Studio B

Warning! The good reviews are all really old. The best hairdressers (Courtney, Amanda, Kevin) are at their new salon Amplify — check it out

The entire staff of this salon left to formed their own salon called Amplify. I changed my reading to one star since the rating I gave a year ago applied to the stylists’ skill.

This review is meant to replace my previous review from a few years ago. All of the main /​key stylists left en masse — not a good sign, right? I’m getting my hair cut over at Amplfy Salon now (also in Napa) and I don’t have to deal with all the sketchy people from neighboring businesses anymore.

I’ve rarely written a Unilocal review, but with my experience here this last Sunday, I felt compelled to do so.
After looking up a number of reviews, I landed upon Studio B. The four stars were a nice start and the reviews were generally very good and that they were open on Sunday was a pleasant surprise. Kevin seemed to be very highly regarded, so I called to make an appointment.
I spoke with S who told me that Kevin was already booked months in advance and would not be available. However, she was available and would gladly fit me in on Sunday. I made the assumption that if this person would offer their service in place of my highly regarded choice, then this person would have been as good. Lesson learned; don’t assume.
S greeted me warmly upon my appointment and was very friendly (I was about 10 minutes late, so I appreciated her accommodating me). During my consultation, I was clear: I want to keep the length on top and to just clean up the sides, blending it all in — no shelf! I still have flashback nightmares from my 80’s days, but I digress. In my mind, it was a simple request, so I put my hair in her hands.
Long story short, S butchered my hair. I ended up with a jagged shelf in my hair, but only on one side — the other side looked relatively untouched so that there was an obvious problem. The more she tried to ‘fix’ it, the worse it was getting. I am not sure, but I believe that texturizing shears tend to be used as a finishing touch, not to be used solely to cut hair. S was using it on my head with a vengeance, trying to repair the damage. As her anxiety level rose, so did mine. Fortunately, S realized that things were out of her control, and before I lost all of my hair, she asked Kevin for help.
Kevin was already attending to his client, but was kind enough to help S, and me, out.
Thank God!
He saved what would have been a very unfortunate incident. If it weren’t for Kevin, I would have given this salon one star, which would have been generous.
I will not be coming back to Studio B.
A suggestion to S, if a customer calls asking for a specific stylist, please let that person decide if they can or cannot make room for them. If that stylist cannot, then let that stylist recommend someone else in their place. Unfortunately S, you misrepresented your ability and compromised the reputation of the salon.
Kevin, thanks again.
Robert L

I showed up for my 10:00 appointment at 9:55 a.m. The shop was cute and I was offered tea right away! The lady I scheduled my appointment with (Amanda L.) wasn’t in yet. No big deal. Amanda arrived 10 minutes after 10:00 and wasn’t very friendly from the start. Salon experiences should be relaxing, but this one definitely wasn’t. Amanda didn’t have much to say which is fine. Most of my experiences having my hair done I get a chatty person who makes the time fun. She was very friendly with co-​workers constantly getting involved in their conversations. She complained the entire time about what an awful haircut I had. I told her she could take some length off as I didn’t mind going shorter. She stated she «liked the length and wanted to keep it» She asked me how I usually wear it (which is curly) and she proceeded it to blow dry it straight. I didn’t feel listened to at all!
At the end of this frustrating appointment she actually rang me up herself and argued about the price I was quoted online vs. the price she likes to charge. Um wow now we are going to argue over a few extra bucks? I gave her a tip, I think I felt a little pressured at that point in the game. *Note to the owner please change the prices on schedulicity if they are not accurate.
Two days later I washed my hair to find the horrible pyramid cut that you sometimes get when you have curly hair. There were also some strange long pieces in the back. This is by far one of the worst haircuts and experiences ever!
I will not be returning.

Kevin is a real pro. Having visited his first Napa salon, Slick, many years ago, I was thrilled to find him again here at Studio B after we returned to Napa. He gives a great cut — more than that, he really understands the shape of your head and face, and cuts to suit it. Definitely will be back for more fabulous work by him and his fine team!

