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Gavert Atelier
Rating Details »
Categories: Hair Salons, Bridal [Edit]
Neighborhood: Beverly Hills9666 Brighton Way
Beverly Hills, CA 90210
(310) 858-7898
- Price Range:
-
$$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
- By Appointment Only:
- Yes
11 reviews for Gavert Atelier
This is a review of Robert Bolanos...eyebrow KING!
This sounds like a tale of another salon, but, hang in there.
He *used* to work for the eyebrow queen, Anastasia down the street. That's where I originally found him. I wasn't able to get an appointment with her majesty. So, I figured, WTH...I just want to get my foot in the door at Anastasia.
It was love at first sight...of my new eyebrows! How in God's holy earth did this man make my pathetic excuse for hair growing out of my forehead look THAT fabulous!?!?!?!
But, silly me. I was still enamoured with the thought of being in the presence of Her Royal Majesty, so I was able to finally book an appointment with her.
Yeah. Okay. So she knows her stuff. But, seriously...Robert blows her out of the friggin' water! I kid you not. Back to seeing Robert. Call for appointment and to my dismay, he no longer worked there.
BUT, "he is only around the corner at Gavert Atelier..." said the voice on the other end of the phone.
Quick! Somebody get me the number! Made the appointment and made several trips from San Diego to see him. WELL worth the time and drive.
I haven't seen him in a few years. Just haven't had much time to go up there, but, now that I see these reviews....let the love affair continue!
From what I recall, the hair salon part of it is known for doing "Asian" hair. I'm a white girl with blonde hair, so I really can't review that, but I do seem to recall that.
Never experienced ANY snooty, snotty, snobby staff there. Just good people.
LONG LIVE THE KING!
And, they lived happily ever after...
I was impressed by their services and reviewed them on my blog , The Recessionista, at:
http://therecessionist...
Let it be known that for 22 years I was the proud owner of an extremely righteous whitegirl jew-fro. If you do not trust in the righteousness or fro-ness of this hair, please feel free to examine my pictures.
In 3 magical hours at Gavert, Tony retexturized my hair from Diana Ross to Cher. It used to take about 2 hrs to blow my hair straight, so 3 hrs for permanent straightness felt like a sprint. Other stylists told me that my hair would take 10 HOURS to straighten.
I now have straight, glossy beautiful hair. None of this nappy, damaged bullshit. My hair dries straight--no blowdry, nothing. Japanese hair straightening is AMAZING, and Gavert is the mecca for it. I fly down to have them do my hair.
It's also worth noting that it's just a great salon all around--the stylists, manicurists, colorists, all top notch. Really low attitude, really high quality of service, and pretty damn reasonable for the neighborhood.
I love Gavert Atelier for highlights. Stuart Gavert is THE best. Now this review is strictly about color...color is what made Stuart famous. He is masterful at what he does and, moreover, he is an extraordinary teacher. This is important because he trains all the colorists who work at Gavert Atelier. No, I've never been one of his students, but I have allowed several of his proteges, over the years, to step in an do my highlights when Stuart was in Japan teaching, or on vacation. This would include Nelson, Kazumi, Andrew and, most recently, Christine. Nelson has since left, but Kazumi, Andrew, and Christine all do very nice highlights. NOTE: Kazumi may be on maternity leave soon and Andrew divides his time between NY and BH, so book in advance.
As far as pricing goes, it can range considerably. For example, Stuart's fees might be considered too expensive for some when compared with those of his junior colorists. However, his rates are comparable for the area, and more reasonable than some of the other celebrity colorists who have yet to open their own salons, but work in the vicinity. This is one instance where you truly '"get what you pay for". Stuart is a perfectionist and, thus, you leave looking and feeling like a super model, with flawless sun-kissed highlights.
I only see one of the junior colorists if Stuart is out of town. Since I have moved to the Bay Area, I can't always get to BH when he is available and, thus, I haven't had my silky, super-straight ultra-fine tresses in Stuart's capable hands in over a year! Even so, I'm still quite happy with the highlights Christine gave me last month, and at $150 for single process color, I was ecstatic!!! That is a BARGAIN in Beverly Hills, and since I paid full fare business class to fly down, I paid about the same price I used to pay when I lived in LA and had Stuart highlight my hair.
