This Newbury Street location in the heart of Boston's Historic District across from the Boston Common has been an iconic Hair Salon for decades and has giving everyone that walks in the door the very best in Hair Cares and Services! I personally have been a client and also brought Actresses, friends and always recommended to many to experience this highly professional Hair Stylist's and Colorists and all their Beauty Consultants one needs to look and feel amazing! Their Hair Cares products will make your hair healthy and vibrant! THIS IS ONE OF THE MOST PREMIER SALONS IN BOSTON! I am extremely proud of the Owner that for years of client dedication and Service to Boston that this Newbury Street Location has thrived! Whatever you desire in hair products, it's there, whatever style you are looking for, his Skilled Stylist will do, and if your looking to have a new look and change your hair color, he also has the Best Hair Colorists on Staff! Go and pamper yourself, go experience the very best day at the Salon! It will give you a very uplifting feeling! From the moment you walk in and greeted by the Receptionist to those who wash, cut and style your hair to even the Beauty constulants you will be in great hands! read more

** Since writing this review the owner reached out us directly to apologize. He had no idea this occurred and was appalled at the stylists behavior and dishonesty. He went out of his way to contact us and apologize personally. I appreciate the accountability he took for his staff, and he was sure to make it right. Very good business ethic from Jay. ** Absolutely UNACCEPTABLE experience with Avanti this Sunday, July 20th 2025. My sister was getting married on Sunday, an 11:00AM ceremony. We made an appointment with Avanti (Corey specifically) for that morning. After some back and forth on timing we received confirmation that Corey would come in early for the service at 9:00AM. We were quoted a base fee of $150. (confirmation email attached) The morning of the wedding arrives and we take a cab across town to get the bride's hair done. We go up the four flights of stairs and arrive at a locked, dark salon. No one was there. No lights, nothing. We knocked, no one. We pulled up the email and confirmed again that Corey had promised to be here. We emailed them confirming we were waiting and to please get in touch (they never responded to that email - also attached.) We called the number listed and it was an automated message, no way to speak to a real person. The bride is obviously distraught, the ceremony starts in two hours and we have no one to do her hair. We waited around until around 9:30AM and finally couldn't wait any longer. We were beyond grateful to the outstanding salon next door, James Joseph Salon, for their extremely accommodating, empathetic, and beautiful work. They rushed us in the door immediately and had us BOTH walking out 45 minutes later with incredible style, at an unbeatable price. Halfway through my sister getting her hair rescued, we received a call from Avanti asking where we were. I stated that no one showed up, it was unacceptable behavior for ANY day let alone a wedding appointment. She said "Well, we're here now." No apologies, no empathy, nothing. She should be lucky I hung up before saying what I wanted to. DO NOT trust this salon with your time, your credit card information, or your hair - you'd be much better off heading next door to James Joseph Salon. They show up. read more

Avanti Salon - Hair Salons Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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This review is solely for Julia (Jae) Correa. She is simply the best! I call her the hair goddess because she is so knowledgeable about hair and really makes your hair dreams come true. I've been to my share of hair stylists where you tell them one thing but you get something entirely different. However, Jae is different and just gets it! REASONS TO COME HERE: -FOR JAE. That's honestly all the reason you need. She is prompt, knowledgeable, and makes your hair dreams come true. I've never met someone so passionate about hair and it really shows. She previously did a balayage on me which was the peak moment of my hair life and I will never get that back ever again. She is THE BEST. SERVICE: amazing!! Jae makes sure you are well taken care of, offering you water and making sure you are comfortable. PARKING: may be challenging since it's in Back Bay! PRICE: I'd say the experience is priceless because of what you get, but they use products that are good for your hair which is basically investing in yourself. Overall, whenever I visit Boston and I can wait it out to see Jae instead, I do that and it's worth it EVERY SINGLE TIME! Thank you so much, Jae!! read more

Avanti Salon - My haircut! - Hair Salons Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Both Tara and Audrey are amazing hair stylish. I got root touch up and hair cut in layers and blow drying to style my long dark hairs for very special events. read more

Master colorArtist Élie .. absolutely amazing.. I love his work.. he takes great time and detail to provide a absolute gorgeous color. .. as you see in my previous reviews.. he transformed.. my color to beautiful hues of blonde . Keeping the length.. so I'm able to do various looks . I love the staff Alex .. ( owner) is amazing he created a great team of Artists .. this new place is as adorable as his other location... very relaxed energy .. went casual in.. private and very much attention to detail . The expresso is deliciously good.. while my color works it's way in.. it is such a pleasure .. from start to finish.. grab lunch on your way home.. Boston for the day! Thank you AVANTI ELIE YOUR TRULY A MASTER COLORIST ..irreplaceable:) read more

