Smoke & Mirrors

5 stars for smoke and mirrors! Glenda is amazing! She colors my hair dark red and my sisters hair in deep purple and I could not imagine having someone else color my hair! I have also gotten haircuts from her — which are also just as amazing! She definitely costs more than the average stylist, but her price is validated and absolutely worth it with her experience and expertise. She just opened a new location which is super exciting! Her assistant Travis is great too and I love coming in to the salon! :)

I have been coming to Smoke & Mirrors for over a year now and EVERY. TIME. I leave, I am a very happy customer! Cat Halloran has done *AMAZING* things with my hair: cuts/​style, Keratin treatments, and color. I’ve told her to «do what you think will look best» and been satisfied over and over again. She’s done a wonderful job at protecting my hair from damage while still giving me intense fire engine red to vivid violet colors. All the compliments I get on my hair are proof of a well done dye job!
Today I had the pleasure of Glenda, the owner, doing my color. Not only was the salon able to accommodate my change in schedule, but Glenda saw to it personally and took my appointment herself. I was impressed from the moment my phone call was returned within 5 minutes of talking to Johanna the receptionist. Talk about great customer service!!!
Glenda and her staff are knowledgeable & fabulous! They really know how to treat a girl (or boy ;) right & make them feel unique & beautiful. I drive all the way from Napa… because it’s that worth it people!
Annnnnd now I just learned they just added another Smoke & Mirrors location in Pac Heights (California @ Fillmore) that I will have to check out as well!

Scotty moved here from another salon. Again, must go where he goes. Great service here. They offer tea, coffee, beverages as you would like upon your arrival. I have yet to have a glass of wine. I think next time!
Scotty — I have unruly thick wavy hair for an asian person. He always makes me look fantastic when I walk out. Also, the key is that I can still style it on my own after! I haven’t gone to anyone else in so long. I just can’t.
This place is clean, great big airy windows, changing rooms and the other usuals a salon would have. Scotty of course has a good seat next to the window.

I have had many, many dramas throughout the years with my hair; between cuts and color, including having my hair bleached too harshly and having hairs at the top break off, having a colorist ‘miscount’ which shade she was using and ended up with a huge bleach spot right at the top of my head, and once, this is my favorite, a girl at Supercuts cut out the ENTIRE bottom half of my hair to ‘fix’ the ‘damaged’ hair.
What did I learn? You get what you pay for.
With that in mind, I realized I would have to probably pay a bit more (ok a lot more that I was) for my hair coloring and cutting needs, so I asked several of my friends that have great hair where they got it done, and all of them said the salon that Christina Skeen used to work for =)
I made an appointment with Christina for a cut and color back in 2007 and I haven’t looked back since… and have followed her to Smoke and Mirrors, by way of two other salons. She is the reason my hair looks as great as it does, and I constantly get compliments on my hair and color.
She is my favorite. Also space and feel of Smoke and Mirrors is awesome, plus the products they use are top notch!

I went in three days ago for a trim. I hadn’t been back to Smoke and Mirrors in six months and my super curly hair had some split ends. So, the Fabulous Thomas Klann gave me a trim «after» straightening my hair !!! This is the first time I’ve ever had a Keratin Treatment and it was a revelation. I have almost shoulder length hair and have never been able to run my fingers through it.
But now! It’s so manageable and I don’t HAVE to tie it back. Thomas is brilliant. Just so much art in those fingers. I couldn’t be happier.
I’m hooked on Smoke and Mirrors, Thomas Klann and KERATIN :)

I had a ball to attend the next day and needed an awesome up-​do. Cat is a fabulous stylist there but was not in the next day so Glynda stayed late herself to fit me in the next day! It is hard to find a salon with such great customer service and caring people. Glynda did an amazing job! She took her time to make a unique and flattering do for the Edwardian Ball. I was thrilled and everyone raved when they saw my hair! I will go to Smoke and Mirrors every time I need a truly fantastic hairdo in a client oriented salon.
Liz

Yesenia is an amazing hairstylist, unfortunately the salon/​front desk is appalling. I called to cancel my appointment more than 48 hours in advance because MY DAD PASSED AWAY, and while Yesenia agreed not to charge me the cancellation fee, the front desk person proceeded to lecture me about the «circumstances of future cancellations» and wished me a «great day». Yesenia is amazing, but NEVER will I step foot in this heartless salon.

My hair cut was great, it was exactly what I wanted. However I did pay for the extra hair treatment and… it was not cheap to say the least and the amount of time I had to enjoy it like the massage was not very long. I pay the same price at my favorite salon in Hawaii for the same Kerastase treatment and mine over there lasts a much longer time. The service was great. but mmm, I may or may not go back.

Scotty Young forever. I’ve been a client of his for half a decade and I’ve always sworn I will follow him wherever he goes. If you look at my past salon reviews, you’ll find this is true.
He is now at Smoke & Mirrors and I really really appreciate the change of salons. This location is much more accessible by MUNI & BART for me. Not to mention close to Boba Guys so you can get some bubble tea before/​after your session. They also offer wine or champagne here, loves it!
I love the big windows in this space, it doesn’t feel cramped or crowded even when there’s lots of clients. 2015 was the year I finally took the leap I had been talking about for quite some time: coloring my hair.
Scotty has done wonders on my hair. He worked with me through a couple of sessions to get me to the blonde that I wanted. Balayage and ombré! Then after that, I went a completely new route and decided to go Psylocke purple. Now I’m all about my winter metallics.
Scotty is always updating his knowledge in the ever changing trends of the hair styling. He keeps himself updated on latest trends, products, styles, and works with you to get your hair where you want it to be. I’m pretty much at the point where I can put myself into the chair and say «do whatever you want» because it comes out fabulous.

