Alissa Shimada: Hair & Makeup Artist

Alissa is hands down one of the most talented hairdressers I have ever met!!! She has a way with hair that I have never seen before. She is insanely talented and incredibly sweet! I have been going to her for over 10 years now and she never fails to amaze me with her innovative ideas, techniques and on trend styling! When it comes to color, whether it be fun bright colors, which is what I typically go for, beautiful blonds, rich brunettes or fiery reds, she can do it all! She has a way with color and uses my hair as a canvas and it’s amazing to watch her create! Her cuts are so on point that they look amazing once they are freshly done, and equally as incredible 2 months down the road! I love watching her do her magic and hanging out with her and her contagious laugh! She will make you smile and laugh so much your cheeks hurt! She has a heart of gold and not only will she give you the hair of your dreams, but she will also become your best friend in a heart beat!!! I look forward to seeing her at every appointment and I recommend everyone in my life to her! Just go see for yourself… you will not be disappointed!

Alissa is a wonderful colorist and stylist. I am generally overwhelmed with hair decisions and she always guides me with patience and great knowledge and I always end up loving the way my hair looks. I have extremely (extremely!!) thick hair and am always nervous when getting my hair done. Alissa tackled my hair and styled it gorgeously. She has been doing my hair for a number of years both cut and color because I immediately trusted her skill and ability. On one instance, she wasn’t satisfied with the color (even though I thought it looked good) and I came back free of charge to adjust the color. She takes great pride in her work and it shows. I recommend her to anyone. She is great with men and women and she also cuts my boyfriends hair. Her bubbly and outgoing personality make the hair session so fun! She’s quite the little spark and I am always laughing. Thank you Alissa for always making me look and feel good about my hair.

I wanted a big change for my Birthday, so I decided to cut off 8 inches and go pastel. I was really nervous, but Alissa talked with me and made me laugh the whole time. Even though it took longer than we had anticipated (I have A LOT of hair), she had all the patience in the world and even gave me a menu to order food from nearby when I got hungry! Sensitive to the fact that I may not be diligent on bleaching the roots, she used the balayage technique so that my natural color wouldn’t grow out in a hard line. I felt like a new revived woman walking out! Honestly the best stylist I have ever been to.

I’m not one to spend much time on my hair, but when I need a cut I go to Alissa. When Alissa cuts my hair, I know that I’ll be getting a quality cut that will grow out nicely. She really has a natural talent for working with the unique needs of each client. For me, she knows I never stay on top of cutting my hair & I only get a cut every 6 months or so. Alissa takes that into consideration & thinks about how my hair will look as it grows out– not just how it looks for the moment.
The last time I went to see her, it was for a Bjork Halloween costume. I showed her a picture of what I wanted & she did EXACTLY what I asked down to the color (which, of course, she made sure would grow out nicely without me even having to ask) :)

Oh, how I wish I could give 0 stars. I am new to the area and did some research on salons online and thought Lotus’ overall good reviews would match their service. BOY WAS I WRONG.
This is nothing against the salon as a whole, but against one of the hairstylists ALISSA.
After being seated at her station, I told her how I had never dyed my hair before and was very nervous but excited to try something new (ombré). I showed her pictures of what I wanted, which showed a pretty drastic transition from dark brown to bright blonde. Alissa said she could do it and she got to work. 3 hours later (including cut), she was finished. I was very happy with the cut, but to be honest, I could barely notice much change to the color and it did not look like the pictures at all. She walked me to the front and I was SHOCKED to find out my total ended up being $ 285. The next day I went to work and not a single soul noticed. I was so down and disappointed about it because I obviously wanted people to notice, ESPECIALLY since I had never done anything to my hair and this was a big deal to me! I called the salon and told the woman at the front desk how I felt, and she told me that she would tell Alissa and they would be able to get me in the next day for a touch up, free of charge. I arrive to the salon where I was welcomed (or should I say unwelcomed) by a VERY unhappy Alissa. She told me she was so shocked I had called to come back in and how she couldn’t believe I cared so much what people thought. She proceeded to scold me for 10 minutes and continue to tell me how I needed to have my own self esteem and she wasn’t going to do it without charging me the full price again since «she didn’t do anything wrong». I SHOULD HAVE LEFT RIGHT THEN. I was on the verge of tears and so upset, I didn’t even know what to say. I ended up negotiating the «touch up» to $ 55 after her original request of $ 100+. The next hour and a half were the most awkward and SILENT minutes of my life. She didn’t say a single word to me, was super rough with my head when putting in highlights and washing it out, and did not even walk me to the front when we were done. I am so disappointed and surprised to see such a different side of someone. She was so rude, unprofessional and DOWN RIGHT TACKY. I thought it was acceptable to voice my opinions about my hair after spending so much money. and I thought it was the stylists job to make the customer happy. I WAS SOOOOO WRONG. Please be careful of Alissa, she is a total two faced, money scamming monster.

I highly recommend Alissa. I have never trusted a stylist so much I tell her
What I want and she makes miracles happen. I’m constantly changing my hairstyle and stepping out of the box and she seems to nail it Everytime. She is amazing we have have great conversations full of laughs I feel really comfortable in her chair. Did I mention she’s gorgeous what guy doesn’t want his haircut by smoking hot rad chick who has the hair game locked down?

I am not the kind of person who can just go to any hairstylist. I was given a gift card. Finally used it out of despair and was fortunate to have Alissa color my hair. I haven’t left her side for 3 years. She has become my personal stylist. I trust her so much. That it’s comical. My husband and friends love my hair and I always leave her care feeling super sexy!!! (Hair can do that :)) I never not get compliments on my color and style. She did my look for my engagement pictures and my wedding and basically every important event in the last 3 years.

I started going to Alissa for just a blow-​dry/​style. She is fun, engaging, and really babes me up! While she was styling my hair she kept mentioning ways I might want to think about doing my hair (I had mentioned I was in a rut). I liked her ideas and went to her for my next haircut and it was great. Rut be gone! She has cut my hair and done a Brazilian Blowout — which was great. She takes her time and doesn’t rush the process. I get lots of compliments after each time she goes near my hair. I highly recommend.

Alissa is absolutely the best! She has been doing cut and color on my hair for over 5 years and she always does such an amazing job! She also styled my hair for my wedding and it was beautiful! Plus she is freaking hilarious and is the biggest sweet heart ever! I highly suggest her!

Alissa is the ONLY person I trust with my hair. I had virgin hair for the first 25 years of my life. First, I trusted her to give me bangs and I have never gone back. Second, she did ombré to my hair and I was obsessed. Third, she chopped off 10 inches and completely changed my look. I love that she let me step out of my comfort zone and I feel so good about my hair. I will never have anyone else do my hair because Alissa is simply the best!!!