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I had a 4+ hour dye and cut here 2 weeks before my wedding, booked by my future mother in law. My dye was/is really, really uneven and very brassy. It shows a lot in my wedding photos. It's a light pink in a few places and a really brassy blond in others. Ofc, the brassy blond is what shows at the roots and in all the wedding photos. I wanted a pink that matched my dress. It doesn't match the dress photos I showed the stylist at all, and there are a myriad of light to darker pinks in the dress. I sent the "creative stylist" several pics weeks before the dye- the pink I wanted, the pink my dress skirt was- it didn't come out anywhere near that. I think that the cut I walked away with was shorter than I wanted, but fair for what I asked for. I very much considered getting my underdye redone after this experience, but I didn't have time. The staff is very nice, but not attentive. I asked for some tea several times and they eventually told me they didn't have that tea I asked for. read more

I just had an exceptional cut and color with Nancy! The vibe in the Salon is relaxed, beverages are offered. Nancy is a total pro and has been at Avanti for 30 years. I'm thrilled with the color (partial foil) and the cut is perfect. I have some allergies/sensitivities and Nancy was super careful with product choices. As far as I'm concerned, this is the GO TO salon in Boston. Great people. Great vibe. Talented staff! Thank you! read more

I can confidently say that Jonathan DeMar is hands down one of the best hairdressers I've ever had the pleasure of working with. He is an excellent listener who takes the time to understand his clients' needs and preferences, and he delivers top-notch results. Jonathan's skillful technique and attention to detail has left me feeling satisfied and looking fantastic. What sets Jonathan apart from other hairdressers is his commitment to using only the best products for his clients. From high-quality shampoos and conditioners to top-of-the-line styling products, Jon's dedication to his craft truly shines through in the quality of his work. I've noticed a significant difference in the health and appearance of my hair since switching to Avanti Salon. He's also very friendly and really cares about his clients. Overall, I cannot recommend Jon enough. His professionalism, talent, and commitment to his clients are truly unmatched. If you're looking for a hairdresser who truly cares about their clients and goes above and beyond to ensure their satisfaction, look no further than Jonathan. I have curly hair and it can be particularly hard to find someone that can cut curly hair well, and he did a phenomenal job. He's simply the best! read more

i had a great experience with alina, my coloring and haircut took 3 hours which was more prompt than other experiences i've had and i loved it. very cute place right on newbury street and id definitely go back read more

Came in for a basic layered hair cut and left with the most uneven cut I've ever had to the point I had to come back a few days later to get it fixed. She was distracted the whole time she was cutting my hair (walking away mid cut to do something else for 5 mins). When I came in to get it fixed, she cut it dry and somehow it was still so uneven. The sections she pulled for my front pieces/ bang area are completely different thickness and my face framing layers are totally uneven, layers on one side and not the other. She cut off all my long layers and when I asked her to add them back in, all she did was put a couple random long layers in the back of my head. I had to go to a different salon to get it fixed for a third time, the stylist there agreed my haircut was jacked up. For $90 you would expect a VERY basic haircut to at least be even. Will not be returning to Avanti. read more

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I'm writing a glowing review for Julia (Jae), @juliajcorrea on IG, because she is so amazing and dedicated. It feels like hair is art to her, and she won't stop until it makes her proud. I came to her asking for an ash balayage with hair that was pretty much half very warm orange and half black (natural hair color). Though it was challenging, she did a strand test for me to test the quality of my hair to make sure she could do it. While my hair wasn't ridiculously strong, she decided to do as much as she could without compromising my hair. The process was going to take all day so she booked the entire day for me. We started at 11 am and she meticulously started foiling my hair in many, many layers (no other stylist has put this much work into my hair, ever) and THAT was a form of art in and of itself. That process took until around 3 pm, so a total of maybe 4-4.5 hours but that was the hard part, as promised by her! On top of that, she kept checking in on me to see if I needed bathroom breaks or any water/coffee. After the bleaching was done, she put on product to make my hair one color since my hair was half brown / half black. From that point on, it was easier--the hair actually toned to a more blonde color and Jae knew that it was just another tone away. At that point it was already 8 pm but she still offered to tone it since it wasn't the right shade just yet. With the final 20 minutes that the new color took, we got the color of my dreams!! Seriously, I've gotten so many compliments about my hair. I 1000% recommend anyone who is dying their hair to BOOK with her. She also is so knowledgable about hair and hair products that she knows exactly what each one does and how it will affect your hair. I would definitely trust her on any hair advice. read more

