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    J. Brooker Studio

    4.7 (114 reviews)
    ModerateHair Salons
    Closed 10:00 am - 5:00 pm

    By appointment only

    Updated 2 months ago

    Services - J. Brooker Studio

    Haircut

    J. Brooker Studio Photos

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    Reviews With Photos

    Angel incredible hair stylist

    I can't say enough amazing things about my hair stylist. Angel truly has fingers of GOLD! Every time I walk out of his chair, I feel like a million bucks. Instead of just showing a picture of my hair, I'm sharing my happy face with Angel because it says it all! He listens to exactly what I need, gives the best advice, and somehow always makes my hair look even better than I imagined. You can tell he genuinely loves what he does. I Highly recommend Angel at J.Brooker on College Av. In Berkeley. He is incredible and fast!

    Love love LOVE Nishan! I have really curly hair and have always found haircuts stressful and anxiety-inducing. A friend recommended Nishan at J. Brooker and I went last summer for the first time. I asked for a tiny trim but to get rid of my dead ends and actually got a trim (a miracle in the curly world) and my hair felt so healthy, and the shape was really flattering. It was the first time in years I hadn't cried at least a little bit about a haircut. Went back last week and I'm obsessed with my haircut -- and I think I've finally found a holy grail curly hair specialist, at a super reasonable rate no less. Recommending to all curly hair friends.

    Paulo G.

    I got the worst hair cut I have ever gotten in my life here. And it cost me 70$. I think some of their stylists are very good, but not this time... It was so bad I had to wear a hat for a few days, and when I got it fixed at a different salon, they were confused as to why it was so un-even. They thought I cut it myself. I was disappointed I didn't get a full refund, especially considering this is a higher end salon.

    my hair after being "fixed"

    giving 2 stars because usually my experiences are great, but yesterday was such a fail. i booked with "any stylist" since most stylists i've booked with exceed expectations and was assigned to Andrew. After exchanging a few words (since he doesn't talk much) i told him i just wanted to freshen up my layers since it's been a few months, and add some face framing. he acknowledged it and we got going. i thought it was odd he was only focusing on the top layers of my hair and asked if he'd cut some layers underneath too - to which he said yes. he then finished and shows me my hair but something was off. i paid and went to the bathroom to look at it and it was terrible. he gave me a shag and i looked like a mushroom - round at the top but an incredibly longer bottom layer. the layers were not blending in and my hair looked awful. i asked him to please fix it and at least even out the bottom layer - he did it reluctantly and on my dry hair. he even mocked saying "i wanted it perfectly" - which yes, yes i did when i paid $90. i went home and really took a look and realized how much my hair was the opposite of what i wanted and have ever gotten under the same request. i'll attach pictures below. all in all, a terrible, unfortunate experience. lastly, i called the studio (the receptionist was amazing) for a partial refund. andrew called me back and told me to come by to pick it up - so i did. he was very rude to me and didn't even apologize or acknowledge me. he gave me the money, ignored my greeting, and walked away. this to me said a lot about the lack of accountability. :(

    Fresh cut !
    Stephanie E.

    I had the most amazing and liberating experience. Thank you Elena for your patience, sense of humor regarding my hair tragedy. I'm so Impressed with your knowledge and skills. I will see you in 2-3 months.

    Fresh haircut by Nishan

    I stumbled upon this salon simply because it was local and ended up finding the best hair stylist I've ever been to, Nishan! Nishan is extremely talented and communicative about what she does to my hair. I've gotten many different haircuts from her and with each one, she puts so much attention to detail into her work. I recommend any and all of my friends to see Nishan because she is truly a hair artist.

    After

    First, I just want to say thank you to the team for giving me a same day appointment during graduation season! James transformed my hair from blonde with grown out dark roots to copper, cut it beautifully, and styled it with patience and grace. James absolutely gained a new client! I'm so happy with how my hair came out, it was everything I wanted and more! I'll definitely be back & I highly recommend this spot!!

    Beautiful highlights

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    Totally 5*s for Olga and James. James fit me in to touch up grays today and did wonderful job.

