Studio DNA

BEST EVER! They have really talented stylists and it is the best Blonde I have had in LA (they put 3 colors at least, so it looks natural). The staff are super nice and always remember you. I’m hesitant to say who does mine bc I still want to be able to get an appointment :) But His name is Aubrey– he is the owner and just so lovely.
Today I got an email (I opted to be on the email list) praising one of the great colorists who just got a promotion. I love how happy and positive the vibe is, it makes a difference to me. I have been to salons that are competitive, not collaborative and i don’t like it.
Hurray for Salon DNA! I think they are marrying to DOVES now, but same amazing staff plus more good ones!

I’m always really nervous when I get my blonde done by someone new. After looking through a couple salon’s reviews in Santa Monica, I decided on Salon DNA.
I called to make an appointment and one of the owners answered. I asked, «who does your best blonde? I have really bad roots right now.» We decided on Eddy.
–side note: I had to wait a couple of days after calling before the available appointment. So call ahead of time to schedule, not last minute. This place gets busy. Which, I think is a good sign.
I get there and I can’t find the place so I freak out a little. FYI, it’s called The Doves (by studio dna). But I called, and the receptionist was helpful.
I get there and Eddy everything was so perfect. As soon as I sat in the chair, Eddy asked me to describe what I wanted. I’m sort of clueless when it comes to hair lingo, but he understood everything and made sure to restate it back to me. He explained in terms I could understand why he was doing what he was doing. He has a very soothing personality, like the type of stylist you want to spend 3 hours in a chair with.
Most importantly, he gave me GREAT cut and color. My blonde looks natural and soft. Not the bright yellow blonde of every LA girl.
The price (with tip) was a little over $ 300, but it was money well spent.

Nice, trendy, and clean salon. Everyone was very friendly and welcoming. Inna is great! She listened and did exactly what I asked for! Inna gave me a perfect haircut and amazing blonde highlights! I definitely recommend this salon and will be returning!

This salon is one of the best salons I have ever been into. All the staff are courteous, friendly and bubbly. The place is absolutely spotless and you are always offered a refreshment of whatever you heart desires.
I am a dark brunette but have always had blonde highlights. I went to Jamie because I was in dire need of a hairdresser while I was working in LA for the summer (I live in San Diego). Well I called her the magician. I brought in 4 pictures of the color I wanted and the way I wanted it to go from dark on top (so the outgrowth wouldn’t look bad) to light blonde around my face. Well she did it perfectly. She listened to exactly what I wanted and I have NEVER had a more amazing hairdresser. I have specifically driven in to LA three times (2 colors and a cut) and I will never trust anyone else with my hair.
I have sent my sister and mother to her. I have never had so many people comment on my hair, and cannot believe how many people think I’m a natural blonde thanks to her incredible blending!
Needless to say, Jamie is not only a magician colorist and cut, but one of the nicest people I have come across.

I’m a natural (darker) blonde and for years enhanced my blondness with boxed dye. Since it wasn’t a dramatic dye job, I’ve always done a pretty good job. People were usually surprised/​impressed I did it myself. When I started doing hair trials for my wedding I noticed that I had some uneven coloring and roots… that’s when I toyed with the idea of a real profesh dye job. Someone suggested balayage highlights to achieve the hair photos I had pinned on my Bridal Hair board. Research led me to Jamie at Studio DNA… But I really had a hard time deciding if it I (she who spends all her money on good food) wanted to shell out for a fancy dye job. How awesome can a dye job be? How much different will my bridal updo look with chic highlights? Did I mention I AM CHEAP? I still get my cuts at Supercuts and I use the app with the $ 3 coupon when I do!
One balayage hair dye session with Jamie later… I am converted. My hair looked phenomenal. I didn’t know I cared so much about the color and shine and look of my hair, but it turns out that I do. Perfection, amaze. Now that the back and undersides of my hair are so glorious, I think I can do my own roots once or twice to stretch out the budget for this newfound high-​class expense. But for my wedding day? No doubt, 100% unregrettable, one of the best purchases I made for the wedding.
If you want to try Balayage, I highly recommend Jamie. She is a BAD ASS, she breaks it down with you to figure out what exactly you want. I didn’t even knew that I knew what I wanted, but she asked all the right questions. Then as she was doing her thing other stylists kept coming up and asking her questions. It was clear that Jamie is the resident expert. I felt bad for anyone who paid the stylists that were asking for her help because some of them, clearly, didn’t know what they were doing. One in particular wasn’t clever enough not to publicly discuss failed hair dyes on paying customers in front of other clients :/​:/​:/​I was so glad I didn’t book with that girl! Jamie informed this girl exactly what she had done wrong and why she should have known better… So be sure to book with JAMIE. She teaches beauty school and consults in other capacities… Who knows how much longer she will grace STUDIO DNA with her presence.

