I've been going to Arianna for a few years now and she has managed to tame my curls better than anyone else! Highly recommend!

I always look forward to my appointments at Aya, from the ambiance to the service - it's always a relaxing experience and I leave feeling like a new person! read more

Been seeing Hilary here for over a decade. She gets me and my hair. She is the hair whisperer. The salon is clean, quiet and calm. Everyone is kind and often funny. Spendy but worth it. read more

Extremely satisfied with my entire experience. Went here for my birthday & the staff & ambience was amazing. My haircut was perfect. Will definitely be returning! read more

AYA Salon - Shampoo/condition, cut & blow dry - Hair Salons Near Me - Berkeley, California

Been coming here for the last couple of years for color and cut and the team has reliably done a great job and delivered the level of experience I enjoy and have come to expect from Aveda. Carly is a lovely presence and makes me feel welcome and valued as a client. She's done a fantastic job with my color and cut and I always look forward to my appointments here. Highly recommend her. If you're looking to invest in quality hair care and a worthwhile, friendly salon, Aya is your place. read more

When I leave Aya Salon I feel like a rockstar! Elon has crafted a hair color to help me age gradually from grey to white with low lights and I get compliments all the time! I tell people "it's all Elon!" read more

Love Aya Salon!Exceptional service and beautiful space. Kory is wonderful, expert stylist and great personality!

Ariana is skilled and consistent. She very pleasant as well. I have been coming to see her for several years and I will continue to see her.

I have been having my hair cut and colored here for 10 years. My current stylist Hilary is absolutely the equivalent (even better) of far more expensive salons I have gone to in SF and Beverly Hills. I frequently get compliments on my haircut. A great salon, highly recommended! read more

I've been coming to AYA Salon for several years. I wouldn't trust my color to anywhere else! Working with Ariana and Hillary is a great pleasure. They are both skilled, professional and delightful. And the Aveda products are the best!!! read more

Hilary is amazing! She is very talented and a pleasure to be with. The salon is beautiful and welcoming. I definitely recommend Aya Salon!

I am so lucky. After losing several stylists who moved on, I was again looking for a great professional. In walked Elon. in addition to giving great cuts and color, she pays attention to what you ask for and you can tell that it's important to her to follow through on your requests. She's helpful and realistic about product and she's nice to spend time with. As I said, I'm really lucky. read more

Carly does an AMAZING job with my hair! I have coarse Asian hair and somehow she always makes it look sleek and stylish. She has cut an elegant long bob, a pixie cut and helped me grow it out gracefully in all the stages in between. After having long hair for many years, every haircut has resulted in many a compliment. The salon is fabulous and everyone I've ever dealt with there has been friendly and professional. read more

Hilary is always consistant in her amazing hair color and cuts. She listens and is up to date! I have never not been happy after seeing her!

My hair always looks super boss! Arianna always listens to what I want, and executes something better than I asked for! Even my grow out looks amazing. She gets my vibe, which is why I keep coming back. read more

Carly is very attentive to what you want to do with your hair. My hair looks great after every visit!

I had an appointment with Pamela on Saturday, august 5 at 2:30 pm. It was absolutely the worst haircut I have ever Receive. My hair is not even, I can't even tell you what she did with my side burns and she was so rough with my head . She was almost like hitting it. On top of that she charges $75 an hour to give such a crappy hair cut. I'd rather stick to my other hairstylist who only charges me $20 and gives better hair cut and is more gentle with my head. I will be writing the same review on their website. Not worth the money. HAIR CUT is so UGLY! I had to leave right away because I wanted her to stop touching my hair. I have never put out a bad review on any business and this my first time doing it but I needed to do it. Money does not grow on trees and $75 an hour is a lot of money and I was hoping to get a better experience with it and I was willing to pay for it but the hair cut is so awful. Maybe it was just with her, I don't know since it was my first time getting a haircut from Aya but being that it is my first time getting a haircut it definitely made a first bad impression! And first impressions matters and I guess it did not matter to this hairstylist. read more

I came to this salon because Cecilia was looking for hair models. I wanted some brown highlights and Cecilia did SUCH an amazing job. She listened to me and made sure I was comfortable with what she was doing at every step of the process. I am so happy with the results! Thanks Cecilia and team! read more