Finally! A terrific haircut in Napa!
I moved here from SF about 5 years ago, and hadn’t had a good haircut since. I went to all the big names, including the most expensive show in town (you know who you are) and still wasn’t totally happy.
I also went to all the small name salons, and have I got a lot of bad haircut stories to tell you. I’ve had the «one side is shorter than the other» cut several times, I’ve had the «bit in the back is significantly longer than the rest», and my favorite, «I must have had some hair behind my ear that she didn’t cut that’s now sticking out and long» cut. A classic.
And then one day Amanda Liddicoet walked into my life. I had made an appointment with the «workshop» (let’s leave it at that), and it had been cancelled for the second time that week. I was annoyed and had a big event coming up. I called Studio B and they said they could fit me in, so in I came with fingers crossed.
It’s a cool, funky vibe, but I don’t really care about the vibe. I care about the haircut and the color. And both were perfect. My hair (finally!) is totally even, has just the right amount of volume, and frames my face perfectly. There are no «weird bits» that are longer or shorter than other bits, and Amanda took her time to do it right. She gets it. And the color was fabulous – no orange or off bits here ladies. She’s a pro. She’s just a pro.
Amanda – where have you been all my life!

I can’t say enough about the talented and amazing Natalie! I’ve gone to her for highlights, an A-​line cut, a bob, and bangs (all on different visits). She gets it right every time. Just show her a picture of what you want and viola…
I have a great time chatting with her and Kevin each and every time. They’re so much fun :)
The prices are awesome! Try finding a salon this good in Napa that can beat their prices.

Hello fellow Unilocalsters! Big review going out here for my new stylist, Amanda Liddicoet at the super cool and hip salon– Studio B!
Amanda transformed me from hag to glam and now my boyfriend loves me again.
What color! What style! Thank you Amanda for your creative and professional talents! I’ll be back to see you in 6 weeks!
Now it’s time to go put on my roller skates!!! Ask for Amanda L. and make your appointment today!

I always delay getting my hair done for 2 reasons: 1– It is just SO hard to find a person who knows what you want. 2– It is just SO expensive especially in the city. I spend enough time in Napa that I thought why not check it out there. I went in with an «open mind» and took a deep breath. I signed up for a full highlight appointment with Amanda L and let the experience begin…
Amanda L. is awesome. I LOVE my hair and it’s exactly what I wanted. Products aren’t bumble and bumble BUT they use a lot of Joico which is pretty great. The place is definitely make shift and looks like an old outdoor patio or something BUT they have done a great job «sprucing» it up.
Overall I was super impressed and will be going back to Amanda. Being a city snob myself, don’t expect it to be oxenrose; However, products are good quality, Amanda does an excellent job and totally knows what she’s doing and lastly (and for me most importantly) the price is right!

I’ve been getting my do done for nearly 39 years, so I have lots of experience with hairdressers, barbers, clippers, etc. And without a doubt Lou the barber at Studio B does the best job! As long as Lou is within a reasonable driving distance I’ll continue to get my do did by him — reasonable right now is Sacramento to Napa.
Oh, and the disclaimer: Lou is my cousin, however, that is not why I very highly recommend him. In fact, if you have close family members that drive you crazy you’ll understand when I say I’m recommending him DESPITE his being my cousin. Anyway, for guys, do yourself a favor and schedule a gentleman’s haircut with Lou. You will not be disappointed.

I came here a while ago nervous. I was going to get a drastic haircut (I needed something new after a breakup I went through), and I was scared! I wanted to try bangs and maybe even a perm, but was scared it was going to look back and I was just going to look super asian.
I had an appointment with Amanda L. She’s great! We chit chatted about life and what I was going through, she gave me some info on her, it was great girl chit chat. I told her what I thought I wanted and she said that the bangs would be a great idea, and as for the perm, she had an appointment after mine so didn’t have time to do it that night, which I was kind of bummed about, but said that I should see how the bangs go and then see if I still want a perm. I was also cutting off a few inches so I wanted to make sure if I got a perm it wasn’t too short.
In the end, my bangs were awesome. It took me a good day for them to grow on me and like it, it was a big adjustment, but now I love them. I also got layers which looks great! I decided not to get a perm for now. My hair is too short right now and I want to keep the length even when it’s curly.
If I was still living in Napa, I would definitely be a regular customer there! They also have a great appointment system. You can do everything online, and it takes like five seconds. I would highly recommend this place! Prices are decent too.

