Gena Watson

I am new to Unilocal.But I had to go out of my way and write a review about this talented gal. She is seriously one in a million. The reason I say this because she has 15 plus years of experience, she was also a color educator, as well as excelling in all other areas of hair. She does amazing work. I am a blondie. Naturally more of a medium brown as I get older. I am Super super picky with my color. But the second I sat in her chair it was like she took the words out of my mouth and knew exactly what I wanted. The end results are beautiful and I know the more I go to her the better and better it will get! It’s so important to stick to one hair stylist that you trust so you can work together on creating your ideal look. I’m telling you, once you see Gena, you will never go anywhere else again! I have never come in with a expectation and then been shocked by it not only being what I wanted but BETTER!!! She is also so easy to talk too, professional, and very accommodating. She talks you through things as she does them, which makes you feel more at ease. She really takes the time to consult with you prior. She is so excellent at making you look natural. It’s so rare these days to find someone who can do that. In conclusion, amazing colorist, great haircut as well! Go see her while you can before she realizes she should be a celebrity stylist ;) xoxo

Gena is amazing! She is a blonde hair genie! My hair had never looked better than when she did it. Her prices are a little high but that’s due to experience and skill! She’s fun and work is impeccable!

I recently moved to San Diego and I have been in the process of finding a new hair stylist. I have found one! Gena was amazing. I showed her a picture and told her what I wanted and it turned out PERFECT! I am a blonde, but I do not like to look fake. She made me much blonder than before (which I asked for), but it still looks natural and has different blondes throughout. It is exactly what I wanted and asked her to do. It is honestly some of the best highlights I have ever had. I HIGHLY recommend her!

Background: I’m a bit of a «shopper» when it comes to salons. I’ve tried a few five-​star salons that I found on Unilocal,and though experiences were mostly pleasant, I never felt like my stylist really «got» me. I was never given much direction either. When I asked for something and it didn’t look great (such as only lowlights over ombré outgrowth), I had no one to blame but myself, but found myself wishing my stylist would have said something.
Experience: When I spoke to Gena for the first time, I felt immediately at ease. She asked for a history of my hair and what I was looking for (Not all stylists seem to ask for history!). She was also able to accurately assess what I had done to my hair, even before I explained it to her. I basically had solid blonde processed hair and five inches of dark blonde outgrowth. She suggested pretty much exactly what I wanted but didn’t have the knowledge to ask for, which I now know is called «sombre.» I gave her some thoughts on what I wanted– little damage, more dark than light, warmer tones– and she expanded on them and made suggestions. I loved that she understood exactly where I was coming from and gave me her expert advice on how to get the best results. My hair ended up looking just awesome, with no noticeable damage one gets from coloring. No more awful delineation between roots and bleached hair. I went to her because of the glowing Unilocal reviews about her coloring skills, which are fantastic, but I was equally blown away by what a beautiful «Victoria’s Secret» style haircut she gave me. The layers fall just perfectly. She even had to fix my own botched tapering job (thanks a lot, youtube tutorial, lol).
I am very pleased with everything about my experience (the price was great too!). She really is an expert. No more shopping for me.

I’ve been waiting over 7 years to be able to say I love my hair and my hair stylist. I get to say both of these things now that Gena is my hair stylist. I have had some bad experiences the past few hair stylists, and my hair just never looked the way I wanted ito to. I also think I am picky and very particular, so writing a 5 star review says a lot. So here it goes:
1. I told Gena what I wanted, what I didn’t want, and showed her pictures of what I liked. She very clearly communicated with me what she would do, and what she wouldn’t do to achieve the look I wanted. Good communication from both ends is crucial, and in the past I’ve been very unsuccessful having this with the person who styles my hair. This is not an issue with Gena.
2. The blonde highlights she gave me were awesome, and just what I wanted. My roots were about 6−8months long, and I was ready to be blonde again, but she explained to me that we’ll achieve that blonde in 2 visits to maintain healthy hair, and the visual quality of the highlights. She could have chosen to bleach the heck out of my hair and send me on my way, simply because I told her I wanted to be blonde blonde again. Instead, she did what was best for me, knowing in the long run I want healthy and good looking hair. So, perfect! I am happy with the blonde highlights she recently gave me, and look forward to the next appointment. These were the best looking highlights I’ve had in almost a decade.
3. My hair was pretty long and I like it long. I also needed a really good healthy cut, so I told her to cut off whatever is needed. A good amount of hair was cut off, and my hair is shorter than it’s been in a while. The cut is great, and it looks great, I don’t even mind it being shorter than what I’m used to. She didn’t cut it too short, she cut the perfect amount of hair off so that it’s healthy, and she actually kept it as long as she could.
4. She told me to come back in 3 months, whereas some other hairstylists will say 4 – 8 weeks. Gena however, wants what’s best for me and my hair, and that is a good amount of time in between highlights so my hair stays healthy. I really appreciate that honesty, it lets me know she cares about me as a client, and not just about money.
5. She is very personable, easy to talk to, and very focused on you during your appointment. I like knowing that she cares a lot about the quality of service she’s giving her clients.
6. Great location, easy to get to, and always parking. Huge plus!
7. Easy to schedule appointments online, I love getting to see the available days on a calendar, and weighing out my different options for dates and times.
So glad I met Gena, I’d recommend her to anyone!