Gavert Atelier is a full-service salon, but I haven't had any other services performed here. I am as loyal to my stylist as I am to Stuart and his assistants. I am going to give Robert a try at my next appointment. I hear he transforms appearances with his brow tweezing. The receptionist....geez I can't believe I am forgetting his name...anyway, he is EXTRAORDINARY. He is so personable and yet professional. He will go to great lengths to work you in the schedule. He keeps the place running smoothly and efficiently. He is an excellent first point of contact.
They offer an array of great hair products, but I have NEVER once felt pressured by anyone to buy anything. I took this for granted until I moved to the Bay Area where they sometimes hound you...BUY! BUY! BUY! My favorite conditioning treatment is the Japanese product FF or Fluffy Feel. It is super hard to find anywhere else.
I give Stuart and his staff of colorists my highest recommendation, as I've been going to him for many, many years...long before the spawn of Satan took office. In fact, I believe it was Satan himself...Bush senior, that is, who was in office when I first begin having Stuart do my highlights in NY. You remember the first time We invaded Iraq, don't you? But, I digress...the Bush family's intermittent reign of terror is almost over...
Anywho, politics aside, I was very young and seeking to find an expert colorist who could return my Goldwell auburn tresses to their natural color....honey blond. Stuart came recommended to me from...let's just say, a highly successful woman who's livelihood hinged solely upon her aesthetic appearance. She said that he was based in LA, but flew into NY once a month to take care of his East Coast clientele. This was important to me, because although I was flying to LA weekly during those years, I didn't want to spend my time there battling the west side traffic and then sit in a salon chair for 3 hours having my highlights done. No sir, I flew to LA to enjoy the sunshine. I would gladly sit for 3 hours in a salon in Manhattan, but I was not willing to compromise my sun-time while on the West coast....perfect highlights, or not. NOTE: Stuart no longer works in NY.
When I moved from Manhattan to Los Angeles, I didn't have to change colorists, as Stuart was at Umberto in Beverly Hills. A few years later, he and his partner decided to open their own salon, Gavert Atelier on Brighton way. Being the consummate perfectionist, I knew Stuart's keen attention to detail and love of all things Asian would make for a chic but unpretentious salon. This is just what Gavert Atelier is....chic minimalistic, unpretentious, effortless, understated, and elegant. Check it out~
"Almost cut my hair
It happened just the other day
It's gettin kinda long
I coulda said it wasn't in my way
But I didn't and I wonder why"
After having decided to cut my long hair short for the first time since I don't remember when, I started researching where to go for the chop chop. This being Los Angeles, there are many, many choices. It's not an easy decision, even with The Help of Yelp. There were so many salons to check out that I considered forgoing the haircut and just letting my hair grow and grow and grow some more. But no...
"Lend me your comb
It's time to go home
I got to go past
My hair is a mess"
I had hair, but no style! It had just been growing as it pleased, without anyone to give it direction or purpose. The daily wash-and-comb wasn't gonna cut it anymore.
"Bangs
Above your eyes your hair hangs
Blow my mind your royal flyness I dig your bangs"
Further, I had been sporting the same bangs for nearly 15 years. Bangs may be in right now, but not for me. I wanted them gone! But I wanted my hair to look decent while they grew.
"Darlin' don't you go and cut your hair
Do you think it's gonna make him change?"
I was clear on why I wanted to change my hair - this was no knee-jerk reaction to emotional trauma. No sir, I was going into this carefully. I printed out photos that approximated what I wanted, and read review after review of salons from Santa Monica to Pasadena. I wanted to find a stylist with the right balance of scissor skillz, knowledge about the right style for me, friendliness, and affordability. Ambiance would be a bonus but was not required.
"If cutting my hair's gonna hurt like that
The barbershop's no place for me"
After giving the matter the serious thought it deserved, I decided to make an appointment with Israel at Gavert Atelier.
"[Man] Girl, you got some pretty hair.
[Woman] Aww, thank you baby you know, I got a little bit of Spanish in me.
[Man] Girl you ain't Spanish, it's all fine and silky."
