Refinement Salon

I had a really strange and disappointing experience today.
I was really excited to book with Alissa per my friends recommendation. I called to see if she had availability which she said she did. She asked me to text her a photo of my hair and what I wanted. I did.
Then, I never heard back.
End. Of. Story.
Before writing the review I wanted to give her the benefit of the doubt. That maybe I was texting a landline, but when I checked her Unilocal this is the only number available. I also tried to message the business– which you can’t.
To wrap things up, after all that’s said and done I think I exerted far to much effort trying to get in touch with this woman. I bend over backwards for my clients and not to say she should, but the client DEFINITELY shouldn’t be bending over backwards to book.
If she didn’t want to schedule me she should have given me a courtesy call or text. Nobody likes feeling snubbed.

I followed my hairstylist, Jillian Earp, to this salon. I LOVE her and plan to stick with her wherever she goes. She is very talented and knows thick, curly, wavy, hair — which is hard to find! She is super nice and easy going. She also gives a nice head massage while washing your hair.
The other stylists at the salon were also sweet and fun to be around. The salon itself is super cute and feels relaxing and fun — which I prefer to the «salon feel». You can tell the owner put a lot of work into making it a cool, comfortable place. The space itself is awesome located in an old, I’m guessing original, Alameda building.
I also love that they were bumping Beyonce’s Lemonade album and could geek out on pop culture with me. That’s what salons are for, right?

DISCLAIMER: I am the most picky person in the world with my hair.
I found Lisa on Instagram and decided to give her a try! She was so amazing! I came with horribly dead and brassy hair. We texted often to discuss future plans with my hair and figure out scheduling. In terms of schedule, she is VERY accommodating. I work all the way in Foster City and she was easy to work with in terms of scheduling. That girl can work wonders on your hair too! She is very patient and makes sure she gets the job done– we stayed at the salon until 11:30PM and she showed no signs of exhaustion. She was enthusiastic, patient, and very friendly. I hate the awkward situations where they don’t talk to you while doing your hair. There was no awkward pauses and she was super easy to get along with. Her work was amazing! I loved the color, the look, the cut and everything about it. It was the first time where I felt 100% satisfied with my hair!
Also, she is definitely not the person to forget about you once you leave her chair. She texts you about follow up questions or concerns. She even sent me a bunch of images of hair products she recommends for my hair! Absolutely love her work and I think I found my regular hair stylist! :)

This was my first time at this salon but I’m a long-​term client of Jillian, my hair stylist extraordinaire. Refinement is on the second floor of the building. Despite its small space, the salon feels open and airy, yet relaxing and cosy. The space is bright and stylists are welcoming. Great products. And, of course, my sweet and talented Jillian never disappoints. She listens to you, takes care of you, and makes you into a better version of yourself when you leave.

Jillian is amazing! I have seen her for the last 10 years for cuts, color, and highlights (and even my wedding hair) and she continues to impress me each time. She listens closely to input and preferences to give you exactly what you’re looking for. She also has the talent and creative eye to come up with a stylish cut if you want to refresh your look. I highly recommend Jillian!

As far as one of the negative reviews goes, I had my appointment on that day about a month ago at 2pm. I wasn’t there at 1, or 1:05 so I cannot say the hair dresser wasn’t running a few minutes. What I can say is that if your hair dresser says she is a few minutes away, and then you go to the nearby bagel shop and come back around 2 pm, so well after the hair dresser telling you she is almost there, i would expect the salon to charge me their late/​cancellation fee. When scheduling an appointment online, there is a confirmation page that clearly states the fee for such incidents. It’s not cheap, but if you’re getting your hair done here clearly you’re not broke, and if you are and still decide to spend your money on a hair salon that might be out of your price range then I suggest you stay put and don’t risk being late or not cancelling ahead of time unless you can afford the fee! Clearly my appointment was delayed and had to be rescheduled for the remaining service I was supposed to get that day, all thanks to this customer, who I’m not surprised got her money back, because even though SHE called the hair dresser a bitch for not being able to take her anymore following the lengthy bagel run, she later returned with her bf I presume and began getting in the women’s face about charging her the late/​cancellation fee. On an end note about the shitty review someone else posted, we live in the Bay Area, one of the more expensive parts of California, I know first hand that rent isn’t cheap around here so honestly if you can’t respect your local business and accept a fee for wasting their time and other customers time then you should consider getting your hair done at supercuts or bettercuts, possibly a chain beauty school as well.
As for MY REVIEW now :) I absolutely love this place! I haven’t gotten my hair done in almost 2 years in order for it to grow out after years of damage from highlights. As most, I get a little nervous when trying out different salons. This is the first place in years that gave me exactly what I wanted/​imagined, well Alissa to be exact. I have worked with customers in the past and can honestly say she listened to my every word and made sure she understood exactly what it was that I wanted before even getting started. My first appointment I only had a cut done due to the rude and irresponsible customer, and the next one I did a base color w/​balayage, and it came out beautifully. I decided I wanted the base a tiny bit darker and Alissa said to come in whenever I wanted and she would darken it a little more, for no additional charge since she said it is her job for me to be completely satisfied. Needless to say the customer service was great, the work Alissa did was on point, and the salon looks great.
I highly recommend this place to every one currently reading Unilocal reviews for various salons in the area. And as far as the fee goes, if you are a decent person who is capable of apologizing and working with the hair dresser I’m sure they won’t automatically slam you with a fee, and will find a compromise.

