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Calihair
Rating Details »
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
- By Appointment Only:
- No
22 reviews for Calihair
I've been a fan of Calihair for about 10 years now, when you go, you have to book an appointment with Raymond! He's the only stylist that I've ever gone to at Calihair so my comments on Yelp are in regards to him as a representative of Calihair only.
Raymond is a color and style genius when it comes to hair. Before I went to college, he always gave me the greatest color and cut. I was known for my hair and the great colors and shapes that I had. When I went to college in LA, i tried different places such as Toni and Guy and Vidal Sassoon in Beverly Hills but I was always unimpressed and extremely unhappy with the end result. Let's face it, some professionals can boast about how great they are but when it comes to Asian hair, they are completely clueless when it comes to color and style. Therefore I made the decision that I would always go back to Norcal and get my hair done by Raymond. Hands down, he knows how to do Asian hair and make it look hot!
Over the years, I actually started going to W Salon for my color because I wanted to try something new, but I still go to Raymond for my cuts.
I highly recommend Raymond at Calihair, he is a sweetheart and he really knows what he's doing!!
I think I just found my new haircut spot for when I come home! I didn't catch her name, but the lady that cut my hair only used scissors and worked so quickly I didn't even catch when my hair got shorter.
First of all, I felt really awkward and uncomfortable as soon as I walked in because everyone was staring at me weirdly. I just brushed it off and figured I was being paranoid. They were all nice enough, but I got a weird vibe.
I went to Raymond, who cuts my aunt's hair. I love my aunt's hair and the cut and color are amazing. I guess Raymond just didn't work out for me. I went in with decent looking hair and left with a mullet. It was a cute mullet if that's even possible, but a mullet is a mullet. Also, he was so rough with me that I had tears in my eyes. I ended up wearing pigtails most of the time until it grew out. Now that it has grown out, it's even more horrendous. I'm going to get it cut in a week so hopefully that will fix my problem.
Back when I wanted to take my brother in to get his real first Asian guy hairstyle, I asked a nicely coiffed male friend to suggest a place to me. He highly recommended Calihair. My sister, a few years back, also went to Calihair to cut off like 12 inches. She has thiiick hair and Shirley spent a good hour cutting, trimming, and flat ironing and her cut turned out great.
So when it came time for me to make a drastic cut, I made the appointment. I brought my celebrity pictures and asked Shirley what she thought. She pointed to one and went at it. Now...if you're looking for someone who will consult with you as to the best hairstyle for your face or lifestyle, Shirley is not that person. If you want someone who can copy a photo and do a great cut, she is. So for example, when my sister went in again and described what she wanted as short, layered, and with bangs, she got something a little different than what she imagined. Bring a picture! I was incredibly happy with my Tila Tequila-inspired longer in the front bob and I thought Shirley did a great job.
However, also be warned about the highlighting upsale! It was hard for me to resist...
Total cost for shampoo/cut: $50.
Lin/Lynn gave me a fabulous cut the first time around: side-swept bangs + layered, shoulder-length hair. I came in a couple months later and asked for the same thing and got a mullet instead. Yes. A MULLET--with nice bangs, though. :)
I sat in the chair for some time as she looked confused and tried to fix the back. She finally gave up and pretended nothing was wrong by smiling big and charging me $45.
I returned to try to get it fixed the next day, and she blamed my jacket for making my hair look like a mullet. Heh???
It maybe was just a fluke and maybe she's good, but no way in a million years am I going to go back to try again.
Shirley has taken care of my hair for about 4 years now. I generally go in for a haircut and a color/highlights every two months. During those 4 years, I've gone from doing small trims because I wanted to keep my hair long (about 4 inches past my shoulders) to having more hair cut off to have shorter hair (right at the shoulders). I've gone the route of bangs to no bangs. Each time, Shirley has done a good job.
When I first went to see Shirley, she suggested highlights to me. Knowing I was a bit apprenhensive about coloring, she kept the colors pretty conservative and gave me thinner streaks. After these years, it's good to have a stylist who knows how I prefer to have my hair done.
Also, when I got married, Shirley did my hair and my sister's hair. Both turned out great.
