Cassidy did an absolutely amazing job on my hair! I went in for a blow out and beach waves for a friends wedding and was so thrilled with the result. She was super personable, and knowledgeable. I enjoyed chatting with her, and she took extra care making sure the shorter layers of my hair blended in with the rest of the waves rather than sticking out as they began to do. I appreciated her skill and the time she took to make sure I was happy with the end result. I got so many compliments at the wedding, and will definitely be going back if I'm in the area again. read more

I don't usually write negative reviews and this in no way reflects my stylist Vickie, who was great! But I had to write this review. I'm new to the area and relied on yelp to find a new salon. Based on the great reviews, I chose this place, even though it seemed expensive. But I figured it's Santa Barbara and I'd treat myself. The salon is filthy - hair cobwebs every where, all surfaces dirty, floor looks like hasn't been swept or mopped in years... clearly not using the over priced charges to pay for a cleaning service! Cheap dirty furniture and uncomfortable wash basins. Not welcoming, relaxing, or trying to provide a nice environment or salon experience. Then when I was charged it said it was 'Alex's Salon and Blow out Bar'. Clearly it's no longer Santa Barbara Salon but trying to ride on its past reputation. I won't be back...sadly a missed opportunity. read more

Alex is a master at natural, sun kissed balayage!!! He did exactly what I asked for and exceeded my expectations. Wish I could give 6 stars!!! read more

Santa Barbara Salon - Hair - Hair Salons Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

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I can't even describe how happy I am to have found Vicki. Amazing talented hairstylist she listens and knew exactly what I need. My color and haircut is perfect I would never ever go anywhere else read more

Don't know what's wrong with all the 1 star reviews but all you need to know is to book with Vicki. She is the most talented and not to mention the sweetest and warmest person to work with. She knows how to make you feel comfortable and most importantly beautiful. She single handedly saved my wife's Birthday. My wife got a haircut which turned out to be a disaster from another salon which I won't name and we came to Vicki to save us and that is exactly what she did. Book her for you won't regret it! read more

I asked Alex for a trim and specifically told him that I didn't want a straight across cut. He replied that he "would never do that", and I felt bad for even asking. And then he gave me the worst straight across cut I've ever gotten in my life!! I had to get my haircut fixed at a different salon. I went back to Alex, showed him these pictures and asked for a refund. He refused to give me a refund! And the receptionist was so rude too. Never going back here again!! read more

Santa Barbara Salon - DO NOT LET ALEX CUT YOUR HAIR - Hair Salons Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

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The experience was not good. It's difficult booking and confirming appointments. I feel they discriminate clientele.

I made an appointment online to get my hair done prior to a wedding. The day I travelled to my destination, my confirmed blow out was auto canceled despite my deposit. When I called, rather than saying "let me see what I can do." I was given two other salons that were fully booked. Maybe Santa Barbara Salon should have called to find me a stylist rather than making me to the work for their mix up. We manage spas on the east coast and would never leave a client hanging because of our mistake. The wedding is formal, I'm an amputee so blow drying my hair myself is impossible, and instead of in joying my morning I'm searching for a stylist. Terrible business practices. "There's nothing I can do," should be" let me right this for you." I'll never make an appointment there again! read more

So happy I found this salon. Everyone is extremely nice and attentive. Virginia was incredible, extremely knowledgeable and skilled. She took her time to do it right and to give me all the color dimension and the cut I wanted. I'm super happy with my hair. Totally recommend. read more

Santa Barbara Salon - Short bob. Multi tone blonde Balayage on dark brown Hispanic hair. - Hair Salons Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

They ripped people off! This place is not the place I used to go but I need a quick blow dry for an event. Made an appointment for about 15 minutes blow dry, Vicky charged me $70 for a blow dry. The job was ok nothing great. Would never go back again. read more

My friend recommended Virginia & she gave me the best haircut i've ever had! I'm from NYC and have never had such a good haircut in my life. She is so talented & kind, and didn't use any unnecessary product in my hair or push coloring or dye. read more