As a blonde, it’s scary for me to try new colorists because a bad job can leave you bald! I just had my first cut and color with Gena Watson. She came highly recommended from another client (who has beautiful blonde hair), and I can see why. I was very impressed with her professionalism and the quality of her work (and I have heard from other hair dressers that I am a demanding client). She took the time to listen to what I liked and what I didn’t like, and then made suggestions. She was so well-​spoken that I went with her recommendation, and I am so glad I did. I LOVE the color and cut!
The salon itself (Brooksy Girl) is gorgeous. The shampoo bowls are padded for the neck and there is a foot rest for comfort. You can tell a lot of thought went into making it right for the client, and I appreciate that. I will definitely be back and plan to refer people. Thanks Gena!

I recently moved from Las Vegas and had to leave my professional hairstylist whom I loved and went to for years. Im sure anyone would understand that its very hard to start from scratch and find a new stylist. I heard about Gena from a friend of mine and since i could no longer afford the trips to vegas just for my hair, i decided to give it a try. She is so good that when she was cutting my hair she knew how my previous stylist did it and she honestly made my hair come alive. I went in just wanting to find a decent hairstylist to just not ruin my hair, and instead i found someone with incredible talent with color AND CUT. Usually thats hard to find because its usually one or the other. I would not recommend her if i didn’t love her work. Thank you Gena!

Gena is like a hair magician. She takes one look at your face and hair and comes up with a vision and practically reads your mind. If you show her what you think you want, and she knows it wont suit your skin tone or face then she will explain WHY it will not work! She is not going to let you walk out unhappy. She is very fun to be around and welcoming. I would recommend her. Her color technique is perfect and right on, and she cuts hair amazing as well!
Love her :)

Holy moly, Gena is AMAZING!!! I’ve had the same stylist for as long as I can remember and based on Gena’s glowing recommendations, I decided to switch things up a bit and go see her. I’ve pretty much been sporting the same hairstyle for about 15 years and it was time for a change. Granted, my hair never looked bad but I had gotten so use to the same look. I showed Gena a single picture on my iPhone of the vague idea that I had in mind and she literally turned my hair into a MASTERPIECE! She spent so much time with me, making genuinely helpful and honest suggestions and ensuring that I was comfortable the entire time. What I loved the most is even though she was busy, she made sure not to rush through anything. To put the cherry on the cake, the salon is so clean, cozy, and well decorated.
Her color skills are incredible and evolved. She’s also very careful and meticulous about what she puts in your hair. What’s more though is her ability to do magic with the scissors! I went in looking so run down and I walked out feeling like a million bucks.
And a little side note: I went to the mall to pick something up directly after my haircut, before I headed home and I literally got two MAC employees and a shopper commenting on how great my hair looked at the MAC stand at Nordstrom — speaks for itself!!!

Yesterday, completely over my hair color and cut, I browsed Unilocal looking for a great colorist to return to blond from the sassy red locks I’ve been sporting for a couple of years. I like to change it up. After reading the reviews I made an appt with Gena and, if all the compliments I received today are any indication, it’s a home run do. I love it! It’s fun and flirty and I look ten years younger.
Gena is punctual, thorough in her consultation, clear in her communication, gentle with your scalp (I’m a tender head) and clearly a color artist! She loves what she does and creates art with each client. I’ve got blond highlights and ginger low lights, for an effect that is smashing!
Her cuts are also a work of art to her. She takes her time, again, communicates with you and is very precise.
And on top of it all she is a delight! Terrific positive energy truly authentic and sweet.
One more thing. She gives you your first cut free so out the door for under 150 and I’m thrilled. I’m not thrilled about spending that every 6 weeks to maintain but when I said that to my BF he looked at me, smiled and said «it’s totally worth it honey!». I think I’ll go back… :)
Thanks Gena!

