Key takeaways
- Calia Hair in North York is our first pick for colour: it offers balayage, a blonde specialist service and colour correction led by Peter Ciardulli, and it starts every service with a one-on-one consultation.
- Published balayage prices on these salon websites run from $195 at Lola Salon to $427 at the top Album Hair level. Length, thickness and stylist level change the final price.
- For colour prices you can read before you book, look at Album Hair, Lola Salon, Sassoon Toronto and PERFECT X HAIR.
- Always book a consultation before a big colour change, and ask what a toner, a gloss and a blow-dry cost on top of the base price.
Good hair colour starts with picking the right colourist. A soft balayage, a platinum blonde, a grey blend and a vivid pastel each need different skills, and the price can change a lot from one salon to the next. This guide compares ten Toronto salons for hair colour and balayage, explains why each one is here and says who it suits. For a wider list that covers cuts and other services, see our Top 10 Hair Salons in Toronto. All details below come from each salon’s own website.
Quick answer
If you want one salon that covers balayage, blonde work and colour correction, with a consultation before every service, start with Calia Hair in North York. If you want prices before you book, Album Hair, Lola Salon, Sassoon Toronto and PERFECT X HAIR all publish colour prices. For creative or vivid colour, look at The Proudest Pony and Fifteen Twelve Salon.
Ten Toronto colour salons compared
| # | Salon | Area | Best known for | Published colour pricing | Online booking |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Calia Hair | North York (Yonge and Lawrence) | Balayage, blonde specialist, colour correction | Colour prices not listed; Fibre Clinix treatments from $30 | Yes |
| 2 | Album Hair | Leslieville and Riverside | Balayage and colour by stylist level | Balayage from $244 to $427; root touch-up $109 | Yes |
| 3 | Lola Salon | Ossington and Parkdale | Full colour menu | Balayage $195 to $295; root retouch $90 to $150 | Yes |
| 4 | PERFECT X HAIR | Yorkville and North York | Bleach, balayage and gloss | One-process balayage from $259; multi-process from $369 | Yes |
| 5 | Sassoon Toronto | Yorkville | Colour by colourist level | Full balayage $350, half $285; highlights from $205 | Yes |
| 6 | The Cabinet Salon | Queen West | Balayage, creative colour, grey blending | Hourly rates on a separate page | Yes |
| 7 | Fifteen Twelve Salon | Brockton Village | Copper, platinum and vivid colour | Hourly pricing, price list on its services page | Yes |
| 8 | Evolve Hair Studio | CityPlace and Fort York | Balayage, platinum, colour correction | Not published on its home page | Yes |
| 9 | The Proudest Pony | Bloorcourt | Vivid, pastel and rainbow colour | Per-stylist price pages | Yes |
| 10 | AUGUST | Gladstone Avenue | Colour with Davines products | Not found | Yes |
How we chose these salons
We started with a broad pool of Toronto salons found through search results, salon directories and published local guides. We then read each salon’s own website and kept the ones where we could confirm the address, the colour services and the booking method. Well-known names were left out when we could not confirm enough current details.
For each salon we looked at:
- Colour services: whether balayage, blonde work, colour correction or vivid colour is listed.
- Transparency: whether prices, hours and consultation details are easy to find.
- Named colourists: whether the salon says who does the colour and at what level.
- Access: location, opening hours and how you book.
- Fit: who the salon suits and where it may not.
We did not visit these salons for this guide, and we did not use star ratings from review sites, because they cannot be compared fairly across platforms. Statements about training and awards are reported by the salons themselves, and we say so where it applies. Read our full ranking method.
A note on independence
No salon paid to appear on this list. Spotted a mistake? Send us a correction.
The ten salons
1. Calia Hair: best for balayage, blonde and colour correction
Where: 3338 Yonge Street, North York, north of Lawrence Avenue.
Calia Hair covers the main colour requests under one roof. Its website lists balayage, a Blonde Specialist service for highlights and lift, colour from subtle highlights to bold shades, and colour correction led by Peter Ciardulli. Every service starts with a one-on-one consultation, and the salon says a consultation is included before every balayage appointment. It says its colour is done by Schwarzkopf-certified specialists and that the team is trained by Schwarzkopf Professional. We could not independently confirm that, so treat it as the salon’s own statement.
Practical details: it is open Tuesday and Friday 10 am to 6 pm, Wednesday and Thursday 10 am to 8 pm, Saturday 9 am to 5 pm and Sunday 11 am to 4 pm, and it is closed on Mondays. You can book online, by phone or by requesting a stylist from their profile page. The website does not list colour prices, so ask for an estimate at your consultation.
