My best haircuts are with Jiji! I started seeing her over 10 years ago at a salon in Menlo Park and have continued to go to her (even when I moved much farther away). I was so excited when she told me earlier this year she was moving from Menlo Park to this Los Altos salon, as the drive is much closer for me (and literally across the street from my favorite local bakery, Sweet Diplomacy). I just visited Jiji at Balisimo Salon for the first time today, and it's a really nice, clean space. Jiji gave me a great cut (as always), and she did a wonderful job with my kids' cuts too. read more

Was there yesterday, sat. May 2. 345 was the total charge.. the worst hair cut in my life. I told the guy what I wanted. I showed him the picture.. his interpretation was fatal.. I did not even want to look at the end product. I wanted to leave.. he knew I was unhappy not going there again.. his name Ruben... .. total disappointment read more

Beautiful salon. Modern, clean, and plenty of parking in the area. 'm gatekeeping my person.

Ruben is fantastic. I have long hair. He always gives me a great haircut, shaped well around my face. His blowouts also are amazing. I've had my hair blown out at other places that leave me looking fake and plastic. His blowouts after a haircut leave my hair looking more like a model on her day off. read more

Balisimo Salon is a lovely Salon. It is located at the top of State street. , with plenty of parking. The best haircut I have ever had, anywhere, is at Balisimo with Ruben. Ruben is extremely talented and will listen to what you want. Many years ago this Salon was selected among many ... to do the Vice Presidents wife's hair for an Important appearance. It still has the charm and the talent!! read more

Lana at Balisimo is a perfectionist. Lana listens and works with you to achieve a fun and stylish hair color and cut. Lana's professionalism and concern for the integrity of your hair is so helpful. I would highly recommend Lana. I appreciate her time and talent. along with 5 stars! Salon is clean and very Covid conscious. read more

Balisimo Salon - Amazing highlights and style - Skin Care Near Me - Los Altos, California

See all

This a much overdue review for Kenya Kim- one of the hair stylists at Balisimo. I have had my hair cut and highlighted by Kenya for over a decade now. Kenya is absolutely the best!- her knowledge, skill and techniques are exceptional. I have always had an excellent experience with her and always receive compliments on my hair. She has a great eye for color and highlights as well. Even now during Covid times, Kenya and her salon provide safety measures and have cut back significantly on the number of clients in the salon at once (I have been solo there with Kenya most times). Cannot recommend her enough! I really want her to be able to stay in business- go treat your hair to the best experience ever! read more

See all

Please go here only if you want to get cut and bleed. There was this stylist Ruben who was an absolute a*******. Thick and clumsy hair stylist with no skill in hair management nor customer service skills. Absolutely no concern about anything. Would never recommend. read more

I got my first haircut here yesterday - I followed Rosie from Therapy Salon just around the corner - so I am a long term client, who went to Balisimo for the first time because of her. Her new Salon is a great - it is a relaxing environment with all the amenities - and Rosie did incredible work as always - she's a high end stylist who I'd strongly recommend - and it's always fun chatting with her as well. read more

I was around the area for work , and i wasnt looking as decent but i came across this salon explained to her that i wanted to tone my hair to remove the orangy from it she was cutting a costumers hair which i understood she was busy so i asked her if she had a product that can remove the orangy from my hair and she said purple shampoo .. and i asked her do you have it . And she just pointed at it when i got close to the shampoo to read the details , i dont know if she thought i was going to steal it but she got super close to me . Just because i look mexican and have broken english And not white or wealthy like the people around here i felt an intense negative vibe ! She made me feel super uncomfortable! read more

Liked: Super friendly staff that make you feel like the Queen that you are. Updated clean & spacious facilities, supposedly Tuscan style. Feels like you're Spa-ing: relaxing tunes are played. Bumble & Bumble products used at the back bar. No product pushing here. Walk-ins are TRULY welcomed. Cuts range b/t $70-75, of course, I was charged $75. Ha! *bitter laugh* FREE bang trims. Disliked: My stylist didn't seem to have much knowledge of Asian hair or styling bangs. I'll have to update when my hair is more settled, but so far, so good. read more

