I was really excited about my haircut appointment here with Josh because I'd read that he did a really awesome job with curls. Well after my last bad haircut months ago my curls were in some serious need of help before a big event I had coming up. I got to my appointment right on time and the other woman in the salon told me Josh wasn't there yet. I am typically never right on time for things, so I didn't mind waiting. However, after 20 minutes of waiting I asked the woman in the salon if I had mixed up my appointment, even though I'd gotten a confirmation phone call the day before from the salon. She then went to check the messages and came back up to inform me that Josh wouldn't be able to make it in that day and that my appointment had been cancelled. She told me they'd tried to call me but when I checked my phone I didn't have a missed call, message, or even a text. I was really upset that I had taken an hour out of my really busy day to waste my time on the other side of town. However, I understand that things come up sometimes so I left a note with the woman for Josh to call me to reschedule because I really did need a haircut and preferably before my event that weekend. I never even got a call back to reschedule or any sort of contact apologizing for not showing up for my appointment. Sorry, Dezi. I really really wanted to like you but after this experience I felt really disrespected as a customer. I'm sure the people at Dezi do a great job, but I'm not taking the chance of getting blown off again. read more

If anyone has paid any attention to my reviews, they'd know that I tear through hair salons like...well, like something sharp and fast. It's late and I can't really think straight, but I realized just now that I never came here to rave about Dezi (in general) and Josh (in particular). I have thick, wavy, coarse hair. If it's cut poorly, it shows. If it's cut well, it thrives and I am a happy lioness with a well-kept mane. The last haircut I got was a disaster. Enter Josh. Not only did I get an appointment within 2 weeks of my phone call to the salon (probably shorter than that), but he did a great job and gave me exactly what I wanted without me having to explain and articulate over and over. He took great care, cutting each curl individually at one point, and it shows. I returned for color, and yet again he gave me exactly what I wanted. On top of that, I got a stone/gem he'd mined in the hopes of giving me clarity on some things I've been wrestling with. It helped. But I didn't need a stone for clarity with respect to my hair and who's going to cut it from now on - that would be Josh. Thank you for finally giving me the kick-ass hair I know I deserve! (And I did get more than 10 compliments on my hair, in case you wondered. I'm not surprised.) read more

I love Dezi Salon. Sure, you have a to find a place a park on one of Portland's trendier streets but Amber at Dezi is so, so worth it! The place is super cute, the front desk peeps are very sweet and I get tons of compliments on my hair! :) Amber is awesome! She cut my hair several times a few years ago and then I recently started seeing her again and I am so glad I did! She listens and always does a fantastic job! I am one of those people who has to go home and style it myself before I make a decision on if I like it or not, with Amber, I leave feeling like my hair looks amazing straight from her chair! She is quick, does bang trims in between cuts and can and usually can get me in pretty quick, which I like! :) read more

Im hard to please as it is.. throw my hair in the mix and expect a grab bag of expectations no one could match.... except for One. I originally found Christina via a Groupon or Living Social deal this time last year. Im always hesitant when using a new stylist so I come armed with print out of the hair both style and color I am wanting. Christina was amazing, she nailed both the color and the cut PERFECTLY to the photo. Having passed this initial test of trust, the next time I went to Christina I was prepared to do something I hadn't done in over 17 years - change my hair style, a little more aggressive of a cut and bangs, a little less Rachael. And it turned out amazing! Its so nice to have the freedom to change my hair style without fearing the failure. When I recently went in for a simple bang trim, having only been a month passed since hair cut, she felt compelled just to make some tiny cuts to neaten up the grow out and ends, so my cut looked entirely fresh! Ive seen Christina just about dozen times now for bang trims, regular hair cuts, colors, conditioning treatments, ect. She also offers her Groupon pricing (if that's how you find her) for the duration you are her client (so forever), and 10 punch cards that get you free product after 10 trips to the salon! Shes a doll, shes reasonable, and even better than all of that, shes good, shes really really really good. So good, this is the first review Ive written on any business in over 2 years. And shes made a life long client in me. read more

