A Sa•lon Santa Fe

23 for my Oct 2024 wedding. I reached out in April to inquire about a trial, and Alana said she was available Mon-Thurs. We set a trial for July, but when she found out I live in ABQ, she said she can only come down on “specific days,” and she’d look for a date that she could come down. Weeks went by, I followed up, she hadn’t found a date. I followed up again several more weeks later, and suddenly her schedule was so busy that the earliest we could do a trial was in Oct, less than 3 weeks before my wedding. I offered to find us a space in Santa Fe to work out of, at which point she stopped replying to me completely and would only communicate through my wedding planner. I agreed to the late trial date even though I was uncomfortable with it. The week before my trial, Alana added the trial to my contract at a price of $200 instead of the $150 that she has listed on her website and that she told me. When my planner asked why she charged me more for the trial, Alana said it’s because she doesn’t "normally" travel to Albuquerque so it’s for her “time and effort.” …Is that not what the travel fee is for? So she double-charged me (really triple, if you consider that she also added a 20% gratuity to the trial fee AND the $100 travel fee). Instead of $150, my trial would be $360. I don't understand how a traveling HMUA with no studio space could be so opposed to traveling 45 minutes. My planner suggested to Alana that she should have communicated the price increase earlier than 3 days before my trial. Instead of honoring her own pricing, she doubled down and got extremely defensive. At that point, she suggested maybe we want to “go in another direction” and find a new hair/makeup team. Because Alana pushed my trial so late, there was so little time to find a new team that we opted to keep the contract with her. 2 HOURS before my trial (which I took off work and got a blowout for), she unapologetically texted my planner and canceled the trial - with no proposal to reschedule. She made sure to note it had nothing to do with “the situation.” Right. My planner didn’t respond as we were busy looking for a new hair and makeup team. 2 days later, Alana emailed to say she felt “disrespected during the process" and asked again if we wanted to "go in a different direction" (AKA find a new HMUA team two weeks before the wedding) followed by, "I will look for your response by the end of today- if I don’t receive a response I will send your deposit back first thing tomorrow am.” She can go weeks between replying to emails but expected my response in less than one business day. She demands a lot of respect for someone who doesn't respect her clients, as evidenced by the fact that she did not attempt to reschedule the trial or offer any kind of apology for wasting my time and money. Throughout our exchanges, Alana called me entitled for asking for my refundable deposit back). She said she felt “reprimanded” by us because we asked for clarification on the random price increase. We were nothing but polite in the face of extremely unprofessional practices. I feel Alana is unprofessional, uncommunicative, condescending, and exploitative and I do not recommend her.

and her team brought such a warm, fun energy to the day. She instantly felt like a friend and I absolutely loved my hair and makeup. Highly, highly recommend!!!

ek of my wedding and Alana was so helpful and nailed what I was looking for. Would highly recommend to anyone in the area!

wedding day. Alana was prompt, quick to reply to emails, and always made me feel taken care of. I loved the trial experience and felt so beautiful on my wedding day. She is a pleasure to be around and adds a great energy to the whole day and getting ready experience. Can't recommend her services enough!

tyled my hair and made my make-up look pretty and natural. Highly recommend!

racious energy. She knew exactly what to do and say and she made it fun. Our hair and makeup was absolutely amazing and very natural, just the way we wanted. We couldn’t have asked for a better stylist. We highly recommend Alana of A Salon. Thank you so very much Alana.

and only choice. They are organized, communicate well, on time, patient and most of all, make you look absolutely stunning on your big day!! I can’t thank Alana and her team enough for being apart of my unforgettable day.

he whole process so relaxed and fun, walking me through every step and getting my input so that I was completely comfortable. She did an amazing job! I've never received so many compliments!

