Corte Salon

John Clippinger it’s a very talent stylist, friendly and listen customer ideas. Nice chat during the whole time. The salon it’s not very big but very decorative and fashionable. Love they use great product and make the atmosphere so great. Will definitely come back again for my next time haircut. Cheers !!!

I adore this place! I feel like finding a salon is a very personal experience and it often requires some trial and error. I am happy to say I have found my salon and I am here to stay. Carlos is amazing and is at the top of his game. His staff is very friendly and attentive. I love that I feel spoiled with a nice scalp massage, adult beverage options, and a top of the line cut. The only downside is that scheduling is limited and you pretty much have to schedule your next appointment when you are there.

What the heck Corte?
I got a cut and color here a few months ago with Lydia — and it was awesome. Cut & single process color was $ 170 + tip, which is not by any means cheap, but I didn’t mind because it was so masterfully done. I absolutely loved my hair and would have given them 5 stars at that point. The salon interior itself is absolutely gorgeous.
BUT here’s where we have a problem. I called today asking to stop in for a bang trim. The receptionist was able to look up my name and see that I had previously visited Lydia. Apparently Lydia is no longer at Corte (sad face). The receptionist then informed me that they no longer accept «new clients» — so no bang trim. How exactly am I a new client if I’m in your records? I spent a good bit of money on my initial haircut, and most salons offer bang trims as a courtesy. It’s a 5 – 10 minute service, max. I was planning to become a repeat customer of Corte, but apparently they are no longer interested in my business!
A word of warning — if you are reading this Unilocal review looking for new salon — this is NOT the salon for you, and they will be the first people to tell you that.
Whelp — on to the next one!

I just called to make an appointment after a friend had highly recommended me this salon. When I called, the receptionist was really kind on the phone until I said that I was a new client. She said:
«We are not accepting any new clients. Have a great day» and she hung up.
Which hair salon does not accept new clients? Seriously?
Worst thing is that she hung up on me.

Have been going here to get my hair cut since the opening and have always been delighted with the results. Carlos, the owner, is fantastic and runs a beautiful salon.

I just got back from my appointment at Corte. Wonderful customer service, everyone is friendly, welcoming and professional.
A friend of mine insisted that I go — and I am so happy that she did. They recommended a beautiful, rich color, and just a few carefully placed highlights, and it looks gorgeous.
My hair is wavy, and it can be hard to work with — not for Lydia. Lydia did an absolutely amazing cut, that moves, falls right back into place, and is easy to style (I am too lazy to do much blowdrying!) It was worth every penny.

Absolutely in love with this salon and with Carlos. I have been coming here regularly to color my hair and Carlos does an amazing job! He is meticulous and also knows just how to blow out my hair. The salon itself is gorgeous and everyone who works there is wonderful. I couldn’t be happier with Corte and Carlos.

This review is for the administration/​management/​customer service not the salon services.
I needed to make an appointment for a friend who was out of the country but would be in DC for a couple of days and needed a relaxer. It was important to my friend to have an African American stylist so after reading a ton of reviews, I attempted to make an appointment about 2 weeks ahead.
Even though I called during the posted business hours, it took about a day and half for someone to get back to me. I get that not all salons have receptionists but that seemed like a long time. Actually, every time that I called the salon, the call went to voice mail.
I was told that they had one African American stylist and I made an appoint for a Friday. I also explained that I was making the appointment for someone who was out of the country with a short window of time. The appointment was set for Friday, ¹⁰⁄₅. On the evening of 10/​2, I received a voice mail message from the manager that the appointment would have to be cancelled.
When I returned the call, I asked why the appointment needed to be cancelled, I was told that the stylist was unavailable because she had jury duty. Who finds out about jury duty three days prior? I didn’t believe her but I was stuck between a rock and a hard place and asked for a Saturday appointment. I was told the only time left was late, 5:00 p.m. I believe. My friend only had the two days available so I took that appointment.
On the Friday before, they called to confirm the appointment. They gave me a time 45 minutes later. When I questioned this, I was quickly told, «you’re right. I looked at the schedule wrong.» I warned my friend that her appointment might not actually take place as scheduled.
It turns out that the appointment happened and she only had to wait a short time and she was pleased with the stylist’s work. She can now contact the stylist to make her own appointments.

This salon is divine. After 6 years in DC, I feel like I have finally found my hair salon (after countless failed attempts elsewhere). It’s cozy, welcoming, polite, and offers free champagne and Ghirardelli chocolates. The last time I had an appointment, my stylist was unexpectedly unable to come in, and the owner graciously stayed late to cut my hair. They even let me eat my snack while my hair was washed. I don’t get my hair dyed so I cannot speak to the colorists, but if you are in the market for hair happiness, try Corte.