Avanti Salon - Straightened ash brown hair! - Hair Salons Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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A big thanks to Julia. I dyed my hair and a small haircut. She is patient and friendly. She was willing to spend time finding the right color for me because I didn't know how to describe it (°u°)​ 」 She also suggested me to do a coating after dying my hair. This really protects the color! The picture I attached is me after shower (I used hot water and normal shampoo) The color stays well and is still bright. She also provided suggestions for hair styling. She suggested me to cut the hair bang a little bit to look fresher, but she was not pushy. She lets the customer make the final decisions. I think that's great. Anyway if you are looking to dye your hair, Julia is a great hair stylist to work with! read more

Avanti Salon - My new hair color - Hair Salons Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

SANDY did an amazing job on my hair. I went for a partial blonde highlight. She was so sweet and asked me multiple times if I needed anything, explained what she was going to do and did it perfectly. Highly recommend for a blonde highlight!! made my hair look so natural read more

I love Avanti and their whole team! Katy is amazing and is the first hair dresser I've ever had who actually listens to what you want and doesn't go rogue and cut off 5 inches. Everyone there is great at actually listening to what you want and making suggestions when you want them. Can't recommend enough! read more

I got my first post-lockdown cut with Julia. During this time, I have cut my own hair (8"!), colored my own hair, and grown out my bangs. My hair is directionless, a total before picture, and a frizzy mom lob. With some conflicting feedback and phone photos, Julia gave me back ten years and all the confidence in the world. Of course it is pricey, but take all my money. read more

So I went for another cut, and I have mixed feelings. This time I scheduled my haircut using their website's online appointment scheduler, and since Jill wasn't available I grabbed an appointment with Kevin. Now, I didn't realize at the time, or until I went to check out, that Kevin was a "senior stylist", and thus the haircut would be more expensive. I wish the feature online would specify this when scheduling, so one star off for not making the price differential more transparent. Now, if I was someone who had the patience to spend a ton of time every morning on my hair getting it to look just right, I would have no further complaints. However, I very specifically stated to Kevin that I was approaching busy season at work and that the hours were quite demanding. I told him that I wanted a style I could essentially just flip over and blow dry, brush out and go. And when I left the salon with a short & fun 'do, I thought he had done just that... ...until the next morning. I found that there were layers and chunks of hair that were cut at odd lengths that could look nice if I took the time to properly blow it out and frame my face with it, but I just don't care to put that much effort into my hair when I'm working 12-14 hour days. So instead I do my normal flip-and-dry technique, and have to deal with a cut that I feel is sloppy looking and does not fit what I asked for. It actually cause me to cry in frustration the one morning because I could not get it to look as good as it did when I left the salon (the stress/exhaustion of long work hours may also have played a role in those tears). Subtract another star for not listening to a customer who had a very specific hair-care request. read more

Jae is my haircolor goddess!! Your hair deserves this person in its life. Keep reading to find out how she LITERALLY gave me the blonde hair of my dreams, despite me having previous color on the ends (or scroll to the end of this for her instagram handle). Jae is without a doubt the most knowledgeable stylist I've ever been with. First of all, she makes it known that she prioritizes the integrity of the hair and keeping it intact over anything else, and I find that extremely valuable in a colorist. She's honest and direct, which I appreciate because I would rather someone to tell me what I NEED to hear rather than what I WANT to hear. I would rather know the risk I'm taking and be able to decide for myself than not even realize why I want is really bad for my hair but have the stylist do it anyway. Personally I'd rather have my hair on my head than broken or fried off. When I first expressed what I wanted months ago, she didn't just jump to attempt it that day to make the quick money like many stylists do (and then end up with irreversible damage). She first did a strand test. She explained that this is how she's able to see ahead of time if the hair can withstand the bleaching process needed to achieve my desired result. A half an hour later, we got the results from that (she looks at the color that appears and checks the strength). She laid out the options to me based on how the strand test lightened and explained the risk factor for each option. The whole thing was extremely methodical. I've never had a hairdresser do this strand test thing, but now it makes so much sense. I've had one or two bad experiences in the past that could have been avoided by this simple step. Hey This is something that is specific to each individual's current hair, which really made the consultation feel custom to me and my hair rather than making assumptions based on the general standard. Also after seeing the strand test, she was able to tell me what needed to be done to get the result, how long it would take, and a range of how much it would cost. I felt extremely prepared, informed, and comfortable as a result. When I initially wanted this blonde color months ago, my hair wasn't in good condition, so at the time, I decided to take the least risk of waiting until my hair was in healthy enough condition to be able to withstand how light I wanted to go. Jae suggested that we do a series of Olaplex treatments in the meantime. While we couldn't lighten It full blast yet like I wanted to, she still was able to give me beautiful low maintenance colors in the meantime until I could grow out some of the damaged hair and old color. Months later, my hair had eventually recovered enough to be able to reach my absolute goal. The pictures speak for themselves. It was the absolute best money I have ever spent! Well worth the time and price and I would do it again in a heartbeat. The way that she does my color gives it so much longevity, that even AFTER quarantine my hair still looked good! As It grows out I never see any harsh root lines, like I have with past stylists. **Her instagram is @juliajcorrea but if you call the salon make sure to book with "Jae" and NOT "Julia" or you will end up with a different person (Jae's real name is Julia but she goes by Jae since there is another stylist named Julia at the salon). I'm sure you could also DM her to book like I did. HIGHLY RECOMMEND!!! read more

