L’Atelier Salon

Torn about this place. Let me start off by saying KAYLYN is amazing! She made sure she understood just what I wanted done & my hair came out great. I love it! The place is very clean & open and the staff is friendly.
But paying $ 80 for a simple trim with layers on straight hair is crazy! I’m used to paying $ 65 for the same cut. They charge by time and sometimes it seems like they waste a little time washing/​massaging it longer & doing various other things.
Overpriced but great stylists for Santa Cruz.

I Recently started going to L’Atelier and I love it! Every time I walk in I feel so welcomed, I have had encounters with both gals who run the reception desk, Cassandra and Alex, They are very lovely in person and on the phone. I have very thick wild hair and I don’t trust many people with it but hands down Kaylyn is absolutely wonderful! she took the time to walk me through the process of Balayage that I got done and turned out AMAZING!!! I also get my hair cut with her and she does a fantastic job! I am so thankful to have found such a wonderful place.
During my appointment I bought new shampoo and conditioner, I went home and started using it and found that it was a bit heavy for my scalp, I went in to get something new, On top of letting me exchange my product, Jessica washed my hair with the new product she recommended, and did a wonderful blow out all on the house. These women are very sweet and hard working, I highly recomend this salon!

I love this place. I had very long hair and it had been a few years since I got a cut. I was ready for a big change.
Everything about this salon is designed to give a great customer experience. I booked my appointment online, and you can also use their app or just call in the old fashioned way. When I arrived I was offered sparkling water and prosecco, which was lovely. My stylist was Shawn, who was so friendly and professional, she really made me feel at ease. I knew I was in good hands. We spent a lot of time talking about what I wanted to do, what I liked and didn’t like, and she had lots of good ideas. She even took before and after photos that the salon posted on Instagram.
While she was cutting my hair, another staff member brought me chocolate cake and more wine. Shawn spent a lot of time making sure my cut was just right, and then styled it beautifully. Next time I go back, I will do a cut and color with Shawn. I feel like I have finally found a stylist I want to keep going back to.

Ok-​so I love this place. It is an absolute pleasure every time I go in to see my stylist, Megan Piety. Not only is she the friendliest and nicest stylist I have ever been to, but she also has amazing skills when it comes to doing hair. The staff here always makes me feel so welcome when I come in and the salon itself is beautiful. I have gotten balayage and a cut from Megan twice and would not go anywhere else as long as I am living in Santa Cruz.

Everything about this salon was great! The décor was trendy yet warm and was inspired from its namesake, L’Atelier (French for «workshop»).
I booked an appointment for a haircut earlier this week through their app. It was a quick process and after, I received an email notification and a phone call from reception just to ask me about hair length and hair type.
Fast forward to day of the appointment. Since I was a new client, I came in early to fill out a very short new client form that asked me simple questions about my hair. As soon as I walked in the receptionist greeted me with smiles and offered me a seat while she got the form ready for me. While I waited, I was also given some tea with a Madeleine. They also have everything from coffee, sparkling water, and even champagne!
I finished the form quickly and was just sipping my tea waiting for my hair stylist, Shawn. She came over with the most genuine smile on her face, and as a person who is generally wary of new stylists, Shawn really made me feel relaxed.
We talked about my hair a little – what it was like, what I wanted from the haircut, any concerns and long term goals, etc. Then the haircut started! Shawn was sure to keep the client in mind and she involved me in every step of the way. She gave me the mirror several times, asked for feedback if I wanted a little more off, and showed me every product she used in my hair. Throughout by the cut, we made conversation and there were no awkward silences! Shawn is very easy and interesting to talk to.
In the end, I loved my short cut. I HIGHLY recommend Shawn for your next haircut or color!

Walked in and immediately fell in love with this place! Everyone is so friendly and helpful and they all have such great energy. I got a hair cut from Kaylyn and she is absolutely amazing! She made me look like I belonged on the cover of a magazine. So excited to go back again.