I am way overdue to write an update since most recently I have been going to Courtney exclusively. She is fantastic, especially when it comes to highlights and blondes’ coloring. I tend to go for a long period between cuts/​color and she has been great in transitioning me from having lots of highlights to having just a few highlights near my face. I think my color looks richer than it has in years, but is also much easier to maintain and makes my hair itself feel healthier since there are fewer highlights.
She also was able to work me into her schedule last minute at the holidays, and pretty late in the evening. I really appreciated her flexibility – I definitely needed to get my hair cleaned up before going home!
They have downsized the salon in the past few years, but I prefer it now – it’s more intimate. It’s still a gorgeous space and everyone is really friendly and helpful. I appreciate that they offer free bang trims between cuts and offer discounts for referrals, etc.
They also sell awesome products – I adore the way Oribe products smell (especially the Dry Texturizing Spray – it’s pretty much the dry shampoo that trumps all dry shampoos – expensive but lasts a long time and SOOO worth it).

It’s difficult to rate an entire salon when your experience tends to be with one particular stylist. But since Corte is founded, owned and operated by the stylist I saw, Carlos Perina, I feel confident about giving him and his salon five stars. Carlos is a laid back stylist who takes his time with your hair and is thoughtful about your look. After I lost a bunch of hair post-​baby, it was Carlos who cleaned me up and added back the volume I lost with a lightweight, low maitenance medium length cut. His shampoo gal and receptionist are kind, they maintain a real familiar atmosphere instead of a «corporate hair» experience you might get at larger area places like PR at Partners, and they care about clients. So it’s worth the cash. If you start a good relationship with Carlos, he’ll throw in great product or service perks for you that cost nothing.

I was hesitant at first – I was asking to color my dark brown hair – and Chris not only took his time to talk me through it, but he did an absolutely incredible job. I can’t stop playing with my hair. He did an ombré/​high light mix that looks fun, modern and at the same time elegant. I found my go-​to hair stylist! He’ll never rush you through the process and will work on your hair for as long as he needs to in order to make it perfect – and he does it!
I’ve been living in DC for 6 years and I’m happy I found this salon. I’ve been looking for a long time and never seem to find the right people. Corte is such a cute space with really nice staff in a great location. I’m in love.

Despite the number of recent reviews which indicate this salon has taken a turn for the worse, I went to Corte with an Amazon Deal voucher and am so glad I did! I obviously cannot compare the salon to how it was a year or 6 months ago since this was my first time there, but I had a great experience!
Lydia is ah-​mazing! She gave an extremely attentive and thorough shampoo. Then, she proceeded to explain what products she was applying to my hair and why prior to the blowout. The blowout/​flat iron was pretty quick and got my hair bone straight (much like some dominican salons which use way more heat). Finally, she gave me the perfect trim, which I badly needed, and only took off the very ends (not much at all so these are scissors you can trust if you really only want a trim).
I have often bought these type of deal specials and used the service once to never return, but I definitely will be returning to Lydia at Corte!

Corte was my fourth stop on four-​year search for a great hair salon + stylist in DC (in between stop overs at other places I return to my hometown salon). I was so excited to try it b/​c of the amazing Unilocal reviews and I saw my stylist, Brian Elliot, doing makeovers in the Washingtonian. Unfortunately, it has been the worst experience I have had so far.
After experiencing it, I am surprised that it has such high reviews. It does seem to be more based on those getting Brazilian blow-​outs, which I did not do. I was extremely disappointed in my cut/​color. My hair is medium length (just longer than my shoulders) straight with a slight wave and deceptively thick. Stylists, especially inexperienced ones, always underestimate it. But when you are paying this much for a hair cut, you expect someone who can deal with a simple issue like thickness. Alas, I ended up with a heavy, unflattering, and unexciting cut.
The color was also a disaster. I had faded highlights when I came and was a very light brown. I actually brought in pictures of a medium to dark brown and ended up with basically black hair. This looked TERRIBLE against my pale skin and just to avoid looking completely washed out/​goth, I had to wear makeup whenever I was out in public for a few months. It also made me look much heavier.
It didn’t really sink in how terrible it all was for a few days (I thought maybe I could work with it)… and by then I was in Kenya for work for two months, so it was too late to even go back and ask to get it fixed.

