Von Pauli Salons

I have a huge love-​hate relationship with this place and Van. Service wise, this place really deserves maybe 1.5−2 stars. But because I continue coming back and often walk out of here loving my hair, I have to give this place 3 stars.
As others have mentioned, Van isn’t the most pleasant person to deal with. It’s a really hit or miss with her, but I haven’t had a terrible experience. She definitely comes off pretentious, but most of the time, I just go with it because hey, the lady is working her magic on my hair! Personally, she’s never offended me or said anything rude when I’m around. Then again, I’ve been coming here for years and so has my family.
The main reason why I keep coming back is because she is great with layers. If I need a good layering session for my hair, she is my go-​to. Warning though: you really need to emphasize what you want down to a tee because if not, she will start snipping away like there’s no tomorrow. I make sure to tell her exactly where I want the length to be, where I want my shortest layer, etc. Once you get her to know what you want, it’s not hard for her to cut it that way. I’ve experienced times when she has gone shorter than what I wanted, but it has never been anything so drastically different from what I was looking for. You can honestly get a great cut from Van as long as you clarify what you want and voice your opinion during the cut if it seems to be straying from your idea.
Pricing is extremely reasonable in my opinion and is cheaper than many other places in the area. She is a little wishy washy with her prices. Again, it really depends on her mood. Bang trims are usually $ 5. I’ve had my hair layered into a V for about $ 35, and the past summer when I cut about a foot off my hair for a long bob, she only charged me $ 25.

Got my hair done here last year; still looking good

I can’t rave enough about Van and her quality of work. I don’t understand why people here are complaining about her prices. This is probably the cheapest place to get a nice haircut from. I’ve been to places that would charge me $ 80 for haircut and it doesn’t even compare to Van’s work. I went to another salon about three months ago and my stylist there is amazing at coloring but the way she cut my hair left me with uneven layers. I came back to Van today and she was able to fix it for me! She’s amazing and honestly $ 28 for wash and cut… You really can’t beat that!

I HATE VAN!
Van is one of the rudest hair stylists I’ve ever had.
I had to go to Van a few times because my usual hairstylist Helen, who used to work a booth there (thank god she moved), was out of town or not working when I needed a haircut or what not.
Honestly, as a hairstylist all you need to do is ask what the customer wants, do the haircut, and ya know maybe make some pleasant conversation with me. But literally every time I get my haircut by Van, she criticizes my hair and the previous hairdresser who cut it saying they did not do a good job. WOW, the wonderful lady who has been cutting my hair for 9 years now works in the booth 2 seats down from you! Not only does she criticize my previous hairdresser’s work, she doesn’t listen to what I want done with my hair or she just doesn’t know how to cut it. I am never satisfied with my haircuts from her.
My mom also believes she is very rude and has since moved to getting her haircuts at a different salon as well.
Every encounter I’ve had had with Van was not very pleasant and I am very glad that my hairdresser has moved salons!

I came to this place for a haircut a few months back and will never return. The lady Van criticized my hair for being too oily, but not only that she made a big scene out of it. My hair has an oily problem, so I wash them as often as I can. Anyways, she sat me down on her chair then right away yelled out that my hair is super dirty, and she didn’t even touch them as if in disgust. Van proceeded to call one of her worker over to wash my «super» oily hair in the back room a few times to get rid of the smell. I sat back in the chair after that, and Van told me she can still smell the dirtiness. She then gave me wise words on how I should take better care of myself because I’m basically an adult. Van then cut my hair like nothing happened after embarrassing me in front of her customers (I don’t even know what was going on in my head to stick around for so long). She also switched from me and her other customer while cutting like who does that?!? After she was finished cutting my hair, the price came to $ 35 for a regular and basic haircut I can get cheaper somewhere else. I’m never ever coming back to this place after how she treated me because even though I’m only 16, it doesn’t mean she can treat me anymore different than her other customers.

