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Azure Salon
Rating Details »
Category: Hair Salons [Edit]
Neighborhoods: North Oakland, Piedmont Ave4315 Piedmont Ave
(between Gleneden Ave & John St)
Oakland, CA 94611
(510) 601-6600
- Hours:
Mon-Fri. 12:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.
Sat. 12:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
- By Appointment Only:
- Yes
23 reviews for Azure Salon
I love my cut and color form Azure Salon!!
Cindy is amazing! She is always really gracious and a joy to be around. Her shop is cute and comfortable with plenty of magazines and really great art.
My last cut and color is great. She gave me a bottle of color to touch it up later, and the color fades so nicely that I almost don't need to use it!! And, my hairstyle looks great as it grows out.
I definitely recommend Cindy. She has the tools too make you look great!!
I have been going to Shag in SF for the last two years and love the cuts I get from Tom. But having recently moved from the city to East Bay, I was looking for a place to get a haircut from a reputable stylist in my new neighborhood.
I checked Yelp for a few places, and the reviews on Cindy were enough to sell me. So I made an appointment and she was good enough to squeeze me in at the end of the day since I wanted one sooner rather than later.
Azure is a one-stylist operation, and Cindy is it. The salon itself is comfortable, quaint, and clean-but-funky. The haircut/styling I received was quite good, and Cindy was interesting to talk to while receiving my haircut. However, she charged me $50 for a straightforward man's haircut (wash, cut, style), which I think is ridiculous. Add tip and we're nearing $60 for a man's haircut. I'm equally peeved that she didn't state this when I was originally making my appointment over the phone, and that I didn't bother to ask in advance.
Now let me be clear on who's writing this review; I've never been to and wouldn't even consider going to SuperCuts, GreatCuts, or any of those other bargain-basement bowl-cut emporiums, so I'm not making my decisions based on the lowest-price provider. I care about how I look and want to feel confidence in the judgment and abilities of the person whom cuts my hair, and am willing to pay for that. Having said that, I know for a fact that there are many very good stylists that will offer a high-quality mens' haircut for $30 to 40. In addition, there are literally dozens of stylists along Piedmont Avenue and in Rockridge- so I'm sure the competitive environment has created incentives to offer reasonable pricing for salon services- they just don't seem to have affected Cindy. Somehow I have the feeling that, in coming here, I may have bought a Ferrari to just go to the grocery store- if you catch that analogy.
So, while I received a perfectly good cut from Cindy, found her personable and professional, and am sure she is worth it for more complicated jobs, I'm going to keep looking.
I am so sad to have moved from the Oakland area, because is the only one who has shaped my crazy hated hair into something that looks good! A little funky, but not too funky! and cuts it in a way that really flatters me. I REALLY enjoyed her expertise and am sad I am so far away from her now!
Cindy is a master of the color & cut.
I constantly get comments on my color, even when it a little faded people are still fascinated by the fact that my color looks great for so long.
WHat I really love is that she is HONEST about my hair and what style/cut suits me. She is not about just taking my cash and cutting my hair b/c I found a cute pic in a magazine. Many times I bring in my pics and I am told that my hair is not suitable for that cut, or that the cut will not flatter my face. Im so happy she talks me out of styles that would most likely make me cry when I got home. Trust me my last stylist never gave input on the hair cut, she just cut away to match the pic. I would go home and cry.
Cindy also practices random acts of color. She is always happy to indulge in my color fantasies and even though my hair probably shouldn't have any more color done to it. She waves her magic coloring wand and I have my multi colored pheasant hair and my hair is actually healthy. My hair is healthier than it has been in a long time. I eat a crap diet so it has to be the coloring agent she uses and the good quality products she carries in the salon.
Im sure she hates that I take 20 or so min to teeter back and forth on what color I actually want. But she is patient, and creates a perfect look for me.
Overall good magazine selection, she is very attentive to my hair needs, listens to my drama and gives great cuts and kick ass color.
If you want rock star hair then this is the place for you!!
I think the reason so many of these reviews sound like they were written by Cindy's friends is... Anyone who's been to her more than once almost certainly considers her a friend. Cindy just seems to have a natural talent for connecting.
