salon TONIC

I (Lesli) have moved to «Kelly Marie Salon» at 2045 Kettner Blvd. in Little Italy. To book an appointment please call or text me (619) 490‑9879. I look forward to seeing you at this amazing Salon.

Raquel Grider has moved to Stile Salon & Boutique. Thank you.

I (Micka) have gone to Kelly Marie Salon on 2045 Kettner Blvd. in Little Italy. To book an appointment online please visit

So my last cut… I went to the Grand Canyon a few days later, and posted some pics of myself in front of it. Every single comment was about my hair. Just sayin’.

I have tried a few other « Unilocal top rated» salons in the downtown SD area and have been disappointed. I kept passing by Salon Tonic on my Saturday sojourns to the Farmer’s market so I decided to give this one a try. I am so glad I did.
The booking process is automated and makes it extremely easy to book and change your appointment if you need to. It is seriously no hassle. The salon itself is clean and tranquil. I walk to my appointments, so I’m not sure how parking is if you are driving.
I met with Monica, who is a color specialist. I expresses my desire to go back to a more natural version of my hair, something darker on top with natural looking, well blended highlights. (A task all the other salons I tried just could not quite pull off. Streaky, miss colored, un-​even… uggg). Monica is a wonderful listener and is great company. She listened to my rants about all previous hair colors/​looks I had (what I was dissatisfied with), and listened to my goals for how I wanted to look. I absolutely adore her work and it is well worth the price. I achieved my desire to have a natural base color with beautiful highlights painted throughout.
After my first visit in March I decided to come back in for my touch up yesterday. Walk in with some sun and heat damage and BOOM! Walked out with perfect shiny nourished hair. Love love love Monica! If you need a «color whisperer» Monica is your gal!
Instead of two inferior cuts and a few sad attempts at highlights, I could have just gone to Salon Tonic first and saved myself the heartache and cash.
So happy to have a good salon while in SD.

I’m so thankful that I stumbled across Salon Tonic on Unilocal and found Micka! I moved to SD a year ago and had a heck of a time finding a new stylist. Not only is Micka incredibly talented, she’s super sweet and fun to talk to. The salon receptionist took the time to call me before my appointment to let me know that Micka was running a bit behind… awesome customer service before I even stepped foot in the salon. Micka was warm and personable right off the bat. She took time to listen, made great suggestions, and was confident in her work. Like most blondes, I’m particular because I’ve had to rock some pretty unsightly highlights that no amount of purple shampoo could fix ha. I also LOVE short fun cuts and have definitely walked out of the salon with an unintentional shaved head. Hair always grows back but there is nothing better than finding a stylist that can work magic with her sheers. Micka is a true perfectionist and gave me one of the best cuts I’ve ever had. Not only did I leave the salon loving my hair, I was able to go home and recreate the style effortlessly. Now several weeks later and I’m still being asked if I just got my hair done. Thank you for an awesome experience! I will definitely be back in a couple of weeks :)

I made an appointment here same day a few months back for a cut and style. I work in the industry and had always seen the same few stylists, but all of them moved away recently, so I thought I would take a chance on Salon Tonic since they were around the corner from my house.
This place did not disappoint! Everything was what you would expect from a top notch service-​based business, from the scheduling process, to the welcoming front desk staff, to the trendy salon atmosphere.
The best part was of course, my stylist Raquel Grider. She was friendly, mellow, confident, and is AWESOME at what she does. I have really thick, wavy hair that most people can’t figure out how to properly thin out so that it lays nicely. All I had to tell Raquel was that I wanted her to keep some of the length, and she magically gave me the best haircut I’ve ever received. I’m bad about keeping up on my haircuts, so I’m glad I’ve found someone that can tame my crazy bedhead of hair after I neglect it for several months.
Thank you Raquel and Salon Tonic! I heart you guys!

After struggling to get up the courage to find a new stylist after my stylist went on maternity leave, I found my way to Robert Jeffrey as a referral from a friend.
Right off the bat he was Great! It’s always hard to put trust in someone new working on your hair, because lets face it, our hair is a BIG deal!
Robert listened, listened, and listened some more to what I wanted, what I liked, what I wanted to avoid, and terrible experiences I’d had. To say he knows his stuff, and is fabulous at what he does in an understatement. I have extremely thick hair and to get it as blonde as I want it to be usually takes more foils than any hairstylsit wants to put it. Robert didn’t even hesitate. He explained the options of color, how blonde i wanted, warm vs cool hues and many more details I won’t bore you with.
My hair turned out better than I expected, I was as blonde as I wanted, the color was great, and I have nothing but praises to sing of Robert. Heck, he even went and renewed my parking meter while I was under the dryer!
If you’red lookiing for a new stylist, and aren’t sure where to go, I’d highly recommend Robert! You will not be dissapointed.

Just a quick update: Sharon continues to be my go-​to gal for amazing haircuts. My husband and I have relocated to Oakland, yet whenever I need a haircut, I seem to find new reasons make it to town for a visit. I’m sure at some point I’ll absolutely need a haircut when I am unable to get to San Diego, but I’m hoping that doesn’t happen anytime soon.

Micka considers herself a perfectionist, and I’d have to agree with that self-​appointed title. I’ve been to her twice now, and both times I’ve left extremely happy. I may even venture to say that after today’s appointment, I like my hair more than I ever have before. I tend to be pretty indecisive about what I want to do with my hair and completely unsure of how to accomplish it, and Micka has been great about helping point me in the right direction and devising the best plan for how to get there. She’s a great hairstylist and good company to hang out with while you’re in the chair. I seriously cannot recommend her enough.

