Sublime Hair Studio

Stylist: Yolanda Samora

I hate writing internet reviews because I like my privacy. Also, I'm usually not assertive with hair stylists. But here goes on a long review. (The backslash indicates the end of paragraphs.)/

Before my appointment with Yolanda, I had hair that hung just below my shoulders. I wanted to try something shorter. I wanted a bob-- a straightforward, classic, chic bob-- that hung below my chin. To play it safe, I said that I wanted it no shorter than halfway up my neck. Yolanda agreed to cut it no shorter than that./

My hair now hangs just above my chin. Additionally, the right side is a good half-inch shorter than the left side. It also lacks volume at the crown, because Yolanda did not scale the top layers after she cut the bottom one. It is shaped like a triangle./ 

This happened for several reasons. First, Yolanda does not do Deva Cuts. She cuts your hair dry; that's as close at it gets. I don't care if a stylist doesn't religiously adhere to the Deva method-- even the stylist who cut my hair at Capella Salon in Studio City didn't, and she still did a stellar job-- but I do care if a stylist who advertises Deva Cuts decides to forgo the method for a sloppier one. I also wish Yolanda hadn't sheared some of my hair with the scissors; if I'd wanted that, I would have either gotten a Ouidad cut or settled for a $10 job from one of those mall franchises full of no-class stylists who hate curly or "ethnic" hair with a passion and need to subject every customer to a tirade about how ugly it is. Second, Yolanda didn't take her time. She seized my hair in large chunks after a cursory glance at my part and chopped it off in minutes. The shortest side of my hair is the chunk she cut first, meaning that as soon as she began it was too late to back out. Third, she was distracted. Was her mind on all the errands she had to run? Did the stylist who leaned over us to recharge an iPad at our station throw her off? Did the expression on my face make her nervous? Did she know what she was doing? Did she just want to get it over with and collect my money? I don't know. I just know that she got more and more flustered, trying to get me to agree that this was the fault of my "really curly" hair. (I have 3A curls mixed with 2C curls. Big, loopy ringlets. You can't claim that it shrinks up that much. No other stylist has.) Finally, she said, "I'm not going to cut any more, because you look pretty shocked." Yes./

Yolanda is a nice person. She's friendly. She did care that she had made mistakes. She avoided making things worse. She eventually apologized. She gave me a two-dollar discount on the cut. That's great. I don't think she should have assumed that I would return to her salon, though. The truth is that I disliked the vibe of Sublime in general-- that's a separate issue that I don't blame on her-- and that I want a more experienced and attentive stylist./

You know what? It's just hair. It will grow back. At least it's not a pixie cut. I'm grateful I'm not bald. Etc. I'm not thrilled about going on interviews like this, though. Oh, well. 

Reviewed on: 27.03.16

Stylist: Yolanda Samora

I had previously been here for another stylist and was not happy so I tried Yolanda. Actually, I tried Amy Bishop first, but Yolanda called back faster (there are independent stylists at Sublime under the same roof). I am always looking for a Deva Curl stylist and Yolanda was on the list. The haircut I got I was very happy with. I have gotten several Deva cuts and I feel that Yolanda used a mix of techniques to cut my hair, not a traditional Deva cut, but the results were still excellent. I was happy. I did feel afterward that I wanted a little more cut off the top, but I have learned to be more vocal with stylists about this, so I don't hold that against Yolanda. I give four "scissor" rating because I feel your five star stylist is the one you will never go to anyone else, and I didn't feel that way quite yet. 

Reviewed on: 30.07.14

Stylist: Arlene Faircloth

My hair has been butchered since moving to Santa Fe. After getting Deva Cuts in Minneapolis and Seattle for years, I finally searched for Deva Certified stylists. Arlene has saved my hair! She is absolutely amazing, the cut I received was among the best I've ever had. Definitely worth the drive to Albuquerque!!!

Reviewed on: 06.08.13

Stylist: Arlene Faircloth

I went to Sublime specifically because I was looking for a Deva Certified stylist for my curly hair. I have been to curly hair stylists in Boston, Atlanta, Colorado, both certified and non-certified in techniques for curly hair. I have gotten amazing and horrific haircuts. I just moved to ABQ looking for a new stylist. Arlene cut my hair Deva style, but I didn't feel like it was anything to write home about. I felt like the cut was similar/same as I could have gotten going to many other salons without special certifications. I am still searching for that "one" stylist (in ABQ) that just makes you gush over your hair. There are two other Deva certified stylists listed at Sublime (Amy Bishop and Yolanda Samora). I haven't tried them out yet but I am making calls tomorrow for a another haircut so we'll see!

Reviewed on: 19.05.13