I had a cut and color at Salon Ilo to fix my grown out highlights and get back to a more natural color. Kim did the color and Adam did the cut. They did such a beautiful job. They both listened to what I wanted and delivered expertly. This is my second 5 star review for Salon Ilo. I'll definitely be back. I've posted a before and after picture for comparison. read more

Salon Ilo - Haircut and color after - Hair Salons Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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I asked for Low Taper and got a High taper, I can't go outside looking like this. Don't come if you want a good haircut.

Obsessed with my hair! Lee is a total wizard--he nailed the color and gave me the perfect cut. My hair has literally never looked this good. Lee is the GOAT at Ilo Salon. He even showed me how to style it. Can't wait to come back! read more

I called ahead to schedule a single color process, blowout, and kerastase treatment. I made it a point to ask in advance what my total would be. She quoted me a price. I came in to the salon and had my appointment. First, they did not do any type of glaze treatment after the color, which is an industry standard. Then, when I went down to pay, they added on an additional $30 to the price because my stylist flat-ironed my hair. I was not notified there would be a price increase. Every other salon I go to in this area includes styling in the blowout price. The lack of transparency upset me. My hair looked nice at the end, and the stylist I had was super friendly, but I had to dock a star for the points I mentioned above. read more

I came to this salon to get my nails done. Due to covid, appointments ONLY at this time. $40 for gel manicure. It came out horrible, nail tech didn't even cut my cuticles the way other nail techs have done in the past, the way she did it was just the bare minimum. Didn't bother to shape them nicely ...if I knew the result was going to be terrible, I wouldn't have wasted my time and money. They don't have a wide selection of nail polishes either, at least not for gel (maybe about 16 gel polish) and a dozen normal polish. read more

Salon Ilo - Look at it! Ugly. I called another salon right away to get it fixed the next day (wanted to post this before I get it fix elsewhere). - Hair Salons Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

I love this place This comes from a woman who hates hair salons because she does not like all the wait, attitude of the stylist and specially getting water in her shirt. They are polite, kind and down to earth. There was a crash on 66 and I was not sure if I make my appointment. I called them ( it needs to be said that someone actually picks up instead of an automated service prompts) they thanked me for calling and told me not to worry. Adam, my stylist actually listened to what I want instead of trying to lecture me on how should I cut my hair. I have a cowlick . Not only he noticed it but also he asked me about my styling habit around it. Adam is fast, precise and clean. He is also excellent at sculpting. Unlike the other stylists in the past after drying my hair, he actually went around one more time with his scissors. I love my hair. The lady who washed my hair Lilly was great. I am 52 and for the first time in my life water did not get inside my shirt while she was washing it I forgot to mention, I had a gift certificate for Ilo salon and unlike other place I did not get treated like a 2nd class citizen because I am not paying. Last but not the least they did not try at all to sell me products which is very nice. I have found my hair salon and my stylist. Ilo salon thanks for a beautiful hair cut, clean and welcoming atmosphere. I will be back. read more

I've been to Kristjun about four times now. The first two times he actually listened to what I wanted. The third time was meh. The fourth time he did not listen to what I wanted (lots of layers) and just went ahead and gave me a flat haircut. He also curled my hair when blow drying (he didn't ask me how I wanted it styled) so I couldn't tell how it looked. That was the last time I went to him. This place is not worth the price point. A 20-minute drive to the suburbs and you can find better stylists at a lower cost. Also, he talks your ear off and seems generally immature. read more

I really wanted to like this place because it's pretty and the people were nice but I got a really bad haircut which is not okay for $135. I asked for face framing layers and long layers in back. My stylist gave me very uneven face framing layers (longer on one side than the other) and no layers in back. I've gotten a couple blowouts at other salons and the stylists have commented on my bad haircut. I won't return or recommend to others. read more