I have been through stylist H-​E (double hockey sticks) this past year as I relocated to Napa from Scottsdale, AZ where there are amazing salons on every corner.
With that said… Geri is a GENIUS!!! I FINALLY found my miracle worker.
Geri spent a good 10 minutes with me just discussing my hair history and speaking with me about her ideas. I felt SO comfortable with her and immediately knew I was in good hands.
I have VERY high and picky standards when it comes to my hair. I want lots of color variations and dimension along with a modern and classy cut and at the same time I want it to look natural. Geri did the BEST job!!! I LOVE IT!
The salon is fun and casual, nothing fancy but inviting and unpretentious. You aren’t given price quotes until you see your stylist but the prices seem fair, heck I would pay whatever I needed to have Geri do my hair.
One last thing… their receptionist (I can’t remember her name) was AWESOME. She really listened to my concerns and helped match me with Geri and I really appreciate the attention and concern I was given by everyone at Studio B.
YAY!!!

I was recommended by a «co-​worker» in Napa to try this place and I am glad I did. Yes the place is abit hard to find (I am not from Napa) and it is unassuming. Once I stepped in, it was filled with people and it definitely had a warehouse/​garage band vibe. I loved it! It was so unpretentious and very, very cleverly designed. I loved the extension cords pulleys on the ceiling. I asked if I could charge my phone and no problem! They pulled an extension cord down and I was able to plug it in! Ha! :)
I was greeted with Earl Grey tea with milk and had an enjoyable time reading my smut mag while Amanda did my hair.
The price was right too — $ 35 for a trim and she took over an hour. I highly recommend this place to anyone!

As a hairstylist myself I’m used to messing with my own hair and so it had been a long time since I had my hair done professionally in a salon.
I asked my friend Courtney at Studio B to turn my platinum blonde hair into a dark brunette. Courtney did an amazing job! She knew exactly what I wanted. There is a danger of going ashy green and thin on color when coming back from bleaching your hair and Courtney gave me a beautiful deep rich brown with gorgeous red tones. My hair looks and feels super healthy and shiny and amazing!
Plus I had a super fun time hanging out while she worked on my head. Everyone in the salon is friendly and laid back. I look forward to seeing Courtney again– I’m hooked on this pampering!

I was having my engagement pictures taken in Napa this past weekend, and I called Studio B to make an appointment to have my hair and makeup done before the shoot. I received a call back from Andrea, and she quoted me $ 55 to have my hair done and $ 65 to have my makeup done, including false eyelashes application. I happily booked the appointment.
I came prepared with a couple of pictures of celebrities with similar hair lengths and makeup that I wanted. All of the pictures had curled hair, so Andrea set my hair in hot rollers and went to work on my makeup. After finishing most of my makeup, she started to remove the rollers and curl my hair with a curling iron. When she turned me around to see how I looked before my eyelashes were applied, I was utterly dismayed by my hair and eye makeup! My hair was hanging limp and uncurled on the bottom (which she then blamed on my hair cut), and my eye makeup was much darker than the pictures I brought!
I completely panicked and asked her to lighten my eyeshadow (which she did), and then I asked her to flat iron my hair. She said she thought she should round brush it instead, which I agreed to only because I frequently use that method to style my own hair. As she was round brushing it, my hair just started to look like I had slept on the curls. It was not cute! Imagine my surprise when she stops and says, «Okay, we’ll there you go. There’s still some body in it.» I had a hard time not saying, «Are you serious? You think this looks good? You would actually send me out of the salon looking like this? I look like I just slept off a bender from the night before!»
I asked her again if she could PLEASE just flat iron my hair… She finally did so, and my hair looked cute, although it also looked like how I style it every day. I have a shoulder length, layered hair cut. It shouldn’t have been so difficult to style it.
As for my makeup, she did lighten my eye shadow, and then she put on my false eyelashes. She did not trim them before she glued them on. After letting them dry, she asked one of the other stylists to trim them because her hands were shaky. I also had to remind her to do my eyebrows and put mascara on after the eyelashes were trimmed.
Upon closer inspection of the eyelashes, I looked like a Muppet. They were way too long and super uneven, but at that point, I just wanted to get out of there. She checked me out, and I didn’t realize until the next day that she overcharged me. She charged my card $ 140, instead of $ 120.
Overall, my makeup was pretty once I removed the Muppet lashes and had her tone down my eyeshadow, but I was so disappointed with my hair. I won’t be going back.

