Karma

Though I’ve been a resident of New Haven for the past 4 or so years, I’d been hesitant to get a haircut anywhere. That changed today. I have been in desperate need of a change – my asymmetrical bob was starting to grow to a length that was less stylish and more «did your hairdresser f*ck up?»
I was lucky enough to get a last minute appointment with Nicole for a cut and balayage. She not only told me how to correctly pronounce the word, but also did a truly fantastic job. I have thick hair and the process took around 3 hours total. The scalp massage was heaven to my tension headache riddled head.
The salon is small and cosy. The products are organic and smell wonderful. They can’t do a chemical straightening, as there is no organic way, but they can do keratin treatments and perms. They offered me tea when I arrived. The atmosphere is very relaxed.
I can’t recommend Nicole enough. She answered my bevy of dumb questions with a smile, and didn’t stumble at my inability to make passable small talk. We laughed over the selection of throwback 90s songs playing in the salon and reminisced about short lived emo phases. Karma is reasonably priced when compared to others that offer such services – that being said, getting a good color treatment is expensive. A few weeks wages, by my reckoning.
Tl;dr– if you need a hairdresser in New Haven, Karma is a good choice.

This place is very classy and reasonably priced! Meredith cut my hair and did a great job. She cut it exactly like I asked and gave some styling tips for how to keep up my new look. I would definitely come back here!

Meredith was amazing! She was able to give me the cut exactly how I wanted it to be. She is very meticulous and extremely attentive. I highly recommend her to anyone.

Loved this place! Called first thing & they accommodated me for same day. Staff is super nice and the scalp massage was amazing! Great ambiance and reasonably priced. I told the stylist my needs and she knocked it out of the park!

I had the best experience at Karma. My stylist was Meredith who listened to me and really executed what I asked for. I love my haircut! I’m never going anywhere else. I highly recommend this place. The products they use smell amazing and plus: they give you a head massage in the beginning that feels unbelievable!

I tried Karma for the first time last fall after moving too far from my last salon to keep going. The ambiance is great and really laid back, and all of the stylists are extremely friendly. They offer free beverages including chai and wine, which is pretty awesome.
I booked a cut with Nicole since she had openings at the time and have stuck with her since! I’ve seen her about 5 times now and everything she’s done has been amazing! I’ve had her do a long bob, highlights, and just the other day had her take me from shoulder-​length to super short, so she can definitely tackle a wide variety of styles. I also have the difficult almost-​super-​curly-​but-​not-​quite hair and have received more than a few awkward cuts in my day.
She’s a total perfectionist and it shows. Her work is always flawless and she’s happy to go back in and fix every little thing. She’ll also give you her honest opinion on your style ideas and give you what you want while making sure it’s flattering. I get loads of compliments every time I see her.
Karma also gives free clean ups and bang trims as well as a 1 week grace period to get things fixed, though I’ve never needed to take advantage of the last one.

This place is simply amazing! Clean and ambient space, reasonably priced (consider the good quality), organic products, and most of all, they have the best stylists in town! Well, I may be a little exaggerating since I’ve only had Meredith cut my hair. But she is so good that I had no reason to switch. After keeping long hair for so many years, I decided to cut it short. I didn’t have much luck with my former stylists when it came to short hair: I have very thin and fine hair, which is hard to style. So I am super careful when I decide to make a change. It turned out Meredith at Karma is the one! She listened well, and helped me to design a perfect style that I want to keep for the rest of my life.
Since I had the first cut, I’ve been coming back several times. After every visit, I just loved this place even more. Sipping a cup of hot Chai on a snowy winter morning, or tasting a glass of wine on a midsummer afternoon — yes, they offer that, which is just sweet — and getting a great haircut just make my day. I am so happy that I’ve found this gem in Elm City!

I picked this place because it was closer to home and after 6 months of travelling constantly my hair was in a pretty bad state. It was the best decision I’ve made all year. I had Meredith cut my hair she was amazing. This is the first time I’ve actually had a stylist say she’s going take an inch off and only take an inch off. She kept the length and gave me beautiful layers. She trimmed my bangs perfectly too. The scalp massage was heavenly and all the products they use are organic. It smells great and my hair feels amazing. I can honestly say this is the best haircut I’ve had. Thank you guys I’ll definitely be back

Cheryl did an absolutely beautiful job with my haircut. She was very helpful in listening to the general idea of what I wanted, but then weighing in with her professional opinion about what might work better. I actually just recently went to get my hair cut again elsewhere (about 3 months later), and the stylist made a point of complimenting her work. Loved it!

the absolute best. i am picky about my hair, and i have been going to cheryl for years. i love her. and have referred friends who have all loved her as well. she has cut my hair short, helped me grow it out, colored it a gorgeous brunette and a great blonde, done highlights and all over color — basically everything at one point or another! i trust her completely and wouldn’t let anyone else touch my hair. no matter how she cuts, styles, or colors it, it looks great. the salon itself is great too — modern, clean, lovely. they’ll offer you coffee, tea, wine. go here!