These folks are the sweetest around, Jenna is very kind and I am extremely happy with my hair and overall service!

Everything about my experience at L’Atelier today was wonderful. I’m new to the area so I was taking a gamble but it turned out to be a winning cut! The service was great, starting with a warm welcome, some sparkling water (or wine or coffee/​biscuit) to a thorough consultation, followed by a meticulous and well crafted cut with Shawn, my stylist. She helped me come up with a transitional solution to growing out my pixie cut in to a short bob and she made sure that I was happy with every decision she made during the process. Not to mention, the scalp massage was really relaxing!

This salon has some good qualities (nice ambiance, complimentary drinks, etc…); however, the receptionist is very snarky and rude. They will cancel your appointment through e-​mail, or move your reservation back or ahead (or change stylists) without «contacting you directly». If you do notice the «courtesy» e-​mail they send and cancel the appointment «then» (or do not agree with the «new time or stylist»), they will harshly warn you to give them advance notice– or they will charge you a cancellation fee. This is hypocritical in nature and a one-​sided business model.
No good. :(
It is my opinion that the receptionist needs to work on her customer service skills and L’Atelier Salon needs to look at their ethical business practice model. I won’t be seeking services there again.

I recommend Shawn, especially for color corrections! She turned my pink hair into a beautiful shade of blonde.

I feel like I just came out of Vogue. Happy scalp. Happy bed of hair. Plus free coffee & biscuit and hair advice. My money was well spent.
I was looking to trim my hair because I had it short in the back and long in the front from my previous A-​line cut. I asked for a round V-​cut and I got what I wanted. Thank you Nicole for the wonderful hair advices and haircut.

I have really wavy hair that is often times unruly. I’ve had a lot of really bad cuts that made me never want to get my haircut again, but inevitably I’d come to a point where a haircut was a must. Rarely have I ever gone back to a salon more than once or twice. Having said all that, Megan at l’atelier is amazing. She took the time to talk to me about my hair and about what I wanted from my haircut. She addressed all my concerns and when she was done my hair looked amazing. I’ve had none stop compliments and I’ve already scheduled another cut with her.

Organization: notifications: text message & email
Receptionists & staff: all very lovely & good mooded, good vibe/​feel good atmosphere. Was offered water with lemons, coffee and champagne! (the last only one Fridays?), loved the Pandora background music
hair: Nicole was my hairstylist. She did an excellent job, precise cut (unlike of other places where it was just quick). Very natural looking hair lightenings. Hair massage felt AWESOME.
Products: very yummi smelling and organic (mostly?). I love the Aveda shampoo smells so good and products they use (I got 2 samples for home.)
I will only come here again.
And hey, you get 25 percent off your first appointment!

As a walk in and out of town visitor, I was welcomed and embraced from the first moment I entered this salon. Jenna was helpful and kind and fit me in with Kayie who gave me a great cut style condition and advice for keeping my hair healthy. Walked out feeling great and they honored the Unilocal discount for first time visitors too. I can’t say enough about this salon. The best in Santa Cruz. An all around feel great experience. Clean and trendy salon. You will be so glad that you came in.

I absolutely love this place. From the moment I stepped into the salon, I felt welcomed and at ease. The stylists were all so friendly. Kaylyn, though, was the bomb! She listened thoroughly to my hair concerns (I previously got highlights that were orange/​brassy and was completely devastated), and offered suggestions for how we can achieve the look I was going for (Jlo, light brown/​blonde highlights). I have super long hair that’s pretty thick, so it took us quite a while to achieve the right color, but Kaylyn was patient the whole time. She has true dedication to her craft. All of the girls who work at L’Atelier are very professional, friendly, and welcoming. As a new customer, you get 20% off hair services. The other reviews on here speak the truth — this place is an awesome salon!