Yesenia is the best. She cuts my long curly hair normally but she also did my hair on my wedding day. She always, without fail, does a totally fabulous job. She’s such a pro with hair, I always walk out feeling like my hair is as perfect as it could ever be. She did a gorgeous updo for my wedding that looked amazing and stayed put all night.
I highly recommend Yesenia, she is a hair master!!!

This place is all about smoke and mirrors!
I called to make an appointment and they said a Kevin would be available. He came onto the phone to ask me what I was needing. He asked what was the color of my hair. I said dark brown. He said to hold for a minute on the phone. I held on for about 3 minutes. Soon after, the receptionist came back onto the phone and said that Kevin just got booked online while I was on the phone and that they didn’t have anyone else to help me.
Shame on you guys! Even if he did get booked online or whatever, I feel sick to my stomach that I was asked the color of my hair. He should have had the guts at least to come back on the phone and tell me he was booked or simply the job was just too much work for him. Ugh!
Sickening! Seriously!
10÷2÷15 The manager emailed me to apologize for the front desk and employees manners so I will adjust my rating from 1 star to 3.

Best Colorist and Stylist!!!
Cat has been coloring my hair for years. My she has so much talent and experience; the proof is in the countless compliments I receive from her work! I absolutely refuse to let anyone else do my hair because she does such an amazing job.
Smoke & Mirrors is a beautiful location set above the hustle and bustle of union square, yet each chair is still intimate enough for a one on one with your stylist.
If you need any type of style, cut, or color, you just visit Cat Halloran!

I’ve been searching for a new salon since my gal at Grasshopper moved to greener pastures and have had the hardest time not only finding a replacement but finding an evergreen look. I came across Smoke & Mirrors and made an appointment after reading all of the positive reviews (and photos). Fingers crossed, I went in for my first cut and was pleasantly surprised by the experience. Glenda is the rockstar owner and very skilled at what she does. I shamefully showed her the celebrity photo inspiration and she was upfront about what could actually be achieved and why. I have now embraced having short hair (despite my initial fear) and cannot thank Glenda enough for her care, honesty, and skill.
Seriously, go see Glenda right now. You need a hair cut.

A normal person would have come here screaming and shouting zero stars. Cat cut my hair, and although she gave me a nice cut, she ‘accidentally’ cut 3 – 4 inches too much off the back, and I left with a COMPLETELY different haircut than I asked for. This was a total transformation (12+ inches cut) and she was overly aggressive with the initial cut. I asked for a long bob that swept my collar bone — no angles. The most important rule was that I need to be able to put it in a ponytail. I left with an angled short bob thats OK, but not anything CLOSE to what I asked for, not covering my neck int he back. And no, I can’t pull it back. She apologized a few times, because it was so obvious that she overdid it and knew it wasn’t what I asked for. I probably shouldn’t have paid, but I did. Seems like such a rookie mistake.

I am beyond pleased with the amazing cut color and extensions that were performed by Scotty young. I have been an devoted client of his through out his hair career and am so excited that he will be apart of smoke and mirrors. Anything I’ve wanted in my hair he has managed to get me there. I am quite the hair explorer and love changes in my cuts and color often. He never fails me! I leave his chair feeling like a diamond every time.

I go where Cheyenne moves to. He is a hair sorcerer! :)

A very long overdue review for Cat. I have been coming to Cat for close to two years. I have been getting trims only because I like long hair. I usually get it trim once every 6months-​1 year. I know it’s horrible :(Got my first trim and highlights with Kat back when she was at Tom’s in North Beach. Followed her to Smoke and Mirrors. She’s great, personable and pays attention to your needs. Great at blowouts!

Kevin Carter is the best. He listens and he’s not pretentious. I have been seeing him for a few years and have never dealt with any mishaps like at previous salons. I especially like his skill for coloring and getting the exact color I’m requesting.
I followed Kevin from his previous salon on California and Fillmore. In comparison, this salon is much more trendy and hip. I almost feel not cool enough to be there when I’m getting my hair done. Down to the glitterati mints from Italy, every detail of the salon seems well thought out. Also, conveniently located walking distance from Montgomery Bart.

I called on a Friday morning to see if I could be seen that evening for a cut and color. I had been thinking about doing something drastic, but not super crazy. I wanted to go dark and chop off a good amount of my long hair. (A lob as my stylist, Cat would teach me later.)
Anyway, they accommodated my request and Cat took excellent care of me. She wanted to make sure I wasn’t going to regret the decision of chopping all of my hair off in the morning. Haha. I’m glad she actually cared in case it was an impulse idea. She was super knowledgable, funny and really helpful with all of the questions I had about my hair and scalp health.
The location is great for me. A quick 5 – 6 minute walk from work and BART. I will definitely be back to see Cat when my hair needs some help again. Yay!

In the mood for a hairstyle change, I made a haircut appointment with Cat. This salon is so up-​to-​date, you can book your appointment online even when the salon is closed. So, I snapped up Cat’s last appointment for this week. My new sassy cut is just what I wanted. My hair feels great and can’t wait to style it myself.
Since my last salon appointment, they installed the groovy artwork on the ceiling and it looks great. Smoke & Mirrors is an elegant and friendly salon.