and well-prepared. When there are so many moving pieces with a wedding, you want to know you can rely on your vendors. I didn’t have to worry for a second about Alana and co! 2. Responsive and Knowledgable: I do not know much about hair and makeup and so I didn’t really have the “lingo” to describe what I wanted. Alana was so kind and patient and really worked to understand what it was that I wanted. When I wasn’t 100% sure about my hair after the hair and makeup trial, Alana was able to figure out what I was envisioning and then knocked it out of the park on the wedding day. Truly, there was not 1 thing I would have changed about my hair and makeup from the wedding day. 3. Patient: As I said above, Alana was wonderful with helping me figure out exactly what I wanted for the wedding. She knows that weddings and photos can be stressful for folks, and she helped my whole bridal crew feel great about their wedding looks. 4. Fun: I was nervous on the day-of about things running smoothly and Alana and her team were the perfect blend of positive, fun, and calming. It really helped ground me and stay present and not worry about all the moving parts. 5. Really Freaking Good: I have been a bridesmaid in several (5? 6?) weddings, and this was my best hair and makeup experience. My mother, mother-in-law, and bridesmaids were all thrilled with how their hair and makeup came out. In fact, when we have had a night out since the wedding and are doing our own hair/makeup (and struggling with it), we have often cried, “We need Alana!” Seriously, they are that good that if I lived near Santa Fe, I would be tempted to hire Alana for any big event I had. I really could not have been happier with A Salon and wholeheartedly would recommend them without reservation to anyone looking for hair and makeup in the ABQ/Santa Fe area!

e I felt like I actually looked like myself! A rarity for makeup and hair. The team was efficient on a tough timeline and everyone loved their hair and makeup for the wedding day. Will totally call them again if I have another need for hair/makeup in Santa Fe!

credibly comfortable and confident in how my hair and makeup would turn out for my day. They took the time to understand my vision, were open to feedback, and helped guide me to a look I would love. I really appreciate how collaborative they were in helping me decide my look, and Alana was always willing to offer expert suggestions to fit the vibe of my dress/look and our wedding, which was SO appreciated among all the other big decisions you have to make during wedding planning! On the day of, the team was super efficient, not intrusive at all/the perfect amount of “there” and made sure me, my mom, and all my bridesmaids looked stunning and were happy with how everything turned out. We never felt rushed, stressed, etc. because the team was on time, efficient, and enjoyable to have there helping us prep for the events of the day. My hair and makeup turned out exactly how I wanted it to - it was elevated/sophisticated natural, which is exactly what I was looking for. Not only did Alana and the team at A Salon make us look amazing, but they also made the getting ready experience enjoyable and memorable. I would highly recommend this team!

t working with her. It made me feel much more confident knowing that she worked with several brides who got married at our venue. The team was timely and efficient while not making us feel rushed. They listened to what I wanted during the trial and my wedding day and even accommodated hair and makeup for my rehearsal dinner with enough notice! If you want to look like yourself but just elevated and beautiful, I can’t recommend A Salon enough!

