THE SALON at Buena Vista in Winston-Salem, NC

The amazing Elizabeth has been cutting, coloring and styling my hair for over 20 years. Salon is clean, calm and classy.

I have to agree with other reviewer, please avoid Katerina Raptis. She just doesn't know what she's doing. I gave her 2 chances and both times I left unhappy. The first time she had me in the salon for NINE HOURS and was still unable to achieve what I wanted (which was a root touch up and pink peekaboo highlights) soo next time I was in need of JUST a root touch up & stupidly went back bc I'm new to the area and couldn't get in anywhere else and was leaving for vacation. And this time she really destroyed my hair...I have long thick hair and she took thinning sheers to it (WITHOUT my permission, I would have NEVER allowed it as I have curly hair so now my hair is a frizzy mess) and she gave me the worst hair cut I have EVER received. I had hair almost down to the middle of my back and because of the hack job she did to my hair I had to get it cut to my shoulders and I'm devastated she ruined my long, thick and healthy hair!!!

For those looking for a hair salon, here's a stylist to avoid at The Salon of Buena Vista in Winston-Salem (and this by no means takes anything away from any of the other stylists there as they rent their seats, this review is just on this particular stylist). Katerina Raptis, although a wonderful young woman, nice, sweet and respectful, but heres my experience with her.

I went to get my hair done last night, and didn't know that the girl doing my hair was only doing this a year and was only 19. Her portfolio looked amazing for her age so I had no worries, just didn't know about the lack of experience until she had already started my hair.

I came in with several expectations and also realistic expectations I feel. For one, I know that I Box dyed my hair less than 2 years ago, so it COULD effect the highlights that I get. I also wanted a long bob style hair cut while keeping my under shave under my head but, with a fade. (I had a brain tumor and did 7 months of radiation and it took YEARS to get my hair to finally grow back even though I still have some bald spots or weird growing areas.)

She set the appt to be 3 hours. Through the 3 hours, towards the end, she was rushing because she had to be out by 9pm (it was 8:30pm) to be home to take medication and I didn't even get to get a good look at my hair nor do the whole heres the mirror look at the front and back part. I even stated will the color done in my hair brighten up after a few days because you could barely see the highlights. I wanted a caramel color and I even brought in an example.

I called the manager today and found out, the lady is only a landlord and that each stylist rents their own chair. So, who holds the stylists at a certain degree of expectations? I contacted my stylist and told her the highlights didn't get close to what I was wanting which she has said she had the hair piece memorized at this point (I carry it with me) The landlord said she would talk to  her, but I dont know if I trust Katerina trying to finish/fix my hair. She told me it would be $20 a bowl to fix my hair color and I had to have 2 bowls even with half my hair gone. She also chopped up my hair and didn't even fade at all. I feel like my hair is ruined and that I need to bite the bullet and cut as much as I can off of the box dye red and go with a shorter bob and let it grow out again over time. I liked the girl, and her grandfather just passed, but maybe she isnt in the right mind frame at this point to be doing hair. Love finding this ALL out when your hair is already processing.

Update: Went today to get things 'fixed.' Well, I was basically told that the caramel color that I wanted wouldn't be achievable with my current hair color that it just wasn't possible. The manager mentioned a glaze drip but that didn't come up. Since the highlights barely showed on my virgin hair, it didn't show up at all on my box dyed part which, again I was already warned on that so I decided to say screw it, lets chop a lot of it off and do a bob. I will do that, and just let it grow back out and at least most of my highlights will show and then she can do the glaze treatment that she also was giving away for free when I signed up but dont recall even getting that treatment. When she turned me around so see how she cut my hair as a bob I started crying, grabbed my things, looked at the manager and said this is NOT what I paid for! and walked out. I wasn't going to let her touch my hair anymore. Picture below will show the transition of effect. Now theres no way I can get it 'fixed' in time before I leave for Christmas and I cant afford someone else. I paid $145 for this. I am a wreck. I am in tears. It's not even EVEN! God help me I just want to crawl in a hole. And the only thing she had to say was "I dont know what else to do to make me happy." I would say give me my money back or at least half of it. Something would be the respectable thing to do. The landlord/manager is offering to see what she can do with it but what the hell I guess....could it get any worse? Maybe I am just a crazy biatch that expects too much? I have had many bobs for YEARS and I have never seen this in my life. I cant even style it appropriately. Its just.....ratty..... I am sorry to do this to her, but this is also where we have to learn as well. Maybe there was some miscommunication as well between us as I am trying to think how this could happen, but quality is quality.