I bought a Groupon for Japanese hair straightening with Kate. The price of the Groupon was $154. This is the standard price that I've paid when getting Japanese straightening outside of Hawaii. We all know that things cost exorbitantly more in Hawaii, so I estimated that this would be a good deal. There were several issues before I made the appointment. Kate's schedule isn't convenient if you live in town and have a Monday to Friday work schedule. It isn't easy for me to get out to Pearl City except on weekends. Kate said that she was unavailable on Saturdays. I booked an appointment for Sunday at 7:30 AM. The day before my appointment I received a text from Kate asking if I could change my appointment to 7:00 AM. I agreed. Kate is located at Heads Up Salon inside Pearl City Shopping Center. The salon is modest and older. There really isn't much to say about the ambiance beyond that. When I arrived Kate said that based on my hair and length, I'd have to pay $100 more. This seemed a bit too much even for my thick and curly mane. Maybe $50 more, but $100? Since I was there and set on getting my hair done, I agreed to the price hike. It is what it is, but this is just a heads up to women with longer than shoulder length curly or ethnic hair. You could be charged upwards of $100 extra, which doesn't make the Groupon deal that much of a "deal" anymore. The styling itself was good. Kate was nice. She trimmed my hair and did the usual procedure of putting on the product and flat ironing my hair. She said that if I return she can do a touch up for less, I think she said around $160. I will consider returning, but first I will try to find a better deal at another salon. Spending $160 for a touch up on my roots still seems expensive, especially for an independent stylist outside of Honolulu. I would recommend getting the Groupon for Japanese hair straightening here if you live around Pearl City and have Asian or European hair that is shoulder length or shorter. If that is the case, you probably won't have to end up paying extra. If you have thick, long, curly, mixed race, or ethnic hair, it might be worth it to shop around and compare prices with other salons before committing to this one. There very well might be a salon more conveniently located in town that can do the same service for $300 or less. read more

It was time again to have my hair straighten and ofcourse I will only book Kate/Cindy. Her new location is by Heads Up in Pearl City. I did side layer, thinning, haircut and the regular Japanese perm. My appointment time was 9:30am and I was so shy coming in 15 minutes late.. (those traffic lights took forever to change green). We finish at 1:15pm.. yes,, that's how long this process was.. (and i only do it every 6-8months,,sometimes, after one year). I am so thankful for the price she gives me. She's so generous. (Almost 60% cheaper than the other stylist near the zoo..not gonna lie!). The results are always and consistently perfect! I am so glad to found Kate/Cindy.. I don't know what to do without her. I feel so happy knowing that once my wavy roots start to show up..i can always count on her. I just text her and I easily get an appointment time within the week.. God Bless her heart! read more

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She is so nice and really cares about doing a great job. She will fit you into her schedule to accommodate your time. I love her work. She has done a awesome job straightening my hair. Now a balayage coloring. So natural looking. read more

Kate's Hair - Balayage coloring. Nicely done. - Hair Stylists Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

I bought a Groupon for a Japanese relaxer perm and Ms. Kate did a really good job! Since my hair is thick, she charged me extra but it was only $40.00, and she gave me a discount for the hair cut! Overall the price wasn't as bad as I thought it would be, it looked something like this: Groupon - $120 (I got $30 discount from app) Texture charge - $40 (she said usually she would charge $60, so this was nice of her!) Haircut - $25 (but then she gave me a $10 discount, so $15) She's really nice and accommodating, always asked if I was comfortable, if I needed water or the rest room, etc. I would highly recommend her, she is very thorough and I am very happy with my hair! :) Thank you very much, Ms. Kate! read more

