Ouidad Salon LA

For any other fellas with curly hair looking for a place to get a great cut that lasts, stop looking!
My stylist Marissa was exceptionally fluent in translating my vague sense of what I wanted into the right cut and style. She was thoughtful and patient, and she made sure to explain what she was doing and get my approval beforehand. Prior to this I had been to a couple different salons with several pictures of the look I wanted, but was disappointed with the results. It was such a pleasant surprise to put my glasses back on (blind as a mole, have suffered several debilitating heart attacks in the chair) and see the same look from the photo finally on my head!
I never thought of my hair as something I could learn to really control and enjoy (more of a sensitive and temperamental puff-​ball that seemed to terrorize me at random), but I’m happy I was able to get to that point. Truly worth it! Marissa’s the best!

Got a haircut from Marissa after a friend recommended her and absolutely think i got the best haircut in my life. Does a great job cutting mens hair as well as hair for women. She knows what she is doing and I only trust her to do my hair now.

I haven’t been to a hairdresser since I was 13 after a horrible experience which turned into a phobia. After 30 years I finally took the plunge. Amazing. Pia cut my thick, curly hair and it’s never looked so good. I highly recommend her and this friendly salon.

Marissa was amazing! I recently decided to go really short and donate my hair to Locks Of Love. I was super nervous for the big chop but Marissa made me feel so comfortable. I love my new cut and every chance I get, I’m recommending this place! I’ll be back soon for a touch up!

I have been to the ouidad salon for 3 haircuts. Sadly only the first time was a good experience. The last 2 times I had to go back at a later time to get my initial haircut fixed. The re-​dos were partially because the stylists did not listen to what I was saying. They have «standard» type of cut they do, and I wanted something different. I wanted big layered hair and to keep it long, not a neat little haircut. Both times the stylists were nice enough about fixing it, but I felt so awkward and annoyed at having to be there again! It was an unnecessary waste of time, which was so frustrating since their haircuts are expensive and I live far away.
Also, the last stylist was in a terrible mood for my third haircut. I actually enjoy «quiet» haircuts without the forced conversation, but this was different. She was visibly annoyed which made it an uncomfortable time for me. I get bad days, but I also work in a field where you need to get yourself together before encountering people.
So now I’m looking for a new place for a curly haircut salon, any recommendations?

After reading some of the reviews, I was a little concerned — but those worries were all laid to rest once I arrived.
The salon is beautifully decorated and completely functional. The administrative staff is personable, gracious and professional and made arrival easy and comfortable.
But the best part was Pia. Pia took her time assessing my hair and after a thorough examination (which included asking me a few specific questions) she went to work. She is a true artist and while you may take her quietness for being aloof — you couldn’t be more incorrect. Her attention was completely directed toward cutting my hair and I’d gladly dispense with small talk to allow her to apply her craft.
When she was done — my hair looked and behaved beautifully. I have always been completely sold on Ouidad’s product line — Now I’m completely sold on their hair cutting abilities.
For those of you that have tried Deva Curl and aren’t sure which curly hair cutting style to go with — I can only say that after trying both — Ouidad worked best for me.
I will continue to use Ouidad and Pia.

I used to be a huge fan of Ouidad and was a loyal customer of Alenka. Recently the management has changed and this established no longer provides the quality cuts that they used to. I went in for a deep conditioning treatment and Pia after looking at my hair insisted that I needed a trim. After drying and styling my hair she decided to trim the ends. I am left with hair that does not lay right, is completely different lengths all over, and random strands of hair that never got trimmed. I am extremely disappointed. After spending over $ 200, one would hope their hair would at least be even. Sadly after many years with the company, I will now have to go elsewhere for my cuts.

Three years later and I’m still trying to recover from the worst cut of my life! They cut my hair so short in the middle to «remove the bulk» thinned out and shortened my hair! I used to love their products but now I can’t even use them because of how badly my hair was cut, not to mention I didn’t realize how much the products dry my hair out. I had to wear weaves for a long time and my hair is just now sort of growing back. I will never use their products nor get my hair cut there again!

Unfortunately this place has done a complete 180… for the worse. So bad to the point where I stopped going there. The entire staff has left and everyone is new. Yes, they are nice but the experience level is just not there.

Please read the newer reviews, the stylists who were there when I first went to the salon have since left.

BIG TIME WARNING: we’ve been raving about Ouidad for years. But a new corporate management team has come on board and ruined everything. All of the wonderfully talented and passionate stylists we’ve been describing here have left the salon (about a month ago?), so definitely do NOT take these recommendations as representative of the group there now. What a disappointment.