I've been stylist shopping for years in DC... and I think I found my girl tonight. I walked in today without an appointment, was greeted cheerfully and escorted upstairs to put on a robe. I sat in a chair and was met by Patricia, who knew from looking at my curly mop that I didn't want too much taken off... and when I told her in no uncertain terms that I did NOT want my hair blown out straight, she suddenly looked as if she understood exactly what I was looking for. Pleasant Amalia washed my hair and brought me a hot cup of tea on this cold rainy evening. While Patricia was cutting my hair she brought over the colorist to talk with me when I mentioned I was thinking about a color... one day... not today... And the colorist (Kim?) was way pleasant too. How do so many people at the end of the day stay so freakin' happy? Anywho, I left happy, hair still curly, but now bouncy and with more life, and when I got home, I played with it a little to discover that Patricia had left me with a couple of well cut layers around my face so that when I put it up, I can pull down some tendrils and do that romantic hair thing. You may have no idea what I'm talking about, but the point is, I love my new cut, and I'm so glad I decided to bite the financial bullet and pay $90 for it today. In case it matters, Patricia is Bolivian, and she did not pay me to write this review... and I wasn't carrying a Yelp lunchbox, or wearing a Yelp pin, or talking about how I Yelp all day... I never mentioned Yelp. This review is real. read more

Called on a Wednesday afternoon for a blow dry at that time and was able to be seen within minutes. Saw Patricia and she gave me a perfect textbook blowout. So smooth, pretty, and bouncy. So happy and will definitely be back. read more

Salon Ilo - Hair Salons Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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I was referred here by a friend for an updo for my wedding. I saw Jonathan Moss. He knew what he was doing and helped me decide on what type of updo to have. My hair stayed through getting ready, the ceremony, cake, and the reception. It stayed until I took it out at midnight! My hair is super thick and doesn't stay up at all. I highly recommend Jonathan for updos or even for basic cut and color. This salon has talent. If you are tired of not getting what you want with your hair, come to ILO. You will not be sorry! read more

Salon Ilo - Photo by Southernly Studios. Hair by Jonathan Moss at Salon ILO - Hair Salons Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

I have type 3C/4A hair and have been getting my hair heavily highlighted for over ten years. I visited Wesley at this salon as I needed a new colorist before my wedding. My hair was mid back length and strong before I let him touch it. He did a "color correction" and over-processed my hair, causing a ton of breakage around my root and crown area. This was 6+ months ago now and my hair has yet to fully recover. The stylist I visited after him said that I had chemical breakage due to "overlapped highlights". I paid a ridiculous amount of money & am super disappointed. read more

Came in for a gloss, cut, and conditioning treatment and left the salon beyond satisfied. Michelle & her assistant took their time to meet my expectations and surpassed them. Having curly hair, it's been difficult to find a stylist that treats my hair properly. Michelle was gentle and gave my hair its life back! Already looking forward to my next appointment :) read more

Got a cut (trim) and color (full balayage) The color was perfect. Scheduled with Kim based on the good reviews I have seen here. She lives up to her reputation. Amazing. Kim gets 5 stars and I will be back for her. HOWEVER ... the cut. The cut was with Robert. I just wanted a trim, which he did just fine, although I must say he used a very unconventional approach which I have never seen before in the many salons I have been to, as I have moved across the country several times. The real problem occurred during the blowout. Robert used ~6 different round brushes and left my hair curled in them while using the blow dryer. Again, I have never seen anyone do this before in the history of my many visits to salons. Most of the round brushes were wooden. One was metal. It was right next to my ear, essentially resting on my ear. It heated up more and more during the blow drying session until I couldn't stand the pain any more and had to say something. Robert did not seem to care in the slightest, didn't remove it from my hair, and left me to hold it away from my ear myself. The next day, I realized it had burned my ear so badly it left a scab that oozed pus for the next week. Once I realized this, I felt quite outraged. I question whether this man actually has any formal hair styling training. Be warned. read more

I went here last year to get a cut and color. Tracy, who's now in New York, was the girlfriend of one of my good friends and I went to see her. It took ages, but my color was perfect. They tried to stick me with one stylist, and Tracy looked at me in the mirror, shaking her head in a panicked "no no no!" She swapped me out with someone else; the cut was mediocre. The offensive part was my blowout. The woman was new, and she looked like a retired biker chick straight outta Roanoke. My fears were realized when I left looking like I should be holding keys to a Volvo, not my beat up 1980 Ford pickup, Bluebell (RIP). Even with the hookup, I thought the price for the whole experience was pretty astronomical, considering the only good part was the color. I'll have to go back and try this Chavonne woman on for size. read more