My friends and I have been coming to Aya salon for years and love it! I just came this month (May 2021) to get my first hair cut since the pandemic began and am extremely impressed with their protocols. I love that they are still taking safety measures to protect the employees and customers. I've definitely been hesitant to go but felt very safe and comfortable. This is such a great salon and once I started coming, I never went anywhere else again. Even outside of COVID it was always extremely clean with very friendly staff. Personally I have always seen Kory to get my hair cut and I love him! He's so fun to talk to and am always pleased with my hair. But I do know my friends have seen others there and are always happy. Best salon, wish I could give more than 5 stars! read more

Tried out AYA salon today for the first time. Sarah took fantastic care of my fine curly hair! It was halfway down my biceps when I got there, and she took great care and styling, with excellent attention to detail. No strays were left behind and now that I've showered and let it air dry the curls have sprung up to my chin and it looks perfect. No more shoving it in a bun. Highly recommend! read more

I honestly think if you have a good hairdresser you should treat them well and keep the relationship going because, in my experience, they are hard to find. I've been coming here on and off for years and have had my good share of good and bad things happen (including the salon not wanting to see me once because my prev haircut had to be re-done; which sends the message that if you get a bad haircut you have to shut up and take whatever/whenever they give you in return, otherwise you have a problem). For the most part, I feel that many hairdressers have a huge ego and that doesn't help when working with clients. I tip well, I'm easy going, you'd think they'd like me as a client but most times I come here I just get garbage done with the exception of my hairdresser who left a few years ago. But alas, what to do? You need a haircut and pretty much everywhere is the same. You find the same unhappy people providing the service. People who I feel would wanna be anywhere but in a salon cutting hair or dealign with other people. So, it's a necessary evil. And then, of course you spend $100+ because in the back of your head you want to pay for a decent/good haircut. It's all an illusion for the most part with a few exceptions. So, if you find that hairdresser take good care of him/her - read more

This is a review I wrote about Aya Salon on January 2020, before COVID took effect: As a high school teacher in the Bay Area, self care is highly advocated in our profession to prevent burnout. So, I decided to treat myself to a haircut and a facial at Aya salon. My first experience was more than a could ask for: front staff she was kind and receptive, the environment was peaceful, and most importantly, my stylist Barbara was sweet and down-to-earth. When Barbara moved out of state, they recommended Brianna. Brianna took 35 minutes to look at my hair, washed it, and cut. That visit cost me $145, 8x more than I make as a 10th year high school teacher per hour. Feeling desperate, I decided to follow through on my already-scheduled facial. On the day of my facial, I was held back at school for an altercation by my classroom. When I finally left Oakland, I called Aya salon to let them know that I was running 20 mins late. They asked if I wanted to reschedule, warning that I would be charged for the rescheduling. In fear of losing any more money, I told her that I would rather have any facial, even for just 1 minute of it. As I am exiting off of Buchanan, Aya calls me asking whether or not I would be coming in for my appointment. I let her know that I had just exited and that I am about 15 minutes from arriving. She says to me that I am already late and that they would charge me a cancellation fee. I asked her if I could come in regardless and take the remaining amount of the appointment that I'd scheduled. They state that they will no longer take me in and that the facialist will be closing up. Whether it's preemptive gatekeeping or just simple robbery of low-income folx, how I was treated felt extremely disregarding and manipulative. Please hire staff (like Barbara) gave a damn about me and my time. Otherwise, I wouldn't be surprised if Aya becomes a "supremacist space" due to lack of interest from many who are already marginalized. read more

I've been back to Aya salon several times now since they reopened after having to shut down for months due to Covid. I'm super impressed with their new protocols for safety and feel completely confident going there. I know that many customers have hesitated to return out of Covid fear but I can assure you you will be well taken care of and it will feel safe to you. Everyone is screened, temperature are checked and you must wear a mask to enter.Each station is separated by plexiglass and all of the operators are wearing masks at all times. Hand sanitizer is also used by everyone. Lovely experience. read more

I got my hair done by a stylist named Ruby. I wasn't sure at first because I've never gone to this specific hair Solon but, believe me when I tell you I was blown away by my hair, I've never had such a skilled and caring person work on my hair before. She's amazing with curly hair and everything above definitely recommend asking for Ruby. Thank you so much! I will be returning read more

I love this salon! I went from one length, long hair to a 70's shag. I tried other places but no one could give me the look I was after except Aya. My stylist also gave me new color that was totally nuanced and unique - she mixed 5 shades for a chocolate brown with copper highlights. She also did a treatment for my dry, over processed hair. My hair has never been so shiny and healthy! The place is beautiful and I was offered champagne or tea as soon as I came in (loved that and I had both!) Great costumer service and lovely experience all around. Highest recommendation for this salon. read more

