Melinda is amazing! I get so many compliments on the color and health of my hair, which was damaged when I first began working with her. I would definitely recommend! read more

Melinda is amazingly talented and creative. She is extremely knowledgeable in both color and cut and what is important for her clients. I'm so happy I found her! read more

This review is long overdue. I went to Melinda on a whim when she was in UTC in the David Perez Salon [she has since moved next door]. I got her by luck of the draw since I came at the last minute needing to get my hair cut and colored on a Friday and she was available with very little notice. I have very dark brown hair that is a tiny bit wavy. I wasn't sure what I wanted to do...was open for some direction. She took SO much time listening to me and getting to know what I really did and did not like in terms of cuts and color and overall style. I actually felt bad that I couldn't decide. She was so patient with me and suggested a good idea that would allow me to change my long-term plan if I did not like it. CUT - I came in after being butchered by another stylist on the cut, which she fixed without chopping off my length. It was a complete 180. She turned my style from looking like a thinned out stringy mess into a full head of luxurious hair again WITHOUT losing length...it was AMAZING. COLOR - again, she did a great job with consulting with me, taking the time to do it right, etc.... couldn't have come out better. BRAZILIAN - She was doing such a good job during my color and cut and I was having such a good conversation with her, that I took her up on a package price she worked out for me to include a Brazilian Blowout for the first time. [She did not push this on me, I inquired about it]. I wasn't sure if it was going to work on me since I had never done it and my hair is already pretty straight just a little wavy underneath. MAN! I am SO glad I tried it!! I love it!! It made my hair SO soft!!! I can literally take a shower and not do anything with it and it falls soft and stick straight as it dries! HEAVEN!!! Melinda is a very, very nice and honest stylist and colorist. She never pushed product on me, in fact offered alternative suggestions when I told her I did not want to pay too much for product! I would highly recommend giving her a chance with your locks! Unfortunately, I live in East County and need someone closer, but I am still writing this review for her because I DO recommend her!! read more

Melinda is one of the best colorist in San Diego. She does such a great job doing her magical mixtures. She takes her time and mixes even three or four different colors. The rest the colorists out there, take chunks of hair and puts in the chemicals, resulting in cheap looking lights. Melinda is a professional that knows her business and most of all, she never damages my hair. read more

"A good man may be hard to find, but a good hairdresser is next to impossible"!! You know the feeling you get when you try a new stylist... You're nervous, anxious, hoping he/she knows what they're doing. You may or may not walk out of the salon happy and on the unfortunate unhappy occasion, you think to yourself "why didn't he/she just tell me my hair couldn't do it"? Melinda will. Melinda did an excellent job on my color. I just finished my 5th visit with Melinda, first for a BB, then a trim, and 3 color appointments. I am 5 for 5 and SO HAPPY! I do keep in mind, she's a Beautician... and not a Magician! My hair cannot necessarily look exactly like the models/clients she has on her FB page, but she can get my color and cut done perfecto and my hair looks and feels stunning. You will walk into a smaller salon without a receptionist to greet you. If Melinda is finishing up a client she will say hello, and ask you to have a seat while she gives her full attention to the client in her chair (don't worry that will soon be you)! I like the feel of the salon, I feel like it has just what I need... Melinda, I have outline each appointment below just so I could make this my 2nd longest yelp review ever! Yikes. 1) Brazilian Blowout (BB) This was my "test" appointment for Melinda. I needed to meet her, feel her out, see if I could trust her with my precious hair! She did a great job. I liked that during the service the door was open and a large fan was blowing the chemicals towards the door. We talked about my color, what I liked and didn't like about it. After my BB I made an appt for color. 2) Color. Now this is the big one... A new highlight pattern, new colors for my highlights, would I be happy? My stomach was in knots! I walked out of the salon loving my hair. I texted my friend "I found my new stylist in San Diego" I made my next appointment for a cut. 3) Cut. I asked for a trim, and that is what I got. Yippie I didn't get a new style I didn't ask for. 4) Color. I asked for more blond highlights, walked out with more blond, loved it. 5) Color. I asked for more brown in my hair (can you say difficult client) and told her my next visit I would like to do the Ombre. She immediately combined/geared my new request for more brown this visit and my request for the Ombre my next visit in a way that only a true expert stylist could do. You can just tell she knows what she is doing. She will take hair samples to do a test color for the Ombre we are doing in April, so she will know the best route/color to go with. It's so nice to have my hair done by a perfectionist:) Oh and don't be surprised if you call to make an appt and she is booked one or two months out. read more