My first visit with Josh was a 5*. He gave me the most beautiful color ever, and while the hair cut wasn't perfect right away, he was happy to let me come back in a few days later to make a few tweaks on the house. My second visit to have my color re-applied and roots touched up was a splash of cold water. I'm not sure what happened, but rather than walking out with the same beautiful dark-auburn color, I was the bewildered owner of fire-engine-red roots. When I realized that it wasn't correcting itself after a few washes (I'm a newb to coloring), I called the salon, hoping he might be able to do something about this bizarre disaster. I left 3 voicemails before giving up and concluding that they had decided I was a Problem Customer that they didn't want to deal with. Very much a 1* sort of experience :( Fortunately most people I met decided I was trying to do something cool and edgy with my hair, but the situation was a deep disappointment all the same. Very sad, because I think Josh is an incredibly sweet person, and my first coloring knocked my socks off. (edited for typos) read more

Josh and Dan are gracious, knowledgeable, skillful and interesting. Everything you read so far about Josh being a curly-hair specialist is true. But whether your hair is curly, wavy or otherwise, Josh is a versatile stylist who really takes his time to get to know people and express their personality with their hair. All this, and you'll get your hair styled in a relaxed, private setting. Finally, just in case you're skeptical about the name "Dezi Salon", so was I. It turns out it was the previous owner's choice and they respectfully decided to keep it. read more

Beautiful salon, great stylist! So friendly!! Get Josh, he gives amazing massages when washing you hair ;) read more

I need to let future patrons know of my unfortunate experience here. While I fully understand taste is a subjective issue, the cut I received was so in-expertly done it will take a minimum of a year, I believe, before I can even be start the repair process. I asked the stylist, Christina (Kristina?) to add some layers to my mid-back length hair, and to style my bangs. Instead of layers she cut three levels into my hair. I now have a top length of hair that hits at mid ear, one at my shoulder and one at original length. She also cut my bangs so unevenly, that I won't have the alternative of wearing them any way but swept to the side. While my hair appeared oddly styled in the salon, I assumed I would go home wash it out and style it to my liking. You can't reasonably expect someone new to style your hair 'the way you normally do." When I got home I discovered the depth of the problem with the cut. While mistakes happen, attitude is everything. I called and told her about the issues with the cut, let her know that I didn't want a do-over, but that I felt it was important for her to know. Her response is that she needed to see it, why did I style my hair? Did I use a flat iron? She would refund the tip but nothing more, and that every one is human. I'm including this detail so you'll understand not only was the cut not done properly, the response from the salon was very disappointing. An apology goes a long way in repairing a paid - service gone wrong, but an argumentive attitude only adds salt to the wound of a really poorly - executed hair cut. read more

I went to Dezi Salon for the first time today and saw Christina. I am pretty skeptical about trying new stylists usually and Christina absolutely blew me away! I had a full foil, a deep conditioning treatment, a cut, and style and she made me look and feel absolutely awesome. My hair can be tough to color because I have had so many different dyes on it and often have grow out so my hair is multiple colors at once and some virgin hair and some color treated. She got my highlights just the right amount of blonde that I was going for and I LOVED the way it turned out. Not to mention how incredibly sweet and nice she was the whole time and so easy to talk to! I highly recommend her to anyone in the Portland area. The salon itself is also very cute and cozy and has an awesome view of the busy street below. I will definitely be returning to see Christina at Dezi Salon and I live in Seattle! Her work is worth the three hour drive!! read more

Oh honey no. I got a groupon for this salon a few weeks back. I vet places pretty hard when I'm using groupon, but it had good reviews so I went for it. When I called to schedule my appointment, the receptionist had a very thick accent, but whatever. I ended up having to reschedule and she fit me in same day. When I got there, I found out the receptionist IS the hair stylist. And the assistant. And the manager. She was the only one there, trying to do everything. She did my hair while working on someone else's dye job, and still having to answer the phone. She was very nice, but how can you really expect to get a good haircut when someone is splitting their focus like that? I brought a picture with me just in case, and showed her what I wanted. I have long, thick, wavy hair, so layers are a must to keep the volume down. I asked her to cut three inches off and to shape the layers. What I GOT was six inches off my hair, and terrible layers. I went home and cut all the layers myself. It will take probably a year to grow my hair back to where I wanted. I was so sad :( Save yourself the heartbreak and pay for a real salon. read more