Hair-wise, versatility is really the name of Cindy's game. Yes, she rocks out the wild and crazy like nobody's business. But most of her clients *don't* look like anime characters - they range from conservative to sophisticated to celeb trend bandwagoneers to just plain stylish. She has a zillion tricks for making hair behave, and has used every single one of them to tame my thick semi-curly mop on its way from above my ears to below my shoulders.
In five years I've been "stood up" once, but the experience was just the opposite of Salsaboy's... Cindy e-mailed a couple days later saying she'd had a personal emergency and had been stuck without access to her schedule, so she couldn't contact those of us who had appointments. She worked like crazy to fit everyone in, including mornings and Sundays, and everyone affected got their service for free. Oh, and once she canceled my appointment on short notice because she was half dead with the flu. Not much you can do with that kind of situation in a sole proprietor business.
I do wish it was less expensive, and getting to Azure is kind of an annoying hike across town for me. But really... I have a stylist who remembers my long-range hair goals, is genuinely interested in feedback on previous cuts, and can make my hair not look like a mushroom, all while respecting the fact that I'm just never going to blow dry. It really doesn't get better than that.
OK folks, Cindy Lopez, formerly of Blow, now on her own at a cozy little spot on Piedmont in Oakland, is hands-down the best hairstylist I have ever had...ever! She knows exactly how to do my hair so that it almost does itself for weeks after I've left her salon.
I just got back from another great Cindy cut, and what I realized as I was sitting in her chair today was that, when she cuts my hair, I actually end up getting two haircuts: first the "fresh-cut" look, which lasts for a few weeks, and gets me compliments from one group of people, and second the more "indie-rock" look, which lasts for the last few weeks before I go see her again--and gets me compliments from another group of people. Plus, need I mention the amazing scalp massages she gives? I feel like I'm melting...
Bottom line: Cindy is the best! Go see her!
Cindy Lopez is the most awesomest stylist in the world!
Like the other reviewers have said, she really listens to what you want, and doesn't pull punches. With other stylists, I'll end up with a really conservative 'do cuz they don't listen and don't seem to want to take the chance... even when I've been really blunt about wanting something crazy. Not miss Cindy (a.k.a. Puddin)! She'll figure out what you want, talk about how that will work with your hair type, current coloring, how processes-damaged it is (yeah, I was a self-bleach-fiend for awhile), and execute the plan of action with flair! And it's so true - her haircuts are done so well that I look great when *I* have to style it, not just when I walk out of the salon!
I like to change styles a lot and the latest style I've been blessed with has garnered sooo many compliments, that at this point I can't bear to part with it... at least for a few more months :)
If I ever move away from the Bay Area, it will be extremely difficult to find a stylist who makes me as happy as Cindy Lopez. From the beginning, when I first went to her at Blow Salon, she's been a wonderful stylist to work with. She gets to know you and evolves her techniques as you keep going to see her in order to make your hair look better and better, which I really respect. She's professional, hard-working, passionate, innovative, and really fun to be around. Ultimately, her work on my hair has been a defining element in the evolution of my personal style. I know, crazy, right?
Also, on another note - she opened Azure Salon on her own after much hard work, and even taught a class about opening your own business at Rock Paper Scissors in Oakland. What a giver!
I recently booked an appointment with Cindy when I desperately needed a haircut because the reviews here have been so positive (even though she is considerably more expensive than the person I had been going to). Despite that we had a confirmed appointment -- confirmed that afternoon for 4:30p -- when I arrived she was nowhere to be found, her salon was closed and locked, and there was a sign stating that she'd be back by 5:30p. I was confused. We had just spoken 90 minutes before. I had mentioned that my hair looked like a chia pet and needed shearing. She hadn't called before I left my home. There must be a mistake.
When I returned home, I discovered that she had left a message -- at 4:23p, which is far too late to catch me before heading over to Piedmont, park, and be on time for my appointment. There was no tone of apology in her voice -- though she did apologize -- when she admitted that she was going to pick up her car. Perhaps more offensive, however, was her (lack of) effort to make it right. "I don't have any appointments until next month."