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J really knows how to give a good men's haircut! I have somewhat difficult hair, on the thinner side, so I've struggled to find someone who can make it look how I want it to look, but Jae has managed to do so. She knows how to give a perfect fade on the sides, whether it be a skin fade or a more blended fade on the sides, or just fading / tapering down my sideburns and neckline so it grows out really well and lasts even longer. She's also really good at designs and creative cuts as she's given me a lot of different styles since I've been seeing her for a few years now. Some that I've specifically requested which she hit exactly what I was going for, and some cuts that I've let her be creative and do what she thought would look cool and I always end up loving it. I love that it's consistently good, as I've had people in the past where one cut will be good and the next one won't. With Jae's I'm happy every time. She also will recommend the perfect product I need for the look I'm going for, as I switch it up here and there. I can't say enough good things. Book with her if you want someone who is really good at mens cuts. read more

Thank goodness I was able to track down Jonathan Demar who moved to this salon from Mario Russo. I'm pretty particular about my color (blonde) and he really gets it without me having to explain, although if I wanted to he would be ready to listen. He is so detailed and really cares about the result...which is a bright fresh sexy glossy color that pops in all the right places. Jonathan is very accommodating and a gem of a person really. The salon is beautiful and a wonderful experience overall. read more

I have been seeing Julia for the past few years and am lucky to have found her. I found Avanti during a cutathon charity event and was randomly assigned to Julia. She is very personable, she listens, and she does a great job. In the beginning I was only going to her for hair cuts, and now I am also seeing her for my color. The salon itself is modern, big and on posh Newbury Street in Boston. It's best to take an uber, walk or take public transportation as parking can be very difficult. Julia gets 5 stars from me. The 4 star rating is because sometimes the people on the phone or at th front desk can be abrasive. Overall, a great place. read more

I've been seeing Christopher DiFazio for six years now, and thank GOD I found him! He is by far the best stylist I've ever seen, and have traveled great distances to keep seeing him while in graduate school. I trust him implicitly to style my hair in a way that works for my personality, desire for level of maintenance, and - of course - characteristics of my hair. With Christopher, I've experimented with an incredible range of styles from pixie short to long, (having fine, straight hair, NOBODY has been able to cut my hair in a way that it would look good long). He seems to know exactly what I need and applied his wide range of techniques to execute perfectly every time. Thank you Christopher!!! read more

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I really like this place- everyone is nice, and the atmosphere is fun and upbeat. I go to Louise (Jerrick) for both cut and color, and she does a fabulous job! I have curly hair, which has ended in some disastrous cuts. However, Louise did a great job, and it looks good both curly and straight! read more

Rachel was very professional and followed all the appropriate precautions. I had not had my hair done for almost 8 months after having a baby and then Covid happened. Rachel did a beautiful job with a full set of highlights and a much needed cut which left me with healthy looking hair while also keeping some of the length which is exactly what I wanted. While I was there for nearly 4 hours Rachel was a great conversationalist and appropriately checked in while my color was processing. Rachel recommended hair products for me which I asked for and did not pressure me into buying anything I didn't feel I needed. Overall a wonderful experience. The salon was clean and from what I saw everyone was sanitizing and following the recommended guidelines. Receptionist was very friendly and checking in was simple and quick. I will definitely be booking again with Rachel! read more

I got my haircut and colored by Tara! I have shoulder length, curly hair and often struggle to find someone who actually knows how to cut curly hair so I was nervous since it was my first time to the salon but I could not be happier with the final result. Tara was wonderful - the cut and color is exactly what I wanted! I will definitely be returning in the future! Everyone was friendly, booking was easy, and the atmosphere was great! The salon is a little pricy but it was totally worth it! Avanti is my new go-to salon! read more

