Salone Contrasto

I was roaming around Florence, when I saw this salon. I popped in and requested a cut. After waiting about 45 minutes, I was off to be shampooed. Prior to shampooing, they do a scalp massage with essential oils. I selected the lavender, which was lovely. The massage was icing on the cake for me!
From there, I was escorted over to a lovely curly red head, who worked her magic! She did an amazing job and was really honest about what would work for my curly hair. I left feeling amazing and ready to go to the opera! If I’m back in Florence, I would come by here again. If you’re in Florence, I highly recommend this place. Everyone is exceptional and the price is much lower comparable to the US.

I came to Salon Contrasto on the recommendation of my host in Florence. I’ve been traveling Europe for 3 months with a really adventurous purple and blonde look which was cool but not really great for backpacking.
So my hair was turning into a huge mess. Tangled, dry, with very severe roots. It was bad. I came in and told the staff what I wanted and they were so accommodating. Double checking with English speakers to make sure everything was explained properly before going forward.
Tania had to do color correction, addition of color, and then my hair was cut and styled by another worker. It took over 4 hours, but it was nothing short of a miracle what I walked out with. I couldn’t believe it. The best color work I’ve ever seen. I feel much happier and confident with a better color and style. I’m so grateful. Thank you to Tania, Noh, and everyone else.
My best advice — go there and trust the team. They will take care of you.

Antonio is so wonderful! They really make it a relaxing spa experience with hot tea and a scented oil scalp massage but also fun with american music and lots of chitchat in english and italian. I got a great cut&style and a student discount!

Ohh I was so excited to find this place! Received an incredible cut and the service/​atmosphere was outstanding.
Definitely recommend!

I personally have been going to this salon since I studied here in 2005. There are a few different locations in close radius to one another but the one I prefer is adjacent to via dei neri and located on the street «via della mosca» (I had a friend who had a bad experience at the one on via dei neri).
They are a bit on the pricey side, think of 35 – 40 for a cut and 80 – 100 for color & cut but they do give you a 20% student discount.
I also agree with the previous poster about washing and drying your hair. I always made the mistake of not asking or saying anything and they don’t really tell you if you are getting a deep conditioner treatment but just go ahead and do it and charge you later. Just make sure and ask, especially if your on a budget. You don’t have to get your hair washed and dried if you don’t want to.
I will say that their shampoo is amazing, and they give you a very nice scalp massage which means whenever I go I end up getting it. They also have free books to read while waiting and hot tea. Seriously it’s fantastic and they have always done a GREAT job with my hair (via della mosca)

One of the very very many (FEW) important things I google-​ed when I came to live in Italy was «AVEDA + FLORENCE + ITALY». This was because my color conserve shampoo and conditioner were becoming. well. scarce (couldn’t water it down anymore, would just be … water) You know what I found? Not one, not two, but THREE different AVEDA locations in Florence. WOW. I came to find that these AVEDA salons were all owned by the same person, but each had it’s own unique salon space and well equipped AVEDA products store. The Salon (s) Contrasto all have the same typical AVEDA features as I have found in the States, such as. rich earthy tones and fixtures, distinctive AVEDA smell and unique groovy looking stylists. It’s almost like your getting highlights and your upper lip waxed in a temperate rainforest by little forest nymphs… this feeling only lasts a couple seconds until your friseur accidently yanks the brush a little too hard through your knotty thin hair and/​or the extremely loud high pitched voice of the woman next to you is recapitulating the incompetence of her boyfriend /​coworker /​mecchanic /​milkman /​librarian etc.
This place is busy so it is not likely you will find yourself the only client at any of these locations. Walk-​ins are welcome at the Via de’Neri branches, but the Via della Mosca Salon is appointments only. If your looking for an English speaking stylist I recommend Livio or Antonio. I enjoy Serena, who does nice highlights. Waxing is available and done decently for a reasonable price € 5 (I haven’t had it done for awhile so the price may have changed).
The only thing that made me a little sad is that the AVEDA products for sale are more expensive then you would find in the States. They are already a bit pricey, so the extra €€ ’ s per product made me shed a tear when I bought my color conserve shampoo. (I now stock up on products when I go home)
HOWEVER there is an amazing discount for students — 20% off hair services
(something I have NEVER found in any AVEDA store back home)
I have been pretty satisfied with the products and services I have received over the years from AVEDA salons. Salon Contrasto isn’t any different.
AVEDA prices are on the high side. I would expect to pay anywhere from € 50 -€ 100 or much more depending on what you have done. Like many salons they charge for washing and drying your hair, which is around € 17 and sometimes
they will try to slip in a nice deep conditioning rinse or something of that sort, which YES you have to pay for b/​c it is EXTRA. That is why it is SUPER important to stay informed on what IS and IS NOT included in the cut or color service. Never be afraid to ask or say «oh yes that deep conditioning treatment sounds delightful… how much is that?» If your just going in for a hair cut and don’t want to spend € 17 for someone to wash and blow dry your hair — TELL THEM that you don’t want it washed, I don’t think it is really necessary for a cut BUT isn’t it sooo nice to have someone wash your hair for 5 minutes, massaging your scalp and LADIES… it has been said that getting your hair massaged increases your oxytocin levels, now isn’t that a way better way to splurge than a 200 calorie gelato ??
Splurge !!