Hearts & Robots Hair Studio

I want so much to be able to write a good review for Hearts and Robots. Scarlett was lovely and very accommodating and met with me a week before my appointment for a consultation. Unfortunately the final results were nothing I could not have achieved myself with a bottle of cheap, over-​the-​counter dye and 45 minutes.
I came to Hearts and Robots looking for a color correction. Several rounds of purple dye 9 months before had left random patches of my hair stained pink. Further, a recent misadventure with a bottle of toner that had oxidized and gone bad had left me with horrible brassy roots. My ultimate goal was to have a silver mane, but I told her I’d be happy if we could get rid of the pink stain and the brassy roots for a uniform ash or gray color.
I was very excited about my appointment. I knew that it would be a significant investment, but after a year of dying my own hair (with uneven effects) I hoped I would finally get that professional touch that would result in an even hair color. When I arrived for my appointment, Scarlett told me that she didn’t want to bleach my hair, because my ends were a bit dry, but that she was confident that a single application of a darker gray color would solve the problems I was having. I had told her previously (and once again reiterated) that my hair does not take color well or evenly. I was a bit skeptical that a single application of dye would fix my problem, but I figured that this was the kind of professional advice I was paying for. I was further alarmed, however, when she told me she was using «ammonia free» dye. As I’ve said, my hair does not like to take color, so while I appreciate the sentiment of trying to keep my hair healthy, I was also worried that nothing but the harshest chemicals was likely to correct the problem.
Scarlett applied the color, and was very diligent about working it through my hair. When she washed out the dye, she told me that the pink was gone. I was relived to see (from the front anyway) that my roots looked much less brassy. However it was clear to us both that, as usual, the dark gray color had only taken to parts of my hair, leaving others my stubborn, natural honey blonde color. She apologized that we weren’t able to get to the silver-​gray color I had wanted, but went on to style my hair and take several photographs of the final product.
It was not until I got home that I realized how little this single application of dye had accomplished. From the front it looked sort of ok, but from the back it was obvious that not only had none of the pink been removed, but the gray color had only taken to a few strands of hair, leaving me with the kind of weird, multi-​color pastiche I had sought professional help to get rid of in the first place! The next day I got out my trusty Wella 050 violet toner, left it in for an hour, and managed to (mostly) fix the problem myself, but I’m absolutely galled and embarrassed by the fact that I wasted 160 bucks on someone just applying some dye to my hair. Scarlett is a lovely person, who, I believe tried to do the best she could, but unfortunately the result was so lame that it would be laughable – if it weren’t so expensive! I’m trying not to mourn the large amount of money I wasted on this endeavor, and I encourage all of you the think twice before you go to Hearts and Robots for any kind of color correction. You’ll have better luck at home!

I started going to Hearts & Robots about a year ago after seeing my friend’s fantastic haircut.
My first visit was to Scarlett, where I entrusted her to chop off 3 feet of my hair! I was semi-​nervous about such a serious chop with a new stylist, however it was obvious when I started talking to her that she was perfect for the job.
Scarlett made sure we both understood where my short hair would fall when wet/​dry and overall was really patient and thorough before she ever started cutting my hair.
They also took care of the hair donation for me. They rotate the groups that they donate to.
Since my chop, I’ve consistently gone back to both Scarlett and her husband for fun cuts. I love their excitement when I show them a new style that I want. I’ve never been nervous about the outcome because they’re both so talented!
I also love that you can book online! H&R is the only place I trust to cut my hair now :)

Scarlett gave me an amazing perm! I wanted a free and easy style to release me from my 1.5 hr hair routine, and that’s exactly what I got. My hair looks great, its not damaged (except for a few end pieces you are supposed to get cut off after, but I have failed to do so), and I’ve gotten tons of compliments. She used a medium and small rollers and my rings are fairly small. I’m hoping to try out the larger ones next time to see if we can get them a bit bigger. Overall, I love my new perm, loved Scarlett, and will keep coming back again and again — supposed to last between 6 and 9 months. Word’s to the wise, I did save up for several months to do this — I got a cut before, the consultation, and then the perm all for ~$ 450 (have a lot of hair so I needed an extra box of perm product). It’s tough but if you have a long hair routine and want a wash-​and-​go this is it.