One thing I like about Shirley is that she takes the time on my hair. She spends a lot of time blowdrying/styling the hair. She also enjoys what she is doing.
I'm giving 4 stars instead of 5 stars because, with the frequency, that I get my hair done, the prices add up! But, my hair is one area that I often splurge on.
It's best to make a reservation ahead of time. Generally a week ahead of time (for a weekend reservation) is enough advanced time.
Some background: At first, I was a little apprehensive, and I had not heard anything about Calihair - I recently moved to Cupertino, a summer rash broke out on my ear, and I REALLY needed a haircut so that my hair wouldn't irritate the rash.
I walk in and think, oh, man, this is probably one of those places where you need to make an appointment. Before I ask, Lynn smiles and asks if I am there for a haircut that afternoon. Well, yes, but I haven't made an appointment (now I do, naturally). No problem. I sat down and thumbed through the various Japanese hairstyle magazines (a previous reviewer noticed this), and picked out a hairstyle I liked, that looked pretty improbable with my hair texture. But hey, why not, let's see how this goes.
I left the salon pleasantly surprised. Not only did my rash feel much better, but I looked better. It had been a while since I had a NICE hair cut (my hair is exceedingly difficult to cut - very, very thick and curly), and woosh, in one hour, I emerged like I was made of pure awesomeness.
Since then (two and a half years later), I have tried many different hairstyles, and Lynn can mimic any photograph I throw her way. In my experience, I don't need to bring a photo a second time - she seems to remember exactly how she cut it before.
She is also very honest - if something isn't going to look good (even though she can get the style right), she points it out - and unlike stylists at other places, she never tries to push any additional haircare products on me.
Sure, it might be a little expensive but the price is worth it.
I've been going to Calihair for more than 7 years now. First I got a stylist whose name I didn't know. He did a wonderful job on my typical Asian hair, straight and not very soft. People complimented on my hair. He spent a lot of time cutting the layers. Then I heard of the name Raymond over there and I had Raymond for a few years. Raymond really knows about hair and he gave me suggestions of what to do and not to do. By experience I found out he was totally correct.
When Raymond took a leave of absence, I started to have Shirley. She is wonderful too, doing something a little different every time. Shirley doesn't talk a lot during the hair-cut which is perfectly fine with me (some people will be bothered). I would like my stylist to concentrate on her/his work :) The salon was renovated twice over the past few years so I totally like the ambience.
Been going here for about a year now. The thing I love about Cali hair is that they don't use clippers to trim your hair. Its all done with scissors.
Every time I go, I have Raymond cut my hair. He seems to be the best choice to cut a guy's hair.
The price is about $25-$30 a hair cut, depending on the amount of work I suppose. A little more than the $7 hair cuts I used to get before Cali Hair, but after getting my hair cut once there, I've become a loyal customer.
I've been going to Calihair for a few years now and I'm never disappointed with how my hair turns out. It's funny because I just went there on a whim. I needed a haircut and I didn't like how my usual salon was cutting my hair (using a razor blade to thin it). After my first haircut there, I knew this would be my new place to get a haircut. Later I found out that a few friends of mine from the East Bay actually drive all the way down to Cupertino to get their haircut here (one of them lives over an hour away).
Shirley is really good and is very thorough with her cuts. She doesn't just use her scissors and snips just wherever. She takes her time and goes through my whole head to make sure my hair turns out right. At the end she always compliments her work. Ha! I guess she's just telling the truth. I usually pay $50 (I have long thick hair) so I guess the price is similar to those other higher priced salons. I highly recommend this salon.
Cali Hair (or Calihair) has been in its current location for quite a long time now. They used to have a sister location in Milpitas Square called Ming's which the brothers who own the place (and cut hair and are stylists themselves) eventually sold the business there and at some point disappeared, and re-surfaced at Cali Hair.
I've had at least 3 hair cuts here since this place opened, and one cut about a year ago (which was when I recognized the two brothers were working there again).