So just like other Unilocalers, of coarse I had to follow Jermaine. He’s the best!!! He knows what looks good on you and will make you look like your best self. LOVE!!!

Love this salon! Jermaine has been my go to guy for almost every hair service you can think of. He has been coloring/​highlighting/​cutting/​styling my hair for years. Because of bad experiences in the past, I’m really picky about who I let cut & especially COLOR my hair. So I’m glad I found Jermaine! He really listens & does exactly what you tell him. If you’re indecisive (like me) & you decide to leave it up to him, you won’t be disappointed! Not only is he good with hair, he’s also a friendly & funny guy that will make your whole salon experience fun!

This is a review for Jermaine. I followed him from his previous salon (DeMiguels salon) in San Leandro to here now and I love him. He is the true definition of a hair stylist and listens to what you want unlike when you go into some salons (this is for all my Unilocalers who have gone to asian hair salons, asked for their hair cut to their chest but come out with a bowl cut LOL). He is honest and tells you what he thinks will be best for your hair which is what I love about him. Sometime I just want to go super blonde but all I actually needed was a touch up of my roots and BAM I look so much blonder already! He is a professional and wants everything to save/​keep your hair healthy while giving you what you want.
Jermaine is an awesome hairstylist and I wouldn’t trust anyone else with my hair now! He’s so cool, easy to talk to, and also has the best stories to tell so you won’t be bored when you’re with him. Check him out! I’ve even recommended a friend to him and she LOVES him and of course her hair!

Alissa did such an amazing job on my hair. She took her time and put tons of work on me! I came in with level 4 dark hair and she took me to the pretty golden blonde I was looking for. I definitely recommend her she makes dreams come true!!!

Everyone knows I’m SUPER picky with my hair and when I find a stylist that I trust I will be forever faithful to them! With that being said JERMAINE is the best and I highly recommend him! He listens carefully to what style I’m trying to go for and the end results are amazing! Looking forward to my next appointment with him!

Jermaine S. At refinement salon is THE BEST! I followed him to refinement from his previous salon.
Jermaine listens to exactly what I want done with my hair. He listens. And then asks questions so we are both on the same page. I am consistently delighted with my cut and color!
Jermaine is easy to chat with. I always look forward to see him. He has great style and funny stories.
Refinement salon is very pretty. You almost forget you are in alameda. Check them out !

There’s only one person I can trust with my hair and that is JERMAINE! He is truly an artist. I was in search for a stylist that could take my dark hair to an ash blonde ombré and I found him. Jermaine was able to make it happen for me. I couldn’t have been more happier. Not only is he great at what he does but he also has an awesome personality. If you are looking for a talented hair stylists, go see Jermaine!

I was a skeptic when my friends recommended JERMAINE; I had been with my former stylist for 10 years. He was further than the stylist I was seeing, but they reassured me he was good. I was attempting to grow out my A-​line hairstyle after 5 years but hated it be in the awkward phase. After my first visit with him, I was hooked. I’ve been following him ever since. This salon is much further than his old salon in San Leandro/​San Lorenzo area, but it’s so worth it. The salon is super cute! You know, when you have a fairy hair-​mother like Jermaine, the drive is worth it! Jermaine’s personality is contagious. He will listen to your wants and needs and get you there in a realistic time. I get so many compliments on my hair. He truly is an artist of hair.

All I have to say is JERMAINE is the best. He listens to what I want and definitely delivers. It’s very rare that I would cut my hair because it always ends up in disappointment, but he always cuts and styles my hair to perfection. I don’t trust anyone with my hair but him. I recently just started in this world of coloring hair and it amazes me how good I look and feel after a cut and color. Thanks Boo!