This place is amazing and so relaxing. Always warmly greeted when arriving.
I have been here twice and have had my hair cut by Kaylyn both times.
SHE IS AMAZING !
I swear the scalp massage she gives when she shampoos your hair is worth the price alone.
Kaylyn listens to what you want and doesn’t surprise you like some stylists do when they turn the chair around.
She is so sweet and has done both a basic trim with layers and a drastic (at least for me) shorter cut. I have curly hair and she has been able to cut and style it beautifully. Once straight & the other she used a diffuser to help enhance my natural curls.
I will definitely be coming back to L’Atelier to continue getting my hair cut by Kaylyn.
Amazing salon with amazing stylists !
I highly recommend her.

Be forewarned of the «frog in a warm pot getting slowly boiled» syndrome! The owner of this salon DOES NOT DISCLOSE price increases to clients. Do not be surprised if the bill is not what you expect or were told. If you express your concern, the owner will tell you that it is «industry standard practice» not to disclose price increases. The salon indicated that they «welcome constructive feedback» yet when it is given they call the client names (I was called «childish and unreasonable») which to me is quite unprofessional. Stylists are pretty nice but the owner spoils the entire experience by her negative attitude and her unwillingness to do something as simple as disclose price increases.

I wrote a review for this place. I wonder where it went.
I remember this place before it was L’Atelier. exchanged hands a few times and finally got a much needed up grade (what it is now).
I have never had a negative experience here. I feel comfortable with several technicians so if one is not available, I am know I am in good hands. Cutting straight Asian hair is a task and I have had some god awful experiences with bangs, layers and everything here in between. This place is my safe zone and sanctuary. When you walk in you have coffee, tea and water. The ladies up front are friendly and welcoming. There have been some changes of staff at the front, but the service continues to be on point. The music isn’t super loud or obnoxious and the place is always super clean.
The technicians encourage you to purchase products and explain everything they are using but there is no pressure to purchase. Everyone is well versed in all of the products.
Megan and Shawn are goddesses. Both do an amazing job and are very easy to talk to. Since having my hair in their hands the past few years I have gotten more compliments on my hair. The folks here take pride in their work and if something is not working out they are quick to correct it.
The ability to book on line and via FaceBook make it easy for people with crazy schedules.
It is on the pricy side but totally worth it.
Highly recommend!

Hands down the best haircut I’ve ever had in my life.
The staff is lovely and professional, they offered me coffee and had me fill out some info about my hair are habits. I definitely appreciate that they take the time to get that information, and that my hair stylist Megan went over it verbally to really get a feel for my habits and preferences.
Megan was fabulous, very easy to talk to (huge plus when you’re stuck with someone for an hour or so), and very skilled. She does some managing in the shop and was occasionally asked to consult on other cuts, but the woman at the front desk came by and refilled my coffee while she was away from the chair so I never felt neglected!
This was my first attempt at a deva cut, I wasn’t totally convinced going into it, but I read the curly girl book and have had enough sub par curly haircuts to decide it was worth a try. So glad I did! Megan did the haircut on dry hair, got rid of all the deadness and was a total wizard with shaping! We headed to the sink and she gave me super helpful step by step instructions on how to use the products at home as she worked, set me up to dry and then bam! Perfect curls.
Followed her instructions at home and low and behold, have had the exact same results every morning – which is huge considering how often you can walk out of a salon looking killer and then never be able to recreate it at home.
Compliments for days!
I’ll admit the price is steep, but I can’t deny this is easily the best haircut I’ve ever had, so you get what you pay for I suppose! (Granted if I were a human with simple hair, I probably wouldn’t be willing to pay the price, but if your hair is tricky or you want to see the curls you never believed you could have, this is the spot.)

Some of my favorite days are spent at L’Atelier. I’ve never been disappointed with any of the services, staff, or overall experience. L’Atelier has created such a beautiful, peaceful, relaxing environment.
The salon is right downtown on Pearl Alley, conveniently located on the Pacific Garden Mall and within walking distance to everything. Amanda Hall is my stylist and is a wiz with color.