I walked in hoping to see if this place had a impromptu eyebrow appointment available or to make one for another time. I walked in at the same time as another lady. There were two receptionist standing behind the counter and no one else in the lobby area. The first lady was helped immediately by the first receptionist. Receptionist number 2, saw me but preceded to leave the counter and walk to window and examine some boxes that were sitting on the floor. She did not acknowledge me, she completely ignored me and there wasn't even a delivery guy there, so it's not like it was urgent to go see about boxes. I stood there for a few min to see if she would come back to the counter. She did not and did not even look in my direction even though I was standing right next to her. I hate to pull this card, but I'm pretty sure it was a color issue, my skin color to be exact. Will NEVER go back. read more

I don't go to Ilo for the salon, I go for Eduardo, my stylist, who I followed from PR @ Partners. I LOVE cutting my hair and I love Eduardo because he has the uncanny ability to make me look like I should be wearing the Chanel suits and Gucci sunglasses that one day [soon] I will own, and the style is always unabashedly me. He doesn't try to fight my hair or cut it all off [unless I acquiesce] or reprimand me for taking a flat iron to those fragile little strands everyday during the cool months when it just won't curl nicely. Sometimes we combine our ideas and sometimes I just say, "what do you think?" but I always walk out looking chic. As for Ilo... it's white. Reviews have said,"it's like heaven!" But no, it's actually just very white. And clean. And sunny, which is nice. The women who wash hair give a great, but not orgasmic, scalp massage. Ilo does sell Kerastase and upstairs the people are refreshingly down to earth, but downstairs I always sense a hint of attitude from the receptionists. This always dampens my mood. Maybe its because that's where the Kerastase is and it just makes them feel like they're above everyone else... hah. Make an appointment at Ilo for the A+ talent and products. read more

Went to Ilo for every hair cut and highlight I got between 2006 and late 2009. Laurent Chauvet, my stylist, was and I'm sure still is a genius, as were the various colorists who balayaged me to blonde glory. The problem? The price was too damn high. :( For a full balayage, haircut, and blowout, I was dropping about $350 every visit after tip - a figure that only went up when I discovered how much blonder I could go with tint shampoo. Even when I painstakingly spaced my visits 4 months apart, I was still spending a ludicrous chunk of my book publishing salary on hair care. I had to quit my Ilo addiction. It was the only time I ever wished I'd followed my mother's exhortations and gone to law school. After a long, dark night of LivingSocial deals and boring brown hair, I found a new stylist whose talents matched Ilo's, only for $150 less per visit. (See my review of Tucker Reilly, my hero, at Danny's Hair Studio.) In sum: if you can afford Ilo, you'll love it: a great cut in a luxurious atmosphere. But unless you're coming down from Andre Chreky, the prices are a heartbreaker. read more

*Updating to give 5 stars, after seeing Kristjun for over 2 years now. He's the best!* I was dreading leaving my stylist in San Francisco when I recently moved back to DC, but she called around for DC recs and someone recommended Kristjun. I have extremely thick, wavy, long layered hair that lends itself to all sorts of disasters, most commonly sloppy over thinning (usually with razors or thinning shears) or uneven cuts. I am super, super picky about salons and stylists and never go anywhere without a recommendation. I saw Kristjun last week but always wait a bit before assessing a cut to give myself opportunities to style it myself a few times (hair always looks great when you're leaving the salon). I can definitely now say Kristjun gave me a fantastic cut. He also gave fantastic service - my parking meter was expiring and he asked an assistant to feed my meter for me and help with my blow-dry so I could get out quicker. Despite all of that, I don't feel he rushed my cut or style at all. He was very careful and precise. He is also just super sweet and completely devoid of any attitude or pretension (another thing I was dreading about my return to DC and its uppity for absolutely no reason salon scene). Also no product pushing, which is always a treat. If you want a great cut, Kristjun's your man. Gloria also does a wonderful job with my brows! read more