The first time I went to see Van for a bang trim, she showed that she listened to my instructions by doing exactly as I wanted though the cut wasn’t perfect b/​c the two sides were not even. I told her, she said that’s how it’s supposed to be, but she fixed it. I was just thrilled that she at least listened and didn’t cut my bangs too short. This was the reason why I came back to her for a full hair trim and color. This time, I was disappointed because not only did I have to deal with her employees who didn’t know what I was trying to say or wanted, I was dealing with a short tempered Van b/​c she spoke to me as she was doing a client’s hair in a manner that I didn’t deem appropriate/​professional, and she told me to come back if I wanted my hair done. I thought it was fair since I didn’t make an appointment in advance. However, I wanted a full trim and specifically told her not to cut it too short; but, she cut it short anyways. As for the hair colors, I showed her a picture of how I wanted my hair to look like, she made suggestions on how I should have it colored, it sounded great, and I thought it was gonna turn out similar to the colors in the picture — nope! When my friend saw me, she was surprised herself b/​c she was expecting the colors to be different to what I ended up with. Two months later, I decided to give her another try by going back to her for a bang trim. My bangs were long enough for her to cut and style them in any way I wanted. Again, I showed her pictures of a cut that I wanted in different views, she looked at them really quickly and made me feel that she knew what I wanted. It was a disaster the moment she started cutting them b/​c she cut them way, way shorter than I asked. There was no way to go back from it, and I was in such a disbelief that I couldn’t even say anything to stop her. Stupid me, I let her finish cutting them, paid her, and walked out so unhappy b/​c she ruined my bangs! My sister and mom didn’t have anything good to say about my bangs but asked why I’d let someone cut my hair like that. I normally let my bangs fall naturally down my face without having to style them, but b/​c of what she did, I now have to style and use hair spray on my bangs every single day before I leave the house to avoid looking like an idiot. I’m furious and will never do business with this woman ever again!!!

I went to Von’s Pauli for the last three decades. Every time I come here I walk out
with a beautiful cut that I always feel very happy and satisfy with the service she provided me. I live 50 miles from her place but I still try to come to her for a hair cut.
My daughters also love to get a hair cut from Van.

Van is great with hair! She listens to what you want, she provides honest feed backs, she doesn’t rush through your hair even if she has people waiting. When she works on your hair she focus on your hair. If your hair is already damaged and you’re looking to waste more money to damage it even more, she will advise you not to. She is usually booked up quick, so make sure you make an appointment.

I LOVE VAN!
I went in wanting to get a perm after a friend had referred me to Van. As soon as I walked in, Van took one look at my hair and told me that my hair was way too damaged for a perm to hold. She told me that she didn’t want to damage my hair even more and told me not to go somewhere else to get a perm (I wasn’t planning on going anywhere else since Van’s pricing is really good). I was pleasantly surprised by her honesty & appreciated her opinion, and opted for a hair cut instead.
After getting my hair washed, I sat down with Van and showed her a few pictures of what kind of hair cut I wanted, and she gave me some of her own opinions and recommendations on what would look best on me. It’s extremely hard to find a hair stylist who really understands what you want and be able to execute it well, but Van did a PERFECT job! What I really liked about her was that she snipped off some pieces of my hair first and showed me the length before she continued. She has such a cute personality and we hit it off very well, which is something I definitely look for in a hair stylist. I hate getting my hair cut in silence! After she finished cutting my hair, she showed me some tips on how to style my new hair and even put some volumizing powder in my hair to lift the roots up. It’s like she read mind because I was just about to ask her to do that!
All in all, we were both VERY VERY pleased with the outcome of my new hair (I got a long bob) & she told me to come see her in about 6 months for a perm if I still want one then. For a wash, cut, & styling, it was $ 25 which was what I was expecting to pay. I’ve definitely found my new favorite hair stylist and will come back for more soon!

Von/​Van has been cutting hair for over 2 decades and has plenty of returning customers for just as long. I myself have been getting my hair done there since I was a little girl. I’ve tried different places but my layers are always noticeably uneven so I’ve had to get them fixed here. I’m giving this place 5 stars because the prices are VERY reasonable. Prices are charged based on length/​thickness of hair which is very fair.
The cons are that she works rushed when it’s busy. Now, that doesn’t mean the quality of your hair cut is going to be any less good. She’s very good at being efficient and I like being able to get in and out quickly, but it’s understandable how it might bother people when she works quickly. Also, she doesn’t take credit/​debit cards, only cash or checks so that may be inconvenient for some people.

