Fantastic Sams

After many years of frequenting this location I think today’s experience will have resulted in my last visit. After calling to confirm the cost of a simple clean-​up and what it consists of (as opposed to a full haircut), I was charged 50% more, just shy of the cost of a regular haircut and with much less work done (apparently due to the fact that the stylist chose to do a bit more without confirming any price difference). Granted, haircuts are not expensive there to begin with but the manager should have stuck to the price quoted and I would have been a more generous tipper for the «extra» work. To me this is simply bad business practice and I don’t respect that.

The person who cut my hair did a great job! I have super long hair and she was able to give me what I wanted. She gave my hair a long hair a lot of attention, so I was very pleased with the service. Also, if you’re a person that wears the hijab or a head covering, or would like to have your hair cut in a private area/​room, you can go here! The back room isn’t the prettiest, but it’s very hard to find a hair salon that would accommodate for people with this need. But be sure to call first and ask — I called and the employee had to ask the manager (who was not on the premises at the time). The manager was fine with it, and even came to the site to make sure everything went smooth with my request. I did not have to book an appointment. So I’m glad I found this place!

This is a review for Faye at Fantastic Sams. I went to this salon for the first time last weekend for a color and haircut.
I was really pleased with Faye’s attention to detail with my cut since I was going with a shorter hair style. Faye showed me how to style it too.
The color turned out really nice and natural looking. I was very happy with it.
I would totally recommend visiting Faye, she does high quality work. Two thumbs up!
My total bill ended up being $ 55 for color and $ 45 for the cut.

Her name is Fariba, and she is amazing! I have been coming to Farriba for a little over a year after experimenting with a few stylists. She does fantastic work, is detailed, and is a pleasant sweet woman. She never rushes, but she is not slow. Attention to detail and exceptional skill bring me back. I have a sophisticated classic cut with different buzzers, trimmers, scissors and I have her buzz in a faux part. She is great! I really didnt want to share her with anyone and keep her to myself, but she deserves recognition and lots of business because she is exceptional. Book her before I do!

Fariba is fantastic! She is so careful with my hair. I highly recommend her for both cuts and color. My hair is long now thanks to her!

My husband gets his hair cut here and he loves it. I on the other hand have bad experiences every single time and this was the worst… I brought my 3 year old to get his hair cut and the guy seemed really nice at first and then started getting irritated by the fact that my 3 year old kept moving. Mind you he wasn’t screaming, crying, or yelling. He was JUST moving like a typical 3 year old. The guy kept moving away and saying «oh we’ll just wait till he’s ready.» REALLY! A 3 year old is NEVER going to be ready for a hair cut! I have 3 boys and NONE of them have EVER cried, just wiggled around. I’ve been around to see some kids SCREAM and CRY and the stylists knew how to handle it, this guy couldn’t even handle a wiggly 3 year old. I was so upset I didn’t get his name and because I didn’t want to go off on him I just sat quietly. It’s ALWAYS my LAST resort to come here. I am SO busy that my usual place is closed by time I get home and they aren’t open on Sundays.

Patricia of Fantastic Sams on Lincoln & Ocean Park is truly FANTASTIC! $ 25 for a quick, easy, fun & REALLY good haircut is an absolute steal! I’m never going back to expensive, over-​priced, not-​even-​that-​great haircuts (at places like Alexander’s For Hair on Pico :-P) EVER again!

I’m a regular client at fantastic Sam on Lincoln Santa Monica and it’s only because of Fariba. She makes me feel pretty and young every time she puts her hands on my head. I highly recommend her services!
Shirley

As a guy asking for a simple haircut, I have never experienced a less professional environment. Fariba seemed to be extremely disinterested, spent less than 10 minutes on my hair and without any questions finished. I had to ask for adjustments and received only a freezing look for that. Not the best kind of experience at the end of a tiring week. Rather than paying $ 18 here, I will go to the Pico Barbershop next time.

This is not a salon for women. The guy who highlighted and cut my hair was so rough it felt just like you would think it would feel to have the gardener or plumber fix your hair! The cut is not at all what i asked for. Needless to say i am very disappointed and now have to figure out how to fix this short mess. The highlights turned out good. Other than that it was a pretty bad experience. Lots of tension in the salon. Not a relaxing atmosphere at all.

Used to be good. Michael was the best. Have tried 3 other stylists lately, but 2 of them were horrible. The last guy, Jordan, I strongly doubt ever completed any coursework. He pushed the clippers so hard against my head that I had a huge headache. He seemed to clip here and there without any of the typical grouping, order, or measurement. I have an uneven cut that looks horrible already and it’s only day 2. He didn’t even offer to wash my hair which is standard.