Really basic salon Newbury. Like some others have noted, the front desk can be abrasive. As for the styling I received, it was extremely mediocre and definitely not worth its price-point. That's to say, I could have done some basic up-do myself and not pay over $100 to get it done by a stylist who didn't really bother asking many questions about what I wanted. It wasn't bad... It was just extremely average. read more

I came for the Kerasilk hair treatment which I've gotten many times before at different salons. Judging by the reviews, this salon is great for other things, but definitely not Kerasilk. This treatment is supposed to last a few months and is very expensive ($350+). It's been a few weeks and my hair is back to normal. I essentially got an expensive blowout. I'm not sure if the hair stylist missed a step in the process (it is complicated but don't offer it if you don't know what you're doing!) but I should've known when she finished faster than I remember it taking. Won't be coming back unfortunately. read more

This was a very positive experience for me, I have never been treated better at any salon, the customer service here was really great. My car got towed right before my appointment, my uber driver got lost a dozen times on the way. They still accommodated me even though I was a half hour late and the stylist stayed late to see me. They offered me complimentary coffee and water and the staff was really courteous. I apologized a thousand times. After the cut and color were finished, I asked about the stylist's recommendations for shampoo and she gave me a couple shampoo samples to try out and was really kind answering my questions. I thought the cut was great and exactly what I wanted. I am giving this review less than five stars (wish I could give it 4.5) because the color was barely visible. I have strawberry blonde hair and wanted some deep auburn lowlights, but the color was either weak or the sample hair swatches were really off because I couldn't really see them, they were much too light compared to the swatch. The cost wasn't as subtle as the color, if you get what I mean. Just to be clear, I still loved the way my hair looked, I'm just a little disappointed that I spent so much extra on color when I could have saved some money. I would still recommend this place to friends, and I will still come back, but I think this is important for the salon to be aware of, something that could be a little better, getting to know the colors more intimately. read more

I'm not sure if its because I've watched one too many episodes of "Tabatha's Salon Takeover" on Bravo, but I was really underwhelmed with my experience at Avanti. When I made my appointment, I mentioned the "yelp deal" and said that I wanted someone who had experience cutting curly hair. They put me with James who, according to his online bio, was awarded best stylist for curls by Boston Magazine. I suppose I should have asked for a quote, but considering I was only planning on getting a trim, I didn't expect to pay more than $50 with the yelp discount factored in. When I arrived at the salon, I was somewhat disappointed by the space. Some of the bulbs were blown out in the track lighting and the walls were in desperate need of painting. Very different than the "Newbury Salon" atmosphere other businesses offer. After checking in, I was brought over to the waiting area which can only be described as three chairs within the hair cutting area. I sat there for about ten minutes as James, my new stylist, finished cutting his clients hair about two feet away from me. Once he finished with his client, he said to her, "I can't seem to find you a mirror to show you the back of your hair, but trust me, it looks good." "Uh-oh," I thought, "if he doesn't even have a mirror at his station, I might be in trouble." Once his client left, he proceeded to take out his blow-dryer and blew most the chunks of hair off of his chair and onto the floor (which was not swept up). He then gestured for me to take a seat - and as i walked over the piles of hair surrounding his station, I contemplated running out the front door. During our consultation, I told James that I was looking to keep most of the length and to even out the bangs I've been growing out. This was not a complicated hairstyle, and like I said earlier, it was more of a trim than a style or a haircut. I was then shown to the shampoo station - which is by far my favorite part of any haircutting experience. Unfortunately, the woman who was washing my hair was apparently having a bad day and spoke to her coworker the entire time about how the salon was understaffed, that she was too busy, and she hadn't had her break yet. I felt like I should have apologized for monopolizing more of her time. Back at James' station, he asked me if I wanted my hair blown out straight. Since he was voted Boston's Best for curly hair, I asked for him to style it curly since it was his area of expertise. He asked if I was "sure." Needless to say, I was less sure after he asked... When the hair trim was over, I have to say I didn't really notice a huge difference from when I walked in. His curly-hair expertise seemed on par with my gel scrunching and hairspray techniques I use every morning. Oh well, I just wanted a trim, and that's exactly what I received - no more, no less. Obviously, I didn't have the chance to see the back of my head, as there apparently were still no hand-mirrors in the salon. After giving me two of the products he used on my hair to purchase, he shook my hand and, like the client before me, blew the cut pieces of my hair from the chair and onto the floor for the next person to walk on. Ew. I showed myself to the register... I decided to purchase a bottle of the curling mousse for $22 - which has a pump that is now broken after a single home use. The cut came to $60 with the discount, because James' cuts are usually $75. I guess I wouldn't have had a problem spending $75 on a haircut in a beautiful salon/spa on Newbury, but $75 for trim in a salon that doesn't even have a hand-mirror and makes you walk on someone elses hair-shavings? No so much. I paid the $60, but I will definitely not be returning to pay the full price. The only noticeable difference when I walked out of the salon was that was wallet was significantly lighter. read more