Kate's Hair - My hair before the relaxer and cut. - Hair Stylists Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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Oh I'm feeling a little like Eeyore writing this review. Nobody likes writing reviews less than 4 stars right?! Especially when there's only 4 other reviews on the business and they're all 5 stars, but here it goes.... :( Purchased a Groupon (which they still have advertised) for a $150 Japanese Straightening Silk Perm at Hair by Kate valued at $300. Now, this was back in June 2016. The Groupon expires in 120 days. So, of course my procrastinating self waited until the last 30 days to try to redeem this Groupon with her. With my luck, for nearly 3 weeks, I could not get a hold of Kate by phone or text message. I called and left voicemails but no response. Being my difficult self, I requested a refund from Groupon since I couldn't book an appointment at ALL for 3 whole weeks! Finally after 3 weeks went by, she called me back saying she was in Korea and didn't have phone access. Okay, forgiven. I can understand that and I felt kinda bad too. :( So, I waited a few months and decided let's try to get another appointment with her. This time, she was MUCH more responsive and we booked an appointment right away. So the day came and I thought I knew where I was going. My appointment was at 9am. The address provided put me in the shopping center with Ice Palace in it. It's already 8:50am and the only place that looked right was called K's Hair Salon RIGHT next to Ice Palace. However, the space was closed, lights off, and no one in there. So, I called Kate to verify her location in case I had to drive somewhere else. Guess what...she didn't even know I booked the appointment with her! Instead she answered the phone sounding like she just woke up and said, oh....you have an appointment. Oh...... (long pause) Uh I'll be there in 20 minutes. Geez okay. I get there and she sits me right in the corner where you can see EVERYONE outside through their clear glass windows. Awkward much? She asks, do you want a haircut too? $25 extra charge. Okay, sure. Oh, by the way, it's an extra $25 charge cause your hair is thick. What? so even though my hair after you cut it is not even a foot long measured from my scalp, you're going to charge me extra? My hair doesn't even touch my shoulders....Ugh, fine. She ended up taking over 4 hours to do my hair and she kept complaining that I have so much hair. I wasn't pleased with my haircut either because I specifically requested for long layers and she cut it straight across. I felt like a meanie but I had her go back and fix it because I told her long layers! Did a 3 step process (not counting the hair cut). She shampoos your hair. She put some cream conditioner product and had to wait 20 minutes to set in. Then wash. Then she flat irons it. Then this other product, waited 20 minutes, then washed and dried. You can't wet, crimp, curl, or put your hair up for the next 48 hours! But here's the kicker which might have been my fault too. I had NO idea it was cash ONLY! Thank goodness I had enough cash in my wallet at that time! I normally don't carry much either! So, I wait and wait for the 48 hours to be done hoping my hair is stick straight! I didn't touch it, I didn't wash it, pin it, put it up, nothing! But still, there's a slight waviness to it and the ends curl up! I mean, it's definitely more manageable than before, but everyone else says they have stick straight hair after! And I have typical Asian hair which isn't SUPER curly at all! :( Overall, it wasn't my best experience. I feel like I'm not normally that difficult to please but forgetting my appointment time and showing up late, complaining of my hair, not disclosing that they're cash only and on the Groupon you might be charged an additional fee did not make me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. :( It's been maybe 3 weeks and I can see waves in my hair forming again. Let's hope other people have a way better experience! Sorry, that a long one! read more

It's been a long time since my daughter went to Kate for straightening. Just when we were going to go back, COVID hit. She's done my daughter's hair numerous times and always perfect. We've been to other places and Kate's the only one we'll go back to. Now that we're fully vaccinated, we'll be going very soon! read more

Kate did an amazing job on my hair! She did the impossible! For those who know me, know how tough my hair is and it's a challenge but walking in and seeing how happy Kate was to work on my hair made me smile I was terrified for her but low and behold she knew what she was doing! She did wonders on my hair! I can't believe how great my hair looks now and feels! To too it off here's the breakdown: Groupon: $159 Fees based on my hair: $100 Total: $259 And this even included a haircut, trim and massage!! She was super sweet and asked if I was okay as I just got off that morning and even offered to get me something. We talked as well while she did my hair. She truly made me feel at home. She is really great at what she does and I see how passionate she is for what she does! Ladies don't be afraid! If you have thick curly frizzy unruly hair go and see her for a Japanese Straight Perm! You won't be disappointed! She even does retouches so better yet!! Love her! read more

