Fashion Stores
Colour Lab 12
Colour Lab 12 is the first salon in Toronto that is exclusively about colour. No cuts, styles, perms (do people still get those?), trims, or anything else unrelated to hue. Just as Doll Bar is to extensions and Fuzz Wax Bar is to waxing, this salon is sticking to one thing, and striving to do it impeccably well.
The idea belongs to Raphael Ness Azran, who I meet in his new salon along with colourist-colleagues Meghan and Shu. Raphael tells me he was literally born into the hair industry (both of his parents are stylists), fostering his skills at the Sassoon Academy out in California before returning to Toronto to work at various salons. "It's time hairdressing had a wake-up call," he tells me is his sleek new Rosedale spot. The salon has a bit of a black/white dichotomy going on, with a Coco Chanel quote on the wall reading, "The best colour in the whole world is the one that looks good on you."
Raphael says that he spent some time reflecting on the hair industry overall, paying special attention to the wrongs and rights of colour. "There are a lot of mistakes going on," he says. "A lot of burns, a lot of over-colouring, and the process sometimes just take too long."
The approach Colour Lab 12 takes, he says, is almost scientific (hence the "lab" in its name). Clients can either book an appointment or walk right in, then choose from a menu of options that include the "Balancing Act" of highlights and lowlights ($85), the "Virgin Tint" of semi-permanent colour ($65), or a "Sun Kissed" ($55) natural look.
The stylists then convene on the best approach (while consulting with the client), following by mixing some of the 95 Goldwell products in stock. The colour is set with the help of Colour Lab 12's climazone processors, which, according to Raphael, accelerate the waiting time to somewhere around 15 to 18 minutes.
But best of all, in my opinion, are the three iPads waiting for unoccupied client hands. "We didn't want to do magazines," Raphael says. "We have one iPad for each chair; you can go on Facebook, Flipboard, whatever you want." Just don't forget to log out, of course, less your colour experience be marred by an unwelcome falsified status update.
After the colour is washed out, clients can opt to blow dry their hair themselves (saving time and money) at Colour Lab 12's blow dry station. This strikes me as a fantastic idea, especially since restlessness usually strikes me around the wash-out phase. The station has brushes, products — pretty much anything else you need, allowing you to dry as much or little as you want before heading out the door.
The salon also has its own line of sulfate-, phosphate-, and SLS-free shampoos and conditioners, all of which are produced in Ontario and priced between $20 and $24 per bottle. The line has been designed, of course, to enhance and protect coloured hair. And for all your cut and styling needs — yeah, probably best to head down the road.
Photos by Jesse Milns
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My last cut and colour was at House of Lords, and even though they are pros ... my purple hues were faded red in no time.
Although I know all colour fades, it was like a slaughtered a pig every time I showered. And I followed all their instructions.
After watching my money quite literally go down the drain, I'd pay a premium if they could get this one thing right.
I love being able to separate cut from colour and do each as needed, and like someone else said the great cutters aren't always great at colour. It's cost effective, too.
Location is convenient for anyone downtown on the subway, just a few steps from Rosedale station, so if Rosedale residents don't like the do-it-yourself drying the rest of us downtown can keep them busy.
I wish you well
Got highlights there recently and my hair looks amazing. They fixed my hair!
I wanted to change my colour from blonde to more brunette, keeping overall blonde highlights, which should be a bread and butter request for a 'colour only' specialty salon. The results: the definition of Disaster. On my first of two days at Colour Lab, my hair turned out red and looked nothing like any of the seven or so pictures I had brought in to show him (think Jennisfer Anniston) to ensure we were on the same page - as we all know colour talk can be subjective.
Raphael ultimately decided to apply a colour reverser in my hair the next day, which caused my hair to seize up and become densely matted! I spent over 2 hours in a chair as they tried to brush the mattes out of my hair, and ultimately Raphael said he had nothing more he could do except cut out a chunk of my hair. Needless to say, this was a tremendously traumatizing experience and I was crying like a small child as he snipped my locks off.
The worst part of this whole experience was that after almost 9 hours in his salon (over 2 days), with the results of now orangey hair with chunks cut out, Raphael tried to blame the whole experience on me and my 'overprocessed' hair! He was arrogant, unsympathetic and for someone who owns a 'colour only' hair salon, seemed to lack any insight into the vulnerable experience of being a woman colouring your hair. He was ultimately extremely rude and too egotistical to accept his own wrongdoings.
I have to mention that while I was there, there were other unhappy clients as well, even though Raphael claims that 'all 350 customers have been satisfied'. I wonder whether he actually listened and heard their responses to his colouring, or just maintained his 'I know best' attitude.
This salon has only been open for four months, and I really believe that Raphael is riding on the notoriety of his parents' salon and social media attention due to his location and appealing exterior. The truth that I saw at Colour Lab is that Raphael lacks experience, understanding of women's hair and ultimately caused me days of extreme hair trauma that has left me shocked and outraged. I even had to cancel birthday plans because I couldn't go out in public. What is worse, I heard him on his phone afterwards talking about me - still trying to defend what he had done to my hair and saying it wasn't his fault. He is clearly immature and has a sense of entitlement that has been handed to him on a silver platter.
DO NOT TRUST YOUR HAIR TO THIS SALON - PLEASE! I don't want anyone to go through what I had to endure. And for anyone reading this, I am not a person to embellish or try and be negative – I usually am quite forgiving. This is one hundred percent truth and I just want to warn others to protect their hair.
Raphael does NOT act like that. This is why I think the previous comment is bogus. I've dealt with him many times and have seen him talking to other clients, he's a really nice and patient guy who knows what he's doing (he'd never cut someone's hair!!!!). He's also very honest. I once booked a treatment as an add-on to my colour appointment. He told me my hair didn't really need it and taught me things I could do with the products I had at home.