Forced me into a hairstyle I didn't want, very insistent, I relented and now am unhappy with my hair. Very expensive too and gaur looked dull afterwards. read more

Michael and Jon Jay have been taking care of my hair for about 16 months. They are gracious guys and are very customer oriented. They kind of tag team the shampoo, color, cut and style and together do a stylish job. They keep meticulous records and have come up with a gorgeous mahogany color for my hair. I first came to them for a Yuko treatment to straighten my hair and have stayed with them. I highly recommend the Yuko hair straightening treatment; it left my hair very soft and flat for almost 12 months. As it grows out, my hair is slowly getting coarse and frizzy again, and so I plan to get a repeat Yuko treatment when it gets to the point of needing to be ironed everyday. read more

Desperate times call for desperate measures. Though we do love in a "Metrosexual" world, most men would not be caught in a Hair Salon. Let alone one in downtown Los Altos. Well my fellow Yelpers, I was in a jam. I needed a haircut. Badly. While I'm glad that my Tribe heritage gives me a head full of thick, curly hair...it is also a curse. I know that when I'm 60, I'll be thankful that I still have a full head of hair but it comes at a price. I've hated my hair for a very long time. If it's long, I have to use product to give it some sort of definition and style. Otherwise my hair would be available for heavy scrubbing of pots and pans. So, here I was searching...more like scrounging...for a place that could deal with my hair. If it cost me $200, so be it. I was tired of going to Supercuts, etc. and ending up with a haircut that was simply god-awful. Enter Balisimo Salon and Spa. A rainy Saturday afternoon and I was striking out looking for a decent chop shop. I was about to give up, i.e. making the final turn before heading home, when I noticed a salon on the corner. I walked in the front door and simply asked, "Do you give men's haircuts?" The gentleman at the desk, Jon J., hollered back to another man, Michael, inquiring if he had time to cut my hair. Michael did not speak a word, just made a gesture, which I did not understand. I looked at him puzzled and he then repeated the gesture. Still puzzled, he finally said, "OK. I cut your hair". I walked back to his chair and he throws a smock at me and I look at him puzzled again. He points for me to sit down and tells me to put the smock on. At this point, I'm a little nervous. I have no idea how many hundreds of dollars this is going to cost me and to top it off; I've got a hair stylist that will not talk to me. Smock on and now sitting, Michael starts to cut my hair without even asking what I what done. His first words, 5 minutes after he starts cutting are, "You have very difficult hair." Really? I had not noticed the first 30 years of my life. Michael continues to cut and thin my hair, working methodically but somewhat haphazardly. Few words are spoken. I think to myself, "It's just hair. It grows back if you don't like your hair cut." After 45 minutes of cutting and thinning he says nothing and gestures for me to stand up and follow him to the hair washing stations. He washes my hair and then motions me back to the chair. He touches up a few spots and then styles my hair. I look into the mirror and I'm in awe. Finally, someone who knew exactly what to do with my hair with not even an ounce of input on what I wanted/needed from me. Simply stated, this is the best haircut I've ever received. Needless to say, I've returned to Balisimo multiple times since then for a haircut from Michael. He now speaks to me and a good rapport has been established. He has let me know he does not normally cut men's hair because it's not challenging but enjoys cutting my hair so makes an exception for me. The best part, besides the haircut itself, is the fact that I don't even have to shell out $100+ dollars for the haircut. read more

