Maida Salon

Carmel is awesome! I have only been once so far after moving to Little Italy. I tend to be one of those people who go quarterly for a cut and touch-​up, and am pretty low maintenance with my hair most of the time. She gave me a great cut and beautiful hair painting that works with my bits of gray without requiring a cover-​up high-​process solution. She was fun to talk to and obviously skilled in her craft. One of the best things about Carmel is that she truly loves pretty, natural looking hair and enjoys your good hair as much as you will! The salon is hip and comfy — a nice blend of industrial and warm styling with nice Oribe (smells yum) products for the hair and some nice other items like hand poured, local candles that have made my house feel warm and welcoming all winter. I will definitely be back and highly recommend Carmel & Maida Salon!

Maida is a very charming salon, hidden amongst cement block walls and a eclectic and modern feel, yet still «homey,» and stocked with fabulous products, including Oribe, which is amazing. Matt is always very cordial and always places a reminder phone call the day prior to my appointment. You can have the most fabulous salon in the world, but what really keeps clients coming back time and time again? The talent inside! For me the talent that I followed to Maida and keeps me loyal is Carmel Moreno.
Living up in Carlsbad, it is not the easy trek to Little Italy. So what is it about Carmel that has me traveling 60 – 75 minutes each way (formerly 40 – 50 minutes– damn you Juniper and Ivy!)?
1. She is excellent. It is apparent she has natural talents and abilities. Her goal is to work with your natural hair, and change it enough to make a difference without causing damage. I go in about every five-​six months, because her strategy has allowed my hair to grow out that well.
2. She doesn’t stop at being excellent. She continuously pushes her growth and development through continued education and learning new/​different techniques. During my last visit, she walked me through what she was doing to my hair during the toning process. She mentioned something about pearl… I really cannot remember what else was said, but it was a new process and I was very happy with the results.
3. She listens to you first and, if needed, guides you in your decision making. A couple months back, I wanted to cut off my longer locks. She guided me to take it in steps so I would not put myself into shock and/​or regret.
4. She is a wonderful person. I really love being able to meet up with her for a couple hours every five to six months. I wish it was more often. I leave inspired to find a marathon/​half to run!
Of course, you want to go to the individual that has the booked schedule, because they are in demand! Carmel is in demand. Book well in advance– at least for Saturday and later evening appointments!

Stacy is amazing! My friend, Natalie has been going to her for some time and I’ve always admired her cute haircuts. I recently wanted to cut off my long hair and trade it for a short style. I decided to visit Stacy for the big cut. Stacy talked with me and helped me pick out the best style for my shape and it turned out perfectly! I love my hair! She was very professional, down to earth, and very talented. Highly recommend.

Carmel at Maida is the bomb! She has magic in her fingers and brought my color back to life! She is so talented, and even better, hilarious! You will not leave the salon disappointed! :)

I have finally found a salon and hair stylist that I will be coming back to without a doubt.
I called in on a Monday to schedule an appointment with Carmel and they were able to take me that Wednesday. The staff was very friendly and welcoming as soon as I stepped in the door. They immediately offered me a beverage of my choice, which included beer and wine, and told me that Carmel would just be a few minutes.
I’ll admit I was a little bit nervous to try a new hair salon, but I’m so thankful that I gave Maida and Carmel a shot! Carmel is absolutely amazing! She really listened to what I wanted and even encouraged me to try something that a previous stylist had completely shot down. I am so grateful that Carmel didn’t judge me for never styling my hair. (All I do is wash and air dry.) She is really down to earth and I really enjoyed my experience with her!
Carmel did a fantastic job with keeping my layers without taking off too much length. I’ve continued making appointments with her. She helped me maintain the length and health of my hair over the summer since I had mentioned that I was growing it out to donate. Toward the end of the summer, she ended up helping me donate a little over 13 inches of hair to Pantene’s Beautiful Lengths program! She gave me an awesome bob and encouraged me to try an undercut (which I did) and I was very happy with it!
I like that Carmel always offers her opinion and encourages me to try new things with my hair. Even when I’m a little hesitant, I always end up loving what she does with my hair. I’m so happy that I found Carmel at Maida and I highly recommend her!