I came here for a quick trim I explained to van what i wanted she threw me to someone else to wash my hair after the wash i sat in her chair waiting for her to begin. She finally starts to blow dry my hair and i don’t know if she got bored or just didn’t want to deal with my hair but she asked ME to blow dry my own hair!
Nope i will NEVER be back to this place

Yesterday was the first time in a very LONG time that I’ve walked out of a hair salon feeling fabulous. Hallelujah for Van at Von Pauli Salon! My longtime stylist moved out-​of-​state a few years ago. I searched high and low for a replacement stylist but could find no one who was skilled at cutting my particular hair type and who could execute the styles I wanted. When I sat down with Van, I could tell she immediately knew the proper way to approach my hair. I liked that she explained the cut every step of the way so I understood how it would come together to create the overall look. And, when she finished, my hair looked just like the hair of the girl in the picture I brought her. Hairstyling is so much more than cutting hair. It’s an art that requires good listening skills, the ability to translate the client’s vision or an image on a page to one’s hair, having an eye for beauty and symmetry, and being able to put your client at ease. Van is a very talented artist who encompasses all of these things.

When I first stated going here, I really really liked the results. The only person that cuts my hair at Von Pauli is Huong. My mom referred me to her, and I’ve been going to her since 2007. I don’t change my hairstyle too often, so I go to Huong for trims. She’s great at layering and cutting bangs. However, I haven’t been too satisfied with my recent visits. I think she’s losing her touch to keep up with the latest styles. That, or she’s just getting bored of cutting the same hairstyle. I’ve gone to others to get inches chopped off, but never here. I feel like it’s a little too risk-​ay because they aren’t up to the latest trends. The manager still refers her clients to early 90s hair magazines. To sum it all up, Von Pauli is a good place to get a cheap, clean trim and layers. I wouldn’t come here to get that «new look» and that whole shebang.

For my 18^th birthday, I wanted a new look. Bangs, layers the whole shebang. My sister’s friend recommended this place and my mom was like «why not?’ So we walk in, we ask for the pricing of this hairstyle I fancied. She said $ 35. My mom was iffy but she was like «whatever.» Van cuts my hair and I show her a picture of how the layers are going to be and layers. After cutting and talking, she talks crap about my mom about how it’s an American store and she shouldn’t be doing things the Asian way. UH, EXCUSE ME. Just because you’re an Asian woman with a salon in America doesn’t make it an AMERICAN store. PUH-​LEASE, get your facts straight. Also don’t talk smack about your customer’s parents, Say it to the person straight up, not to the person cutting the cut. ANd something about «Oh, I can just look at the picture and remember everything.»
SURE… NOT.
She didn’t get the bangs right and layers were NON-​EXISTENT. It was just a V-​cut. «I don’t need a second look. I’m a professional.»
–_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​-​‘
Really now. $ 35 for bangs and a v cut? My mom can do better and other places can do bangs for less than $ 10. All I know is that I’m not coming back here again and boy did my mother give her a piece of her mind. SAYONARA, ASIAN SALON. The only time I’ll be coming back to that area is for the banh bao, nuoc mia and the supermarket.

I’ve been going to this salon off and on for a few years since I moved to the Evergreen area. Honestly, part of the reason that I get my hair cut here is that my mom gets hers cut here sometimes. Another part of the reason is simply that it’s close to home.
Van usually cuts my hair. She’s an iffy ⁵⁰⁄₅₀ of sorts. Half of the time, I walk out with a cute haircut with nice layers that grow out well. The other half of the time, my bangs die. Her haircutting ability is not bad when her scissor happy tendencies don’t overpower them.
This salon is pretty convenient and a cute, nice elderly lady usually shampoos my hair with good smelling stuff that makes my hair super duper smooth.
Convenience and reasonable price are what bring me back here, sometimes. Anyways, if you value your bangs, make sure Van doesn’t cut them too short. She has a habit of doing that.