I heard of this salon because I saw a coupon on BuyWithMe for a discounted haircut. I thought, "Sweet - A Newbury St. Salon haircut for $30". It had fantastic ratings on Yelp and I do trust my Yelpers, so I felt pretty confident. So one week, I decide to go grab a body wave / perm. I go in, sit in a chair for 2 hours and 15 minutes (ughhh) and my hair worked on by Alex, the owner. He seemed very meticulious. He didn't say a word to me throughout the whole two hours, but whatever. I finish at the salon, and 30 minutes upon leave the salon, my hair is straight. Completely... stick... straight... just as I had entered the salon. UGH - 2.15 hours down the drain. I call. They say to come in and they'll fix it. Two weeks later, I go back in, deathly scared that getting another perm would damage my hair, and no doubt - it did. The owner worked on me again. My hair now looks like a cross between a 70s crimp and Tarzan. During the process, the girl washing my hair, legit soaked me. Head to toe. My entire dress was wet. I have no idea how that was possible, but it was horrible. I called back and told them my hair was a) not permed b)tangly and uncontrollable and c) just plain disgusting. A woman called, not the owner, just a phone-girl telling me that I'm getting a refund. No apology. Nothing. I'm sure the cuts here are great, but I'll never know that. I'm going somewhere tonight to get my overly damaged, precious long hair chopped off... because at this point - I have no choice. read more

I haven't written a review in a while, but decided I needed to write one to warn others about this awful place. I went to Avanti after redeeming a BuyWithMe coupon offered through Boston.com. I got a mani/pedi for 1/2 off - so $30 instead of the normal price of $60. When I got there, the place looked like a dump. Dirty walls and floor, and the people who work there are unfriendly and inattentive. I came in an smiled at the people at the desk, and tried to say "Hi", but was ignored for a good five minutes while the employees carried on a personal conversation. After standing there for a few minutes, an employee ushered me over to the seating area, where I had an opportunity to wait and watch the stylists cut hair. From my vantage point, I saw completely unhappy looking stylists, who were not particularly skilled or friendly, and dirty, unswept floors with hair lying around. I waited 15 minutes to finally be called into the chair. Selena did my pedicure and manicure and was meticulous and thorough - the only reason why this place gets two stars. However, the chair where the manicure was done is basically in a closet, and then when she was done, I had to shuffle through the dirty salon to a table in the middle of the room, while everyone stared. It was incredibly awkward. I also got random hair stuck on my flip flops, and in my toes...YUCK!! There is no dryer for the pedicure, and the woman who did my manicure had to pull out a portable machine that barely works out of a drawer to dry my nails. She had the hold the cord, otherwise the dryer just shuts off on its own! So so bad. I just can't imagine how anyone would pay more than $30 for this low level of service. The mani/pedi also took about 2.5 hours, which is way too long. I was exhausted by the end of it! When I went to pay a tip, I asked the man at the front desk how I would leave a tip for Selena. He pointed to what looked like a fish bowl with some envelopes and indicated that I needed to put the tip in the envelope and write her name on it. He saw me struggling not to smudge my nails, and didn't even offer to help, which would have been a thoughtful gesture. This place is a horror show and belongs on Tabitha's Salon Takeover (on Bravo). For a Newbury Street salon, it's the pits and not worth the money. In my experience, the best mani/pedi is at Aveda in Harvard Sq. read more

Came here for the Yelp / Avanti / Sangria / Peroni party to get my drink on and my hairs cut. Janida, the stylist who came in to work that night just for the party, took me by the arm, as if I were on a date with her or something! I hardly get that kind of affection from my normal friends. It was funny and enjoyable. She did a great job and I had a ton of fun just hanging out in the salon after she was done, enjoying the drinks on the house and DJ who was spinning house! Only on Newbury St. can you find something like this. I felt like I was at some sort of hollywood elite event or something. Too much fun. What a cool spot....and a great place to get your hair done while you're there! read more

I loved the salon and I loved the end result of my cut and my experience, but i just had to yelp about what i witnessed from the manager, i believe her name was betty. She had a real stuck up persona about her and a real attitude with the front desk staff, in means of being too good to take a call or listen to them. One receptionist was on the phone taking call after call and the phone was still ringing and the manager completely ignored the call and asked one of them "Are you going to answer that or let it keep ringing?". I wanted to say "Why cant you pick it up?". Also everytime she would come around the front desk she would just push whomever was there right out of the way as if they were nothing. I will mostlikely come back for another cut i just did not like the actions that i seen of the person in charge. VERY unprofessional!! read more

