Kent Newton Salon

Kim has been doing my color for over a year now, she is so wonderful and listens to what you want. I am extremely picky when it comes to my blond hair and she does exactly what I want. She is quick and efficient and I never wait on her. She also cuts my husbands hair, who is even pickier than I am, and is extremely happy every time. She is amazing, you will not be disappointed. All of the staff is very friendly.

what to say? kent newton is one of the best salons in town! the look is luxe, and the quality is top-​notch! i followed karen over here from her liquid days onwards. karen’s an amazing human being and totally gets asian hair and layers — she’s the first person i’ve ever worked with who can take an idea that i have (in karen’s words, a ¾ asymmetric pixie) and make something awesome out of it. i’ve had my current cut for over a year and frequently get compliments while romping around in boston («wow! nice cut!»). all owed to karen! i’ve also had a cleanup with jaime, who was also fabulous. i’ve referred several friends who have liked my hair to karen and they’ve also been very happy with the results. one of my friends works with dana and swears by him for funky, fresh cuts. the desk staff is friendly and offer a complimentary beverage of choice while one waits.
parking is street-​side. SOWA and CMart (okay, free parking garage for that place) are nearby for what it’s worth. good stuff!

So glad I found this place and Lily — she’s amazing!!! Even as I grow out my hair, people stop me all the time and ask me — «where do you get your hair done». And for those not in the city, it’s totally worth the drive if you live out of city and always easy to park. Thank you Lily!

I followed Karen here originally from Liquid. I can only speak for women’s cuts — but if you’re looking for a pixie or short hair cut (whether it be hipster or modern or sexy) — Karen is your person. She’s rad, listens to you, takes the time to perfect it, and I’m constantly receiving compliments on my hair (seriously, I average a few times a week). The salon has a great atmosphere, everyone who works here is nice and friendly, and the prices are what you’d expect to pay for a perfection in Boston.

Despite having an awful experience with the Kent Newton salon on my first visit, I gave them the benefit of the doubt and went two more times. I was beyond disappointed in their customer service each and every time.
Visit #1 — My stylist was running behind and I was told I’d have a 20 minute wait. It was actually 75 minutes. And while I would have rescheduled and come back — that can be really hard to do when you’re a mom who needs to find a babysitter for every appointment. It was easier for me and the babysitter if I waited it out.
Visit #2 — I used their online booking service to schedule a full foil and a cut. Silly me for assuming that blow dry would be included (I didn’t realize that I was supposed to add «blow dry» separately to my list of services). So, when my hairstylist finished my foil and cut, she told me I was NOT scheduled for a blow a dry and she wouldn’t have time to do it — I’d have to leave with wet hair. 1 — How on Earth can you tell if your color and cut look ok if it’s not dried so you can see it? 2 — Who has ever had their hair cut wet, dried, and NOT had their stylist fix any out-​of-​place pieces with a dry cut! 3 — It was spring time and still cold, so after dropping nearly $ 300 on my service, I was sent outside with sopping wet hair!
The last straw (visit #3) — their credit card machine wasn’t working. After waiting for nearly 20-​minutes while they attempted time and time again to ring my card through, they eventually just wrote down my credit card number and phone number and told me they’d try again later. Within a few days, I noticed that Kent Newton charged my credit card 4X. I immediately contacted them, and my credit card company to rectify the issue. No one from Kent Newton called me back. I left several messages, was told I needed to speak to the owner and he’d get back to me – nothing! I filed a fraud case with my credit card company who also told me that Kent Newton was unresponsive when they tried contacting them to reverse the payment.
Outside of all that — my hair color and cut was mediocre at best.
No thanks!

