It is a rare thing to find someone you trust implicitly with your tresses, who's style sense you trust and if something is missing the mark you can be 100% honest with. I capital L, LOVE Diem Hoang and have my daughter in law and one of my best friends going to her now too. My hair is the healthiest it has ever been, she gives me great cuts, and she is a pro at coloring, taking the time to formulate at least 2 and sometimes 3 mixtures depending on what we are doing with my hair so my hair does not get over processed and has superb color. She takes her time but she gets it right. It is time well spent when I leave her chair. read more

Diem was nice, but I don't think I'd go back ever again. I've only been to her once. The moment I walked in, I kind of had a feeling Diem was the one in the back. But she never bother to greet me. I think Rosa or one of the other stylist walked by and said that Diem will be with you shortly. I just sat there waiting for her. The wait was like an hour!!! And no apologies from her. When it was my turn, she simply said the lady before me came in late. Time is precious to me as I need to find a babysitter to watch my daughter. I cannot afford to wait for her for an hour!! If i hadn't waited for a month for the appointment, I would have just walked out after waiting for 10 minutes. And with all the great reviews on yelp, I thought it would worth the wait! HELL NO!!! Now about the cut. I got partial highlights and a cut for $110. The highlights she suggested didn't show much contrast. I went home, my husband said to me "i don't see any highlights on your hair". I also didn't like how Diem suggested that I shouldn't get an A-line bob cut. She said it wasn't my style. I took her advice and got a cut that she thought it was the best for me. hm....I later regret not getting the A-line bob cut. I don't think she knows what my style is. How can she tell by just meeting me for the first time? The cut she gave me was kinda made me look old. It was a plain cut. For some reasons, my friends liked it. I wasn't too fond of it at all. Anyway, I won't go back. I jsut dont' have the time to wait for an appointment for a month and wait for over an hour at the salon on the day of the appointment. Her motions are also very slow and she likes to talk a lot. It took her 2.5 hours to finish a partial highlight and cut. 3.5 hours in total isn't really worth it! read more

I know, I know. People rave about one person and those wonderful reviews are often negated by a minority that just didn't work out. But Diem really is great. I'm not the stylish on in the fam - that would be my adorable mother. She is very particular about her hair. We've been going to one place for years now, but I always felt like the stylist didn't truly LISTEN to what I wanted. A bit of her own agenda in the pursuit for the best hair... don't know how else to put it. So I yelped and found the great reviews about Diem. She's booked weeks in advance, so I just asked for her next cancellation. I lucked out and she called me back with an opening. Here's Diem in a nutshell (IMHO): *She cares about what she does *Therefore, she takes her time *Average wash,cut,dry = 1.5 hours *She charges EXTREMELY reasonably for time spent = $55 *Because she takes her time, you may have to wait a little for your appointment. On that last point, I read a review from a woman who was obviously VERY unhappy with her experience with Diem. 1 star, and from what I could tell, because she had to wait. This client has a child and talked about not having time to wait with the logistics of having to obtain a babysitter, etc. She has a very valid point. So be sure to leave yourself an extra 30 minutes to an hour with the appointment. Either you make time for the "Diem Experience" or you don't. But I have to say, I've been to her twice and have been extremely satisfied. I have to have a very particular cut for my job (tv news) so I was anxious at first. But she's put my worries to rest. She LISTENS to what you want. If you ask for her opinion, she gives it, but she doesn't force it on you. Go to Diem if you don't mind carving out more time for a woman who really cares about how you look when you walk out that door. read more

