Salon KAVI

Salon Kavi is great.
Victoria does my color and she is very professional. She took time and listened to my request. The result was amazing! She is very sweet and did a great job. The products used for this process were high quality. I highly recommend her!
Karla did my diva cut. I felt like a diva after :) She not only took time and did a really good job, she also taught me how to care for my curls, how to dried them without breaking them and 5 more very useful tips!!! Karla truly cares and she is a giver of knowledge and good vibes. I left the salon feeling empowered, gorgeous and really in love with my hair ;)
The overall experience was a 10!
P.s: I tried the lip cream that they have for sale «tori/​lala» and it is magical!!! Stay on your lips more that 24 hours. Yep! Don’t believe me? Try it!!! I did and got the «cabana crasher» sublime!!!

This salon is in a very nice location in San Mateo. It isn’t hard to find and when you enter, it’s very clean and gives good vibes. Makes you feel like you are about to have a great experience.
My review is specifically about my haircut with James. I’ve known him for over a decade, and I’ve been getting my hair cut and styled by him since the beginning! He is one of the few people on this planet I trust with my hair. Like I said in a previous review, I’m very particular and he takes the time to understand exactly what I want, and then executes it with perfection!
On top of being a perfectionist, he has an awesome personality, so you will always feel comfortable when he’s taking care of your hair. Keep in mind this is a high end salon, and you are getting what you pay for! Quality! So if you are looking to look fresh and clean, visit this salon and ask for James!

Absolutely horrible experience — do not go here! It was a nightmare. I had Sabbah and not only was she cold and not talkative, but she took 5 hours when I asked for a balayage and it wasn’t worth the 5 hours because it was so bad! My hair was barely colored, not the right tone, and poorly cut. I called them and they were sincere and offered to fix it. I was told that the reason it took 5 hours instead of 3 (which is how long they originally told me it would take) was because I wanted a balayage. Any experienced hair dresser should know it doesn’t and shouldn’t take this long to cut and color to a balayage. After this, I went back and they said they could fix my hair, so I had Victoria color my hair and it ended up being worse. My hair is now RED! I am furious and immediately after my appointment I bought hair color remover and scheduled a new hair appointment at another place. What a waste of $ 300. If you want to save time, money, and your hair do not come here!

My experience at Salon Kavi was excellent from top to bottom. From the moment I walked in the door and was greeted with a friendly smile, shampoo and scalp massage, to my stylist, James, taking care to ensure I was completely satisfied with my hair.
I have been a client of James for a long time because he takes the time to get it right. He takes notes to remember what I like and is meticulous in the way he plans for my style the day of the cut as well as how it will grow out in the weeks to follow. James always has excellent advice and is not afraid to experiment when I feel like trying something new with my hair. Honestly, I don’t trust my hair with anyone else because I know that James cares deeply about his art and takes pride in everything that he does.
I was also offered a complimentary beverage while I waited for my appointment to start and was treated with respect by the entire staff.

I’ll follow James pretty much anywhere. The man is very, very good at giving haircuts, and is super nice as well. The price is reasonable, the location is pleasant and easy to get to, what more could you ask for?
The only thing I’d change is, please allow us to tip with card! I don’t usually carry cash and James deserves tipping!

Victoria does my color and I’ve had my haircuts done by Karla. There’s not much to say — the photos speak volumes about the talents in salon Kavi.
Everyone seems to leave the salon happy with their new/​refreshed hair. Do your hair a favor and book an appt with salon Kavi!

My man JAMES HUANG! I’ve been going to James for years. I will split my review into 2 parts:
1. Salon KAVI — the location is great, parking is never an issue. Everyone is always very friendly and offers refreshments. Salon is designed to be very bright, stylish & clean; you just feel comfortable when you walk in.
2. James Huang — great guy, he’s the only person to cut my hair in the last 5 years. He is very funny but also serious about his work. He spends a couple minutes with you before you start to understand exactly what you want & make sure you’re both on the same page. He also makes sure to reserve you a full hour so he can be as precise as possible.
If you’re looking for a great haircut, go find JAMES!

I found salon kavi because it was a convenient location to my house. It is bright, clean, and feels young and fun. I was even more delighted when I realized my favorite hairstylist, James now works there. I highly recommend going to salon kavi for the environment but even more so because hairstylist James is incredible at what he does. His knowledge and precision is incredibly skillful not to mention he goes above and beyond to make sure I know how to style my hair to fit my needs. I always have a positive and fun experience in James’s chair.

