Blondie’s Hair Studio & Spa

I went in to have my horrible experience with «balayage» corrected from a different salon. It was my first and probably only time visiting Blondie’s. Although the partial highlights came out looking good, it wasn’t really what I asked for. It seems as though this place is really big on strawberry blonde for some reason. My hairdresser (can’t remember his name) showed me photos of the highlights he did on another client which had a little strawberry blonde in it and I told him that I did not want my hair like that. I came in with at least 5 pictures of what I wanted, all of them varying slightly to give him some flexibility, but low and behold I ended up with strawberry blonde mixed in with my highlights/​lowlights, which can only be seen when the light reflects off it. Like I said, the highlights look good… very even and I received a lot of compliments, but if you aren’t going for that look, then I would probably not recommend this place. The salon didn’t seem confident in their ability to do balayage either. I had asked him if he could do that instead of highlights and he did not seem comfortable with it, so I agreed that highlights/​lowlights would be fine as long as he could make it look closer to my natural color.
The pros of this place is that the highlighting process was very quick and efficient. A woman (I don’t think she was a hairstylist) helped out with the washing, which included a really nice head massage. That was a huge plus. At the end, the hairstylist offered to fix up my cut. He said that the haircut I had received from a different stylist earlier that week was very choppy. I refused a haircut bc I did not want to pay and additional $ 75 when I had already dished out hundreds earlier that week at other salons, so he just took a few snips from the back to «blend the layers» a little better and show off my new highlights. I thought this was very nice of him and I was going to leave a nice tip.
Unfortunately, my decent experience turned sour when I went to pay and they charged me ~$ 45 above the price advertised on their website. My hair is a normal thickness, not too thin, but definitely not thick and about shoulder length. This was back in October and the price for a partial was advertised for like 120 or 125 (it has since changed to 130). When I went to pay, they charged $ 165. I asked why it wasn’t the ¹²⁰⁄₁₂₅ (whatever it was) and the receptionist was like «ooooooooooo sorry, our prices just went up.» I sighed, shocked that they had not updated their website to reflect the $ 45 difference, and paid up. I then asked to leave a tip on the card as I do at every hair studio, spa, etc. and he said that they only accept cash tip. Sorry, but I did not have 20% of $ 165 in cash on me; most people don’t. He told me there was an ATM down the street. It was dark out and I was not familiar with the DuPont area, so I did not feel comfortable with that. They should let clients know ahead of time so they come prepared or at least have an ATM in the studio. Huge inconvenience. I felt bad for the hairdresser, but hopefully he received some of the extra $ 45 they charged me…
I checked the website today and the price is 130, not 165, so idk why they made me believe the price had jumped to 165. They could have just told me they had to charge me extra for the few snippets if hair or whatever else if that was the case. That would have made more sense than lying to me about the cost of a partial. I would expect better from a $ 165 partial.

Came to this salon for a color correction from a failed red to blonde ombré from a different salon. The receptionist and co-​owner, Gina, were VERY accommodating and listened to me before getting to work. Gina toned down the ombré in my hair, instead of doing an all-​over color. She was a bit rough and pulled and tugged. The reason I took off two stars here was because the lighting in the salon is TERRIBLE. I literally thought I had clown hair and was shocked when I saw the color. That is exactly what I didn’t want. She promised me it was just the lighting and to look at it at home. If I had any problems, she assured me that she would fix it right away. I went home and was happy with the color. Indeed, the lighting was just off. Overall, they were very accommodating and gave me a great price for my troubles. Just a little rough around the edges.

Rachel is the most amazing hair stylist. I’ve gone to see her three times in the last couple months and every time I leave way more content and satisfied than I expected. I always bring in pictures when I go just to make sure she remembers the style of cut I want (she always does) and at the end it is always better than I expect or even imagine that my hair could be. I ask a lot of questions regarding hair care etc. and she always answers in depth and is so helpful. She never pressures me to buy the products but has given me recommendations when I ask about curling irons or hair sprays and I have gotten the ones she’s recommended (small bottles and tubes at first) and they’re really really great. Unfortunately she is moving this summer but I’m definitely gonna try to get another cut before she leaves :) Oh and the receptionists are always very sweet as well. No complaints!

I guess it’s difficult to rate an entire salon when I’ve had different experiences with two different stylists.
Elena is a 5 star stylist. She’s meticulous and detail oriented and did an excellent job on my bob.
Lauren, unfortunately, did not know what to do with my hair. I went in for an updo and she started by blow drying my hair and started pinning sections of my hair up (which looked nothing like the photos I showed her) with frizzy /​straight flyaways sticking up. Usually when I get an updo done, almost every stylist uses a curling iron on my hair to smooth it out and add volume/​body. I had to ask Lauren to do this after I noticed that my updo was looking a little sad and finally it looked smoother and looked *somewhat* like the photo I brought in. I’m not too picky — I don’t need to be magically transformed into the celebrity photo I bring in, but I don’t want to look like I did my own hair either. On the plus side, Lauren did not charge the full $ 85 since I think she picked up on the fact that I wasn’t happy with the updo.
Overall great salon… they will work with you to fix things if you’re not satisfied.