I just had my last appointment with Melinda because I am moving this weekend and i am dreading another hair stylist search! it had been YEARS since i could say "my hair stylist", when i had my first appointment with Melinda in 2009. I get my cut and partial highlights with her and I always leave with a smile on my face :) If i come back to San Diego in the future, I will definitely be booking an appointment while i'm in town! she is super personable, sooo easy to talk to, and makes the whole experience pleasant. 5 stars for Melinda--i am so sad to leave her behind and can only hope to find someone with half her talent! read more

I found Melinda on Yelp after a breakup with my old hair dresser - who wasn't cutting it any more. No pun intended. It's a breath of fresh air to have a hair dresser who is a REAL professional and does a great job. I have been in for both a color and a cut - Melinda does a great job keeping my hair low maintenance for my busy schedule. Now, that being said - to get an appointment with her you should try to book a week or two in advance because she is a popular lady, but worth the wait. Thanks fellow Yelpers for the recommendation - the reviews are legit. I also now have the fab hair to prove it! read more

I waited till my second Brazilian Blowout to review both Melinda and the treatment itself. As someone with crazy fluffy, frizzy hair I was amazed at the Brazilian Blowout. Is my hair completely straight? No. Can I wash it, let it dry and not style at all while still feeling great about it? hells yes!! It pretty much changed my life. I just wish it would last a little bit longer. I try my best to take care of it and get sulfate free shampoos and conditioners and even face wash. I am starting to think that maybe the companies product might be the trick for a longer lasting blowout. As far as Melinda goes, she is absolutely great. She is friendly and very accommodating. She knows what she is doing and does it very well. I feel confident that she is not going to mess up my hair more than it naturally is. She knows what to do to make the blowout less corrosive on the eyes. All the doors are open and it airs out. So I am not worried about the formaldehyde. I would recommend her since her yelp price is great and she is also great. Good conversation and good times, which matters when you are there for about 2 hours. read more

WOOHOO!!!! Jump for joy, somebody got it right!!! If you want amazing hair color go to Melinda. Back Story: I dye my own hair blond all the time, and have had it professionally dyed dark a few times and WASTED my money...so I decided to try again...and I just prayed for good results. My Experience with Melinda: I asked Melinda to do 5 different things during my transformation from a blond to a brunette. 1.) Don't turn it Green/Blue/Ashy (Which I've done on accident before) 2.) Give it dimension (no flat one color) 3.) Make it look profession (aka not like a box color at home) 4.) Make it look healthy/Shiny (okay I may not have said this..but it's what I wanted) 5. ) Make it a rich color/auburn-ish color (showed her pictures) She worked w/ me to understand what I wanted. When I first saw my results, I thought......at least she did 4 out of the 5 things I wanted. Not bad...but I thought it looked a little mousy and I told her that (poor Melinda...) I still thought it was the BEST profession dye job I'd ever had...but I thought it was not that rich AT FIRST. THEN I came home, looked at it from all angles, took pictures...and realized I must have been smoking something because she literally did EXACTLY what I told her to do, and more! (Apparently it's hard to see your hair from all angles w/out a camera). Everyone who has seen it has said how GREAT it looks too!!! It's NOT ashy, there is TONS of dimension in my hair, it looks really professional, no way I could have done this myself with a box color, it looks super healthy and shiny, and it IS a super rich amazing color. So if I could give her 6 stars I would. Especially since I didn't realize how much I loved it until after I left and was able to actually see it from all sides!!! WOOHOO, I'm happy someone finally got it right!!! read more

If I could give her TEN stars on Yelp, I would. She's AMAZING!!! I just moved to SD about a month ago and have been going crazy looking for a good hairstylist. It's sad that it took me going to a different salon, having them butcher my hair, and having my old Miami hairstylist search for a reputable stylist in the SD area for me to find Melinda. In a way, I'm glad the other salon didn't get it right, because then I wouldn't have met my NEW stylist in SD. Melinda took the time to explain what would be best for my hair, she asked for my opinion, and most importantly, she gave me her full attention. Oh yeah, she's pretty funny too! :) I LOVE the haircut she gave me, so I scheduled my appointment right away for her to do my color. I can't wait to see how my color will come out! Melinda... Thanks for fixing what the other salon couldn't do! read more