I love love love Inna. Honestly, it feels so great to finally feel comfortable in a hairstylists hands! After searching for years for someone who gets what I want and then does it is the best feeling ever! She is great with color and cuts and is so sassy that it makes the time fly! Thank you Inna for being so great!!!

If you are looking for exceptional service, top notch skill, and a very informed stylist, ask for Jamie!
Initially I had stumbled upon Studio DNA, by way of a Unilocal deal. I was happy enough with my service, however, the original stylist I used had moved on. Turns out, things happen for a reason because meeting Jamie was kismet. Her consultation was thorough. A good listener, patient, and with attention to detail, she knew exactly what I wanted without me having to explain it which was a partial caramel highlights to my very dark hair, with a few custom touches here and there. Seems simple enough! Still, this process had gone wrong a few times before, which left me untrusting and apprehensive. Nevertheless, she really took her time on my hair, answering all my questions, talking me through the process, and even gave me great insight on how to keep my hair healthy. The end result was beautiful highlights that lasted for months.
Returning for a second time was a no brainer! And this time I went in for a cut as well as color. Once again, flawless service, and I left there feeling like I just walked out of a magazine!
Also great was her assistant Skyler, with her own great sense of style! She was attentive, gave a great wash, blow out, and was also very informative about hair and the salon. She and Jamie made an excellent team. Not to mention, both have great sense of humor and offer good conversation! I should mention the Salon is high end, they pamper you with your choice of magazines and drinks, and everyone in the salon is highly skilled.
**This is a great salon! While their rates are are on the high end, with Jamie, you get what you pay for: stunning hair that will leave you feeling and looking like a rock star!”

I’ve now been here twice to see Elsa for both a dye and a cut. The first time I had her dye my hair ombré and boy does she know how to do an amazing job and at a decent price! The second was just for a trim, but she also helped me narrow down some new products for my hair. Everyone at Studio DNA is very welcoming and make sure you’re taken care of. The parking situation seems to have been sorted out and you now get 3 hours free. I would highly recommend Elsa to all of my friends!