I have never been this pleased with a hair cut before! Ever since I moved from Brazil to San Diego, I’ve been trying to find a good hair stylist, someone I could trust and not worry about doing a poor job.
I tried a couple places, but I’d never think I have gotten what I’ve paid for. Finally, I found Salon Tonic!!! Raquel Grider was just awesome!!! She got me the best hair cut I’ve gotten since I moved to the States, besides being super nice and lovable!
I’ve recommended them to all my friends and I’ll definitely go back for other services!

If you’ve got the money, Kree has got the time.
She is the best hair stylist I have ever had!!! You cannot go wrong with her. Not to mention, she’s too cool for school. I wish I could afford her haircuts forever but they are simply not sustainable for me :(That’s where the 5^th star went missing. from my pocket to her fabulous own.
I’ll live vicariously through fellow Unilocalers who are graced by her skills.
xo

If you’re in search of a hairstylist who is as genuine and sweet as she is talented (make that amazingly talented), then Micka is just who you’ve been looking for.
Not quite sure what you want to do with your hair? Micka is full of suggestions that will make you look fabulous (whether you want a big change or not much of a change at all). I have been going to her for both highlights and cuts for the past year and I never have to worry that I’ll end up with something I don’t love (even thought I’m not that great at describing what I want…) I receive many compliments on my hair, particularly the fact that the color is very natural and also grows out very naturally.
Micka is also very meticulous. You never get the sense that she is trying to rush to finish up. She takes her time and makes sure that you walk out of the door with a perfect cut.
And as an added bonus, Micka is simply one of the best people you will ever meet. She has a huge heart and is a genuinely happy person – you won’t have any trouble spending a few hours in the chair with her!

Just got a great coloring and reshaping by Raquel. Very friendly and professional. I walked in not knowing exactly what I needed done. All I knew was that I needed to get rid of this permanent bed-​head look. Five gold stars to Raquel for picking out the perfect shades of golden browns and lightening up my layers. So ready for my next job interview!

Stylist: Kree
Fabulous! I’ve been to many places and seen many stylists in the city, partly because I like to switch it up. Mostly because I feel like stylists might give you one amazing cut or color and then spend the rest of the relationship trying to repeat it. Not Kree. I have been going to her for years now and just realized I never wrote a review. She has taken me through different cuts and colors flawlessly, knows what hot styles are trending and always gives me advice — there are times when I see a picture and want it but it isn’t meant to be. Not to mention the fact that she is just a beautiful person. Time spent in the chair feels like hanging out with a dear friend, and always has.
Even if you just want a consultation, go to her. She’ll change your life. We’re only as good as our best hair day, right?

Oh my gosh! I cannot believe I was so lucky to find this Salon.
I was walking around on an unbelievable full moon night in Little Italy.
Thinking gosh I need to get my hair done.
Then I saw it. It just popped up, I came to find out later it has been there for 13 years and I never knew.
Anyway, the next day, I went to noon mass then on the way down the street, I asked the mailman. Do you know of a Salon around here, yes, says he and points down the road showing me where to go.
I crossed the street and walked a block down. It is a very high end looking Salon.
I thought, well I will just ask, maybe they will have something later tonight.
The girl working the reception was so nice, and said well, we just had a no show. So as a matter of fact we have an opening.
She showed me where to change into a lovely black salon wrap, (which they wash after every wear). She also got me a nice glass of cold bottled water.
Right away my stylist came to get me!
Raquel, was awesome in every way. She asked what I wanted, got everything together and did a fantastic job on my hair.
I was in and out of there in less than 2 hours.
I loved my hair it was shiny and beautiful. I am so happy to of found this wonderful place. Not even that expensive either.
If you are in San Diego and looking for a hair salon this is it.
The entire Salon was sparkling clean, the staff were all happy and smiling, and the bathroom was shiny clean!

Amazing service and worth every penny. I’ve been going to Micka Olin for my cut and highlights for almost a year and I think she is exceptionally talented and professional. It’s not easy to get my stick-​straight Asian hair from black-​as-​night to bouncy Barbie blonde (believe me, many a colorist have tried and failed miserably!) but she makes my hair look awesome at every appointment. Two thumbs up!

Micka is the BEST! I have been searching for a great stylist since moving to San Diego…7 years ago!
A co-​worker of mine (who always has fabulous hair) sent me to Micka. As soon as I met her I knew she was very knowledgeable with color and what haircut would be best for me to maintain on a daily basis. She totally made me feel comfortable and is genuinely sweet, she doesn’t just do your hair, she really cares about each and every person that sits in her chair! My color ALWAYS looks amazing and natural. not just that day but for weeks!
Needless to say; every single time I walk out of there I feel like a million bucks!
I am so glad that I finally found a stylist that connects with her clients and always has time for me on short notice!

Wow! I have been looking for a hairstylist for the last 2 years and I think I need to search no further. It’s all about Cole. She listened and asked the right questions, then she gave me the best scalp massage EVER! Serious goosebumps!
I think her goal for you is to be able to walk out of the salon and repeat the style. She was informative with what products she used and why. She also showed me 3 different ways I could style my hair while she was drying it– who does that? I am used to one look, she gave me 3! My cut was great and she took her time which made me feel special.
I think her standout quality is her attention to detail. From the warm towel under my neck during the scalp massage to the way she layered my hair.
Cole was professional but down to earth and definitely worth the money!

I had been hearing good things about this place for some time now and finally decided to stop by after one of my friends referred me to Guy.
Guy gave me the most glorious bangs. A full bang mind you that I’ve wanted for the past 3 years but at least 4 hairstylists have talked me out of getting in favor of the easier to pull off side bang. As soon as I hesitantly said «full bang» Guy was down! He actually convinced me to go through with it and gave me bangs + layering that looked exactly like the photo that I brought in. I’ve been getting compliments ever since. I’ll totally be back and Guy’s my guy.