This isn't a review for having had any hair styling done- wasn't able to even book an appointment the time I went in. It was a weekday morning, so not your typical weekend rush. I walked in the door and there was no one at the reception counter (but multiple stylists doing hair at their stations). I stood at the counter for a few minutes and not a single person came up to greet me, although I'd made eye contact with 2 of the hair stylists and one walking by when I'd walked in earlier...they'd clearly seen me. (Which is beside the point-they need someone at the reception desk either way.) Needless to say, I finally just sat down in the front chairs, closest to the door...in plain view of everyone working and still not a single person came to ask me if I was waiting for anyone/thing. I sat there for 15 minutes. Finally I just got up and walked out. read more

The color, cut & style team of Michael Chen & Jon Jay are as good as it gets in the Bay Area. These guys keep my color fresh and natural looking, my style easy to maintain and contemporary and they are very generous in accommodating the typical rush & hustle lifestyle. Their combination of artistry, style, humor and efficiency make them my favorite hair team strands down. I do a lot of media for my day job and my personal work protecting kids' safety online and these guys keep me camera ready, age appropropriate and on schedule. What's not to love? Call them directly at 650-888-8577 for best connection. read more

I really cannot comment on the quality or abilities of the stylists at Balisimo because after two tries I have not been able to get by the incredible attitude and rudeness of the reception or scheduling staff. Super friendly? Try Super Snotty!! Each time I stood and waited to make an appointment the staff was more concerned with their lunch order than taking care of a potential client. Wow. Los Altos has about a million (okay I exaggerate) salons and really I do not need the aggrivation, attitude or lack of interest that Balisimo puts out at the outset to try and find out if their abilities are worth it....and from what I saw in the chairs while I waited for my appointments was NOT impressive .. one or two steps above Super Cuts....maybe. read more

I just got my hair cut today and I told Sunnie that I wanted thick, sultry, and sexy layers. And that is exactly what I got. When I caressed my fingers through my hair, I thought it felt a little thick on the top, and asked Sunnie to texture it out a little more even when I was about ready to leave and she was more than happy to do touch up on whatever I wasn't satisfied with. I didn't feel like I was nagging her because she was a very cheerful helper :) The atmosphere was very pleasant, dim lighting except for infront of the mirrors, exciting location -- right off downtown Los Altos strip, and kind service. Walk-ins are welcome as are appointments that you make just 30 minutes before you get there (I think I was lucky today :)! ) I found this place because I was specifically looking for Sunnie who used to work at Hair International in Stanford Shopping Center. I'm usually scared of letting people try to make my hair look good, but Sunnie is my hair's charm. Because I have very long and thick Asian hair, she knows what to do. Also, she makes me feel so great about myself and has such a positive attitude about everything. I recommend this place -- and ask Sunnie for coloring treatments! That's actually her specialty. read more

If you need a haircut, Gina is the person for you. She starts with a wash and she takes her time with you. She is also an excellent conversationalist, deep knowledge on all things, including the one and only SF Giants. Gina is a big fan of the Giants (ask her to show you the pics)! One of the best parts about her style of cutting is that it is always consistent from one appointment to another and she listens to what you want. I would definitely recommend her. Enjoy! read more

Myong is incredible. Great service, excellent cut and style. Exactly what I asked for. Highly recommended! Her availability is slightly better these days, since with the down economy, people are spacing out their haircuts more. I first got her as a walk in, and have been back twice. I really love my cut. read more

Balisimo Salon has several things going for it. Each time I've called, the reception staff has been accommodating and easy to work with. The salon is easy to find. They obviously have a loyal following, of which I used to be one. I was a client of Jon and Michael. They work together, and do a fabulous job on styling my hair. Jon's erudite with conversation, as well, while he's giving you a great scalp massage during your shampoo. You know the usual rule to never talk politics? You absolutely can with Jon, which I appreciate. I like Jon quite a bit. He makes you feel beautiful, the entire time. You are his focus, and you can tell. Michael, however, I can take or leave. He does a great job on styling my hair, sure, but he has appalling customer service skills. He doesn't actually listen to me, he's brusque and pushy, he's got no problems talking over me when I speak and has a nasty habit of trying to inform me of what I want. When I asked for specific colors in my hair, he gave me something completely different. When I told him I never wanted my hair teased, he told me that I must be wrong, and then did it anyway. When I just called to make an emergency appointment, he actually yelled at me for calling the main desk instead of his personal number. I'm willing to put up with a great deal. I'm not one of those people who instinctively understands how to make her hair look gorgeous every day. I don't even own a curling iron. So when someone can make my blowout last for a while, I'll keep going back. But I have my limits. Being screamed at over the phone is one of them. Michael doesn't seem to understand that he's in a customer service industry. That means that we have a symbiotic relationship. I pay him money he needs to survive, he treats me with the respect owing a client. That has failed to occur on several separate occasions, and I am finished. I'm looking for another stylist. read more

