20 Times Beauty Salons Tried To Pull A Fast One

Ashley Hunte
Three images showing slightly different hairstyles on different women.
reddit | [deleted]

Going to the salon to get your hair or nails done shouldn't be as much of a gamble as it can be. Considering the fact that the average cost for a hairstylist can be anywhere between $60-$100, and a basic manicure can cost upwards of $40, you kind of expect them to be good.

But some people pay the money and end up with some pretty questionable results. Needless to say, the people in this list got scammed by their salons.

"Wanted a simple manicure for my wedding in March.. left is what I got hahah I was upset but also couldn’t stop laughing."

Nails with messy gold outlines, and a picture of clean nails with gold foil outlines.
reddit | Heisen123

Yeah, that is pretty funny if I'm being totally honest. But the moral of the story, I guess, is that nail artists don't always know how to do the thing you want them to do.

"Went to my hairdresser with this pic today..."

The back of a head with an intricate undercut pattern, and an image of the back of a different head with a messy, simplistic undercut pattern.
reddit | prettys****ykitty101

I guess some hairdressers just can't do everything. On the plus side, this will grow out. Eventually. I mean, it might take some time, but it will definitely grow out! I think.

"Left pic is what I asked for, right pics are what I ended up with."

An image showing subtle red and gold highlights in brown hair, next to images of bright red and yellow streaks in brown hair.
reddit | Nariadnaia

It seems like the art of subtlety was kind of lost on the hairdresser who did this. On the plus side, this can probably be fixed, for the most part.

"First time I’ve ever tried to show my pride. What I asked for vs what the nail tech game me..."

An image of black nails with the bisexual flag pattern on them, followed by an image of black nails with messy colour lines on them.
reddit | turtletails

You know, it really shouldn't be hard for a nail artist to paint clean lines on some nails. It's not like this pattern was that complicated.

"My sister’s nails for a wedding."

French tip nails in one image, messy French tips in a second image.
reddit | escargoxpress

I'm pretty sure they, like, sell tape specifically made so you can paint French tips on a nail. And yet whoever did the ones in this picture seriously messed up. I guess just be careful when you choose a salon.

"I wanted to be an anime protagonist."

A head with vibrant purple hair, next to a head with pale purple streaks on black hair.
reddit | eaerickson

I'm no hairstylist, but I feel like it'd be pretty hard to mess up making someone's hair bright purple. But like always, this can probably be fixed. I'd try to find a different stylist, though.

"What I asked for and what I got...."

A head with wavy, blonde, shoulder length hair, and a head with choppy, short hair.
reddit | dpsmith124

There's honestly no similarities between those two pictures. Like, even the blonde hair is different between the two! Did the stylist start cutting, go too short, and then just roll with it?

"I asked for a bottom silver to top white fade, (photo left) and I got all grey with what looks to be blue and green mixed in (photo right)."

One head with white tips on dark hair, and a second head with green-grey hair.
reddit | GrapFruot

As the comments under the original post pointed out, getting gray/silver on hair that was originally very dark is pretty tough. The style may be super different, but the hair isn't that bad.

"$60 'professional' Halloween makeup. I asked for the photo on the left, with just a little fake blood. On the right is what the makeup artist gave me."

A woman with dark makeup and a woman with a white face and jarringly dark eyeshadow around her eyes.
reddit | enukez

I feel like this cost $60 because the artist used $60 worth of white face paint on the face alone. Like seriously, was any of that necessary?

"What I asked for vs what I got."

A brown/orange balayge hairstyle versus a head of brown hair with yellow chunks in it.
reddit | LemonberryTea

What totally floors me about this isn't just the fact that the dye job is horribly uneven, but it's the fact that that just looks... yellow. Like, not blonde or even orange. Just yellow. What was the stylist even trying to do here?

"My best friend wanted fun nails for her birthday so she took the picture on the left to a salon... she left with the nails on the right."

Two sets of nails with glitter stamped onto them.
reddit | gracer_5

Well, I guess it could be worse. It almost seems like the salon OP's friend went to didn't have the right kind of glitter.

"Posted by a local salon. The before is my mum AFTER they did her hair, the after is a completely different woman."

A woman with wavy blonde hair, and a woman with straight hair that's a darker blonde/brown colour.
reddit | ThatGuyTheyCallAlex

Okay, that's actually kind of hilarious. But also a little rude. The fact that they used someone's "after" as someone else's "before?" It's like the salon played itself.

"Asked for a bang trim and 'chocolate brown' hair color."

A head with messy red hair and bangs, and two images showing a woman's head, one with blonde hair and normal bangs, and the other with dark brown hair and choppy fringe bangs.
reddit | DuOroEldrvarya

"Top image is the reference for the bangs. Bottom right is what my hair looked like when I walked into the salon. Bottom left is what I looked like when I left the salon."

Well, at least they got the hair color right?

Went to the hair salon today. Asked for what's on the left. Walked out with the right. Now I have to find someone to fix it."

Dark, wavy hair with a purple ombre. Dark, curly hair with slightly purple tips.
reddit | MsDyn0mite

Fixing it is possible. It's gonna take a bit more bleach and hair dye, but it's possible.

"My sister's friend got her nails done by a 'professional' nail artist."

Messy nails painted a peach/tan color.
reddit | penguinzliz

This looks like when I'm doing my nails at home and have to paint my good hand with my bad hand. And yet, someone paid money for this.

"Paid $$$ for a pro 'hair artist' to do this to my hair on my wedding day..."

Two images, one of a woman with voluminous, brown hair, and the other of a woman with flat hair.
reddit | Jam_Blaster

The fact that this bride paid for such a disappointing stylist job. I'm pretty sure most moms out there could do a better job for free.

"First time dip - advice please! Are these too thick? I can’t tell if I’m just not used to them or if this is a normal application. I’m not thrilled with them."

White fingernails that are entirely too thick thanks to the polish.
reddit | ememidk

OP also mentioned paying $75 for those nails. Which, like, yikes.

"She went to the worst reviewed MUA in her city."

A woman with poorly done makeup posing next to an image of the same makeup, but done professionally.
reddit | mangobutter6179

Considering the fact that the average makeup artist is going to charge $75 at a minimum, this is a total ripoff. Then again, this is what happens when you go to the lowest rated artist.

"Yes, done at a real salon. And yes, she did cry when she saw it."

Long hair with three obvious layers, cut in a very unnatural and choppy way.
reddit | t3ddan

I would cry, too. You basically have to cut the hair to the shortest layer to fix that. Or just live with it. Either way, I'd be asking for my money back.

"What my sister asked for vs what the salon did vs what my mom did after the salon disaster."

Three images of dark blonde, wavy hair set in a partial braid.
reddit | [deleted]

There are some things in life that you should just go to your mom for. This hairstyle is one of those things, apparently.

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