I just wanted to update this review because since I wrote it last my two favorite ladies have relocated.
Ashleigh: To schedule an appointment with Asleigh call or text (240)535−2743 or shoot her an email at
. She is taking her appointments out of a salon close to Corte on Rhode Island Ave (with more parking options).
Nora: To schedule an appointment with Nora just go to
and enter «Washington DC» and «Nora Piroglu» in the search parameters and her 2 locations will pop up. She is taking appointments in Capitol Hill and Dupont Circle so it is extremely convenient.
Corte gets 5 stars because it is still a gorgeous space.

***Paola has since moved to Blondie’s in Dupont Circle*** (edited 9÷28÷11)
I have thick, coarse hair that needs to be flat-​ironed daily (i.e., high-​maintenance routine for a low-​maintenance look) and so, needless to say, how my hair is cut is really important to me. Just as so many here have written, I moved to the DC Metro area in a panic not knowing where I would go… in fact, even waiting until I visited my hometown to go to my ‘go-​to’ stylist, until I saw the reviews here. I sucked it up and made an appointment with Paola after seeing such great reviews on Unilocal.And I have to agree with others — five stars!
Paola is really super-​nice and took the time to understand how I’d like my haircut. I’ve had my haircut with her twice now and never felt rushed, always walked out with the cut I wanted and always with a fantastic, bouncy blowout (with no flat-​iron needed)!
It’s just a wee bit pricier than my haircuts in San Diego, however, Paola’s cuts are worth every penny!

I wanted to affirm my earlier post that I have been back to Corte and will continue to return. I saw Paola again on my most recent visit, and continue to rake in the compliments about my fantastic ‘do. I’m also pleased that my cuts have been lasting about 8 weeks before I start feeling shaggy or unpolished, which is important considering the higher price point.
Obviously I’m not the only one with great love for this place, and my sincere hope is that they don’t let all the good reviews go to their heads so we can all continue to receive fantastic treatment!

I recently moved to the metro area and after about 2 months here, I found myself desperately in need of a relaxer. Of course, I searched Unilocal first, and after seeing a million 5-​star reviews of Corte, I knew I had to give it a try.
I went today to get my roots repaired, and Ashleigh transformed my hair into the best (slash shiniest slash most luxurious) hair it can be. The relaxer was super gentle (not even the slightest tingle!), and her assistant/​shampoo dude seriously has magic hands (he even dried my ears between rinses! It’s the little things :)
The only negative is that I spent a long time straining my neck over the shampoo bowl (granted, I was receiving wonderful protein & deep conditioning treatments that take at least 10 mins each to process, but still). And it is on the pricey side (my relaxer & cut came to $ 170), but what can you do… it’s an upscale salon in a city and this small-​town girl will just have to adjust. Just know, prospective salon-​goers, that you get what you pay for at Corte — pink cupcakes upon entry, warm and friendly atmosphere and service, and gorgeous hair. Totally deserves all five stars!

I just tried Corte on the advice of a friend after a nasty breakup with my old eyebrow lady. We were together 8 years, but things were not working between us anymore. I just didn’t feel like waiting 20 — 30 minutes when I had an appointment because she was way behind and couldn’t be bothered to ask the front desk staff to call me and let me know she was running late. There is no excuse for bad service (especially with a long time client) when there’s a recession going on.
Anyway, a friend actually recommended Ashleigh but it turns out Ashleigh only does hair, so I went to see Nora to have my eyebrows plucked (waxing makes me break out). She could not have been lovelier! So nice, polite, sweet — no diva attitude — and she did a GREAT job. She even used numbing cream and checked in on me throughout the appointment to make sure I was doing okay. LOVE her!
The atmosphere at the salon is so fun, too. It doesn’t look like much from the outside (in fact I walked right past the narrow brass door on the first try) but inside is a stylist’s dream. The interior is done in white and silver with adorable accents. Oh and yummy cookies if you have to wait, which likely you won’t judging on my first experience there. Another nice touch is that you can add your tip to your credit card so you don’t have to worry about always having cash when you go there, which I very much appreciate since I’m often running low. All in all, a very nice surprise!

Full disclosure: I only started going here because Nora moved from Eastern Market’s Skin, but I have to say it has been a lovely experience. The waiting area is great, they usually have a few little nibbles out, which is great if you’re coming straight from work and need a little pick-​me-​up.
Nora is phenomenal. I have been getting the full shebang for a while now, and from several different women, who have all had their strong suits. But Nora honestly is the best. And she’s so sweet, too; great conversation always helps make the wax itself easier to bear.
Bottom line, price is worth it for the wax.
@Lizzy Z. — I think they may have gotten rid of some of the receptionists, because every time I have gone they have been very chatty and kind. They even watched out for a tray of cupcakes I had to leave downstairs because I was going to a friend’s birthday dinner immediately post-​wax!