I went to get my hair done here and purposely didn't wash it the night before, figuring that they would wash and blow dry my hair before they styled it. I got to the appointment, hair greasy, and they sat me in a chair and started heating up the curling iron. I said to the hairdresser, "I didn't wash my hair yesterday because I thought it would be washed here" and she just said "oh don't worry" and tried to cover it up with dry shampoo. When they rung me up, they charged me the full price for a wash and blow dry and style... I was confused considering I didn't get the full service but I had to get to my grad photos so I just paid it and left. I called the salon the next day to ask for a partial refund considering I did not get a hair wash and blow dry. The girl on the phone was not helpful at all and extremely rude. She said she would talk to the manager and call me back. She never called back. I had to call again and the manager conveniently wasn't there again. The same girl on the phone told me that the lady who did my hair said she asked me if I wanted her to wash my hair and I said no (why would someone who purposely didn't wash their hair the day before say no to a hair wash lol?) If you look at the owner's comment below you can see her accusing me of lying again, HAH! So let me get this straight... I refused a service... then tried to get a refund for a service that I supposedly refused.... yeah that makes a lot of sense. This place is completely unprofessional and a waste of money. You're literally better off driving to LA, going to dry bar, and coming back if those were the only options (not to mention my curls fell out literally in the drive home from the salon). read more

Literally the best my hair has ever looked. I had a few friends get their hair done here all by different stylists but decided to go with Ashleigh because my friend raved about her. Best decision I ever made she spent so much time cutting and coloring my hair to make sure it was perfect. Definitely worth the 41/2 hours trust me time creates perfection. I'll definitely be going back next time I need my hair done. 10/10 would recommend Ashleigh to anyone she's amazing and super nice!! read more

Santa Barbara Salon - Hair Salons Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

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If I could give zero stars, I would, but Yelp doesn't give that option. Today was the first time I ever visited Alex's salon after having heard good things about how talented the hairdressers there are. I had an appointment to color my hair. When I walked in I was surprised to see that 2 of the hairdressers, including Alex himself, were not wearing masks. There was also an unmasked customer. This is a place where social distancing is NOT possible - a hairdresser CANNOT cut your hair from 6 feet away! Masks obviously are the only option to contain the spread of covid-19, especially since the front door was closed and there are no windows in the salon. Once it was time for my appointment Alex came and got me. We walked back to his station and I asked him if he would put his mask on while he did my hair because I am a breast cancer survivor and therefore immunocompromised. He said he could not wear his mask. His exact words were "That's gonna be a problem for me." I said "...but it's the law." He said it's actually a preference/choice. Even the mere fact that I am a cancer survivor would not encourage him to wear his mask to protect a paying customer. How unbelievably selfish and inconsiderate. This pandemic is never going to end thanks to selfish behavior like this. I left the salon a few minutes later. I won't be going back here after the pandemic ends, now that I know how unkind the owner is. read more

Well...all I can say is Vickie is fantastic! I have such a wonderful experience and I would definitely go back. I had a haircut, and I love how it turned out! read more

Worse experience- the stylist was either very new or inexperienced. Didn't know how to communicate and did not listen.

I have been going to Alex for a couple of years now and let me just say that he is amazing. I am always so happy when he does my hair. He knows what he's doing and he takes so much time talking to you about what you want and giving you his input, which I love. He's great. Now, the reason I am giving it 3 stars is because I went in 2 weeks ago to get a haircut and unfortunately, Alex's previous client was taking a long time so I got my hair cut by another stylist, Erin. I asked for a collarbone-length lob and ended up with a chin length mess. My hair is so uneven and so choppy. I had to go in the following week for Alex to at least try to even it out (which he did at no charge). This is easily the worst haircut I've ever gotten and now I have to wait for it to grow because there is no way to really fix it without leaving me with really really short hair (mind you it's already shorter than my chin after the haircut she gave me). I'm someone who loves getting my hair done often and now I am traumatized. I won't be getting my hair done for a long time so that my hair can grow back and look normal again. And I don't want to sound dramatic but hair is a big thing, it really breaks your confidence if you hate it. I gave it 3 stars because I would give Alex 5 stars, easily, he is great, but I would give Erin no stars. Maybe she was not having a good day but she really botched my hair and I'm pretty upset about it because 2 weeks later, all I've been able to do with it is put it under a baseball cap. (The picture I posted was after Alex did my color a couple of months ago, not the haircut) read more