For Kent, Lily, and all the others at Kent Newton Salon who helped me with my big color change!
Kent gave me the most amazing haircut. I also wanted a color change, from blonde to a deep strawberry blonde. I ended up wanting my hair a bit darker than what I went home with after my first appointment with Kent. I called KNS and made an appointment, explaining that I needed my hair done the same day because the day after I was going to a big family gathering. They squeezed me in with Lily. Amazing customer service.
Lily worked absolute magic on my hair. We achieved this rich, beautiful reddish brown that suits my skin tone perfectly. She said she didn’t want me to leave until I was 100% happy. No charge for the appointment… best customer service EVER. After the appointment I did leave happy, but started thinking more about adding some dimension and more depth to my color. Lily was communicating with me directly via text, was so thoughtful, asking me how I like my color the day after my appointment her, sending me pictures of more ideas for my color. I booked another appointment because I wanted some deeper low-​lights to add dimension to my hair. Again, after the next appointment, no charge. She considered it a step along the road to make my hair exactly what I wanted, since the first time around I was not 100% satisfied.
My hair looks amazing now. Absolutely love it, love the cut, and if I hadn’t moved to Richmond, VA recently, I would be back to see her for every hair appointment. Lily is an extremely valuable asset to KNS, and just a really good person. She’s genuine, talented, and down to earth with her clients about what they want and how to get there. I recommend her 110%!!!

The staff as many have said are wonderful. I have seen not enough reviews for Kim though! She has done my hair even before she worked at that salon and has saved my hair the ONE time I went somewhere else and it got butchered. She understands I have a budget as a student and tries to help accommodate me while still keeping to the price. (My butchered hair needed extensions that could have cost 500 dollars but she found a way to make it look more Victoria Beckham and save on using less extensions). She is great at knowing client’s needs or wants and does amazing cuts.

Dana at Kent Newton Salon is amazing!
I was looking for a reputable stylist for about 4 weeks. I had been going to a stylist that had been used to for a long time but was looking for a more relaxing and professional atmosphere. I stumbled upon Dana’s reviews via Unilocal and called the KNS for an appt.
The salon is eclectic, modern and very professional. The staff are helpful and knowledgable. Dana is a great listener and knew exactly how to get rid of my brassy, fried hair after I told him what I was looking for. I felt pampered throughout. It was a great experience. I highly recommend this salon. Ask for Dana!

This review is about Lily.
I had always gone to the same woman to do my hair from my first haircut until I moved to Boston (even going home on breaks during college to go back to her). I finally started looking for a place in Boston, and at the recommendation of a friend, found Kent Newton salon after having my color butchered by a salon on Newbury. I went to Lily for a color correction and she completely transformed the brassy, awful reddish color that the other salon gave me into the perfect shade of blonde. When I thought it was a little too dark, she immediately got me some highlights for around my face and made it absolutely perfect.
She’s also been helping me to grow out my thin, damaged hair using a combination of split end treatments, express blowouts, and trims, but never pushes services on me I can’t afford. She always remembers me when I come in, and is super flexible if I have to change the date/​time. I’ve been there four times now and won’t change to another salon unless I move again.
Coming to Lily takes all the anxiety out of getting my hair done — I know she’ll get it exactly right every time!

I can’t wait to come back!
Dana, formerly from Liquid Hair salon, is the best stylist in the city. Not only does he make you look and feel amazing, but it is just so enjoyable to visit and have a conversation with him, even with my difficult hair! (tricky to bleach but Dana always does a perfect job).
The salon is beautiful; very bright and clean and a pretty great rotation of artwork on the walls, and the music is usually a good mix of new wave /​80s hits. As you wait for your appointment or while you are getting your hair done, you can treat yourself to a glass of wine!
The rest of the staff is extremely friendly and very accommodating. Parking is pretty easy as well!

I also followed Dana here from Liquid Hair. We’ve been through my short hair, hair coloring, and desire for curls phases since 2011 and he has never steered me wrong yet!
You can read my review for Dana at Liquid, but to sum things up, Dana is awesome with all hair types, but especially stands out for short haircuts. He always does a thorough job even with time constraints (each cut is limited to about 45 mins at Kent Newton) and will let you know his honest opinion about what you can and can’t pull off. He’s very good at suggesting alternative ways to achieve the look you want.
To give you some context, I’m Asian and have straight but frizzy and coarse/​thick hair. I usually need layers and thinning shears to give my hair any style and shape at all. Everyone always told me I couldn’t successfully pull off short hair, but Dana proved them wrong! He has also supernaturally known from the start how to cut my layers so that my hair doesn’t poof up and grows out beautifully. No other hair stylist I’ve ever visited in the US (Asian or non-​Asian) has been able to do that for me.
A few notes about the salon itself. Everyone is always very pleasant and you are instantly offered water or wine when you first arrive. The online scheduling and reminders for appointments is great — just remember to bring cash for the tip, as with most places you can’t tip with card. Expect to pay more than Liquid Hair but less than your average Newbury salon.