Aaron is amazing! Fortunately, he had a cancellation and was able to take me right away. My hair looked incredible after he was done with it, and he was great company during the whole process.
I wish I lived in DC or he would come out to LA…

I have been going to Rachel at Blondie’s for a few years. From highlights, to dark hair, short, long, she has been amazing to work with and really listens to all of my crazy and often vague requests. It has always been very easy to get an appointment and the location is perfect for hitting a night out with great looking hair.

The result was as good as expected but I never spend such a long time at a hairdresser. In comparison to Europe and considering the expected (and given) tip, it’s very pricy.

Update: I’ve been to Elena several times over the past five years and have loved her every time.

I have seen Gina several times over the last couple of years and she is so awesome with color! I am naturally blonde but love going back and forth from blonde to various shades of strawberry/​red and she always does such a great job. It is expensive, but at the same time you get what you pay for and here you are paying for the best of the best. She helped me to achieve the exact color I wanted in my hair when I got married. Definitely go here.

Lauren saved me … From purple hair. I had a horrible experience at another salon and they got me in the next day, to take purple streaks out of blond hair (don’t ask why … I can’t even talk about it anymore). She spent a lot of time stripping it, low lighting and highlighting, blowing out, and styling. Very sweet woman as well.
Also, Vicky (shampooer/​etc) was phenomenal – gave a great scalp massage (amongst the million washes I had during the salvage process). And the rest of the stylists were cordial and warm as well — great people all around!

Love this place. Started going because of Unilocal reviews and it did not let me down. The person answering the phones was so polite and fit me in with a nice stylist.
They offer coffee and water and what not while you wait which is a plus. On a hot day the cucumber water was a great touch.
My stylist was amazing. I always forget his name. (I am just bad with names) but they keep that on File so the last 3 times I went back they were able to get me to the same person. I think it is Antonio. I last went in there and told him I wanted something different but didn’t know what. We spoke a little and he went to work and it turned out awesome!!!
I can’t forget the shampoo woman who always gives a very nice and unexpected scalp massage. It was fantastic and a very nice added touch. I could almost fall asleep.
All in all it is a great place. They take their time and make sure you are happy in every way. The only thing you need to remember is I believe they take cash only. A little bit of a Bummer but not a huge deal. This place shouldn’t let you down.

Tacky.
I purchased a voucher for a deep conditioning treatment and blow-​dry on
and had high hopes for this spot. Usually when I go for a deep conditioning treatment the products are professional salon quality brands, so I was confused when the stylist told me she was using redken. Really? Totally inconsistent with their advertisement on gilt. If i had known that she was going to use REDKEN i would have skipped out and just used extra moroccan oil or phtyo conditioner. It did nothing for my hair, not that I expected it to.
I actually sent them two pictures of my hair one curly, and one after I had blow dried it; I wanted to make sure they can work with what I got. I don’t think that is too much to ask of a professional in the beauty industry but apparently it was, the receptionist swore up and down that every stylist there is equally qualified to get it done right.
Lauren left me frizzy limp strands of hair and no style after spending a max of 15 minutes on my bra-​length hair, I asked for two things: volume and NO FRIZZ, if i can do it you should be able to. I literally was ready to grab the blowdryer and do it myself. WEAK… Different hair structure requires different methods of styling and technique. I thought they taught you that in beauty school.
ANYWAY Either Lauren is unskilled in her profession or just super lazy. Regardless, I wouldn’t recommend her to anyone. Stylists usually make conversation try to welcome their clients and create a comfortable atmosphere. To say she was cordial is generous.

I am new (ish) to DC and have been looking for a good salon that is quick, convenient, and professional. Blondie’s is fantastic! I couldn’t be happier. From the first time I called, Aaron was so nice on the phone and did everything he could to get me in soon and accomodate my schedule.
Lauren did my cut and color and she was wonderful. I will definitely be back. The color looks great, exactly what I wanted and the cut was simple but perfect for me. I have very fine hair and she did an awesome job styling it to give it some more volume and depth. She was efficient without ever rushing me, and from a 5:30 appointment I was out in time to make it to happy hour :)
It was also a great, relaxing evening. Blondie’s has the sleek look of a hip salon but the low-​key, quiet ambience of a spa. Coming after a hectic day at work, it was lovely to walk into a calm environment where I could sit and read my book and casually chat with my stylist over the course of my appointment. two hours of «me» time and at a very reasonable price.
Awesome, awesome experience, I fully endorse Blondie’s and will definitely be making it my regular place for all things beauty!