I wanted to love this place...I really did...and I *do* love my haircut, but I had the worst hair-salon experience I have ever had. *I came up the stairs rather than the elevator (it's only one flight and bathing suit season is coming) and walked into a bunch of staff members hanging out and chatting- they all looked at me funny for cutting through what appeared to be their little area. *Inside the salon - the place is dingy! The white on the walls is scuffed and gross looking; the black cabinets are scratched and dinged up; there was a random internet cord sticking out of one of the walls at about eye height, dangling about 3 feet and just hanging there. On Newbury St. and for the price tag on their services, you'd think they'd step up their game a little. *There was a blond girl in the chair next to me when I sat down...and a pile of brown hair on the floor by her...so not hers. That haircut finished, a whole other cut came and went, and a third cut started before the floor was swept. Ew. *My stylist's hairdryer was held together with several layers of electrical and scotch tape and his scissor case was full of all sorts of hair...it was really grossing me out, actually. *He scratched me on the ears, neck, and forehead with the comb every time he moved my hair around - and when he pulled the round brush out for the blowdry, I was actually (and rightfully) scared. I was a tangly haired kid (thankfully that's changed) and so I've got the scalp of steel...but the front of my forehead, tops of my ears, and neck were still red when I met my gf for lunch after my appt. *Just about every piece of hair he cut, he held above my head so that the little bits rained down on me...which was a little annoying but fine until he got to the front and the small bits were falling INTO MY EYES. I still had hair in my eyes that evening. *My stylist did not say A SINGLE WORD to me from when I sat down after shampooing until he started to blow dry. Which, I get the not-chatty thing...but a little small talk every now and then? I've had better experiences in a mall salon....but the cut is superb. I'll be going back to Liquid Hair Studios for my next appointment, however. read more

I went to Avanti in October 2014 and had them give me a haircut and brighten up the ends of my hair to be blonder for a natural looking ombre. It was extremely pricey, as any salon on Newbury would be, but they did an amazing job. Fast forward to October 2015 when I scheduled another appointment to go back and do the same exact thing: get a haircut and brighten up what was left of my ends to freshen up the ombre. I got a 25% off coupon in an email which made me decide to go back, too. After 3 1/2 hours, I walked out thinking I just got Punk'd. I explicitly discussed with my stylist how some ombre's look awful because there is no blend and it looks like a straight line across the hair. Well... that is exactly what I got (see pictures below). It looked beyond unnatural, and after all that time spent in that salon, I just sucked it up and left. I thought maybe in the lighting it looked bad and it would look better when I got home. I called the salon and talked to the receptionist, and she asked me to send pictures of my hair like I didn't just walk out 20 minutes before with the proof on my head. I sent the pictures and she said she could reschedule me for the next day on Thursday. Well that was great, but I mentioned I have a full-time job and cannot leave work in the middle of the day for another 3 hours. I also didn't want the same stylist, but she said if I got a new stylist it wouldn't be guaranteed to be free. My thinking is, if you as a salon royally mess up and the customer isn't happy, you should get a refund or redo for free - no exceptions. It was either the next day at noon to get it redone or I had to wait until Saturday, and clearly I couldn't wait that long. So, now I had to face the same stylist to have her attempt to fix it and explain to work why I had to leave in the middle of a crazy day. I will say the staff was incredibly understanding, and they could see exactly what was wrong with my hair when I came back the second time. Even the stylist admitted she didn't like the job she did, yet because I said I was okay with it the night before, she didn't say anything about it. That is not how it should work... do you know how awkward it is to tell someone who is working so hard on your hair after so long to say, "I hate it."? VERY awkward. Even after getting it re-done, I still wasn't thrilled with it. I still see a pretty noticeable line across the front ends of my hair with the ombre. The color they used to fix it faded over time since it was not permanent, and the line across my hair became more noticeable. At this point I was just done forever with this salon, and I should have gotten a refund entirely. Safe to say, I strongly encourage you to look elsewhere to get your hair colored. read more

