James Joseph Salon

Ugh, I am so in love with James Joseph Salon & Tobey.
TL;DR
— Tobey is a wizard with color — nobody can believe I’m naturally a dark brunette w/​the blonde he gives me.
— Great products — Oribe is absolutely amazing, you need it now.
— Can’t go a summer w/​o a Keratin from here
I’ve been seeing Tobey for 3 years now. I followed him to James Joseph from his last salon, and feel like a totally different person since he began doing my color. He is an amazing colorist and a blast to hang with when he’s working his magic. (I’ve also had great experiences with Dragana who I would pay just to come in and get my hair washed /​head massaged.)
So I came to Tobey in 2012 newly blonde (under 1 year) and recently graduated from college. My hair is naturally dark brunette, and I wasn’t loving the way I was looking as a blonde. Every colorist I saw was making me look either bleachy or flat or just… well, like a dark brunette *trying* to be a blonde. I clearly had been working with the bottom of the barrel, contemplating going back to brunette before he became my Blonde Angel and turned me into a blondie for life. My color is dynamic, I feel like a million bucks as a blonde now (and for the past 3 years.) When people see my license (as a brunette) they can’t believe I’m not naturally a blonde (no joke have been asked to give backup identification :)
Tobey truly is an wizard with color and is always improving his craft with the latest education & techniques. I trust him completely with my hair, and look forward to walking into James Joseph for my tones and highlights almost as much as I look forward to the compliments I always get when I walk out with a refreshed ‘do.
Aside from Tobey, everyone at James Joseph is an absolute doll and a pleasure to work with. I don’t know about you all but I get very antsy when I’m sitting in foils /​waiting for color for so long, but I’ve never minded doing it at JJ. The atmosphere is warm, inviting, clean and relaxing enough that I’m known to take a little nap while my hair is becoming bright and shiny again :)

I had my hair cut and colored by LANA and it was nothing short of amazing. Everyone commented on it at our company Christmas party. My hair is thick and very difficult to do right. And I had completely screwed it up (with Clairol root touch ups and Sun In between visits). The color was flat and brassy (yuck!). I was too embarrassed to ask for what I wanted, but Lana knew intuitively — chunky blonde highlights. She put low lights and then blonde highlights. I have never been happier. What’s really great is that it’s growing out so nicely. I don’t feel compelled to do my own touch ups before my next visit. I was also 45 minutes late (got the time messed up on my calendar and traffic was horrendous). Lana squeezed me in anyway. She’s the best person I’ve ever had. And I LOVE her hot pink hair. It made her skin pop!

On Wednesday ¹²⁄₂₉ I visited your Newbury Street location to have the following services done: Keratin ($ 350+), single process color ($ 80). Prior to this service, and as required, I did go in to a consultation to discuss the keratin process l, and while there, was quoted a price of $ 350. When I asked if this price will fluctuate based on my hair type and length at the time of my appointment I was told «no» and again quoted $ 350.
After spending 6 hours in the salon and having both processes completed, I was charged $ 620.00. Noticing the pricing was different then what was quoted and also what is listed online for the single process, I did inquire about the price differences and was told my keratin cost $ 500.00 and $ 120 for the color.
After thinking about the situation for a bit, I called back an hour later to ask for a breakdown of the price. When speaking to the manager, Ari, she did explain that I was charged for a full foil rather than a single process and so I will be getting a small refund for the price difference. However, I was later told my Ari that the $ 40.00 charge was due to the usage of extra products that was not told about during the service.
As for the keratin, I was told that the manager must first talk to my hairdresser to confirm that I was quoted this price. In any legitimate business, the customer is always right and should not wait for a call back to see if she is being honest based on the conversation with hairdresser. In the end I was told that I will not be paid the difference or even get a % back for the inconvenience of the entire ordeal.
Seeing as this is my first time at the salon, I must say I am very disappointed. Although my hair looks very nice, I am not sure I am comfortable with this salon’s pricing /​practices.
As far as my hair, how I was treated by my hair stylist and also the hair assistant? I really do like my hair and felt my hairdresser listened to what I asked for in terms of the color. (I will not know for 3 days how the keratin process will look). The hair assistant, Janet, was extremely nice and friendly and was my favorite to talk to. The hospitality of the salon is extraordinary. However, if a salon is unable to honor their pricing and also charge me extra fees without my knowledge and not explain the charges prior to paying, theb I am not sure I will be returning.