Don’t come to this salon unless you want a law suit.
I made an appointment online for 1 o’clock on a Thursday last month. I showed up at 1:04, walked up the stairs to the salon and nobody was there. The door was locked, the lights were off and I knocked multiple times. I texted the girl who was going to do my hair, Alissa, and she said that she was on her way to the salon.
Okay? My hair stylist isn’t even at the salon and said she was «a few minutes away.»
I go to the next block over and grab a bagel at House of Bagels while waiting for the stylist and came back to the salon. Fortunately she was there this time, but immediately gave me an attitude upon entering.
She told me she was going to charge me around $ 50 dollars for the late fee and also «wont take my service» but I could reschedule with her some other time.
I told her I was there at 1:04 when she wasn’t and she told me that wasn’t true. See pictures for proof.
Anyway, as I stormed out of the salon I see she charged $ 131 dollars from my account WITHOUT even touching my hair or my consent. I had already paid $ 70 online for the groupon and she charges me for the full service.
At this point I’m not even sure what to think. Needless to say the cops got involved and this has already turned in to the most horrific hair salon experience of my entire life.
Fortunately the owner of the salon came out and told me he’d refund my purchase and the cop gave me advice to never return to this salon again. Don’t worry, I definitely won’t and I advise anybody not to either…
As if this entire experience wasn’t bad enough, I received an e-​mail from Alissa threatening to sue me «for my Unilocal review». What? Apparently someone had written another Unilocal review about how unprofessional and terrible the service was from Alissa as well but took it down due to her threat.
Well, thank God writing reviews on Unilocal is legal and I am definitely protected by the law to write this review about my horrible customer service. Alissa, you cannot sue me for telling the world the truth about exactly what happened.
Avoid this salon at all costs.

My hair is amazing! JERMAINE is the one if your looking for someone to do magic on your hair. He is such a cool guy, hilarious, and very good at what he does! I promise you, You will not regret it! Thanks Jermaine for always taking care of me and my locks!

You MUST go to Jermaine!!! He is absolutely the best! My hair looks freakin amazing! He is SO hilarious and beyond nice and he’s super talented! I 101% recommend him and I think I’ve found the person who can do my hair forever! Thank you SO much Jermaine!!!

I had my first of many future appointments with Alissa, she’s incredibly knowledgable, creative, and thorough! We had a great time during my appointment, she definitely went above and beyond any expectations I had and I left one beautified and happy woman! Thank you!

Let me just start of by saying wow, In love with this place! Whenever I come to refinement I instantly feel relaxed and in good in hands. Alissa is always on top of current trends/​styles and is a creative genius!!! I trust her advise fully and couldn’t imagine going anywhere else. Much love for this small gem,

I got my hair cut about 3 weeks ago and wasn’t going to write a review. However, 3 weeks later my hair is just sad. I cut about 5 inches off, which for me was a lot. I am still trying to figure out how to style it to conceal the uneven bangs that frame my face.
I specifically told her that I did not want bangs and at the end of my cut she did it on her own. I was so shocked that she had done this, but she told me that I will love them once they grow a little. Who gets a haircut to wait to like it when it grows?!?
I think that she may be good at styling hair very well as I did not notice my botched uneven cut until the next day. I could not believe my eyes. The left and right side are not only uneven, it’s the worst bang job I’ve ever received. I was so upset that I reached out to her to give her feedback, she offered to cut my hair to fix it but there is just no way I would go back.

First visit to this salon. My feelings were some what nerve racking due to my trust issues with my hair. Once I got there I got a warm welcoming by Alissa which by the way is great and really nice. The wall décor was beautiful and different which made me feel more comfortable. Alissa first gave me a consultation which I thought was really helpful. I wasn’t sure of what i really wanted so she gave me options. Throughout the entire procedure she explained everything every step of the way. I got full highlights which i have to go back to get the Balayage to finish. Long story short she is the BEST, hands down. I love my hair and it’s not even fully done yet. My experience was great and I’m looking forward to making her my permanent hair dresser.

Omg this salon is GORGEOUS!
I enjoyed every moment of this place. Its so refreshing to have a little bit of San Francisco in small city Alameda! I came in for a shampoo blowdry and the scalp massage put me to sleep. So calming! My stylist provided some fresh fruit and a little bit of champagne. I couldnt have asked for a more relaxing day. I recommend evèryone to come here at least once!

After many hair mishaps I was reluctant to trust anybody with my hair. My stylist made me super comfortable right away and assured me we would get the color results I wanted. She watched the toner carefully in my hair to make sure it was at the perfect level, and then gave me a super nice conditioning treatment. For the cut, she insisted that the new «lob» trend would be perfect for me, I was reluctant but trusted her since my color came out just how I wanted it! Now my hair has an actual style to it, and the color is so pretty and dimensional.
Not only was my service amazing, but the salon is so cute! I has such a laid back and earthy atmosphere. Very warm and welcoming. Plus they offer complimentary beverages, snacks, AND carry R+CO products. What more could you ask for?