Sanctuary

I have heard great things about the salon and stylist I used, however my experiences were not good. I went twice. The first time the stylist cut my hair above my shoulders and I specifically told him that I did not want my hair off my shoulders. The second time he cut my hair one side was shorter than the other. I didn’t really notice it until I checked it out at home. And yes, other people noticed it. The salon said they would fix it but that meant that it would be even shorter so I just left it alone. I know people have bad days and I am fairly forgiving. I think the «superstar» stylist label is way overused here.
The other thing that bothered me was the lack of professionalism in the salon. I heard a fair amount of gossip/​BS from the staff while I was waiting. I planned to tip the shampoo lady after I paid my bill because I didn’t have change for a $ 20. A situation many of us find ourselves in from time to time. When I was at the counter paying my bill she came out of the shampoo room straight to my stylist and started talking about me. Talk about being unprofessional!

Alright my quest for a good hair salon has ended! All the staff is super friendly and welcoming. Carey has been cutting and coloring my hair for the past few months. He can handle my extremely thick hair and has cut my drying time in half! He’s great because he’s honest about what will work with my hair type and my skin tone. Also I get bored so I need a stylist that is creative and Carey is that just that stylist!
So the salon is in a great location and they have their own parking. A major plus for any business in Homewood. I’m always offered a beverage (water, tea, or wine). The steam/​shampoo time is delightful. There’s a slew of guilty pleasure magazines and blankets!
I think their pricing is fair. I feel like you get you what you pay for at a hair salon. So having healthy and happy hair is worth it to me. They also give you stamps every time you go towards a $ 25 gift card, which is pretty awesome if you ask me. I should mention you can’t tip on your bill so bring cash or check. There is also an ATM down the street. So not a big thing just something to remember.
After suffering through some bad cuts and colors all around town, I 100% recommend going to Sanctuary and specifically to Carey.

This is my new favorite salon in town! I have very temperamental curly hair and walked into Sanctuary for the first time with a bold (for me) new cut in mind. Farrah was my stylist and did an amazing job. She cut my hair exactly as I wanted, and I received a ton of compliments about the new hairstyle afterwards. She is completely unpretentious and is very open to feedback. The prices are also affordable compared to some other Homewood salons I’ve been to. I absolutely recommend this place!

I should have read more reviews and been more careful about choosing a stylist. Will I ever learn? Never just call up a salon and have them put you with any schmo– they’re almost always going to put you with the person with the emptiest schedule– not the star.
So this is a nice enough place. There are reviews on other sites that mention specific stylists over and over again– I’m sure they are great. Mine, not so much. My highlight color is very blah, and the execution poor– I have some bad blotches near the scalp that I’ll be going elsewhere this weekend to have fixed. He didn’t talk to me very much– I was talking to him the entire time trying to tell him what I wanted and I just got nothing back. Quite frankly, he acted kind of tweaky– his hands were shaking while he was cutting my hair. The finish was awful. I had to pull my hair back into a ponytail when I left because it looked like a bad redneck perm or something. I have full, long, loose curls and it’s not hard to make my hair look good. Not bragging, just sayin. It was not pretty.
So, sorry for the poor review. My experience was not great, but as I said I believe there are some great stylists here. Just do your research and book an appointment with one of them.
Also, the receptionist doesn’t tell you this, but you can’t charge tips on your card, so unless your stylist has a little iPhone swiper, you can’t leave a tip. Luckily I had enough to tip the shampooer.

Was in town for a wedding and made an appt at Sanctuary. Benji was my hairdresser and I wish I could pack him in my suitcase and bring him back to Austin with me. He was AMAZING!!! So personable and friendly without it feeling forced. He gave me some ideas for new color and the best haircut ever. Love love love this salon and Benji

I wish I could give a negative star because this place is terrible. Went with several friends for wedding hair and had a regrettable experience. The bride made all of our appointments at this salon telling us it would be about $ 60 – 65 for our hair. I was one of the first to get my hair done and I was not in love with it but wasn’t going to make a scene; it cost 80 $. I was told that the original stylist I had booked was in the hospital and the other one was covering and that is why it was 80 big ones. Everyone after me had absolutely horrible hair and I am not exaggerating it was the worse I have ever seen. One in particular asked if maybe they could try something else and the stylist replied no «I’m sorry I have a 9:30 appointment here.» And would not fix this terrible hair. We were totally taken advantage of. Everyone in the wedding party (9 people) ended up getting their hair restyled immediately after leaving the salon (minus the bride). Beware!!! this place will take advantage of you in a heartbeat and do not expect to get your money’s worth (for a ten minute updo)

Coming from New York, I had to go through a few froggy salons before I found my prince. Sanctuary is a calming, wonderful salon that is one of (if not THE) best in Birmingham. 5 Stars!

Heather is great! Very nice staff!