I adore Studio DNA and have for almost three years — in its old location and its current one.
As you’ve read, Jamie, my stylist, is a genius. She gives me the subtle color I want and, in those rare instances I’m feeling brave, gets a good sense of how brave. Unlike many stylists I have had, she welcomes feedback and gives me credit for being a good partner in creating my look. I’ve been to so many stylists who do what THEY think you «need» instead of what you want. Jamie is all about what you want, yet somehow better.
All of the assistants are amazing and fun. Several have «graduated» to their own chairs, and if Jamie ever left me (AND SHE BETTER NOT!) I would feel fully comfortable going to Kat or Courtney.
Even though the physical space of the old location was homier, and even though the salon gets some famous clients, it doesn’t feel overwhelmingly LA chichi. I often go in the clothes I wore to Pilates and am not made to feel remotely like a slob. It’s beautiful and energetic and fun but it’s not loud or overwhelming and everyone is so nice. They’ve even all adopted my dog, Malcolm, like their own — so much so that when he insisted on walking there Tuesday, they welcomed us and rubbed his belly between helping clients.
And their client service is excellent. Their products are gentle but effective. My hair — 49, frequently colored and curly — is still shiny and soft, not the dry and brittle it is entitled to be. The blowouts Jamie gives, and has taught the assistants to give, are stunning. I feel like a Breck girl when I leave. Smooth, soft, bouncy, shiny hair, with lots of body and gentle curls at the bottom (I feel naked when it’s too straight). I’ve always embraced my curls — and Jamie’s cuts show them off to their best advantage — but I’ve really come to love the blowouts, too. And the shampoo chairs are SO comfortable, and the shampoos/​conditions/​head massages are lovely. I’ve started calling their top conditioner hair crack, like in the Beauty Shop movie.
Studio DNA is just one of my places. I look forward to my appointments because I enjoy being there and the company of the people who work there.
PS – Yes, parking can be challenging, but it’s downtown Santa Monica. You plan for it and have options if you look.

The owner, Danny, reached out and I have to say, is a class act in terms of a business owner and trying to resolve the situation. I have moved on, however, I wanted to be sure to acknowledge his efforts to rectify the situation and his positve impression as a caring business owner. Thanks!

The only reason I’m giving this place 2 stars is because I’ve had 2 haircuts here, and the first was actually pretty good. My other experience here was a complete disaster. It’s been a year since my last visit, and I didn’t want to leave a bad review, but after a year I can safely say that my last cut and color here was the worst and most expensive cut and color of my life.
My first experience here was alright. I had already dyed my hair myself, so all I needed was a cut. I got a nice trim with some razor-​cut layers and was pretty happy with my hair. Because of the new customer discount, the whole thing was around $ 50, which I thought was a good price. I don’t cut my hair often, so it was about 6 – 8 months before I returned.
For my next visit, I decided to schedule the appointment with the same stylist as before. When she asked what I had in mind, I showed her a picture. I wanted an ombré, but she said that I hadn’t booked an appointment for something that intensive and she wasn’t prepared to do it. I told her that’s fine, I can either schedule another appointment for a better time or we could not do an ombré and just do one color or throw in some highlights. She told me she would make it work and got out the bleach.
I was very patient, but whatever she did to my hair should not have taken 7 hours. I sat alone for hours at a time while I waited for her to come check my color. Several times she remarked that she couldn’t get the color right because of prior dye jobs. When she rinsed and dried my hair, it had sparse, chunky blonde highlights that were totally uneven and not at all what I wanted. One side had multiple highlights while the other only had one. The back had 2 large chunks of blonde. It just looked so strange…
After I remarked that it wasn’t what I wanted, she said I should have booked accordingly. But, I tried to ask her if it would be more convenient if I came back another time, and she declined. When I checked out, I was shocked to hear that the bill was $ 390! Never did I expect to pay so much for such a bad dye job! The stylist then told me that because I’m a college student whose obviously poor, she would give me a $ 20 discount. Thanks, but I don’t want your pity, I want awesome hair.
Since then, I’ve been too afraid to let anyone dye my hair, and have only had it cut once at Supercuts. After a year, I’ve finally saved up enough money to book a cut and color at a different salon where the stylist has assured me we can stay below $ 200. The stylist who messed up my color doesn’t work at the salon anymore, thank god, but I still recommend looking for other options before spending an absurd amount of money at this place.

I definitely recommend you to go there !
Quality service at an affordable price which is very hard to find these days in Los Angeles…
I think this is the first time I really got that I wanted. The staff are very welcoming and attentive.
In addition, the space is great and open right up to main street which is very nice.
I really enjoyed the time spent at Studio DNA ! !

I had my haircut done by Tarra! Shes awesome, gave me one of the best mens cuts Ive ever gotten. She really takes her time and understood what I was going for. She takes her craft seriously and I was very pleased with the result. Ill be visiting again soon!