I think I've officially found a hair salon I can call "my usual spot". (It's nice to finally say that!) Hidden in a quiet residential area in front of Ohlone College, this quaint little house-turned-into-salon has a very warm, homey, welcoming feel the second you walk in the door. Rosa (the owner) is a super sweet lady that seriously spends forever and a day paying attention to every strand of hair. My cuts have lasted up to 2 hours each time, but the end result is surely rewarding. I'm always terrified of cutting my hair because I've had horrible experiences in the past, especially when you tell your stylist to trim off 2-3 inches, but they end up chopping off 5-6! (I still have nightmares about this.) What I love most about Rosa is that she actually listens to her customers. When you say 6 inches, it's exactly 6 inches. When you say lots of layers, she'll make sure every chunk of layer is even before letting you go. This woman is all about the details! No joke. Thank goodness for the complimentary tea they offer you. I don't enjoy the feeling of being so parched during a 2 hour cut, so I must say, I'm quite impressed with the service here. Prices are a bit steep ($50 for dealing with my crazy mass of hair), but I'd much rather fork out that extra $20 to get the style I want instead of an accidental do. I keep hearing about how wonderful Diem is with her clients, but Rosa's won me over. I'll be returning in another 2-3 months! read more

Flashback to 2008: My hair was in a state of much needed repair for my upcoming wedding. It was long, dry and had uneven colors from botched dye jobs that I did myself. Went on Yelp to find a stylist and Annette's hair salon came out on top. The first time I called Diem I was surprised to hear that she wasn't able to book an appointment till 2 months ahead, which was about 2 weeks before my wedding. Regardless, I kept that appointment with her. Fast forward to today: She never, ever lets me forget that I was CRAZY for letting her style my hair so close to my wedding day! But she did such a fantastic job keeping my hair looking healthy in spite of its state back then. And my hair just got that much better ever since I put it in Diem's hands. While before I couldn't really care less about my hair, she made me realize its potential. My hair had been long, layered short, highlighted, and now it's wash and wear hair in the 2 years that I've been going to her. And I've been getting lots of compliments on my hair all the time, all thanks to her! As many of her clients had mentioned, she is passionate about what she does so she really takes her time figuring out what hair style suits you best. This may not be for everyone, as we all lead busy lives but I always considered it as me time when I get my haircuts. Plus I always have fun talking to her, I feel that I'm reconnecting with an old friend every time! She would always ask me what I want done but she knows my answer to that. I trust her work and I'm always happy with the end result. Going to Diem is definitely an experience and I am fortunate to be in good company! read more

I needed a haircut badly and my friend who normally cuts my hair was out of town. Found this place on yelp and called to make an appt on the same day! I'm not good at planning ahead for hair cuts, it's always a last minute thing, so i really appreciate that she was able to take me in. I had an appt with Rosa. It was a holiday weekend so she was all by herself and i was her last client. She asked me what i wanted and i told her. I emphasized that I only wanted her to trim my length. I didn't even want half an inch off. Everytime they say they'll cut off 1 inch, they end off cutting 2-3 inches. So my philosophy is to tell them to cut off the bare minimum so they don't go scissor happy. Rosa did a fantastic job. I asked for a lot of layers, she gave me layers and when i told her not to cut too much of my length...MY GOD she listened. A first for me!! I was her last client and even though she never showed it...I'm pretty sure she wanted to go home. But she never rushed anything. In the end, she styled my hair and even gave me tips on how to curl my ends to make the layers stand out. I left feeling very pretty! haha Wash and cut ~ $50 before tip (they only take cash or check) read more

Rosa gave me a great haircut! I had waited MUCH too long to get a cut and left looking amazing. I'm on a college student budget, so I only get my hair cut two or three times a year, and when it was time to cut my hair again, the cut itself was still amazing, it was just my dry, dead ends that were driving me crazy! The only reason this isn't a five-star review is because when I got an appointment with her for my mom, she quoted us $35 for a basic cut, but charged $40. Not the end of the world, but I'm really sensitive about that kind of thing. read more