My usual salon in the South End was booked solid and I really needed a haircut so i took a chance on Kent Newton at the recommendation of a friend. After scanning the stylists available at times that worked for me and cross referencing them with Unilocal reviews, I booked an appointment with Katie M. The haircut is fine and is the only reason I am giving this place any stars. She listened and did exactly what I asked. However, she made a comment towards the end of my appointment that frankly shocked me. In talking about her elderly dog who has taken to waking her up in the middle of the night, she said, «If he does it one more time, I’m going to leave him in front of House of Siam.» I was hoping that I misunderstood and that she was not referring to the stereotypes of Asians eating dog (actually this stereotype usually refers to Chinese). However, she clarified by saying next, «He’s gonna end up in the Pad Thai.» Wow. This is just an unacceptable thing to say and particularly inappropriate in a place that serves the public. I will not be coming back to this salon no matter how desperate I get.

This review is for Joshua Paul.
Kent is at a hip location and easy to find. Greeted by a friendly face as soon as I walked in, my is jacket taken and I was offered several beverages to choose from, including a mimosa! Clean and very organized, products are set well in the salon.
My shampoo /​conditioning was relaxing.
Josh has been cutting my hair for a few years. I follow him because he is wonderful, warm and very attentive. Today he gave me a dry cut and styled my hair. Josh gives great advice, ideas and recommended products.
If you’re looking for a talented outgoing professional stylist, ask for Josh. You will not be disappointed.

Kent Newton Salon has a nice atmosphere. It’s bright, people are in a good mood, and the salon is clean. I was even offered wine upon arriving (wine!), which I declined probably because I was in shock of the gesture. Next time, put me down for a glass.
The owner, Kent Newton, has a pug which was trotting around and hanging out by Kent’s work space. I’m a fan of places that allow their dog to be part of the action. Side note: I’m also a fan of the P.R.O.N.E 5K road race at Carson Beach which benefits a pug rescue organization. Pugs are everywhere at the race.
Back to the hair. This was my first time visiting the salon, and subsequently the first time having my hair cut with stylist Amanda. I told her I wanted my hair nice and short but not too short that I couldn’t do anything with it, and she made it happen. Amanda didn’t really need any guidance and understood the look I was going for. She’s polite, very friendly, and like a magician with clippers and scissors.
I left feeling like a new man with a great, refreshing cut. I plan to go back.

My daughter needed an urgent haircut because she had a school picture day. The regular place where we get her hair cut was closed so my wife who is a regular at the Kent Newton Salon called the establishment and my daughter was given an appointment.
I had never been here before and so off I went with my daughter with me to explore new frontiers!
Parking was easy. Paid.
The lady at the front desk was very sweet and I could see she knew immediately that I was ill at ease. But, I was immediately made to feel at ease and the whole ambiance is designed so that when novices like me visit the salon, they are made to relax. We were offered beverages and the waiting chairs were comfortable.
We had an appointment with Ms. Katie and she did a great job with my daughters’ hair. She was happy, I was happy and most importantly, my wife was happy.
It was a great experience. Will definitely be back for my daughters’ hair cuts.
I wish the establishment well. They were very polite and kind and to top it all, they did a great job!

I hate writing reviews for creative aspects, as everyone’s opinion varies so much, but after my haircut yesterday, I feel I should write this review. I had a haircut appointment with one of the stylists there and it was possibly the worst haircut I’ve ever received (in terms of style at least). Now, granted, when he asked me if I liked my haircut afterwards, I said yes, as I typically do not like my haircuts as soon as they are done.
However, after sitting with this haircut for a full day now, I still think it is pretty bad. I thought something was wrong when he started to use a men’s electric razor to cut my bangs and the hair that frames my face, as it looked pretty choppy, but I assumed he would blend it out (which didn’t happen). I also gave him photos of Chrissy Teigan and Jessica Alba’s Lobs (long bob’s) which are wavy, and I walked out of the salon with my hair dead straight. I have a gap in my bangs, and it just isn’t what I was hoping for at all.
I think that the guy who did my hair was a great person, and tried really hard, but our styles just don’t mesh at all. I ended up going to another salon afterwards to try and fix my bangs before coming into work today, and even that hair stylist was horrified at what had happened to my hair. All in all, I don’t think I’ll be coming back here again and I would be weary of all of the 5-​star reviews, which is why I’m writing this and rating it only 2 stars.