I have been willing to write Melinda a review for a long time, but never did because, well I have never written a review before on yelp, only tripadvisor and FoodSpotting... But here is the thing, I think that every women deserve a "Melinda treat" at least once in her life :) !!! The first time I met Melinda was about a year ago and since then, we meet every month or so. When you enter her salon, you feel like you are in a comfy bubble! She offers you wine, Champagne, coffee, tea, water, hot chocolate... And then, starts creating ART! Yes, art!!!!!! ... From the beginning, I have always let her do what she thought was best, and it always worked out for me! She is very talented, skilled and passionate! Highlights and hair color are her best assets, but I had a Brazilian Blowout done twice and it lasts for a long time!! Call ahead for an appointment, she is usually ALWAYS booked, but if she has an opening she will text or call you to let you know... Ladies, give your self a real treat and completely transform your look (or just perfect it) by letting Melinda take care of your hair- believe me, she looks like a painter working on a piece of art!!!!! PS: I buy a Moroccan Argan Oil from her that is AMAZING and I can't find it anywhere else, she'll probably use it on your hair... I use it every time after airbrushing or ironing my hair. Really makes a huge difference! read more

Occasion: Much needed Cut and Color prior to an Engagement Party and Wedding. Parking: My appointment was around lunch time so the top parking area was pretty crowded. I had to park in the lot one level below. Be careful though! Think twice about parking next to a pole..especially if you're next to a non compact car. Decor: Clean, great, hip background music. Service: Cut and overall color Melinda is awesome. I am also new to the area so finding a stylist was nerve wrecking. I am usually wary about going to a non Asian salon b/c I had such a bad color experience in the past. When yelping around and reading reviews, I definitely did consider the Asian salons in Clairemont but then I saw all these great reviews about Melinda. This led me to her facebook page where she showcased her work with informative captions. She obviously took pride in her work and really seemed to care about what she does. This was what made a difference for me. She also had Asian clients and their hair turned out amazing. So I decided to give it a go. Melinda is very professional, warm and energetic. She was very timely in returning my phone calls even though she was on vacation; she even took the time to call me to see if I wanted to move my appt date earlier (originally the only date available was for after my events). My actual appointment was very pleasant. She was easy to get along with; she took the time to explain what was going on (i.e what colors/mixtures she was using and why). It was easy to tell that she was very thoughtful towards her client (asking me how I parted my hair so the cut was right, making sure I understood exactly how my hair would be cut so there were no surprises, etc). Price: In terms of cost, she was very reasonable. I had asked her prior to my appointment how much she usually charges for various services and she was very honest and upfront about her fees. When my appointment was over, there was no surprise or price discrepancies; all you have to do is ask your stylist their fees. I am in love with my color and cut. Definitely found my stylist :) read more

This woman is a miracle worker! I have had some terrible experiences with hair stylists here in SD. I was completely terrified to go see a new one but thank heavens she worked her magic! My hair has been wrecked and tortured and was uneven, terrible color and over all it has been seen rarely (hats had become my new best friend!) Melinda took the time to really listen to me She evened out the color so it is an amazing shade of blonde with unbelievable shine! She fixed my cut and really made my hair look healthy and amazing! LOVE LOVE LOVE IT!!!! Haven't been able to say that for over 6 months! I will definitely go back to her and highly recommend her! read more

Well, well, well. My search for a great hair stylist over! After trying many salons from uptown to downtown and all around.... Melinda at Via Roma Salon saved me:) The lost, frizzy headed chic I have been since moving to SD is gone forever, and back is the silky, strawberry blond, goddess hair having beauty I call... myself! I got hi lights, awesome job by the way, hair cut, and a Brazilian Blowout. OMG my hair is the shi-zat! My hair cut was right on, you'd think it wouldn't be hard to mess up long layers, but believe me.....it happens (the guilty will remain nameless). Melinda not only gave me a great cut but she put back together all the nonsense that was the remains my last haircut. She did like 3 colors ranging from golden blond, pale blond, and my fav strawberry blond. My hair color hasn't looked this good since I was like 4 years old! Seriously guys, she rocks! Lots of texture, shine, and no more frizzies!!!! Think I should buy stock in this Brazilian Blowout thing,,, mmm hmmm. It's phenomenal. Melinda was honest, professional, and friendly. Not pretentious like some of the stylists I've tried lately. Hey, she even offered me wine! Now that's the way to get this chic to relax. Cool music, great location, booze, no prob with parking, and above all else.... THE BEST STYLIST IN LA JOLLA BY FAR!!!!!! If you are looking to go to the best in the biz without feeling duped and robbed when you leave.... and leave with kick a** hair. Go to Melinda. I'm hooked. read more