I've been a client of Diem's for a few years now and followed her from her former salon to her new(er) location at Mission Highlights. I can't say enough great things about her! I have been to a number of salons over the years in many Bay Area locales. Diem has, hands down, given me the best cut, color and highlights I've ever had. Her skills are excellent and I frequently receive compliments on my style and color. I always leave the salon feeling refreshed and pretty. And here is an added bonus: Diem is just so much fun to talk with and that makes my visits special. Diem actually tends to all of my family's styling. My preteen daughter and teen son have been her clients for some time now and their cuts are always great. When my daughter decided to donate her nearly waist-length hair, Diem was very supportive and helped make the occasion memorable, including giving my daughter a great new style. My son has special needs and Diem is always very understanding and accommodating. When I first started seeing Diem, I was lucky enough that she took me on very short notice. Since then (as I do with any professional), I always book my next appointment with her before I leave the salon. She has a very busy schedule but she does try hard to work with our needs. BTW, we'll be travelling out of state soon for a wedding. If Diem were available, she'd be coming along to do all the styling! Overall, Mission Highlights salon is wonderful. The other stylists in the shop are very sweet and the salon is pretty and always very clean. There is ample street parking and it's in a nice, quiet Mission neighborhood. You may contact Diem @ (510) 881-6377. read more

Just got back from seeing Diem again - I totally love that woman. She has been cutting my mom, my sister and my hair for three years - She Rocks! Make sure you plan ahead and make an appointment cause she is a busy bee. (510) 881-6377 read more

I've been going to Diem for about 2 years now and I love her. She's cut my hair all throughout all the different lengths I've phased through, from nearly waist-length to chin level. She's always done a fabulous job and really tries to cater the style to the client's hair type and personality. She did my hair and my Maid of Honor's hair for my wedding last year and it turned out wonderful. She also gave some great suggestions about skipping the expensive pins and combs and put in some beautiful orchids. Recently I went in for a hair cut and gave her free reign. She cut my hair to about chin-length. I haven't had hair that short in 10 years and it felt very foreign for a bit but everyone loved it. People at work would stop me in the hall just to compliment my hair. It is true that Diem is really busy though. It pays to call ahead a few weeks if you need a weekend cut especially. Also be prepared for your appointment to last an hour or more. Incidentally Rosa did my 3 other bridesmaids' hair and did a great job. read more

It look me almost 4 months to build up the courage to write this review about Diem. She's extremely nice and friendly but I don't see how she's had all these great reviews because she was my worst experience EVER at a salon. I feel almost guilty posting this review, but after months of debating, I don't want to not write my review just because I thought she was nice. I knew right off the bat that it would be hard to book an appointment with her. So when I wanted highlights and a cut because of her busy schedule I had to come for 2 separate visits for a cut and then came back 2 weeks later for color. But she was good at calling me back and fitting me into her busy schedule with such short notice. So 1 star for that. And that's it. Just 1 star. If it weren't for that I'd give her no stars if possible. She did quote me $165 for cut and color. (Keep this price in mind BTW) First the cut. I had long layers and wanted to trim them only. At that time when she cut it I thought the layers were fine. But now that I look at them and I tend to straighten my hair; it looks choppy and uneven, like someone took a straight razor to my hair and started cutting. The worst part was that I had asked her to give me that side wispy bang cut, somehow my hair turned retarded and looked uneven when I parted my hair to the right. I asked Diem to trim it more because it looked thick and uneven, but it didn't help. So I was stuck parting it to the left until I was able to get another hair stylist to fix it. She said that Diem had cut too much of the front part of hair around the crown of my head, even the part that isn't considered the bangs. So that's how they got so retarded. And when I asked her to trim it more, it made it worse. Sighhh. She then charged me $65 for the wash and cut. I tipped her $20. To start off a bad appointment, I arrived for my 3pm color appointment. She was with another client, which I thought was ok at the time. I could wait till this other woman was finished. 30 mins passed. Not one word from Diem. I thought maybe she didn't see come in since there's no receptionist. 45 mins passed. I then proceed to "use" the bathroom so she would see I have been waiting. She just smiles at me like she didn't know I've been sitting there for 45 mins. An hour passes and I build up the courage to ask her if she remembered I had an appointment with her at 3. She said she's sorry she's running late and she'll be with me soon. She didn't even notice how fuming I was because she seemed to act like I wasn't there waiting. She finally was ready for me and hour and 15 mins later! She should've at least knew that I was coming in at 3pm and could've said something when I came in, she does her OWN scheduling.... I had asked her that I wanted to go darker with my hair. My blonde highlights had grown out and my roots were about 3 inches long. I still wanted highlights though. She wanted to "ween" me away from bleach. So she used "highlights" of 2 different colors and alternated it along the top 6 inches of my hair so it would blend into the color I already had. The two colors were my base color of a brownish red color and bleach. She colored small wispy sections, like frosting. When she was done, I basically looked liked I didn't even color my hair. I couldn't see the color accept in the sunlight. I spend 4 hours for that... THEN when I asked her to style my hair like the way I had it when I walked in, to flip my layers out the way I do with a curling iron, nothing dramatic. She then used a FLAT iron and proceeded to FEATHER my layers out instead of FLIPPING it. I looked like I came out of a Charlie's Angels episode minus the bell bottoms and cheesy 70's music. I just sat there and let her do it. I should've spoken up but I was pissed with the color and the wait I had as it was. I didn't wanna make more of a fuss. I just wanted to get out of there. She then said that this was coming back and that girls in the magazines have hair like this. When was the last time you saw someone in a magazine with feathered hair? And to top off my worse experience ever, she then charged me $150!!! For a wash, highlights I could barely see for the top portion of my head only, and a horrid 70's feather's hairstyle?!?!? Remember when I mentioned she had quoted me $165 for a color and a cut in the beginning of my review? I figured that since I had cut my hair earlier with her for $65, my color would be about $110-120. I only had $130 with me. I couldn't even AFFORD my terrible color and cut! I had to short her $20 and no tip. Thinking about it now, I'm glad I didn't have to pay full price for my terrible experience!!!! I left the salon embarrassed I was short the money and when I looked in the review mirror at my hair style I teared up in anger! And then tied my hair up in a bun and left. Who ever has to tie their hair after visiting a salon? And she wanted a total of $215 for all of that?!? Overpriced and overhyped. read more

