5-Year Regular Customer Treated Like S--T by Owner "Ly" (Lee)…read more See my 5 Star Yelp review from June 2, 2023. Replace that with today's review from July 13, 2026 below. I have been getting my hair cut at Hair Excel for about 5 years. My nephew has been going here for about 20 years, so I decided to give it a try in 2023, since I live only two blocks away in downtown Mercer Island. I usually make an online appointment with the "next available" barber in the shop, because they are all very good, but today I had returned late in the day after running errands and decided to stop in for a quick haircut on my way home. I put my name on the sign-in roster, and sat down to wait. And wait. And wait. After waiting 30 minutes, watching a dozen men walk in after me and get promptly served by the 3 barbers working, I decided to leave. As a courtesy, I went to the desk to scratch my name off the sign-in roster. I found that my "completed" page of the roster had been tossed aside by Ly to the left of the register, with my name still open at the bottom of the sheet. He replaced my roster with the new "active" sign-in sheet which already had 4 names of men waiting, who were now ahead of me. Ly never called my name as he tossed my roster aside. He didn't recognize my name as a 5-year regular customer, so he didn't care who the last name on the list was. This demonstrates how little the owner of Hair Excel cares about his recurring source of income. I will never return to this shop due to Ly's condescending treatment.

My absolute favorite place to get a haircut (for 12+ years)…read more I went here before my wedding and go before any special occasion, it's we'll worth the extra drive for me from Snoqualmie. Ly is amazing, as is all of his wonderful staff, thank you, Hair Excel!

$360 for foil highlights on shoulder-length brown hair, but they turned out bright orange instead…read moreof the light brown I showed in photos. Tina cut three other clients' hair while my foils were processing and left me under the heat way too long. Their website lists foils starting at $180, so the price also felt like an overcharge. When I called about the orange disaster, she wasn't apologetic and didn't offer to fix it. I had to press for this to happen and then she offered days and times that only worked for her. I ended up going to another salon in Bellevue for color correction and toner, where the stylist actually focused only on me. Won't be returning.

I received the first cut and color from Anna that I am unhappy with. I hate leaving this review…read morebecause I like Anna as a person and I know she's capable of excellence, but she did not go the distance this time. She usually uses an electric razor to get the back of my bob even but she skipped it this time, resulting in odd pieces sticking out underneath. I also asked for black dye and received a dark brown with red tints. For reference, I always color my hair with blue black, so the difference is noticeable. I also spent a long time at home after the cut working on getting my right side even with the left side this time. Anna told me it looks uneven because the way my hair lays, but I'm not willing to walk around with an uneven looking bob because of the way my hair lays. I think it's the job of the stylist to fix that. I was really hoping I could keep coming back here forever but that won't be the case, unfortunately.

I am a natural blonde and have been having a really hard time finding the right stylist to do…read moreexactly what I want to my hair. I have had hair disasters from roots still being seen after an appointment to bleached hair after saying I wanted to keep original blonde color for a more natural look. After visiting Amber at Indulge, I will never go anywhere else! Finally, I have found my go-to hairstylist!!!! Not only does she work hair miracles, she is the sweetest and most funny burst of energy. She greets you with a smile and makes you laugh throughout your visit. As soon as I sat in her chair, I pulled up an image of how I wanted my hair. A natural blonde with some light strands around the face, finishing with an ashy touch. She evened out my hair color, incorporating natural pieces in with my high contrast summer blonde ends. I could not be happier! The final cut and color makes my hair look effortlessly beautiful! I am all smiles! Go see Amber, all you amazing blondes! She's really the best!

I came here on a recommendation. First, the guy was more into watching soccer on his ipad than…read moretrying to consult my hair concerns. I was in for a cut and color which he knew since I scheduled with him personally. I told him OVER and OVER not to put much gold in my hair or it'll turn orange, I thought we had that understood. After applying my color he said he'd be back in 20 minutes to pull it through the ends, he took his iPad and left. It must have been a really intense soccer game, 40 minutes later he came back and pulled the color through left it on about 20 mins and rinsed me out. After coming back to his station he tried to ignore that my roots were bright ORANGE, I said politely "its looking pretty warm and orange" he looked at me confused and said, you think so? Lets dry it and really see, he did and I said "you gave me hot roots". He then said, ok I'll put a toner on you we'll leave it on about 5 minutes, he did and left be by the shampoo area for about 15 mins. After rinsing it out it was all the same color, and he said So anything else? did you want a cut too? UH YA! thats what I was scheduled for and that was my main concern, but I guess with the soccer game he forgot. He kept saying ok so just a trim? maybe a half inch off? My hair was way over grown and I was again trying to explain my concerns to him about it needing shape and style and a good cut so it doesn't just hang there. I am pretty sure he only cut and inch off because here I am 3 weeks later and in desperate need of a hair cut!! I will say he did a great job of blowdrying my hair because when I left my hair looked good, it was shiny and smooth. But basically I paid $175 for orange hot roots, a mediocre haircut and a good blow dry. (could have paid a whole lot less at HairMasters) I don't think I'd return again. Still in search of a good stylist...

Can't tell you how special this salon is! I had gas spilled on me while filling up my car just…read morebefore my hair appointment. I washed it off multiple times. When I got to the salon I asked the owner if she could smell any gas on me. Before I knew it, I was in a robe and they were washing and drying my shirt while I had my hair appointment. Such incredible service here! Always friendly and now I can add helpful beyond belief!! And Douglas at Au Courant is amazing! He's an incredibly talented hair stylist. I get so many compliments after my hi lights. Please try this special salon, you won't be disappointed!