a haircut is like sex; it can seem good at first but then the realization can set in and you feel terrible about yourself later or it can be so great that youre left feeling good about yourself for days or weeks to come. seriously though, haircutting is an art and finding the right artist can make the difference in a great cut or a lousy one. i have curly hair so finding someone who actually knows what they are doing is a challenge, and i was not looking forward to starting my search, but since i started to get my hair cut with Josh at Dezi, my search has ended. he can cut my hair in a few minutes or take an entire hour (not including styling) to create just what i want. he cuts my hair wonderfully, leaving my hair looking and feeling healthy and diminishing frizzies and getting it shapely. these are a big deal for us curly haired people. the staff is amazingly nice and the salon itself is very comfy. price is up there, but you get what you pay for. again, similar to good sex. head over to my photos to see my hair (about a month after the first cut) read more

I've been going to see Josh for cuts and occasional colors for over a year now and can't say enough good things about him and this salon. Everyone who works here is SO friendly and very welcoming, and they make you feel like family! Josh is fantastic with curly hair (as he seems to be the local 'specialist' re: curls) and, for me, always starts with a dry cut to adjust length and then does layers separately. Most recently he did an entirely dry cut because my hair was styled as I like it and it was easiest to adjust things that way. I really appreciate the time and attention to detail that Josh provides when working with my hair, and will be back time and time again :) read more

Not pleased with my cut from Dezi's. First off, I was taken a half an hour late even though I made an appointment. I was very clear that I like my hair long and we agreed on taking off an inch and a half. Instead, at least three to four inches were taken off and it wasn't layered very well. She didn't put any heat protection in my hair before drying and styled it poorly. It's not the end of the world or anything, but I won't be coming back. read more

Worst salon experience to date. Tried to blame me for choosing a dye that turned red in my hair - took not one but 2 walk in haircuts during my appointment when she was the only one working. Had me sitting there while she was doing their hair while my scalp was burning. Rushing through my haircut. Made me blow dry my own hair. Horrible afternoon. Waste of money & now have to go fix my hair somewhere else now. read more

Just another review gushing about the salon and Josh in particular. I lived in New York City for many years and got accustomed to getting my (curly, unruly) hair cut by some of the best in the business. I tried many salons when I moved to Portland until Yelp helped me find Josh. And I'm so glad. I can't say enough nice things. He cuts curly hair dry (the way it's supposed to be done) and has found a magical way to make my hair gorgeous. I feel amazing when I walk out. He is talented, takes his time, and really provides a great experience. Everyone there is really nice. Josh is a funny and kind person. I always felt a little awkward getting my haircut because I'm an introvert, but he never makes me feel uncomfortable. I rarely write reviews, but I logged on just to write this review because I think Josh and the salon deserve as much praise as they get. read more

I am hesitant to write this review, as I dislike leaving negative feedback. However, I would want to know this information if I were making a decision regarding whether to patronize Dezi. I am a 30-something health-care professional who, despite appreciation of edgy color, needs to maintain a moderate appearance and therefore tries to attain a slight edge in my cuts. I had long, brown, curly hair that fell to the lower half of my back when I arrived. I told Josh that I wanted a just-above my shoulders bob. I clarified that I did not want my hair shorter than chin-length. I also requested an A-line cut. Josh delivered a very precise and stylish cut, with which I was relatively happy - except that it dried to at least an inch above my chin. Since I knew it would grow out, and the shape was good, I was not too bothered by this. In fact, I truly enjoyed the new shape. Unfortunately, I cannot say the same for the color. I asked for dark chocolate hair with cherry cola highlights. I had this combination several times back at my Chicago-area salon, before moving to Portland. What I left Dezi with was absolutely horrid. My hair appeared almost black with fuschsia/hot-orange-y pink stripes. Yes, stripes. To confirm whether I was overreacting, I asked a nurse if she thought I could see patients like this the following day. She uncomfortably informed me I needed to find someone to do color correction immediately. I did so, at my own cost, as Dezi is closed on Monday. I contacted the salon that week. I let Dan, the manager, know that although I appreciated Josh's time and effort (and had tipped over $50 for such), I had not seen the final color as my hair was still wet when I left Dezi. I explained the results. Dan said that they never have complaints, and was not sure what to do. In a later phone call, he said he would provide a refund of $80 (of the $200-ish bill), for the color mistake. He asked for my address, which I provided so that he could mail a check, and then proceeded to do nothing. For seven months. my attempts at follow-up have only been ignored. I have not received the check I was promised, and now realize I never will. So, to sum up, Josh delivers an excellent cut, is very attentive, and I do truly believe made an uncharacteristic mistake on my color. On the other hand, the management makes promises they do not keep and does not appear to care about unsatisfied customers, despite comments added to other reviews. Would I go back? To Dezi - no. To Josh, if he were somewhere else, for a cut - yep! I'll get my color elsewhere. read more