Look, I understand that things come up. I dislike being inconvenienced as much as anyone, but life is complicated and shit like this happens. It's hard to imagine that this car-thing just came up out-of-nowhere, but I could have let that slide if she made a concerted effort to honor my business and respect my time. She did neither. To tell me that I have to wait another month after standing me up indicates she is out-of-touch. Narcissistic, perhaps? Is it all about her? She can inconvenience but can't be inconvenienced herself? This isn't the first time something's gone wrong at a business establishment. At a restaurant, for instance, usually drinks are on the house or meals are comped and a manager profusely apologizes. In some form or fashion, one is made to feel as if her patronage is important. Cindy did no such thing. No offer to fit me in; no sincere apology for what appeared to be an avoidable inconvenience. No effort or incentive for me to even attempt to see her again. So much for first impressions. At the end of the day, I felt that she really didn't give a damn about me, my time, my hair, or my business.
Even if her hair-styling is superlative, her customer service is anything but.
I continue to use the stylist near work, who is 30% cheaper and 100% reliable.
Cindy from 'Blow Salon' has started her own business and I'm following her. She is one of the few people who has ever given me a great haircut that lasts! Most of the time my haircut looks good when i walk out the door with product in my hair but come the next day when I refuse to use product it looks quite boring. Then, as my hair grows incredibly fast, it quickly deteriorates and looks horrible forcing me to get another haircut.
Cindy, on the other hand, gave me a haircut that has lasted far longer than normal. Her new location is very nice, I recommend parking on the residential street parallel to Piedmont.
As a 45 year old woman I was looking for someone to give me a hair cut that exhibits my vibe for life and my attitude ---spicy, sharp, acheiver....
Cindy's talent with multiple colors and her hair cutting techniques I end up receiving tons of compliments on my hair.
Luv Cindy's eye for color and texture she is what a hair dresser is all about...
Thanks Cindy for making me look 10 years off younger.
The best hair styling I've ever had. Cindy has an eye for color and texture, and turns hair cutting into an art form. When I was dressing more conservatively, she gave me great, cute, low maintenance hairstyles that grew out well. She never tried to impose a style on me, but was so willing to manifest what I was looking for. When I decided to kick it up a notch (the profile picture should be informative here), she was really excited to work with me on creating a new look. When she asked me what I wanted, all I could say was, "I want bright red in it. And I don't care how it's cut, but I want it to look hot!" It was her idea to make two asymmetrical streaks on each side of my head and give me a short, well textured-do that was so fun no matter how it was styled. It was a wonderful mindmeld between cutter and client. She seemed to know where I was coming in my life and was so assured in her helping role of creating the new, improved moi. So yes folks, I had an emotional haircut. I got a little misty eyed when she was done. We hugged after. It was a beautiful thing, I tell you! I've gotten tons of compliments on my new look, from both my fashion-forward and conservative friends.
I'm quite surprised to read the reviews criticizing her customer service. Yes she is very busy and often booked up, but I've found her to be accommodating to a fault. She maintains a waiting list, and always manages to squeeze me in earlier than expected. When we were going to have a particularly lengthy session involving bleaching and dying, she arranged to come in an HOUR before she normally opens to make sure she had enough time to take care of me. She's stayed late before too, making sure to finish the job thoroughly. And when one time we had a scheduling mixup for reasons unclear and I showed up and she didn't, she apologized and gave me a nice break on the price when we rescheduled.
The decor is lovely, with cool artwork and pretty purple walls. She gives such fabulous head massages while she shampoos, you'll never want to pull your head off the sink. She's also very warm and open, fun to chat with, full of interesting stories, and clearly makes an effort to get to know her customers. In short, Cindy is a fabulous stylist totally dedicated to her craft, and worth every penny.
Great haircut and color. I found Cindy on Yelp and agree with all the great comments.
I'm actually writing a sort of response to super m, who it sounds like has a personal beef with Cindy, as much as many of the other reviews sound like they were posted by her friends, but are clearly not fake (man it would be a lot of work to fake all those profiles!).
I've had a few cuts and they were perfectly fine, but you know how it is, you have to find that stylist you click with and Cindy just wasn't the one for me. Her spot is cozy and comfortable and parking's not so horrible at that end of Piedmont ave.
nothing negative about her - she just didn't quite get what I was saying I wanted - close but no cigar. it's not for lack of skill, it's just that we didn't understand each other. I since managed to find someone I do connect with for a lower price even, or I would still be investing the time to let Cindy get to know me and my hair prefs.
Amazing Hair cuts by an amazing person...named Cindy Lopez. I have been getting my hair cut by cindy, as well as my wife and 2 kids for quite a few years now. I love her new studio location, it's in a great place and feels very cozy. My kids love her as well, feeling very comfortable as they got their first ever hair cuts from her.