Best for: balayage, blonde lift, colour correction and clients in North York and midtown. Consider: colour prices are not published, and the salon is a trip from downtown.
2. Album Hair: best for balayage with clear stylist levels
Where: 639 Queen Street East, Leslieville and Riverside.
Album Hair lists balayage and ombré from $244 with a level one stylist, rising across five published levels to $427. A root touch-up is listed at $109, and colour correction is quoted by the hour after a consultation. It names its stylists and levels on the site, with founder Dat Tran at level five, and its FAQ suggests booking the more senior stylists by name for balayage and colour. A $50 consultation deposit is credited to your service if you go ahead. Toner or gloss is listed from $85, though the FAQ says it is included with balayage, so check when you book.
It is open Tuesday to Friday 10 am to 7 pm and Saturday 9 am to 6 pm, and closed Sunday and Monday.
Best for: clients who want to choose a stylist level and know the price range before booking. Consider: the deposit and the wide price range between levels.
3. Lola Salon: best for a full colour price list
Where: 200 Ossington Avenue and 1336 Queen Street West.
Lola Salon publishes one of the most complete colour menus on our list. Balayage is listed at $195 to $295, partial highlights at $170 to $240, full highlights at $200 to $310 and babylights at $195 to $330. Going darker, a root retouch is $90 to $150 and all-over colour is $120 to $200. Lightening and colour correction are charged by the hour and need a consultation. The salon says prices depend on experience level, length, density and time, and it offers a free consultation for an exact quote.
You book online and choose either the Ossington or the Parkdale location. Bridal colour is booked directly with the salon.
Best for: clients comparing services side by side and anyone who wants a quote range up front. Consider: the ranges are wide, so confirm your stylist’s rate.
4. PERFECT X HAIR: best for starting prices on bleach and balayage
Where: Yorkville (18 Cumberland Street), Art Gallery (336 Dundas Street West), Yonge and Sheppard and Yonge and Empress.
PERFECT X HAIR lists starting prices for colour. A one-process balayage with no bleach starts at $259, a multi-process balayage at $369 and half-head highlights at $249. A full bleach and toner starts at $369, and a hair gloss at $139. All listed prices carry a plus sign, so the final cost can be higher. All four locations share the same hours: Monday to Thursday 11 am to 7 pm and Friday to Sunday 10 am to 8 pm.
Best for: clients who want to see starting prices for bleach work and a location close to the subway. Consider: starting prices only, so ask for the full cost for your length and level.
5. Sassoon Toronto: best for colour priced by colourist level
Where: 122 Scollard Street, Yorkville.
Sassoon Toronto lists colour starting prices by team level. Total colour runs from $100 with a graduate to $130 with a colour director. Bleach and tone runs from $155 to $210. Full-head balayage is $350 and half head is $285, and highlights or lowlights are $250 for a full head and $205 for a half. The salon says prices are set at your consultation, and consultations are complimentary. A blow-dry is required after colour services, and cancellations need 24 hours’ notice or a 50 percent charge applies. The salon also lists discounts for children under twelve and for full-time students with ID on Tuesday to Friday.
It is open Tuesday to Thursday 9:30 am to 7 pm, Friday 9:30 am to 8 pm, Saturday 8:30 am to 6 pm and Sunday 9:30 am to 4 pm.
Best for: clients who want a clear price ladder and a Yorkville location. Consider: the required blow-dry and the cancellation charge.
6. The Cabinet Salon: best for hourly pricing with no tip
Where: 577 Queen Street West, Queen West.
The Cabinet Salon lists balayage, creative colour and grey blending as colour specialties. It uses hourly, gender-neutral and gratuity-free pricing, with each stylist’s rate reflecting their experience, and the rates are on a separate page. Its site names AG Hair Care as its product brand and offers a stylist matching quiz for new clients. Hours listed are Tuesday and Thursday 12 pm to 8 pm, Wednesday and Friday 10 am to 6 pm and Saturday 10 am to 5 pm.
Best for: clients who want to choose a stylist by specialty and know that tipping is included. Consider: you have to check the separate pricing page for rates.
7. Fifteen Twelve Salon: best for copper, platinum and vivid colour
Where: 1512 Dundas Street West, Brockton Village.