I walked in and the environment is creative/​classic artsy with interesting chairs, wavy counters, interesting shelving displays. While walking back to my chair with my stylist, James, I looked around and noticed that there were a lot of stations, all with 8-​foot tall mirrors with wooden cabinets behind them. The interesting thing was that all the cabinets had things in them, regardless if someone was working at the station, meaning that they had a lot of stylists. The chair was comfortable and everyone smiled at me as I walked to my chair, even the other clients.
James has been my stylist for many years now. And I’ve moved salons with him a few times. He’s simply awesome. This time I asked for a new style and James said that he had something in mind, so we went for it. It’s a new summer-​style haircut for me and it’s great. James pays so much attention to detail. I’m a perfectionist and I haven’t been able to find anything bad about my hair when he’s done. He always explains how I can style my hair with the new cut and I do my best to learn what he teaches me. Guys, if you want a great haircut, James is your man. Ladies, I’ve been told that he’s a pretty good stylist/​colorist (is that even a word?) for you as well.
On my way out, I was warmly greeted at the receptionist desk/​cashier with a friendly smile. I felt really positive vibes from everyone in the salon, including the clients. They all seemed happy to be there and completely satisfied with the salon’s services. I will admit, I was completely satisfied with the service. I was even able to get change to be able to tip James when I was done.
Great job Salon Kavi.

THANK YOU Victoria who did my color n Jessica who cut my hair. It’s been decades since I’ve cut n colored my hair. I was always afraid to get it done. But u both rocked it! I am very pleased. I will defiantly go back for my touch ups. I finally found my place. Thanks a bunch for a great n wonderful experience! Everyone was all super friendly

Let me start by saying that this is only my SECOND Unilocal review ever… so that in and of it self proves that I’m writing about something I feel is very special!
I have been highlighting my hair for about 12 years. Within that time frame, I’ve probably been to about ten salons. I felt like I would go in with very specific requests and my hair would never be perfect. I’ll admit it, I’m a picky person but like I said I always had specific requests and somehow the stylists I was seeing never got it just right.
Then, thanks to a friend’s suggestion, I went to see Crystal at Stilo. WOW, someone who finally got it right!!! I can honestly say that the first time she highlighted and cut my hair was the first time that I walked out of a salon feeling beautiful. As other women out there know, that’s an awesome feeling. I continue to feel that way each and every time I get out of her chair. Needless to say, I religiously followed Crystal from stilo to Salon Kavi and I’m so happy that is did!
Salon Kavi is awesome as well. The staff is very nice, they provide all sorts of refreshments, and even cookies :) Also, I believe that they are open a few Sunday’s a month!

Let me start by saying — I’VE NEVER WRITTEN A Unilocal REVIEW. This salon encouraged me to sign up because of my experience.
I had an appointment at 2pm on 12/​30/​/​15 with Kayla Riessen. I went in specifically for a haircut and color for the new years. I asked to have 6 inches chopped off (specifically discussed wanting to have a V shape in the back (layers since i have very thick hair) and a really pretty auburn brown color all over. I was told that i couldn’t get the all over color because it was too light for the color i already had and that i was told to have a «Baulage.» Price starting at $ 179. She went ahead and chopped off some of my hair and then went in with hair dye. 2.5 hrs later its ORANGE & BLONDE. it looked horrible. She said if i didnt like it I could go dark with it to get the orange and blonde out. So i let her do that since i didnt want to look crazy on NYE. She then proceeded to fix it after chopping my hair STRAIGHT ACROSS INTO A BOB!
let me update you. It is now 6:45 (almost 5 hrs of being there) and she has completely chopped my hair off and now it is dark brown. At this point there is no fixing or going back. She has definitely taken AT LEAST 8 – 10 inches off my hair. and with my straight bob added 10 years to my age. I’ve never been so disappointed with a hair stylist since ive always been told that i have really great hair.
I proceed to pay since at this point — i cant even stand to look at myself. the lady at the desk tells me my total is 309. i was charged for my ROOT touch up (which kayla NEVER even told me she was charging me for. 179 for a «boulage» im SORRY — WHAT? my hair is dark freaking brown all over… what bouluage is she talking about? and then the rest was for the ridiculous haircut i was given.
I paid — i left and then i cried the whole way home. Please stay away from Salon Kavi — and more specifically Kayla. It was the most horrible experience ever and did i mention 5.5 hrs of my life WASTED. I went in at 2pm and left at 7:30. I’m still in shock about the whole experience. The made me pay the full amount and made me leave looking horrible!
I’ve also attached photos. That is a before — mind you from OCTOBER (so my hair has grown another inch and a half since) which she claims she ONLY took off 6 inches. and the after that i took right when i got home.

Vivian does my nails.
I’ve been going to Vivian & Hoi (her assistant) for some time now. They do great work, I’m in and out. Perfect nails done in perfect time at a perfect location.