All my stylists left so I read online bios and chose Pia. LOVE her! She did a great job, listened, and was very nice and friendly. She chatted with me the right amount instead of feeling we had to talk the whole appt. She was on time, attentive, skilled and I am very pleased with my hair. She was happy I brought pix and spoke to me about my hair before getting it washed and told me what she’d do. Worth every penny!

I went there for the first time this weekend and left with the WORST HAIRCUT I’VE EVER HAD. And, the worst part is that I won’t be able to get it fixed without chopping a lot of it off. My hair is destroyed!!!

After discovering Ouidad 3 years ago, it’s the only salon I entrust my curls with. Due to availability I’ve had my hair cut with almost all of the stylists there and I’ve never had a bad cut, my hair looks/​feels amazing when I leave and grows out evenly. Last Sunday I had my first cut with Michele — she listened as I explained the look I was trying to achieve, with my biggest concern being not wanting to loose to much length.
She immediately identified what needed to be done and explained how she’d go about cutting it — her professionalism and expertise quickly put me at ease. Needless to say she did an amazing job and addressed some styling questions I had by recommending new products for me to use which I picked up before leaving.
All the new products work wonderfully, especially with how unseasonably humid and dry its been in LA lately, and have kept my cut and curls looking there best.
This review has been long overdue, yes its a little pricey but if you have curly hair you know how hard it is to find a stylist let alone an entire salon that knows how to handle curls correctly — well your search is over with Ouidad my curl haven.

I work right up the street from Ouidad and after having a customer of mine recommend the salon, I decided to book and appointment with Jasmin per her recommendation. Walking in to the salon, it’s a small space but just enough room to feel comfortable and welcoming, and seeing all the curls bouncing about through the shop, it’s like I walked into a curl-​styling Mecca.
Jasmin sat me down and asked me about my hair, how I style it, how I wash it & how often I wash it. They’ll look in and around your tresses, at the patterns of the curl, the shape of the hair, the weight of it. Regardless of what their title might be on their website it truly feels that each one of these women are specialists in their own right, and they understand what curly hair needs in order to thrive. She was friendly and gave me tips on how to style and wash my hair, and her product recommendations didn’t feel at all forced. I didn’t feel «sold,» I felt informed and content.
Afterwards my hair looked GLORIOUS. I absolutely LOVED the way my hair felt and looked. I will say it’s a bit hard to style my hair in the same fashion at home, but overall my hair feels happy and healthy and it’s definitely on the right track to getting back to its normal, buoyant self.
A few weeks later I went in for a styling with Pia and she was also very well informed, open to hearing my hairy woes and gave me additional tips. If you want to feel empowered for rocking your natural curls, this is the place to go, seriously.
All in all, I would definitely recommend this place to anyone who is desperate need for a curl-​specific cut and consultation. You’ll be looking and feeling like a million bucks after your visit, and will be wanting to come back for more!

This was my fourth time getting a haircut at Ouidad but my first time with Jasmin. She’s fabulous! I walked in with ratty, nappy hair that looked like cotton candy, and I walked out with shiny, bouncy curls. I can’t stop touching my hair because it feels so soft and wonderful. She cut into the massive bush on my head and took out the heaviness without sacrificing a lot of length. Quite possibly the best haircut I’ve ever had.

I was really disappointed with my visit and it was pretty much all because the stylist — Pia. No greeting, no pleasantries. Unless, of course, you consider her making a comment about how I must «color my own hair» after telling me that I should do more research about my shampoo. But I let that go, as I did the comment about I must not actually not even wash my hair that often but not to worry because she would «give it a good scrub so that it’s clean.»
No, none of that really mattered. What mattered is that she chopped off my hair. I went in for a trim to get the ends healthy. I made it clear that I was trying to grow my hair for donation purposes and asked how much she recommended I cut while keeping the length. She indicated an amount (about 2 inches) as the minimum but told me that she wanted to cut much more (about 5 inches) to get it really healthy. I told her she could cut about 3 inches off.
SO SHE DECIDED TO CUT OFF 6 INCHES.
When I went in, my hair extended well below my waist and when I left it was above my bra line. The worst part about it is that I tipped and didn’t bother to say anything at moment because I just wanted to get out of there.
She is an unpleasant woman, and I will not be going back to Ouidad and neither should you. I’m glad other patrons have commented similarly about Pia. The only part of the process that wasn’t awful was one of women at the front was really nice. When I called to complain, she even commented that she remembered how long my hair was when I came in.
Well, it’s not any more!