They slapped bleach in, toned it with blue. The tone washed out after two shampoos and the bleach was really poorly done — tons of breakage. I could’ve done better just getting some 40 volume and BW2 powder and doing it myself. Now my hair is super dry, broken, and it’s back to being yellow instead of white. Just a shoddy job all around. My hair is hideous, I look horrible. Thumbs down. Never go here.

My normal hair salon was fully booked but I needed my extensions done for a photoshoot and so had to go elsewhere. I took my hair extensions to Scarlett to have the color bleached out, and purple dye overlayed. I also wanted to get my hair dyed. I have no major complaints about my hair and how it was done. Not a great job with the blowdry/​straighten and the dye looked no different from how my hair was already colored, but she claimed that it was all for the «longevity» of the color. $ 125* for longevity. Awesome, whatever… My extensions however, are a COMPLETE horror story.
Literally a joke. My beautiful, brand new extensions were returned a coppery, unevenly dyed, dried out mess. I wish I had gotten better pictures. 3 of the wefts I couldn’t even use. Thankfully my normal salon was able to fix them for me.
For the terrible job she did on my extensions, I would’ve appreciated some form of discount or offer to fix them, because I literally couldn’t even use some the wefts until I could get them fixed. But there was nothing, just apologies and constant reassurance that it was not an easy task. Yeah, we knew going in that wasn’t going to be easy, but they looked terrible.
Cute salon, friendly staff. Just please do not take your extensions here to be bleached! Also, pretty pricey for the job that they do. Won’t be returning.
*price does include tip.

I can’t believe I never thought to write a review before now. I’ve been going to Iana for a couple of years now and would not change for the world! She has a great vision and somehow can interpret my nonsensical babbling about what I want into a style/​color that was better than I imagined.
I travel a lot for my job (I write books for teens) and everywhere I go I get asked about my hair — whether I have creative color or tinsel extensions. Iana’s work has become almost part of my author brand.
Also it’s so fun to go to the salon. Drink hot chocolate and listen to The Smiths and talk about cosplay. Like I’m hanging with a group of friends. The laid-​back vibe probably isn’t for everyone but I look forward to going every time!
For those of you suspicious of any five star reviews, I can tell you I walked into this place off the street after having a terrible experience at one of those top trendy Austin salons and I knew nothing about the place or the people. But I quickly found kindred spirits and creative minds and I will now never go anywhere else.

Booked Scarlet for a cut and color. I had several pictures to show her what I wanted. She gave them a glance and worked her magic. A few days later I noticed my highlights were looking more orange than the carmel color I had wanted and showed her pictures of. I gave Scarlet a call and explained. She was totally booked up for the next couple of weeks but offered to stay late after closing if I didn’t mind coming in late that evening. She fixed the problem and I loved my hair. She was beyond kind and professional!

Love love love this salon! The whole experience is pleasant from the start. I am thrilled with the haircut that I got a couple of weeks ago. Do yourself a favor, go see Scarlett in her adorable salon!

Madelaine is an artist at the least and she may very well be a wizard. My thin, straight, fine hair does amazing things after she cuts it. And it is not a style that only looks good after styled by an expert – no, in the hands of a mere mortal (me) it looks great every day. Growing out? Cut remain fabulous. The salon itself is adorable and very convenient. After a very long search, I have finally found my salon home!

Had a great haircut at last minute appointment. Iana fit me in at the end of the day and fixed a lame awkward hair cut I’d gotten somewhere else the week before. I have curly/​wavy hair and I’m very pleased with it!

