I have been going to J. Thomas Salon & Color Studio for at least 5 years and have always had wonderful experiences! You can expect a relaxed atmosphere in a stylish setting - it really is somewhere you could just hang out and talk all day!
Tommy has done an amazing job coloring my hair, and when I was in college he understood paying for highlights was a big expense for a 20-something and would use highlights and low lights to ensure my hair grew out very naturally. I was able to get by with only having it colored once or twice a year, and never had noticeable roots or hair that looked color treated! I've gone to other salons, and even when I ask them to do this (and bring in pictures) it always needs to be touched up in a month or two.
A long the same lines, they never push products on you, but if you do want to purchase something and are on a limited budget they will tell you the one product that will really help your hair, and where you can afford to skimp depending on your hair type.
I have had Tosh cut my hair many times, and she has also done a loose curl perm for me. I have really enjoyed her cuts and the perm turned out beautifully (soft waves when I let my hair air dry, but could easily be blown straight).
I now primarily use Chelsea for my cuts. I have found that if you just tell her to do something fun that looks cute you will always have an excellent cut! If you want something very specific, I'd go with Tosh, but if you want something you probably never would have tried before and will love stick with Chelsea.
My entire family goes to J. Thomas Salon - 3 of us for color and cuts, and 2 for just cuts. We all have our personal favorites, but everyone in the studio is a quality stylist.
The only time I have heard of a bad experience was with my mom, she went for a new and different color, but did not like the results and felt it didn't suit her personality (I loved how it looked!). Tommy was happy to fix it the very next day, free of charge.
I love this salon so much that I even will plan my schedule around it. In college, I'd book my appointments during vacations, and now that I live out-of-state I have been known to plan trips to SC just to have my hair done by J. Thomas. I honestly don't trust anyone else to color my hair.
The only cons about this salon is being in the heart of the Vista can make finding parking a challenge at times. They do have designated spots, but if those have all filled up you have to either park at a meter or in the lot across the street. The other con is their rates have increased a little bit since moving from their old location. I'd say the rate increase is reflective of inflation rates, however.
Pros: Amazing quality and wonderful atmosphere
Cons: Parking & slight increase in rates from old location
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