From getting our hair dyed, to cuts, she does an amazing job and I would recommend her to anyone!
Cindy starting cutting my hair about 3.5 years ago, and I've stuck with her since. Though I am a creature of habit, she gets kudos for giving a good haircut that grows out well (I don't look shabby), plus she was able to cut my hair while I was starting to pass a kidney stone. 3.5 years ago I had really long hair (down to my shoulder blades) and I was about to get married, so I went on citysearch (pre-yelp) and found Cindy. On my way to my appointment I started with acute flank pain. By the time I got to the salon I was occasionally vomiting due to reflex reactions from the blockage. The pain was excruciating, but intermittent. I thought I could endure the haircut, so I met Cindy and got in the chair. One she braided my hair and cut off the pony tail, I was committed. However, the pain began to return, about every 2-5 minutes, and your body tells you to get up and move around, as an instinctive reaction to the muscles around your kidney trying to force the damn thing down. It is horrible. However, I wasn't 100% certain it was a stone, and so for some reason I didn't tell Cindy, and would just say every few minutes "I need to get up" and I'd scurry to the bathroom, and wail and wash my face with water. Once the pain subsided a bit, I would return. After about 45 minutes I had a great haircut and was good to go. When I paid they asked to book another appointment in the future. I said I'd call them, then I walked outside and vomited in the gutter. Cindy is a magician. She didn't give me any trouble during the haircut, and did really well, and even tried to be cool and friendly. Needless to say, the two of us had a funny story to exchange the next time I saw her. The rest is history. I think I'll keep going to Azure until I go bald or move out of the area. Moreover, it feels good to directly support an entrepreneur who's not part of the supercuts-industrial-complex.
Ms. Cindy Lopez has a flair and a knack like no other.
She is hands down one of the most underrated color
technicians I have ever been to. What amazes me most
about Cindy, is that she pays very close attention to what
it is you are asking for, and when you think you can't quite
articulate it to her, she jumps in and communicates it to you
eXACtly! Thanks Cindy for all the warm cuts and colors!
I'm not used to paying big money for haircuts, but I feel my money is well spent at Azure Salon. People are always complimenting me on my hair-cuts and color. If I have an idea, Cindy materializes it. She really knows how to frame a face. I can't wait for my touchup in a few weeks, I'm long overdue.
I love Cindy for my hair (I promise Super M. - this isn't fake). I think that it's important to find someone whose sense of style clicks with yours and for me, Cindy does it.
My hair is currently tri-color pink, purple, with a bit of black, and cindy does an excellent job of giving me vibrant kickass color, a cute haircut, and knowing what i want when i give her a vague "do some things here and some other stuff there." My hair turns out a great color and in a punkish type cut that's easy for even my geek self to style.
I do have to agree that parking in Piedmont does sort of suck - I usually wind up parking a few blocks away on the weekends, but that's Piedmont.
I went to Cindy for almost 3 years when she was at Blow Salon and had no problem following her to Azure Salon, which is her own private hair studio. She's a highly talented colorist and always cuts my hair to perfection. I love the way my hair grows out now, too. Plus she's unpretentious, friendly and doesn't overcharge for her services. Highly recommended!
Cindy is PRO! Great cut, in and out in under an hour, and very friendly!
Thanks to yelpers for bringing me to Cindy. I've been meaning to write a review since I first came to Cindy last August. She is awesome! She's really sweet, friendly, and real. If she doesn't think something will work for you or if it will do more bad than good for your hair, she will let you know. Honesty is very important in a hair stylist and she's got it. She's real gentle on your hair and cares about your hair's health. I brought in a picture of some funky, rockin' layers and she nailed it, I was still getting compliments weeks after my cut! Its hard to find a confident and fearless stylist. I'm happy to say I found her and I would recommend Cindy to anyone. Just a tip for first timers, since she's super rad and all, expect to wait a few+ weeks for an appt....but trust me she's worth it!
After reading all the positive reviews on Yelp, I decided to give Azure a shot. Cindy's salon on Piedmont is nice and sunny. Good music flowed from her MacBook Pro. Most important, she gave me a great haircut for a reasonable price. One that looked great then and still looks great now.
If you're searching for a new hairstylist, Cindy at Azure Salon is it.