I used to be really iffy about coming here just cos she was my mom’s stylist. That made this place seem very uncool when I was in middle school…
But after jumping around to other hair places, I always find myself going back to Van. I’m usually always happy with my cuts, shes very good with layering long hair, and she gets the side swept bangs perfect… most of the time. Sometimes she cuts them a little too short, and i’m a little pouty leaving the salon, but her cuts always grow out nice!
I recently chopped off ~12 inches of my hair for donation and asked for an A-​line cut and I was also pleasantly surprised that she did short hair well too. She was careful not to cut my hair TOO short because my hair was just soooooo long before, it would be very drastic!
The only thing I wasnt happy was when I decided to go for the full fringe bangs this one time. I think it couldve just been my thin/​lack of hair, but it just didn’t look good! It seemed sparse and choppy. Not just one length, but zig zagged. Wouldn’t go back to Van if I wanted a fringe bang.
She’s very popular with… everyone! So it’s smarter to call in and make an appointment. Sometimes she’ll try to squeeze you in and tell you to come in NOW even though shes booked… I’d recommend turning her down and getting an actual appointment, cos sometimes she’ll rush through your cut because she squeezed you inbetween appointments!
All in all, Van is my main squeeze for haircuts! I usually leave happy, and I feel like she charges decent pricing. FYI she charges by length, when I have short hair its ~$ 20 – 25 and when I had my super long hair it was ~$ 30 – 35. Also she is CASH only or checks. No credit cards!

I didnt know what to expect but came with a friend who raved about how Van cuts great layers… I guess it works on long, silky, smooth hair… but unfortunaly, I have thick, dry, frizzy, and not so long hair.
Van used the razor to chop my hair and it left it even frizzier…
of course after the cut, she styled it to look decent but it was such a hassle to try to make myself look presentable afterwards.

Not a lot of people can get short hair right. But Van can, and apparently she’s been in the same salon for 20 years.
I was dragged here by my mother after much sulking. I was pretty put off by the hordes of Asian families thronging to the supermarket in search of cheap eats, and even more disconsolate after stepping into the salon’s small space. We had to wait for a while even though we had an appointment, because there were 2 walk-​ins and more were waiting to come out of the corners.
Van isn’t the most personable lady, but once she has you in her chair she can jabber at you in Vietnamese, English, or Mandarin. If she isn’t jabbering at you, she’s babbling on the phone, I’m guessing to set up even more appointments. That doesn’t really stop her from being a whiz with scissors and razor though. Her hands move at lightning speed and she makes her cuts with a lot of confidence.
After my haircut, I completely changed my mind about the place. A cute bob and highlights cost me $ 80 including tip all told. Totally worth it to put up with the dingy décor. Besides, you can’t see anything once your hair’s all wet and in your face anyway.

I’ve been going here for ten years and over the past ten years Van has managed to transform me with varying styles from edgy funky cuts to romantic waves.
Sometimes she’s brutally honest and will flat out tell you if your idea won’t work with your hair. This place requires good communication if you want a good cut. Show a picture or know exactly what you want.
It’s kind of a toss up. Half the time I leave absolutely loving my hair and I can tell Van is proud of her creation as she gleams with pride. But the other half it turns out to be a botched mess and when I point it out to her she ends up insisting it’s fine while frantically trying to fix it with a look of worry in her face.
She worked a miracle on my hair for my high school prom five years back. Turned my extremely short boycut into an elegant updo. People were asking me if I got hair extensions to get long hair. It was just bobbypins, hairspray, a curling iron, and her special touch.
Last time I got a messy highlighting job with spots of bleach where it didn’t belong. I wouldn’t go here for highlights since the professionals are usually too busy to do it themselves, so the untrained assistants end up doing it.
For a $ 25 haircut, $ 40 perm, and $ 60 highlights, it’s hard to complain about the prices. And definately go when its not a weekend. I’ve found that most of the times that I left disatisfied were also busy days when they were packed with customers.

Hee hee, I feel so silly with what I am about to write.
I used to get my haircut from Van (before I had a job) and she is also my mom’s stylist! She’s usually booked with fobby clientele for the whole week, so you have to make an appointment a couple of weeks in advance. Yes, she is super popular!
The only reason why I went here was because my mom would pay for my haircuts (which varied from $ 20 – 25). Her cuts are OK, she mainly uses a razor during the entire course of the haircut, which apparently is a major no-​no with thick hair like mine. Oh well, if my mommy’s paying…
What is funny is that I would get compliments on my hair all the time and wondered why, but I found out it was from styling my own hair.
Von Pauli Salon is located in Lion Plaza, so you can get all the Asian food you could ever imagine in 1 place!