I just realized that I haven't written a review for this amazing hair artist I've been going to for the past 4 years. I was looking for a hair colorist and found Melinda based on her raving reviews. I must say that after 4 years of consistently amazing results with my beautiful blonde highlights, Melinda truly lives up to her reputation. She takes her time to listen to my requests and makes suggestions based on what she thinks would work best to achieve those results. Her dedication to her art shows through how meticulous and thorough she is with her coloring techniques and cut. I always get compliments on how bright and beautiful my blonde hair is, and how natural it looks. Although blonde highlights require an upkeep every 8-10 weeks for me, I always look forward to my appointments with Melinda. She is personable, warm and funny; my appointments with her feel like girls slumber party :-) read more

Aloha~ I must say that I have never want to let any hair stylist touch my hair especially for a new look. I have always been a long hair girl, but with high lights, or style I am satisfied for having it long style all my life. Then suddenly I am just tired of keeping my long hair flows, so I came to Melinda and asked for her opinion about a drastic look that I want for my hair. Needless to say it was a bit nerve wracking to decide about my really short cut as to opposed to just a style, well I told her to cut my hair real short and showed her several style I want and asked her opinion about it. I was impressed with her knowledge on hair styles and what works and what not. She's very open to any challenges that I have asked her, and really made me feel comfortable to sit there and let her do her magic! She has several suggestions on high lights and colors and made me feel that she's a caring person to begin with as she explains what are the pros and cons of it. Well Melinda, you just obtain another client and will be seeing you whenever I am needing of maintenance. I must say again that you ROCK woman! My hair feels fantastic, smooth, and easy to manage. You did an awesome job and most of all your salon got me rockin/dancin my A$$ with upbeat music. ;) Mr DJ happens to work there and was nice enough to play some rocking sounds; made me feel at ease ( that's a bonus!) Thank you and Yes Definitely I highly recommend to all. Believe me, see the photos for yourself! Mahalo~ read more

Words can't even explain how happy I am with my hair color!!! She's seriously the best colorist ever... Period. She knew exactly what I wanted simply by looking at the photo I showed her and taking the time to figure out what would work perfectly for my hair. I've been trying to find someone who could achieve what I've wanted for so long and I finally found Melinda - I'm never going anywhere else. She is personable and I love her space, it's relaxing and she uses the best, high quality products! My color is natural, sun kissed and perfect!!! read more

Melinda Wellman - Hair Stylists Near Me - San Diego, California

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Melinda can be described in one word... AMAZING!!!!! and YES she really does get those extra exclamation points. Today I got a Brazilian Blowout to get rid of a perm I got a little over a month ago and let me tell you...my hair looks BETTER than it did when it was natural! I wish I had a picture to show you but I was so in shock that Melinda had given me my normal hair! It was soooo dry and damaged before hand and now it's silky smooth and straight! I will definitely be referring her to my family and friends and going back to her as well! You practically saved my hair from the ruins it was in! THANK YOU SOOOOO MUCH!!! :) read more

YES, AMAZING, IT IS TRUE!!!! Everything I read on YELP was right on!! Just moved from the Bay Area in July and was flying home to get my hair colored and cut until I decided to take a chance and have my hair done locally. Read the YELP reviews and booked my appointment with Melinda and kept in mind that it would be a few weeks until she was available as she is that good... The moment I walked into the salon and met Melinda, my worries were over. She is an expert, knew exactly what to do when I told her how I wanted my hair to look, and for ONCE in my LIFE, I did not need to go home and restyle me hair to my liking!! I LOVED the way my hair looked when I walked out the door!!! I made sure to book my next color and cut appointment with her before I left... I am so thankful to all the YELP reviewers as I thought I would be trying everyone in town to do my hair the way I like it and I found Melinda the first time!! read more