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    Page 1 of 3

    Ask the Community - J. Brooker Studio

    Review Highlights - J. Brooker Studio

    Joelle is fantastic and Maria the owner is so sweet and welcoming ;) Honestly all the stylists here are.

    Mentioned in 36 reviews

    Read more highlights

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    Maru Hair Salon

    Maru Hair Salon

    4.7(390 reviews)
    2.0 miNorth Berkeley, Gourmet Ghetto
    $$
    Locally owned & operated
    20 years in business

    TL;DR: This place is great! Book with Mark--he's an *artist*!…read more Longer version: My hair stylist quit the biz a few years ago to pursue a career as a therapist (so fitting, right?!) I was stoked for her! But since then, I've been adrift and searching for my hair match, trying out a new stylist for each cut. (My hair is fine but wavy with a weird cowlick, so it needs just the right layers. I had some great cuts and some so-so cuts, but never the right combo of close enough, a decent amount of availability that I'm not waiting months or driving across the bay, AND a great cut.) I tried Mark at Maru on a random rec from a friend whose daughter works at the salon--and after one cut, I feel like my search is over! The salon is very well-run and had an opening within a couple weeks. I arrived on time, was offered herbal tea, and waited under five minutes. It's in a nice spot in Berkeley with plenty of street parking with pretty cheap meters--$4. Mark asked me what I was looking for, got it right away, and was of course fun to chat with. I walked out with a cut I love for a reasonable price. I will definitely be back!

    I was nervous about getting my hair done since it was such a spur of the moment thing to get a…read moretrim. My stylist, Shawn, led me through to the second area of their salon which was cool and was so detailed about doing my hair. I've never had a stylist so precise and who really took great care in making sure everything was even and cut in exactly the way I wanted. I showed him one photo, and my hair looked exactly like it after. It was definitely the longest haircut I've had and pricey as I'm not used to Bay Area prices just yet, but honestly, so worth it.

    Photos
    Maru Hair Salon
    Maru Hair Salon
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    La Petite Hair Salon - Dependably great, on-time, haircuts with friendly people

    La Petite Hair Salon

    4.5(222 reviews)
    1.4 mi
    $$

    I've known La Petite for many many years. Professional…read more Punctual. Fair Pricing. Great Work. Friendly staff. Would definitely recommend the hair salon to anyone.

    I went to get a haircut Friday afternoon for a special occasion and showed them exactly what I…read morewanted: a classic Ben Affleck Bruce Wayne-style haircut with regular-sized sideburns, just like the character. They asked me if I was graduating, and I said no, I was meeting my fiancée's mom the next day. Five minutes before the haircut was finished, the stylist took a big chunk off my right sideburn. She cut it too high, which ruined the whole haircut, especially since my face shape doesn't suit short sideburns. I told her I didn't like it. I didn't overreact or yell, I was just uncomfortable. The hairdresser said, "Too bad!" and tried to dismiss the issue. I told her again that she should have asked me about the length. She then took it personally and told her boss that I was making things up so I wouldn't pay, saying, "They do this so they don't pay." What do you mean by "they"? Not only did I feel dismissed and treated unprofessionally, but also disrespected. I was upset after the whole situation, but even then I was willing to pay and didn't want to leave without paying because I didn't want to prove her point. Plus, it's not that expensive. At the end, the stylist said she had 40 years of experience. Well, after this, it feels like you wasted 40 years and somehow skipped the basics of customer service. Not coming back, even after being offered a free haircut. I would rather pay three times what I paid today for a standard service where you're treated with basic courtesy.

    Photos
    La Petite Hair Salon
    La Petite Hair Salon - Quick trim with long layers and slight face framing

    Quick trim with long layers and slight face framing

    La Petite Hair Salon - A photo of me later on in the day after I got a haircut at La Petite in 2016. I show this photo to all the stylists I go to as a reference.

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    A photo of me later on in the day after I got a haircut at La Petite in 2016. I show this photo to all the stylists I go to as a reference.