I LOVE this place! They are all so amazing. Everyone is happy to help you and offer you something to drink. My colorist is fabulous. I change my color all the time and she never leads me down the wrong path; the cut is also always awesome.
They helped me purchase extensions for my wedding and dyed them for free while I was there. They also told me how to maintain them so I could use them after my wedding. I was taught to put them in and take them out while I was there.
The shampoo is a massage! Jessica, the shampoo girl, is fabulous. She massages your neck and temples, too, not just your scalp. It takes a few minutes longer than getting your hair shampooed at other places, but it’s because she’s actually massaging your scalp while washing your hair!
You wont be disappointed!
(They re-​did the whole inside about a year ago, so the chairs and things are better than what you see in the pictures on this page; not that those are bad or anything, but just an FYI.)

SUMMARY: Pretty disappointing all-​around — uneven cut, bad styling, negative attitude, hidden charges. You can find better quality in the area at the same (or even better) price.
FULL STORY: I’ve lived in DC for almost 5 years, and I usually go to another place to have my hair cut and blow-​dried. I’ve tried a few salons though, and decided to try Blondies when my friend was in town and had an appointment there.
I called on a Friday morning thinking they would be booked… I was surprised to hear that Kristen had plenty of availability on Friday afternoon. Maybe this should have been a red flag…
I have medium-​to-​thick, wavy hair past my shoulders and I get blow-​outs in DC about once a week. This visit, I wanted to have my ends trimmed and have a blow-​out for the weekend.
Kristen did a brief consultation and sent me to the shampoo sink. I had just washed my hair, so I asked not to have another shampoo but just a rinse. The lady washing my hair didn’t understand and did a shampoo anyway. Oh well. It included a little scalp massage, which unfortunately got conditioner down my neck, on my shirt, and smudged my makeup — if you have somewhere to go right after, maybe ask them to leave this part off. Might happen anyway though.
The trim seemed decent at the time — I wasn’t having new layers or much length cut. Unfortunately, about a week later I realized that the left side was 1.5″ longer than the right — noticeable even with my long hair. At my next trim a few weeks later, the stylist asked where I had it cut last and mentioned that the back looked crooked. Ugh.
My main issues with this place were the poor styling, the negative attitude that resulted, and the hidden surcharge.
I described to Kristen that for the blow-​out, I like a smooth texture with some volume and curl, i.e., not pin-​straight at the ends. The actual result looked like I blow-​dried it myself in a hurry, except this time with a ton of products in it. During the blow dry I mentioned that it was still a little puffy for me and I was hoping for a smoother blow-​out… but she replied with «No, you have to trust me – I think it’s just because you’ve never been here before». That seemed condescending, but I let her keep going, hoping maybe it would get better. Unfortunately it didn’t. By the end it was looking strange and felt weird underneath.
Rather than having that great, smooth, just-​styled feeling, it had an awkward texture with frizzy parts underneath. She suggested flat ironing a few sections and added more products even after I asked her not to. It was pretty clear that I wasn’t thrilled with the result, but I gave her a chance to correct it.
When my friend sat in the chair next to me, she asked if I ended up getting it cut or just washed and dried. I was a little surprised and asked «you can’t notice a difference?» But before my friend could answer, Kristen jumped in with a defensive attitude «WELL, that’s not a bad thing! You are trying to grow your hair OUT! So…» I guess I thought that going from lots of split ends to post-​trim would make a noticeable improvement. Regardless, I was ok with the trim at the time. It was just the mean attitude that seemed out-​of-​place.
Unfortunately, Kristen really didn’t have the skills to style my hair well. The average stylist in DC does fine with it, but this result didn’t look or feel good. I actually pulled my hair back for most of the day.
(To be fair, the person leaving Paola’s chair looked much better after the service).
By this point, I was ready to pay and head out of there. I wanted to go home after lunch and wash my hair to get rid of the extra product.
When I got to the counter, the receptionist reached out to grab my credit card without telling me the total. It wasn’t brought up until I asked. The price was $ 10 higher than originally quoted… (never mentioned during the service)… and apparently it was added on for the flat ironing.
That seemed inappropriate — charging a dissatisfied customer extra for something that didn’t help, let alone not mentioning it would be an extra charge before tacking it onto the service. Ultimately, I let them know it didn’t seem right, and they begrudgingly removed the extra fee, still charging full price for the rest of the questionable service.
Side note: throughout the appointment, the stylist was chomping loudly on gum. So, your hair might look awful, but at least you can be grossed out while they do it! Combined with everything above, it added up to an unprofessional and disappointing experience compared with similar salons in the area.
You could probably find a worse salon in DC, but the experience that day wasn’t good and I wouldn’t return or recommend this place with so many talented stylists in the city.
Note: They only accept tips in cash; there is an ATM in the coffee shop next door. Also next door: a good Thai place!