I've been cutting my hair at this salon for years and enjoy the different stylists. My current stylist, Patricia, is terrific and has a lovely, kind manner. My husband and elderly mother now get their hair cut with her at Aya Salon. I'm a bilingual Spanish speaker and appreciate that Patricia is too :)! read more

I was expecting professional service because of the very high cost and was terribly disappointed. Not only did my colorist not even give me real hair swatches before the service, she gave me the wrong hair color and it was light reddish in my roots when it was supposed to be brown. The worst part was after the service, my head was extremely itchy and the color kept coming out to my hands. It even seeped on my pillow a week after the service! It was so horrible I would like to warn everyone about it. read more

AYA Salon - Dye coming out on my pillow a week after service - Hair Salons Near Me - Berkeley, California

This salon is SO cute. Parking was easy even on such a busy street. My stylist at my old salon got sick and I booked a VERY needed hair appt color & cut for a special event so I looked up this salon on here and let me tell you!! I was beyond HAPPY with my results. My stylists name was Lizay. She's just adorable and such an AHHHMAZING stylist. I have a short'ish style and I'm very blonde so to trust someone entirely new wasn't easy for me but she made me look and feel like a supermodel leaving the salon. I HIGHLY recommend this salon. While I was there I got to meet the owner too. Her name is Charlene and she is not only drop dead gorgeous but so SO sweet!! Don't waste your time going anywhere else. I cannot wait for my next appt. XOXOXO read more

So happy to have found this salon! I couldn't be happier with my results. Hilary is the best and took time to listen carefully to what I wanted! Everyone from the front desk to my stylist were professional. 10/10 recommend! read more

Better than anything I can say, they're a Salon Today Top 200 four years in a row! Everyone in here is top notch, and apparently a decent amount of them have even taught in Aveda New York! I am SO happy I happened upon Joel for a hair stylist. Every haircut at Artbeats includes a 15 minute consultation. If every hair stylist took 15 minutes to analyze and discuss the client's hair, imagine just how many fewer bad hair cuts there would be. I told Joel a whole earful about my hair. He was amused (and I assume loved) that I care so much about my hair. We ended the consultation with him asking me "okay so what's the goal?" We agreed on our goal, and I felt so incredibly calm knowing already that I'd love the outcome. Loved the deep conditioning products and other products he used on my hair. My haircut turned out beautifully. Joel trimmed the ends, returned my layers, and cut my hair in a way my hair became naturally more voluminous. A haircut dreams are made of, am I right? read more

AYA Salon - Perfect haircut by Joel! - Hair Salons Near Me - Berkeley, California

elon kills it every time! everyone i've spoken with here has been unbelievably kind and knowledgeable. they offer friendly, constructive advice to keep your hair looking great. can't recommend aya enough! read more

I had high hope for this salon. Relatively new to the area with an Aveda formula. They asked me to send photos prior to service to familiarize my stylist with my hair. I was impressed. Until I got there and the stylist didn't even know what services I had booked (or according to him they didn't book it properly). The color was fine- I have my own formula already. But the cut- or rather hatchet job- wow. It's hard to believe how someone can show you a length after you tell them not too much and then chop more than three extra inches off than what was shown and agreed upon. And not even give it a shape or style. I can honestly say it's the worst cut experience I've ever had. I left upset but tried to be nice. I tipped 20% despite the mess. I FaceTimed a friend who gasped and said go back and at least get your money back. I could see in her reaction how truly bad it was. The reception staff were unable to refund and had me email the owner who offered me half back for the cut and told me to try another stylist that it could take a few times to get it right. I prefer to go to a salon that can at least get the length of one's hair right and not butcher it and be like "oh well" sorry it's gonna take 6 months to get your hair back where you asked for. I definitely wouldn't recommend getting a cut here. read more