Carmel is the bees knees. I have been going to her for years and I look forward to it every time. She truly listens and respects the wishes of the customer but is not afraid to share her ideas as well. She is a balayage pro and takes time and care with each cut and color. She is the best! The salon has a cool urban loft type feel and they really pamper you there. I wish I could get my hair done weekly.

What can I say, Kat Shepard’s cuts are the bomb!
She has helped me reshape and color my hair for a few years now and I absolutely love her! She is phenomenal with color too, so red heads know who to call! Thank goodness, a stylist that understands all types of hair!

I love this salon. I’ve been going to Berge for many years at Salón Tonic and my haircuts keep getting better each time. She really listens and takes her time to give you a good haircut. If you’re into natural texture, low maintenance hair, go see her. She’s truly an amazing stylist.

Quick summary: If you are a person and you want a fabulous haircut and/​or color, go see Sharon.
For the last six years, Sharon has consistently given me haircuts that look great naturally (I have fine, loose curly hair) or straight. She is always respectful of my wishes and always takes time to ask a million questions to get the details I wouldn’t think to reveal. She is passionate about hair (she travels the world to learn new techniques, works part-​time in NY, etc) and always has new ideas to suggest. I find this is the perfect balance, allowing me to have a haircut that meets my needs (low-​maintenance) without ever getting into a rut.
I have recommended Sharon to countless people, all with different hair types/​needs and they’ve all sung her praises. Despite moving to Oakland three years ago, I continue to see Sharon (my family thinks I just like visiting them but the truth is I’m here for a haircut). My husband and brother-​in-​law who also moved, have seen countless people for their haircuts and continue to be disappointed by the results. Maybe this review should include a warning… if you leave San Diego, your journey to find someone who compares will be fruitless.
For those of you with curly hair, Sharon isn’t a «Deva Cut» certified stylist. However, she does take her time and often cuts my hair first while dry to see how the curls react and then a little more after washing. This balance works for me, because previous «curl experts» gave great results only if I was willing to never ever straighten my hair. With Sharon, I get a cut that looks great no matter how I style it. I appreciate her ability to give me hair with many styling options.
Edit: For more information, see my previous reviews from Salon Tonic. Also, be warned that my profile picture is more than six years old, so don’t use that as a guide.

Thank you Kat so much! I’m getting a lot of compliments on the new color! The amount of red is perfect!

Sharon Daddi is amazing and am I so happy I finally found her! She is so talented, I love every cut and color. We tried balayage and I am now addicted.

Great haircut. I even got a compliment from a complete and good looking stranger! Sharon Daddi is a wizard with the shears. A miracle worker. Great location and top notch hair products. She gave me a wonderful consultation and really listened and proceeded with skill. She washed my hair and put a hot towel on my face and I was in heaven. I’ll definitely be back. Thank you!

Many years ago I went to Stacey for hair and was always stoked on her talent! I had moved and was MIA from her skills for some time until recently. I am SOO glad I reconnected with her at Maida Salon! Stacey is absolutely the best and she even helped fix a terrible mistake I made with my virgin hair before finding her again! She is also the only person I trust to cut my fringe now and I am absolutely thrilled every time I leave the salon. She has the best demeanor, super chill, amazing input, and talented beyond belief! The salon is amazing as well and I love the industrial vibe and the fun jewelry to look at. Staff is always very friendly and I love the location because I can always find parking right across the street by the park. If you haven’t tried her yet, give Stacey and ring! You will love her as much as I do!!!

Carmel is amazing! She is soo incredibly talented with cut and color. Not only that but she styles it so well. I can go 2 days without washing out her amazing blow out. I seriously wish I could bring her home to style my hair every morning. She is always looking out for the health of my hair and is honest on what my hair can handle and what it can’t. I always feel like an enhanced version of myself.
Not only is she a hair beautifier but she is also a really great and chill person. There are other salons that are so stuck up and intense that it is impossible to relax– Not Maida and not Carmel. This salon is really great and she is so sweet and easy to talk to.
PLUS this salon uses the best Oribe products ever!