Walk-​in appointment on a Saturday. During Inauguration weekend. Appointment in 20 min. Yes!
This place is go-​go customer service. They have this nice, dainty cucumber water in the waiting area, quality magazines, and one of those Keurig things. This tells me they care!
My shampoo girl gave me a rockin head massage. Which was completely noted because I couldn’t remember the last time I had a good head massage. (Except at a shady Chinatown salon, but I try not to tell people that I go to those places.)
My stylist did a great job in little time and gave me exactly what I wanted without me having to describe every detail. How did he know? Lin was the ultimate hair soothsayer. He even offered me a glass of red wine.
If you need a solid place, check out Blondie’s!

I’ve tried quite a few hairdressers in the DC area since I moved here five years ago and about a year ago started to go to Blondie’s. Charles used to cut my hair OK but since he is no longer with Blondie’s, Kristen has cut my hair twice and I love it! So, this review is basically about her…
Kristen listens to what I want and then makes it better. I have fine hair, and have often had trouble replicating salon hair at home, but she really takes her time working with my hair and paying attention to how it dries and styles. She’ll then go back and cut it more if needed to make sure it looks awesome. I really appreciate her attention to detail — she really wants everyone’s hair to look as amazing as possible.
Note: bring cash for a tip! Blondie’s doesn’t allow you to add tip on to a credit card receipt.

I am a Blondie’s customer only because my favorite stylist in the whole world – Paola Camacho – moved here from Corte midway through last year. Paola is amazing and makes me look and feel beautiful! I have had endless complements on my hair since she started doing it 2 years ago and will never let anyone else touch it as long as I live in DC.
Blondie’s as a salon is okay but not my favorite place ever. It’s a bright, open space but doesn’t exactly feel as upscale as its prices indicate. The front desk staff are nice and professional, and my only real complaint is that I tend to wait 10 or so minutes every time I come in even when I’m on time or early. The biggest annoyance for me has been with the shampoo people here who are some of the most overly aggressive head massagers I’ve ever encountered. Don’t get me wrong, I love a vigorous scalp massage, but just not so intense as to induce wincing as you drag your knuckles across my cranium.

Now, I am one of those people that only gets a haircut maybe once a year, and with my long curly hair, I do NOT trust most salons. With that said, this place, which I went to because I had a LivingSocial deal for it, was wonderful! It’s in the area between Adams Morgan and Dupont Circle and is upstairs, may be a bit tricky to find. I had to wait about 10 minutes for my appointment but wasn’t too upset because not only did they offer complimentary coffee and soda, but wine! I was a very happy camper after a long day of work to have that offered and had never seen a salon offer that before — I thought they were joking! So yeah great staff, very friendly to talk to, and you can’t beat free wine.
My haircut was with Rachel who was very nice and really took me seriously when I told her that I only wanted a teeny tiny trim — I’ve had other hair stylists who nod their heads and then end up chopping 4 inches off! She did convince me to go beyond my comfort zone and get some layers though, and I’m glad I did because it looks great! She did a fantastic job and I was very happy with my cut, which was also quick — I was out of there within an hour even after being blowdried straight.
It was a bit pricey ($ 70/​haircut), and so I’m not sure I could go back without a Livingsocial/​Groupon type deal, though I was offered a free bang cut with Rachel if I came back, which I’m planning to do. The cut is great though, and so I don’t feel ripped off but rather can see where that money went.

Important announcement: This review does not reflect Elena, who I still love.
I should have listened to my gut when she was sick, had to cancel and recommended I see Rachel if I really wanted to get my haircut that day. (It was the second day of canceling; I hope she’s feeling better!) It was Friday the 13^th. Never get your hair cut on Friday the 13^th. Just don’t do it. My hair is very straight, so when I get a bad cut, there’s no hiding it.
I don’t think Rachel was listening when I said, «I’m trying to grow my hair out, so please a very tiny trim,» because she took off close to 2 inches. She also did not do a good job layering my hair; the layers are only in the front, and on the left side it’s just two layers — long, then shorter. The blowout was hardly that; I do a better job at home with no products. Even my husband, a man who is terribly sweet but never notices things like haircuts or makeup, said, «It’s not the greatest haircut you’ve had.»
AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! I might start taking vitamin E and prenatals so my hair can grow out some and get it cut again — by Elena. I am so depressed.
¹¹⁄₁₇ UPDATE: The salon called and offered to credit my haircut so that I don’t pay to get it fixed after it’s grown a bit. For that, I’ve added back a star. I’m sure there are other great stylists there, and I respect what they’ve done to correct the mistake.