I am not the kind of person that leaves bad Yelp reviews... Until now. I scheduled my appointment at 4pm and showed Christina a picture of a balayage that I had found online (new trendy hair style). It is basically high lights throughout that don't start at the roots. After FOUR hours and 3 attempts at coloring my hair, I left with a straight line across my head, orange ombré that was completely fried at the bottom four inches. She had put my hair in foil with the hair color (I have really dark hair) and was FLAT IRONING the foil with my hair inside and completely melting it! Nightmare!!! Thank goodness I have thick and healthy hair or it all would've fallen out. I left without a haircut and I even had to blow dry my own hair twice! I cried all night and all morning and was able to get into a new salon my mother-in-law recommended. I had no choice but to cut off 5 inches off of my length to get to my healthy hair. I am now out $235 from two days and two hair appointments. read more

I came here three years ago soon after moving to Portland. When I first came I got my haircut at one of those hipster, here's a beer bargin haircut places. I know I know, I should have known but I was unemployed and had a great shape underneath my shag. BIG mistake, my bob looked like a 7 year olds bowl haircut, horrible. I wore a small pony tail for three months in embarrasment. After it grew out a bit I made an appointment here and never looked back! Amber fixed my bob right up back in 2008 and has seen me every four months since. During this time, I have pretty much done everything I could to my hair style. We have layered it, we have dyed it, we have done bangs, no bangs-- everything has been perfect and exactly what I wanted! I couldn't be happier and she is always available on Saturdays when I need her the most! Moved across town but still worth the trip! read more

What a horrible experience. Christina has no idea what she is doing. Cut my hair in a straight line with some uneven pieces near my face. Horrible and totally unprofessional. Please don't go here. By far the worst haircut I have ever gotten. read more

Christina did a wonderful job on my color. She helped me pick the perfect colors for my base color and she added three colors ... my hair is so soft and I love my hair. I will be going back to her soon. She's really friendly and makes you feel comfortable and she's affordable :) read more

Best haircut ever! I came in as a walk in yesterday and have never been there before. Christina made me feel like I've been an old friend for years and love the cut she gave me! Also great price as it was $30 for wash, cut, dry and style. Looking forward to going back to her! read more

Christina is the best! I love her, and I love my hair every time. She cuts my son's and my husband's hair, too. She's a sweet, genuinely caring person, who does a great job. I highly recommend her to anyone. read more

Christina is absolutely adorable. She did a fabulous job on my hair. Love her!

I have tried the 'curly hair' stylists in Portland and Josh is the best. He did a dry/wet combination, was very attentive to my curl pattern, and took plenty of time to see how my curls were reacting. I don't know how to describe his method, but it is not the slicing kind of cut that many stylists use on curly hair that leaves me with skinny frizzies. I have fine, tending to frizzy hair and his cut left me with nice loopie curls. read more