Santa Barbara Salon - Amazing balayage highlights done by Alex!! In love with my new hair! - Hair Salons Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

Alex's salon was kind, knowledgeable, and efficient. They have definitely earned the title of, SALON. From great haircuts, to high quality hair coloring, and to being given the best advice of which high-end products are best, this facility offered the works. I highly recommend all to stop on by and give this Alex's a try! ** Kayli is my stylist! read more

Walk ins not welcome like they say. Needed a simple cut that would take about 10 min tops. They had only one person inside and rejected me saying they were full for the day. Super rude read more

Cut about a foot off of my hair to donate (a huge deal for someone who hasn't cut my hair in 10 years) They did a great job! I was very happy with the result, and will come back again! read more

Alex is a master at what he does. Accomodating, friendly and so knowledgeable. His staff service is impeccable as always. Love the bead curtains! See you guys soon. read more

Such a classy hair salon. Great service, beautiful interior. They really make you feel comfortable and check up during the haircut to see if the customer is satisfied with the work so far. I loved my haircut they gave me. All I suggest to the owner that they provide drinks such as water or juice as hospitality since their price point is high. read more

This was the worst experience I have ever had. Please run. Didn't have my name at front desk, got in and had the worst hair day of my life

Had an interesting/terrible experience here. My girlfriend went to get a blowout, which usually takes 40 minutes. Here it took 90 minutes! In the middle of it the owner came over and asked her to leave because her curly hair was too difficult to manage. As insulting as this was, what made matters worse is that we had a wedding later that day. The owner reluctantly agreed to finish but instructed the technician to "do it quickly." This was a bizarre and troubling experience. Never in a million years would you expect to be bullied at a salon by the salon owner no less. Even the technician, who has curly hair, seemed offended by the situation and was noticeably trembling. The owner said he was not going to charge my girlfriend's credit card. And at first he didn't--she received an Amex notification saying the blowout was $0. Then, after posting this Yelp review, about an hour after leaving, she received a new notification that he charged her card $70 for a blowout! Unbelievable. So this guy provides sub-par service, insults and bullies his customers, fraudulently charges his customers after they write reviews, and is a ripoff to boot! Needless to say, if you have curly hair or if you don't want to support jerks, avoid this place at all costs. It is not worth patronizing this business when there are places that don't insult their curly-haired customers. Consider yourself warned and stay far away from Alex's Salon. read more

I have VERY long curly hair and so I am always worried when I go to the hair salon as my hair is difficult to cut. I was so impressed by Virginia though and her gentleness with my hair and how she stuck to what I wanted her to do WHILE giving her expert advice on what would look best. I walked out of this hair cut for the first time in a long time (hence why I have long hair--I've been scarred before) very very happy with my hair! The owner was very sweet too and expressed my concern about having a previously bad haircut and talked to Virginia before to let her know that I was nervous and to be gentle with my hair :) Very sweet! They really know their stuff at this salon. Virginia had a great knowledge of how to cut my hair right! read more

I was nervous seeing a new person for my hair since I loved the one I had in another state but I left happy and will return to this salon. The salon is in a convenient location to shop before/after, a waxing studio right above and parking near the area. I seen Alex for highlights and he did a great job! &there's the cutest pup there for company :) read more

Honestly, I was so nervous about getting highlights (1st time). But I did my research and found these guys had many positive reviews -so I went for it. Betsy did an amazing job, I absolutely love it! read more

Santa Barbara Salon - This was a coupe days after, so it's a little frizzy. - Hair Salons Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

Terrible. There online scheduling is faulty. They want you to follow their 72 hour rules but don't get back to you within even 24 hours. I have read about their lack of safety with face masks and I'm so glad I will never be back. Good luck . Horrible customer service. read more