A bit pricey for a haircut compare to the other places. I had my haircut by Diem. Very friendly and seems to know what she's talking about. It's kind of weird how a photographer ended up being a hairstylish. Anyway she took the time to ask me what I wanted, I showed her pictures/ drawings. She spent a LOT of time cutting my hair, I don't remember how many hours, but it was longgg. I don't know if it's because I have a lot of hair or she just likes to take her time? I finally got my haircut done, but it's not exactly how I envisioned it to be. Lately, I been cutting my own hair because no one can't seem to cut the hairstyle that I want. BTW this place is kind of hidden, its on this small street right before mission, located in this small plaza. read more

She never returns the call. Don't waste your time waiting for a call back after you leave 10 messages!!! Never retunrning a call shows how great the customer service is. If she is busy she better hire a receptionist to take calls and make appoitments. read more

Like everyone else, this review is for Diem. I've been going to her for about a year now when she was at Annette's Hair Salon and I've never been disappointed. You can look under that listing for my review or other Yelpers'! A couple words of advice: 1) Do not rush and give yourself a lot of time--there's a good chance that you might start late and end late. Usually it's because she is very detailed and things may take longer than expected. My haircuts are usually around 2-2.5 hours. 2) Call at least a couple weeks in advance. 3) If she doesn't pick up, just leave a message. It's the best way and she'll return your call eventually--don't doubt. 4) Bring a check or cash. My haircuts are $55, pre-tip. I have so much faith in Diem to do a great job with my hair that... I'll probably follow her wherever she goes! She's great at combining what you want, with what works with your face shape/style, with how much time you want to devote to maintaining your hair. I can totally see her working at a higher end salon but I'm glad she's in Fremont! I've only gotten haircuts before but I'm highly considering color. I love the peppermint (shampoo or conditioner?) that she uses; it's always so soothing. And even though my haircuts definitely take longer here than anywhere else, it's delightful nonetheless. A visit to the salon is mostly about the overall experience rather than just the haircut anyway! Well at least for me. Don't know where to go? Well, it can get dark on that street at night but look for the house with the red awning. You can park along the street. If you use to go to Annette's, it's literally like 10 yards away. read more