l to inquire about a trial, and Alana said she was available Mon-Thurs. We set a trial for July, but when she found out I live in ABQ, she said she can only come down on “specific days,” and she’d look for a date that she could come down. Weeks went by, I followed up, she hadn’t found a date. I followed up again several more weeks later, and suddenly her schedule was so busy that the earliest we could do a trial was in Oct, less than 3 weeks before my wedding. I offered to find us a space in Santa Fe to work out of, at which point she stopped replying to me completely and would only communicate through my wedding planner. I agreed to the late trial date even though I was uncomfortable with it. The week before my trial, Alana added the trial to my contract at a price of $200 instead of the $150 that she has listed on her website and that she told me. When my planner asked why she charged me more for the trial, Alana said it’s because she doesn’t "normally" travel to Albuquerque so it’s for her “time and effort.” …Is that not what the travel fee is for? So she double-charged me (really triple, if you consider that she also added a 20% gratuity to the trial fee AND the $100 travel fee). Instead of $150, my trial would be $360. I don't understand how a traveling HMUA with no studio space could be so opposed to traveling 45 minutes. My planner suggested to Alana that she should have communicated the price increase earlier than 3 days before my trial. Instead of honoring her own pricing, she doubled down and got extremely defensive. At that point, she suggested maybe we want to “go in another direction” and find a new hair/makeup team. Because Alana pushed my trial so late, there was so little time to find a new team that we opted to keep the contract with her. 2 HOURS before my trial (which I took off work and got a blowout for), she unapologetically texted my planner and canceled the trial - with no proposal to reschedule. She made sure to note it had nothing to do with “the situation.” Right. My planner didn’t respond as we were busy looking for a new hair and makeup team. 2 days later, Alana emailed to say she felt “disrespected during the process" and asked again if we wanted to "go in a different direction" (AKA find a new HMUA team two weeks before the wedding) followed by, "I will look for your response by the end of today- if I don’t receive a response I will send your deposit back first thing tomorrow am.” She can go weeks between replying to emails but expected my response in less than one business day. She demands a lot of respect for someone who doesn't respect her clients, as evidenced by the fact that she did not attempt to reschedule the trial or offer any kind of apology for wasting my time and money. Throughout our exchanges, Alana called me entitled for asking for my refundable deposit back). She said she felt “reprimanded” by us because we asked for clarification on the random price increase. We were nothing but polite in the face of extremely unprofessional practices. I feel Alana is unprofessional, uncommunicative, condescending, and exploitative and I do not recommend her.

My mom looked absolutely gorgeous! Appreciate you guys so much and truly can’t recommend A Sa.lon enough✨

s arrived promptly at 2 as scheduled and were very sweet and professional. Made me feel very comfortable and did an AMAZING job with my hair and make up. Even helped with some extra little details to finalize the look. Love these girls will definitely tell my friends about them, and would use them again in a heartbeat.

ughout the entire day with all the photographs being done prior to the wedding. Thank you Amy for being the best!

all easily and graciously. She was professional, fun, helpful, and made me and my bridesmaids feel absolutely beautiful. 10000/10 would recommend!

and even suggested products for me to prep my skin leading up to the big event. Then on the wedding day itself, my bridesmaids and I had so much fun getting ready with her and the team. She made everyone look stunning, and I am obsessed with my final look. I could not recommend her enough!

ook good for photos. Everyone looked beautiful!

heavy, it would photograph well. Boy was she right. The makeup absolutely popped in my engagement pics. The only thing that could have gone better was planning. For some reason some of my emails kept getting missed and the day before I thought I was going to have to find someone else. Luckily Ambra was available. I would give Ambra 5 stars and the Salon itself 4 stars. I thought the prices were a bit high as I was unaware of a "site fee" and an "early morning" fee until the day before. I would think most makeup is done onsite and should therefore just be included in makeup price. All in all I ended up spending over $275 + tip for makeup application only. In my opinion, that is high. I guess that's just the wedding business though.

she followed up via text with how my hair held up during the day and made notes on how to make adjustments for the wedding. I thought she was so thoughtful and intentional. She even helped the groom with some advice for his persistent cowlick, and he looked SO good on wedding day!! I could not be more grateful that she was there on my wedding day. She was a calm in the storm!! 100% recommend. The booking process was very straight-forward, which was great because we don’t live in the area.

ets Ariana Grande ponytail for the daytime shoot but want to be able to take it down myself and add a veil a-la Priscilla Pressley for my evening shoot. They were able to knock all these requests out of the park and make me feel so beautiful on my special day. I've had professional makeup done several times in the past and have always felt like a clown in that makeup... not this time!!! 100% would recommend!!!