Katharina ***** Marcella ***** Jack *** Ilo won my heart 9 years ago...Monica Lewinsky went to the spa so I almost changed my mind but glad it didn't. I've been going ever since. Only a couple times have I had a different stylist...Marcella had to go and have a baby...and only dissapointed once. Marcella always does a fabulous job. Tell her what length I'm looking for and a certain style ... she works out the rest. She will tell me if a style won't suit me. I always leave pleased. Jack colored my hair a couple times and he does a creative and fabulous job but has such an attitude about it so I won't see him anymore. I may have to ask for Chavonne next time and check her out. (will update my review once I have). Katharina has done my spa treatments for about 5 years. She's wonderful! She does a wonderful job waxing and gives great massages. She has also steered me in the right direction with face creams when I've had my "challenges". Now lets talk about the hair wash ladies. Olga is the best. She gives a wonderful scalp massage...can she wash my hair every morning? Yes, the place is white and clean. They give you tea while you get your hair cut and are always polite. They sell Kerastase...mmmm. The receptionists do take a star away for their chilliness. When you are paying big bucks...who wants the frosty smile? I will keep going and if Marcella ever leaves...I'll have to follow. read more

Chavonne is still amazing but now she charges full price (which she deserves.) Just wanted to give you guys an update so you know you can't get her amazing deal anymore. You should still check her out though, she is fantastic for highlights and creative color! **Update, she's now at Roche Salon in Georgetown http://www.groupon.com/r/uu599679 read more

My boyfriend gets his haircut by Krisjun at Salon Ilo and has been for about 2 years. His hair has never looked better. Krisjun is a true talent and is great about listening to your hair care wants and needs. read more

It's been a few weeks since my Brazilian Blowout and I absolutely love it. My curly hair has never looked better. So smooth and touchable and very low maintenance. The staff at Ilo did an amazing job. My appointment with Brennan went flawlessly, with assistance from senior staff member Jonathan. Gary kept an eye on my progress the entire time and was able to lend a hand when needed. I felt very taken care of. I would strongly recommend The Brazilian Blowout for anyone with coarse hair that wants to loosen up their curls for stunningly smooth luscious locks. read more

Salon Ilo - Brazilian blowout from salon Ilo - Hair Salons Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Started going here again. Forgot how terrific and professional everyone is. The front desk customer service is excellent! Has to be the best spa and salon in DC hands down! Everyone is top notch. Juliana Riahi read more

I was in town for the week and desperately needed a good blow out. As someone who travels frequently for work and concommitantly cannot do my own hair to save my life, I have a salon I go to in most big cities for blowouts. Not so in dc. So, I plundered yelp for reviews on blowouts and landed with Eduardo at ilo. First, epic shampoo and conditioning woman, minerva. I have never had so much attention paid to this aspect of the process. Next, the blowout. It was faster than anywhere else I have been, and it was excellent. I told him I wanted a little shape; he understood exactly what I meant. Glossy shaped blowout in 30. Will definitely put this salon into heavy rotation. I am on day two after flying for 10 hours and hair still looks fab. read more

Jumping on the bandwagon of reviews about Chavonne. I called the salon and asked if she was still accepting hair models, I was able to get an appt. for the following week. I got there half an hour early and she was able to get started right away. It does take a while..I wasn't done until probably like 5:30? BUT - I have a lot of hair and it normally takes a long time to highlight (I do a full head of highlight) and she did put a tint in it and blew it out. The highlight is 20$ and the tint was 15$ - needless to say an unbelievable steal considering the normal prices at the salon. I think everyone should tip her super extra because personally, I can't even believe it's so cheap. She did do a great job - I would say far better than my previous highlights (at Andre Chreky). She put in three different colors and did EXACTLY what I wanted. My hair has contrast and I really like the color. I think she will be a great colorist, she really cares about makign you look good and is not just foiling you up . I would rather it took a little longer and looked really great than be ushered in and out the door with a half-a**ed job. She's still working on her blow drying, but hey, it's the highlights that I really cared about. During my highlight I asked when she was finishing up, she said fall? She accepts hair models Tue and Wed at 3pm. read more

I've been a client for 20 years only to learn the owners have been shady w/ the $$$ I spent all those years and it not going fairly to stylists, washers and colorists. Now all the best talent have gone to Violet Salon down the street. So I went to check it out.... Violet is what ILO used to be in it's hey day. read more