My 11 year old daughter was anxious to donate 12 inches from her hair and I went to some random place in Fremont...big mistake. I needed to find someone to fix her hair. I found Annette's, specifically Diem, from my fellow yelpers. Diem was booked for a few weeks, but I decided it was worth the wait. I was impressed at her professional demeanor. She even gave me a reminder text the day before the appointment. What I appreciated the most was that she spoke to my daughter directly. I'm a single dad that hasn't had hair for almost 10 years, so I'm lacking in parental advise in the subject. I really appreciated that she took the time to explain to my daughter about how to take care of her hair. She even showed my daughter some ways to style her hair. She made recommendations for "lower" cost products that my daughter might like. Things that I could purchase at walmart or walgreens. I like that Diem didn't try to sell us on the "salon" products. She took the time to observe my daughter's hair and give us the low down on hair texture, style, health, and convienience. She spent about two hours on my daughters hair. Overall, my daughter and I were both satisfied with the hair cut and the whole experience. Thanks Diem! read more

Rosa is the only hair stylist that I have ever put this much trust in. Before her, I would just jump around from salon to salon, but that is no longer necessary. I have very dark brown hair and she helped me get to platinum blonde. I am very happy with how it looks and cannot imagine going to anyone else to keep it up. She is always helps me get exactly what I want out of my hair, from the root touch ups to cutting my hair. I would highly recommend her to anyone. read more

Just had hair cut with Diem and I like it....she's more like hair specialist than hair stylist. She did educate me alot how to take care of my hair and stuffs. I rather like someone who takes her time for me to do my hair patiently instead of quick hair cut that later makes me realize that my hair stylist made a lot of boo boo with my hair. Very pleasant experience....had made next appointment with her in three months. And BTW I was managed to get appointment right away just because someone can't make it...LUCKY!!! read more

I got a great cut and highlights from Rosa who took a great deal of time correcting a botched up color job by Pamela of M Salon. My hair looks so pretty now, and the prices were reasonable. I love Rosa and will stick with her. read more

Mary's been styling and coloring my hair for years. She's excellent in styling, cutting and coloring all types of hair. She keeps up with the latest products, hair styles and professional hair care techniques. All of her clients adore her and are very loyal, we don't know what we'd do without her. She's always supportive when I want to try something new, color or style, she always does a great job. The shop is delightfully furnished and impeccably clean. All of the stylist are welcoming and professional. read more

Busy or not, Diem doesn't bother to return repeat calls. So essentially she wasted a good month & 1/2 of my patience.

Rosa is a perfectionist, and on my hair I SO want and appreciate that! Yes, appointments take time, but it is worth it. She listens to what I tell her I want, I bring pictures and she gets it! Her prices are very fair and reasonable. The salon is clean and relaxing. On top of all this, Rosa is a professional who really cares about her clients. It took me a long time to find her and I am SO happy I did. read more

I have gotten my hair colored a couple times by Rosa and I have loved it every time! I trust her completely with all my hair needs! She made me feel really comfortable and I wasn't nervous at all! I have gotten alot of compliments on my hair thanks to her great work! I'm very happy and grateful that I have found such a great stylist! I highly recommend her to everyone! read more

I went to go see Rosa the other day and got a really good haircut. I usually go to the quick in-and-out in 10 minute haircuts, but it was worth spending the time and money to get a haircut done by a profrssional. read more

This review is for Diem, the great stylist. She's been cutting my hair for several years now (used to be at Annette's) but is now located 'next door'. After every hair cut it never fails I get compliments from all my friends about how great my hair looks-I love it. She is super busy so plan ahead. Call, leave a message and she will get back to you, be patient. I am moving out of state and will miss her, she is a really nice person too. read more

I've been going to Rosa for the past two years and I'm so happy with the work she's done on my hair. Not only does do my stylish hair cuts and color, but she also did my updo for the day of my wedding. I received so many compliments on that day. She's extremely talented. On top of it all, she's kind, warm and attentive to her work. Even though I currently live in Davis, I still go to her for all my hair needs. read more