Shelly is perfection!!! Please read this review in its entirety if you are looking for a precision cutter/color specialist in the Austin, TX area - you will be thrilled with what Shelly will do for your hair.....to say the least! I recently moved here from Houston - and let me tell ya, I was religious about my longtime hair gal. Post relocation, it was time to find someone amazing to help my hair get back in shape! I found Shelly on CraigsList, she had been running a coupon/ad, and I wanted to find someone who was both ultra talented and moderately priced...I have medium length hair, that I had box dyed and wanted to get back to nice blond highlights and grow my hair long .. so I probably needed a cut to. Making an appointment with Shelly was the best move I've made in Austin - she works super hard to get you in to see her ASAP and seriously takes the time to PERFECT your hair before letting you walk out. Like said, my color had been box dyed a (terrifying) dark red/brown shade - simply put, Shelly corrected the horror and brought me to a head turning multi-highlight blond with tons of shine and natural contrast...IN 1 VISIT!!! Listen people, this is unheard of - I know from experience that other hair pro's will suggest that you come for multiple color treatments to achieve what I was looking for...Shelly did not waste my time or my money - she gave me MORE than I was looking for and did it for a price that literally SHOCKED me...her prices are insanely great - Shelly clearly knows how to keep her business growing, despite the economical climate. Before Shelly, I'd seen another local color specialist to help me fix the mess I'd made and this guy only made it worse... Shelly not only fixed my color, but made it the most beautiful it has been in years -- without even batting a lash or breaking the slightest sweat! This girl is a PRO! She does amazing highlights and has a very unique technique to ensure maximum root coverage...these highlights are literally in the scalp, you cannot get any closer than Shelly does using her special technique. Other hair professionals were dropping by her private salon just to study her in action and learn from her expertise - wow, now that is when you know you are working with the best! Now back to my hair - usually when you lighten hair as much as Shelly did mine (in hopes of correcting the color) your hair will look dull, fried, or break off ... Seriously, when Shelly was done drying my hair, it was SO SHINY and lately has felt softer than ever!!! She introduced me to a complimentary deep conditioning treatment after highlighting - a service that runs about $25 at most upscale salons. Shelly was also nice enough to do a cut for me even though I did not schedule it with her, she worked me in and took the time to really understand what I was looking for in a hairstyle! Bottom line, I have been envisioning the hair I now have for years and Shelly totally brought my imagination to life - she is not just a hair professional or specialist, she is literally a hair intuitive - I honestly think she is so tuned in to her clients and somehow "just knows" how to make them look and feel ultra fabulous! Go to her....now, seriously - make the appointment! :) Thanks Shelly!!! read more

Shelly is GREAT!! I've been a client for about 2 years and I can't say enough. I have naturally curly, thick, coarse, frizzy hair and very little patience for a daily ritual of hair wrangling, so my entire adult life I have worn my hair short. If it gets any length at all, it doesn't get longer, it gets TALL. Ugh. Shelly has always given me great cuts that grow out well, which resulted in the tallness not happening as frequently! Then she asked me if I'd ever considered straightening my hair. Hmmm, no, not really. Shelly didn't put any pressure on me, but the topic came up during my next few appointments and with her encouragement I finally decided to try it. OMG. I couldn't believe the hair on my head was the same hair it's always been -- it was smooth and SHINEY. AMAZING. And because Shelly cares so much about her clients and wants to positively impact our lives, she declared that since it was her idea, she charged me very little that first time. I've had it done twice more since then, the last being just yesterday. For the first time since I was 14, my hair is nearly shoulder-length in the back, and the shortest layer in front is almost down to my nose. I am able to pull it back, use pretty hair bands, barrettes, etc. -- things I've never been able to do. The shine factor still amazes me. It's ironic because now that my hair isn't getting "tall", I actually get it cut much less frequently, so in a way Shelly shot herself in the foot, so to speak. But she genuinely doesn't mind and is happy to see my joy and amazement that this is MY hair! Regardless of what your haircare needs are, I give Shelly my highest recommendation. Besides being VERY skilled at what she does, she has integrity and an old-fashioned work ethic that are rare these days. And her prices are extremely reasonable. My class reunion is in a couple of weeks, and I am going with the knowledge that Junior Wheeler won't be calling me a "Frizzy Headed Freak" like he did in 8th grade! Thanks, Shelly! (now if only Junior was a hottie whose opinion really mattered to me . . .but that's another story altogether). read more

I'm curious why yelp felt the need to remove my review? i read the "review guidelines" and am certainly not breaking any of them. I'll try this again...I have lived in Austin for 10 years and have searched high and low for somebody that gave me the results I wanted. Each time (even after spending $300+), I ended up with highlights that were either poorly done, too "chunky" when I requested a natural look, or color that didn't match my skin tone. When I saw Shelly in our community newsletter, I decided to give her a try. I'm always weary the first time I visit a new stylist, so I told her I would rather have a partial highlight with lots of foils than a full highlights with not enough. She took her time and made sure I got exactly what I wanted. I've never had that many foils in my life, and the results were beautiful!!! (Even my boyfriend, who NEVER notices when I have something done to my hair, said, "You look like you have Barbie hair!") I've seen Shelly for highlights, cut and the straightening treatment and have been more than satisfied with every service. (I even let her give me bangs, which requires a lot of trust!) Not only are her prices ridiculously reasonable, she also takes a lot of pride in her work. She even texted me a few days after my straightening treatment to make sure I was satisfied and liked it. (And YES... I love it!) As far as the negative reviewer, I can see where she is coming from and hate that she had such an unfortunate experience. Shelly would never start on a client unless she had the necessary time to do a fabulous job, so if you are looking for a "quick fix" she isn't going to be the person for you. She is going to want to take her time and ensure that you get the service you deserve. Her biggest strength is that she is a perfectionist, and I would not take the time to write a review her unless I had the utmost confidence in her. read more