Came here today to get a consultation and balayage color correction. I had Kayla do my balayage and she was able to lift my jet black hair into a beautiful subtle an sexy ash brown. Love it! Loved the scalp massage during my hair wash I totally fell asleep! Kayla is super down to arts and sweet and she listens to what I want especially when I asked for a minuscule trim just to remove the split ends! Yay she kept my length lol. Love this place will be coming back! It is affordable too!
Cheers and God bless!
Samantha

Victoria has been working her magic on my hair for more than ten years now and I truly feel very fortunate to have such a talented colorist. She truly is a transcendent genius! Her ability to stay on top of the hottest color trends combined with her innate artistry that compliments her clients’ style, personality and needs are just some of the reasons she is the best there is. She listens intently and is able to articulate the process in a way that is comprehensible. She has always been able to take a color idea and turn it into a masterpiece. So if you have been sporting the same ‘ol boring hair color and you’re ready to add an oomph to your style, then look no further — Victoria is just who you need to take your color to the next level! From a natural and luxurious brunette to beach-​blonde to fiery red and now fun purple hues… she can do no wrong in my book!

I went back today and again had the magical colorist Sabah work her genius on my hair! Again it is one of the best colors I have ever had! I listen to herher and trust in her skills! The outcome now twice has been absolutely fabulous! I also got my hair recut in the bob style by Samara! She is equally magical!
I will always go here! The only drawback is I forgot to get cash so I had to split a twenty ugh felt bad! But I am writing so that I will remember to have cash you cannot add it to CC!
Thank you so much Sabah and Samara!!!

This place is definitely the place to go if you want the best creative colorist in the Peninsula. Victoria turned my blonde disaster into a midnight storm goddess. She definitely knows her stuff and is so friendly. Everyone at the salon, in general, is friendly. Salon KAVI is definitely my new go-​to-​place for creative hair coloring and just anything to do with hair! Thank you, Victoria! You are awesome!
The salon looks beautiful and is in a nice Plaza. Parking is not really an issue. They lend you tablets if you fear the boredom of sitting in the salon chair for all those hours. Prices for services are well worth it. Make sure to bring cash if you wanna tip!

Let me start off by saying if you value the health of your hair then stay clear.
I went in on Wednesday for what I thought was a simple touch up of my highlights and came out with damaged over processed/​bleached hair. Not to mention, my base looked orange and brassy; My hair was ruined!
The first glimpse I got was while I was detangling my own hair at their «Dry Bar». I was overwhelmed by the amount of blonde, chunky streaks mixed in with brass/​orange. As I dried my own hair at their «Dry Bar», I started to notice how dry and brittle my hair had become. I was so mortified I literally did not even finish drying my hair. I pulled my hair back into a ponytail and went to pay. The cost: $ 165. How can you even charge that much when I brushed and dried my own hair?
I immediately called around and was able to get in today to get my hair fixed. My hair dresser (at another salon of course) was taken back by A.) the amount of damaged B.) the brassiness of my hair C.) The inconsistence of location and amount of highlights distributed throughout my hair. I am posting pictures for your viewing pleasure.
Bottom line: Hopefully you see this review and it saves you time and money. Not only did I spend $ 165 for my hair to be destroyed, but I spent $ 200 getting it fixed. Stay away.

To make a really long story short, I went from having a beautiful ombré with healthy hair to having jacked up pseudo-​blonde/​green ombré plus a terrible hair cut all in just a few hours.
I had a consultation with Victoria prior to this experience and thought we were on the same page. I was truly excited for my appointment. But in the end, it was far from what I wanted and what we had talked about. My ombré/​balayage was gone and it just looked like my roots were growing in badly, my haircut by Sara/​Sabah (older lady?) was UNDERCUT and very BLUNT — something we never discussed. She had only asked me how much I wanted to cut off and all of a sudden, all my layers were gone.
I immediately went to my old salon to get it fixed the next day (where the attached photos were taken — Innovators Salon in Campbell).
*Update: The salon reached out to me to clear the air about my dissatisfaction which I thought was very professional. Victoria is a great colorist based on her previous work and other client’s reviews — I just didn’t share the same experience unfortunately.

VICTORIA the greatest colorist I’ve ever had! No matter where I live I always come back here for Victoria! I can always trust her and I’ve never left unhappy. She has taken me to platinum, strawberry, orange, burgundy, and back again! I’ve had some ideas I had never seen before, and she brings them to life! I once had a Mohawk and wanted houndstooth print colored onto the side as well as something reminiscent of a peacock feather. The black dye never bled onto the platinum. She even hand painted the peacock feather. She is very creative. Not to mention she is an excellent makeup artist and knows how to airbrush as well.
Salon Kavi is really lovely. There’s a change room to put on your smock. They never let you get thirsty. Everyone is gentle with your hair. It’s pamper time here. It is always clean and comfortable.
All of the stylists always have great hair. Whether it is a classic look or something really trendy, you can tell they do them all very well. I have been apart of several hair shows and have had stylists from all over the world change my hair. Victoria is by far the best… and the quality you get here is world class!
Thank you always Victoria and Karla! I can’t wait to come back here during my next trip to Nor Cal.