Let me start by saying I haven’t had a haircut in a year. This is because I had an awful experience where a stylist at another salon in Boston cut my treasured navel-​length hair to my shoulders since it was «dead». I left crying and waited to regain my precious length before I even considered doing something again.
Kent Newton Salon caught my eye because of the ⁵⁄₅ review on Unilocal– not many places can hold that sort of reputation after numerous reviews. I have never made a better hair decision then making an appointment here!!! I didn’t have to wait long for an appointment, but you can also make appointments online which is awesome. The friendly receptionist paired me with Katie based on my needs– really long hair needing some sprucing up, possibly a color change (first time!!!).
Katie turned out to be attentive, friendly, and extremely talented. I decided I wanted to try the pretty ombré trend and was pretty nervous since a) ive never dyed my hair before and b) I’ve seen a lot of bad ombré jobs on dark hair. Katie did an AMAZING JOB and gave me the most natural ombré! I never could imagine my hair could look like this!!! She listened to me and replicated the photos I gave her perfectly! On top of it she only took of enough hair to spruce my ends up without changing the overall length of my hair too much, keeping me comfortable the whole time. I am THRILLED with my new look.
I cannot say enough about this salon! I will be referring all of my friends, especially long haired brunette that are looking for a change!

Lily was so amazing I wish I could give more stars! I have been coloring my hair blonde for about 9 years and never saw anyone besides my colorist in New York. After living in DC for a while, I was forced to try someone new and had such an awful experience I was so scared to try out a new colorist again when I moved to Boston. Lily was recommended to me, and I decided to give her a try since I wouldn’t be back in New York for a few months.
Lily was so knowledgable and really made it a point to tell me everything she was doing. After speaking with her for the first 10 minutes, my nerves were completely calmed and I felt 100% confident in her. Once she was finished, I could not have been happier! Being a natural brunette, it’s very hard to get that natural blonde look– but she did it impeccably! She cut my hair as well– just a trim– but it looked great too! Could not be happier and I will definitely be back there.
I was also extremely happy to find out upon checking out that my services were 50% off for my first visit because I had been referred. The place may be a bit pricy for some people– but I honestly can’t stress enough that it is WORTH EVERY PENNY. Oh– and can’t forget the prosecco they give you while your hair is being done!

I used to see Dana at Liquid and loved his easy demeanor, willingness to listen to what a client wants, and to give each person either the most conservative haircut possible (me, I’m a wuss!) or something outlandish or crazy (some of his Liquid clients). When he switched studios to Kent Newton, I happily followed him as it’s still pretty close to Liquid in the South End and even more conveniently located on Washington Street — close to the silver line and with lots of on-​street metered parking.
Dana always makes my hair look 100x better when I leave, is a joy to talk to and is just a really fun, good person. And Kent Newton is a pretty but not pretentious salon where every employee is friendly, helpful and professional. Definitely a total win of an experience.

I started coming to Kent Newton when my hair stylist, Dana, switched studios. The space is beautiful, well designed, and the staff is extremely friendly. I’ve always felt comfortable there.
Dana Morse is my stylist. He used to work at Liquid, another south end studio, before he moved. Dana has always been great. Not long after I started seeing him I asked him to give me short hair — and I love it! He’s always willing to listen to what I’m looking for and enjoys doing different variations of my current look.
Dana is also just a nice guy. Some hair stylists you just want to sit in silence until the cut is over. In the opposite end of the spectrum, Dana is great to talk to. He’s super funny and kind.
Not only do I love the salon but I love Dana. If you need someone who is great with short hair, look no further!