This review is for Artbeat, of course, but it's also for Senior Stylist Jill, who is absolutely fantastic! I first met Jill when I went in for my bridal hair and makeup trial with her (maybe around December 2016 or January 2017). She was recommended by the receptionist, who told me Jill was very skilled in doing updos. The receptionist was exactly right - Jill has gone out of her way to attend trainings, watch video tutorials, and practice various updos on doll heads (all of which is most likely on her own time). Since first meeting Jill about six months ago, I not only gained a fantastic bridal hair and makeup stylist - my wedding was two weeks ago, and Jill did an incredible job on both hair and makeup (see photos attached) - I also gained a new colorist. I say this without a hint of exaggeration: Jill does the best highlights I have ever seen, and I have been highlighting my hair since I was nine years old! After moving from Los Angeles to the Bay Area a few years ago, I thought I would never find someone to replace my longtime colorist and stylist in Hermosa Beach. But, lucky me, I found Jill! And she is a game changer. A few reasons why I love Jill's highlights: She is so incredibly quick! But not in a rushed way - she is just very strategic and knows exactly where to place the foils to make the biggest impact. This is important to me because I have always hated spending hours in the chair getting foiled. She also never makes me sit with the foils in for too long and doesn't seem to use heat, which has really improved the health and texture of my hair. She also recommended a few products - only after I asked - that I have come to love! (Aveda's Damage Remedy shampoo and conditioner are excellent for highlighted hair.) Finally, Jill is just an all around nice, cool, humble person who is thoughtful and who listens closely to her client's wishes. I can say with certainty that these qualities - along with her fantastic highlights - will keep me coming back to Jill for a long time. Regarding Artbeat more generally, it is housed in a beautiful building with brick walls and high ceilings. It always smells amazing and isn't too loud no matter how busy it gets. The receptionists are super friendly and always greet you with a smile and a cup of tea, water, or mimosa. They are also totally fine with credit card - for charges and tips - which is very convenient for me. I also like how the front of the salon has a variety of products to sample and look at if you arrive a little bit early to an appointment. I will update this review once I have my professional photos back - these unprofessional photos just don't do Jill's work justice! read more

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I was a Newbie client today and I will be a long time client forever! I have been searching and searching for the perfect hair salon, and I have finally find it! Who knew you could feel like you were in a salon in Rodeo Drive on Solano Avenue. This place was beyond my expectations. For the minute you walk-in. It was so clean and so state-of the art. Not to mention the great art-work they have displayed in the studio which gave this salon such a unique ambiance. The lighting, the brick walls, the dark hard-wood floors, the sounds of urban melody, the smells of fresh products in the air and the taste of licorice tea. And if that wasn't enough, they had those new backwash hair bowls, which are so cool and the spinning over-hang head dryer. Tabatha from Salon Take-Over, will not find 'one' thing wrong with place and the Owner should be proud. To start, I read the great views on Yelp and decided to treat my hair to pure indulgence. I was able to make the appointment online which I thought was pretty advanced. I had Whitney, a rare raw talent as oppose to their saying of new talent. She was super sweet, friendly and did an incredible job on my hair. All woman love to get their "hair did"; that amazing feeling of feeling so great for a few hours is such sweet bliss. We all wish we could get our hair done everyday like celebrities/wealthy or at least have good hair days ever day. We all wish we could splurge on getting our hair done more often and we wish we had more time in the morning to do our hair. But Whitney actually gave me a tutorial on how to use the products and do my hair on my own so when I leave the salon, I can re-create it. I have never purchased salon products after receiving a service, but when I saw how affordable the line was, I couldn't resist. My hair looks fabulous. It's the best I have ever seen it. Whitney did everything I asked and more. I cant wait to go back and I cant wait to get a Brazilian Blow Out, which they of course have on the menu! read more

Senior Stylist Emily rocks soooooo hardcore. BEST: She is new in town and is running a $45 cut special. She took the extra care to dry cut my hair and got to know it well by blowdrying it so that she could give me a unique, perfect-for-moi look. The salon is so dreamily peaceful that you don't even need a massage/yoga/meditation practice. NOT BEST: They forgot my special Aveda neck massage! (So did I (see point above about feeling relaxed. I guess you don't neeeed a massage, but it's always a plus. Hence the 5 stars!) There's also a special (I saw a sign) for a $20 cut with "Travis"..call and ask, people. this is One Hott (organic!) Bargain! read more

AYA Salon - this is the "after" pic. for the "before" picture, imagine strained hair & a Be-draggled no-style cut. - Hair Salons Near Me - Berkeley, California

It took TWO YEARS for my hair to grow back out once a stylist literally burned it off from Over processing - She kept telling me to come Back and she would get it right (I had long untreated light brown hair and just wanted to go a bit sandier but she kept making it super brassy) I spent over a THOUSAND dollars at this salon and the last time I visited the stylist pulled out the foil with literal chunks of my hair and had me leave the salon WITH MY HAIR WET to avoid me seeing the broken disaster I left with - after two and a half years I finally cut it the rest of the emotional and physical damage - take my advice NEVER GO HERE read more