Great location and cute building. Took forever to get an appt so I figured that must be a good sign. Really nice and personable hair stylists, but when I asked to come back in to fix my hair, they wanted to charge me again. My hair did not look like the picture i had brought in for them to replicate. First time i’ve ever had a salon do that. I was surprised and kinda disappointed.

Iana cut my hair from long to very short and I’m so pleased with it. She was very patient with me and asked lots of questions to make sure it turned out just how I wanted. I’ll definitely be back when I’m ready for color. Thanks for a great experience!

Just got the best haircut and color I’ve ever gotten! Already gotten a ton of compliments. I usually put off going to get my hair done because it’s such a pain to find a good stylist who understand what I want but I think H&R is officially my regular spot now.
I’ve gotten my hair cut twice by Madelaine now and she did a great job both times. This time, I got about a foot of hair cut off and got an ombré. By my standards, that’s a big change so I was kind of nervous about my cut. Madelaine was professional and seemed to really know what she was doing, which put me at ease. She took the time to style my hair nicely and even gave some helpful tips for maintaining and styling it myself (although I doubt it’ll look nearly as nice when I do it!)

I’ve been going here for a few years. The first time was for a simple hair cut, which I loved. The next time, was for a crazy hair color change, in which Scarlett gave me the My Little Pony hair of my dreams. I went a couple times after that, and then most recently, I went with a $ 125 gift certificate. i wanted a some creative color panels and a hair cut. I was ok spending some of my own money if the cost went over the $ 125 certificate, but it was an additional $ 70. When I had gotten my all-​over multi-​colored hairdo a couple years ago, it was $ 145. This time, for just my bangs and the underside of my hair, it was $ 195 total. I think the pricing was outrageous and if they continue pricing like this, I won’t be giving my business, no matter how great the colors and cuts are.

Iana is amazeballs!!! I had an idea of what I wanted but Iana was great about emailing me so we were on the same page about the whole process! She was absolutely brilliant and so meticulous with all the colouring. Everyone working there was so friendly and the shop is adorable! So glad I found this place!

First of all, the name of this salon deserves soo many stars! I initially came to this salon because of the name! It is soo friggin’ cute!
When my hairstylist of 2 years moved back to her hometown, I was in need of a new hair stylist! and I definitely wasn’t going to choose myself! So, the internet researching began. At the time, I was living on the east side of Austin and my primary way of transportation was biking… this means that I want the salon to be super close. And bam! Hearts and Robots popped up! the salon was about a mile away from my house.
Score. This was about a year and a half ago? I am still going there every 3 – 4 months to get my hair done :) Even though I live on Slaughter and Westgate now (yikes!), I am very confident that this salon will do a fantastic job on my hair. all the time. Distance does not seem to matter if the service is outstanding.
I get my hair colored every time I go. it is usually a red color (s).right now I have eggplant and copper hair, haha! and I have gotten nothing but positive feedback about it :). Scarlett is definitely my go to stylist! She is really an artistic individual always helping my on hair color combinations. I know I should know what I want when I get there, but it is hard! I am creative type, but when it comes to hair. I definitely need some guidance. I have gotten my hair done by the other stylists as well. Madelaine did my hair once which I adored!
My experience with H & R has always been positive. my hair visits sometimes make my day! :) Thank you for your services!

Really cute shop, awesome people. Iana has been cutting and coloring my hair for over a year, and she’s terrific! No matter what I ask her for, she makes my hair look great. I’d been afraid of my curls and way-​too-​thick hair and always ironed them out, but she always makes my natural curliness look amazing, not floofy. She’s creative and obviously has a lot of skill.
Location-​wise, this place is very accessible, parking is reasonable, and the food trailers outside are pretty rad. I’d recommend this place-​and Iana– to anyone!