This is the best salon I have been to in over the last 5 – 6 years and I have been salon hopping in some top notch spots across DC during that time. I didn’t have to to wait, I was offered coffee, tea, water, or a mimosa! yum! I saw Kerri and she really took the time to listen to what I had to say and make suggestions along the way. I need to emphasize this because these days I feel like that type of customer service is rare even in top notch salons paying $ 120+ for a haircut. Also, I seemed to be her only client at the time which I really liked. I wasn’t under a dryer while she greeted and attended to a new customer which I am used to. I had a cut, single process color and style The color came out perfect! She also styled my hair great! I usually leave a salon and cant wait to get home so I can fix my air. I will be coming back to this salon for awhile.

Came in from Chicago. These guys are honesty the best. What a great team. From the massage chair whilst I was getting my hair washed to the absolute brilliant color, these guys are awesome! A+++++

Went to this salon looking to try something different. Salon set me up with Rossanne Lopez. I have asian hair that is super thick and textured and not that straight. I had straightened my hair as it was really messy, frizzy and wavy the night before. After wash, stylist made assumptions I had «very straight» hair. During haircut, I was given a few choppy layers at the bottom of my hair, and my hair was blow dried straight. The cost was $ 70. It looks a bit too much like a blown out poodle with average blunt texture. Overall it was a-​ok.

Dragana was great! It was my first visit with her — and my first visit with a new stylist in the last 3 years. After being with the same stylist at a different salon for the last few years and having a couple not-​so-​good cuts, I was in the market for a new stylist. Dragana was able to fix my last bad haircut, blending in the choppy layers. Her blowout was also amazing and still going strong the next day, which doesn’t normally happen for me. I will be back!

Stopped by today for the first time to get a hair cut. My stylist was Grace and she was lovely. I have bob length hair which needed a good 2 inches taken off it and styled a bit better. Grace did a great job and was meticulous in her work. She took the time to give me a really good cut that I am very happy with. She was very pleasant and friendly — I highly recommend her! Grace is a stylist (not a senior stylist or an advanced stylist). Don’t let this put you off. Why pay all those extra dollars when you can get a great cut from a stylist!
The only negative I have to say about my experience was the front desk clerk should have asked if I would like to make another appointment. I totally forgot to and now I have to call them (I get a haircut every 8 weeks). I am not going to take a star off my review for this (as my cut was great) but isn’t that the front desks job? Try to get folks to come back?
The salon is very spacious. Right on Newbury St — close to the Public Gardens. They have a great outdoor patio for clients to use (didn’t use it but it looked cozy).
If you are thinking about giving this salon a try I suggest you do! I was pleasantly surprised and will return!

So I’ve updated my review a bunch of times and I decided to just re-​write it. My first two experiences here were excellent.
Stylist to see: DRAGANA!
Stylist to AVOID AT ALL COST: Grace Soto
One was just a trim but the second was a major haircut, my mid-​back length hair to collarbone length. I also have very thick, curly hair that I wear straight, so the texture can be difficult to work with. I have had mixed experiences in general with my haircuts. Seth (the previous salon director) did my short haircut and he did an amazing job. He really wanted it to be what I wanted and at the same time work for my hair type and face. Overall it was amazing… he is no longer at the salon. I went back after this haircut for a trim and I left very upset. They had given me an appointment with a random stylist (her name is Grace Soto) since the girl I made the appointment for was sick. This girl clearly did NOT know how to deal with my hair type. I told her I wanted a trim and not to change the haircut, but I ended up with very chunky, stair like layers that I had specifically said I DID NOT WANT. She also spent a lot of the time trying to sell me different stuff and asked for my phone number for her «client list» and told me to add her on Instagram. She was pretty pushy, especially since I had an appointment with another stylist I had asked for and she happened to be sick that day. Basically she was trying to take me from a co-​worker as a client. Anyway, my haircut was destroyed. ALSO: she charged me an extra $ 15 for «extra time.» My appointment was at 10 – 11 and I arrived at brunch down the street at 11:05 so I don’t think I was there more than 45 minutes. There was also no mention of this when I was paying, I assumed it had been her cost but I was later told that it was for extra time. Shady. So anyway I wasn’t thrilled with the cut but I left and got home and tried to play with it and it was just awful. I had told her I like to move my part around side to side and she interpreted that as cut it so I can ONLY wear it in a straight part or else it has really short chunks on one side. I returned to the salon the next day and told them how unhappy I was, and the receptionist was nice but very unhelpful, and Grace insisted I sit down and talk to her, which I didn’t want to do. She pretty much told me I had asked for all these awful things, and then told me that I have to understand that she has her own style. Sorry but when you’re cutting someone else’s hair… it’s not about you or your style. Anyway she pretty much displaced any blame and spent the entire time telling me it was what I wanted. This was 100% not a miscommunication of any kind. There is no way anyone would ask for or THINK someone wanted what I had. They also told me in order to get a refund I would need to return another day when a manager was there, and they didn’t know what day this was. Seriously there was NO sense of apology or understanding, just ‘oh too bad.’ I was furious and swore I’d never come back. I wrote a 1 star review on Unilocal and was immediately contacted by the salon owner. I was issued a complete refund and a complimentary haircut to fix it once it grew a bit. I was very impressed with the salon owner’s customer service, and I figured I’d give it one more shot. I am so glad I did. Today I had an appointment with Dragana, and she fixed my hair! She was able to hide/​even the awful layers and reshape and overall return my hair to the original great haircut. I will definitely be back to see her, I could not be happier with my result. She was also so attentive and made sure I got exactly what I wanted. She reminded me of Seth in this way, it was SUCH a huge difference from my experience with Grace. I 100% suggest going to see her for anything hair related!
(one star off for Grace but it seems she’s the only bad one at the salon I’ve run into)