Hey there, I usually don't bother with reviewing people/businesses but I felt I just had to share my positive experience with Shelly. I had some crazy colored hair going in.. it was box dyed then darkened with highlights by a stylist. As the colors wore off, the middle of my hair looked a bit brassy/orange. I went to Shelly to get a partial highlight and cut. After our consultation, she told me that she needed to do several things to get the new look that I wanted. I was fine with that and felt included and respected in the consultation process (which is not something that I can say all the time!) I'm sure you all have experienced a consultation where you thought the stylist understood what you were looking for, only to walk out with something else. The heart break and disappointment! Well, you WILL NOT experience anything like that with Shelly. She listens, recommends and manifests what she says she will. If you want someone who is invested in you and has integrity and compassion, Shelly is your stylist. Not to mention she is just a sweetheart. So, Shelly Abbott is your new go-to person whether you just need a trim, color correction, highlight, whatever! (Ohh, and the girl gives an awesome scalp massage with the color treatment!!) read more

I have allot of gray in my hair, so it is difficult to color and hold a color for more than 4 weeks. I have been seeing Shelly Abbot for the past 6 months and I love her. She took the time to get my color right and make sure I was happy with it. She also made sure she understood what kind of hair cut I wanted. She will not let me go until I am happy. She takes the time to get my hair right and will do whatever it takes to make sure I am pleased. She also works with my schedule and I can book all my appointments on line. I take my daughter to her as well to get her hair cut. My daughter is 12 and has special needs...Shelly was sensitive to my daughters needs and dealt with her hair accordingly. As a matter of fact i just went out of town for the holidays and four of my family members commented on how fabulous my hair looked. I will definitely continue to have Shelly cut and color my hair. Shelly Abbot has a website so you can read her bio which I found very helpful in making my decision. http://www.shearsbyshe... or shell_abbott@yahoo.com Kimberly M. read more

Shelly Abbot is terrific. She is not only skilled at giving a precision haircut but actually listens to how you want your hair cut. Shelly does take the extra time it takes to cut my "extreme" naturally curly but fine hair, which happens to be thick. It is a tough cut that she does well with each visit to her salon. I have had only three people in my lifetime that could give me a great cut and Shelly is one of them. I am so fortunate to have found her after a four year search. Shelly has been very helpful to me, also, on what hair products I can use to tame the frizz on those humid days. Also, my husband's 88 year old aunt saw Shelly for over a year, before moving back east, for a haircut and color and she couldn't have been kinder or more patient with her. Shelly is a genuine jewel professionally and as a person. I recommend her to others frequently. Cathy s. read more

Shelly is by far the best experience I've ever had as far as having my hair done!!! I explained to Shelly what I wanted done to my hair, but I was not very thorough and had her kind of guess as to what kind of color and highlights I wanted.The haircut was fabulous right off the back! When she was finished she did an excellent job, but the color was very subtle, I told her it wasn't exactly what I wanted because I did such a poor job explaining originally, and she scheduled me in for another visit a few days later to brighten up the highlights. She never complained or made faces, she actually was super nice about the situation. At the second visit she didn't charge me for the additional color or her time, and the highlight turned out AMAZING!!!!!!! I will never get my hair done anywhere else but with Shelly! read more

Shelly is a fabulous hairstylist! I am super picky about who touches my hair. I was very nervous going to her my first time, but I was so glad that I did! Shelly fixed a horrible haircut that I got while I was on vacation. I learned my lesson and will never do that again. Since then I did the Juvexin Hair Straightening System and it made my wavy hair look so straight and shiny. She even adjusted my hair cut after straightened so everything looked just perfect. Currently I'm trying to grow my hair out and she really listened to that and really only trims my hair while giving it a great look and not chopping it all off again like my previous hairstylist kept doing to me. Next I am going to have her dye my hair from dark brown to auburn. I fully trust her in this and can't wait to get it done! read more

Finally, someone who can cut my hair who really cares about the end result. Shelly takes so much pride in her work and spends as much time as needed to give a precision haircut. I have very fine hair, and my friends have commented on how much thicker it looks now. She covers my gray to make my blonde hair look very natural as well. Her hours accommodate my schedule perfectly as she is even open on Sunday. It is so great to have finally found a stylist that I can count on to make me look great! read more

Shelly is awesome! I have been searching for four years to find a great hair stylist and Shelly is it. I went first for a hair cut and the Juvexin treatment. It's amazing and really reasonably priced. I went back two weeks later and Shelly gave me the best highlights I have ever had. She is great with helping me find a look that compliments me and really listens to what I want. I highly recommend her. read more

Shelly is an amazing stylist. I have been going to her for the past two years and have never looked back. She's thoughtful, attentive and very accomadating. I love the color of my hair. She gets her foils so close to the root. VERY nice! She's a MUST try! read more