Israel was great! Given that the salon is located in Beverly Hills, I was a little nervous about how I'd be treated. After all, it's clear at first glance that I am no LA glamour puss. I shouldn't have worried, though. Israel looked at the photos I'd brought with me, and we discussed my ideas about what I wanted. He brought us some tea, then we got down to business.
He avoided cutting my hair too short by cutting it once, then continuing when I told him "shorter! shorter!" I would have had him keep cutting, but Israel knew what to do and explained how the length was in line with what I wanted. Thanks, Israel - if you'd left it up to me I'd be looking all Britney circa Feb. 2007.
"Devil's haircut! In my mind!"
Still, I couldn't help but worry that I might be unhappy with my haircut when all was said and done. After all, most of us have had bad haircuts at some point, and a new stylist is an unknown factor in the personal appearance mix. I needn't have worried. Israel was concerned with maximizing my cuteness - more concerned than I was. Yay, Israel! If you are somewhat style-impaired like me, Israel is your man.
"We'll look in the mirror and we'll see
A handsome monster - oh, it's me
It's fun to get your hair cut when it grows"
After all the snip snip, Israel styled my hair - again, with cuteness as the primary goal. He told me how to style it at home (easy!), and let me know that I could come in for free touch-ups on the bangs as they grow out (wow). He was friendly and talkative, but not too talkative. I felt like I was in very capable hands, and was surprised to leave his chair feeling happy. I've now had a great hair experience, and I will definitely be back for more.
"She had hair so long that it looked like weave
Then she cut it all off now she look like Eve"
Okay, I'm still no glamour puss. But I'm considerably cuter than I was before Israel worked his magic. Proof: I was hit on in a rather creative way a few days later - as I was walking down the street, some guy told me he'd roll out the red carpet for me if he had one. No joke. Granted, he was drunk as a skunk, looked like he hadn't shaved in a week, and was at least 40, but hey. It was a sweet compliment, and I know it was the hair that made it happen. Maybe telling you that getting your hair cut at Gavert Atelier will bring extra "game" from drunk old guys on the street isn't the best advertisement for the salon, but hey.
"Hair chic, smells sweet"
So...I've got myself a nice new haircut, not to mention a great new stylist! Israel charges $75 for a cut, so with tip we're talking less than $100. I never thought I'd pay that much for a haircut, but I did and I'm here to tell you I'm happy about it.
"Shawty, shawty
She throwing her hair"
{Minus one star for the snooty attitude the receptionist gave me on the phone when I made my appointment. And maybe a little bit when I first arrived at the salon.}
MIka is AmAZING.......... One of the only stylists who can cut long hair and keep it long.... if you know what I mean. She doesnt take length off in order to make it healthy again.
Ask for Jason...he gives the best haircuts ever...for those of you who don't know how anyone can spend $70up on haircut - I was in your shoes at one point until my sis treated me to a makeover cut and color. Jason spends forever brushing, examining, triming, cutting, re-evening and making you look like the perfect person you were meant to be. Everytime I go I fall in love with my hair...it's like magic...
I used to fly down to get my hair straightened here. I had them do my thermal twice (the first and second time I ever had it done). When I finally found a place in SF (and having had it done three more times since), I realized that my hair had not been done as well as it could have either time. For the money, I guess expected top of the line quality. Also, I got my hair cut after my first thermal - that was the most expensive and WORST haircut of my life! I had to have it recut and styled two days later by my normal stylist.
They really know hair at Gavert Atelier! I got my hair cut from Jason, who was amazing. Plus their assistants give really good head massages! They may seem a bit pricy, but being that the salon is adjacent to Rodeo Dr, it is actually reasonable. You definitely get what you pay for!
Eyebrow waxers! Go and see Robert to get your brows done! He is absolutely fantastic - somehow always manages to get you to look years younger by fixing them brows. He is the best. Whenever I go to LA, I always make it a point to pay him a visit! I've tried and tried to convince him to move to Hawaii!!!!
today i went to get my hair colored, and i had no idea where to go, so i went online and ask around, little did i know there was a beautiful zen-like place just on brighton way, what was it, it was Gavert Atelier, i made an appointment with Andrew Serrano and he is amazing, his coloring was only $70 and he is super sweet