I just also went to Chavonne today and echo all the previous reviews! Amazing, amazing. She highlighted my hair as I asked but also took the base color back to its natural color so that the highlights were in fact highlights. My old highlights had just been built upon in the past so my ends were lighter as a result. Not anymore! I haven't seen my natural haircolor in YEARS..and the highlights are very subtle and pretty. All for $20! I tipped her $20 bc I was so happy with the results. Just be ready to be patient..she does take her time...but at that price, who can argue!! love love it. read more

If you are looking for a blonde colorist in DC - and I know how frustrating that can be -, I would highly recommend Elisa. She is a master with the plastic wrap; my balayage always looked unbelievably natural, even against my dark eyebrows. I can't count how many compliments I received on my color after I went to Salon Ilo; one woman who saw her working on my hair called her an "artist." I am obviously not the only one that feels that way, as the top floor is always filled with blondes. As for ambiance, the Salon is often crowded and can have an impersonal, factory feel. However, if you, like me, are purely results-driven, the only major drawbacks are the location and the price. If you live anywhere other than Georgetown (I now living in Arlington), Salon Ilo can be difficult to get to. I always end up taking a taxi. I generally ended up spending around $250-300 for a partial balayage and cut. And a helpful tip: the Salon does not accept credit cards for tips (there is, however, an ATM right down the street). read more

Since my last review Robbie has cut my hair 2 more times...and each time is better than the last! He is a truly AMAZING hairdresser who really listens to you and understands what works best with your hair, personality and overall look. He has done such a great job that I sent all my friends (girls and guys) to him as well as my DAD...who is soooo crazy about his hair. All came back with the same review...BEST HAIRCUT EVER! THANKS ROBBIE! read more

Ilo's new colorist, Wesley, is really off the mark. There are other ways to highlight hair that don't cause such damage. I'm really surprised that Ilo hired and heavily endorsed such a colorist because the other hair stylists are FABULOUS and do an amazing, professional job. But the salon has lost its way with Wesley's technique, which can severely damage hair. Wesley did not listen and was misleading with the treatments he used. Gary Walker, the man that supposedly hired him, became verbally abusive when I called the salon to seek advice on how to "fix" my damaged hair. A HUGE turn for the worse at Ilo. If you want to have healthy hair, stay away from Wesley. And if you want to avoid an uncomfortable situation, tread gently around Gary who easily became unprofessional and rude. read more

The salon is professional and very clean. They follow strict COVID guidelines with temperature checks, sanitation and social distancing. Michelle gave me a perfect haircut. She asked what I wanted and gave me exactly that. I can't wait to go back to see her. read more

I have been going to ILO off and on (mostly on) for over 11 years. Kristjun gives a great cut and is a good listener. he is always going to workshops to learn the latest and greatest and isnt afraid to have fun and change things up. he is very precise. I have had many colorists at ILO, but have been going to Kim Lawson for several years. All the colorists there have been good (ok except one!) but Kim is TERRIFIC. she is a fellow redhead and she truly gets how to best color my hair to get the red hue i want. she is always up for something new and provides great council when im on the fence about something. she is no nonsense and always very professional. as some others have posted, i dont go to ILO to go to ILO - i got there for Kim and Kristjun..... read more

I get my hair done at Ilo and am in love. I have tried a lot of "good" hair salons in DC - and was frustrated with the high prices and lack of quality. For a while I was flying back to Chicago to get my hair done...until Ilo. The salon is great: I was afraid it would be snotty and uptight since it is in Georgetown, but it is not. The staff is gracious and friendly and happy to help if you need to reschedule. Kim: I go to Kim for color and she is awesome. She lives up to the hype and I have never been disappointed. I used to have to get my hair done every 7 weeks - and now I go every 11. Robert: Robert does my cuts and is amazing. Not to mention he is super nice and funny too. As for the price....it's worth it. read more