For the past two years, I’ve been getting my hair styled by Meg at H&R and quite frankly, she’s one of the best hair stylists in town! Meg is a great listener and always styles my hair with the right layers and flare that fits the season. I trust her creative method that gives my hair a fresh new look each time. I truly enjoy her energy, stylist skills and great conversation… you’ll be missed here but may you have the most success in the Bay Area!
~Angie

I ADORE Scarlett! I’ve been going to H & R for over 2 years (wrote a rave review in 2012), and I still LOVE it! The salon itself is a fab atmosphere and they always make me feel welcome and at home. I used to dread going to the salon, now I look forward to my hair time. On my very first visit, Scarlett gave me beautiful color and a great cut that was what I’d been searching for. She truly listened to me and made me feel at ease. Since then, Scarlett has always rocked my hair and I feel like a million bucks when I leave. I get compliments on my hair from strangers ALL THE TIME! She also did my hair and makeup for my wedding (and for all my bridesmaids). I wouldn’t have had anyone else for my big day! It took me years to find my dream salon and stylist, but now that I have, I’m never going anywhere else. Try them out, you won’t be disappointed!

I read the reviews and was very hopeful that I might have finally found a salon… NOPE. I requested Scarlett and told her I needed my roots touched up and a couple more highlights. As she was putting the highlights on, I noticed that she wasn’t evenly distributing the color which definitely concerned me but I figured she knew what she was doing and let her do her job… that was a mistake. There were large sections of what were supposed to be highlights, NOT HIGHLIGHTED. So, the root and ends were highlighted, and nothing in between. I didn’t even notice it until I put my hair up and saw it in the mirror.
I was so disappointed I called her to tell her how uneven everything was and sent pictures. (POSTED) She offered to fix it but I had a wedding to go to in 3 days and she couldn’t fit me in before that. I drove to CVS and bought a box and colored my hair myself. This whole experience forced me to go back to dark. That’s how desperate I felt. She then offered to put in highlights to break up the dark and was nice to do that, but at this point I’d rather do it myself.

Super happy with my overall experience here! Scarlett was very good at communicating with me and helping me figure out exactly what I wanted out of my cut, perm and overall style.
They require a consultation before you see them, at least as a first time client. At first I was a little rattled by this, simply because I always wait until I’m in DESPERATE need of hair attention. I came to my consultation and was thoroughly pleased with this level of service.
Throughout the appointment Scarlett continued to communicate everything she was doing and why she was doing it. I felt like she did this better than most physicians. Thank you Scarlett! I’ll be seeing you again.

Can I give this place a sixth star please?
I love love love these gals. Scarlett is absolutely amazing. Not only is she super talented, she’s like a friend I’ve had for years so not only did I get an amazing cut and color, I had fun doing it. Time flew!
She gave me EXACTLY what I was looking for, amazing belayage, killer cut, and awesome prices, plus Scarlett had a little extra time, so she even fancied up my do with some curls.
Part of me wants to keep them a secret bc I don’t want everyone to look as badass as I do, but I won’t…they’re too great to keep quiet about.

Ever tried to explain what you wanted to a hair dresser but express it all wrong and wonder how your hair is going to come out ?
Yeah, well being a hair color vigin did stress me when I first made the decision of trying to brighten my natural brunette. Turns out, absolutely no worries to be had with Victoria. The lady is a hair wizard and she knows her curly/​wavy hair. She hand painted highlights to give me that uneven but still natural look that I craved and it turned out much better than I imagined ! Victoria is very caring and she genuinely does her best to make you feel beautiful and that is what struck me. Also, since I’m new to the ‘curl game’ (my hair started curling last year after being straw-​straight) she took the time to explain to me how to place my hair with no hassle and introduced me to an awesome coconut-​hibiscus hair balm that smells like tropical heaven.
The salon as a nice pin-​up (y) vibe to it in the décor, lots of pink and art which is great. The other hairdressers are friendly and also make small talk to other clients which is super nice. Reasonably priced for the Austin area and for the great service you receive.
All of this to say, you should totally go there and try it out, whether it is to get you hair cut, colored or whatever you never dared to do. You are in good hands.
P. S.: Testimony 2 — It was my first time here and a friend who saw my color once I was out the salon cancelled an appointment to book one with Victoria at Hearts and Robot instead.