FROM MOHAWK TO NO-​HAWK! Carmel is amazing and gave me my edgy faux-​hawk and continues to shape it as it grows out! The salon has a very relaxed and trendy vibe and Carmel has magic hands! I think I fell asleep in the chair at my last two visits. And, let me just tell you about Balayage… AMAZING! No crazy foils, no damaging dryers, and Carmel knows exactly what colors to add for my hair/​complexion to look natural but POP! If you’re looking for someone that is talented, original, and will listen and give you the care you want and need… Go see Carmel!

Still going to Carmel after all these years because she keeps me fresh :) Love that I can bring her a picture of something I like and she’ll take the time to find out exactly what I like about it (and don’t).
Recently started bayalage highlights in my hair and it looks amazing. She’s a natural at making my naturally blonde hair a gorgeous chestnut with golden variations.
Just the best.

I will follow Lisa to the end of the world! I was ecstatic when I heard that she left LA and was now at Maida. My hair was very happy too.
To say that I have difficult hair is too kind. It’s a frizzy, demands to be gray, Jew-​Fro. And Lisa is it’s only tamer. Her immaculate cuts (lobs, bobs, pixies, and my favorite, Diana Ross Supremes 60s looks), expert coloring/​highlights, and fun loving personality make Lisa one of my favorite people, not just the only stylist I trust. In fact, we are going to be going purple and gray soon!!!
The salon is gorgeous too and everyone was so nice!!! Super excited to go back for my next adventure!

Go to Lisa for the perfect salon experience and the color you’ve always dreamed about! I have fine, dirty blond hair, and Lisa ALWAYS does a fantastic job with my highlights and cut.
She is an expert colorist and she gave me beautiful, wispy bangs that I had only seen in magazines. I have had some pretty bad coloring/​bang experiences, so it was relieving to know that I found someone I can trust who has GREAT taste with cuts/​color. Lisa recently gave me an amazing «sombre» (soft ombré) look, which will be much easier (and cheaper) to maintain over the long run.
She’s also super funny and nice, so you will be sure to have a good time during the experience. The owner of the salon manned the reception and was SUPER nice and helpful. They even have a jar with different red candies.
So if you want to go to a salon where you will feel pampered and beautiful, go to Lisa for all your cut and coloring needs. She knows what she’s doing, trust me.

All I have to say is I have found my new Salon! I have never loved my hair more. To start off with I had a hair catastrophe! I had died my hair 3 times in a month due to it turning green, then grey blue, then red. I ended up with grey red blue green hair! I thought I would have to go bald.
I was recommended to go to Kat, and it was the best decision I have ever made. She knew exactly how to fix all of the colors and make me my beautiful blonde again. She brought back the natural color I had as a child. She was so professional and she made me feel so comfortable and lead me through the whole process. She even gave me the best haircut I have ever gotten! it is so stylish and flattering for me! She was the best stylist I have ever had and she was so kind to boot!
I will recommend her to everyone I know! This is the best salon and now my only salon!
I wish I could give more than 5 stars!

Kat is awesome. I used to travel to Newport Beach to the same people who had done my hair for 20 years. Yes, I am a creature of habit, but have also had some bad hair experiences. Then I met Kat and FINALLY made the switch from NB to SD. Kat is on trend, beautiful, warm, fun, and does amazing cuts & color. She cuts curly hair, straight, on female and men. Now she is like a sister after years of going to her. Kat listens to what you want, and does not push her own agenda on your hair. She is on the pricey side, but she is SO WORTH it. Parking can be a pain, so arrive early to hunt your spot. The Salon is modern and clean and in Little Italy; so, it’s fun to make an afternoon of it and cruise around. Kit Kat is my girl and I have sent her friends who have sent hubby’s, children and mother-​n-​laws. Word of mouth helps, and so does Unilocal