Fifteen Twelve Salon lists balayage and sun-kissed looks, natural copper, platinum blondes and vivids among its colour work. It prices colour by the hour on a genderless basis and links to a services page with its price list. Booking is online, and new clients can fill in a consultation form. The salon says walk-ins are accepted, but stylists are often fully booked, so contact them first. Hours are Tuesday 10 am to 7 pm, Wednesday to Friday 10 am to 8 pm and Saturday 10 am to 6 pm, with Monday by appointment.
Best for: copper, platinum and fashion colour. Consider: hourly pricing means the total depends on how long your colour takes.
8. Evolve Hair Studio: best for colour near Fort York and CityPlace
Where: 40 Fort York Boulevard.
Evolve Hair Studio says its colourists offer balayage and colour correction, and its service menu includes colour, platinum, and highlighting and painting. It lists Redken Shades EQ, Kevin Murphy, K18 and Great Lengths among its brands. Prices are not on the home page. A stylist matchmaker form helps new clients choose a stylist. Hours are Tuesday to Friday 11 am to 8 pm and Saturday 10 am to 5 pm, and it is closed Sunday and Monday.
Best for: downtown condo residents who want colour and extensions at the same salon. Consider: prices are not on the home page and no stylists are named there.
9. The Proudest Pony: best for vivid and pastel colour
Where: 1267 Bloor Street West, Bloorcourt.
The Proudest Pony lists vivid, pastel and rainbow colour and colour correction. Its stylists are named with their own specialties: balayage is a listed specialty of Jamie-eve Garbutt, and another stylist lists chunky and blended highlights and alternative colour. Prices sit on a separate page for each stylist, and it says it prices by the work done, not by gender. It is open seven days a week from 11 am to 7 pm by appointment, books through Vagaro and takes part in the Green Circle Salon recycling program.
Best for: bold, creative colour and clients who want to book a named specialist. Consider: you need to open each stylist’s page to see prices.
10. AUGUST: best for Davines colour on Gladstone Avenue
Where: 42 Gladstone Avenue.
AUGUST lists cut, colour, keratin smoothing and permanent wave, and it uses Davines products exclusively. We did not find colour prices or named colourists on its home page. It books through Square Appointments and is open Wednesday to Sunday 10 am to 7 pm, with Monday used for team training.
Best for: clients who prefer a Davines-only salon in the Queen West and Dufferin area. Consider: prices and colourists are not easy to find on its site, so ask when you book.
How to choose a colour salon
Start with the result you want. Balayage, platinum, copper, grey blending and vivid colour are different skills. Look at a colourist’s recent work for the look you want.
Book a consultation first. Many salons here offer one. Album Hair takes a $50 deposit that is credited to your service, while Sassoon Toronto and Lola Salon offer free consultations.
Ask for the full price. Ask what is included: toner, gloss, blow-dry and a bond-building treatment can add to the base price. Several salons list only starting prices.
Match the stylist level to the job. Album Hair, Sassoon Toronto and Lola Salon price by experience level. A senior colourist costs more and may be worth it for blonde work or colour correction.
Plan for upkeep. Lightened hair needs toning and regular visits. Ask how often you should come back and what a root touch-up costs.
Frequently asked questions
How much does balayage cost in Toronto? On the salon websites we read, balayage runs from $195 at Lola Salon and $244 at Album Hair to $350 for a full head at Sassoon Toronto, and up to $427 at the top Album Hair level. PERFECT X HAIR starts one-process balayage at $259. Hair length and thickness change the final price.
Which salon is best for colour correction? Calia Hair says colour correction is led by Peter Ciardulli. Album Hair and Lola Salon quote colour correction by the hour after a consultation, and Evolve Hair Studio and The Proudest Pony list it as a service. Book a consultation first.
Do I need a consultation? For a big change, yes. Calia Hair starts every service with a consultation, Sassoon Toronto and Lola Salon offer free ones, and Album Hair credits a $50 deposit to your service.
Is a toner or gloss included? It depends. Album Hair says toner or gloss is included with balayage, while Lola Salon and PERFECT X HAIR list toners and gloss as separate services. Ask when you book.
Do I need to book ahead? Yes. Most of these salons book online, and several say colour services must be booked in advance.
Final thoughts
Choosing a colour salon is easier when you match the colourist to the result you want. Calia Hair earns first place for its range of colour work and its consultation before every service. Album Hair, Lola Salon, Sassoon Toronto and PERFECT X HAIR stand out for published prices, and the rest of the list suits clients looking for creative colour, hourly pricing or a particular product line. Know a salon we should consider? Suggest a business.