LRN BEAUTY SALON — Local services in New York

I paid $928 for one of the most disappointing and damaging salon experiences I’ve ever had.

I came in with clear inspo photos and specific direction: I wanted a soft, natural, neutral-toned color at the ends of my hair. What I left with was brassy, overly bright, uneven, and damaging. My front pieces snapped off by 3–4 inches within one day. I ended up getting a haircut I didn’t want just to disguise the breakage — and was still charged for it.

The most upsetting part wasn’t even the damage — it was the salon’s refusal to take accountability. I was told the result “looked like the inspo” when it clearly didn’t and still doesn’t. When I brought up the breakage, they blamed my shampoo instead of acknowledging the overprocessing. Not once did anyone apologize or acknowledge that the result came out different then intended.

They booked me with a junior stylist for the correction, which felt minimizing given the seriousness of the situation. That said, she was fantastic — kind, professional, and incredibly skilled. She got the color closer to what I wanted, but it’s still muddy, flat, and straw-like, and I’m now left with a cut I never wanted and hair that’s severely compromised. It will take months of care and healing to get my hair back to a healthy place.

For almost $1,000, I expected high-level results, transparency, and care. What I got was damage, deflection, and hair that is worse than what I walked in. I wouldn’t recommend this...

I recently had an appointment with Lauren, and unfortunately, it was an incredibly disappointing first (and only) experience. I initially booked a single process color, which is what I have been getting for a year at different salons. She said she couldn't do a single process and convinced me to get highlights as I was in desperate need to get my hair done for my graduation. After spending $440 on the appointment, my hair looked terrible and the back of my head untouched.

Given the results and the fact that I had to schedule another appointment elsewhere to fix the color, I thought it only fair to request a refund, or, at the very least, partial refund. The salon's policy promises that clients should "leave feeling and looking their best," but unfortunately, my experience did not align with this commitment. I was denied this request and Lauren did not even offer to fix my hair.

If you would like to leave a salon "feeling and looking your best," I advise you go elsewhere. You actually couldn't pay me to go back...

Studio522 is my favorite place that I've ever gotten my hair done. First off, the energy is really great in there. Lauren of LRNBeauty is so positive and warm and upbeat and it's infectious to the rest of the salon, so her clients are also like this! This is big for me. Also, it's incredibly chic inside with cool art and beautiful hand made accessories from various artists. Now, I am not blonde, but this place makes me really wish I was. She is essentially a PHD in this department, so if you are blonde, I HIGHLY recommend. Irving cuts my hair and they are hands down the best cuts I've ever received. He is so precise and is so effortless about it that it just feels like a spa treatment and I leave looking like a zillion dollars. This place uses so many awesome products and can offer treatments for your hair to improve its overall health. Follow them on IG to see their stunning work! But tbh, just book an appointment and experience it all for...