Aura Beauté Montréal — Attraction in Montreal

This was the BEST curly haircut I’ve ever had. Having had some terrible hair cuts in the past, I hadn’t cut my hair in over a year after a bout of experimenting with Brazilian keratin treatments and bleaching. I was also travelling across Canada for the first time, googling to no end to find a hair salon that felt inclusive, accessible and had good vibes.

THIS PLACE IS ALL OF THAT AND MORE. As you can see from my photos my hair was hella damaged, dry and just a lil tired looking from Dr Bronner soap shampoo situation because I gave up trying to figure out what to use.

Cyan one of two power-women owners of this wonderful salon. She was warm and welcoming, greeting me at the entrance of the salon and proceeded to ask about my hair history, my style preferences and gave a thorough diagnosis of what would work best for my needs and life style.

THE BEST PART aside from the absolute revival of a cut/treatment my hair had (my CURLS were absolutely resuscitated) was that she explained every step of the way what was happening and WHY. I especially appreciated this because of how difficult it can be to find information about curl care (esp in Japan). I felt like I had a masterclass in how to understand my hair better without having products being pedaled in the process 💛 another thing that made this exceptional was the speed - in previous cuts I felt like I had to sit for 3-4hrs because it was curly which took up half the day but Cyan’s did the dry cut, treatment and styling felt like a SWAT team-level kind of rescue.

As an aside the booking process was SO INCREDIBLY SMOOTH. It was so nice to have the booking process digitized with follow up emails and reminders so it was locked in for both parties. I had tried booking some others and found myself emailing, calling, instagramming to no avail. Big kudos to the great webdesign (also done by the cofounder) and UI/UX experience for customers - such a relief!

Just like the name, the aura in the salon was warm and inviting - by the end, I felt my own aura uplifted and expanded after this visit. I’ve never given a review to a salon for a reason until now. So much respect to the owners - I only wish I could add another hundred stars.

Onwards...

No customer etiquette or training whatsoever. I had an appointment booked for a 15-minute trim, which is a basic component of hair salon services. On the website, it states that hair must be detangled if curly, which they were. I had my hair in a ponytail since I came back from work. The lady made me waste my time and commute all the way to the salon just to tell me that for curly hair, she doesn't do simple trims, and I would have to pay for the full curly hair service, which, quite frankly, I don't need. Black women's hair is not that difficult to manage. If you discriminate against certain hair types and don't provide basic services like a trim, don't advertise it to promote your most expensive service once the person arrives. It's so ridiculous. Extremely unprofessional. If you are a black woman looking for someone to care for your hair, please find a salon that genuinely caters to your needs and isn't simply trying to get your money. On that note, if anyone can refer me to a black hair-friendly stylist or salon, please let me know. :)

Revised:

Now, the owner is falsely stating that I arrived 15 minutes late. My appointment was scheduled for 3:15 pm, and I arrived at 3:20 pm. Exaggerating my tardiness is further evidence of unprofessionalism. Additionally, there is no reason for my hair to be down if it's already detangled; putting it out of a ponytail takes just a few seconds.

It seems they have updated their policies since now, when you visit their website, they clarify that the service is only 15 consultation for 30 minutes if you have curly hair, with no trimming included, and the cost is $250 for a full curly treatment.

However, they do list prices for straight hair that requires trimming.

I want to emphasize once again that this place is not suitable for curly hair and black women hair ranging from 3A to 4c, and I would advise against wasting your...

First time ever getting a curly hair cut and it was AMAZING!

Did quite a bit of research before choosing the salon I wanted for my first trim. A lot of other top curly salons in Montreal seemed really focused on pushing their line of curly hair products, especially during the consultation, something I wasn’t too keen on. The reviews also noted them to be a little noisy as well and not very time sensitive for their customers.

Aura Beauty stood out though as a prime contender due to their reviews, no pushiness, 2 co-owners who were both extremely experienced and the ones doing the hair cuts, and overall salon policies and inclusivity.

I was very impressed and very happy I chose this salon! I have never had a cut looking this great and I received some wonderful tips that equally saves me money, and helped steer me towards different techniques I should use at home.

My salon-ist was Cyan. However I’m sure Sherrie is also extremely fantastic, as they’ve both trained and worked together for years.

I look forward to...