Sylvia cut my hair and it looks great... she said she's been cutting hair for over 25 years and it shows... She is so professional and the salon is beautiful...! I will definitely be coming back... It was a very nice experience.... read more

If you're seeking talented caretakers of your hair, this is THE place to be!! I have had color, high-lighting, low-lighting, cuts/styles done here for the past ten years. Charlotte is my "go-to gal" on a regular basis; Bianca did her "due diligence" for many years; Myong "fills in" frequently. How great is it to have several super-stylists able to meet your every whim...you're covered in any/all circumstances!! ALL personnel are warm, friendly, and talented. Salon is very clean and inviting; top quality products are available, but not "pushed". Other services are also available (manicures/pedicures/facials/waxing/etc.). I highly recommend this "full-service" salon, and all of its talented personnel!! I promise you won't be disappointed!! read more

If I could give zero stars I would! First of all, they did not take my appointment correctly. I made an appointment for this week and they took it down as the following week. After being made to wait for 40 minutes until my stylist showed up, I was told rather rudely that they could not do the color I wanted for my highlights and that it was my fault because I did not tell them what I wanted ahead of time. They never asked me!! Not once! Do yourselves a favor and do not go here! read more

Amazing place! Svetlana Zorina has been my hairstylist for almost 15 years! I trust her so much I don't even suggest what I want, she knows me better than I do. I am always happy with my hair! Also, Valentina Tolstoguzov did some real magic facials and cold laser to my face! Her facial products are my favorite. Thank you so much! read more

I had a similar experience Jason G. I walked in on a Sunday afternoon nearly 7 years ago and Jon met me with a kind smile and welcoming enthusiasm that made me want to stay. Michael offered to cut and highlighted/low-lighted my hair on the spot. I have pretty long and thick hair that can be difficult to work with. Michael seemed to relish the challenge. He worked tirelessly for several hours and the end result was astonishing. He is hands-down the best colorist I've ever had. Michael, Jon and I have been working together for about 7 years now and I cannot say enough about how much I love these guys. Did I mention that they happily take appointments on Sunday?!? That was a huge added bonus for me. My hair has never looked better and people are always asking me who cuts my hair. I definitely owe it all Michael. Thanks guys!! read more

Still loving my Yuko treatment!! Just had it retouched a couple months ago and my hair is still nice and straight. Another great job by Jon Jay and Michael Chen!! I really appreciate how detail oriented these guys are. They will talk with me about my hair concerns for as long as I want and will recommend the latest products that they think I will benefit from using. I also really like that when discussing my haircuts, they offer their opinions on what is best for my hair type. Not everyone can pull off certain cuts/styles and they make sure you wont have unreasonable expectations for the result. Im a happy girl!! read more

I LOVE Jon Jay and Michael! Thorough professionals, they are always accommodative of my schedule and ensure that the 2+ hours I spend in the salon are relaxing. I like that they want to try new things but keep it a conversation -- neither of them forces suggestions or tells me they know better (even though they do!). Michael didn't talk much initially but I think we've broken the ice now :) And Jon's just such a charmer. They've always done a stellar job with my color and cut and never fail to make me feel like a queen. I'd be loathe going anywhere else for my hair care. read more