Melinda is great, a true professional and very good at what she does. She introduced me to the Brazilian Blowout, and honestly, I became addicted. I am so happy she offers her clients great deals as the BB can be quite pricey! Here are three reasons you should visit Melinda Wellman at Via Roma: 1) She makes your hear look gorgeous, whether it's cut or color, I've never been disappointed! 2) Offers great deals on excellent products. 3) She's all around a good person and doesn't try to up-sell or rip you off, and we all know there are many of those. read more

I went to Melinda after seeing her reviews on yelp and she offers a great price for BB. I suspected that that one or two random bad reviews had more to do with the drama going on with the salon next door, so I decided to give her a try. On the very positive side, she is very personable and easy to talk to during a long appointment. She did great color and cut and BB and her prices are pretty reasonable. She takes alot of time and really tries to figure out what you want. I appreciate that. The only reason I did not give her 5 stars is because I actually have had a BB before and I notice that some of the unruly underneath pieces are still frizzy, especially with any amount of humidity. I could flat iron them but don't think I should have to this soon after the process. It also seems like it is not lasting as long as the last one I had before. I am OK with a little more body, since the super flatness is not something I am crazy about with the treatment. ,But the texture is not staying as smooth as I remember from the first one. I bought and am using the products that she recommended, so I am not sure what is up with that. I think it may just be that I am not so thrilled with the BB thing anymore. The first time you do it, it seems miraculous, but maybe not so much anymore. I will go back to Melinda because I think she is an awesome colorist/stylist and really, that is the most important thing to me. read more

Such a great experience! I found Melinda on Yelp/Craigslist and picked her based on her rave reviews and specialism in colour. The 50% off treatments was enticing too... ;) I went to her for highlights and low lights and a trim. I came out looking EXACTLY how I wanted to look. Melinda takes her time to explain the colouring process and what will and won't work for your hair and hair colour. She wont promise a result that cannot be achieved and she doesn't rush Also, most stylists don't listen and give you a colour that they would like, but Melinda doesn't. I really wanted to avoid any colour that brings out red tones and I wanted lots of skinny highlights and low lights. She did a great job, so much so that I can't stop looking at it, I've received lovely compliments and I can't wait to get my hair done again! Oh, added bonus: there's plenty of parking and she has a flexible schedule to accommodate those who work :) read more

Melinda is FANTASTIC!!! Not only is she a great hair stylist but she's also super sweet and fun. I found Melinda on Yelp (thank you Yelpers!!) and she has been doing my hair for about 5 months now. One thing I also love about her is that she works weeknights so I can come in after work (around 6 pm) to get my hair done (my hair takes a LONG time too - 4 hours - and she never complains about having to leave work at 10 pm). I naturally have long black hair and about 7 months ago, I did a drastic change - got my base colored brown and 2 tones of highlights. I got this done at Spa Gregories in Del Mar and loved it but could not make another appointment with the same stylist because she was always booked up and our schedules conflicted. Plus, that place is way too expensive (original hairdo was about $500 because I saw the Art Director). So I found Melinda and she's been doing my maintenance ever since (coloring my base and using 2 different toned highlights). Melinda also cuts my hair and is a perfectionist at that. If you look on her Facebook page, you can see a picture of my hair. I FINALLY feel like I have a permanent hair stylist!! I'm getting married in 6 months and plan to change my hair color again (going more natural) so I will definitely have Melinda consult and do the coloring!! I highly recommend Melinda and I know she does all types of things - coloring, cuts, Brazilian Blowouts, etc. read more

So just had a Brazilian Keratin Treatment or Brazilian Blowout at Salon Via Roma in La Jolla. Great process..here it is. Melinda Wellman is my girlfriends hair stylist/ colorist whatever. Don't know how long she has been at this salon but moved from another salon. and does a few treatments a week, so my girlfriend felt very comfortable as I waited. First they washed my girlfriend's hair to get it really clean and clear of any product. The treatment is clear and gel like in texture and has really no smell. Melinda applied the product on in small little sections - a little goes a long way - directly onto my damp hair. After the product is applied she then blow dried my girlfriend's hair with a round 3 1/2 in brush to get it smooth and dry for the next essential step...the flat iron. Melinda then went in section by small section flat ironing my hair to seal in the treatment...this is the key. At this point you can touch it, and it is incredibly soft. Finally after all of this detailed work she washed my hair with a special shampoo and condition which she recommended my girlfriend buy aka "me" and then applied a small amount of leave in product from Brazilian Blowout. She used the real stuff, make sure they do. Once she finished washing and conditioning my girlfriend's hair she styled it the way I wanted...full, smooth large curls...it looked great. The treatment will run you approximately $175-250 depending on how long your hair is and then the products are on top of that about $18-20 each. May need to get Shampoo and Conditioner at the least. Also, give your self about 3 hours from start to finish. All in all it was a very positive experience and I would definitely recommend you visiting Melinda at Via Roma in La Jolla if you would like to try this great treatment. * Pros: Experienced stylist and very honest * Cons: A good 3 hours needed to finish with root color * Cons: Special Shampoo and Conditioner needed (no sulfate) read more