I haven’t had a haircut here per se (but I promise to update when I do!). But I did get a bang trim. I got in at a time that was perfect for me on the day I called, got an excellent bang trim, and even though my initial haircut wasn’t performed at Karma, I wasn’t charged. So I sort of feel like I got a free sample of Karma, and I was very impressed. Great staff, great service, and free bang trims all add up to an excellent salon — I can’t wait to get a «real» haircut here!

This salon totally exceeded my expectations. New to the area, I called to make an appointment. It was suggested that I come in for a consult to discuss with the stylist what I wanted done for color. No charge, took about 15 minutes, but I did have to wait a bit, understandably so. My stylist consulted with the others to determine what would be the most flattering color mixture with my current hair and grown out highlights. The products used are awesome, making my hair look and feel amazing. The cut was just a trim, with fresh layers put in. Just what I was looking for. Definitely somewhere I’d go back to!

I hit up Karma for a pre-​wedding cut and color, new to New Haven and nervous about finding a good spot. Was thrilled with the great service and friendly, comfortable atmosphere, and found prices to be reasonable. Will be back soon for a touch-​up!

Great place loved the atmosphere, consultation and especially the scalp stress relieving massage! Susan was a great hair stylist and eyebrow waxer! I highly recommend it!

My family and I recently moved to New Haven from California. One of the things I detest about moving is trying to find a great hair stylist. In CA, I had one that I loved and had been seeing for 6 years. So, after 2 failed haircuts in New Haven, I decided to look on Unilocal.Why I did not do this before, I have no idea! Karma seemed to have the best reviews, so I scheduled for a full highlight (it was time to go back to blonde!)and cut with Nicole.
When I arrived everyone was super friendly (even though I was a bit late) and offered me a cup of hot tea. My hairstylist, Nicole, was very nice and professional. She made some suggestions and got right down to business. And 4 hours later (I have a lot of hair), I looked fabulous! I was so impressed. When I arrived, my hair was an embarrassment but when I left it was beautiful. I haven’t felt that pretty in a while. It even looks good two weeks later without any curling, product, etc. So… if you need a truly awesome cut and color, I highly recommend Karma and Nicole. Wonderful experience!

My experience here has been very pleasant. For starters I want to comment on the customer service. They have little perks such as a hot beverage in a mug and a call a week later to find out if I’m still happy. Maybe this is how they do it in New Haven, but I’ve had my hair cut in Avon and Shelton and I’ve never find myself this comfy in a hair salon :)
I love the décor and ambiance of the salon. It’s not «spa-​like» and more urban and eclectic.
Finally, to the service itself. I had Nicole cut my hair and I noticed her skills are much better than the last salon I had visited. I am also Asian and I get nervous a bit with the way I get my hair cut and Nicole did a fab job with it. She took the time to tweak as well at the end to make sure everything looks perfect.
I definitely will go back :)

Women with short hair: be not afraid!
Holly gave me a great cut. I gave her very little info — she just listened and got it right away. She also really sweet and funny and put me in a great mood.
Holly offers the opportunity to come back for a fix if you’re not thrilled — I didn’t need it. She also offers free mid-​way cleanup to keep the short parts looking new.
The salon is a really nice setting. Receptionist was great about fitting me in.
Two of my friends also went to Holly recently after trying different places, and they both look great. We all have different hair textures and styles. Her sensibility works for straight girls *and* lesbians, and men.

I found Karma three years ago on Unilocal and have been going ever since. Holly is a fantastic stylist and colorist, highly recommend! My hair has never looked better. And the price can’t be beat, very affordable.

I’ve lived in New Haven for 5 years and have bounced around salons looking for a place I like. I went to Karma today for a cut, and was very happy with everything. Location is perfect, salon itself is adorable. Staff was very friendly from the second I walked in the door. I had an appointment with Sue and not only did she do a fantastic job with the cut, she was very friendly and very helpful, giving me styling tips the whole way through (and when you’re as hair challenged as me, its great!). When I go into a salon with an idea, I want the stylist to use their expertise to cater it to my face and what would look best on me, and Sue did just that. I would definitely recommend Karma and Sue to anyone. I will definitely be going back!

I live in the same building as Karma, and while I’ve never gotten a full-​blown haircut, I did stop in for a bang trim one day. The girl who helped me was very friendly, and she took me as soon as I walked in. She asked me how I styled my bangs and how short I wanted them, and then proceeded to do a *cough* bang-​up job. She was truly delightful, both skilled and super sunny. When I asked how much it would be, she said it was free, and that I should just tell my friends about the place. I tipped her, and here I am.
I have a weird racist thing about hairdressers, where I’ve convinced myself that only Koreans and, in a pinch, other Asians know what to do with my hair. This girl was the first and only non-​Asian to get near my hair with a pair of scissors, and I was happy with the results. While I don’t know that I’ll be going back for a full cut, I’m happy to give Karma a big thumbs up on Unilocal.The staff is friendly and competent, and they give free bang trims to strangers.