8/10/18: online appointment requested for 5pm 8/16. Noted to look at my last appointment to ensure enough time was reserved. Advised the appointment was not considered reserved until email confirmation. 8/11: Received "Appointment Accepted" email 8/13: Received email to confirm myappointment via a link; "Appointment reconfirmed" 8/15: Reminder email received 8/16 - Day of Appointment: 11:40am rec'd email & text "Appointment Cancelled" not enough time to finish my hair! REALLY? You wait until the day of the appointment and cancel an appointment?!?!?!?!?!?! After accepting, confirming, and reminding you have the audacity to cancel an appointment that was to happen in 5 hours! I immediately texted back stating I would come in early and they said it was too busy. The appointment would take 3 hours and they closed at 7pm. So, help me understand why you wouldn't honor your appointment and stay open an hour later or perhaps call more than hours prior to address. I immediately called at least 8 times and no one would pick up the phone. I had to leave voice mail messages and have not received a call back in 2 weeks. Serious customer service issues. I have since called and left messages to discuss with the owner, Alex. He has not returned phone calls either. NOTHING. Disappointing. The silver lining is I found a new stylist at a new salon that is among the best I've ever experienced and appreciates my business. Additionally the billing practices are somewhat subjective. As someone new to town, I have only visited the salon twice, had the exact same services, and was charged $50 more the 2nd time. I questioned the charge but the receptionist was dismissive. read more

I recently got a haircut here and I must say it was one of the best salon experiences I've had! Virginia was so patient and did such a great job! I loved how she was able to give me the haircut exactly how I had described to her. I was impressed by her attention to detail and you can tell how passionate she is about making it a great experience for you. I will be back and will definitely get an appointment with Virginia! read more

Got a blowout today and I liked it! The online prices said 48$ but I ended up paying 53$. The receptionist/owner of this place is pretty rude and unwelcoming. I was early to my appointment and she told me to come back closer to the time instead of offering me to just hangout. She did not smile or make me feel welcomed whatsoever from the minute i walked in. When I was checking out she didn't even say anything at all besides the amount i owed. i asked her what another girl was getting done to her hair because it looked amazing and she replied with one word without offering any information on it. i have been to many hair salons but I've never seen customer service like this. I was excited to try this place out based on the yelp reviews but the owner of this place really needs to be friendlier. Customer service is everything to me and I did not feel good service here whatsoever. Besides the owner, my hairstylist was great and friendly. She gave me some tips on how to make my hair look healthier! I give her a 5/5 but due to the customer service I received from the owner my ratings for this place will be lower. read more

I love this place and my stylist, Jaida Lynn. Been coming to her for color, keratin straightening treatments and hair extensions for about 6 months, every 2 months. It's convenient being at paseo Nuevo mall. Good energy there. read more

Haircut and experience was wonderful! Virginia is very talented. Lost 2 stars because they changed the stylist on me because the stylist I booked with was not going to be able to keep the appointment time. So even though that was not my fault, I still had to pay for the more expensive stylist. Not cool. read more

I can't even express how happy I am with my hair!!!! I had been going to the same place for over 10 years and finally decided to take a chance somewhere else. I got my hair cut by Alex and couldn't believe how amazing my hair looked. He does meticulous work and the staff there is extremely welcoming!!!! I'm looking forward to my next visit!!! read more

I am very disappointed with my experience at Alex's Salon and would not recommend this place to others. I went here with my mom and cousin early on Sunday morning in preparation for a large family party. We told the stylists that we needed our hairstyle to last until midnight. My mother got a blow dry and style from a woman named (Clairisee or Clara??) who spent a majority of the time looking at HERSELF in the mirror, adjusting her dress strap that kept falling off and showing her breasts because she was not wearing a bra. In addition, my mother was not happy with her hairstyle and Clara (don't know her exact name) didn't do anything to make her happy. I had spoken with Alex on two occassions prior to the appointment date about my hairstyle. When I arrived I once again repeated that I wanted to have my style last for 12+ hours. He spent about 15 minutes curling my hair with a curling iron (I have natural curls/waves) and then said Tera would finish the style. Tera was very sweet and she listened to what I wanted, however, I noticed that my curls were already falling out. She re-did a few and put hairspray and said that the hair would stay put for the remainder of the day. Unfortunately, within 1 hour of walking out of the salon my waves became undone and my hair got very flat (I requested a lot of volume). My mom had to spend an hour re-doing my hair so the $65+tip (total of $75) that I gave was worthless because I ended up having my mother re-do my entire hairstyle. Last but not least, when we were all trying to pay, the landlord/whoever that rents the place to Alex was standing at the cash register flirting with the two receptionists. He was sharing photos on his iPhone and overtly flirting with the two girls. We stood there for 10 minutes and were ignored. I was getting very frustrated but kept my cool until he walked away and the receptionist assisted us in paying for our services. I would not recommend this place if you're looking to get your hair done for a special occassion. read more