SIMPLY AMAZING!!!!!!! Ok, I should probably start by describing that this review is not for a Brazilian blowout (though, I think the next time around I will try it out too). I have thick straight hair with really no particular style...I had a plain center partition and though I always wanted to do 'something different' ,I used to keep chickening out every time I went in for haircut. Now after discovering Melinda's work (thank you yelpers!!!!) I booked an appointment with her. Though I did not have any particular style in mind, Melinda was very assuring..she asked me a few relevant questions...made a suggestion and voila!! I have a really great new look and have been receiving compliments from family and friends alike :) I couldn't be more happier that I have finally found a stylist whom I can completely trust to do a great job with my hair. For anyone who's still undecided-stop reading all the reviews right now and call Melinda up for an appointment!!! read more

I have had my roots touched up by Melinda three times now, and I've been very happy with the results each time. I have dirty blond hair that I get bleached to platinum blond. She gets the bleach on faster than any other hair dresser I've been to, and she does a good job of not overlapping onto the previously bleached hair, so the results are very even. She goes back through my hair thoroughly at the end to make sure she didn't miss any spots. Also, she doesn't charge a fortune (its been about $70 - $80 each time). Overall, she is my favorite hair dresser yet! read more

Melinda is AMAZING!! I have lived in San Diego for 3 years now and had searched for a colorist worth the $$ but was always disappointed with the way my blonde would turn out so I continued to foil my own hair and friends' hair who had the same problem in San Diego, until I went to Melinda and I'M SO HAPPY WITH THE JOB SHE DID on my hair! FINALLY, an incredibly talented hair colorist who takes pride in her work and values her clients - she truly is the best!! I was running late for my appointment due to some unexpected traffic (I thought for sure I would have to reschedule, she's a busy lady!) and Melinda was so awesome to work me around her other clients that day so that I did not have to reschedule for after the holidays. We consulted about my hair, what I like & don't like, colors, etc., she really listened to me and my color turned out exactly as I wanted with vibrant shades of blonde incorporated with my natural color (level 7), and for once I have nice contrast without a dark look overall, I LOVE IT!! I have gotten so many compliments on the color and I recommend Melinda to everyone. Not only is she incredibly talented colorist, Melinda is super sweet and fun to chat with, making the overall experience an enjoyable one. I'm not usually crazy about how my hair is styled after leaving a salon (I'd almost always rather do it myself) but even Melinda's blow out was perfect and if I wasn't dressed down I would have gone out right after leaving the salon (usually I have to go home and fix my hair the way I like it). If you want to get your money's worth and have your hair in the best hands, definitely book an appointment with Melinda!! She rocks :) read more

Melinda is truly an artist, and she is brilliant in this medium! She takes the time to assess your hair, and I love her honesty with what will work for you. I have been searching for a stylist, and I'm so happy and lucky to have found her :) THE BEST! read more

Melinda is AMAZING. I first found out about Melinda when I stumbled across her Facebook page. She has tons of pictures of her work, and after looking through the albums, I knew she had some serious talent and wanted her to work her magic on my hair. I had been wanting to get my ombre redone for the spring. I've been to other salons and didn't get the exact results I wanted. I came in for a consultation where she took a couple of samples from my hair so she could see how the lightening products would work on my dark hair color. Everything worked out, and 5 hours later (yes, 5), I left the salon with the most amazing honey, caramel ombre color. I appreciated how professional Melinda was! I also LOVE the fact that she is so on top of the current styles and trends. She specializes in color and I knew she was talented, so I just let her do her thing, and I couldn't be more happy with the results. Her prices are definitely more than what I'm used to paying (custom colors like ombre start at $350, then it's $100/hr more if it takes more than 4 hours), but it is so worth it! Why pay the money for someone to get your hair done, leave unhappy, then paying for someone to re-do it? Go to someone who will do it right the first time. She is so sweet and easy to talk to, it was such a pleasure to sit in her chair! I'll definitely be going to see her again when I need a touch up! read more