I’ve had a few Ouidad cuts before, but not in at least ten years. (I’ve also used some of the products through the years.) In the 3.5 years I’ve lived in LA, I’ve tried Deva cuts from 3 different people and other «curly cuts» from other stylists… and most of the time, the cut is just… not great. It grows out horribly and loses its shape way too quickly. When I found out that Ouidad had a flagship salon in Santa Monica, I bit the bullet and made an appointment. Ouidad’s prices are no joke, and that’s the main reason I couldn’t keep going back through the years.
My appointment with owner/​creative director Megan was yesterday afternoon. It takes about an hour to get there, and I arrived a little early. I was told that Megan was running way behind, thanks to previous customers arriving late. That was fine; I just let them know that I did need to leave by a certain time. I waited around for 20 – 30 minutes and then was told that not only was she running behind, but there was also some sort of mix-​up. I’d scheduled my appointment with Megan 3 – 4 weeks earlier, but whoever made the appointment had made a mistake, as Megan was no longer taking new clients. She’s incredibly busy and understandably just can’t add more to her schedule. Once they realized all of this, they offered a free deep conditioning treatment while I waited. Sure! I don’t pass up free too often (especially when the treatment is as pricey as it is!), and they were doing what they could to get me out of there in time. I ended up being there 2 hours total.
Megan eventually got to me and took time with my hair, properly cutting and styling it. She could have hurriedly done her job and cut corners, since I was running a little behind, and she still had other clients waiting. But she didn’t. She’s professional and knows that doing something like that tarnishes not only her reputation, but that of the Santa Monica salon AND the entire Ouidad name.
My hair looked gorgeous… oh, man, it’s been so long since my curls have looked that amazing. I took off a star for the price – my checking account can’t really afford it, but I’m going to continue going, because I deserve amazing hair!
By the way, while I waited, I watched the other stylists and clients, and they were all doing amazing jobs. So many gorgeous curls walking out of that salon!

I used to really love this place and have been going for years. This really pains me to write this review but I’ve personally had the last straw with this place.
I wanted highlights and since my personal favorite colorist Alenka was not available I went with Pia. I wanted full highlights and she only did the two strands that framed my face while the rest remained black. I was so unhappy with this that I recalled to have them fix it, because if you are going to spend over $ 400 on a haircut and style, you deserve to get what you want. Top it off I even had the receptionist named Veronica lie straight to my face afterwards about how she, «couldn’t stop starring at it». No one deserves nor should be lied to and the very fact it was so obvious made my stomach turn.
So on the next visit, Morgan herself stepped in, fixed it, did a truly amazing job, and I absolutely loved it. Morgan even said how she could understand why I was so unhappy with the work Pia did or I should say didn’t do. Finally, as I was leaving Veronica yet again said the same line she fed me last time only this time I actually called her out on it and left.
After Morgan fixed it I was suppose to come back in two weeks to tone my hair. So when I called and Veronica picked up I knew I was going to have problems and low and behold she said Morgan wasn’t available till almost a month later. So, I held my tongue and said alright. The day before I was suppose to head back Veronica calls me yet again telling me she would have to cancel my appointment. I was so furious I ended up canceling the whole thing period.
This place used to be so wonderful to me and now I feel I cannot go back after the way I have been treated. They need to hire a much better receptionist and fix themselves back to the place that I once loved.

I was really hoping not to have to write a negative review but I feel that it is warranted based on my most recent experience here at Ouidad. The first time I visited this salon a couple of months ago, I was so pleased with a haircut by Jessica. It was the first time in my life that I had someone who knew curly hair cut mine and she had lots of tips to help me manage it at home. I was extremely happy with my experience.
The second time I visited 10 days ago I was not even happy with my hair when I was leaving the salon. Caitlin had cut it way too short and the hair was not curling. It seems to me that when a salon claims to be experts in curly hair, hair should be curly when you leave. Caitlin was surprised that I didn’t like it and I asked her to use a curling iron to put some curl back in the top. She was a sweet girl, I am sure this was not malicious in any way. I figured I would reserve judgement until I washed it myself. When I did my hair was even worse.
One week later I went to my colorist and asked her opinion on the cut. I have gone to her for about 8 years so I trust her. She confirmed that it was a poor cut. She had one of the stylists in her salon come take a look and she told me that the hair doesn’t curl because the bottoms of each layer were too thinned out to curl. Now I’m no expert on how to cut hair, but this is what people with expertise told me.
With this information I decided to call the salon and tell them my thoughts (in a nice way). I was given to the manager of the salon who was extremely apologetic. She told me that the owner of the salon was arriving in town that day and they would call me later or the next day. It is now three days later and they never got back to me. I was pleased with the lip-​service, but actions speak louder than words. It’s a shame because I might have gone back to another stylist at Ouidad if they had handled the complaint appropriately, instead I find that I have to write a poor review about them on Unilocal.This salon is very expensive and they should have handled the situation faster and better.
Off topic but pertinent, the previous visit they gave me samples of their Ouidad products and I did not like them.