I will never return to this studio. Diane, the owner is rude and I find it hard to imagine she has any repeat customers if this is how she behaves professionally. I cannot say much about the stylists as I only received one pretty great haircut. I recently purchased a shampoo on the recommendation of one of the stylists at the studio. It is horrible for my hair and I cannot use it at all. I tried to exchange the hardly used shampoo and the owner Diane, refused exchange it without my receipt. She was very unpleasant to speak with and not helpful at all. She took no responsibility for the lovely salons in the area who treat their customers with respect. read more

This really is a great place to get your hair cut. Michael has cut my hair for a while now and I always get complements on his work. Only downside has been some confusion over appointment times. read more

I found Sarah at Balisimo about a year ago. When I came in, as a walk-in, my hair was a total disaster. It was so damaged and looked like fried straw from the abuse it had received at previous places. But over the past year, Sarah gave it lots of TLC and it is now 200% percent better and looks healthy and shiny. Sarah is also excellent with color. When I got blonde highlights at most other places, it would turn out orange and brassy. But not at Balisimo with Sarah. It comes out looking very natural and in a tone that goes well with my skin tone. Sarah is an excellent stylist as well and she is very professional and friendly. I am so, so thankful to have found her. read more

Lana Krstolic has always been my go to hairstylist at Balisimi. Her awesome technique with designing hair always makes me feel comfortable and I know I am in good hands.I am always happy after Lana cuts my Hair, I feel like a new person and ready to rule the world when she's done with me! Don't forget to book Lana Krstolic for Your next Hair appointment! read more

Needed an undo, called and was told they are open on Sunday. Was in a wedding and John says he can do it. I show up and he is in the back asking a coworker if shell take me- she says no, she's off and came in for her client. He comes out, not knowing I heard and says we need to go to another shop, walk 2 blocks to a nail salon where he curled my hair and was at a loss what to do!! Everything I suggested, he just couldn't do- I could have done better! Thankfully he knew he messed up and didn't charge me. Ruined my day! My daughter fixed my hair better than he did- don't see John! He's not a stylist or professional read more

Jamie Frette is one of the best hair stylists at Balisimo - she also really tells you the truth and knows what will work for your hair and face. And she works after-hours so the 9-5 time frame posted on yelp does not apply to her. Not sure why they even bother putting those inaccurate hours on this page since many of their stylists are in the shop waaaay past 5. read more

Irena is so thorough with her mani pedis you'll never want to go anywhere else again. She also does foot reflexology which feels amazing & gives me more energy thrust the day. She is amazing! read more

Balisimo...what is there not to like? Staffs are friendly, service is excellent and everyone there are all so professional. Sarah has been my stylist for many, many years and she has never failed me. Always a satisfied customer! read more

I had my hair cut here by Michael after a recommendation from someone with similarly wavy hair. I like my wavy, used to be curly before I had kids, hair. I did not want my hair straightened, but was harassed the entire haircut until I gave in to the 25 minute dry, which essentially left my newly cut hair totally lifeless and flat. It took weeks for it to come back to normal. If you hate your naturally beautifully curly or wavy hair, this is the place for you. If you actually appreciate it, avoid this place and go somewhere that will help you look great. The staff are not friendly either, so if you are down to earth, happy, and kind, you will feel lonely here. read more

I like John Bono. He understands what my hair needs to look like in order for me to feel comfortable yet the hair cut can not be not too flashy, just modern, attractive style in good taste. read more

Kenya Kim has been cutting my hair for over 15 years. I have followed her fron Steven's on the Plaza, Salon 121, and Voila. She's currently at Balisimo in Los Altos at First and State streets. When I go to her, I'm way, way overdue for a cut, and she transforms me! I have shoulder length hair that I get cut to chin length. She never gives me a hard time for how long I go between cuts. She takes her time and treats it like a true art form. Thank you Kenya! read more

Valentina's facials are the best; she has a great touch and a ton of experience. I have been going to her for 7 years.