-$250, depending on the type of process.
Paige immediately dove into a detailed hair consultation. I was looking for a change – my usual hair uniform of blunt 60s bangs, caramel-colored highlights, and a long shoulder-length bob was wearing thin on me. It’s a lovely ‘do, but I’ve been rocking that look for at least 8 years now. I wanted something, fun, flirty, and that would be on the low maintenance side in terms of blow drying and styling. My hair is fine and I certainly wanted it to look thicker. With my old hair cut (bangs and blunt length), my tresses felt kind of flat and blah. (For reference, here’s a before photo of my hair).
In short, I needed some sparkle. Paige was so fun and warm, so I immediately felt as ease and it was so easy to talk through the hair styling process with her. I wanted some balayage highlights, but getting my usual caramel streaks felt a little same old, same old. So, we decided to go blonde. And, we decided to add in a shorter, contoured angled bob. Dear reader, I also decided to grow out my bangs.
How do I feel about all this? The short answer is: I fucking love it.
Now, let’s talk about the nitty gritty details. Paige chopped my shoulder length hair into a bob and created some texture on the ends. Then, she gave my bangs a little snip so they’d grow out in a smooth side part. The side bangs are totally easy to blow dry to the side making the grow-out process majorly less painful.
After some cutting, my stylist started the process of taking me from brunette to blonde. With these balayage highlights, we decided to keep some roots showing for some fun. Plus, that makes the time in between treatments look a little less severe and little more rock-n-roll. After the color set and my hair was washed with Sachajuan products (so soft and luxurious), Paige touched up my new haircut and began to style.
And readers, it turned out I was styling my hair all wrong. First, for my hair type, I need to steer clear of hairspray. Instead, Paige added some gentle mouse to amp up my hair volume and texture. After blowdrying, she added some Sachajuan dry shampoo which made my hair easy to style and play with, and added even more volume. I was in love! I had the hair I always wanted,: soft, bouncy, and full of volume.
I’m still waiting to see if blondes have more fun, but I’m pretty sure I’m not going back to my old look anytime soon. And, I’ll definitely be getting regular trims and color touch ups at Sanctuary from now on.
Plus, Greenpointers readers can score a free conditioning treatment. Just mention Greenpointers when you book your appointment online or via phone.
Follow Sanctuary Salon on Instagram and book an appointment here.
Sanctuary Salon
677 Lorimer Street
929-373-8782