My hair is wavy/loose curls. I came in to see Josh after reading the rave reviews on yelp, but wasn't that impressed. First, he wanted to give me a dry haircut to do the length -- apparently he thinks that if you cut curly hair dry, it will show the "real" length. Not so with my hair, which got curlier (read: shorter) after washing. Also, this dry haircut resulted in uneven ends, so i cant straighten it (which i told him i like to be able to do). Then, I felt like I had to give him step-by-step directions for how to cut my hair. Now, I know what I don't like, but at some point I expect my hair stylist to just give me the cut that will look best with my hair! I have called to set up an appointment to have him fix the things I don't like (uneven ends, looks a little triangle-y), but I haven't heard back & no one answers when I've called. I will say this though: Josh was able to blow-dry my hair curly better than almost anyone I've been to. Too bad the cut wasn't better. read more

My hair is wavy curly. It takes a skilled stylist to cut curly hair. My hair was long (just past my shoulder blades) and and it was overdue for a trim. I went into Dezi for a haircut in mid May. Dan's curly hair expert stylist, Josh, was off the day I wanted to come in and I didn't want to wait the two weeks to get an appointment with him. SO, Dan suggested another stylist, Betsy. He assured me that Betsy was just as versed at cutting curly hair as his gold star winning boyfriend, Josh. He was the owner and said he knew his stylists and that she was great at cutting curly hair. I trusted his opinion. I met with her and she is a sweet woman. The salon is nicely kept with all the requisite magazines and the staff didn't seem overly friendly but friendly enough. I told Betsy I wanted to keep it long, just a trim today, please with some long layers for shape. She nodded and walked round and round and I felt like she knew what she was doing so I jumped into reading a fashion mag and "whistled while she worked". Alarms wouldn't have been loud enough for my reaction when I looked up, after about 10 minutes. She said to me nervously, "I cut it a bit shorter than you wanted me to, huh ?". I was so disappointed that I couldn't wait for her to be done. I didn't want to cause a scene. I told her to fore go cutting anymore and to blow it out, straight. She didn't even use a round brush. She piddled around my head just letting it fly this way and that way and applying an abundance of product to disguise her fuck up. Finally, I asked her to use a round brush and it must've taken her an hour and a half to blow dry my now severely shoulder length hair. She laughed nervously once it was straight and said, "it looks a little uneven so I am going to blend it a bit". And blend she did. She cut even more of my hair off in an effort to make it look not chopped ! In short, pun intended, my hair looked uneven and not professionally done. She even called me by the wrong name after I had paid my bill and left the premises. The same afternoon, I wrote an email much to the same effect of this review to the owner, Dan. I expressed my sincere disappointment and I still have not heard a reply from him, several weeks later. I call this poor customer service and disregard for clientele. This salon is family owned and operated. You would think that they would go above and beyond to keep their guests happy, especially first timers. Please don't even think about getting your hair cut here. You will regret it. read more

Not to say that my hair is ruined or anything, but I definitely could have had a better experience. First of all, I made an appt. Which may have been silly considering this place takes walk-ins, but I wanted to be sure that I could get in right after work (5:30), without being THAT girl that keeps people at their job late. I got there kindof early (5:15) because I was able to find parking no problem (no parking lot here). I walked upstairs and she politely asked if I could wait downstairs or go walk around and shop or something. Not a big deal at all! I was early, and a client was just getting up out of the chair, so I figured she was just cleaning up/prepping for my service. As I walked down the stairs I heard her invite another client to sit down. Knowing I had an apt at 5:30, she took a client at 5:15. What? This kindof irked me because I take time and appointments pretty seriously. Whatever. I waited, probably went upstairs at about 5:50 (it was a male haircut). She didn't introduce herself, so I couldn't even tell you the name of the woman who did my hair. She kindof seemed like the owner to me, but who's to say. When I called to book and appointment I said full color and cut, and when I got there, she didn't confirm this. But neither did I, so I guess that's my fault, too. I showed her one picture and she blasted off to the color room to fix something up. She ended up just doing highlights (without telling me), but she nailed the color so I'd guess this woman knows her stuff when it comes to color- I just wish it was all over! Her friend was sitting in a chair waiting the whole time, chatting her ear off. Which would be fine because I could join in, if they weren't speaking a different language. They eventually started speaking English and we were all chatting, which was enjoyable. They kept making a ton of recommendations on my hair, which was just a little bit overwhelming. I think the worst part was that her and her friend were obviously making plans for after I left - calling friends, talking about where to eat, etc. And at one point, she became super rushed, and I got a little bit nervous that she was caring less about my service. Then another friend showed up and she quickly/crazily dried my hair as her friends were clearly waiting for her to finish my service so they could go forward with their plans they had established during my appointment. I paid quickly, and I was out the door with a bun on my head. Overall-- I'd say cool for a walk-in, if you go during the day. Don't expect a lavish, plush, warm salon. read more