My husband goes here and loves it, so I decided to give it a try. They made me stop by before I could make an appointment so they could do a 'consultation' since I was getting it dyed. The lady looked at my hair for like 20 seconds. So not worth the 30 minute drive, but whatever. I made the appointment and went back. I had a picture with me, I asked if she could bring my blond up a shade and then do one or two streaks of black. As she was dying my hair I could tell she was screwing it up, but I didn't say anything because I figured she knew what she was doing. She didn't. Instead, she turned most of my hair a dark gray by putting a bunch of tiny black streaks all over and putting a bunch of lighter blond highlights as well and they blended together. Then when I got downstairs to get it cut the person cutting it could tell it wasn't what we talked about, so she took me back upstairs for the girl to fix it and all she did was put even more black in the front, so now I had black and gray hair. I wanted long side swept bangs, but instead I got straight across bangs which looked terrible on my round face. And the rest looked like a mullet. I was there for a total of 5 hours and missed the baby shower I was supposed to attend that day. By that time, my hair looked awful and I was embarrassed to even step outside, but I didn't want to spend another minute in there, afraid they'd mess up my hair even more. I will never go back there! read more

Ok- so this is an update to my first review of Ilo. I waited a while to ensure that the initial frustration had faded and I was able to write a fair, balanced and objective review... So my first experience to Ilo was fantastic. I had the best color/ cut I had ever had in my life. Yay! So, naturally I came back for round two...not so fantastic the second time around. Ado, my colorist was asked to do the exact same thing with my color because I loved it so much. I have pretty blonde hair that is fine so I try not to take it too blonde because it will cause breakage. I also HATE when stylist add gold lowlights to my hair. It looks so ugly on my skin tone but some people (who in my opinion have no right to be working with color when they clearly have not learned the color wheel...) see my green eyes and immediately assume that golds will look great against those eyes and completely miss that my skin tone does not support that whatsoever. But anyhow, I felt totally comfortable with Ado coloring my hair and then went downstairs to Eduardo. I can't really say too much bad about Eduardo- he's clearly talented. The only real issue that some people seem to have is being rushed. I have never had my haircut so fast in my life but I guess that shouldn't really matter if I am getting a fantastic result. Also, I get my hair colored first- so I really don't want to be in the chair for a long time at that point. I have received many compliments on my cuts from him and that is why I'll probably continue to go to him. Ok- so back to the color. When I was sitting in the chair with Eduardo, it looked like my hair was looking a bit brassy but it was wet so I didn't get too worried. But then- randomly- Eduardo asked me if I ever parted my hair on the other side...no, I replied...he commented that I should try it. Anyways, he blew it out "backwards" from my typical part. Well it was clear why when I got home and saw how orange my hair was! It was completely orange/burnt blonde and had NONE of my natural color left. I was so mad I cried. I called and set up an appointment to have it fixed and Ado called out sick that day. I was starting a new job the next morning so I let them put me with someone different to do the correction. The girl who did it, pretty much re-bleached my hair along my part to try and camouflage the bad color. This ended up creating Barbie-doll blonde that has since been breaking off. I was mad that Ado screwed it up, mad that she cancelled and didn't even bother to make it right, mad that the stylist who "fixed' it didn't give a crap and even madder that Eduardo tried to hide it. Bottom line- I have ugly, broken, multi-colored hair that I am scared out of my mind to do anything to. I am searching for a new colorist who can take me back to a natural light brown with soft, buttery blonde highlights...is that so hard to achieve??? read more

Excellent service. I make sure I stop here when in DC. Erton is an amazing stylist, keeps my hair in top notch condition and recommends products that are perfect. Love, love this salon. read more

I would give zero star to this place if there is this option. This place is horrible. The lady on the "color floor" is extremely rude and impatient. Do not come to this place if you want some respect. read more

I have been going to ILO for 10+ years and LOVE it. Gary is THE BEST! He gives the best haircuts and talks to you thoroughly before he makes the first cut to make sure he understands what you want. He is completely honest to tell you if he thinks a style will go with your face shape/lifestyle. read more

I just had the BEST Keratin Treatment with Brennan on Friday! He was so sweet and meticulous with his application that I never once doubted the results. I have naturally wavy hair that is always frizzy and unmanageable but now, after washing three days later, I have beautiful shiny locks! I can honestly say this was a life-changing experience for me, with the amount of time/money/product I'll be saving. (Blow drying my hair is a breeze now!) I highly suggest Brennan for any service, but especially for this incredible treatment. read more