Kate's Hair - Before and After!! Love it!! - Hair Stylists Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Kate's the best! I just moved here & needed a trustworthy & pro for hairstyling & permanent straightening. Found her through Groupon for straightening last summer & just had my retouch a few days ago & I love it! read more

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Kate is the best hairdresser I've ever met! She transformed my frizz and yellow hair into gorgeous heart! Total make over! I highly recommend her! My hair is natural, silky, and healthy!!! She's really detailed oriented and wants to do a perfect job. She is sweet and really pays attention to detail. And: she's so affordable!!!! She's the best! read more

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Love my hair! All thanks to Kate! I love how easy it is to set an appointment. Kate is super nice and makes you feel comfortable throughout the whole process. I would definitely come back for a retouch. Go and see her at heads up salon. read more

Kate's Hair - Hair Stylists Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

I used a Groupon about 7 months ago and Kate did her straightening magic. I just went in for a touchup yesterday and of course my results are still great! Be prepared to spend a while there because she does a great job of making sure she's thorough about your visit. I really enjoy my trips to see Kate! read more

Kate hooked up my hair. It went from fluffy and frizzy to bone straight. She specializes im ethnic hair, and she orders special product from the mainland. Other salons might not have the same straightening ability. I'm 1/2 black and I needed a way to get my hair straight without a flat-iron. The summer heat is unbearable with heat styling tools. I have 2 children under the age of 2, so the time saved on styling alone is worth it. She also gave me a great new haircut to complement my new texture. I will be back for a touch up in 5-6 months. read more

Kate is the best stylist! Excellent Japanese silk perm...my hair is so silky smooth! She gave a wonderful cut and her attention to detail was phenomenal. I have found my stylist and will be back! read more

I Love Groupon for signing up because of good deals but they judge you like what I experienced now. I certainly respect Kate for being a soft spoken and she take time doing my hair today November 17, 2016 at 9am and we finished at 12:30. I saw her passion. Unfortunately, I agree with Traci R. every single letter and every single word she said. I wanted to be honest and be real. Yes indeed, I wasted my money in groupon. I am not a happy customer right now. I have a straight wavy hair already but the fact that I am tired of waking in the morning then iron and or blow dry so I decided to try what i saw in groupon it says "$150 for a Japanese Straightening Silk Perm at Hair by Kate ($300 value)" but as soon I walked in the salon she had a facial expression for the groupon and I am uncomfortable but being a good person I decided just to go for it and see what will gonna happen. Yes, instinct is so true. My hair I can't feel the softness. Urrgghhh and the cut??? Do you know the feeling that you are in the hairstyling school that there experimenting your hair to cut. My husband is coming home and all i thought my hair will be ok unfortunately he will see my hair disaster. I don't wanna give more complains but oh well atleast I tried and NO MORE!!! Thatll be my first and last and I will definitely go to a professional salon and spend a deserving and I can say its worth the price. And by the way prepare a cash with you just in case she will ask additional like she asked me a haircut for $25. Total I spend: $150(plus save off coupon in groupon) plus $25 for haircut and I gave her a tip $15. It was definitely satisfied her but NOT me at all. A lesson for me to experience. Sorry Kate but people should know the real situation and this is a constructive criticism. read more

Picked up a Groupon under Salon Angela by Kate for a Japanese straight perm. It was a great deal and I really needed a touch up. I couldn't find any reviews so I didn't know what to expect. She charged me a little extra since I have thick hair, which I was expecting, but it wasn't much. She worked very fast and I was a little worried she might be a little too fast. However, the straightening held up to the wash test and I love it. Kate flat ironed it extremely well before the neutralizer and now it is stick straight. In the end I was thankful she was fast since she was estimating 3 hours, but since I'm so blessed with tons of hair, the appt lasted 4 hours with a cut. This product smelled stronger than what I was used to, but it was fine. I appreciated that she wasn't very chatty and I was able to listen to music, read a book, check email, etc...without interruption. She's located right next to Ice Palace. read more

Kate straightened and trimmed my hair. She took her time to give me a quality style at a very fair and reasonable price. I also liked her scalp massage. I will definitely use her again. read more