Sanctuary Salon

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Sandhya Ramakrishnan

via Google

I had a pre-consultation session and then a 5 hour appointment for a Cut and Custom Hair Color with Alie about 6 weeks ago. I have long almost waist-length south asian black wavy hair and came in wanting to do a balayage, warm look. Alie is just amazing - from the pre-consultation onward, she was attentive, asked questions and really listened to my opinions / thoughts while giving expert advice that helped understand the look I was going for. The cut was a simple layered look (maybe 2 layers with face framing pieces) where she made sure not to take off too much length (this is a huge plus - I have had many cuts at other places through the years where too much was taken off). The color was a beautiful custom shade, and Alie did a great job! Afterwards she did a blow dry and curled my hair with a curling iron - so professional looking and I felt so glamorous. I waited about 6 weeks to post this review because I wanted to see how the color would progress / lighten. I’m happy to say it still looks really good (maybe even better?) and I am so happy with Alie and the confidence boost she’s given me with the great cut and color job. I will definitely be going back to her for all my hair needs! Thank you so much Alie!

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Valerie Frazee

via Google

This is a beautiful salon located right in the heart of San Francisco. The elevator doors opened up to a warm and welcoming Salon environment. I was greeted by Cassie the owner and she was full of joy and heart. The waiting area is cozy and you can read a good book while you wait for your appointment. There is a lot of care and beautiful hair work happening in this place

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Michele Segalla

via Google

Liz is an amazing stylist! She’s so friendly, patient, and incredibly talented. I always love how my highlights and cut turn out, and she truly listens to what I want. My color lasts beautifully and my hair always looks and feels healthy. I can’t recommend her enough! Sanctuary Salon itself is adorable, comfortable, and has such great energy, plus the location is super convenient. I always leave feeling confident, cared for, and excited about my hair.

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Phoebe Cao

via Google

I got a brown balayage and haircut from Alie and I loved the experience and outcome! The whole process took four hours. The color came out beautiful. In fact, another client pointed out my hair as I was leaving the salon to their hair stylist during their consult as reference. Alie also debulked and trimmed my hair just as I asked. I love my hair again after having a horrible haircut (from another salon) six months prior. I definitely recommend her to anyone looking for a beautiful cut and/or color. The salon itself is lovely and clean.

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R B

via Google

This review is for the owner, not my stylist, who has been consistently excellent aside from this, and whom I will genuinely miss. I requested a subtle neutralizing tone on my warm blonde. I left with a noticeable grey/green cast from the crown through the extensions. When I asked for a fix, I felt blatantly gaslit: the owner blamed my extensions despite the top of my hair being visibly grey. She also told me the stylist who did the service “wasn’t trained well enough to continue with my hair,” while simultaneously implying the result was partly my fault. There was no apology…only a lecture, including an attempt to “define” gaslighting and a claim that she couldn’t say what happened because she wasn’t there. In my view, the uniform muddy cast is classic over-toning: toner left on too long. What had been a neutral golden blonde became a dull, greenish ash. When a same-week correction conflicted with my work schedule, I was pushed to a much later date and informed that after this “final correction” the salon would no longer see me. The net result: I paid for a color I didn’t ask for, walked around looking washed out for days, and received contradictory explanations with zero accountability. I’m now forced to find a new salon to repair it. Professional salons stand behind their work, apologize, and make it right promptly. They don’t sever ties with a client after their own misstep. Unfortunately, that was not my experience here. I do not recommend this salon. (As an aside, the space’s aesthetics feel dated and cluttered—about a 2/10.)

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Yeerang shin

via Google

If you're looking for the best haircut in the city, go see Shane. After years of trying different stylists across the city, I’ve often walked away feeling like my specific requests weren't quite met—especially after a recent haircut I got that I wasn’t fully satisfied with. Shane turned everything around so easily. He is professional, highly skilled, and knows exactly what he’s doing. 10/10 recommendation for anyone tired of 'okay' haircuts.