The two brothers are known as Ming and Vincent. They are both trained and have certificates and graduated from the Vidal Sasson Stylist school or something along those lines, speak fluent Mandarin and Cantonese (native tongue I believe). I have to admit they are both very skilled and do men's hair quite well, and Ming generally is more in demand as he does women's hair a lot better (just based on observations).
However both brothers do not work cheap. One true tell-tale sign is that for men, they dress even BETTER than most guys. If you want to see mextrosexuals with scissors and loose hair all over themselves, come here. Most of the time, the brothers literally dress like they are going to a club. During their Milpitas Square days, these two ALWAYS were clad in Versace (jeans at least). I'm sure your tips paid for their clothing (but not their food, I think these guys are like women, they like to dress pretty, but don't care about their bodies as long as they fit into skinny jeans. V especially is skinny as hell, like one of those wasted youth) There's a fun Cantonese expression women use with each other, that translates along the lines to "I choose looking pretty over my life", meaning they would rather look fabulous and starve to death (or freeze in the cold, or whatever). No doubt the brothers live by this line themselves. Even Ming wears shades when he cuts hair! Talk about REAL cool.
Men's haircut and shampoo can run over $20 and if you are a female, your price will depend on the brother, how much hair you have, and the style you crave (especially if you have Ming cut your hair). It is not uncommon for women to fork over $50 and more before leaving with a new 'do, whether you like it or not.
When Ming's was at Milpitas Square, it was not cheap. That was years ago. Now Cali Hair is even more expensive, and given that this place is the only game in town for haircut, at least in Cupertino Village, expect to fork over more.
I wasn't terribly impressed with the last 2 haircuts that we got here. Vincent used to do a great job with my hair, but last visit he literally ripped it apart, and instead of looking like George Clooney, I looked like George of the Jungle. In fact just one visit from last time, I think Vince made enough money to get another Ver Sa Chee denim, and maybe even some toe rings to go with it.
Vince remembered me from MS days and all of a sudden after not seeing me for a long time, talks to me as if I'm his long lost best buddy from high school, flirting with me like I'm a bitch (except he's after re-establishing the money link). Uhhhh I'm here for a hair cut, just get it over with dude, I'm not interested in being your friend, especially with that air of pretense. He keeps calling me leng jai, like handsome/pretty young boy, and I start to get really uncomfortable. Listen pal, I'm likely older than you and I'm married, so stop the flirting!
I try to divert his attention by asking him what happened to Ming's in MS, and he then told me him and his bro sold the biz. Then I asked him if him and his brother have a share in Cali Hair, and he paused for quite some time before mustering an answer along the lines of "hey man, a dude's gotta make a living", as if he didn't want his coworkers to know.
There are other places to cut hair. If you must look pretty like the Ming brothers, then by all means come here. If you don't care how your hair looks like some guys, then go elsewhere, where you won't get charged and arm and a leg (and some hair), and hopefully won't get flirted with while some snippage is going on.
I've had my hair cut done there by Shirley for the last 2 years. During the time I've gone through some crazy hair phases but she's always open to having fun with hair. Granted she isn't the most conversation-filled person and if you don't know Cantonese ppl she might sound grumpy at times. But she is serious about her work and does a pretty good job at it.
I decided to change my hairstyle back to one I had in the past and so thought it a good idea to change to a new stylist too. I picked Calihair based on yelp reviews and was happily surprised with the outcome. Shirley did a great job and I'll be going back again and again...at least until I change style again!
popping my yelp cherry.. so bear with me
i decided that its only appropriate that calihair be my first review since ive been going to shirley on n off for a good 10 years or so. im giving them 5 stars cuz hey, ive found the one for me :) dont think im a particularly difficult client and most times i just let her do whatever, but every time i get a haircut i get compliments so that aint all bad!
a couple warnings tho:
1. she can get a little scissor happy, so if you will cry with a couple extra inches off that you didnt necessarily ask for, either dont go to shirley (lin is just as good) or be ADAMANT that you NEED your length
2. for ladies, esp asian ones, she tends to give hella fobulous haircuts. i know she does vidal sassoon education every year or so, but somehow everything she does comes out layered to all hell and god forbid you manage to keep her from flatironing your hair afterwards
3. shes definitely not for everybody. a handful of my friends are regulars with shirley cuz they love her, and some others will never go back.
