Salon Forte

I hate writing bad reviews but I feel the need to leave some feedback here and caution others too. I’ve been to this salon once before and found that my experience was ‘okay’ and my haircut was ‘okay’…nothing exciting (mostly just a blunt cut). I did notice that it took longer than usual (as in, over an hour for a basic cut). The most recent visit was not good at all.
A few things about this salon… It’s not a ‘salon.’ It’s a group of stylists who pay rent to have a station. The reason this might be important to know is that when you are unhappy with a cut, you can’t go see a ‘senior stylist’ to fix it. You can only revisit the stylist with whom you originally worked.
When I set the appointment with Debbie, I asked the secretary how long it would take and she said ’45 minutes’. In actuality, it took an hour and a half! I was almost late to a meeting. During my time, I noticed Debbie had to put my cut on ‘pause’ to go attend to other things which likely drew out the time.
I took great care to explain the cut that I wanted (and have had done in the past by my old stylist in the previous city I lived) and showed Debbie pictures. After discussing the length, layering and other points like styling routine, I got something that was not what I wanted and wasn’t cut well.
After I left the salon and gave it a day, washed and styled my hair, I noticed some problems. The layering was done in such a way that it created no ‘lift.’ Lots of layering close together made it heavy. The length was to come about an inch or two below the neckline and ended up at the neckline — short! I did a little trimming up of my own to fix it and got a bit more ‘lift’ in the front but the truth is I’m simply not happy with it…

Manicurist Danielle Li moves to Salon Forte, her new address is 722 Genevieve St, in Solana Beach! For an appointment call the salon at 858−755−4366 or Danielle’s direct line at 858−717−8290. Full service, spa chair, gel polish, acrylic and gel nails. Latest techniques in nail art! Best manicure and pedicure in town for a reasonable set price, no add on prices for scrubs etc. !!!

Brett is awesome! She takes the time to learn what is important to her customers and applies her skill set accordingly. I love the look and feel of my hair since I have started coming here. Entire staff is friendly, definitely worth a try!

What a wonderful salon. Jordan does a great job. She understands hair and what needs to be done to it. Make sure to book well in advance!

I came to this salon for a Wounded WArrior event and the staff was lovely and very welcoming. Brett Lord was my hair stylist that day and I Have been going back to her since. She is an amazing hair stylist and excellent with color. She is very friendly and warm. She listens to you as a client and does an excellent job executing your request. Love this place and love Brett Lord!!! They are awesome!!!

diane now cuts my long, curly hair & has done a fab job 2 or 3 times now… she also did my highlights & i am very happy… it’s difficult to find someone who can do long curly hair & keep the length reliably well

Jordan Barrett saved my life. My hair was giving me serious depression. I couldn’t find a stylist who would do my feral curls justice — that is until I met Jordan. Jordan knows how to use her shears, and she’s gorgeous.

Jordan Barrett is THE BEST hairdresser EVER! Not only is she beautiful but she made me feel at home. I was 7 months pregnant and not feeling very attractive so i decided to book an appointment with her. She made my hair look amazing! She gave me long layers and styled my hair nicely. I didn’t even know my hair could do that! Not only will I recommend Jordan Barrett to my friends and family, but i will continue to go to her for future cuts. :)

Love this place! Very friendly and professional staff. I always feel like I’m visiting friends when I go and leave feeling like I’m ready for the red carpet! Debbie has done my hair several times and I trust her completely to make me feel 30-​something again :)!!

This salon is tucked away in an industrial mall-​type setting, but it is surprisingly well appointed with a lush but modern feel. My stylist is Britt, and I could not be happier with her services. The first cut I ever got from her transformed a boring blunt cut into a swingy long bob. It was cute and got me loads of compliments. More recently, Brett cut long layers into my hair which was now six to eight inches past my shoulders, and on e again she has made my hair swingy and fun. I am really impressed with her work, and she is an absolute sweetheart. I’ve never left without looking much better than when inwalkedbin. The lesson to me: Don’t wait so long between visits!

I went here for the first time today and I was pleasantly surprised.
I was referred here by my co-​worker and friend, Crystal. She usually gets a color and a cut and it always looks really nice … The only difference is that she has perfectly straight hair while I on the other hand have very very curly and thick hair. So, with hair this intense, it is no surprise that I’m skeptical about every hair salon I go to. Usually because my hair seems to put the fear of God into many stylists.
I made an appointment with Chelsea Durna for a color touch up and some additional highlights to my hair.
When I first entered the salon (which is a little hard to find due to it’s industrial building location), the receptionist and Chelsea were there to greet me. She introduced herself and quickly escorted me to her station. We went over what I wanted and then she showed me where to put a smock on. As she began, she was super friendly, very talkative and very knowledgeable. I felt as if I had known her forever as she was super easy to talk to.
Since I was only getting a couple highlights and a touch up color, the service went pretty fast. When it was time to wash my hair, she walked me over to the shampoo station where she rinsed me out and gave me an amazing scalp and neck massage.
She even offered to straighten my hair for me when she was through but I knew that would take an additional 2 hours because of the texture and curl to my hair so I politely declined. After we dried my hair a little bit, she went over what she did and asked if I was happy with the color, which of course I was!!!
I had come here to get touched up because my wedding is next week, but I will definitely will be back to see Chelsea again and again :)

I had a great appointment with Brett Lord. I discovered her through crowdcrave. My hair was in dire need of a cut and color. I have long hair. She helped me pick a gorgeous color and added new life to my hair. In addition she was easy to converse with and that made the experience more enjoyable. I will be back. I highly recommend her.