Avanti Salon - awful ombre I walked out with on 10/21/15 - Hair Salons Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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I'd give it less than one star, but that is not an option. How the heck is this place so highly rated? Here's some food for thought: My girlfriend has an early Saturday appointment. She was sick all night. At 4 a.m., we knew she would not make it. She called and left a voicemail on the machine apologizing and cancelling. Yes, its short notice, but that is what happens when you are sick. The manager called at 8:45 and left a voicemail admonishing her for skipping the appointment. His tone reminded me of my second grade teacher. Annoyed, we called her stylist to inform her what the manager did. Apparently the message did not sink in. No less than 5 minutes later the manager called back to "apologize". His apolgy ended with "It would be helpful if you called during business hours." They had a freakin' answering machine! What's the point of having people leave messages if you cannot manage late 80s technology? There are a ton of salons on Newbury street. At these prices, we're going somewhere that appreciates their customers. read more

If you happen to have caught this salon featured on a recent "reality" television show, you might have unfortunately seen the results of some really nasty editing that cast an excellent stylist in a lesser light than what she deserves. To give you an idea of how much I care about Priscilla both as a stylist and a person, I'm coming back - again - to update my review. I've been getting my hair done with her for two years now after going to three different stylists in Boston that I was never, ever, happy with. It is very safe to say that I am extremely picky. Priscilla is the first stylist I have ever had who was able to not only create what I wanted, but do so in a way that suits my personality, my hair-type, and my facial features. Just check my previous reviews; I don't "yelp" for everyone. Just to give you an idea of how great this lady is - I recently moved across the country and am living in Texas now. However, I'm making sure to get my hair done with Priscilla every time I'm in town. AND, when she heard that I was moving, she made sure to make time in her busy schedule (which was already full) so that I could come in, get my hair done, and have a little break from the stressfulness of packing and moving. Please remember that, as someone who is a client of hers and a client of the salon, reality television is not always reality. What you see is scripted and edited in an effort to create drama. read more

Let me just begin by saying that Priscilla, a fantastic stylist to be sure, was more than just the person behind my (now) oh-so-beautiful hair. She's incredibly talented, but even more than just knowing how to cut your hair, she has a great sense of what you want (even when you yourself don't!). As an example: I went in to Avanti without much in the way of expectations. I had, of course, gone on Yelp to gauge the professionalism of the salon, but was going without much of an opinion on who, actually, would be doing the styling. Avanti, though not the most aesthetically-pleasing of all the salons I've been to was overall...fine. Nothing to write home about, but fine all the same. I walked in feeling a bit underwhelmed. The cut, though. Oh, the cut. And the color. And the shampoo: Don't get me started. It was all lovely - otherworldly, even - and my hair is now "wow" hair. Movie star hair. Hollywood hair. Whatever kind of hair it is, I love it, and I have Priscilla to thank. read more

Janida rocks (followed her from Acote some time ago)! I recommend all my friends to check her out. As a rule, I just feel great whenever I leave this place. Its always been spot-on for what I was looking for. Prices are more than competitive too. read more

The salon seemed nice, they offered teas and were very clean, but my stylist, Megan Kelley, was a big disappointment. First, I had a 2:30 appointment, and she didn't take me until after 3:15pm. She didn't even come over to apologize for being late until after 30 minutes had passed, I had to rely on her assistant to assure me that she was even in the salon. When I finally did sit down in the chair, she was very sweet and knowledgeable. I came in with photos of what I wanted my hair to look like, which was a bit of an edgy look. She said she specialized in more natural, "Victoria's Secret" hair, and that I may want to see another stylist. She also suggested that such an edgy look wouldn't work well with my short hair (I'm in the process of growing it out from a pixie cut). I appreciated her honesty, and decided to go with a more natural look that she was comfortable with-- I still had hopes that her talent would be worth the aggravation of waiting. I mean, her portfolio looked great (why don't more stylists keep a portfolio?). We decided to go with auburn/red and caramel blonde highlights. I wasn't super thrilled with my results. The reds came out nicely, but the blonde was heavier on one side than the other. And, after a few days, it started to take on a more orange tone. She did give me a free styling product for keeping me waiting, and offered me 20% off on my next appointment, but I won't be taking her up on it. read more

A certain stylist came highly recommended by girlfriends and family for skill and price-point so i switched from a vetted stylist to give him a try. I'm glad i did! Just an FYI Pricing is not listed, you are basically playing Russian Roulette with your wallet, and it generally doesn't end well for you. Especially if you tack on a product or two. I've been coloring my hair for over 10 years (Newbury St., NYC, Dallas, the burbs etc.) so i feel i have a good grip on the cut/partial color market. Avanti is not cheap but its also not totally unreasonable. Either way, the color was my favorite in years! Dimensional highlights, some subtle but rich lowlights, and the color looked just as great pulled back into a pony tail as it did down and parted one way or the other. The guy who washed my hair literally gave me such a good head massage that I almost forgot my name. That good. Must try. read more