I went here for a hair cut and the woman changed the price at the last minute after she had started cutting my hair and I didn't even get the hair cut that I wanted. WORST PLACE FOR CURLY HAIR read more

Josh, you are awesome! I came here after my last haircut was a disaster, hoping that the Yelp reviews of Josh as the curly-hair master were true. They were, I love my hair! Josh took his time and really did a good job of learning how my hair works while cutting it. He also taught me a technique for styling my hair that takes 5 min's, and ends up looking wonderful - no frizz! Awesome for a new mom who doesn't have time to blowdry! Can't wait for my next cut :) read more

I have been coming to Josh at Dezi ever since moving to Portland about two years ago and it has been great. Both Dan and Josh are very nice and make everything easy. Josh is amazing and I could not be happier with everything at Dezi! read more

If you have curly hair you will not be disappointed with Josh. He absolutely knows what he's doing with curls. He's careful and thoughtful and listens well. read more

I just want to thank Betsy for doing a fabulous job on my hair and being such a great person. I had only a mid/short hair lenght (I'm a male btw), but she spent in total 1 hour and 40 minutes with me paying attention to every detail and discussing the style and what I would like to have it like as she progressed with the cut. I rarely know what I want to get, so I just generally say that I want it to be shorter here and longer there and let the stylist do their magic. Betsy, however, went above and beyond to find out what exactly my preferences are and what would suite me best. The result turned out to be more than awesome. I'm definitely going back. read more

I went to their new location for a hair cut. There was one lady with a foreign accent worked on my hair. She seems to be friendly. When a new customer came in, the stylist tries to get me out the door with a half-arse hair cut. Took another 20 minutes or so to get things close. I left the salon annoyed. I got home still seeing the flaws. Never coming back. read more

I've never written a review before because I've never felt like an experience was good enough to do so but the haircut I got from Christina today was so perfect that I just had to say something. I had gotten a cut and balayage in August from her and she did the most beautiful job. The balayage was so natural and looked perfect with my hair style. I haven't had the best luck with hair stylists so I was nervous maybe the cut the second time I saw her wouldn't be as good, Boy was I wrong. It was almost like she knew more of what I wanted than her. I've found my go to stylist for sure and I recommend her to anyone who's looking for a new one read more

I bought the groupon before I read the Yelp reviews. After I read them, I got really nervous because there are very good ones and very bad ones, not a lot of them in the middle. I am writing this review for all ladies (or gentlemen) that might feel nervous as I was. First, if you are a high maintenance person, this is not the place for you. Second, if you are a very punctual person or you just don't have a flexible schedule, again this is not the place for you. Yes, Christina is the only person there and does it all. She was nice and chatty, a little hard to understand at times. I had her cut exactly how much I wanted by looking into the mirror and saying shorter or longer. Now the most important part, I had full highlights. I wanted blonde, but I wasn't asked what shade of blonde, she just went and mixed the color. As she was working on my highlights, I didn't notice anything different or odd than my other salon experiences. She had quick hands and I could tell she knew what she was doing. She also stayed after closing time for about half an hour and I never felt like she was rushing me out. She did my highlights, waited for a few more minutes, washed my hair & great scalp massage btw, hair dried it and asked me what styling I wanted. Overall, I am happy with my turn out - good length, great blonde shades, and didn't take long either. It took at most 2 hours total, which is better than other salons that I've been to and took 4 hours for the same services. Again, it depends on your preferences, but a good rule of thumb is always keep in mind you get what you pay for. I really think I got the best of my money and if I wouldn't have moved out of Portland, I'd probably go there again. Hope this helps. read more