It's been a few months since I have visited Alex's salon and blow dry website and I'm happy to see that they have updated their page and added a very clear treatment and blow dry menu section which lists the prices of each option. The prices for a simple blow dry seem comparable to the other blow dry salons in the Santa Barbara area ( high $) . I have been looking for a salon that does Brazilian blow-out and Alex is has them at a price that is competitive even with the salons in LA. This in fact, has peaked my interest and I will be happy to update my review on the salon and service overall once Ive have been in. read more

I really really hate to do this, but I received absolutely the worst haircut I've ever gotten in my life here. The following day I went to a 10-day family reunion and in every pic I'm wearing a baseball cap. I had asked for a shoulder-length layered bob with side-swept bangs. What I got was a "classic Karen". I'm not kidding. Two 'curtains' of hair in the front, a severe step-down behind that, and some weird graduated "bubble" at the back. If you don't think that walking around looking like some pathetic stereotype doesn't affect your self-esteem or self-image then you've never gotten a really bad inappropriate haircut that has nothing to do with your request, your style, your face-shape, nothing. Again, I feel horrid for posting this, as this stylist kicks ass when it comes to color, but is oblivious to listening to the needs of the client regarding their individual needs. read more

I had a great experience at this salon on Saturday. I don't live in the area, and I needed a blow out for family photos we were taking that day. I searched on yelp and found their reviews to be good so gave them a call and booked an appointment. They booked me with Jaida who was great, happy, helpful and very fast! She was waiting and ready for me at reception when I walked in. I had a 3pm appointment and was done within about 35-40 mins with a blow out and curl (I do have short bob hair cut). I have fine, straight hair and she was able to give me volume and a nice beach wave/ curl for my photos. Having never done my hair before, she adapted well to what products would work best and using a straightener instead of a curling iron to get the desired outcome. In addition to the prompt service at the salon, I received text messages to remind me of my service which was a nice touch. The salon was clean and had a nice vibe. The only thing I didn't care for was having to book with a credit card at the time of my call. I was going to schedule an appointment online and when it requested my cc I decided to just call the salon thinking I could avoid that. Instead the receptionist still needed my cc info for a $43 blow out. I'm sure they have their reasons, but at my salon in LA where my cut/ color runs me $200 or more, I never have to give my cc to book an appointment. Overall, the experience was great and I will go back if in the area and need anything. read more

Needed a wash and blow dry while visiting Santa Barbara. I requested an appointment online and received a speedy response. My blow dry was perfect. I will return my next trip to SB read more

Alex is a blonde mastermind, he is literally the only person I will allow to dye my hair. The first time I went to him was for a color correction after another hair stylist completely ruined my hair color. This other stylist, which had been pretty cheap, had made my hair so brassy on the top and grey on the bottom that I had to have it redone within the same week. Alex completely rescued it. Although it is a somewhat expensive place to get your hair done, you really truly get what you pay for, I learned the hard way that it's not worth going cheap on hair coloring. Another thing I love about Alex is that he always listens to what you want and continues to get your input throughout the appointment. Never before have I had a hair stylist that really gives you exactly what you ask for rather than just what they think is best. He really wants YOU to like what you get. I don't even live in Santa Barbara anymore but I make sure to make appointments with Alex when I visit because I just don't trust anyone else. So many places I have gone I've left not quite liking what I get, its wonderful going into a hair appointment knowing that you'll love what you leave with! Highly recommended! Thanks so much Alex! read more

Santa Barbara Salon - A couple months after getting my hair done - Hair Salons Near Me - Santa Barbara, California