thing was beautiful. I knew what I wanted for my engagement photos, but I really didn’t know what I wanted for my wedding other than a natural look. We came around to this topic and Alana immediately suggested looks or options that would complement my dress, as well as fit my personal style. She suggested a few search terms to generate inspiration photos that were helpful. I was previously overwhelmed trying to find inspiration photos - I had given up. A Salon is masterful at the elevated and natural look but inspiration photos help narrow down to the look you want. Amy transformed me as part of the wedding trial. I was prepared with inspiration photos but I wasn’t really sure it was a coherent example. Amy immediately figured out the look I was hoping to achieve and exceeded any hopes. As part of the process she inquired on my perspective on lashes. I had no experience with them and only fears, so we gave it a shot. She was right. They looked natural and were not bothersome, even with contacts. We knew exactly what to do the day of by the end of the session. As a secondary check, I kept my makeup and hair for the rest of the day. I wanted to make sure everything held without reaction and felt normal. My now husband said that I was beautiful and still looked like me, which was important. Amy nailed it. On the day of the wedding, we had so much fun with Amy. She worked with me and two other ladies. She brought such a warm and positive energy to the day, and felt like an old friend to each of us. We LOVED her. And, she continued to work magic. Hair that never holds a curl did so for the entire night. She listened to preferences and concerns about makeup. And, when there was a request for just a little more, she agreed with the decision (hoped it would be the case) and gladly added just a bit more elegant drama. Our photographer arrived early, commenting on threatening weather and, if possible, getting ready ahead of schedule. Amy was super positive and calm with this request. We were ahead of schedule but I followed her lead stress about this change in plans. Our time continued to be relaxed, easy, and super of laughter; I wasn’t concerned or stressed. In the end, I was the most beautiful version of myself. I was confident. I was empowered. I was calm. I cannot recommend Alana and Amy or A Salon enough. They are fabulous humans and exceptional at their craft. You’ll look and feel like the best version of yourself with this team.

, always quick to respond and makes you feel SO beautiful. So easy to talk to- always makes you feel comfortable. Can’t recommend a salon enough!!

nd every single person in our bridal party was ecstatic about how their HMU came out. Highly recommend!

onal, and good at their job. She is your girl!

job and made us all feel so beautiful! They were very professional while still being fun and bringing great energy to the wedding morning. Would definitely recommend!

and beyond to accommodate our requests! I loved how my hair and makeup turned out—so much better than I could have ever imagined. Amy did my hair and makeup for my engagement photos, and it was exactly what I wanted as well. They are all so fun to work with and will keep you laughing—I am so thankful to have worked with them!

.

can’t wait to see our photos!

to our unexpected and last minute changes due to COVID. She and her fellow artist showed up in time and went right to work. They listened to our visions and really delivered. Thank you Alana and team.

ul from beginning to end. They listened to my ideas for my make up and hair and it turned out even better than I ever imagined. I felt simply beautiful! They were professional and fun. I would recommend A-Salon for all special occasion styling needs!

ble. I received so many compliments and our photos came out great!

h makes the glamming process that much more enjoyable. You will not regret hiring this wonderful team!!

aids in addition to making me look more beautiful than ever. Her team was on schedule the entire time, it was stress free, and fun to have them as part of the getting ready time. Do yourself a favor and hire Alana for your special day!

he did my trial 6 months before my wedding and not only did I feel beautiful, I felt so comfortable hanging out with her! My husband and I loved just chatting with her. On the actual day she was chatting with all my bridesmaids and mom / MIL as she did their hair and makeup with her team and made everyone feel so comfortable. I was sooo stressed that morning and it was so nice having someone there that made us all look beautiful and helped us all relax. 10/10 would recommend Alana and her team :)

uld 100% hire her and her lovely team again!

lso did my Mother’s hair and makeup and my Mother looked stunning! Alana also went above and beyond….a few days before my wedding, she came to my hotel room and cut and colored my hair! I’ve never had a better cut and the highlights were exactly what I wanted. She is soo sweet and fun to chat with, I felt like we had been friends for years!!! Alana is truly an incredible Makeup/Hair Artist!!!

that I was comfortable every step of the way. I love her down to earth nature and her kindness. I LOVED how my hair and makeup turned out!! If you are in need of a MUA for an upcoming event I highly recommend Alana! You can find her on Instagram @a.salonsantafe