Perfection at last! I have been high lighting (blonde) my long, thick, curly hair for 25 years. I moved to San Diego two years ago and have been in search of decent highlights to no avail. I can’t even begin to write about the incredibly horrible experiences my hair has endured all at the hands of various friends’ referrals. I finally decided to let Unilocal decide for me. Gena’s reviews all seem so sincere and obviously positive so I booked an appointment and took a leap of faith. I could not be happier. The color is AMAZINGLY beautiful. I get complimented all the time. I have now been to Gena three times and will never leave her, I’ll follow her anywhere. Last week I was at a bar and a woman came up to me to ask where I get my hair done because it was so goregous. Turns out she was a hair stylist who specializes in color so she knows goregous! I told her, «Gena, of course.» She told me, «Keep doing what you’re doing, don’t change stylists.» She was preaching to the choir. Thank you, Gena! You are the best!

Having recently relocated from the east coast and having spent the last 7 years in the salon business (salon manager), it was a pleasure to discover Gena Watson. Her professionalism and talent made me feel comfortable using her for the first time and in the future. I highly recommend Gena to anyone who is looking for a truly talented colorist and hairstylist.

Gena is amazing. I went to her after 2 horrible colorists ruined my beautiful blonde hair. I called Gena after reading reviews and left a frantic voicemail hoping to get in the same day. She texted me about 10 min later saying she’d stay late to fix my hair. AMAZING. The work she did was fantastic. I walked in avoiding mirrors and feeling completely down on myself. When I left I felt like the confident blonde I was before the 2 other salons touched my locks!
She gave me her opinions, and completely changed the horrible work that I had gotten done. There was orange and grey in the color and she flushed it out with highlights and lowlights. I couldn’t thank her enough. On top of that her price was completely reasonable. I figured it would be in the hundreds because of the work she did fixing it, however it was 100 $ for a full foil. I was loving it.
Needless to say I would trust my color with her any day. She knows exactly what she’s doing and what will work for the client.

Gena is amazing!!! She took my ugly hair and made me look young and vibrant again! I’m so happy to have found a Hair Stylist like her! She is quick, she worked with my limited time schedule, and the salon is nice quiet individual spaces! Everyone keeps commenting on how great my hair looks! You have to check her out:-)

Gena is an incredible stylist. She is a color expert. She really has lots of experience and many of her clients are blonde. She does great cuts & blow outs. She is very confident & knows what to do with your hair. She listens to you & helps determine your best color & cut. Her prices are reasonable. I get lots of compliments on my hair. I will follow her wherever she goes. I love her new location in sola boutique next to TGI Fridays (in the tall building). She has a shabby chic décor. I highly recommend Gena Watson. You wont be disappointed.

I’ve been going to Gena for 12 years now and just give her rave reviews! She’s the BEST!

I am the pickiest person I know when it comes to a lot of things, and my hair is one of them! I want my highlights to look really natural. I even brought in a picture of Gisele and asked Gena to make my hair look like Gisele’s and she did!!! I have been going to Gena for years; I absolutely love the way she colors my hair! She is the best colorist I have ever seen and I have been highlighting my hair for ages. Once Gena colors your hair you will never change stylist!

3^rd time’s the charm! Gena saved me and not to mention my wedding from 2 botched color jobs. She let me send her pictures online/​text for a quick pre-​appt consultation for realistic, hair healthy options.
What stood out the most was that she went ABOVE AND BEYOND by taking the time out of her busy schedule to see me even though she was fully booked in advance! THAT IS EXCELLENT CUSTOMER SERVICE!
She was so sweet enough to take the extra time to fix my horrible razor cut bangs to compliment my face. Dena was SO gentle with my hair and made sure I was comfortable the entire time.
Gena is definately a certified color expert, and did I mention she teaches professional hair color classes? Watching the way she foiled my hair (precise and not random!) and place her intricate hair weaves (as compared to my previous experiences), I knew I was in good hands. She is very knowledgeable in her field and reassured me while I asked her a million questions.
My hair color is so amazing! It is natural looking and has so much depth. It was what I wanted but BETTER! I cannot stop looking at it in the mirror :)
I am kicking myself for not going to her sooner!
If I had gone to her in the first place I would have saved $ 200.
However, it was worth it because I finally found my permanent colorist/​stylist! I will definately be back! Hopefully she won’t be booked years in advance!
Thank you, Gena!

Just went to Gena for the first time and plan to go back every 6 weeks. She is a highlighting queen!!! :)

Shortly after getting out onto the clinic floor in the beauty academy I was attending, Gena put in her two weeks, my only thoughts were,“deng, I’ll miss her but… shit, I need to get all the formulas out of her as quick as possible, take notes and juice her brains for her amazing color techniques.”
She is an amazing colorist, and an amazing instructor. I’m so glad she started her own education for stylist to better understand color and enhance haircuts with her color techniques.
I definitely recommend anyone going to her because she will find an alternative way to get you to the beautiful color and maintain the health of your hair. And it’s always a customized color so I always felt special that no one else will have the same color as meeee! And more of a plus, she’s in Mission Valley! I hate going downtown to get my hair done!**