Love love love this salon! First of all, the ambiance is beautiful--big, serene space; exposed brick and beams; skylights and windows provide natural light to see true colors. Amazing, professional service, too. Jane at the front desk is on top of her game! Terrific cut--long layers, some thinning, by Jill. Perfect for my thick, long, and prone to frizz hair. And gorgeous full highlights by Monica. She took her time and selected beautiful colors, lightening my dark hair and giving it dimension. Price is absolutely reasonable. I can't recommend this place enough! read more

AYA Salon - Hair Salons Near Me - Berkeley, California

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My 7-yr-old daughter's long, thick hair tends to tangle very easily and it recently got so bad that after she was in a swimming pool for a few hours, it got a huge, unconquerable dread in the back. My mom, sister and I probably spent a combined total of 24 hours trying to comb it out, but to no avail. I decided that we needed professional help. I didn't want to chance going to our usual, no-frills but totally fine kids haircutting place. This was a formidable job and I needed an experienced and creative stylist to figure out how to salvage her hair. Kammy (sp?) spent several minutes examining the dread and trying to assess the situation. As I watched her, I was worried that she was going to say that the situation was hopeless, that the only recourse was a buzzcut. Finally she said that she could spend an hour trying to comb it out but that it was basically a futile task--there was just no getting it out. Option 2 was to shave the dread off and try to do an undercut, assuming that she could salvage enough hair on top to cover the shaved part. Option 3 was to do a pixie cut. When she heard that my daughter was going to be a flower girl in a week, she became all the more motivated to make Option 2 work. After shaving off the dread and washing and conditioning my daughter's hair, she and another stylist (I didn't catch her name, unfortunately) went to work combing out as much of the remaining tangled mess as they could over the basin. I was impressed that the other stylist jumped in to help--they made a good team--and I hoped that trying to deal with this unusually difficult job wasn't delaying their next clients' appointments. They handled the situation with aplomb and weren't deterred when my daughter, who was sitting on a booster while playing on my iPhone, complained about how it hurt. They were kind about it, though, and I told my daughter that I knew it hurt, but it just had to be done. Back in the chair, Kammy reassured me that the wedding party and guests wouldn't notice the undercut, and she's right. They had managed to salvage enough of her tresses that when she wears her hair down, you don't see the undercut. Meanwhile, my daughter loves feeling her partially shaved head--she says it feels cool. Though she can't quite pull off an edgy look if she wears it up--not many 7-yr-olds can--I'm really happy with the end result, given how daunting the prospects were when we walked in. I wish I'd been able to afford a more generous tip, Kammy, but I'm afraid this glowing Yelp review and my sincere thanks will have to do. read more

Monica used to cut my hair here, she was very skillful and talented, I was happy with her work. She was first recommended to me by a colleague of mine. Ever since Monica left, I have had my hair cut by 3 different stylists here, and I tried to give this place a fair chance but results have been far from satisfactory. They simply do not know how to cut Asian hair. After explaining enough that I just need an every day cut where I can wear my hair naturally and practically without much styling, they do not get it. It is hard to get a sense of the actual hair cut when they heavily style your hair at the end of the appointment. After a single wash, it is clear the haircut has no shape, it is longer on one side, and there is no way one can spend hours to make it look reasonably good. Not to mention their recos for using (buying) products. And all of them keep telling you some random stuff about hair cutting and styling that seems completely made up and irrelevant. Sadly will have to look for another salon, good hair dressers are indeed rare to find. read more

I visited this salon for the first time on Sunday and really enjoyed the experience, as well as my haircut! I booked online, but ended up changing the time. This resulted in me getting charged two deposits ($37.50 and $32.50). When I called, and also when I arrived in person, the staff was very clear in giving me the option to keep it as a credit on my account, apply both to my haircut (basically making my haircut pre-paid), applying the remainder towards a tip or product, etc. I've been to Sole Salon, also an Aveda salon, in Emeryville so I was familiar and always appreciate the "Aveda" experience: tea or water upon entering, starting with a scalp massage, etc. The salon is clean, has a comfortable "anthropologie art gallery" feel and the ambience plus the staff are very pleasant. I enjoyed my haircut with Heather - I welcomed her input and ended up with my long-pixie-cut that has all the details I appreciate! (bangs, length, etc. spot-on). And, she mentioned that if the back or bangs are getting long, which often happens before the cut grows out, I can schedule to get those trimmed for free. Awesome - I appreciated the option to extend my cut. I also did not find the staff to be "pushy" for Aveda products. My other experiences have been like that - ending with an Aveda sales pitch - but I didn't get that from the folks at Artbeat this time. read more