I have been a regular client of Benjamin for almost a year now. I could not recommend him more highly. Benjamin is a RARE talent. I have been coloring my hair blonde and wearing a unique and notable style for a couple years now, but Benjamin completely took my look to the next level. I am a singer and am featured on a television show, so I take my appearance and look very seriously.
The first time I saw him, I had a consult with him (Mimosa in hand, thanks to the lovely staff at James Joseph), and he gave me an assessment of what he thought would look best on me based on my look, style, and what I expressed to him in our consultation. He cut my hair based on my bone structure, lining up his comb with specific bones on my face and head in order to find the most flattering cut for my face. He also used the information I gave him about my performing group’s look and my personal style, looking through pictures of me to determine what would enhance my look. Every visit after that, he became more and more familiar with my hair and continued to give me even better and better cuts/​colors.
The most amazing appointment I’ve had with him thus far is when he dyed my hair silver (I usually dye my hair a cool-​toned blonde from my natural sandy brown color). I came to him with the idea, and he was so careful to take my hair through the process in the healthiest way, and the final product was incredible. When I transitioned back to my normal blonde hair, he did so gradually and healthily and made sure every color transition along the way look incredible.
Benjamin is not only an incredible stylist, he’s also just an awesome person. He and I stay in touch between appointments, and he follows me on social media, suggesting new techniques or color looks for my hair when he notices my style or look has altered at all.
If I could give James Joseph Salon 6 stars, I would. I recommend this salon to anyone that takes their look seriously. After every appointment, you get a free clean-​up within two weeks, so your look is constantly maintained! I am constantly complimented on my hair, and will be a loyal client of this salon for as long as I’m in Boston.

I have been going to Jennifer McGrath for as long as I can remember. She has taken me to platinum blonde to blue black and everything in between. I have never left the salon with a cut/​color I didn’t love. Every time I go in to see her, even if it’s just a blow dry, I leave happy. You are amazing at what you do!

A couple of weeks ago I went into James Joseph Salon with the absolute worst hair ever. The cut and color had degenerated slowly over time and there I was, with a serious problem. I had never been there before and so took who they assigned me and boy did I luck out! I got Dragana who worked tirelessly for over four hours to recreate something really quite stunning!
I have on purpose waited a bit to write this review to make sure I am happy with the my new hair and I can honestly say I am!
Not only is she super talented with the color and cutting, but the products she put on my hair have gone a long way to repair the damage. Not only do I have the color I want but she has done it in such a manner as be fairly low maintenance. Dragana not only has a very good sense of style but she is very pleasant to have around you — usually I hate sitting in the chair with all the chit chat but even after 4 ½ hours I still enjoyed her ;-).

