Colour me impressed (and pardon the pun). I had a great first experience at Redbloom.
Right from the start at reception they were professional and friendly. It is a lovely salon without being stuck up and pretentious. It was clean and well maintained compared to many I've been to around 17th ave.
They do all the usual stuff of a higher end salon PLUS nice added touches like hand massages. My stylist Jami was a great listener and offered some good ideas on how to tame my lion's mane of hair. And she delivered. I have thicker, wavy hair and in the past have had stylists run screaming but she patiently worked with my hair and gave me awesome highlights and a great cut that made the most of the beast that is my hair. She took her time, in a good way and I am very happy with the results.
She helped me choose product that would help be maintain the beast without hard selling. And I found the cost of the cut, highlights AND product all together was cheaper than most other similar salons I've been to in Calgary. Score!
While I still need to do the wash-it-and-do-it-myself test, I am confident that Redbloom is worthy of the 5 stars.