I have bookmarked this salon for a few months now and finally made an appointment for a partial foil and haircut. I had to wait two weeks (which is a good sign) for my first appointment. Joanne (sp?) on the phone was so sweet on the phone and in person, and was a preview of the friendly customer service to follow.
Upon arrival, Joanne offered me a beverage . . . coffee, tea, water, soda, etc. I opted for a Diet Coke and she brought it over in a nice tall glass -- cocktail napkin and all. The waiting area is cute with asymmetrically shaped couches, tall vases with a variety of floral touches, and ottomans with trays on top . . . basically, the salon is very modern and decorated quite well. I would say Crate & Barrel meets Winston Flowers perhaps. The place has tall ceilings and is bright and airy due to the tall windows and high ceilings. It reminds me of a NYC loft. It definitely doesn't feel like you are in Stoneham anymore! It turns out that Joanne had tried to call me and other clients prior to our appointments because it happened to be Town Day and parking was scarce in the area. I thought that was amazing customer service that the salon would have the foresight to call their clients to inform them of potential parking difficulty. Oh, and one more thing . . . the chair at the hair washing station is so relaxing and comfortable. There is a footrest AND it massages you while you get your hair cleaned. The salon definitely put a lot of thought into the decor and functionality of everything.
Donalyn was my stylist, recommended by Joanne over the phone when I made the appointment because I had no idea what I wanted to do except possibly some highlights and a cut. Donalyn consulted with me before she got to work and really listened to what I wanted. Even though I could not completely articulate what I wanted, she was able to transform my blah and dull long, black hair into a sleek cut with some accenting brown highlights. Along the way, she asked me questions to ensure she was understanding my preferences correctly. I have had my hair colored and highlighted in the past and Donalyn managed to make the color in my hair seem natural and subtle, but noticeable. I have had bad hair color experiences where my entire head of hair turned orange instead of red so it was good to know I was in capable hands.
While I was there, I also caught a glimpse of Ken at work. He is the owner and even though he seems serious when he is at work cutting and coloring, he was really friendly to his customers. Even though he was not my stylist, he smiled at me and said hello when he went to put away magazines. His family (I think cousins is what Donalyn told me) apparently come in for haircuts now and then on weekends when Ken is officially off for the day. On this particular Saturday, one of his cousins -- a cute kid, perhaps 3 or 4? -- was getting his haircut and Ken was so good with him. At one point, the kid started crying when hair got in his eyes and Ken tried to calm him down. I think that is really sweet and shows that the business is based on good ol' family values. Kenzo looks like a Newbury St. salon but definitely doesn't function as one.
I ended up purchasing some Bumble and Bumble products on my way out too. That is primarily what they use on your hair and Donalyn was good about describing each product as she applied it. She was informative without trying to sell the product like other places do. Although I had 3 or so products in my hair, they were all light and I didn't feel them at all. When I checked out, they also gave me a referral coupon for $10 off for a cut or a color, so if you are interested, I would be happy to refer you! They also give you a nice little bag as a parting gift with a pen, magnet, and a comb, which is a small but definitely nice perk.
I go to two other stylists in the Fenway and one in Belmont regularly, but now that Kenzo is just 3 minutes away from my house, I can see me going here more often. The customer service and quality of their work is well worth it! I cannot wait to show off my style! The prices are also quite reasonable. My partial foil was $80 and the haircut was $35. Their website says they also do wedding hair and make-up, and Donalyn told me she performs those services quite often. read more