Just moved to Boston and picked this salon per the recommendation. Overall good location and decent prices. Salon is not as modern with some older clientele, but I don’t mind that. Staff was very respectful. Haircut I got is great, simple, stylish and elegant. Going back there for color this week and will update my review after. Overall pleasant experience at a good price (for Boston anyways).
Update: got my highlights from the place recently. Absolutely amazing. Moving to 5 stars. This is a new home for my hair. Very thrilled!

I’ve been seeing Benjamin every two or three weeks since my first walk-​in back in August 2012, and he’s never let me down! He has an amazing ability to envision how a person can look their best before he’s even picked up the scissors, and even when we get experimental it still comes out looking amazing. The rest of the staff at this location has been exemplary, and I can’t think of a single reason to go elsewhere.

Had a Mother Daughter day for my birthday week and we both were in desperate need of better hair styles. We had Lana both cut our hair. We went from feeling boring to glamorous. My hair is now easier to manage and feels so much healthier. Lana was super sweet to my mom and has a wonderful positive, but also super Boston attitude that I love!

Ashley is one of the friendliest and nicest stylists I have ever gone to! It can be a little intimidating going to a salon on Newbury Street but she does a wonderful job putting you at ease, listening to what you want, and offering her advice and expertise. She oversees everything from the type of shampoo the assistants use on you as well as the mixing of the color. She truly cares about you, your happiness, and your hair! I feel the receptionists could be a little more welcoming and friendlier both in person and on the phone, but other than that, I would definitely keep coming back to see Ashley!

After a streaky, early 2000’s-esque highlight job I got done at a different salon, I gave it 24 hours then decided I really needed to fix the damage. Through a quick google search and reading a few reviews, I decided on James Joseph, and I could not have made a better decision. I called and was able to book a last minute appointment with Tobey a few hours later. Based on other Unilocal reviewers who raved about Tobey, I knew I was in good hands. I arrived at the salon and was greeted by the receptionists, who were extremely welcoming.
Tobey truly was amazing, he knew exactly what I wanted even after my sad attempt to describe my vision with no knowledge of hair techniques and terms. He used newer, innovative techniques and understood that I wanted a low maintenance style that I would have to touch up twice a year; he didn’t color it in a way that I’d need to be back in 6 weeks (translation: he wasn’t trying to get me to come back into the salon as soon as possible so he would make more money). I wish I remembered the shampoo girl’s name, because she was also awesome.
James Joseph is without a doubt the best salon I have ever been to. You can immediately tell upon walking in that they mean serious business and are very professional, but still maintain a welcoming atmosphere without being snobby. Almost every person I walked by complimented me in some way, or at least smiled at me. I didn’t want to leave when it was over and Tobey did such an amazing job that I hugged him afterwards. THANK YOU JAMES JOSEPH! I would give you 5 stars 50 times over again if I could.

Yesterday, I received a cut from Jennifer Mcgrath. Unbeknownst to her, I have been a bit blue lately. I mention this because the cut she gave me was exactly what I needed. I wasn’t wearing my glasses, so I could not see what she was doing. Imagine my surprise when my hair turned out better than expected! I don’t think I have ever been as happy with a cut in my entire life. No only do I have beautiful hair, but my spirits were lifted. Thank you, Jennifer. You will see me again!
If I had any complaints it’s that the service was over far too soon! ;) Can I just live here?
BTW, Tip the shampoo folks. I feel like they are often forgotten. Their massages are amazing!

I have been going to Tobey for many years now and I will never stray. I followed him to James Joseph from his last salon and not only do I love Tobey, but I love his switch to this particular salon! It is a clean, modern space and I love all of the product lines they use and carry, especially Oribe.
I started going gray/​white in my early 20’s and my natural color is a mix of mousey brown and nana white. My hair is also obnoxiously thick, birds nest like, and creepy if it does not get the right type of cut. Tobey is consistently able to make me look like a natural blonde with sleek and bouncy hair. When I tell people my secret and let them know my actual hair color and texture, they are always shocked. They think I am embellishing because Tobey does such an AMAZING job, it seems literally unbelievable to them that my hair would look like it belongs to a Harry Potter villain if he did not cut and color it to look this good. I seriously cannot stress enough how thankful I am to have Tobey as my stylist. He is a miracle worker!

Tobey is excellent colorist and stylist. Helps you make great choices for cuts and color!
So glad to have found him on Newbury St