Beauty | N15 Salon Toronto NEW Location Bay & Dundas Highlight Review

17:00 Jayyangg 1 Comments

N15 has been my go-to salon for years since they opened. I've been there for a number of reasons such as Highlight and Cut (Junji - at Bay and College), and Highlight and Cut (Tai - Bay and Dundas) and also lash extensions. Their original location was College and Bay but recently as of November 2018, they opened a second location at Dundas and Bay! This new location moved some of the previous staff such as Tai, over. This busy salon has a number of more seats and very gorgeous decor.

The staff is super kind and the hair stylist will usually do a consultation for 10 minutes to understand what you're looking for, what are your daily habits and how much time do you typically have/spend on hair. I really love this part because it really feels like they're trying to understand what I want, and also what may be best for me given my current hair condition, time constraint, budget, etc.

Tai previously studied under Guy Tang and that piqued my interest on my first appointment with him a year or so back (Read it here!). Jesse the owner kindly offered if I wanted a touch up on my hair (yes please!) and take a look at the new location.

Their new location is a dream! Like their first location, they have great taste in decor :)

Gorgeous marble counters, Dyson hair dryer, and large circular gold mirrors. Wish I could bring this all back home haha! They even have these little marble trays to take off any jewelry to avoid damaging them with hair dyes.

Tai did my highlights before and he's super funny and very hair smart (follow him @tai.is.that.guy) He's also very realistic which I'm very appreciative of. He'll usually ask how prepared you are to maintain your hair and also take a look at the condition of your hair. Dying your hair requires time and commitment such as if you go blonde 1. Can your hair physically stand the bleach, 2. Are you willing to keep it not brassy by using a silver/purple shampoo? All color will fade, and especially with Instagram, we have this unrealistic expectation for it. You can also follow #hairfactbytai to learn tips, what's true and what are myths when it comes to hair!

Before

1. Highlights don't start from the top of my head

2. Lots of grow out, the last session was 4 months ago!

3. Long and outgrown hair

Tai confirmed that he was going to first dye my roots to match the rest of my head, add more highlights/blend the old ones back in, and lastly, trim my hair.

After

Here is a photo we took immediately after the session. With my hair curled you can really see the highlights and how natural they just melt into my hair. Additionally, you can see that he evened out my root grow-out. I find highlights easy to maintain and less damaging than bleaching my entire head! I maintain my highlights with Matrix's Total Results Brass Off Shampoo and mask which is blue! Blue is supposed to cancel out orange which is more suitable for Asian hair that turns orange/red over time once bleached.
The entire session took 3 hours and a bit.

The price for highlights/color dye is very reasonable but of course still on the pricier side. However, I definitely feel that it's especially worth it when it comes to highlights, balayage, ombre where the technique and expertise of the hair stylist is crucial! I've recommended a few people to N15 and to Tai and they've all become long-term customers!

This is my first sponsored session and usually, I am a repeat customer regularly, so I definitely recommend N15, especially Tai :)