After moving back from San Francisco, it was difficult to find a stylist who wasn’t: A) completely insane B) just out of beauty school 3) wanting to chop off all my locks into a pixie because I have a cute round face.
Geri did an amazing job, and I have put off writing this review so my new cut and color could «settle» and I could give a complete opinion. She really customized my color to fit the way I wear my hair. From consultation to finish she made me feel so comfortable and I trusted her immediately.
The color turned out fabulous and looked sun-​kissed natural. Like I had just spent a week in Cabo *ahhh* The cut was amazing as well. I told her what I wanted and she spent so much time and effort making sure it fell perfectly.
It has been about 5 weeks and my color still looks fabulous and my cut is growing out wonderfully. I can’t wait for my appointment in a couple weeks!
Also, the salon itself is rockin’! I won’t spoil it but you have to check it out!

There are a few sad things about leaving a place you loved:
1) Your friends
2) Your favorite hangouts
3) Your amazing mechanic
And finally,
4) Your hair stylist
I was so bummed I would have to replace Sean at Dulcinea (though there really is no replacing him) after moving up to the bay area. I can’t say I was super stoked to start poking around Vallejo for a place to get my hair cut either. But true to the power that is Unilocal,I found Studio B. Totally dug it. The space is pretty cool and aside from a small power shortage, really efficient. My qualms about my hair were listened to and I was given a great, easy to maintain cut for a low low price of $ 35! (and I have long hair). I couldn’t have asked for more; friendly service, quick, and a great cut. I would highly recommend.

I have been anticipating my visit to this salon for quite awhile now, one of the most Unilocaled about hair cutters this side of Portland’s The Parlour. I have long known about Studio B’s steady fanbase, and there is a mysticism that buzzes in this salon that makes you wonder, but it’s hard not to notice the bright attitudes of the staff and how they take every aspect of their job very seriously. And it’s a fun time. Especially Amanda L’s great attitude and professionalism, both exhilariating and refreshing.
It must be about 85% of the people on this planet who relate getting a haircut with having to run an errand, as if it’s just something that needs to be done. There is no joy in it, necessarily, and the end result is satisfactory or adequate at best. And then there’s the 15% who know it’s more than merely taking shears to their head when it reaches an unwanted length. No, they believe that it is as uplifting an experience as finding one’s self in meditation. Like smoking a hand-​rolled cigarette after lovemaking or the mad love discovery of eating a lamb gyro.
I have walked into hair salons expecting to be wrapped in that straitjacket while trying to give a speech on how I want my hair, how many inches off in the back, how many millimeters above the ear, how I wanted it parted and styled, before realizing that the person standing behind me was going to cut my hair however they damn well pleased. And that might probably be because I’m the worst at telling anyone how I want my hair to look. A trigger in my brain closes and my tongue swells. I give a couple of one-​word utterances as clues to a riddle and nod at the mirror with a lost smile. I can’t imagine how many hair stylists I have frustrated in the past.
I have been part of the complacent and disillusioned for so long, that getting the proper treatment from Amanda L. was a complete surprise. Like many others that have opened that big black door to Studio B for the first time, my presumptions were shattered. I know it sounds silly but believe me, there are a lot of us out there. We have no idea someone like Amanda exists. She took care of me. Amanda knew there was some uncertainty by the way I was flailing my arms above my hair and pointing at my head with barely a complete sentence coming out of my mouth. She knew how to proceed. She has tools in her bag for trimming hair that’s straight or curly, short or long, thin or crazy fuzzball. She took control and made the experience a very fun one. It was more than just a trim, but a day brightener. I don’t miss the old hair at all. Haven’t even given it a second thought. I’m comfortable in the new look and stoked that I can finally see the light.

Awesome: You can schedule your haircuts
with Amanda L. in advance at
.

Studio B is beyond awesome. I’ve been getting my hair done by Courtney for over a year now.
I had been getting beautiful blond highlights by her, but decided I wanted to go *completely* platinum blond (specifically a lavender/​violet blond, NOT a warm blond). I showed Courtney photos and conveyed my desires to her, and she was completely supportive and understood what I wanted. I was thrilled when she turned my hair into a FANTASTICALLY gorgeous platinum blond – EXACTLY what I wanted! She used just the color, bleach, & toner that I needed in order to turn my hair into JUST what I had in mind. I was ecstatic, and walked out of the salon feeling like a million bucks. I couldn’t stop looking in the mirror! That’s a great feeling. ;)
Courtney is sweet, fun, & superbly talented at what she does. AND as an added bonus, lots of people at the salon, especially Kevin, are awesome, too! There is a great, upbeat energy – lots of laughter and smiles, great music, beverages offered, & a very cute and hip atmosphere.
Studio B is my favorite salon – all the way!