Amber + Slate Aveda Salon in Newport News, VA

I did not have my hair done. I was supposed to do a consult yesterday and then I'd have a cut and color next week. Because the original stylist that I wanted is going to be out of town.. the receptionist was rude and actually asked me if I was sure I had the right place. Honestly that was why I canceled my appointment the following week. She was very rude! Actually spoke to me like I was an idiot .

I cannot say enough good things about this salon!! I was recommended to this salon by a friend since we recently moved to the area and needed a good hair stylist for my daughter who has very coarse thick hair. Jess did so good!! We showed her a picture of what my daughter wanted her hair to look like and Jess delivered!!! She is very talented!

I love Amber + Slate! I always have such a beautiful and relaxing experience. My very favorite part of the experience is my stylist, Heather. She is warm, informative and professional all at the same time. I look forward to my appointments with Heather and I am always thrilled with the results.

My stylist Heather moved to this salon this year. She's been cutting and coloring my hair for around 5 years. She helps me when I don't know how to achieve what I want as far as color, by explaining options and what it should look like, and it always looks great. Before I met Heather my hair was dried out from at home color but she fixed it and I am always happy with it now. The gentler color products she uses help, and she gives me advice on which Aveda products will give me the look I want, preserve color etc. Heather is friendly and kind, always tactful but honest when I ask about what might look good or work best with my hair type or coloring. The salon is very comfortable, stylish and clean. They have a great selection of products for sale and the staff is very welcoming. Parking is easy - I go in the afternoon or evening and get on street parking every time. Chairs are comfortable, the environment is very relaxing. Five stars!!!

I need to emphasize my review isn't against the salon as much as a stylist. I do not want to have someone else experience what I did. Last Thursday I went in for an appt with Heather for a balayage and cut. I booked my appt out about 3 weeks prior. I came in and she flat out didn't do anything I wanted. As I sat down she told me she wasn't going to balayage my hair because she didn't have time for me and ended up doing a full highlight. Mind you, she didn't brush my hair or anything. She was incredibly rude and was ripping my hair apart. After she finished putting foil in my hair (in complete silence other than the occasional "I don't have time for this") she walked away without as much as a word. About 15 minutes later she walked to the sink and called my name from the other side of the room in an almost demanding voice to come over. It was so odd. When she washed my hair out she said "are we cutting your hair today?" I said "yes I would like to because my appt was for the balayage and cut" She told me flat out "no I don't have time for it, you need to go to a different salon for it" I asked her to have anyone else finish my hair and she said no. And that this is just how it's going to be. I was nice from start to finish. It was mind boggling how rude she was to me. I asked if I had done anything and she just kept saying that they shouldn't have booked me for what I wanted and told me she didn't have time for it. When she went to blow dry my hair she started ripping a brush through my hair and didn't ask if I was tender headed. When she finished- my hair was NOTHING like what I asked for. I asked for blonder hair, it was actually DARKER. She offered no explanation and acted like it was what I wanted. My hair was fried. She charged me 260. I paid, then came back in after sitting in my car and thinking over the whole experience. I asked to speak with the owner who said she saw the whole experience and didn't think I was going to like how my hair turned out. She was kind but WHY DID THEY LET ME LEAVE OR PAY FOR THAT SERVICE. That was my only question towards the business. I asked to pay simply for a color since it wasn't lighter and it was one overall color. They issued a refund for the highlights but I still paid 90. I hope no one ever experiences this kind of AWFUL service that I got from heather. I expected more from an aveda salon with 5 stars