She is amazzzing .... as you can see she can fix anything! Even my super dry poorly colored hair ... saw reviews about her online and figured I would give her a try as I knew I was in need. She far exceeded my expectations , and she was worth every cent. Not sure why she hasn't had any recent reviews , but let me tell you she is THE BEST ! Seriously people get to booking ... your hair will be thankful you did. I'm a lifer ***** read more

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If you notice most of the reviews are for coloring and Brazilian Blow Outs. I'm sure Melinda is great at those, but I went in for a hair cut and it was average at best. When I left the salon I wasn't thrilled but figured it would look different once I styled it. Well it actually didn't look like I had even gotten my hair cut at all. Before I went in I called the salon and asked how much they charge for hair cuts. I was told anywhere from $35.00 to $70.00. My hair is medium to short so I figured it would cost $40.00 to $50.00. I was shocked when I was charged $60.00. What a rip off for a cut that was average at best. Melinda hereself was very nice and personable, but I found it odd that she asked me to go to Channel 10's A list and vote for her for best hair colorist. She had never colored my hair. Maybe if I had been a long time client I can see her asking me. As for the salon itself it had an unfinished look. Either like they had just moved and were not finished setting up or they were getting ready to move out. If you want your hair colored or a blow out Melinda may be the one to see, but, I would not recommend her for a hair cut. read more

Melinda can't cut hair period yet charges $60+ for a haircut. She actually told me herself that she wasn't good at cutting and could refer me elsewhere for a cut. I only wanted a trim so thought, how bad could she be ? BAD! I had to pay someone else to fix it. I let her know that I was unhappy and now she refuses to color my hair. I guess she can't take criticism. Her colors are okay, nothing extraordinary. She is booked out because she doesn't work a lot of hours. I have now found a stylist who is awesome and not full of himself. Btw...the reason she made the top stylist list is because she begs everyone to fill out a form for her. read more

No call back. I swear I have the worst luck finding decent businesses in the beauty industry. I called and text her after many times playing phone tag. We discussed doing an ombre on my hair and I was super excited. She was booked, but told me she'd put me on the waiting list for Oct and in Nov I could get in. Well guess what it's almost Jan and still no call back. People would it kill you to use a little bit better of customer service. Really disappointed she was so unreliable. Found an awesome hair colorist down in North Park called The Lab. Sandi Z is Awesome. read more

CANCELED 3 TIMES!!! One hour before my first appointment she texts me and said she was sick and needed to reschedule. I knew it was a bad sign but let it slide bc I understand life happens sometimes. 6 weeks later I'm due for my next apt and she texts me to ask if she can move me ahead a cpl days. I said fine bc I didn't hv anything important in those few days. A cpl days pass and it's an hour before my apt and she texts me and said she needs to reschedule bc she is at a dr apt and it's running late. REALLY!!!!! I told her to forget it. I don't run my life that way. The one time I did get into see her, her color was good but she charged me $300 for the same service I later found for $150 in the same area. read more

Melinda is a genius. The poor woman had her work cut out for her but she delivered AMAZING results. I have been dyeing my hair myself for the past 6 months and it looked it - every inch of hair was a different color. Ouch. I also had super curly, dry, coarse damaged hair. After Melinda's ministrations of corrective color, highlights and the Brazilian Blowout, I look like the foxiest possible version of myself. My color looks like it did when I was a little kid who had been romping around in the sunshine and the texture is like silk. I can't believe that this is *my* formerly unruly mop. As every other legitimate poster below has said, Melinda takes the time to review, in detail, all of the steps of the process. She discussed the color with me several times to make sure I would be happy and explained why some shades would or wouldn't work on my hair. She was professional, forthright and fun. I have recommended Melinda to all of my friends and clients and will continue to do so. AMAZING. read more

Brand New Client, Just moved from Los Angeles. Melinda ROCKS with blonde highlights!