I used to love coming to this salon, especially when Adrian was there. Even though talking to him…read morewas extremely depressing--he complained about his life constantly--I came for a haircut, and that's what I paid him for. Despite his negativity, he always did a killer job and took the time to ensure every cut was perfect. Unfortunately, my experience since he left hasn't been the same. My last appointment was several months ago, and I've been meaning to update my review. The new stylist who helped me, though a senior stylist, didn't quite meet the standard I was used to. The entire appointment, including washing and cutting, felt rushed--I was out in less than 45 minutes. The quality of the cut reflected this, as it wasn't what I expected for the higher price I paid. On that note, I also wish the salon had informed me ahead of time that this stylist was a senior and that her services would cost significantly more. I wouldn't have minded paying the difference had the experience and quality matched the price, but not being told in advance felt frustrating and a little sneaky. While I appreciate the salon's efforts, this last experience has led me to look elsewhere for future haircuts.

This is Amy. I am the owner of Hair it is. I am sad to say that we are closing our doors November…read more30th 2018. We are all on the Island still as your favorite stylists. I will be working out of Sofia's European salon. Barbara and Ilona will be at shear madness. Thank you for being a part ofHair it is! We look forward to seeing you at our new locations

Its great place to a get hair or your nails to look fabulous. Everyone friendly and very polite…read more There is over 25 years experience They listen to exactly how you want yiur haird and give the right advice too.

Charlie is the best. Not only did my hair turn out exactly how I wanted, but he went above and…read morebeyond by accommodating an earlier time slot to fit my tight schedule. Since I was in town for my wedding, the stakes were high, but Charlie delivered a perfect cut and style. The service was top-notch--he's incredibly easy to talk to, and the salon itself is spotless and modern. If you're looking for someone who understands Asian male hairstyles, Charlie is your guy. I'll be booking with him every time I'm back in Seattle. Highly recommended!

I spent 4.5 hours with Charlie, we did a full hair cut and a full balayage…read more We first talked about different hair styles - layers at different lengths and what would look good with my hair type. Since my hair is rather thin and not dense, we decided we want the ends to be fuller. He suggested different options which I appreciated :) He also did a similar consultation with hair color, given that I already had balayage previously and had 4-5 inches of black roots out. His studio is very nice and spacious for a solo studio. Charlie is also very personable and we had a great conversation- he gave me great life advice haha. I would highly recommend his services for asian hair! Excited to go back again!

I think it has been 13 years (at least) since I have been seeing Patti Power who expertly cuts and…read morecolors my hair. I know I'm always in capable hands when I'm in her chair. She is the owner and also a color goddess. I have been so very lucky to have her doing my hair all of these years.

Patti is amazing. she is such a great stylist. I am so happy I stumbled upon her. I have really…read morecurly hair, and if you have curly hair, you know how hard it is to get a good cut. well, it isn't hard for Patti. she is a natural, if you ask me. I am so pleased with my haircut. I am telling everyone I know about her. got to SHEAR MADNESS; you will be glad you did.

I gave Britney notice two days prior to my appointment that I would be 1/2 hour late. We all get…read morebusy, I didn't notice she had not responded, until; I walked into the salon 15 minutes late, not my expected 30, and she was most pissed off. I should have trusted my gut instinct to NOT sit in her chair, but I did, since she said, "your hair is short, it won't take very long" She took it out on MY HAIRCUT. I won't be back.

I have been going to Brittany for years. She's super knowledgeable of what she's doing. There…read morehasn't ever been a time where I haven't loved my hair. We have gone from dark brown to platinum blonde. I have sat in her chair for hours and every minute has been enjoyable. She knows what she's doing and walks me through what she's doing. She has always bent over backwards to work with my schedule to make sure that my hair was exactly how I want. I would recommend her to everyone!!!

I have been going to Jackie at Desert Rose for years because she does great hair! From my first…read moreever balayage years ago in her South Seattle silver bullet airstream hair trailer, to pink and turquoise pops of hair color at her South Seattle brick and mortar location, and now to trims & styles at her new Mercer Island location! She is very talented in coloring, cuts, updos, styling and blow outs; and her continuing robust clientele speaks to this skill level. Jackie has a head for good business, the salon is welcoming and inclusive (see upgraded chairs for all sizes), and she knows exactly the right level of professionalism and conversation to provide. Jackie and Desert Rose salon are the package deal for what we all want in quality hair care. I usually book online or ping the salon on Instagram if I need help finding an appointment. Her new location also has a coffee shop nearby!

Jackie was excited about my hair color vision from the start and brought her expertise to the…read moreparty. She showed me the blue color Pulp Riot dyes and explained how they could be mixed for the perfect options. She walked me through every step of the process and had a great musical playlist to boot. She is so easy to talk to, her prices are very reasonable, and there is parking. The online booking system seems very seamless. I can't recommend Desert Rose enough!

Joe Bae salon is awesome. The salon has some great stylists…read more I've been going to Sarah for all of my color, and I can't recommend her enough. She consistently does an amazing job--my color always turns out exactly how I want it, and it looks natural and beautiful every time. She really takes the time to listen and understand what you're looking for, and her attention to detail shows in her work. On top of that, she's professional, friendly, and makes the whole experience comfortable and enjoyable. She loves what she does!

Calm, welcoming atmosphere. Friendly, helpful staff. The owner is great. I went to Sophia for…read morehighlights and she was amazing from beginning to end, my hair looks great. Also very reasonable prices for the area.