if youre feelin a change and want a great cut, definitely recommend shirley and calihair! sometimes youll get lucky with a walk-in, but they do they get booked throughout the day. shirley is off on wednesdays and lin on mondays.
i am totally low maintenance when it comes to my hair-- no bangs, no curls. just straight black asian hair that i wear only two ways: down or up in a ponytail. nevertheless, a good haircut is important because i want it to feel *right.*
i heard about CaliHair by word of mouth. i had a good opinion of it based on the coifs of my friends, but what really spurred me was the job they did on a guy friend of mine. he came back with semi-spiked hair and blonde-tips. i thought, wow, if they can make him look that good, its probably worth it for me to try it out. i called to make an appointment, and since i had never been there before, they scheduled me with Lin (spelling??).
i've been making appointments with Lin for over three years now, and she is one of the best at CaliHair. she is attentive and makes good suggestions on how to make my boring choices a little more exciting (i mean really, what more can you do with straight hair if i don't want it too short or add any color?). she does a thorough job and takes her time, even if the place is bustling and she's got appointments waiting for her. recently i became brave and asked for a more daring cut-- shorter and more layers-- and it looks great! she taught me how to style it so that it would look good on a daily basis too. CaliHair is a bit pricey for me ($45+tip, and i'm a student!) but it is well worth the trip for the expertise.
from my observations, everyone there is very highly skilled. i have a friend who always asks for Raymond (her hair always looks great) and Vincent, whom i've observed, is really good at styling and coloring hair. if you ever want to find out how good the hairstylists are in a salon, watch them cut men's hair (short hair, that is). i find that to be very useful when critically eyeing potential salons.
Ask for Karen, she'll actually listen and cut the style the customer asks for.
Shirley always does a great job for me and my wife. Even very experienced, she is still very serious on every work she doees, of course, that costs your wallet a little bit. Just need to make a reservation ahead because she doesn't like drop-in. We have been the happy customers there over years.
Been a loyal customer for about 7 years now. Go there every 10-12 weeks, no fuss, Karen (the hair stylist) knows what I want, and I am out in 15-20 minutes. Have always been satisfied with their work. As one of the other reviewers said, ask for Karen, she does a great job. Looks like the others are all good too. The only complaint I have is that it is hard to get parking on a weekend morning or afternoon, but there is not much Calihair can do about it.
i was impressed but not at the price
$50 cut/style for girl's medium/long hair
$25-$30 cut/style for guy's hair (not bad)
but since i'm a girl with medium length hair.... i'm not sure what to say about paying $50...and then some for tip (~$5 more)
they do take time (an hour) to get your hair cut right and stylish, how you want it
if you like asian hairstyles, they have style books for japanese hairstyle(especially) and they are pros at it. they know how to do asian hair right. give them a try, many customers have been gobacks for years.
i love shirley~~ the only complaint that i have is she doesn't try to get all the hair pieces off of you after she's done..otherwise she is super talented.
I got my haircut by Shirley. She was really nice. She gave me tips and info on my hair. She was able to give me what I wanted by some pictures I pointed too. She took a lot of time to get it to look right. I wasn't pressured into buying their products. They had certificates from Vidal Sasoon hung on the wall so you know they are highly skilled in their profession. What I didn't like was a guy there who was pretty dead. No sense of joy in his work. His customer service pretty much sucked. I would recommend that if you want to get a cut their it is best to make an appointment. I had to wait a good 15 or 20 minutes because each stylist had a customer. Most of their clientele are by word of mouth (which was how I was referred to their place). Best place I've been too so far. I didn't get burned, gotten hair tugged too hard, or had my earring pulled out by a rough combing (all experienced by a number of stylist before). It was worth the $50.00 + tip.
after a lifetime of $8 unsatisfactory haircuts, i came here. and i was glad i did! i spent $50 plus tip on my hair, but i LOVED the results. the stylist (karen) spent a lot of time getting it just right and helped me look through some magazines i brought in for a cut that would look good on me. i'll definitely be back!