I have visited melinda twice now for ombre color in my hair. She has completely transformed my hair! I have never been so impressed with a hair stylist! Melinda knows exactly what she's doing and is absolutely amazing at her job. I know ombre coloring can be challenging and pricey, but with her its SO worth it. I definitely recommend her to anyone seeking a hair color genius;) read more

I just moved out to San Diego from the East Coast & put off getting my hair done because I was worried about finding a new stylest. (I'd been seeing my last one in Boston for years!) I found her on Yelp when I searched 'blonde highlights' haha & saw her amazing reviews! Now after my appointment, I couldn't be more happy with my hair. The color looks amazing & she took her time talking to me about what I was hoping for. She described everything she was planning on doing before she did it with color swatches & her amazing expertise! The next thing on my list is to try out the Brazilian Blowout with her! I highly recommend Melinda, she's very personable & just overall professional. I'm so happy I found my new San Diego Stylest (that says a lot coming from a picky blonde from Boston)!! You can't go wrong with Melinda!! Thanks! :) read more

Two years ago I found Melinda through a coworker who's color I admired. She had the perfect red. The kind of red that looks expensive and natural. My hair has been all sorts of colors: blonde, red, brown, ombré... And as a result, the health of my hair was suffering. It was dry and bronzy, and I had recently relocated from LA and needed a fix. I called Melinda and left a voicemail. She called me back within 24 hours and we scheduled an appt for about 4 weeks out. She worked her magic and I've been an Melinda addict ever since! My color looks healthy and natural and you can't even tell there's traces of a train wreck under! She honest about what my hair can take and what it can't and how different types of color will affect my hair. She's extremely professional and when I told her I may be ready to try something totally different, she took a small lock of my hair to test exactly how the color would look after! Never had anyone go that far for me before. Aside from being great at her craft, she's a sweet and hilarious person and I spend my time there laughing nonstop and swapping stories with her and other clients. Things to know before going: She rents a space at sola so she's doing her own scheduling, call backs, etc. so don't be surprised if you call and get voicemail. And she's rated one of the top colorists in SD so don't be surprised if it's a bit of a wait to get an appt. Since she's the one handling everything, there's little overhead cost so it's pricing is pretty competitive and worth every penny and definitely worth the wait. There's usually street parking and she has passes for parking in the back. read more

If you have been searching for an AMAZING, TALENTED, and PROFESSIONAL Hair Colorist, I highly recommend Melinda Wellman. Prior to moving to SD, I had my hair done by one of the best hair colorist in Miami. Since then, I've had no luck finding a hair colorist that could do a job nearly as good as he did. That all changed after I met Melinda. I am very particular about my hair color and I usually have no problem paying top dollar for someone that does a great job. I visited several of the highest-rated salons in the San Diego area; however, none of the stylist would really take the time to listen to my request, offer suggestions, or deliver the results that I wanted. Through my experiences, I learned that most of these salons are concerned with the number of clients and not the quality of the work done. In order to get very subtle and natural looking blonde highlights, my hair colorist in Miami would spend about 4 hours doing my hair. The salons I visited in San Diego would take 2 hours (even though I had explained what I wanted) so they could get to the next client. As a result, my highlights were no longer natural-looking and my hair became very damaged, thin, and dry. When I first met Melinda, she spent time asking me questions to understand what I liked/disliked about my hair and what my end goal was. She also offered suggestions specific to my hair type and skin color, and explained which hair coloring technique and shades she would use to do my hair. She is very knowledgeable and very detail oriented. She will do a great job, without a question!! During my last visit, I decided that I wanted to die my hair with my natural color (dark ash blonde) to give it a 'break' from all the bleaching and damage caused by previous salon visits. This was my first time going for a darker color, so I was extremely nervous. I told Melinda that I still wanted some brightness around my face. Melinda suggested that I do a Reverse Ombre hair color. Basically, instead of color that starts at the root, darker roots blend into a lightened mid-shaft and end. She used my existing blonde color at the ends and around my face and my natural dark ash blonde in the roots. This created soft and subtle natural looking hair which requires much less maintenance. Not only did she do a great job with the color, but she managed to bring my healthy hair back! I have received multiple compliments from coworkers, friends, and family. They say that my hair looks better than ever. Thank you Melinda!!!!!!!!!!! You can visit Melinda Wellman's page in Facebook and take a look at some of the great work she has done. Reading her page helped me a lot when I was looking for a stylist. read more