When I moved to LA from NYC a little over a year ago, I visited a few different salons and barber shops before finding Kat at StudioDNA. Since then, I’ve not needed to go anywhere else. Kat is the best — she listens to what you want, offers feedback about how the cut you want might look, and she gives you free clean ups in between cuts! (I still tip on those though).
The salon itself is great too. It’s clean and the staff are all very warm and friendly. Go here.

It’s taken me about 5 years to find my go-​to stylist in LA… and I have finally found her in Jamie. I am very picky about my haircuts, and Jamie has been so amazing at listening to what I’m going for and delivering it every time! I hadn’t colored my hair in probably a decade, and decided to get some ombré balayage highlights with summer coming up. I brought in some pictures and explained what I wanted and Jamie DELIVERED, as per usual.
Quality service at an affordable price — not something you find everyday in LA. Plus, the space is great and opens right up to Main Street. I highly recommend this salon to anyone who is looking!

Nicki at DNA just hung up on me after telling me they don’t participate in Locks of Love. How rude and insensitive of her! I specifically checked Unilocal for a participating salon. You would think Studio DNA would offer a simple «snip» for no charge, all to benefit individuals who have lost their hair to cancer or other life threatening diseases. Also Nicki, please refer to Locks of Love guidelines. They don’t just «accept» virigin hair.

I went to Studio DNA after a long search for a hairstylist in LA. I was VERY tied to my hairstylist back home in the Midwest but my color was getting desperate. After searching balayage on Instagram I found Inna at studio DNA. It was my first time getting balayage and I also trusted Inna to add a tint to my hair, color my brows and cut my hair. Inna did an incredible job on my hair and I have never been happier! She is incredibly professional and knows color very well. I have naturally ashy blonde hair and she took me to a gorgeous blonde with strawberry roots. Also, initially my roots were too dark for me and Inna immediately made time for me to come in and redo the roots at no charge. The price was expensive but comparable to salons around for balayage and a tint. I highly recommend Inna!

Got the best haircut of my life from Inna and I will definitely be back! I would totally recommend her as a stylist because she’s personable, friendly, and she knows her stuff when it comes to hair. She gave me a new look and I love it!

Braelynn does an awesome job on my hair. She is so good at doing highlights, I’m always so happy with my color! She does a great cut too.

This message is for the management team of Studio DNA. I had been a happy client of yours for over 5 years. All of your staff had been wonderful, and my amazing stylist especially was a great talent. I also appreciated that you provided a clean, calm environment and I had always enjoyed spending my time there. I regrettably announce that the time has come to end our relationship and here is why I am leaving you.
1. Your move was handled poorly.
You decided to move, and made no announcement to your clients. I only found out about it via one of your standard texts to confirm my appointment. There was a single line added at the bottom saying «Now @ 2000 Main St SM CA», which I had hard time believing because it was such a short notice and also the most non-​descriptive one. I had to call your front desk to make sure if that was true.
2. Access to the new location is horrible.
Confused by the abrupt notice of the change in location, I headed out to make my appointment. You must know that the traffic in Santa Monica getting to Broadway & 10^th, is not same as getting to Main & Pico. In fact, I was shocked how bad it had gotten over the years, especially with the current construction. It was a nightmare to get there, and to make things worse, your parking was full when I arrived, which was never an issue at your old location.
3. It is no longer Studio DNA.
The décor, music, everything feels completely different, and I can’t speak for everyone else, but to me, it is not accommodating, nor hospitable. Again, if I had proper notice, these things would have been more tolerable. The transition is just too rough, and it is clear that not much thought went into this. Being a loyal supporter of your business for such a long time, I was extremely disappointed to see how little you care about your clients, and apparently, your business.

Great bright space with AWESOME bathroom! I’m very impressed with my peeing experience.
Also top notch customer service and good stylists at reasonable price.