I have naturally curly, course, dry and frizzy hair. My hair needed life and I decided to see a curly hair specialist. Pia gave me the best cut and style. I have been to so many stylists but Pia did so much more. My hair is so beautiful and I can’t wait for my next appointment, color and treatment. I would’ve given 5 stars but it’s so expensive LOL. I AM definitely coming back. Thank you again Pia! The products are amazing so it’s not a scam, it really does work.

BE CAREFUL GIVING THEM YOUR CONTACT INFORMATION.
I have been going to this salon for almost 3 years and they have helped me so much to deal with my curly hair… but on my most recent visit something completely unaccepatable, yet unrelated to the quality of my haircut, happened.
During my appointment there was a 6 year old girl next to me with her father getting her hair cut. I spoke to him a little bit becuase he was talking to my stylist, but then I left once my cut was finished.
The next day I received a phone call from the father of this girl asking me out on a date. I had not exchanged any personal information with him, even names. He received my phone number from the salon, as well as my first name, and has now contacted me multiple times.
This was a complete breach of my privacy and does not make me feel comfortable returning to the salon, or having them store my information in their system. They claim none of their employees would ever have given out my information like that, but perhaps he saw it on the screen at the front desk and took note of it. That is a terrible excuse and they need to do a better job of keeping their client’s information out of the hands of random strangers.

I was disappointed. I tried them for the first time last week, in their Santa Monica salon, and the stylist I had was not welcoming and it felt very awkward. I had to ask her questions about the salon, about her, and provide information about my hair because she didn’t even think to provide this information or ask on her own. If I’m going to pay for a high-​priced hair trim, I expect the stylist not only to do a good job but I expect to have someone who enjoys their job (or at least acts like it). The trim was okay but not great. I still have a good amount of straggly ends.

After several years of saying to myself, «I have to try Ouidad,» I finally did and I was not that thrilled. In fairness, Alenka did a great job with my cut, but her nice work was horribly undermined by the absolutely terrible Ouidad products.
I’ve tried many curly hair products and have learned that all silicones (dimethicone, etc.) make my hair flat and straighten out. This phenomenon of the «cones» coating the hair shaft and making it too slick to curl is well documented on
(aka Curly Girl). Those in the know avoid all of the «cones» in their products.
So, much to my surprise, I found out that the majority of Ouidad products are silicone/​dimethicone (or other «cone») based. I told Alenka I wanted to avoid those. That left her with only a couple of products to try on me and peddle. Little did I realize that she went straight to products with another curly hair taboo ingredient: glycerine. Well, I really wanted to trust her so I went for it. I bought Botanical Boost (a very weak detangler that’s mostly water) and Tress Effects, which is a thick gel, but mostly glycerine. What I ended up with was a complete travesty.
Imagine me dutifully doing the Ouidad signature «rake and shake» plus hand pinning dozens of finger curls on my head and then styling my hair for a special day out with my honey. As soon as we got to the beach, my curls fluffed up into a massive frizzy mess. My hair looked like one giant piece of cotton candy. Just a big fluffy beehive of cotton candy on my head. I was humiliated.
The next morning, when I got up, my hair was as dry as straw and still one big frizzy puffball of spun sugar. There is something SERIOUSLY wrong here.
Ouidad has a great presence on the market and obviously a great PR team behind them because the buzz is that they *know* curly hair. Well, I did get a decent cut there. Not spectacular, but something good and respectable. However, ALL of that is negated by their absolutely TERRIBLE and quite frankly, bullshit products. I shouldn’t spend over an hour on my hair only to have it turn into a mass of cotton candy after I walk out the door. Everyone in the curly hair «world» knows that both glycerine and dimethicone are bad news for curly hair. WTF is Ouidad doing basing their entire line on these problem ingredients?
So, I apologize to Alenka. Your haircut and you were classy, but the products absolutely stink. It really doesn’t matter how good of a haircut you have if the lame-​ass products make you look like the Bride of Frankenstein.