    Fox and Belle Salon - Some Hair Love included some Highlights, Root Shadow, Gloss toner with Vichida

    Fox and Belle Salon

    4.9(213 reviews)
    2.5 miWest Berkeley
    $$
    Women-owned & operated
    Certified professionals

    I've been going to Vichida for tint touch-ups and haircuts, and I can't recommend her enough. She…read moreis consistent--not just with her timing and precise application, but also with the quality of her work every single visit. What truly sets her apart is her kindness. Over the years, she has always been warm, welcoming, and genuinely caring, which makes every appointment such a great experience.

    I hardly ever write reviews but I need to give a shoutout to my wonderful hair stylist Reena, she…read moreis the best! Before Reena, I was never able to find a stylist that could so easily understand what I wanted and had the patience and skill to execute it fully. She is so flexible and creative with the methods she uses, and always keeps the health of my hair in mind. Before finding her, I had visited a different stylist for a consultation and this other stylist was planning to fully bleach my dark-blonde/faded red hair, and get it to all blonde quickly. It was such a difference to then go to Fox and Belle and have a consultation with Reena who came up with a plan to gradully get me to my blonde end-goal by first transforming my old red-dyed hair into an ombre sunset of lovely coral and peach tones to blend into my natural color (it turned out so much better than I could have imagined) and then once that had grown out and faded she was able to do a bleach-free balayage that gave me the blonde I wanted and will still look good as my roots grow out. And because of her methods, my hair feels so soft and healthy! It makes the whole process so stress-free because I know my hair is in the best hands with her. I have left each of my appointments feeling beautiful and so much more confident thanks to her. And on top of all that, Reena has given me so much great advice on what products and tools to use on my hair, how to prevent damage, and how I can style it myself. Everyone at this salon is so friendly and the environment is the most welcoming and relaxed I have experienced. I especially love how much natural light and fresh air there is in the salon. If you are thinking about booking a service here you should go for it and book it with Reena so she can work her magic on your hair!

    Photos
    Fox and Belle Salon
    Fox and Belle Salon - Sunkissed Balayage with a soft root shadow for a blonde but natural look.

    Sunkissed Balayage with a soft root shadow for a blonde but natural look.

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    Beautiful chic bob by Maritza

    Vika Beauty Salon - Hair from the back after I left - fried to a crisp

    Vika Beauty Salon

    4.6(228 reviews)
    1.6 miWest Berkeley
    $

    I walked in this week with very healthy hair and left with extreme heat damage, fried ends and…read morechunky uneven yellow highlights. When I stand in the sun, my hair is actually transparent. Virginia, you refunded my payment (thank you) and I wasn't sure whether to write this. I loved the haircuts I got from you before. But you cannot experiment on people's hair like this. And after this I do not think you should be coloring people's hair at all. I asked you directly before we started if you had knowledge and experience with blonde highlights and you said multiple times yes, and that you definitely could make it happen. But it turned out you had no idea how to do blonde bleach, let alone balayage. Once you rinsed out the bleach and saw how bad it looked, you didn't stop what you were doing to share what had happened. Instead of showing me the results, you applied a super-hot curling wand to give me a big hairstyle so I wouldn't notice the highlights. The wand on the new bleach left it with intense heat damage. The hair is falling out as I write this and my whole head stinks of burnt hair. This did not need to happen - you could have simply told me the truth, that you have no idea what you're doing with blonde highlights, and I would have been able to find someone who does, and my hair would still be healthy right now. Please let me be the last person this happens to.

    I came to Vika Beauty Salon to get the haircut that I didn't get at the last place I went to…read more Virginia referenced my inspo pic a few times and asked questions along the way to ensure she was getting me exactly what I asked for. I have paid far more for lesser quality cuts. She is friendly, detailed, and efficient. I mentioned to her the other reviews that suggest booking far in advance but she said that it only gets busy around the holidays. I was able to get a booking within a week in mid-January. Leave a voicemail and she will get back to you in a timely manner.

    Photos
    Vika Beauty Salon - Tonsure

    Tonsure

    Vika Beauty Salon - Virginia is a master stylist.

    Virginia is a master stylist.

    Vika Beauty Salon

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    J. Brooker Studio - hair - Updated May 2026

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