Salon Forte is right by Pure Barre (where I teach), so I thought it would be convenient to start going there. It was my second time there today with Brett, and she is just amazing! She does a wonderful job & has the greatest personality so it’s definitely fun chatting it up while you are getting pampered. The staff is super friendly too! Both times, I have left incredibly happy and completely satisfied with my hair! I’ll be going back to Salon Forte & to Brett every time I need my hair done!
And yes, it is pretty pricey, but what good salon isn’t? I believe getting your hair cut should be an experience too, so it’s definitely worth the price! Trust me, you won’t be disappointed here!
P. S. Schedule an appointment with Brett & tell her I referred you! ;)

Love the salon! Really clean. Brett did the Brazilian blowout for me and she did a great job. I always loveLovelove my hair when I leave.

I have been going to Forte on and off since it was a small hole-​in-​the-​wall salon back when they first opened.
The staff has always been friendly, helpful and happy.
Sandy is wonderful, has been there since the beginning and is very talented!
Peaceful salon with talented people who will get you looking pretty!

I used to go to Jordan at this place and have since recommended her to many friends– all who have had great experiences as well! She’s a gem, very friendly and totally skilled in what she does. Never walked away from this place with even a smidgen of disappointment in my hair. Even their prices are totally reasonable :) Jordan even did my wedding hair and makeup– love love love her and this place!

I had a fantastic experience with Chelsea Durna at Forte. She understood what I wanted perfectly and gave a fantastic cut. I’ve never gotten so many compliments on my hair.

Very pleased with my haircut. Called in the late morning and was able to get an appointment within an hour.
I walked away very happy with my cut… what more can I say?

I don’t go here anymore. Khepri left long ago and went to Stainless in Encinitas. I followed her there hoping for consistency. Never found it to my satisfaction. That first razor cut was great. Was it a fluke? Maybe someone else will have luck with her but I moved on a long, long time ago. Still looking for a decent razor cut in North County if anyone knows where I can find one.
OK, I have to preface this by saying that I’m comfortable in my masculinity and not afraid to do a review on my experience with a hair stylist. I had to travel back East for a very important business trip and needed to get cleaned up and professional looking. However I panicked when I learned that the hair stylist (a guy’s hairdresser) I’ve been going to for the past 10 years was off on vacation in Hawaii. At my age, most men are lucky to have any hair. I’ve got a full head of salt and pepper hair and I’m very picky about how it’s cut. Razor cuts are a specialty and I’ve probably only had a handful of memorable cuts in my life. My regular stylist typically got me in and out in 10 minutes. The cut was OK but I never had the feeling it was anything more than a routine cut that was sufficient to get me in and out of her chair as fast as possible. I guess familiarity with her and the fact that she charged me only $ 20 for the past 10 years kept me coming back. Well this was the first time she was not available for me in a pinch and I had to do something. I looked all over North County San Diego for a stylist that specializes in razor cuts. Google led me to Unilocal.Though I suspected that Unilocal was little more than a self promotion site, I began to read some reviews that actually seemed objective and honest. Based on the review of Julie G, I called up Forte and asked for Laurie Shoman (Julie G’s suggestion). Laurie was at lunch and had no openings anyway, but it turned out that she really specializes in color anyway. I then asked if anyone specializes in razor cuts for men. They asked around and a Khepri Cathman not only does razor cuts but she had an opening that day. Of course I was a bit apprehensive to make an appointment with her because… well, she had an opening that day at 1pm, so how good could she be. Arriving at Forte around 12:50, I found the place very professional and upscale looking… of course my next thought was, would this cost me an arm and a leg? The receptionist asked if I wanted something to drink but before I could respond, a cute little blond girl appearing little more than 18 came out and introduced herself as Khepri. More apprehensive than ever, I followed Khepri to her chair. I asked how long she has been cutting hair and she responded, «6 years». «You do razor cuts?» I queried? «You bet» she responded confidently. During the typical hair stylist banter I saw a professional who actually knew what she was doing. The cut was the best I’ve had in 15 years and she won a regular client. The cost was $ 35. That’s a bit higher than I’ve been paying over the years but well worth the extra price. Julie G, thanks for pointing in this direction.
I went back again. Still no complaints. Best razor cut in many years.

Laurie Shoman is a hair designer who works at Forte in Solana Beach. She is the best hair colorist on the planet hands down, bar none! Wherever you live make the trip as her techniques are perfect and the results always come out beautiful if that is the look you are going for. I’m sure she can do funky, glamorous and adventurous as well. Her styling is also perfect so I guess she is just a perfect hair stylist who is cool to boot!