I only see Fariba. I have long straight hair. When she trims it, it looks perfectly straight. I was told cutting straight hair like mine is one of the most difficult because any mistake will show up asap.
When I show up, I get a great hair cut & colour & she makes me laugh. It’s an overall pleasant experience whenever I go there.

Fariba is a great stylist !
I highly recommend her cuts, color and
Highlights !
She has been consistently great with getting my hair to the best shape and color
(for me) after sun damage and even previous color and cut disasters from several much more
Expensive salons.
With over 25 years experience «Fariba «
knows how to have her clients walk out
Satisfied !
Give her a try. But, save room for me !
The staff is always pleasant as well .
and I have seen great cuts from others as well .
Good Luck !

Kathy is a cosmetologist who has graced this salon with her savvy talent. I was a bit skeptical when my bf first suggested going to a FS ‘s. But, was I wrong. From the moment that I met «Kathy», I was welcomed by her beautiful personality (not to mention her aesthetic beauty!) and her deft at wielding shears. Kathy chose a really flattering color for me in the light blonde spectrum;as she assured me that FS ‘s never uses any bleach in their color solution’s.She blew my hair out straight, but the cut also was very versatile and allowed me to style it in many different fashions. This was great for me because it worked w/​my natural wave and I did not have to use a curling iron all the time. Perfection! My bf who has HAD very LONG HAIR was comfortable enough to allow Kathy to transition him to a shorter «do.’ She took a good foot off his beautiful spiral curls as she gave him a rockin’ shorter haircut This cut works in the business world, as well as in the clubs. He was very happy… especially when the compliments kept coming in!!! I would recommend her to anybody who is looking for an amazing stylist at an affordable price! You will LOVE her!

Cleanliness is an afterthought. Very inconsistent.
If you want a cheap, fast haircut, this is it. If you are concerned about anything else, think twice.
Haven’t had a BAD haircut here (some have been good, some okay), but I have had many concerning experiences. The main reasons I kept going back was because it was cheap and convenient (close to home and I could go grocery shopping right afterwards).
Many instances of mentally checked out hairstylists, 50% of the time they would offer the shampoo, the other half of the time they would remove the smock and send you on your way, especially if the owner isn’t there.
The last straw for me was waiting around for the hairstylist to finish up from his smoke break, then start up on me with his clippers. It was only after he started that I noticed that there were hair remnants all over the inside of his supply drawer, all over the clippers guides that he hadn’t used on me yet, and the scissors were full of hair as if they were just laid down from the previous customer.
When I objected and pointed out that they were not clean, he shrugged and said that it was just hair. It wasn’t just a strand or two; it was gross. Unfortunately I was already committed at that point; there was no one else free to finish my cut and I didn’t want to risk him «slipping» if I kept objecting. I just stuck it out and will now vote with my feet and wallet. Note: haircut was okay, but the uncleanliness really bothered me.

I have never been willing to spend a whole lot of money on a haircut, but I still want to walk out of the salon feeling good. I have been going to these guys for 4 years and can honestly say they’re wonderful! I always leave feeling good as a result of the cut, the price, and the customer service. Several of them actually have some extensive professional training! Thanks you all for your amazing service and I’ll be back in a month or so!
Lindsay Burke, M.S.
Marriage and Family Therapist
Registered Intern # IMF76245

The service here is consistent and very friendly. Kimberly, the owner is very nice and accommodating. The place is always clean and it seems that there’s regulars that come here often. I’ve been coming here since September 2012, and have had no complaints.

Again, they don’t even deserve 1 star! I was contacted by Fantastic Sams HQ and they said that the owner will choose to contact me or not to take care of this matter. It’s been 2 ½ months, which is ample time.
this loser of a business never contacted me. They are VERY unprofessional and seriously don’t really care about customer service or good service.
WORSE PLACE YOU CAN EVER GO TO GET YOUR HAIR CUT!!!

Hey, I don’t have much hair left, but they do the job right, and they are really nice here. Lovely ladies, a cheap haircut and wash. That’s all I need!

Got my first haircut here when I moved to santa monica and I’ve been coming back ever since. It’s nothing fancy, but let’s face it, it’s a Fantastic Sams. With that said, Allen does a GREAT job and spends much more time than the average barber spends for a $ 16 haircut. I know I’m not the only one who feels this way either as the sign-​in sheet has his name under the Request category all over it! He definitely has a loyal following, and is highly recommended.